Symphony OTS: Ben & David review the new menu & dining experience

[Btank]

I did a quick search on the forum, but didn't find any reference to this.  Ben and David are relentlessly positive people, so this was kind of surprising.

 

We try Royal Caribbean's NEW Controversial Menus

 

Your mileage may vary. 😬

 

       --bruce T.

 

[firefly333]

I thought they seemed to like it. I liked the new peanut butter dessert, though agree it looked wierd. 

 

Mine was also served hot and fish was crisp, buns werent soggy on hamburger like before. I was pleasantly surprised with the new food. I mostly like it. Mexican  they dont know what a burrito is and I dug out the pork and just ate it. 

 

I'm glad if food is served hot and things that should be crispy are crispy not soggy. 

[Btank]

6 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I thought they seemed to like it.

One of the problems they had was that the food often arrived cold.  The were also concerned with the inconsistency in quality.

 

      --bruce T.

 

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Btank said:

One of the problems they had was that the food often arrived cold.  The were also concerned with the inconsistency in quality.

 

      --bruce T.

 

I thought he said in the past it was inconsistent so he wanted to see how this new menu worked out. True they noticed some cuts. 

 

In the last my fish was soggy as was my crab cake and the buns for sandwiches soggy. My fish and chips arrived hot and crisp.  Not too bad, but I didnt watch to the end, just the first meal. 

[gkbiiii]

The food they showed in their video was absolute garbage.  There is NO sugar coating this, with the "Loyal to Royal Crowd." This is the absolute worse review they have ever given, comparing Royal directly with MSC!

[Btank]

6 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Not too bad, but I didnt watch to the end, just the first meal. 

It gets worse.  Skip to the end of the video for their summary. ☹️

 

     --bruce T.

[gkbiiii]

From what I am hearing, the newer Carnival vessels, such as Celebration; can beat Royal on ALL Food & Beverage Categories!  That includes, Quick Service, Dining Room, Pizzeria, Bar, and Specialty Dining.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

I watched the video, it wasn’t THAT negative except the end. At the end they said dishes were too salty or sweet. It’s subjective, maybe the person at a table next to them enjoyed it. Keep in mind they get revenue based on views, calling something controversial gets them more clicks. They come off as entitled rather than unbiased critics. They praised many dishes for the flavor. Main complaint was temperature and portion size. I think correct temperature is also subjective, it’s like having a thermostat in a house, often people can’t agree on a comfortable temp. When you’re recording a video and talking, instead of eating, naturally food is going to get colder every second it goes untouched…

 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Thisguylikestocruise

[Btank]

2 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

When you’re recording a video and talking instead of eating naturally food is going to get colder…

They were pretty clear that the food arrived cold.  They're big Royal fans, too (check out their other videos).  Oh well, like I said - your mileage may vary.

 

     --bruce T.

[gkbiiii]

13 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

I watched the video, it wasn’t THAT negative except the end. Keep in mind they get revenue based on views, calling something controversial gets them more clicks. They come off as entitled rather than unbiased critics. They praised many dishes for the flavor. Main complaint was temperature and portion size. I think correct temperature is subjective, it’s like having a thermostat in a house, often people can’t agree on a comfortable temp. When you’re recording a video and talking instead of eating naturally food is going to get colder…

 

 

 

 

Excuse me, "I think the correct temperature is subjective," NO, IT IS NOT! 

All of what you said (without exception), is total nonsense! 

[Thisguylikestocruise]

4 minutes ago, gkbiiii said:

Excuse me, "I think the correct temperature is subjective," NO, IT IS NOT! 

All of what you said (without exception), is total nonsense! 

Too hot or too cold isn’t subjective? Seriously?😂 

[gkbiiii]

Just now, Thisguylikestocruise said:

Too hot or too cold isn’t subjective? Seriously?😂 

If it was, we wouldn't have city ordnances and inspections for restaurants. 

[Thisguylikestocruise]

Just now, gkbiiii said:

If it was, we wouldn't have city ordnances and inspections for restaurants. 

That’s about the temperature it reaches while being cooked for safety. Being too hot or too cold while you’re eating it is different, it’s a personal preference just like flavor.

[gkbiiii]

3 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

That’s about the temperature it reaches while being cooked for safety. Being too hot or too cold while you’re eating it is different, it’s a personal preference just like flavor.

If fish or chicken dishes, were frozen in the middle, how is this not a health issue?  This was clearly mentioned in their report. 

[Btank]

10 minutes ago, gkbiiii said:

If fish or chicken dishes, were frozen in the middle, how is this not a health issue?  This was clearly mentioned in their report. 

