do they rotate menus accd to time of year with cheaper choices at times?

[vmom]

Question: Does RCCL vary the menu that is offered for a particular cruise by how much $ it is making for that cruise sailing. Ex. Would a cruise during a time when the rates are higher and RCCL is making more income on have a better menu offering than on ship sailings which were more heavily discounted due to time of year?

 

Just got off the Explorer 12/3 to 12/10 cruise. Had a great time. Our last RCCL cruise was on the Navigator in March 2004. We thought the food on the March 2004 Navigator was far superior to the food from this last Dec. Explorer food.

 

It wasn't just how it was cooked, but it was to a great degree the menu choices. The choices seem to represent less expensive dishes, dishes that would not cost as much to make. Less expensive cuts, less expensive types of food to prepare. Many dishes were not accompained by a rice or potatoe type side. Typically the main entree with a few veggies on the plate only. Some dishes did have a side of either a scoop of mashed potatoes or a small scoop of white rice. (Cheap) Only once did we get a baked potatoe. No other types of potatoes accompanied the main dish. This was true not only for what we ordered, but also on the plates of everyone else at the table. Portions on more expensive type foods were very small, example I ordered an entree of shrimp and there were only 4 shrimp on the plate, all average size. I asked for and recieved more shrimp but in the past we typically recieved more than 4. Shrimp cocktail had only 4 small shrimp.

[cb at sea]

This is what I've been saying all along! I don't think it's a matter of "rotating" the menus--I think they've just gone "cheaper" overall. If I'd had mixed vegetables one more time.....

Did you notice a decline in presentation, as well? Our 1st couple of cruises, we had real silverware and nice glasses. This last time, it was stainless steel utensils, and the same glasses as the Windjammer. No more molded butter pats--now they have wrapped Land-o-lakes! Tacky! We used to have several salad choices per night--In April, we were lucky to have 2 choices. Our steaks could only be cooked to either medium or well--they said that was our only choice there. On what USED to be Lobster night (which is now the Seafood Platter) there were no ramikins of drawn butter. Instead, the ass't waiter came around with a pitcher of melted butter which he poured on our plates.

 

We still had a nice cruise, but we were really looking forward to the supurb meals of the past. Alas, that was not to be. I felt like I was eating in an Applebee's or Chili's, rather than a luxurious cruise ship setting. I am thinking long and hard about our next cruise. Since meals are an important part of the entire experience, I'm wondering if a different cruise line might be more attentive to the dining portion. I know if I go to Vegas, I'll get 5-star food, and a beautiful room for about the same price. Decisions, decisions!!!!

[ScottC4746]

I took Majesty in 1994 and then took Vision in 2005 the latter with my B/F after our ceremony and noticed a decline in quality. This has been the trend in the cruise industry when prices were dropped to fill the cabins. I have heard that RCCL realized they made a mistake with food quality changes and are scrabbling (pun intended) to fix that. It is harder to increase quality while keeping prices down than to reverse quality. It goes hand in hand quality up price up quality down price down.

[superjerryw]

The last poster is correct. The menus are not rotated, rather they seem to continually dumb the menus down as time goes by to save money. They used to put a basket of bread on each table but they stopped doing that a couple of years ago. There were more choices for desserts, salads, better cuts of meat, etc.

[isujim]

Are you asking about rotating menu's? or food quality? or both?

 

The menu's are standard for a 7 day cruise...........every RC cruise I have been on whether the Mariner or the Radiance...........basically has the same menu with few exceptions........for example every farewell dinner menu is the same on every ship I have been on over the last few years.

 

Food quality is down..........but surprisingly it can vary by ship. Our food on the Mariner in April wasn't very good at all.........the food on our Radiance cruise in October was about as good as any RC ship we have been on..........but basically same menu's.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if chef makes a difference from ship to ship.......???

[cb at sea]

I'm sure the chef does make a difference, but it's really the "policy" that's changed--what they serve is edible, just not as nice as years past.

[michigan tim]

It makes me wonder if dumbing down the dining room menu is an attempt for a two-fold benefit; in addition to the obvious lowering of dining room food costs, it makes the alternative restaurants look that much more attractive.

[superjerryw]

It makes me wonder if dumbing down the dining room menu is an attempt for a two-fold benefit; in addition to the obvious lowering of dining room food costs, it makes the alternative restaurants look that much more attractive.

 

I think that while the alterantive restaurants may look more attractive, their extra cost keeps most people away. Although we may complain about the food being dumbed down over the years, for most people it's still way better than what they would be eating at home so they still see no need to pay an extra $20 per person for better food.

[LAKaye]

We have cruised with RCI since 1994. I was younger then and did not pay a lot of attention to the food, but I do remember it being quite good. I live in Manhattan and know good food.

