New MDR menus yet?

[Biker19]

56 minutes ago, ksuyen said:

What I meant is, I am going for 11 nights but the App is showing 8 nights cruise menu (no second formal night / no complimentary lobster night).

That has been that way for a while and not related to the new menu. It will correct itself once on board. 

[ksuyen]

18 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

That has been that way for a while and not related to the new menu. It will correct itself once on board. 

 Basically the apps is not accurate until you are boarding.

[poocher]

34 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

Are there penalties for cancelling a reservation?   
Maybe book something for every night and then cancel once they update the menus.   

No but you have to pay upfront.  

[Biker19]

14 minutes ago, ksuyen said:

 Basically the app is not accurate until you are boarding.

It gets more accurate/complete closer to sailing. Even on board it could be off sometimes. 

[Oceansaway17]

1 hour ago, ksuyen said:

 I love the new menu too but the Apps is currently showing the wrong menu. What I meant is, I am going for 11 nights but the Apps is showing 8 nights cruise menu (no second formal night / no complimentary lobster night). And I am sailing in the next 4 days, come on RCI, pull yourself together!

oh the dreaded app that goes wonky almost 50% of the time.

I gave up and just walked to the restaurant to view the menu.   I had a cruise one where the app wiped out everyone's reservations for shows, food etc.  Took 20 hours to redo.  what a ess

[island lady]

11 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

Are there penalties for cancelling a reservation?   
Maybe book something for every night and then cancel once they update the menus.   

 

None that I know of....but indeed do cancel in advance....don't just not show up, as that could cause a problem and fee.  

[jeh10641]

On 1/7/2023 at 11:59 AM, vegascruiser1 said:

The new menus remind me of when I first started cruising. Every night was a theme night, French, Italian, Caribbean, Captain’s dinner, etc. I may be one of few who is looking forward to the new menus. 

You are not alone, vegascruiser1. I like the themed nights as well.

 

Jim

[jeh10641]

On 1/8/2023 at 6:32 AM, Ret MP said:

As long as the new menu has French Onion Soup and Shrimp Cocktail on it every night, I'll be happy.  I can make due with the other selections as long as they have beef available.  Hell, I can make a meal out of just the soup and cocktail.  However, we usually only eat in the MDR once per cruise anyway.  So, the MDR really isn't much of an issue for us anyway.  -

 

On our last cruise, Independence, Oct/Nov 2022, we didn't care for the MDR at all.  So, we only eat there once.  Pre-cruise we selected the early dining time and I also requested a table for two.  I fully understand that there are no guarantees as to table assignment.  But, they stuck us seated at a table for 8.  That's far from two. I talked to the Maitra d and he said he had a very nice table for two at a window but it was available only at the 8:00 PM seating.  We accepted and the table was for two and it was at a window but it was next to impossible to move between it and the tables next to it.  Hell, we might as well have been seated at the same table with the people next to us, both sides.   

 

No matter what our experience, good or bad, with the MDR in the past, we will almost always give it a try, at least once per cruise.  Really depends on specialty restaurant availability (not an issue when going Star) and activities.  

Hi, Ret MP,

We have only sailed once on Royal (Navigator, 2009), my memory is that the MNDR was really good. I felt that specialty dining was not worth the extra fees. That held true for our cruises on HAL until our last trip on Rotterdam (12-21) where the specialties far exceeded our expectations. We are going on Anthem in October for 15 nights and have booked only Jamie's Italian and Chops for a 15-night cruise. Hopefully the MDR will not let us down.

 

Jim 

[The Fun Researcher]

3 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

Hi, Ret MP,

We have only sailed once on Royal (Navigator, 2009), my memory is that the MNDR was really good. I felt that specialty dining was not worth the extra fees. That held true for our cruises on HAL until our last trip on Rotterdam (12-21) where the specialties far exceeded our expectations. We are going on Anthem in October for 15 nights and have booked only Jamie's Italian and Chops for a 15-night cruise. Hopefully the MDR will not let us down.

