Everyone loves the Indian food. Why not have an Indian food speciality restaurant?

[gerif]

I enjoy Indian food but what is served on the ships is really a cheap variety and I don’t think I’d be inclined to pay extra for it. For what it’s worth, I detest Mexican. DIL is Indian but doesn’t cook it at home. She will not permit her mother to cook it in her house, she must bring it over already cooked. 

[xpcdoojk]

12 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Everyone 🤔

 

I don't think so

So, the city where I live has a bazillion restaurants.  There are about 3 Indian restaurants.  Not one of the 3 would I rate as a high end restaurant.  Not 1 of them is a hot date night option.  Not 1 of them is where business associates want to go when they come to town. 

 

I like some Indian food.  I like Thai food far better.  The worst Thai restaurant in town is better than the best Indian restaurant.  

 

JMHO and YMMV

 

jc

[ramja96]

12 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Everyone 🤔

 

I don't think so

 

I immediately thought the exact same thing. 🤷‍♂️

Edited March 2, 2023 by ramja96

[George C]

hate the smell of curry 

[ukrccl_a]

This was trialled a number of years back on Navigator of the Seas, when sailing from the UK. Sabor Mexican was changed into an Indian restaurant for the season, presume it wasn't a great success as has not been repeated.

 

 

[ramja96]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Bridesmaids 😉

 

Wish I could post the clip🤣

 

It's coming out of me like lava! 🤣

[loman]

Now that you mentioned it , i had to watch that clip from Bridesmaid ,  lol

[Spunky946]

Yuck

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Bridesmaids 😉

 

Wish I could post the clip🤣

I know why you aren't posting it, because you have to be on your good behavior for the next 10 days, otherwise you will have to be silent on your Bella Cruise and you can't have that can  we?  🤣🤣😉

[Tatka]

I like some Indian food including spicy one and very spicy.

However I think smell will be very difficult to contain on the ship...

[A&L_Ont]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I know why you aren't posting it, because you have to be on your good behavior for the next 10 days, otherwise you will have to be silent on your Bella Cruise and you can't have that can  we?  🤣🤣😉

You are on dry land for the next few weeks?  Go for it. 🙂

[DallasGuy75219]

14 hours ago, Denversail said:

Indian food is constantly given an A+ in reviews. Why not add it as an up charge restaurant?

No, not everyone.  RC's core American cruiser might eat it a couple times in the WJ or MDR but will pay for Chops, Giovanni's, or Izumi before Indian.  Carnival couldn't even given it away so they replaced the complimentary Indian restaurant on most of the ships that had it.

 

I came across this article: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Insights/Why-some-cuisines-make-the-specialty-restaurant-cut-and-others-dont.  "Indian food isn't in great demand from passengers when Carnival surveys them about alternate dining concepts."

 

It's probably no coincidence that no major cruise line has added Indian specialty restaurants. RC is better off just leaving Indian as a section in the WJ and one entrée each night in the MDR. 

[icsys]

2 hours ago, kernow said:

In the UK Indian food is very popular, there are lots of upscale Indian restaurants. P and O ships which have predominantly British passengers have Sindhu Indian speciality restaurants onboard, not your typical 'curry house' much more upscale. I'm sure something like that would be very popular especially with cruisers from outside the US. 

 

I'm not sure if I'm remembering this correctly but I think there was a time a few years ago where one of the speciality restaurants got changed to Indian when the ship was sailing from Southampton, can anyone else remember this?

 

Is this what you were remembering... ?

 

55 minutes ago, ukrccl_a said:

This was trialled a number of years back on Navigator of the Seas, when sailing from the UK. Sabor Mexican was changed into an Indian restaurant for the season, presume it wasn't a great success as has not been repeated.

 

 

 

P.S an Indian speciality restaurant is a no from me

Edited March 2, 2023 by icsys

[wcook]

I love the Indian food on Royal. I personally rate the complementary food on RCI as the best of any mainstream line, as the Indian selections are a big part of that. 
 

That said, don’t be giving them the idea of charging for what they currently serve for free 🙂

[kernow]

24 minutes ago, icsys said:

 

Is this what you were remembering... ?

 

 

P.S an Indian speciality restaurant is a no from me

That was it yes, certainly for UK cruisers I think it would be a popular choice but from the responses obviously not for US guests.

[cruisegirl1976]

15 hours ago, Denversail said:

Indian food is constantly given an A+ in reviews. Why not add it as an up charge restaurant?

yeah.. that would be a negative ghost rider!

