Windjammer desserts look way better than they taste

[lovesthebeach2]

16 hours ago, dada2199cc said:

 

I'll shame them endlessly?

 

Why?

 

As a restaurant owner in Florida, we can't sell french fries with salt anymore.  Period.  Ever.

 

When folks ASK for salted fries, we just give them fries -- with salt on the side.

 

Prove me wrong.

We live in Florida…. You can’t sell fries with salt here now?  I guess you can see we don’t go out to eat here much, but is this really a thing here? When did this start? 

[lovesthebeach2]

In all the years we’ve been cruising with Royal, Im sorry to say I’ve never thought their WJ desserts had any flavor at all. Yes they look good……but it stops there.

 

So now you’re all saying they have no flavor?  How could they have less flavor than they did 20 years ago? 

I don’t waste my calories on any desserts at all, other than an occasional scoop of chocolate ice cream in the MDR. ☹️

[zebra36]

WJ deserts in general have always been bland to tasteless, when eating there just look for oatmeal rasin cookies to grab and go.

[Ret MP]

9 hours ago, Tatka said:

I’m sure if not for pandemic nothing of this sort would’ve happened. They don’t do it to upset cruisers. Cruise industry almost got ruined. Literally. And they aren’t out of the water yet. Far from it.

 

Things may improve though. I remember my first cruise with NCL in 2008. I was literally  shocked. If you remember Vegas Vacation when Griswold with his cousin went to cheap buffet and asked to give him that blue thing and yellow thing.. Well desserts on NCL Spirit were all same jello type cakes in different colors. Yet our next cruise with them in 2011 featured nice variety 

 

 

Their (the industry) may not have the intent of upsetting their cruisers.  But, I believe they know full well what their actions would/could result and they "gambled" that they wouldn't lose, to a great extent, their long time loyal customers base and/or they would just attract another batch of loyal cruisers.  Seems that they may have made the correct "gamble".  But, time will tell.  And I totally agree, this situation is a result of the debacle, for sure.  I don't remember any posts, in a few other boards that I am/was a member of that complained as often and as aggressively as we are experiencing today.

 

Things may improve if they stop the increases/nickel and diming and let the economy catch-up with their prices and start paying back their loan(s) with inflated dollars.  I'm not an economist, I didn't even play one on TV, but I BELIEVE that they have raised their prices of just about everything "far" above the inflation rate/numbers (maybe not every item, but far too many).  Again, that's just an anecdotal none scientific observation, YMMV.

 

"xxxxx", meaning this old mind couldn't fine the proper word that I really wanted to use, this morning, but know there is a better word out there somewhere.

[moposh]

21 hours ago, time4u2go said:

Maybe it's just me, but I find that desserts in the Windjammer look really nice, but are almost always disappointing in how they taste.  They have little flavor (other than sweet).  Does anyone else have any opinion on this?

Yep.  They look tasty, but most certainly are not.  I generally take a bite and trash the rest.  It's very disappointing.  I don't know why they can't make them taste better.  It's not that hard.  I'm sure a lot goes to waste.

[mek]

20 hours ago, helen haywood said:

As a Celebrity cruiser, I can tell you the same is true on that line!!

But X has that great ice cream station with multiple flavors that is our go to spot for dessert.  

We haven't sailed on the since before Covid, so perhaps that has changed?

[Toddcan]

I agree... but I find it's the same as any high volume buffet (think casino buffets, large chinese food buffets, etc).... very colourful, and nice to look at, but very bland.  I find the exceptions are some pies, and cookies (esp ranger cookies - those are awesome)

[helen haywood]

1 hour ago, mek said:

But X has that great ice cream station with multiple flavors that is our go to spot for dessert.  

We haven't sailed on the since before Covid, so perhaps that has changed?

No, the ice cream counter is still there.  Some of the recipes have changed for the worse (if one believes they are made onboard) or cheaper products were bought.  Case in point, my favorite was cherry brandy which used to be a delicious rich vanilla custard base with a brandy note studded with large recognizable pieces of cherries.  Now it is a raspberry sherbet color with flecks of something dark in it…small flecks…no brandy or cherry taste.  RIP cherry brandy.