 

Jim 

In all our Royal cruises we have yet to eat in a specialty restaurant.  Been happy with the MDR.

 

we are making a change and eating at Wonderland and Chops in March on the Anthem just to try something new. I’m sure we would still enjoy the dining room too.  Hoping these new menus don’t screw that up.

Edited January 21, 2023 by The Fun Researcher

[shofer]

On 1/2/2023 at 2:15 PM, Ret MP said:

I damn near did once.  I actually want for almost a whole hour without eating something while awake.  It was the worse hour of my life, my cruise vacation life, that is.

 

 

So glad you survived this close call.

[Beeline Cruiser]

On 1/19/2023 at 7:02 AM, Mum2Mercury said:

I think it might be more accurate to say that ancient people often died for lack of lamb shanks and polenta -- snails and crawly things aren't particularly filling.  

 

And you know what?? Middle ages peoples would do BACKFLIPS for normal MDR dishes!! And yes nobody's happy unless it is either mac n' cheese with chicken nuggets OR weird sea bugs!!  The grass is ALWAYS greener!!

[HappyTexan44]

2 hours ago, Beeline Cruiser said:

 

And you know what?? Middle ages peoples would do BACKFLIPS for normal MDR dishes!! And yes nobody's happy unless it is either mac n' cheese with chicken nuggets OR weird sea bugs!!  The grass is ALWAYS greener!!

 

Well, in the middle ages people would have done back flips if you replaced their wheelbarrow with a cart.    But you wouldn't be happy if I took your car and replaced it with a cart.  

When you pay good money to go on a cruise "You Won't Starve" or "Middle-Ages People Would be Happy" is not the expectation.  

 

 

[Ret MP]

7 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

Hi, Ret MP,

We have only sailed once on Royal (Navigator, 2009), my memory is that the MNDR was really good. I felt that specialty dining was not worth the extra fees. That held true for our cruises on HAL until our last trip on Rotterdam (12-21) where the specialties far exceeded our expectations. We are going on Anthem in October for 15 nights and have booked only Jamie's Italian and Chops for a 15-night cruise. Hopefully the MDR will not let us down.

 

Jim 

We much prefer Chops over 150, 150 was too fufu for me/us.  We love the Hibachi and Italian.  However, we usually do Chops at least twice per cruise.   Love me some Ribeye and the Porkbelly/Crispy Bacon appetizer.  

[Beeline Cruiser]

4 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

Well, in the middle ages people would have done back flips if you replaced their wheelbarrow with a cart.    But you wouldn't be happy if I took your car and replaced it with a cart.  

When you pay good money to go on a cruise "You Won't Starve" or "Middle-Ages People Would be Happy" is not the expectation.  

 

 

 

Maybe it an age thing but I like the new ADULT menus on Royal now. Honestly, if there is a increase in prices if wouldn't bother me if the quality justified it!

 

Some people still want simple foods like chicken tenders I totally get this! And yes one of my sons would live off the kid's menus with larger portions!! I think that’s how it was for me too - but my parents traveled and that part of it was huge!

 

Yes Middle Ages people would LOVE these solid upscale meals because snails and other crawlies just very boring and the quantity has just not been there. But also yes still GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER regardless!

[island lady]

10 hours ago, Ret MP said:

We much prefer Chops over 150, 150 was too fufu for me/us.  We love the Hibachi and Italian.  However, we usually do Chops at least twice per cruise.   Love me some Ribeye and the Porkbelly/Crispy Bacon appetizer.  

 

I used to love 150....back when they had the Caesar salad prep at the table, the flavored sea salts, slicing the tenderloin for two at the table...etc.   The service and the food were wonderful!

Now...IMHO...meh.   Lackluster food and lousy service.   Better service in the MDR actually.  

 

Not impressed with Chops for dinner now either...but love it for breakfast!  🙂  

 

Giovanni's has become our new go to specialty restaurant lately.  

