Dinner Menus - are the new ones finalized yet?

[PhoenixCruiser]

but , just wondering, when ordering can one get a baked potato with say a steak or a fish dinner instead of the veggies?

 

It probably won't be instead since they are usually pre-plated you will just get a potato on the side :)

 

The new menus do look good!

 

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[alwalaska]

but , just wondering, when ordering can one get a baked potatoe with say a steak or a fish dinner instead of the veggies?

 

I really think it depends on your waiter. I have had experiences both yes and no. A lot of the food is pre-plated, so sometimes they don't want to make changes. I saw one time where someone wanted one entree and the sides from a different entre. The waiter actually brought them both plates with entree and sides on both.

[megr1125]

I've never done it before, but there are a couple of them desserts that I really love. Do they mind if you order two of them? I don't want to sound like a pig, but I can't get enough of that warm chocolate cake with the pears.:)

 

 

MIND????? on our Enchantment cruise, our server brought mom and i three desserts almost nightly! :D (3 to share between us, NOT 3 each!) In fact, the new rule is that you MUST order grand marnier souffle AND split cherries jubilee with someone......(read the cruise contract...it's in there!:rolleyes: :p )

 

BTW CALORIES CAN'T SWIM!

[craykclan]

I really think it depends on your waiter. I have had experiences both yes and no. A lot of the food is pre-plated, so sometimes they don't want to make changes. I saw one time where someone wanted one entree and the sides from a different entre. The waiter actually brought them both plates with entree and sides on both.

 

Well that would be some great service, but what a waste of food just for a baked potatoe.....I will have to give this some thought

[megr1125]

Alright...menu 6 has issues...there are FOUR desserts that sound great. so maybe 3 to share and 1 to go>???:eek: :confused: :D

[CalGal777]

but , just wondering, when ordering can one get a baked potatoe with say a steak or a fish dinner instead of the veggies?

I've found if you ask nicely and smile a lot you can get most anything you want.

[DON M.]

I've found if you ask nicely and smile a lot you can get most anything you want.

I agree, if its on the ship, they will bring it. Once I surprised my DW with her favorite MATZO BALL soup. Has anyone ever seen this on any menu? It was terrible (frozen) but at least they tried.

Another time, I gave the Head Waiter $5.00 to get me the Filet from Chops and the Onion Soup, which was 100 times better than they serve in the dining room.

I pressed my luck once, asking for Potato Latkes. I knew, that was never going to happen.

[MBeamTX]

There are 4 additional menus. We just have to find someone cruising for 12 days who is willing to take pictures or copy things down for us.:D

 

I had finally found 11 of the 12 menus (with a probable menu for the 12th)for our cruise next March about a week before the new menus came out, so I am starting over again. :rolleyes: I only had 5 and now thanks to the people on this thread I have 8 - only 4 more to go.

 

We're on a 13 day cruise. Will there be a 13th menu - or is that unlucky? :p

[MBeamTX]

If you want a baked potato, they will bring it separately and add it to your entree plate. At least, that's been our experience. Baked potatoes have been on the alternate menu available every night, along with pasta with marinara, and usually 2 of these 3 entrees: chicken breast, steak, or salmon.

 

If you want to start mixing and matching entrees and sides from the evening's menu, however, you will get 2 plates. I found that out when I ordered the vegetarian pasta offering one evening and asked for a chicken breast on the side (from the alternates menu). I got 2 entree plates and the chicken came with its usual sides.

[alwalaska]

We're on a 13 day cruise. Will there be a 13th menu - or is that unlucky? :p

 

I saw this posted once and sorry, but I can't remember if it is a 12 day rotation or a 14 day rotation. Since my cruise is only 12 days, it didn't stick in my brain.

 

I am thinking 14, but hopefully someone else knows.

[petesweet]

Well that would be some great service, but what a waste of food just for a baked potatoe.....I will have to give this some thought

 

My husband loves steak and prefers baked potato. Many nights he would order two steaks with one baked potato (instead of fries that were on the menu). No problem.

 

Our family of 7 enjoyed our recent cruise. We named our table "Starvin' Marvin" and always ordered extra food to "feed Marvin." It gave us a chance to sample different stuff.

[Yvonne]

Those new menus look wonderful, lots of interesting choices!!

 

About asking for something "on the side", I did that on our last cruise with the lobster. I ordered the lobster plate and asked for a "second lobster tail on the side" but I received two full plates. I didn't think it would be that hard to just put a tail on a small plate, rather than give me two full meals, but apparently it was. I felt it was a waste of food as there was no way I could eat two whole dinners.

 

And about ordering multiple appetizers, meals and desserts. My brother-in-law ordered 2 appetizers, 2 meals and 2 desserts each night. He never wasted any of the food either. And he's not overweight (but probably was once the cruise was over!). :)

 

DH and I occasionally would order an extra appetizer or dessert to share.

 

And I remember on one cruise our server always brought extra things "just for us to try", even though we didn't ask for extras.

[Riley13]

I thought I had figured out which night to go to Portofino when on the Explorer next month...now that there are new menus, I don't know what night to schedule for our 9 night cruise!

 

Does Portofino have copies of the dining room menu for each night that we could glance at when we arrive to make a reservation?

 

Thanks!

[Bakincakes]

The waste on cruiseships is disgusting. So many things left uneaten for various reasons.

 

I don't see why they can't just pile the entrees together for those that feel the need to eat more than one meal. That way the veggies and potatoes aren't wasted and just thrown away.

