Campaign to urge rccl for better desserts

[pcur]

I beg to differ ... we have always found the desserts (sugar-free and sugar-full) to be excellent. We have never, ever heard anyone on board (our dinner companions, etc) complain about the desserts ... of course there are some that are not to a person's liking - I don't like souffles - but no complaints here! At all of our dinner tables, with all of our tablemates, on all of our cruises - nothing but empty dessert plates & satisifed "yums"

 

Yes, I do bake ... sometimes even from scratch!!

 

Now, ask me about the doughnuts in the morning - that's another story!! Horrible, horrible stale things ... and the hot dog buns as well ...

 

I thought I was the only one who thought the desserts are great. I never eat anything "custardy" because I can't stand the texture, so I don't eat any of the moussey desserts. I still serve their flourless chocolate cake at holiday dinners, and people go wild over it!!

 

As far as the WJ morning pastries, the cinnamon swirly things are addictive!!

[Cruisegirl6]

Honestly, the desserts taste like the stuff out of the frozen section in your grocery store such as pepperide farm and sara lee (they probably better lol)....

[Cruisegirl6]

The person who wrote about gluten free desserts...I agree as gluten seems to be a much bigger problem than people realize, many people have that problem I agree to add a gluten free dessert, but for meanwhile, you always have sherbert, flourless cake...(not much but something) and also they need to consider gluten free breads.

[CincinnatiGal]

REMINDER please email rcldining@rccl.com if you think we can make a difference to encourage RCCL to improve the quality of its desserts and morning pastries and to include a real cheesecake not using gelatin instead of cream cheese and to offer a gluten-free dessert! Thanks everyone we need to let them hear us today!

 

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone! Let's keep our URGING RCCL TO IMPROVE ITS DESSERTS!

 

Cincinnatigal

[suezyq50]

Cheesecake, if there is any cheese in it, is really bad. Some things you can cut back to make budgets, but not cheesecake.

[Aquahound]

What the heck is that wiggly, gelatinous looking square they serve with the cherries in it? That has got to be one of their worst desserts ever.

 

On the other side of the spectrum...Giovanni's tiramisu is AWESOME!

[copnlpn2]

On my last cruise, I gave up on ordering anything but ice cream for dessert. But on the next to last night, cheesecake was listed among the offerings on the menu. I ordered it, it came and was absolutely horrible. I quietly pushed it away and asked for ice cream - again. :( But instead of ice cream arriving, the maitr' d personally served me a slice of the most heavenly, REAL cheesecake! I'm not sure where he got it, but it was the only palatable dessert I had on the entire cruise.

 

For the first time ever, on that very cruise, I made a complaint about something - and that was about how awful the desserts were. I recall mentioning that nearly every dessert on the MDR menu tasted like it has a gelatin base. I thought maybe it was just me, but I've noticed many other CC's agree that the desserts are all beginning to taste like gelatinous mounds of nothingness...

[SEASONEDCRUZER]

Please RCI, please fix the desserts!!!!!!

 

I am sick of the gelatinous, no cheese cheesecake, hockey puck cookies and multi-coloured squares! This is not good enough! When I am on holiday I want some decadent dessert I don't normally have at home not something I wouldn't eat anyway!

[foxgoodrich]

The Grand Marnier Souffle was my all time favorite (...ah...so deftly and artfully pierced on top by the waiter and filled with that lovely warm cream sauce...oh dear...I'm having a flashback...I need this NOW...okay I'm getting over it...I had to take a bite of medicinal bacon to get past the craving...but I'm going to try talking to the waiter on the first night of our Freedom cruise in Aug...and again in Feb 2012 on the Voyager...never hurts to ask, right? ) but I was wondering if anybody else enjoyed those cute glorified cream puffs they used to have - a baked meringue swan filled with pastry cream. I kind of liked those too! And they were a bit like art on the plate. They were even in an RC commercial way back when. I miss the swans...

 

I'm going to email every one I can think of to see if we can get the Grand Marnier Souffle back. I think it might become my mission. I might work on the swans too....and another thing - they never have enough pistachio almond ice cream...they always run out really fast...

 

Judy

P.S. To be fair, I should mention that I think the Tiramisu at Portofino (served in the chocolate cup) is magnificent. (and I make a pretty da*^ed good tiramisu myself, complete with homemade ladyfingers...if I could buy the ones from Portofino every time I want to serve it, I'd happily hang up my apron!)

[prince319]

We just got back from FOS and I was really disappointed with the food in general, but the desserts were the WORST! I had read others reviews and saw complaints about the food but thought they just had a bad chef or were picky, but after going on our cruise...I totally agree.

 

But like I said, the desserts were the WORST. Is it asking too much to have a cheesecake with graham cracker crust? Is that against some international rule of bakery or something?!? Most of the times the cookies were ROCK HARD like they had been made last year, then put out to sit in the sun. Really awful.

 

I pretty much survived on Ben & Jerrys ice cream. Sad, but true.

[gbcruise]

Love this thread and am all in favor of better desserts. RCI needs to add 50% more sugar, use real butter, and use real milk. Don't give me the excuse that they can't do it for 3000 people. I suspect it is really a money issue.

 

I would say you are pretty accurate. Last I knew the per person estimate they account for is around $11 daily, not alot considering some people eat 4-5 times per day.

[Jaime1958]

I absolutely agree that the desserts are not sweet enough. I think as each year passes they get even worse.

[Tucker in Texas]

I would say you are pretty accurate. Last I knew the per person estimate they account for is around $11 daily, not alot considering some people eat 4-5 times per day.

