Awful food on Harmony of the Seas

[mandyleighflies]

We just got off Grandeur and the food was awesome!! The pizza was so good even my daughter, who doesn't like pizza, had it every night. Steaks were done perfectly, the mushroom soup is incredible. I will say desserts were a lacking department....I actually skipped dessert most nights for once. I do have to agree it's based on who's cooking, we loved our meals for the most part. 

[jetta8300]

34 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

So you made my point. What carnival does well is LUNCH.  Not dinner. The places you mentioned a few have breakfast but mainly lunch... I said lunch was good but not dinner on carnival. So you reply agreeing with me? Listing LUNCH places. 

 

Mardi gras and its sisters have more dinner choices but not out of Galveston. I couldnt find decent dinners on carnival except pay restaurants.  I'm at 197 pts on carnival so not a newbie. I starved for dinner or paid. This is why I changed to mostly rcl out of texas. .. no good free dinner options.

 

I got off radiance last Thursday 3 days ago, and my steaks were perfect. Every time. My lobster was decent sized and my fish and chips the fish was crispy. Every dinner was good. They were running out of some things by the end of the cruise. Vs carnival my free dinners in Mdr were terrible. 

 

People on carnival are also complaining about cut backs. It's all lines. But i had a excellent cruise on radiance for 10 days onboard. Quality does seem to vary. I've had some less than stellar meals on both and tastes vary.

 

But I booked the carnival for the better ports. Always a upside. 

 

I dont doubt the OP opinion. I had the fillet on oasis in Giovanni and they ruined it for me by putting gravy not garlic butter on it. Couldnt wait and send it back. Rcl needs to ask before assuming which you want. Oasis did the same to my steak in Mdr...put gravy on it without asking. Oasis for me was a bust. Radiance a win. I had the best ever steak on radiance cheers with a officer. On allure what I had was not edible. They need to get quality right every time. 

 

 

 

 

Yes I was actually replying to mainly agree with you.    I think I was just saying that we did find carnival's MDR marginally better than Royal, but it could just be the dishes we chose were more to our tastes etc.  I think the quality in general is about the same.  Although Carnival still has cheese and warm chocolate melting cake.  Cheese was missing on Royal, no cheese to be seen anywhere.

 

I'm simply saying that I wish ALL lines would take after Carnival's lunch changes, and apply that type of midset to dinner as well.  do cheaper ingredients better.  This is why people like the indian food at the Windjammer... it's cheaper to make but still tastes good.  I would rather have a good flavorful meal with a cheaper cut of meat (or no meat) in any MDR, than a poor quality meal with a traditionally more expensive cut.

Edited April 9, 2023 by jetta8300

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 hour ago, pcur said:

Anyone who has not cruised on RCCL since January 14, 2023 should not be criticizing the OP for their opinion about RCCL's food offerings.  

 

I have been on 5 RCCL ships from January through March this year, and the changes in the food are dramatic.  I won't go into detail on this thread, because I've gone into detail on others on this board.  But, we are not criticizing based on personal preferences, but a standard that RCCL set decades ago.

 

Yes, the menu selections HAVE been cut in BOTH the Windjammer and Main Dining Room.  

 

Yes, it appears on some ships the food prep staff in the kitchens has a LOT of newbies.

 

Yes, there are issues with the suppliers, too.

 

I was suspicious about specialty restaurant food, because it appeared the staff were sometimes going to either other restaurants, or the main dining room kitchen, for certain dishes.  But, I did not find the food in any of the specialty restaurants to be lacking.  I purchased the UDP on the Vision for 10 days, and was very happy with all the food in Chops, Giovanni's, and Izumi.

 

The Windjammer on the Anthem was outstanding.  The Windjammer on the Vision was terrible.  

 

I adapted in the Windjammer over these 3 months by sticking with fish, sauced chicken, vegetable dishes, making up my own dishes with what was offered:  making a Greek salad for myself in the Windjammers, for instance.  Desserts in the Windjammers were especially mediocre, so I didn't waste the calories on them.

I appreciate your opinions. You are balanced and many of your observations agree with what I have observed. You present your opinion without drama. Please keep posting.

[allyfree]

Royal couldn't care less ... we pay for food in our bookings ... then we buy the UDP because the food isn't great in MDR & Windjammer ... that means they can offer poorer quality food in reduced amounts whilst they laugh all the way to the bank ! We need to stop feeding the troll ...

[allyfree]

*duplicate* post

Edited April 9, 2023 by allyfree

[allyfree]

Royal couldn't care less ... we pay for food in our bookings ... then we buy the UDP because the food isn't great in MDR & Windjammer ... that means they can offer poorer quality food in reduced amounts whilst they laugh all the way to the bank ! We need to stop feeding the troll ...

[pcur]

1 minute ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I appreciate your opinions. You are balanced and many of your observations agree with what I have observed. You present your opinion without drama. Please keep posting.

HA!  It's the old tech writer in me.  Writing too many requirement documents tends to make one write like, well, an analyst.  

[Morecruisesplz]

2 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Decent review with a little positive along with the negatives.  Good job.

