Main Dining Rooms Menu Choices

[gram4haley]

I recently cruised on the POA for the first time, and on NCL for the third time. I have also cruised Carnival and Princess. I have no complaint with the quality of the food preparation in the Main Dining Rooms, but with each cruise on NCL, I see a drop in the quality of the menu choices. :( I eat in the MDR each night out of principle. When I anticipate an upcoming cruise, one of things I look forward to is that meal where escargot is an appetizer. It wasn't on the menu anymore. I always enjoyed the meal where big juicy shrimp were an entree. It wasn't on the menu either. The shrimp cocktail on the menu looked like minced shrimp with filler. Scary! The lobster night is now a lobster & grouper night and we could not get it minus the grouper.

 

I wonder how soon it will come to burgers & dogs on the MDR menus.:rolleyes:

[cruisinreunion]

My friend's mom and dad just returned from a Princess cruise and had the same complaints. they also said no shrimp cocktail, steak was lousy, portions much smaller, no more mint on the pillow and lots of other cut backs everywhere. I guess it is an industry wide practice for cost cutting, not just NCL and I am sure not just Princess either.

[paulgduck]

We were on the Pearl last week, yes the lobster came with grouper, but we aksed our server for some more lobster, she initially brought two more lobster tails, and then an additional 5. (we were a group of 10 at a table). Don't forget to ask your server for the drawn butter, it was not delivered to the table with the lobster, but they do have it and will pour it on the lobster for you. We could have had more, but we were stuffed. I was pleasantly suprised how large the lobster tails were, they did not scrimp on the size.

[may1021]

I was on RCCL Explorer in November 2009, HAL Zuiderdam in January 2010, and NCL Gem in Feb 2010. I am not a crazed food person. I am happy if meal is served to me and everything is hot and looks ok.

Because I have comparisons here all within a 4 month time period, I do want to say that the Gem came in last. RCCL and HAL...menu and food was really a lot better and selections were better. Gem was very average...nothing the matter but just nowhere near as good as the other 2. Know food/menus are subjective and what one likes, another doesn't.

I did not go hungry on the Gem at all but would rate it at the bottom.

BTW, HAL still has chocolates on the pillows for all of you that like that.:o

[LJH1]

but with each cruise on NCL, I see a drop in the quality of the menu choices.

 

Don't you mean quantity and if so a smart /good restuarant will limit its menu selection in order to keep costs down and quality up.

[sdgirl1967]

I agree with gram4haly, I eat in the MDR for principle. If you are going to pay for a vaca that food is to be included then you shouldn't have to pay extra for good food. All the food should be good food. I am not a food maniac so there is alot I will eat, however that being said I don't like overcooked or industrial tasting food. I have worked in enough kitchens to know when you are getting a rewarm. We went on the Dawn last year to Bermuda and are going again next month. I will be curious to see if there are many menu changes. When we went last year the menus were new. I have to say the only thing I got really bored with was the dessert selection. I ended up either ordering plain ice cream or key lime pie. I also am not a big buffet person, I find that you just eat too much on a buffet and prefer the time spent leisurely over a meal. (gosh I miss Europe). Anyway to each his own.

[amistad]

My friend's mom and dad just returned from a Princess cruise and had the same complaints. they also said no shrimp cocktail, steak was lousy, portions much smaller, no more mint on the pillow and lots of other cut backs everywhere. I guess it is an industry wide practice for cost cutting, not just NCL and I am sure not just Princess either.

I agree, the Carnival cruise we took in 2008 had some of the best food we had in a MDR out of over 25 cruises, the Carnival cruise we took in 2009 had mediocre food (not bad, just not great) and this last NCL cruise we took we ate in specialty restaurants 5 times, not because the food wasn't good, it just wasn't what it used to be. I think all of the cruise lines are cutting back to be profitable, but it sure isn't the same, I can remember when we used to practically plan our day around the food, because it was so good. I guess since we live in a very small town with few good restaurants I really look forward to great food on vacation so I probably have high hopes when I'm on vacation. I still think cruising is a good value, and the food is good, but there has been a decline in the last couple of years as far a some of the quality goes.

[CaptData]

It is the same on Royal Caribbean. No chocolate on pillow. Lobster is paired with shrimp.

[GypRasc]

Well let's face it. If they make it so you want to purchase a meal in the speciality restaurants they make out. I personally don't do it. I feel I've already paid for my food & don't feel I should have to pay again at a specialty restaurant but there are enough others that do. Fortunately for me I don't have fancy tastes and it doesn't take much to make me happy. Hopefully I'll feel this same way after my cruise on POA next March!

[alwalaska]

It is the same on Royal Caribbean. No chocolate on pillow. Lobster is paired with shrimp.

 

You are correct on this, but I found both the lobster and the shrimp extremely tasty and tender on the Explorer of the Seas.

 

My lobster on the Norwegian Sky was tasty, but very tough and the grouper did not taste good to me. Since I don't remember having grouper before, it may be the type of fish, not the preparation or quality that was the problem for me.

 

Overall, I found both the menus and the food better on Royal Caribbean, BUT, we also paid a slightly higher fare on Royal. We never went hungry on NCL.

 

I believe Royal has also done away with the chocolate buffets. I really want to see one on my NCL cruise next March, so I hope they don't follow this cut back as well.

[Wingtips56]

Cutbacks are just a sad product of the economic times as well as corporate greed, and it affects all industries and our own kitchens at home.

