Campaign to urge rccl for better desserts

[CincinnatiGal]

I'm a Diamond Plus member with RCL, and have for years been making a written comment on the comment cards that gelatin should be banned from the pastry chef pantry of ingredients. The reason most of the desserts are so bad is that they are really just cheap gelatin/jello junk. It's cheap to make, easy to present, and undesirable to eat.

 

Now if all the deserts could be a good at the tiramisu in Portofino this thread wouldn't exist.

 

My two cents.

 

I will become a Diamond member on my October cruise and I think you just added a very important message here that has not been stated in this thread making your comments known on comment cards and when you take cruises as much as you have and RCCL is not listening to your comments what can really be done to get their attention. I do hope they are reading this thread! Mr. Goldstein who would have ever thought that a thread on desserts would have so many viewers and posters to this thread! Cruisers if you want better desserts start using comment cards and emailing your dessert thoughts to RCCL. Or simply post here and I will share with Mr Goldstein myself.

[Ashland]

Just off the Liberty this past sunday..sorry to say the desserts are still subpar.."ONE" night the WJ did have real NY style very good cheesecake...The newly added Cupcake Cafe was doing an amazing amount of business (and maybe that's why)..with about 6 flavors always available plus 6 that changed everyday..The bakery chef said they have approx 20 flavors she works with.... And why do they only offer breadpudding/vanilla sauce in the WJ during snacktime in the afternoons...Such a disappointing choice of desserts that most times I passed on them :eek: which says a LOT ;)

 

Agree with hydrojim as stated above...As I saw the desserts starting to go by the wayside for the last few years I too have been commenting on my "Guest Survey" hoping someone was listening..the only thing that has happened is they've found a way to make them look good and now have "No" taste at all......

[CincinnatiGal]

Watching the TODAY show again this morning and learned that the hottest dessert trends are simply people are eating desserts again. Strawberry Shortcake was made by famous chefs from a NYC italian restaurant family and this strawberry shortcake was three layers high and just simply beautiful. The anchors from the Today show were blown away how good this simple dessert could be!

 

It got me so excited I went out and bought strawberries at Kroger's to make my own strawberry shortcake.

 

RCCL please revamp your desserts!!!

[crmallett]

I love the idea of new desserts. Royal Caribbean has done a great job catering to various diets and making sure people have choices on the cruise. What I would like to see are vegan desserts. I have heard great things from vegans, but they all say the same things...expect no desserts. That would be a great way to enhance the cruise by offering even more variety.

[digital_curator]

I'm a Diamond Plus member with RCL, and have for years been making a written comment on the comment cards that gelatin should be banned from the pastry chef pantry of ingredients. The reason most of the desserts are so bad is that they are really just cheap gelatin/jello junk. It's cheap to make, easy to present, and undesirable to eat.

 

Now if all the deserts could be a good at the tiramisu in Portofino this thread wouldn't exist.

 

My two cents.

 

I mentioned the gelatin thing to the (French) pastry chef on Celebrity's Millenium (he came by the table one night to see how we liked the desserts!). He was horrified by the idea of gelatin and said how it would ruin the consistency. I replied that it did indeed and mentioned how much better his desserts were than anything I had had on RCI!

[ninnau]

I wish they had Cherries Jupillee. My very favorite.

[negc]

I wish they had Cherries Jupillee. My very favorite.

 

We have had it on recent cruises but for safety reasons they no longer prepare it in the main dining room at tableside and what you end up getting is a dish of vanilla ice cream with cherries and sauce poured over it. Not one of their better efforts in my opinion.:(

[CincinnatiGal]

We have had it on recent cruises but for safety reasons they no longer prepare it in the main dining room at tableside and what you end up getting is a dish of vanilla ice cream with cherries and sauce poured over it. Not one of their better efforts in my opinion.:(

 

I agree that this is not a better effort for cruisers appeal. I would hope that RCCL Dining officials would have used the time when they made the decision to not to tableside production for cherries jubilee anymore they would have taken the time to review their desserts they offer to cruisers. I think NOW is the time to review and make quality for the desserts being offered to cruisers more of a higher priority in RCCL planning decisions going forward.

 

Creative ice cream dessert options would be very nice! I am really wanting better quality not as much showmanship is needed but quality of ingredients.

[CincinnatiGal]

still no response received from RCLdining@rccl.com to my comments about desserts being improved. Anyone have any idea how long it takes RCCL to respond to someone's emails. I guess I will need to call Crown and Anchor as well.

[Saberj]

I like a few of the "dessert" options. Their Key Lime is about the best I've ever had. And I also like the Strawberry and Peach soups, but I think they may technically be appetizers. Or one is and one isn't. Something along those lines.

 

But yeah, often, I'm stuck ordering a Sherbet or Ice Cream just because nothing else appeals to me on the dessert menu. I'm not too picky when it comes to dessert, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find something that suits me. But it is. That said, I still think their desserts are leaps and bounds above Carnival's. But those are the only two lines I can compare.

[delboy1145]

What we Americans read as a lack of flavor in the desserts may actually be a lack of sweetness -- and its not just RCCL. . Cruise line desserts tend to be flavored more like those in European restaurants, which tend to be much less sweet than the desserts an American palate is used to.

