workfromship Posted September 26, 2022 #1 Share Posted September 26, 2022 My wife and I are frequent cruisers and currently living it up on Carnival Vista. We ALWAYS order lobster on the first formal night and are ALWAYS unimpressed with it. The mushroom risotto that also comes with the dish is always bland and gummy, nothing like a real risotto. Here's a pro tip: Get the Pan Striped Bass! I got out of my comfort zone last night and tried the Pan Striped Bass instead and was blown away due to how great it was! Not only was the fish perfectly cooked with a crispy skin, but the gnocchi that came with it was so flavorful! I'll definitely be getting it again in lieu of lobster from now on. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PrincessArlena'sDad Posted September 26, 2022 #2 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Thanks for the tip... but my solution is order both! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notscb Posted September 26, 2022 #3 Share Posted September 26, 2022 24 minutes ago, workfromship said: We ALWAYS order lobster on the first formal night and are ALWAYS unimpressed with it. Is the lobster included, or an upcharge? If it's included, I'd do what @PrincessArlena'sDad suggested and order both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted September 26, 2022 #4 Share Posted September 26, 2022 On elegant night, it’s included. EM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PrincessArlena'sDad Posted September 26, 2022 #5 Share Posted September 26, 2022 1 minute ago, notscb said: Is the lobster included, or an upcharge? If it's included, I'd do what @PrincessArlena'sDad suggested and order both! I haven't been on carnival since 2018, and back then it was included only on formal night. Hopefully still is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondello Posted September 26, 2022 #6 Share Posted September 26, 2022 11 minutes ago, notscb said: Is the lobster included, or an upcharge? If it's included, I'd do what @PrincessArlena'sDad suggested and order both! Lobster is included on first elegant night on longer cruises only; not on cruises 5 days or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcruiselover Posted September 26, 2022 #7 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) I am also unimpressed with the MDR lobster on elegant night. Last time I had it was several months ago. I ordered one and my server brought two. One was terribly salty, so much so that I couldn’t even taste the lobster. The other one was soft and mushy. I didn’t finish either one and ordered something else instead. For excellent lobster tail, either go to the steakhouse or pay the up charge to get steakhouse lobster in the MDR. Edited September 26, 2022 by nwcruiselover 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted September 26, 2022 #8 Share Posted September 26, 2022 They're all frozen anyway, which degrades the quality significantly. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsglow Posted September 26, 2022 #9 Share Posted September 26, 2022 The Pan Striped Bass is quite good; typically my 'go to' on Elegant Night on the 5 nighters. That said, the Elegant Night menu on the 5 night cruise is probably my least favorite during those trips. One of these times I'll get the Up-charge $23 NY Strip. Problem is I'm always trying to eat less, not more. We cruise enough that I try hard not to overdo it. Last week I hadn't had a melting cake all week; something I've never missed in my many cruises. Got one the last night and had 4-5 bites. It was great but I was so 'done' eating/drinking for the week. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted September 26, 2022 #10 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Last month on Magic we ordered the lobster. I had a very small tail (I cut it into six bite-size pieces), a very small portion of risotto, and one - count it, one - broccoli floret. Our server brought us each a second plate without our asking for it. (My second plate had two broccoli florets.😄) When we first started sailing with Carnival, the lobster tail was larger and accompanied by medium-sized shrimp. Those days are long past. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted September 26, 2022 #11 Share Posted September 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, nybumpkin said: Last month on Magic we ordered the lobster. I had a very small tail (I cut it into six bite-size pieces), a very small portion of risotto, and one - count it, one - broccoli floret. Our server brought us each a second plate without our asking for it. (My second plate had two broccoli florets.😄) When we first started sailing with Carnival, the lobster tail was larger and accompanied by medium-sized shrimp. Those days are long past. LOL, lots of things change over time, not only with the cruise industry but me as well….. I will put in a-good word to ensure we get back to the “regular” 2 florets. 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyglow Posted September 26, 2022 #12 Share Posted September 26, 2022 1 hour ago, Essiesmom said: On elegant night, it’s included. EM Only lobster tail is part of the free Elegant Night menu, not whole lobster, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drazil65 Posted September 26, 2022 #13 Share Posted September 26, 2022 DH and DS go for the upcharge lobster in the MDR, much better and worth it for them. DH also really enjoys the Striped Bass as well, he orders both...I dont eat lobster so it doesn't affect my choices. