New Dinner Menu: How has it Changed?

[Sailfish]

I have two cruises aboard RCI ships coming up, and like many out there, we are wondering about the new dining room menu.

Those of you who have cruised since February, can you tell me what new items are on the menu, and what you thought of the "new and improved menu"? How does it compare to the old menu?

Thanks in advance.

Suzi


05 July 2004 Cruise Aboard Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas

21 November 2004 Cruise Aboard Carnival's Pride

20 February 2005 Cruise Critic Group Cruise Aboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas

[DedeM]

I've only been on one cruise and that was last week [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] So obviously I have nothing to compare it to.

The menu was very good. Whatever the theme night was, the food followed along that theme. There was also an alternative group of food selections that remained the same each night that included steak, salmon, ceasar salad, and I forgot what else - a few other items. There was also a vegetarian group of selections nightly.

Navigator of the Seas 5/1/04

[kayak]

I just returned from Hawaii on the Legend and the menus were the same as last year. I saw no changes other than the alternatives to the selections for the "theme" of the evening. Salmon, steak, Chicken breast, ceasar saled were the choices if you did not want the selected items.

Kayak

[springtxbill]

Keep in mind the "steak" mentioned in the two previous is the infamous Ranch Steak and is not edible.

Bill D

RCCL Song of Norway 7/79?
CCL ? 12/84
RCCL Viking Serenade 7/01
RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 12/01
RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 5/02
RCCL Monarch of the Seas 7/02
RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 12/02
Princess Grand Princess 6/03
RCCL Voyager of the Seas 12/03
RCCL Vision of the Seas 3/04



[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;5;30;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img] Rhapsody of the Seas 5/30/2004


[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=4169e1&cdt=2004;12;20;20;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img] Empress of the Seas 12/20/2004

[DedeM]

They don't call it Ranch steak though (I was looking for it on the menu).

I asked the Waiter and she said it was sirloin. Several people at our table kept ordering it throughout the cruise and liked it.

Maybe they have done away with "ranch" steak?

Navigator of the Seas 5/1/04

[aqusis]

I saw a copy of a recent lunch menu and it listed 'royal steak'. Is royal steak a distant cousin of ranch steak?

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2004;09;12;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0400[/img]
Mariner of the Seas

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Sovereign of the Seas

[Travelgrrl]

Our April menus hadn't changed

[springtxbill]

The Royal Steak is a disguise to make the Ranch Steak sound better. I would love them to have changed to sirloin, not quite as good as the old New York Strip, but good enough.

Bill D

RCCL Song of Norway 7/79?
CCL ? 12/84
RCCL Viking Serenade 7/01
RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 12/01
RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 5/02
RCCL Monarch of the Seas 7/02
RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 12/02
Princess Grand Princess 6/03
RCCL Voyager of the Seas 12/03
RCCL Vision of the Seas 3/04



[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;5;30;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img] Rhapsody of the Seas 5/30/2004


[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=4169e1&cdt=2004;12;20;20;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img] Empress of the Seas 12/20/2004

[Sailfish]

We last cruised aboard the Navigator in December, and they served Ranch Steak with the lobster.

I was wondering if they insitituted any NEW items like crab or included shirmp cocktail in their "alternative" choices on the nightly menu.

None if this matters all that much, however, I was hoping that the cruise line would at the minimum REPLACE the Ranch Steak with something better.

Suzi


05 July 2004 Cruise Aboard Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas

21 November 2004 Cruise Aboard Carnival's Pride

20 February 2005 Cruise Critic Group Cruise Aboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas

[KruzinKiwi]

We were on Navigator of the Seas last week and I cannot say how many menu items have changed (my memory isnt that good) although many of the "basic" ones like shrimp cocktails, salads and soups were the same as last time we were on RCI.

What we did get last week was a general impression that the quality of the food had gone down from what we remembered last time. Some of the dishes had a definite "frozen supermarket" taste and appearance. The tempura battered mahi mahi was a prime example of this - no taste and they looked like fish sticks.

Now - that is just our impression and I'm sure there are plenty of people who are more than satisfied with the dining room menu.

On the other hand we went to Chops and thought it was just amazing, yet the next table complained loudly about the poor quality food and service. It just goes to show that you will get a huge range of opinions.

For us, the food was a disappointment but not enough to spoil our cruise (we think it was the best yet) and certainly not enough to make us look at other cruise lines.


KruzinKiwi

[DedeM]

Kiwi, we were on your ship and loved the food. At our table we all talked about how it really does vary - food opinions are so subjective.

I loved the tilapia, even though it wasn't blackened enough. The fish was delicious though. The lobster was excellent as well as the tenderloin filet.

I had miserable expectations going on this cruise due to the food reviews I had read here on this board and was VERY pleased.

Navigator of the Seas 5/1/04

[suziehmkr]

Shrimp cocktail... yummmm! Was this an option for appetizers each night or just one? You see, I am addicted to shellfish! Can't get enough of it.

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Legend of the Seas 06/13/04

<font color=purple>Viking Serenade 6/1992

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[KruzinKiwi]

Hi DedeM, I agree totally that food opinions are subjective. To be honest we were a little worried after reading all the negative press but it wasn't as bad as we thought. Disappointing - but not a real issue by any means. We had a great cruise (probably the best so far) and will definitely be on RCI again (still aiming to get that diamond status.)

One thing my wife and I realized is that the dining experience is very dependent on the people at your table and on the service - these factors are at least as important as the food (assuming it is half way decent which it certainly was). In our case the service was very good and we had a ball with the people at the table. Several nights we were the last to leave the dining room (Coppellia?) and missed the start of the show because we were having such a good time chatting with our new friends.


KruzinKiwi

[premiumrican]

I was on the AOS last month and I only saw Ranch Steak in the Windjammer as a lunch item. I heard so much about it I literally ran by it. But was glad to see some themed lunches in the Windjammer. One day it was Paella, and another it was totally Indian, Curries, and other items, I was in heaven since I love to eat ethnic foods.