[mek]

23 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

No, the ice cream counter is still there.  Some of the recipes have changed for the worse (if one believes they are made onboard) or cheaper products were bought.  Case in point, my favorite was cherry brandy which used to be a delicious rich vanilla custard base with a brandy note studded with large recognizable pieces of cherries.  Now it is a raspberry sherbet color with flecks of something dark in it…small flecks…no brandy or cherry taste.  RIP cherry brandy.

That's too bad.  I always thought the quality of the ice cream was good.

[artvlay]

We don't understand. Don't the people at corporate taste these desserts? They serve exactly the same things day after day, week after week with slight modifications. Like the MASH episode, "I've eaten a river of liver and an ocean of fish".

Just got off Anthem on Saturday and asked the Restaurant Manager why the cookies are hard like hockey pucks. I told her to compare them to the chocolate chip cookies at Coco Cay

[queenfrostine22]

Those ranger cookies with a black coffee are the best dessert on the all of the ships!

[GlasgowCruiser01]

Some ships have been better than others. Odyssey & Oasis were decent. Desserts on Wonder were terrible. I noticed that there were certain types of cookies that nobody was taking so they eventually added icing and color to them in the hopes that people would assume they were something else.

[Ocean Boy]

7 hours ago, mek said:

But X has that great ice cream station with multiple flavors that is our go to spot for dessert.  

We haven't sailed on the since before Covid, so perhaps that has changed?

Every Windjammer on RCI that I have eaten in for years now has had a dinner time ice cream station. Odyssey had multiple flavors last week. 

[Ret MP]

I just remembered something about my first cruise with RCCL, Oasis of the Seas, circa 2016.  I was so enamored by the beauty of her and her size.  Went into the WJ, was a sight to behold.  As a donut lover, the Glazed and Apple Fitters looked amazing.  Stacked a few on my plate, went and sat down to feast on the treasures I just found.  Ohhhhhhhhhhhh man, was I totally disappointed.  Tears almost streamed down my cheeks and I went to the bar to drown my sorrows.  I've tried and tried on my many RCCL cruises, never duplicating any ship BUT nothing but disappointment.  But, they sure know how to make them look great.

[MLAW]

I have cruised Royal Caribbean for over 25 years and agree that WJ desserts have always been bland.  Our family saying from first cruise has been "different color, same tasteless dessert".  And we liked desserts.  On the Anthem this summer even the cookies were bad but on Independence over New Years they were actually good.  Now sure how you mess up cookies if using the same recipe across the fleet.

[mek]

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Every Windjammer on RCI that I have eaten in for years now has had a dinner time ice cream station. Odyssey had multiple flavors last week. 

It's been a long time since I've had dinner in the Windjammer, so no knowledge of what is available then, but on Allure in October an ice cream cart was pushed around from table to table during lunch and honestly, it wasn't very good - very sweet and gummy.

 

The ice cream station on X is a permanent area - just like an ice cream shop would have and is available during lunch and dinner.  Unfortunately, it sounds like things have changed  over there so it may be disappearing with all of the cuts that are happening.

 

 Seems like there are a lot of unhappy people in the X boards.

[Ocean Boy]

6 minutes ago, mek said:

It's been a long time since I've had dinner in the Windjammer, so no knowledge of what is available then, but on Allure in October an ice cream cart was pushed around from table to table during lunch and honestly, it wasn't very good - very sweet and gummy.

 

The ice cream station on X is a permanent area - just like an ice cream shop would have and is available during lunch and dinner.  Unfortunately, it sounds like things have changed  over there so it may be disappearing with all of the cuts that are happening.

 

 Seems like there are a lot of unhappy people in the X boards.

That is interesting as Allure has always had a stationary ice cream station in the Windjammer when I've been aboard. I would not appreciate what you experienced. 

[CruisingNole]

7 hours ago, artvlay said:

We don't understand. Don't the people at corporate taste these desserts? They serve exactly the same things day after day, week after week with slight modifications. Like the MASH episode, "I've eaten a river of liver and an ocean of fish".