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrieluvsgreg Posted September 26, 2022 #14 Share Posted September 26, 2022 1 hour ago, workfromship said: My wife and I are frequent cruisers and currently living it up on Carnival Vista. We ALWAYS order lobster on the first formal night and are ALWAYS unimpressed with it. The mushroom risotto that also comes with the dish is always bland and gummy, nothing like a real risotto. Here's a pro tip: Get the Pan Striped Bass! I got out of my comfort zone last night and tried the Pan Striped Bass instead and was blown away due to how great it was! Not only was the fish perfectly cooked with a crispy skin, but the gnocchi that came with it was so flavorful! I'll definitely be getting it again in lieu of lobster from now on. If you are always unimpressed with it, why do you continue to order it? Just curious, seems odd to do the same thing and expect a different result. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckF Posted September 26, 2022 #15 Share Posted September 26, 2022 On our last cruise, my wife and I both had lobster tails. Mine was fine, and hers was terrible. Of course, I'm from Louisiana and she's from Massachusetts. Go figure. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retiredmedic Posted September 26, 2022 #16 Share Posted September 26, 2022 23 minutes ago, mz-s said: Well a lot of the food on Carnival isn't that good anymore, it's just a sign of the times I guess. Never has been that good. My first cruise in 2010 and the food as meh. I was really looking forward to it after all the talking up my sister in law was giving the food. But then she uses the smoke detector as timer when cooking. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badfinger Posted September 26, 2022 #17 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Yeah I ALWAYS pay good money to take a cruise to order food that I am ALWAYS unimpressed with.... Why even order it again...do you think in this world of cutbacks and supply chain issues that the frozen ROCK lobster tails they serve on cruise ships is suddenly going to taste like Main Lobster from the Atlantic off the coast of Maine? And BTW...I think that opinion is very common. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebucks Posted September 27, 2022 #18 Share Posted September 27, 2022 I always get that and the prime rib. I am quite content after. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workfromship Posted September 27, 2022 Author #19 Share Posted September 27, 2022 1 hour ago, carrieluvsgreg said: If you are always unimpressed with it, why do you continue to order it? Just curious, seems odd to do the same thing and expect a different result. I’ll admit that I’m a creature of habit 😅 we’ve been on quite a few different carnival ships in the past year and the quality of the MDR has varied so much that we are always hoping that it’ll be better than last time we ate it. I made this post to warn others not to follow in our footsteps and to not be afraid to try new (or multiple) things. Formal night always feels “high risk” to us because it’s arguably the best meal of the cruise but that doesn’t mean you need to always play it safe! We know that now. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrieluvsgreg Posted September 27, 2022 #20 Share Posted September 27, 2022 1 hour ago, workfromship said: I’ll admit that I’m a creature of habit 😅 we’ve been on quite a few different carnival ships in the past year and the quality of the MDR has varied so much that we are always hoping that it’ll be better than last time we ate it. I made this post to warn others not to follow in our footsteps and to not be afraid to try new (or multiple) things. Formal night always feels “high risk” to us because it’s arguably the best meal of the cruise but that doesn’t mean you need to always play it safe! We know that now. I get that. We haven't sailed since '18 on the Horizon in the Mediterranean, having to cancel our '20 trip because of the shutdown. We are now newly booked on the Panorama but I just realized that I have reserved the steakhouse on elegant night- (it's our anniversary) so I guess I will be able to get the big lobster this time. 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ninjacat123 Posted September 27, 2022 #21 Share Posted September 27, 2022 32 minutes ago, carrieluvsgreg said: I get that. We haven't sailed since '18 on the Horizon in the Mediterranean, having to cancel our '20 trip because of the shutdown. We are now newly booked on the Panorama but I just realized that I have reserved the steakhouse on elegant night- (it's our anniversary) so I guess I will be able to get the big lobster this time. 🙂 Happy Anniversary!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigyn Posted September 27, 2022 #22 Share Posted September 27, 2022 (edited) agreed. I was unimpressed with the lobster on Carnival. I didn't expect it to be particularly great, tho. I haven't chosen Carnival for it's food quality, just pricing and other factors at the time of cruising. Edited September 27, 2022 by njsmom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Bucki Posted September 27, 2022 #23 Share Posted September 27, 2022 If you order lobster in the main dining room from the "Steakhouse Selection" part of the menu, is the lobster any different and/or bigger than the regular lobster you can order on formal night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bostwick girl Posted September 27, 2022 #24 Share Posted September 27, 2022 No, it’s the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1kaper Posted September 27, 2022 #25 Share Posted September 27, 2022 As someone who married into a lobster fishing family so I completely agree. The best lobster comes from cold waters. And restaurants often do a terrible job at cooking them properly even from fresh. But we never order lobster at any restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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