Main Dining Room Food Reviews?

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, scootersdad said:

PreCovid  cruise my waiter and head waiter both admitted some of the food is prepared by a restaurant supply house and warmed up on ship.  Not prepared from scratch.  

 

Watch for Sysco truck while boarding or disembarking.

We had the chicken wrapped ham ...Corden bleu and were disappointed and the waiter said it is made elsewhere and warmed up in the kitchen. Dont order it unless you love chicken breast. Couldnt find the ham or cheese inside. 

[zanydoc]

On 2/16/2022 at 8:36 AM, firefly333 said:

Took me 2 weeks to notice but the very beginning of the breakfast section in WJ where the crowd is blocking it they have a daily juice. I tried the peach juice and the strawberry and also the blueberry smoothie. The strawberry one wasnt that good, too thin. ..but mostly nice. Also had pear juice one morning.

 

This is wheat grass juice... it changes every morning.

 

Thanks for the tip! I’ve somehow never noticed this before either. 

[scootersdad]

3 hours ago, boscobeans said:

We've been through the galley on a few ships and can't imagine anything other than one or 2 bakery items as being prepared ahead, We saw a few frozen breads on NCL that were baked on board, but so far not on Royal.

 

I used Sysco years ago and they wholesale hundreds of thousands of restaurant items from precooked steaks to the umbrellas in frozen cocktails.

IIems like escargot are pre-cooked and I never saw them making croissants on board but for almost all the other bread and rolls, YES they have an amazing bakery on each ship. 

Interesting topic. Would like to hear from others.

 

 

SORRY: I have to add that there are many special pre-prepared meals and food items for people with certain dietary restrictions and many are frozen and heated on the ship.

I too have been on several galley tours during mostly off hours. 

I sincerely doubt the staff would admit to prepared items if it wasn't true. 

[scootersdad]

51 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

We had the chicken wrapped ham ...Corden bleu and were disappointed and the waiter said it is made elsewhere and warmed up in the kitchen. Dont order it unless you love chicken breast. Couldnt find the ham or cheese inside. 

As i recall, that's one of the items i had and asked about.   Seemed like it was from Costco.

Bottom line is that food on  most  cruise lines has gone downhill.

[FionaMG]

I have heard that the Maryland-style crab cakes, usually served as an appetizer on the first night, are ordered in. Whatever, I don't care. I really like them, although I understand from other posters that they are about as far-removed from Maryland as I am! 

[jsf]

How would expect the "Pay For" dining venues to be kept busy if the MDR was 5 star every night?

[PaddleAddict]

15 minutes ago, jsf said:

How would expect the "Pay For" dining venues to be kept busy if the MDR was 5 star every night?

Very true! 

[PaddleAddict]

New question! I’m reading that the food in the Windjammer for dinner is actually pretty good. I wonder if we are better off eating in the Windjammer for dinner? We have two little kids, though they are very good at the table. 
 

When we last cruised 10 years ago we never ate dinner at the buffet but maybe time to reconsider?

[firefly333]

Just now, PaddleAddict said:

New question! I’m reading that the food in the Windjammer for dinner is actually pretty good. I wonder if we are better off eating in the Windjammer for dinner? We have two little kids, though they are very good at the table. 
 

When we last cruised 10 years ago we never ate dinner at the buffet but maybe time to reconsider?

I actually love eating in the WJ for dinner. Every  night a new type of food is featured and maybe you might want to check this. Caribbean to me was similar to Mexican. Caribbean had meat patties and fried plantains and beans and rice. I dont remember what else but I wasnt a big fan of meat patties filled with hamburger meat. Spicy or not. I do like beans and rice and plantains. Another night is american, with fried chicken and mashed potatoes. 

 

Of course every night has minute steak and trimmings. Which I do like. 

[davekathy]

Speaking only for ourselves. We like the breakfasts, lunches and diners served in the MDR.  

[PaddleAddict]

6 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Speaking only for ourselves. We like the breakfasts, lunches and diners served in the MDR.  

Oooh do they serve breakfast and lunch in the MDT? I did not see that on the app.

[Rogueperson]

2 hours ago, FionaMG said:

I have heard that the Maryland-style crab cakes, usually served as an appetizer on the first night, are ordered in. Whatever, I don't care. I really like them, although I understand from other posters that they are about as far-removed from Maryland as I am! 

 

Yes.  If you've grown up with Maryland crabs like I did, the crab cakes are an aberration.  

 

Btw, Enchantment is in 16 days 😛

[davekathy]

4 minutes ago, PaddleAddict said:

Oooh do they serve breakfast and lunch in the MDT? I did not see that on the app.

