New menus on Symphony reported

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

Well, to be fair, in places like middle of Minnesota during the 70's cottage cheese as close as you could get.  So, cottage cheese was in the family recipe.   

 

 

That might of been it as well. Grew up in Midwest 😉

[BonTexasNY]

When I make baked ziti, I first mix ricotta cheese with the cooked hot zita pasta.  Then I add mozz and pasta sauce.  This makes it ooey gooey so good, better than dropping globs of ricotta on top.   Don't judge.  I'm not Italian. 😏

 

Now, as far as the cruise menu change, I don't believe for a minute it's done for anything other than cost saving.  Majority in here want the classic items to remain.  I agree.  Except for the extra Chops items, the MDR has traditionally been "free" and charging $16.99 plus 18% gratuity for a second lobster tail takes the MDR experience to a whole different level.  I hope it doesn't go further than Symphony but realistically I know it will.  😒

[Nunagoras]

Interesting thread no doubt. I don't know if I've put it earlier in the thread or on another food thread on the MSC boards, but there is a thing one must consider on this discussion. Currently ships are understaffed, not only on the lower end employees, but perhaps even more so on the middle to high positions one can imagine.

 

On some other general social media I'm currently in, and once cruising is one of my favorite advertising subjects, I'm now receiving adverts for crew membership hiring for pretty much every positions imaginable except Captains!... Most cruise lines are asking for experienced crews, some for experienced crews whom wish to become land training personnel, some are asking for trainees to just enroll some training system for an year or 2 and then enroll as ship employees... It is a diverse material quite interesting to follow, even though I'm not particularly interested on any one of those. TBHH; while I've seen ship employment adverts before, I've never seen this level of ship adverts. There was a cruise line that made an advert that made me to think they were hiring a full new ship from base to 1st official, once they only had a captain there!... In no way will all those positions to be filled on the next months to come.

 

So; what will be the outcomes of all of this ordeal? MSC is relying on shorter, even though improving, menus and cutting capacity on some ships. NCL is going the unique menu with a few items changing daily, Carnival is going with portion control measures, RCI is going with a mix of those all, and I'm only talking about the big 4 on the mainstream cruise industry!

 

What would I do if I was a cruise line's CEO? Perhaps something in between MSC and NCL approaches: Let us to have a fixed menu with some 4 mains changing daily for distinctiveness, and if needed; reduce ship capacities here or there.

 

Oh: And I'd to do something that is not being fully experienced right now: Let most of those basic soda and coffee drinks to fall out of the regular bars to full automated machines. Some basic beer and wine dispensing could pass to full automated as well. Cocktails are more complex, who knows they'll find a correct way to do so on the next years to come, and I'd to do what both NCL and Virgin are doing with those informal food courts with pretty much everything one could imagine. With those solutions there will be less labor force demanding. Cruise lines can't compete with the Middle East for tourism personnel these days. Training new personnel requires time as well. A compromise must to be done, not in our favor, sadly, but it must to be done, no doubts on that.

[karl_nj]

On 11/22/2022 at 5:17 PM, coordinator23 said:

Can we order off the kids menu if there is nothing we eat on the slimmed down adult menu?  
 

 

of course... but the kids menu also appears to be slimmed down.

[nelblu]

15 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

 

of course... but the kids menu also appears to be slimmed down.

Just an opinion, but it may drive more traffic to the WJ, unless they crap that out also, and impact the level of extra grats to the wait staff.

[OACAggie]

I don’t know if this means they are expanding beyond Symphony but on the app for my Dec. Oasis sailing, the menu no longer shows for the MDR. It was there the other day. I checked next week’s Oasis sailing too and no menu showing. It still shows for current sailing. 🤷‍♂️

[nelblu]

7 hours ago, OACAggie said:

I don’t know if this means they are expanding beyond Symphony but on the app for my Dec. Oasis sailing, the menu no longer shows for the MDR. It was there the other day. I checked next week’s Oasis sailing too and no menu showing. It still shows for current sailing. 🤷‍♂️

I'm on the Oasis December 4 sail and the MDR dinner menu is there.  No changes appear.

[deliver42]

It's still only a test on the Symphony. No other ship has the new menu.

[jstewie23]

Anyone know if it's just MDR, or did they change/modify Coastal Kitchen menu along the same lines as well? If I remember, CK, also had the classics as an option.

 

Thanks!

[peacefulOR]

We are very disappointed that our next (paid in full) cruise on the Navigator might have the downgraded menus currently being tested and would not have booked it had these changes already taken effect. Pay for extra lobster tails? No problem. Reduce the MDR menu as tested, game changer. Either increase the fare a bit to keep the variety of the current menus or save money somewhere else that affects fewer passengers.

[lovelife]

We are on the Symphony December 3 and December 10 sailings and the only main dining room dinner menu showing for all days is for kids.