[amybear912]

The waste on cruiseships is disgusting. So many things left uneaten for various reasons.

 

I don't see why they can't just pile the entrees together for those that feel the need to eat more than one meal. That way the veggies and potatoes aren't wasted and just thrown away.

 

I'll tell you why... TIME!!!! While your waiter is in the kitchen re-plating your special request or waiting for a cook to do that... MY service is suffering for it...

 

A restaurant or cruise ship kitchen is run like a machine and timing is everything... a "wrench" like a special request throws off the rhythm... It's not a problem to do these things, but it does require some juggling of time and somewhere along the line, someone else is paying for that...

[Cruiser-T]

delightful! They look better than ever. As far as ordering two desserts or two appetizers or two entree's, we have done it many times, portions are not that big.

[Bakincakes]

I'll tell you why... TIME!!!! While your waiter is in the kitchen re-plating your special request or waiting for a cook to do that... MY service is suffering for it...

 

A restaurant or cruise ship kitchen is run like a machine and timing is everything... a "wrench" like a special request throws off the rhythm... It's not a problem to do these things, but it does require some juggling of time and somewhere along the line, someone else is paying for that...

 

 

I am assuming that they place your entire order when they hit the kitchen. Slamming an extra steak or lobster tail on the same plate shouldn't take that long.:rolleyes: I'm sure your service wouldn't suffer too terribly if they did that in the kitchen. Probably takes just as long to bring twelve appetizers to a table or one of each dessert.

[grammyandpoppy]

We Would All Be Thinner And The Cruise Lines Could Cut Back On Price Increases - Just A Thought.

[amybear912]

I am assuming that they place your entire order when they hit the kitchen. Slamming an extra steak or lobster tail on the same plate shouldn't take that long.:rolleyes: I'm sure your service wouldn't suffer too terribly if they did that in the kitchen. Probably takes just as long to bring twelve appetizers to a table or one of each dessert.

 

 

You'd probably be surprised at the time involved... Minutes are like hours to a kitchen staff... and if the food is already pre-plated, something has to come off one of those plates and now a new plate has to be created to replace that one... TIME, RHYTHM...

 

Like I said, kitchens work like machines, assembly lines... and for someone to stop what they are doing to catch something like that, DOES take time... throws off the rhythm... someone has to leave their position to acquire something, or go to another part of the kitchen to do something, or check back to make sure it's happening and doesn't get forgotten... that takes time away from something else...

 

Until you've actually worked in a professional kitchen, you can't possibly understand the logistics and coordination involved...

[wiselindag]

Albert, I just want to thank you for taking the time to do this... wow! That's a lot of work, but very helpful.

 

I have sailed on Royal Caribbean ships five times, but not in the past five years, and am now considering a January sailing on Explorer for our family. These menus might tip the scales for me (in both ways!)

 

Recently we have been sailing on Celebrity and NCL (for DS, 19, who prefers eating with new friends most of the time). Does anyone know if they have late night eating in the Cafe? (and if so, how late?) Needless to say, I'm asking this question for the DS and not for Mom and Dad, who will be in the dining room every night.

 

Also, I suspect they have added the Indian items to the Dinner Menus as a money-saver... hence, all the raitas and papadums and curry. It used to be availabe only on lunch menus or in the buffet, but I like the option. Ditto the red sauce pasta items, which are also money-savers.

 

Also, I think waiters are happy to provide extras when they are ordered at the start of the meal. Then they only have to go through the line once. In the interests of efficiency of service, that's important for them and the others they serve.

 

Linda

[roe2ship]

Did anyone else notice that they have some form of pasta and marinara sauce on the menu every evening? That marinara sauce must be really popular!!:rolleyes:

Sure did....at first I went back to double check. Have to give them credit for changing the type of pasta though.......ziti, penne, spiral:rolleyes:

 

Thanks to those who took the time posting the menus.

[LAKaye]

We just got off the Explorer this morning; we were on the 9-night sailing.

 

I don't see much that is new on these menus. The actual menus are now printed up differently--cream colored paper, formal typeface, in a leather-look menu book. On a few nights, they fell back to the old colorful arty menus.

 

From the old menus, they have combined the daily entrees from the left, the chef's suggestion, and the fall-back items that were there every day on the right hand side. Only the Indian dish is new, and it is a different vegetarian dish every day--quite spicy and yummy.

 

All the desserts seemed the same as we remember; we cruise on RCI an average of twice a year.

 

Leslie

[MBeamTX]

Pasta and marinara sauce (or sometimes alfredo sauce, if I recall correctly) has been on the alternatives menu each evening, I assume as an option for vegetarians who don't like that night's veggie entree. I don't think it's a cost-cutting move. It looks like RCI has now combined the items from the alternatives list into the main entrees list, as Leslie said.

[petesweet]

Does anyone know if they have late night eating in the Cafe? (and if so, how late?) Linda

 

You will LOVE the Explorer.

 

The Promenade Cafe is open 24 hours a day, and it serves DELICIOUS little sandwiches and pastries. (I never went at odd hours, so I can't speak regarding the quality of the midnight+ service, but if it's like the rest, you won't be unhappy--that's for sure.)

[wiselindag]

Thanks, Petesweet! That will make my DS very happy since he tends to get hungry long after midnight.

 

Love your signature... I'm inspired and will have to do something to decorate my entries!

 

I note you are going to Alaska soon. We have done Alaska cruises twice and I thoroughly enjoyed them both times.

 

Linda