MDR is for all three. Sea days only for lunch. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by davekathy

[FionaMG]

2 minutes ago, PaddleAddict said:

Oooh do they serve breakfast and lunch in the MDT? I did not see that on the app.

 

Breakfast is daily. Lunch is usually only on sea days. They tend not to be open for very long hours so we typically miss both unless we have an early excursion. The few times we have made it there I have always enjoyed it.

[FionaMG]

1 minute ago, Rogueperson said:

 

Yes.  If you've grown up with Maryland crabs like I did, the crab cakes are an aberration.  

 

Btw, Enchantment is in 16 days 😛

 

Well, what do you expect of a European? 

 

I will be eagerly watching for your review. Did you see that Vision is apparently going to be in Baltimore next summer?

[Rogueperson]

12 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

Well, what do you expect of a European? 

 

I will be eagerly watching for your review. Did you see that Vision is apparently going to be in Baltimore next summer?

I just saw that last night.  Vision would be nice.  I was hoping for a Radiance class, but no such luck.

[FionaMG]

4 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

I just saw that last night.  Vision would be nice.  I was hoping for a Radiance class, but no such luck.

Looks like Jewel is doing some fall foliage cruises in 2023. There's a southbound one from Quebec to NJ showing... Is that too far for you to travel?

[Rogueperson]

5 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Looks like Jewel is doing some fall foliage cruises in 2023. There's a southbound one from Quebec to NJ showing... Is that too far for you to travel?

 

Bayonne is 4 hours from me, but I can hop on the Oasis if its there, or Freedom, or Adventure (which I am in September).  Baltimore is locked in size because of the two bridges they have to go under.  I heard a Radiance class can fit under.

 

30 minutes ago, PaddleAddict said:

Oooh do they serve breakfast and lunch in the MDT? I did not see that on the app.

 

Its usually open for about an hour and a half for each.  As someone else said, Lunch is usually only available during sea days.

[Jasukkie]

Windjammer for dinner is a learned art. Chinese food is bad. Indian and south Asian food is generally excellent. American style food is in the middle. 

[scootersdad]

15 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

I just saw that last night.  Vision would be nice.  I was hoping for a Radiance class, but no such luck.

if you do go to  B'more try a restaurant called the Rusty Rudder which is not in the Mall area but across the harbor, a stand alone on the water.  Especially for Sunday seafood brunch.   Thats what a cruise ship should be like.

[Sunshine3601]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:36 AM, firefly333 said:

Took me 2 weeks to notice but the very beginning of the breakfast section in WJ where the crowd is blocking it they have a daily juice. I tried the peach juice and the strawberry and also the blueberry smoothie. The strawberry one wasnt that good, too thin. ..but mostly nice. Also had pear juice one morning.

 

This is wheat grass juice... it changes every morning.

 

Yes, I always enjoy the various juices and smoothies.    They usually are hard to find or I forget to look for them once I get to the WJ.

[Sunshine3601]

15 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

 

Bayonne is 4 hours from me, but I can hop on the Oasis if its there, or Freedom, or Adventure (which I am in September).  Baltimore is locked in size because of the two bridges they have to go under.  I heard a Radiance class can fit under.

I would love for a Radiance class ship to sail out of Baltimore.

[Jerseygirl1416]

2 hours ago, PaddleAddict said:

New question! I’m reading that the food in the Windjammer for dinner is actually pretty good. I wonder if we are better off eating in the Windjammer for dinner? We have two little kids, though they are very good at the table. 
 

When we last cruised 10 years ago we never ate dinner at the buffet but maybe time to reconsider?

No save Windjammer for lunch. The MDR is a nice experience for your kids and the wait staff will love them. Have a great cruise!

[Sunshine3601]

13 minutes ago, scootersdad said:

if you do go to  B'more try a restaurant called the Rusty Rudder which is not in the Mall area but across the harbor, a stand alone on the water.  Especially for Sunday seafood brunch.   Thats what a cruise ship should be like.

I think you mean Rusty Scupper restaurant.     They do have an wonderful Sunday brunch with a great view.     We like McCormick & Schmicks at Pier 5 Hotel too!    We have lots of favorites in Baltimore.

[Gumpxyz]

We always go to the MDR for dinner and WJ for breakfast and lunch. We’ve found the food perfectly fine for us although the choice was fairly repetitive for the kids. On the last cruise my eldest ended up on the main menu and the waiters offered my youngest some Indian dishes that weren’t on the menu and she loved. 
 

we’ve been cruising for 14 years and have found a decline in the MDR food offering but it’s still perfectly acceptable for us and a better experience than in the WJ but it’s definitely each to their own!