 

Years ago, appetizers were listed separately on the menu from soups, and served as two separate courses. There were many choices of each. Today you certainly are able to order whatever you want--two soups and two appetizers if you want--the wait staff will bring them. But those courses were more special, with four or five choices each, and preceded the salad course. There was frequently a pasta course. All of the courses had many choices. The food quality was higher. I remember caviar on formal nights, followed by lobster, which was a selection on its own, not a part of the "Fisherman's Platter". I remember high-quality desserts, with many choices which included good chocolate or cocoa ingredients. Flourless chocolate cake made a regular appearance in the dining room, in full-size portions, not a two-bite sample.

 

Then things slowly changed. I vaguely remember noting this along with what I call the advent of the "Hallmark Card" menus. Oh, those menus looked pretty enough, but the content was going downhill. I don't know exactly when this particular change came about. I can first remember seeing this on the Sovereign of the Seas in the summer of 2005---does anyone remember when they first arrived?

 

Well yes, since then, things have really fallen in quality. On our last Explorer cruise in October of this year, on the second to last day, the kitchen ran out of those foiled wrapped pats of butter! Hmm. Also, the fancy food that is presented at special gatherings such as the Platinum/Diamond Brunch and available in the Concierge lounges is not as fancy and is lacking in variety. Years ago, we were wowwed by the spreads. And speaking of spreads.....the nightly midnight buffet has dwindled away, the late night bites that were available instead have faded. The Windjammer offerings are shadows of their former selves. The rich chocolate cake is found only in Chops or Portofinos and (yikes) the serving size has shrunk over the past year!

 

Please RCI, I would love some alternative to the little tiny quiche and the swirl of smoked salmon on a one-inch square of brown bread! I regret that my sweet Brian is so in love with the loyalty program. I really do need to sail on another line every now and then, just to get different mediocre food

 

I shake my head. :(

 

Leslie

[superjerryw]

I remember high-quality desserts, with many choices which included good chocolate or cocoa ingredients. Flourless chocolate cake made a regular appearance in the dining room, in full-size portions, not a two-bite sample.

 

We used to love the desserts and would frequently order several. Now we find that we usually look at the dessert menu and get up and leave the dining room without ordering anything. What we have noticed is that they usually have a larger selection of desserts in the Windjammer each night so we will leave the dining room and go to the Windjammer to check out the desserts.

[vickiw0318]

Thanks for the idea, Jerry!

[cb at sea]

How does the food quality compare to RCI on Celebrity?

[katiel53]

I think the food on Celebrity is much better than on RCI. I say that, but we haven't been on Celebrity for a year so perhaps things have changed. I think one of the reasons is that they spend more money on food. All their beef, according to the hotel director comes from Iowa and it is wonderful.

 

Celebrity is more expensive than RCI and doesn't cater to the families as RCI does. I think when you pay less you get less. I just wish Celebrity gave the perks that RCI does. There isn't any discount for balconies and no Concierge Club. So, I guess one has to decide what's the most important. For the time being, I will sail on RCI because I like a lot of things they do. But, who knows, we might be back to Celebrity.

 

Katie

[vmom]

Yes I have also noticed a change in presentation. Its now like eating at a regular run of the mill restuarant rather than someplace special. The little things are missing.

 

I had wanted to try Celebrity for their food but was debating. I loved the entertainment and dancing on all the RCCL cruises and the entertainment on this last Explorer cruise was just great. Loved everything else about our cruise, just found the food not like it had been on previous cruises. As I said, seems like they are trying to save money on the food.

 

For those who have sailed both, how is the entertainment on Celebrity? Is it worth a try to sample the food?

[zqvol]

Isn't it to be expected? If you read CC on any regular basis you see that people are always searching for the "best deal", ie., the least expensive, that they can find. There is nothing wrong with this but as costs to the lines go up all cruise lines are going to have to make up the difference some place. Fuel costs, are tough to change, the only real place, that is in their control, that the lines can save money is with food. They buy choice meat instead of prime, and it goes on and on.

 

I doubt that the menus are rotated but the quality of the ingredients, and portion size can be manipulated to save costs. Until the cost of cruising goes up the food quality is likely to be lower than it has been in the past.

[cb at sea]

See, I don't really care about the cost so much--I'm willing to pay for a good experience. I really think Carnival and RCI have become the "Wal-mart" of the cruise industry. Next trip, I think we will try a different line. The dining experience is important to me--(it makes me feel special!) and our last outing on RCI left me feeling like we were nothing more than a herd! When we go out to eat at home, we look for something more than the "Outback" experience! When I'm paying a bunch of money for my vacation, "Outback" just won't do!

[superjerryw]

For those who have sailed both, how is the entertainment on Celebrity? Is it worth a try to sample the food?

 

The entertainment on Celebrity is about the same as on RCI. The production shows are similar as are the headline entertainers. You won't find any ice skating rinks on Celebrity ships so there are no ice shows as on RCI's Voyager and Freedom class ships. The only unique entertainment feature on Celebrity was the introduction of the "Taste of Cirque de Soleil" show on a couple of ship. The food on Celebrity is better than on RCI, but not that much better. The basic size cabin on Celebrity ships is 172 square feet which is bigger than the basic cabin size on RCI ships. In addition, the shower on Celebrity ships is much larger than any showers on RCI ships.