[The Sunset Glow]

14 hours ago, rockmom said:

The smell of curry is one of very few smells I can't tolerate at all. I had to find a new place to live when I had an apartment next door to a lovely family from India, but the smell made me physically sick.  So it's no surprise that the taste of it, even if it's a tiny amount in the recipe, is intolerable for me.  Not sure if it's an allergy, but it's definitely an intense reaction.   

 

Funny, I was watching the TV show 'House Hunters' and it was an Indian family looking for a new home and the wife said she wanted a 'fully closed off kitchen' because of all the pungent smells from Indian cooking--and they didn't want their clothing and furniture to reek of curry.  Her words, not mine.  

 

I am the same - the smell of curry makes me want to puke. I don't know why, but it just does.

 

I work for a home builder and we build lots of houses with 2 kitchens - a regular kitchen and a separate small one called a "spice kitchen". It is closed off and has a sink, stove, etc and its own exhaust system and window. The clients specifically request these to contain the smell so it does not permeate throughout their house.

 

[rockmom]

Just now, The Sunset Glow said:

 

I am the same - the smell of curry makes me want to puke. I don't know why, but it just does.

 

I work for a home builder and we build lots of houses with 2 kitchens - a regular kitchen and a separate small one called a "spice kitchen". It is closed off and has a sink, stove, etc and its own exhaust system and window. The clients specifically request these to contain the smell so it does not permeate throughout their house.

 

Yes!  That is exactly what the people on House Hunters were after--and found. 

[HappyTexan44]

23 minutes ago, The Sunset Glow said:

 

I am the same - the smell of curry makes me want to puke. I don't know why, but it just does.

 

I work for a home builder and we build lots of houses with 2 kitchens - a regular kitchen and a separate small one called a "spice kitchen". It is closed off and has a sink, stove, etc and its own exhaust system and window. The clients specifically request these to contain the smell so it does not permeate throughout their house.

 

I used to work with a guy who married a woman from the Phillipines(?) I think.   They do that.  They modified the existing house so that the cooking was done in the garage.  Last I talked to him they were divorcing and selling the house.   Buyers kept commenting on how pristine the kitchen was.  

DH can be extreme with his spices.  One time I fussed at him about his cooking smells and that he needed to put on the exhaust fan.   The smell was a little worse than normal.  Fortunately he hadn't been cooking anything because then we figured out the smell was our dog who had just been skunked.  Since then he has been good about using the exhaust fan.  
 

[zoepipes]

I was pleased with the Indian options that were available in the MDR and Windjammer on our recent Oydssey cruise - I don't think an Indian specialty restaurant would be necessary.  I am, however, concerned if I omit an odor after eating - we actually have had many complaints about the odor at my boot camp from those who routinely include curry in their cooking 😕

[BND]

Everyone?  Nope.

[sdrocks]

14 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Yes, uh no.

Agree.  Do NOT LOVE it.

[goldfish65]

Just thinking, how many complaints there would likely be, people complaining it wasn't "authentic," complaining about the cost for what used to be "free," that that food upset their stomachs, that it made the hallways smell....it would open up a whole can of worms and headaches for Royal. 

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

You are on dry land for the next few weeks?  Go for it. 🙂

Yeah, we can't have John on that ship and not be the star of the show. I don't think you guys next week will need a cruise director, or any comedy shows next week. I think you all are going to leave the ship  with a busted gut from laughing at each so much.

 

Be glad when it is over though so the next one can get planned. Maybe we can make that one. Might be 2 years out though since John is going to be away for the Year 2024, like a lost year.

 

Maybe plan the next one in March 2025 on Icon, My Wife and I will be onboard for my Birthday on the 4th.

 

My Wife and I might have went on this (Bella) cruise if we hadn't just got back from Disney recently and have that Greenland cruise booked in September which is 2 weeks long.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Jimbo

[nelblu]

17 hours ago, topnole said:

Everyone loves flying first class too.  But most won’t pay for it.  Point is, the important question is how many would pay 40-50 extra for it.   I have no idea, but I’m guessing they’ve done some research on it.  
 

I imagined that for many it is a love it or leave it type of feeling.  So in a group of 4-6 you’d have a mixed bag of opinions and thus you’d skip it.  Or you’d have to have many none Indian offerings.  Steakhouses, Italian, and Seafood have much greater appeal.  

 

Better yet why not more Chinese appetizers and entrees or SR which is way mor popular than Indian.  Love Hunan.