Just got off Anthem on Saturday and asked the Restaurant Manager why the cookies are hard like hockey pucks. I told her to compare them to the chocolate chip cookies at Coco Cay

They don’t need to. As long as you keep booking cruises, what’s the problem?

 

Reading this thread is just sad. I can’t fathom eating at a restaurant, being disappointed, and returning over and over hoping for a different outcome.

 

Take your business elsewhere and force them to do better.

[Mum2Mercury]

Before I present my multiple random thoughts, let me say that I have a small baking business, and my own desserts are genuinely superb -- and I price them accordingly.  I don't expect a cruise line's desserts to taste like the ones I make in my own kitchen.  

 

- It seems to me that Royal's desserts are better than they were a decade ago.  While they may not be top-notch, good items are available.  This thread is largely Royal Whining, which is fairly prevalent here.  

- I agree that too much gelatin goes into many desserts.  Also too much whipping.  Why?  Because gelatin is super-cheap and whipping "blows up" a little bit of food so it looks like a lot of food.  

- Like many here, I like the ranger cookies, but I always like oatmeal cookies, as I think they have a nice mouthfeel and chewiness; however, yes, I have had a slightly over-baked ranger cookie.  Ick.  

- The worst dessert I had recently was the Coconut Cake.  It definitely tasted frozen. 

- I absolutely love cheesecake, but I don't like it on Royal.  Excellent cheesecake isn't hard to make, but it does take time. 

- Good desserts I had in the MDR:  Key Lime Pie, Cobbler or Crumble -- can't remember what they called it -- and Carrot Cake.  My husband had plain ice cream in the MDR and said it was good.  

- Good desserts I had in the Windjammer:  Made-to-order Churros, Chocolate Fountain with fresh fruit and bits of cake, Pecan Pie.  

[mek]

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

That is interesting as Allure has always had a stationary ice cream station in the Windjammer when I've been aboard. I would not appreciate what you experienced. 

 

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

That is interesting as Allure has always had a stationary ice cream station in the Windjammer when I've been aboard. I would not appreciate what you experienced. 

Just curious if you recall exactly where in the Windjammer it was located?  I've been on the ship 2x and I don't recall seeing anything like that, but then it wasn't until the last day of our October cruise that I discovered the Mexican place where the Wipe Out Cafe used to be located.  LOL.

[Ashland]

8 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Every Windjammer on RCI that I have eaten in for years now has had a dinner time ice cream station. Odyssey had multiple flavors last week. 

No...Just off Navigator and ice cream on one night only in the WJ....and no chocolate syrup, said they didn't have any...just some horrible caramel sauce and some crunched up cookies, obviously the hard as brick ones no one ate at lunch.

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

No...Just off Navigator and ice cream on one night only in the WJ....and no chocolate syrup, said they didn't have any...just some horrible caramel sauce and some crunched up cookies, obviously the hard as brick ones no one ate at lunch.

Sounds like night and day between Navigator and Odyssey when it comes to the Windjammer. 

[Kathscof]

But I am proud of them for doing a good key lime pie! (I can’t remember if I had it, but a handful of people on this thread has mentioned it being good haha)

[zoepipes]

I could have sworn the cookies in our room on embarkation day were left over from the last people who had our stateroom.  They were hard as rocks!  They were left there for the next passengers 😁

[HappyTexan44]

15 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

- Good desserts I had in the MDR:  Key Lime Pie, Cobbler or Crumble -- can't remember what they called it -- and Carrot Cake.  My husband had plain ice cream in the MDR and said it was good.  

- Good desserts I had in the Windjammer:  Made-to-order Churros, Chocolate Fountain with fresh fruit and bits of cake, Pecan Pie.  

 

I have a Word document where I make notes for the cruise.  As a baker, your endorsement of these is worth adding to it.   
There is a reason I make even my own birthday cakes.  My standards for cakes conflict with my cheapness.   Mine taste awesome but look  ... very homemade.