 

. . . and when you consider the waste from people that load up their plates in the WJ and don't eat it.

 

Tucker in Texas

[CincinnatiGal]

Well, I have sent in my email to comment about the desserts and their quality improvements that are needed to RCCL Dining officials that read their emails received. My idea for a campaign to improve desserts must be resonating with people who have responded to my posting of my initial comments. Now I am praying that someone from ROYAL CARIBBEAN reads these postings on cruisecritic.com.

 

I WANT SOFTER COOKIES, I WANT REAL CHEESECAKE made with butter and cream cheese and graham cracker crust please! I want MORE CHOCOLATE DESSERTS! And for goodness sake bring back the Souffle's! We as travelers on your cruise line are on vacation and getting a decent dessert that does not end up going in your company's trash is not to much to ask is it RCCL?

 

I do hope others will feel the movement of this BETTER DESSERT CAMPAIGN TO RCCL can take an action and let RCCL know through these postings and emails to their company that people really want better quality desserts with better ingredients. I have a sweet tooth and I can assure you Mr. Goldstein so do others that travel on your cruise line!

[BonTXNY]

On my last cruise, I gave up on ordering anything but ice cream for dessert. But on the next to last night, cheesecake was listed among the offerings on the menu. I ordered it, it came and was absolutely horrible. I quietly pushed it away and asked for ice cream - again. :( But instead of ice cream arriving, the maitr' d personally served me a slice of the most heavenly, REAL cheesecake! I'm not sure where he got it, but it was the only palatable dessert I had on the entire cruise.

 

For the first time ever, on that very cruise, I made a complaint about something - and that was about how awful the desserts were. I recall mentioning that nearly every dessert on the MDR menu tasted like it has a gelatin base. I thought maybe it was just me, but I've noticed many other CC's agree that the desserts are all beginning to taste like gelatinous mounds of nothingness...

 

Chops, I am sure.

I just sent rci my thoughts about their desserts with a link to this thread.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

I agree, RCI desserts are horrible. A couple of years ago on our Enchantment cruise, I could not believe that I couldn't find one thing in the WJ that was appealing. I used to have a hard time deciding which to eat, but not any more! No more chocolate peanut butter tarts, key lime pie, banana cream pie, etc. There was not even one chocolate dessert that was not the square-gelatin based type. IMO, this is totally unacceptable. They need to do something about it!!

[Tucker in Texas]

 

I WANT SOFTER COOKIES

 

Look at the good side, they travel well. Like to take on shore during tours (lol).

 

Agree, the desserts are sorry. But, with my half full glass, they save me from myself. I don't partake of many of them and, hence, don't gain the usual five pounds I used to.

 

Tucker in Texas

[cctimmom]

I haven't read through all of the responses, but I have to say I agree that the desserts were not as great as I was hoping they would be. I had a couple nice ones... but otherwise... they were eh to ok.

 

(felt the same way about the drinks too... felt like I was just drinking calories with no :p included... felt like I wasted not just the calories but the money on any drink I ordered (except in the dining room -- my cosmos and shooters were awesome))

[Cruisegirl6]

The only dessert that was wonderful were the ones offered in Portofinos!

[CincinnatiGal]

The only dessert that was wonderful were the ones offered in Portofinos!

 

I am amused actually that you have to go to a speciality restaurant now just to get a real dessert that utilizes sugar and chocolate and normal dessert ingredients .... IS RCCL listening yet Mr. Goldstein and DINING Officials at RCCL?

[razerbackmom]

The worst creme brulee I ever had was on the Enchantment of the Seas this fall--it was awful.:eek: Our server took one look at me and quickly asked if she could bring me something else. Needless to say, I didn't order it again after that. On the other hand, two years ago on the Jewel on a Baltic cruise, the creme brulee was excellent. Different chef, kitchen, and expectations? I concur, using real butter, vanilla, and other quality ingredients will produce a better product, but final outcome depends on who is in charge of the kitchen.:)

[mickeysgal]

And here, all the time, I thought it was just me. DH will eat just about anything that has sugar and/or chocolate in it, so his threshold of "good" is about as low as it can get. I thought I was getting just pickier as I got older.

[Kartgv]

Actually there are 2 of us, so do we get 2 votes? There wasn't one memorable dessert on our New England/Canada cruise on the Explorer in September. The recipe seems to be "put gelatin or whipped cream on it and hope no one notices what's underneath". Most nights I opted for ice cream and it often was half melted by the time I got it. Also agree they need some new cookie recipes, something that's not hard and dry. Come on, I learned how to make great brownies and chocolate chip cookies when I was 8 years old - it's not that difficult! On the other hand, the scones in the Windjammer in the late afternoon were great!

[jackretired]

On the first night of my last cruise I requested fresh mixed berries for dessert every night.

No problems. Added sweetner, and enjoyed. Next cruise it will also include kiwi.

Makes a great dessert. Gluten free. Low cal. Natural. Low vitamin K. Low GI.

[shopper77]

That souffle is by far the best dessert they offered. They have done away with it & now offer a chocolate souffle on Day 2's formal night (escargot & duck night). It does not compare! I bought the Savor cookbook just to get that Grand marnuer souffle recipe!

 

Bring back that yummy souffle!

 

I agree, we need better desserts! I am not a big chocolate fan, but my dh is, and when he thinks they are bad, than they are bad, because he would eat anything. My favorite dessert is the sugar-free Coconut Layer Cake. By chance is the receipe for the sf cocount cake in your Savor Cookbook? I would love to have it if is is available.