[vmom]

The entertainment on Celebrity is about the same as on RCI. The production shows are similar as are the headline entertainers. You won't find any ice skating rinks on Celebrity ships so there are no ice shows as on RCI's Voyager and Freedom class ships. The only unique entertainment feature on Celebrity was the introduction of the "Taste of Cirque de Soleil" show on a couple of ship. The food on Celebrity is better than on RCI, but not that much better. The basic size cabin on Celebrity ships is 172 square feet which is bigger than the basic cabin size on RCI ships. In addition, the shower on Celebrity ships is much larger than any showers on RCI ships.

 

Thanks! We don't do the rock climbing, ice skating thing. We enjoy the shows, enjoy dancing in the evening and like some activities during the day that do not have the ultimate purpose of trying to sell us something. Seems that many of the more recent additions to the activity lists have the bottom line of a sales pitch at the end of the presentation.

[broberts]

It wasn't just how it was cooked, but it was to a great degree the menu choices. The choices seem to represent less expensive dishes, dishes that would not cost as much to make. Less expensive cuts, less expensive types of food to prepare. Many dishes were not accompained by a rice or potatoe type side. Typically the main entree with a few veggies on the plate only. Some dishes did have a side of either a scoop of mashed potatoes or a small scoop of white rice. (Cheap) Only once did we get a baked potatoe. No other types of potatoes accompanied the main dish. This was true not only for what we ordered, but also on the plates of everyone else at the table. Portions on more expensive type foods were very small, example I ordered an entree of shrimp and there were only 4 shrimp on the plate, all average size. I asked for and recieved more shrimp but in the past we typically recieved more than 4. Shrimp cocktail had only 4 small shrimp.

 

If RC were trying to save money they would have left off the expensive veg and included the relatively inexpensive starch. Smaller carb portions make for healthier eating.

 

Perhaps choices made by previous passengers and uneaten food affect what is offered and portion size. As we become more conscious of healthy dietary choices and the health risks of being overweight surely this has affected what is being ordered and what is not being consumed. Which in turn would push any competent kitchen into making recipe and menu adjustments.

 

As you pointed out in your shrimp example, you had no trouble getting a larger portion of shrimp. Did it occur to you that maybe the kitchen simply got tired of seeing shrimp come back uneaten because there were too many on the plate?

 

I don't like big portions. I was brought up to finish all that was on my plate and it pains me to be wasteful of food. I would much rather have to order an extra course, or have a snack later, than be faced with a plate that is heaped with far more than I can comfortably consume.

 

If I want four or five courses every night, the portions of each have to be pretty small for me to enjoy the whole thing. And I want to be able to try as many different dishes as possible. I love tasting and savoring different recipes. Bring on smaller portions.

[vmom]

If RC were trying to save money they would have left off the expensive veg and included the relatively inexpensive starch. Smaller carb portions make for healthier eating.

 

Perhaps choices made by previous passengers and uneaten food affect what is offered and portion size. As we become more conscious of healthy dietary choices and the health risks of being overweight surely this has affected what is being ordered and what is not being consumed. Which in turn would push any competent kitchen into making recipe and menu adjustments.

 

As you pointed out in your shrimp example, you had no trouble getting a larger portion of shrimp. Did it occur to you that maybe the kitchen simply got tired of seeing shrimp come back uneaten because there were too many on the plate?

 

I don't like big portions. I was brought up to finish all that was on my plate and it pains me to be wasteful of food. I would much rather have to order an extra course, or have a snack later, than be faced with a plate that is heaped with far more than I can comfortably consume.

 

If I want four or five courses every night, the portions of each have to be pretty small for me to enjoy the whole thing. And I want to be able to try as many different dishes as possible. I love tasting and savoring different recipes. Bring on smaller portions.

 

May be able to agree with you on portion size, but not with the rest. Mashed potatoes, white rice, or no starch is a cheap alternative to a variety of offerings. On the Navigator 2004 cruise we had a variety of prepared potatoes and starch type dishes. Not just a scoop of mashed potatoes or rice. I used this as an example. There was a definate difference between the Navigator in 2004 and Explorer in 2006 in terms of fewer choices all around and the choices that were available were defiantely less expensive to buy and prepare. It was like an ordinary menu at any typical restuarant. Pasta dishes lacked the usual flare and contained an over abundance of noodles with minimal extras in the sauce. Baked Alaska was not the same as in the previous 2 RCCL cruises, it was basically a slice of neopolitan ice cream. The shrimp was served in the shell and we had to remove it. I always found something to eat, but the food choices were a notch down from what they used to be and I believe its more than just the chef but also the choices offered. These are just the examples that came to mind.

 

Would I cruise again on RCCL...you bet! Did I have a great time...YES!

But I had wondered if since Dec. cruises are more heavily discounted if that was the reason for what appeared to be money saving type menus and substitutions.