 

Besides, who really needs escargot? We only eat them for the butter and garlic, which we could have on something else! Unfortunately, delicacy does not extend from snails to slugs, as we have 6"-8" "banana slugs" here in the Redwoods that would be a full course dinner, not just an appetizer. Except, well, they're just too gross. and what they can do to a garden ..... :eek:

 

We cruised on the Norwegian Jade a year ago, and didn't miss the escargot at all. I've had enough before. They did have the chocolate buffet on one late-night per cruise (we did a B2B so got chocolated twice!). So popular, I don't think they'd cut it until they've cut everything else. And we found the food superior to Princess ... talk about a tired menu ...

[DEL67]

I have to agree. On our recent cruise on the Star, I found something that I enjoyed each night, but the choices were often not exciting. In addition many dishes came with 2 starches, but no vegetables which I found strange.

 

I also found that many times the meat/fish part of the portions were skimpy. Four very small sea scallops is perhaps acceptable for an appetizer, but not an entree. And Beef Stroganoff with 3 small pieces of beef sitting on a bed of noodles seemed absurd.

[Allipotter]

I cruised the POA last September and I found the MDR dinner menu to be lacking.

It seemed to me that almost every night the menu was almost the same, with little change..The one night we had Lobster Tails, they were so small, I didn't think they were legal size. Comming from an old lobster man..

They try to get you to uuse the Pay as you go restaurants...

[Don Haynes]

Really folks, I consider myself dining well dining on steaks and baked potatoes. I do't have to have caviar, or surf and turf.

[cjbx]

On another tread going on right now, someone wants to know if prices for a May cruise will drop below $499. Assuming that's for a week, it is only $71 a day - and for that you want steak, escargot, lobster and jumbo shrimp.

 

Some things are just not possible.

[luddite]

Cruise prices are lower than they were 10 years ago. The price of everything else is close to double from 10 years ago. Food is one of the areas where they have done some saving.

[DMH15]

Cruise prices are lower than they were 10 years ago. The price of everything else is close to double from 10 years ago. Food is one of the areas where they have done some saving.

 

Absolutely agree.

 

BTW, guess I have no "principles"... Because I love the specialty restaurants. But to me it is as much about ambience and a better server to pax ratio. The food is a little more refined, but not the major factor in my decision. Although I have come to love some of those dishes in the specialty restaurants that I look forward to on each NCL (Il Popo, cream of mushroom soup, etc.)

 

Seriously, there is not enough occupancy in all the specialty venues to accomodate ALL pax, so they are not trying to drive all pax in there.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Last time on the Pearl, I was considering the Shrimp Coctail. Someone at the next table ordered it and it was a few baby shrimp sitting on lots of lettuce. When I saw that, I ordered something else. I prefer large shrimp with coctail sauce.

 

Most of the food on that cruise was very good, be it the MDR or specialty restaurants.

 

Barb

[heelfan94]

I had no complaint with food quality on our latest cruise but variety was a big issue for me. I have a problem with paying an extra $100 for my family to eat in a specialty restaurant but I felt like that's what was being pushed. I liked the old menu rotation instead of the fixed left side and specials on the right side nightly.

[luddite]

I had no complaint with food quality on our latest cruise but variety was a big issue for me. I have a problem with paying an extra $100 for my family to eat in a specialty restaurant but I felt like that's what was being pushed. I liked the old menu rotation instead of the fixed left side and specials on the right side nightly.

 

So, you didn't like the one-design menu from the Dawn?

There were some long vitriolic threads on that subject.

[luddite]

Last time on the Pearl, I was considering the Shrimp Coctail. Someone at the next table ordered it and it was a few baby shrimp sitting on lots of lettuce. When I saw that, I ordered something else. I prefer large shrimp with coctail sauce.

 

Most of the food on that cruise was very good, be it the MDR or specialty restaurants.

 

Barb

 

It is kinda fun to watch the expressions on people when they are served that shrimp cocktail. :) It's certainly not what most people are thinking of when they order it.

[tripgrl]

It is kinda fun to watch the expressions on people when they are served that shrimp cocktail. :) It's certainly not what most people are thinking of when they order it.

 

I too was initially disappointed when I saw the baby shrimp cocktail but I really enjoyed it. It was more like a little shrimp salad and was very tasty. I was disappointed when it wasn't available on the Pearl last month.

[scrinchy]

Last time on the Pearl, I was considering the Shrimp Coctail. Someone at the next table ordered it and it was a few baby shrimp sitting on lots of lettuce. When I saw that, I ordered something else. I prefer large shrimp with coctail sauce.

 

Most of the food on that cruise was very good, be it the MDR or specialty restaurants.

 

Barb

 

DH was shocked when he saw his shrimp cocktail, but he liked it so much he ordered it every night. Of course he usually ordered a second appetizer along with it.

[STARFISH*4]

actually this last cruise on the JEWEL (Jan) we thought they had some VERY GOOD food specially Chicken Cordon Bleu--first time i have been served this dish on NCL...only wish i had ordered 2!!

if you feel the portions are too small (cut backs) or you arent getting enough ORDER more than 1!!

i am a VERY PICKY eater but on every cruise there is only 1 or 2 nights that the MDR selection just didnt appeal to me...then there is the buffet...always find something there or CHICKEN Breast (MDR) just different type of potatoes

hubby is a BIG EATER so HE can ALWAYS find something SOMEWHERE!!...but overall we were HAPPY with the FOOD!!!

[alwalaska]

I too was initially disappointed when I saw the baby shrimp cocktail but I really enjoyed it. It was more like a little shrimp salad and was very tasty. I was disappointed when it wasn't available on the Pearl last month.

 

Does the Pearl now have the same menus as the Dawn or something different? We had the shrimp cocktail on our Always Available Menu on the Sky last month.