[bucky0926]

Husband not happy about upcharge for a second lobster as he usually has 4 or 5.

[blueslily]

8 hours ago, peacefulOR said:

We are very disappointed that our next (paid in full) cruise on the Navigator might have the downgraded menus currently being tested and would not have booked it had these changes already taken effect. Pay for extra lobster tails? No problem. Reduce the MDR menu as tested, game changer. Either increase the fare a bit to keep the variety of the current menus or save money somewhere else that affects fewer passengers.

When is your cruise? Right now this is only a test on Symphony. It is not on other ships at this time. 

[Tina99]

Just wondering if anyone not booked on Symphony received the MDR survey. I received it and I’m on Symphony in January (Caribbean) and also in June (Europe).  

[KelJ]

16 minutes ago, Tina99 said:

Just wondering if anyone not booked on Symphony received the MDR survey. I received it and I’m on Symphony in January (Caribbean) and also in June (Europe).  

I received the survey, and I am not booked on Symphony. 

[shari3]

I am not booked on Symphony and I received the MDR survey

[peacefulOR]

20 hours ago, blueslily said:

When is your cruise? Right now this is only a test on Symphony. It is not on other ships at this time. 

     We sail on the Navigator 1/13-1/19 to Mexico, our second on Royal. I  think it's valid to express our feelings about the changes now while they are actively seeking responses as they will affect all of us.

 

I am newly handicapped (hopefully not permanent) and the ship board experience has become more of a focus. We've sailed on many lines and are looking forward to this trip regardless of what they decide.

 

Note that the survey is making it out of the Symphony already. RCL does pay attention when customers feel strongly about their actions. I hope that you have a great next cruise and many more.

Rainey

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, peacefulOR said:

I think it's valid to express our feelings about the changes now while they are actively seeking responses as they will affect all of us.

How can someone who will not experience the new menu provide meaningful feedback? BTW, that Navigator sailing is a day longer than you listed.

[May B]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

How can someone who will not experience the new menu provide meaningful feedback? BTW, that Navigator sailing is a day longer than you listed.

I don’t think the survey says How did you like your dinners onboard.

 

I think it gives choices for ranking, to get an idea of what people WOULD want if they could make their own menus.

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, May B said:

I think it gives choices for ranking, to get an idea of what people WOULD want if they could make their own menus.

That is quite subjective. Also, the reason stated by RCI for the change is to improve things (speed being one) in the MDR - only folks who actually experience that can provide feedback on that issue.

[HappyTexan44]

Well, they could provide feedback on how important is the speed of the MDR meal.   For example, I've never been on a cruise, yet I can tell you that speed in MDR isn't at all important to me.   

 

But I still say that they are trying to increase the table-turnover to fit in more MTD in between the two traditional seatings.  

[LB_NJ]

13 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That is quite subjective. Also, the reason stated by RCI for the change is to improve things (speed being one) in the MDR - only folks who actually experience that can provide feedback on that issue.

 

I really doubt it has anything to do with speed.  I am sure it is all about cost.  The fewer items on the menu the less you have to stock overall.  If you have 7 things on a menu you have to make enough of each, so you end up making more.

 

If you have only 3 things on a menu it is more predictable, so not as much extra.

 

I assume they will also downgrade the Windjammer in a cost cutting measure.

 

Royal will continue to do this until people stop booking cruises.

[blueslily]

On 11/25/2022 at 5:55 PM, peacefulOR said:

     We sail on the Navigator 1/13-1/19 to Mexico, our second on Royal. I  think it's valid to express our feelings about the changes now while they are actively seeking responses as they will affect all of us.

 

I am newly handicapped (hopefully not permanent) and the ship board experience has become more of a focus. We've sailed on many lines and are looking forward to this trip regardless of what they decide.

 

Note that the survey is making it out of the Symphony already. RCL does pay attention when customers feel strongly about their actions. I hope that you have a great next cruise and many more.

Rainey

Sure, complete the survey. hopefully many people will complete the survey.

But, my comment was specifically about the status today of the new test menu on the Symphony. Thanks 

[John&LaLa]

14 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

Well, they could provide feedback on how important is the speed of the MDR meal.   For example, I've never been on a cruise, yet I can tell you that speed in MDR isn't at all important to me.   

 

But I still say that they are trying to increase the table-turnover to fit in more MTD in between the two traditional seatings.  

 

Speed is very important if you want to catch a show or activity after dinner.

 

They have stuff like that on a cruise😉

 

And FWIW, you have no idea how MTD works and how tables turn over

Edited November 27, 2022 by John&LaLa

[MoniMommy]

I understand the 2nd lobster is 17 but whay about the 3rd, 4th, etc? It says the 2nd rather than each additional lobster.