[island lady]

Will be interesting to see if Voyager has gone to the new menus.  We board on the 29th for B2B2B.  🙂 

[mikefromny]

Just returned from Symphony, ground zero for the new menu. I haven't cruised in over a decade and feared I would be disappointed based on my memories. I have to say my expectations were exceeded. My biggest problem on several nights was too many entrees that sounded good. The staff was fantastic and the food was, with FEW exceptions, excellent. We ate at two specialty restaurants, Hooked for lunch and Jaime's for dinner, and both were excellent with amazing service. The only venue we were disappointed in was the Windjammer for lunch. Otherwise, we enjoyed everywhere else we ate.

[bjlaac]

Closing in on an 11 night on the Anthem and decided to do a little menu comparisons.  I've only been able to find the new menus for 7 night cruises, which is fine since my phone (app) only has 8 nights showing on my cruise even though its 11 nights coming up.  What's on my phone is the old menus so to be up front I'm comparing 8 nights old to 7 nights new.  So here's what i found:

 

 

1) New items on the new menu that I can't find on the old 8 night menus.

 

Appetzers:

Spinach & Artichoke Dip/Corn chips           Golden Polenta Fries & Spice DiP

Crispy Parmesan Arancini      Mediteranean Tapas Medley  Grilled Sweet Corn Cakes

Citrus Avacado.          Chili-Crusted Tacos    Butter Chicken            Grilled Carribean Chicken

Pesto Tagliatelle          Chicken Korma

Dinners:

Pan Roastd White Fish            Aromatic Chicken Saag          Curried Lamb Rogan Josh

Creamy Mushroom Risotto    Spiced Lamb Kofta    Vegetable Greek Moussaka

Chicken Chettinad      Chili Limed Crusted Salmon  Pulled Pork Enchiladas           Carne Asada

Stuffed Red Peppars       Spicy Shrimp Jalfrezi                  

Desserts:

Chocolate Custard      Boston Crème Pie       Peanut-Caramel Bar    Apple Cobbler            

Toasted Almond Puffs            Cappuccino Chocolate Cake  Oat & Berry Bar         Peach Trifle

Chocolate Brownie     Chocolate Cherry Tart                        Caramel Flan   Fudge Brownie

Strawberry Shortcake Banana-Cocoa Custard

2) Items on the new menu, not on the 8 old menus, but somewhere on the old 11 night menus

 

Appetzers:

Coconut Shrimp          Lentil Soup     Asian Style Pork Tacos           Honey soy Tofu Salad

Vidalia Onion Tart      Garlick -Herb Tiger Shrimp   

Dinners:

Braised Lamb              Turkey Dinner             Cheese Tortellini

Desserts:

None

 

 

3) Items on the old menus but not the new ones

Appetzers      

Chicken Waldorf Salad          Antipasti         Mushroom Soup         Pumpkin Soup           

Pastry Mushroom Ragout       Crispy Crab Cake       Strawberry Bisque     

Arugula & Radicchio Salad    Shrimp Ceviche          Duck Terrine   Cherry Tomato Gazpacho

Eggplant & Kalamata Olive Tartare   Seafood Puff Pastry    Potato Soup     Tuna Carpaccio          

Artichoke & Pea Salad           Mushroom Tempura    Roasted Garlic Soup  

Salmon & Shrimp Fritter        Smoked Chicken & Orange Salad      Bay Scallop Gratin

Shrimp & Lobster Bisque       Raw Vegetable Salad              Rice Paper Rolls        

Polenta Fries   Grilled Avocado        Green Bean Croquette             Vegetable Tempura

Creamed Broccoli Soup          Corn Fritters    Romesco Oat Spread Rye Bread       

Caramelized Parsnip & Coconut Soup           Ciabatta Salad             Zucchini Fritters

Grilled Peach & Panzanella Salad      Avacado & Melon Salad        Spring Onion Falafel 

Fennel & Quinoa Salad          Artisan Cheese Plate

Dinners:

 