 

Cruise on her again in a few weeks/couple of months and the culinary staff/team will probably have changed and the food MAY be the best you've ever had on a cruise line, MAYBE!  It's the people, not the ship that prepares and presents food.  And the food providers/sources/distributors may change as well.  

 

We'll be on her in January and hope we have the good culinary staff/team and suppliers.  

 

 

And training. Happy Easter, Mr. RET MP.

[pcur]

1 minute ago, allyfree said:

Royal couldn't care less ... we pay for food in our bookings ... then we buy the UDP because the food isn't great in MDR & Windjammer ... that means they can offer poorer quality food in reduced amounts whilst they laugh all the way to the bank ! We need to stop feeding the troll ...

(I think your internet connection burped..............)

 

Anyway, I thought about what you just posted.  The UDP I purchased was an extra $21 per day (yes, we got a SCREAMING deal), but averaging it over all the meals we could eat with the UDP, it came out to $15 per meal.

 

With the UDP, you can have embarkation day lunch in Chops (book/pay/get reimbursed on the ship), all sea day lunches in Chops, and unlimited visits in the evenings.

 

I think RCCL will improve.  I know the Enchantment did, as I had family members tell me a few weeks ago the food and service in the MDR was great.  So, I expect the food quality and prep will improve.  Meanwhile, if I can get the UDP for a great price pre-cruise, that's what I'll do.  I don't consider it a permanent solution.

[Sigyn]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

Did you tell this to the staff when they served your food? Or did you just save it all up for a message board rant after the cruise?

I told them when they asked why only a bite or two, or sometimes only 1/3 of our food was eaten. If they didn't ask, I didn't bother. I consider it part of good service to ask why a dish is barely touched. For instance, at Sabor, the waiter asked when I didn't eat the red snapper ceviche, and asked why. I explained that it was flavorless, and that it was served slightly warm, which is weird for ceviche, and the texture was strange and not what I was used to for ceviche. I said more citrus flavor would add some punch. He said he would relay my comments to the chef. He offered to bring a replacement dish, but I had shrimp tacos coming, so there was no point to get another appetizer at lunch.  The next dish, the aforementioned shrimp tacos, I barely touched. The waiter did not ask me why I didn't eat them. If he had, I would have told him they were very salty. I had already filled up on guacamole, so I didn't want more food. 

At 150 Central Park, the waiter did not ask why the beef tenderloin for two was only half eaten, or why one lobster tail was left on the plate. It seems that he would want to know. I did tell him that the pork belly was very fatty and inedible. He offered to bring something else, but I declined. There wasn't anything else that seemed appealing at that point.

So it was hit or miss with the wait staff asking about what was wrong. However, they did ask me several times to be sure and rate them a "10" when Royal Caribbean sent a survey at the end of the cruise. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by njsmom

[Sigyn]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

@njsmom  I take your review very seriously, and give it full credence.  My kids (on a family cruise last month on Anthem) splurged on dinner at Chops.  They told me all about it, and it was not good.

 

BUT...................if hibachi was good and no different from hibachi at home, and Izumi sushi was good but not outstanding..............that's a win.

 

Do they need to be "better than home" or "outstanding" to be good choices on a cruise?

I don't think they need to be better than home or outstanding to be good choices on a cruise. I was just pointing out that the hibachi isn't better than home, which is interesting given that it's a $15 pp upcharge over the cost of the UDP. I had to pay for the UDP plus another $30 in order to get something equivalent  to a hibachi dinner at home. Yikes! 

 

At least the sushi dinner was not an upcharge and it was good. As a do over, I'd have had dinner there a couple more times. My son had gyoza, a California roll and chicken teriyaki. He said it was good but "not as good as hibachi." lol. yeah. I didn't have to pay an extra $30, either, kid! 🙂  I had a salad, sashimi and a specialty sushi roll. all done well. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by njsmom

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

@njsmom  I take your review very seriously, and give it full credence.  My kids (on a family cruise last month on Anthem) splurged on dinner at Chops.  They told me all about it, and it was not good.

 

BUT...................if hibachi was good and no different from hibachi at home, and Izumi sushi was good but not outstanding..............that's a win.

 

Do they need to be "better than home" or "outstanding" to be good choices on a cruise?

In a word. Yes. Since I will be paying more $$$ then I would be at home for the same food.

 

Next cruise we have Chops and Giovanni's booked for Dinner and Izumi for Lunch........I'm praying  Izumi doesn't turn out to be the best of the 3.

 

That would sure be disappointing. 😞

Edited April 9, 2023 by Jimbo

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 It is banquet food on a mass scale that must satisfy the mainstream demographic. 

The mainstream demographic is clearly speaking, seems they are also underwhelmed. 

[Tree_skier]

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

It is hard to ruin breakfast.
 

Royal Caribbean has the lessor quality  dining  of any of the mass market cruise lines in my opinion. I only book Royal these days with a group I cruise with. Royal is good for groups because of entertainment and activities. 

It is interesting that individual takes can be so different.  We've cruised Royal, NCL and MSC and in the MDR Royal was far and away the best of the bunch. Both in terms of food and service.  I'd say the NCL and Royal were a tie on specialty restaurants.  Everything about MSC was disappointing.

