Royal Caribbean New Menus - Expected on all ships by end of February

[schlimazel_traveler]

11 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

No I never said that...just that there are many locations serving veg.  So in MDR, ask for more vegetables, we have had Indian dishes prepared at the drop of a hat on many cruises. You can also arrange with the maitre d' and waiters for just Vegan food. Maybe you missed the word "EVERYWHERE" in my post.  Course I am not vegan.  But I see them everywhere.  Especially at Solarium Bistro.

I'm afraid that what folks who don't eat meat are looking for is not just another helping of broccoli florets. How about a quiche that doesn't have ham? A meatless sauce for pasta? A mushroom risotto made with vegetable broth? I am seeing fewer meatless entrees than I used to. I'm also seeing very inconsistent labeling--if certain mixed dishes are labeled "contains pork," you might think you could assume anything not so labeled doesn't contain pork...until you found the bits of ham...

 

I'm still quite happy on this cruise, but the food isn't what I remember from the Before Times.

 

 

[HappyTexan44]

 

@ValerieJo

Had asked this and no one else answered.   "Why is there Indian food on French Night, Mexican Night, Caribbean Night, Mediterranean Night, etc. taking up valuable menu space?"   

The reason is that it is crew food.   That is why there was always a secret Indian food option before.  That also explains that while I really like Indian food, I won't be ordering it.   They seem to be offering the cheaper options.   

@Engineroom Snipe
"RCI, take notice, a few cents on a few shrimp can be a turning point. A decision to vacation elsewhere is never based on one or two individual points but they add up to a decision to spend money on other experiences."   

There is an official name for this.   Trust Thermocline.   I think Disney is there.    Maybe booting Cheap-Ek will mean they have avoided that point, maybe not.  

 

[gumshoe958]

44 minutes ago, rockmom said:

The new menus note at the bottom in the small print (and reports from those currently sailing on various ships confirm) that special requests will no longer be accommodated unless it's for a health issue like an allergy or gluten intolerance.  

And that’s what’s going to catch a lot of people out (and lead to thread after thread on here this year).

 

Even with the old menus with more choices, many people were accustomed to ordering off-menu. 
 

If that’s no longer an option, and there are fewer choices, a lot of people are in for a nasty shock.

[nelblu]

41 minutes ago, schlimazel_traveler said:

I'm afraid that what folks who don't eat meat are looking for is not just another helping of broccoli florets. How about a quiche that doesn't have ham? A meatless sauce for pasta? A mushroom risotto made with vegetable broth? I am seeing fewer meatless entrees than I used to. I'm also seeing very inconsistent labeling--if certain mixed dishes are labeled "contains pork," you might think you could assume anything not so labeled doesn't contain pork...until you found the bits of ham...

 

I'm still quite happy on this cruise, but the food isn't what I remember from the Before Times.

 

 

If you have dietary need,s speak to the Head Waiter is of assistance.  My granddaughter has a lactose problem and the HW was all so helpful with any required changes to the menu entrees.  

 

 

[HappyTexan44]

I wonder if they will at least allow you to leave stuff off?    For example, looking at the menus I can see myself removing the sides in order to have room for dessert.  

[lovesthebeach2]

27 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

@ValerieJo

Had asked this and no one else answered.   "Why is there Indian food on French Night, Mexican Night, Caribbean Night, Mediterranean Night, etc. taking up valuable menu space?"   

The reason is that it is crew food.   That is why there was always a secret Indian food option before.  That also explains that while I really like Indian food, I won't be ordering it.   They seem to be offering the cheaper options.   

@Engineroom Snipe
"RCI, take notice, a few cents on a few shrimp can be a turning point. A decision to vacation elsewhere is never based on one or two individual points but they add up to a decision to spend money on other experiences."   

There is an official name for this.   Trust Thermocline.   I think Disney is there.    Maybe booting Cheap-Ek will mean they have avoided that point, maybe not.  

 

I agree that royal needs to be careful with how far they go with the all changes that seemed to come all at once.

 

For example I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I don’t eat much meat and I don’t eat beef or lamb at all and I can’t eat onions or garlic, so while I used to mostly order from the vegan menu, I now see I have only one choice. I love fish, but royal doesn’t know how to make good fish, they cook it until it’s dried out and inedible.

 

And while I don’t mind the once a day room attendant, that came quickly after raising the daily gratuities.