Pan-Seared Barramundi                Eggplant Parmesan        

Battered Fish and Seafood          

Baked Polenta & Feta Cheese     Coq Au Vin          Stuffed Portobella Mushroom    Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Stuffed Portobella Mushroom    Beef Short Ribs & Potato Gnocchi             Sweet & Sour Tofu

Braised Beef Short Ribs                  Grilled Pork Chop             Beef Stroganoff               

 

 

Mojo-Marinated Grilled Pork Chop           Greek Vegitarian Mousaka           Almond Crusted Cod

Braised Pork Shank          Pappardelle Carbonara  Eggplant Parmigiana       Roasted Pork Loin

Orzo Pasta Stew               Carbonara           Fried Rice            Butternut Squash curry                  Eggplant Burger

No-Egg Omlet                    Risotto                  Tofu Tacos           Butternut Squash Risotto

               

Desserts:

 

Tiramisu          Pineapple Sunshine Cake       Grand Marnier Souffle           English Trifle

No Sugar Peach Shortcake     Chocolate Lava Cake              Mississippi Mud Pie  

No sugar Dark Chocolate Custard      Bananas Foster            Chocolate souffle

Pecan Pie a la Mode   No sugar Key Lime Shortcake           Apple Coffee Crumble

Eton Mess       No Sugar Red & White Cheesecake   Tahini Banana Soft Serve      

No-Bake Lemon Tart              Crème Brulee              Carbonara        Wild Berry Bar

Apple Blossom a la Mode      Fruit medley

 

 

 

 

           

Now I’m sure I missed something and  I don’t post this to say one is better than the other because we all have our favorites and I only post this to point out some of the differences.  The biggest change is obviously the elimination of the every night classic which are embedded, in part, in one or more of the new menus and a big reduction in vegan choices overall.

 

Finally, if you don’t see one of your favorites above, then it’s still somewhere on the new menus (e.g. Lobster or Royal cheesecake)

Edited January 22, 2023 by bjlaac

[cruisegirl1]

Some of those items are repeats from the current or older menus.

 

As an example, Arancini is from a menu 8-10 years ago.  Toasted Almond Puffs were on the recent menu but called by their proper name Profiteroles.   Vidalia Onion Tart was on the recent menu as was Coconut Shrimp.  Corn fritters ( I think) were on the vegan menu. The Asian pork tacos were on the recent menu and are a popular menu item.

 

I just completed a cruise with the new menu.  I liked a few items and a few I won't order again. 

[island lady]

Agree there.   Had hits and misses.   Fortunately...most were hits.   I liked the "what's old is new again" items.  

 

The Asian pork tacos are definitely one of my favorites.  The really new one for me was the smoked salmon salad (I think it was at lunch?)....very good.  🙂 

 

 

[tampadee]

[davekathy]

8 minutes ago, island lady said:

Agree there.   Had hits and misses.   Fortunately...most were hits.   I liked the "what's old is new again" items.  

 

The Asian pork tacos are definitely one of my favorites.  The really new one for me was the smoked salmon salad (I think it was at lunch?)....very good.  🙂 

 

 

Agree. I Give me a few more and that would be an excellent entree. 

[SilkySal]

I would have thought that the new menu would be on Odyssey by now. We board in 2 weeks for our B2B and, as of today, it's still the old menu. However, we booked MTD and the dining section is only showing traditional dining on decks 3 and 4 with no mention of MTD. Hmmmmmm?

[island lady]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Agree. I Give me a few more and that would be an excellent entree. 

 

I thought the same thing the last time I had them.   A salad and a double portion of the little tasty tacos...good enough for me.  😉 

[island lady]

57 minutes ago, SilkySal said:

I would have thought that the new menu would be on Odyssey by now. We board in 2 weeks for our B2B and, as of today, it's still the old menu. However, we booked MTD and the dining section is only showing traditional dining on decks 3 and 4 with no mention of MTD. Hmmmmmm?

 

That is what is showing for my Voyager sailing a week from today.  Hmmm is right.