Not to mention the Yorkshire pudding being raw in the middle.

 

        --bruce T.

[fac429]

1 hour ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

I think correct temperature is also subjective

 

I'd agree that "too hot" for one person may be not hot enough for another, but the potato and leek soup he was served was so cold that you could see it had already started to congeal.  As soup goes, that is, I think objectively, far too cold.

[HappyTexan44]

And don't forget about the sauce that sat on the plate so long it separated.  And the times that they left because dinner was taking so long because of all the time that food was sent back.  There are laws about temperature of food because of places that would try to make stuff as cheaply as possible, and the Law needs precise lines that were crossed.   Actual temperature that cooked food should be served is in a pretty narrow range.  

 

I also wonder about the laws about the time is allowed to sit around prepared.   If the soup and sauce is separating that makes me think it might have been allowed to sit around for longer than that.  

[JamesEM]

Saw the video, except for the cold food I thought they were spot on after sailing the Symphony and the Voyager.

[boxman52]

It's not subjective if food is hot or cold. It's either one or the other. If it's too hot for your taste wait a minute and it will cool down. But really no-one ever says please send my dish back it's too hot!

As for Ben & David they don't give negative reviews and I'd say they are honest

Also if a sauce has separated it's not subjective nor is a bland dish.

Being realistic this new menu has been introduced so they can cut down staffing levels in the food & beverage department. Staff morale, being overworked and other cuts will be behind the poor food 

If people want to pay more for less, or defend private company profiteering it's up to them. Others can give poor reviews and make other choices for vacations.

I hope Royal pays attention and understands that a brand takes a long time to build but is quickly ruined

[zebra36]

Though not a subscriber to their channel I do watch most of their videos and they can get over the top spmetimes on their comments, usually favorable, regarding food. Though taste is certainly subjective there were so many other issues with the MD food. 

[sgmn]

5 hours ago, boxman52 said:

As for Ben & David they don't give negative reviews and I'd say they are honest

 

I hope Royal pays attention and understands that a brand takes a long time to build but is quickly ruined

I don't do social media or watch much You Tube but I've heard of these reviewers. 

Hopefully this review will of reached the attention of who ever in Royal Caribbean monitors social media and has been flagged up back to ship management. On Symphony later this month, our first Royal Caribbean cruise since pre covid.  Most of our dinners will be in MDR or Solarium Bistro, so hope things have improved 

[Weelynn]

11 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

The food they showed in their video was absolute garbage.  There is NO sugar coating this, with the "Loyal to Royal Crowd." This is the absolute worse review they have ever given, comparing Royal directly with MSC!

Definitely. These two guys always give very honest reviews no matter how many ‘clicks’ they get. They are NEVER harsh in their reviews. Just truthful. The food was appalling!! Congealed spaghetti, cold Sunday roast. Yuk. Tried their best to be a bit more positive but it would have been impossible. 

[Weelynn]

11 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

I watched the video, it wasn’t THAT negative except the end. At the end they said dishes were too salty or sweet. It’s subjective, maybe the person at a table next to them enjoyed it. Keep in mind they get revenue based on views, calling something controversial gets them more clicks. They come off as entitled rather than unbiased critics. They praised many dishes for the flavor. Main complaint was temperature and portion size. I think correct temperature is also subjective, it’s like having a thermostat in a house, often people can’t agree on a comfortable temp. When you’re recording a video and talking, instead of eating, naturally food is going to get colder every second it goes untouched…

 

 

 

 

I have to disagree. Although they tried to be a bit positive, the food just got worse and worse. These two love RC. But there was nothing good to be said. And I’m sorry but I don’t think anyone likes cold food. 

[Btank]

3 hours ago, zebra36 said:

...they can get over the top spmetimes on their comments, usually favorable, regarding food.

Exactly.  They normally wax poetic about food - clearly, this is one of their favorite parts of cruising.  The fact that they were so clear here about the problems in quality of product and service - real or perceived - is (IMHO) telling.

 

     --bruce T.

[Meekacat]

We were on the same sailing.  Main dining was the best we've had in 11 Oasis class sailings.  There are many galleys servicing main dining on mega ships so we just request to move to a different section/galley if we encounter food issues.  I know Royal should be more consistent but why stay and complain every night :)  

 

btw- lots of complaints on this sailing (and the Wonder inaugural) about YouTube folks disturbing other passengers by making chatty videos in intimate settings like these guys in the main dining room during dinner service.  Royal probably needs some guidelines as common decency isn't prevailing