 

Disney is a perfect example……….they went to far and chapek paid the price. Now he’s gone and the pendulum is swinging back a bit. I’m seeing the same amount of negative comments on all royals groups here and the other social site, just like I did with Disney.

[Morecruisesplz]

12 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I agree that royal needs to be careful with how far they go with the all changes that seemed to come all at once.

 

For example I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I don’t eat much meat and I don’t eat beef or lamb at all and I can’t eat onions or garlic, so while I used to mostly order from the vegan menu, I now see I have only one choice. I love fish, but royal doesn’t know how to make good fish, they cook it until it’s dried out and inedible.

 

And while I don’t mind the once a day room attendant, that came quickly after raising the daily gratuities.

 

Disney is a perfect example……….they went to far and chapek paid the price. Now he’s gone and the pendulum is swinging back a bit. I’m seeing the same amount of negative comments on all royals groups here and the other social site, just like I did with Disney.

Fried white fish in Windjammer on Explorer has been too "fishy" for my tastes. If I bring a piece to my mouth and smell fish its a no go. Several days it was meatloaf or fried fish. Hotdogs and burgers were popular. A couple days they were slicing some sort of beef but it was full of fat and very chewy.

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, rockmom said:

Vegan doesn't eat anything with any sort of animal product used at all

I'm well aware of that.  Still steamed veg is steamed no animal products.  And you can ask for that in abundance.  And BTW, let me share this interesting tidbit:

Only half of one percent of the USA population — or 1.62 million of us — is vegan.  Might have something to do with it.  Still you can always ask.

Edited January 20, 2023 by BecciBoo

[BecciBoo]

50 minutes ago, nelblu said:

If you have dietary need,s speak to the Head Waiter is of assistance.  My granddaughter has a lactose problem and the HW was all so helpful with any required changes to the menu entrees.  

 

 

Exactly

[rockmom]

5 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

I'm well aware of that.  Still steamed veg is steamed no animal products.  And you can ask for that in abundance.

And as someone else pointed out, vegetarians are looking for an ACTUAL meal, not sure more helpings of steamed vegetables.   I can tell that you are not ever going to understand my point, and that's fine.  But saying over and over someone can ask for more vegetables isn't addressing the actual issue.  

[BecciBoo]

You can ask for just what you're seeking.  That doesn't mean you'll like what they send you, but you can ask, that's all I'm saying.  Jeez.  You're the one beating the poor horse, not me.

Edited January 20, 2023 by BecciBoo

[rockmom]

18 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

You can ask for just what you're seeking.  That doesn't mean you'll like what they send you, but you can ask, that's all I'm saying.  Jeez.  

Let me try this another way.  You and your family/group are on a cruise, you like the main dining room, and all want to eat together, it's part of what you love about cruising.  You are given a menu.  You get to choose what you'd like to have. It used to be that if you didn't eat meat, you could still choose what you'd like to have from 2 or 3 options.  Now, if you don't eat meat, you don't get a choice. There is one thing only. The cruise line has decided what you will eat each night if you want to go to the main dining room.  Imagine if you went and the menu said that tonight you will have lamb.  That's it.  No other option. Then the next night it said, you will have turkey.  And so on.  Having a choice is important.  Even if it's from 2 things and not 5 or 6.  Especially when, unless it's a medical need, they are no longer taking requests.  People who don't eat meat are growing in numbers, it's not like 30 or 40 years ago.  More and more physicians are suggesting a plant based diet as the amount of people dealing with heart conditions, high cholesterol,  obesity and other health concerns is growing.   It's not like we 'only eat blue food on Tuesday when there is a full moon' kind of a situation. It's much more mainstream. Saying that because somone doesn't eat meat that they should go to another place to eat or try and see if the MDR is really sticking to 'no requests, you must choose from the menu' is true or not.  

Edited January 20, 2023 by rockmom

[Donsyb]

2 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

I wonder if they will at least allow you to leave stuff off?    For example, looking at the menus I can see myself removing the sides in order to have room for dessert.  

According to a post in FB from a current cruiser on oasis, no. They said they messed up their medically required dietary requirements and wouldn’t make any alterations to dishes.

[Donsyb]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

I'm well aware of that.  Still steamed veg is steamed no animal products.  And you can ask for that in abundance.  And BTW, let me share this interesting tidbit:

Only half of one percent of the USA population — or 1.62 million of us — is vegan.  Might have something to do with it.  Still you can always ask.