[sgmn]

1 hour ago, pcur said:

(I think your internet connection burped..............)

 

Anyway, I thought about what you just posted.  The UDP I purchased was an extra $21 per day (yes, we got a SCREAMING deal), but averaging it over all the meals we could eat with the UDP, it came out to $15 per meal.

 

That is very good value. My upcoming Symphony is just under £40 per meal for the three meal package or around £57 for 150 or Chops for one pre booked meal,  (coming on for £70 on board prices ).

[cdlafl7]

we were on the Harmony this past week and ate at Coastal Kitchen every night. we found the food to be quite good. each meal was prepared per request and we tried a variety of dishes across the week. i found Coastal to be the best meal experience we've had on any of our 9 cruises. the staff was superb.

[ReneeFLL]

4 hours ago, njsmom said:

…On the positives, the hibachi restaurant was very good, and we thoroughly enjoyed that but it was no different than any hibachi restaurant you'd find at home. 

Why would you expect anything different?

 

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

…Nothing to do with Covid or inflation…

 

Covid and inflation definitely has something to do with it.

[LobsterStalker]

4 hours ago, jetta8300 said:

 

I've heard that it's also what the crew eats.  So they tend to keep those ingredients on hand, and they serve it at the crew buffet.

 

We aren't picky eaters, and enjoy indian food.  However every single indian dish was at least a 4/5 spice level.  WAY too spicy, so for us unfortunatley it was >>inedible<<.  Disappointing considering it would have been very tasty otherwise.

 

4 hours ago, jetta8300 said:

That's very interesting, we have a lot of Indian, Thai and other asian restaurants around my house and most indian dishes onboard were >>almost as good<<.  Maybe not quite as good but they had quite a bit of flavor, unlike the other choices at the Windjammer.  But the dishes were all extremely spicy.

...Hmmm??

[ILCTCRUISER]

5 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

A lot of the chefs these days are Indian. That is why I think the Indian food is usually good. 

Yes!  We tend to order Indian in the main dining room and search for Indian in the WJ.  NCL offers a better offering of Indian dishes in its buffet.

[rolloman]

5 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Decent review with a little positive along with the negatives.  Good job.

 

Cruise on her again in a few weeks/couple of months and the culinary staff/team will probably have changed and the food MAY be the best you've ever had on a cruise line, MAYBE!  It's the people, not the ship that prepares and presents food.  And the food providers/sources/distributors may change as well.  

 

We'll be on her in January and hope we have the good culinary staff/team and suppliers.  

 

 

Delusional. The ingredients are the same, regardless of who prepares it. The food in the main dining room has taken a steep dive. You are not helping the situation by claiming it is an anomaly.  Soon there will be no such thing as a free main dining room. Thanks in part to posts like yours. 

[Denversail]

2 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Delusional. The ingredients are the same, regardless of who prepares it. The food in the main dining room has taken a steep dive. You are not helping the situation by claiming it is an anomaly.  Soon there will be no such thing as a free main dining room. Thanks in part to posts like yours. 

That is like saying food taste the same regardless of who is eating it.

[rolloman]

4 minutes ago, Denversail said:

That is like saying food taste the same regardless of who is eating it.

Exactly right...the food is the same regardless of who is eating it... some people like a bologna sandwich and think they are great. Others prefer a more upscale dinner of which they have paid a premium for. Pay attention to what he said, he said the food will get better as he blamed it on the preparer. Which is delusional thinking as the preparer has the same menu and ingredients as any other chef onboard. It is what it is...the food will not get better unless the price goes up. It is the new standard until it is not. FACT

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by rolloman

[bigque]

I am not  going to doubt the OP’s “Opinion” of the food but OMG to say everything they ate at every venue they ate at on the ship was bad just can’t buy into that….. I’m sorry! People have been on here complaining about the food since I have been a member on here in 2010. In all my years of cruising sure there were things I didn’t like but I have “Always” been able to find something that I like be it Windjammer or MDR and if I got something I didn’t like I get something else and keep it moving. I like my steaks medium rare and once at Chops it was medium well and once it was rare I sent them back and both times they were more than happy to get it right. In this day and time I just don’t get what people’s expectations of the food is. If the food is so much better on those other cruise lines than cruise those other lines. I wouldn’t spend 100’s or thousands of dollars on vacation and continue to go to that same place for a week at a time and they have nothing satisfying to eat all week long. 

[Denversail]

6 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Exactly right...the food is the same regardless of who is eating it... some people like a bologna sandwich and think they are great. Others prefer a more upscale dinner of which they have paid a premium for. Pay attention to what he said, he said the food will get better as he blamed it on the preparer. Which is delusional thinking as the preparer has the same menu and ingredients as any other chef onboard. It is what it is...the food will not get better unless the price goes up. It is the new standard until it is not. FACT

 

I don’t agree with you. It is not fact. I assure you that two different people can prepare the same meal with very different results. 

[poocher]

The OP had posted about vacationing in Napa with $300 dinners so it doesn’t surprise me that Royal food doesn’t live up.