Yet significantly more (approx 10%) are vegetarian. And that is the point we are making - they have included one vegan option but no vegetarian options.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Donsyb

[rockmom]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

I'm well aware of that.  Still steamed veg is steamed no animal products.  And you can ask for that in abundance.  And BTW, let me share this interesting tidbit:

Only half of one percent of the USA population — or 1.62 million of us — is vegan.  Might have something to do with it.  Still you can always ask.

 

2 minutes ago, Donsyb said:

Yet significantly more are vegetarian. And that is the point we are making - they have included one vegan option but no vegetarian options.

exactly @Donsyb.   With vegan being a subset of the vegetarian population, it is a much smaller number.  That's what she's not understanding.  

 

From a study in 2022:  

 

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, rockmom said:

Let me try this another way. 

Please don't, you need to try with the people at RCCL... you lost me 50 posts back.

[BecciBoo]

2 minutes ago, rockmom said:

That's what she's not understanding

Oh I understand you perfectly........but I don't make the menus.

[artvlay]

Seems like I will be ordering off the kids menu some nights.

Does anyone have the current children's menu?

Thank you 

[c-leg5]

13 minutes ago, artvlay said:

Seems like I will be ordering off the kids menu some nights.

Does anyone have the current children's menu?

Thank you 

Did you try the #1 on page 1?

 

It is posted at the end.

Edited January 21, 2023 by c-leg5

[artvlay]

10 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Did you try the #1 on page 1?

 

It is posted at the end.

Thanks

[HappyTexan44]

15 hours ago, Donsyb said:

According to a post in FB from a current cruiser on oasis, no. They said they messed up their medically required dietary requirements and wouldn’t make any alterations to dishes.

 

This changes my attitude about the menu.   I was assuming I could drop some things, like onions and peppers.  I am glad my cruise isn't for a year.   My thought is that the no alterations rule will cause a mutiny and they will back off on that.  

 

I suspect that I am at the young end (52) of the age curve here.   Remember when McDonald's wouldn't modify any item?    And then in the mid-70's, Burger King came out with "Have it your way."  After that even McDonald's was forced to modify.   Then between that and "Where's the beef?" McDonald's lost their market domination.

Eating in the MDR is a part of my image of the Cruise Experience.  We planned on eating there every night.  This will be our Starter Cruise.  The no-substitutions rule would have been enough to cause me to find another line.  I've booked the cruise using non-refundable fares, unfortunately.  

 

 

[hoebo]

We are booked on Voyager (3/5-12). Not sure how to feel about the new menu format.  I can find an entree or two on each menu that appeals to me. My wife, on the other hand, seems to have a issue w/the offerings on a couple nights. Prior to getting the news about the new menu concept, I had booked two nights @ specialty restaurants.

Here’s my question ~~ Is there any way to tell which menu is offered on which night prior to sailing ? That knowledge will help me to alter my specialty restaurant reservations to avoid the MDR on nights when the menu might not appeal to my lovely wife.

[poocher]

I’m on a cruise in May and the new menus are in my app already.  Have you looked at yours?

[Donsyb]

3 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

This changes my attitude about the menu.   I was assuming I could drop some things, like onions and peppers.  I am glad my cruise isn't for a year.   My thought is that the no alterations rule will cause a mutiny and they will back off on that.  

 

I suspect that I am at the young end (52) of the age curve here.   Remember when McDonald's wouldn't modify any item?    And then in the mid-70's, Burger King came out with "Have it your way."  After that even McDonald's was forced to modify.   Then between that and "Where's the beef?" McDonald's lost their market domination.

Eating in the MDR is a part of my image of the Cruise Experience.  We planned on eating there every night.  This will be our Starter Cruise.  The no-substitutions rule would have been enough to cause me to find another line.  I've booked the cruise using non-refundable fares, unfortunately.  

 

 

This was posted further up

 

 

also check the app for sailings that are the same itinerary as yours in advance and that  will give you a good idea of what is which night 

[malba2366]

These new menus completely remove the elevated dining that used to be part of mid to higher end cruising and was part of what made cruising a great value.  Obvious cost cutting and an attempt to push more guests into specialty restaurants.  This is what used to be seen only on value cruise lines like Carnival and MSC, but looks like RCCL is trying to do the same at a much higher cruise fare.

Edited January 21, 2023 by malba2366