 

Trust me I'm a brit and most of the desserts are tastless and I was blamming the american taste buds I think its down to cost I usually look through the sweet menu and more often then not ellect for the cheese board which although not always shown is always available

[CincinnatiGal]

What we Americans read as a lack of flavor in the desserts may actually be a lack of sweetness -- and its not just RCCL. . Cruise line desserts tend to be flavored more like those in European restaurants, which tend to be much less sweet than the desserts an American palate is used to.

 

Trust me I'm a brit and most of the desserts are tastless and I was blamming the american taste buds I think its down to cost I usually look through the sweet menu and more often then not ellect for the cheese board which although not always shown is always available

 

Sorry to hear that you settle for the cheese plate.

As many Americans that travel via Royal Caribbean for their vacations it is a little unsettling to think that Royal Caribbean is not thinking about our tastes and likes when they plan a menu.

[chef_christoph]

I have actually ordered the Banana Split from the Children's menu on several occasions when the dessert selection on the MDR menu looks underwhelming.

 

It seems to me that too much emphasis is put on how "fancy" a dessert selection looks rather than how good it actually tastes. I will take a simple, delicious-tasting dessert over a flavorless, beautiful-looking one any day.

[CincinnatiGal]

I have actually ordered the Banana Split from the Children's menu on several occasions when the dessert selection on the MDR menu looks underwhelming.

 

It seems to me that too much emphasis is put on how "fancy" a dessert selection looks rather than how good it actually tastes. I will take a simple, delicious-tasting dessert over a flavorless, beautiful-looking one any day.

 

 

Here Here Chef Christoph...I really appreciate your comments today because they are the voice of reality! Thank you for making common sense! I hope that Royal Caribbean Dining officials read your post today!

[digital_curator]

I have actually ordered the Banana Split from the Children's menu on several occasions when the dessert selection on the MDR menu looks underwhelming.

 

It seems to me that too much emphasis is put on how "fancy" a dessert selection looks rather than how good it actually tastes. I will take a simple, delicious-tasting dessert over a flavorless, beautiful-looking one any day.

 

Banana split?!? YUM! What else am I missing from the children's menu? :D

[SailingShelley]

We have to agree that the desserts are kinda lack luster now. But there are some great ones like the berry mouse at Chops on the Liberty OTS and the key Lime pie has always been one of our favorites! Years ago the menus were much more extensive with more courses and a larger selection for each course including the desserts. I have a set of menus in miniature that they sold back then and the difference is more than you may have remembered. We still feel the food quality is great in the dining room and Chops is excellent. We would like an improvement in the dessert appeal too- count us in!

[Tucker in Texas]

I have actually ordered the Banana Split from the Children's menu on several occasions when the dessert selection on the MDR menu looks underwhelming.

 

It seems to me that too much emphasis is put on how "fancy" a dessert selection looks rather than how good it actually tastes. I will take a simple, delicious-tasting dessert over a flavorless, beautiful-looking one any day.

 

I remember a chocolate buffet I think was on NCL. A sight to behold. Beauty and mouth watering appearance.

 

The desserts that were inedible. Moon pies out of the box were better. I thought maybe it was me until I looked at all the plates sitting around with one bite out of everything.

 

So it could be worse.

 

Tucker in Texas

[tattoocruise]

So it could be worse.

 

Of course it could. There is always something that could be worse, but that isn't the point of this discussion. The real point is that it could be, it should be, better. Much better. The great thing is it wouldn't require very much to make it that way. What's wrong with discussing ways royal Caribbean could improve things without trying to excuse the current poor quality by saying things like "it could be worse"?

[jd1966]

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 ...

Thank You! I thought that I was the only "dissenter" on this thread:D

[Pack My Bags]

Once again, this thread has gone awry...

 

I too have been at many chocolate buffets where everything tastes like there is liquor in it -- Taking bite after bite hoping that the next will be better than the last. In the end all you wish for is a few chocolate strawberries to take the gross feeling from inside your mouth. Yes, I could do without it. In which a hard cookie & some milk does the trick!!!

 

Could it be better? Yes, obviously. To some, the desserts are lovely. To some, they are terrible. Lets remember that the topic of Food is subjective.

Let's all play nice, shall we?

[CincinnatiGal]

the purpose on my initial thread here has been to get the message to RCCL that I am unhappy with the dessert quality on my cruises. I AM ON VACATION AND SPENDING MY DOLLARS FOR MY VACATION WITH ROYAL CARIBBEAN. I want very much to have some seriousness taken my RCCL to really make an effort to improve dessert quality for better customer satisfaction. I hate settling for food/dessert lackluster quality. Yes food is an issue of like or not like for people but clearly from the many postings and viewing of this thread dessert quality needs improvement. Thanks to everyone for their responses. It is hopefully an issue that Royal Caribbean will take on to make improvements. Having dinner prepared for me is a treat and yes I do not think having only pretty desserts to look at is needed as much as having a great tasting dessert to eat. After all, again it is my vacation and I am spending a lot of money for taking my cruise vacation and spending my dollars with their company.

[cindy58]

I think RCCL would be better off loading up on some boxes of Duncan Hines cake, brownie, or muffin mixes.Better yet give RCCL's pastery chef job to Betty Crocker lol.....

 

You've got that right! We should have desserts at least as good as what we make at home on the cruise! Cake mixes totally outshine any of the cakes I have been served.

[Schooner Bar Girl]

Some new desserts are on the way.;) Just off the Freedom and the Head Pastry Chef from Miami was on board creating new desserts. He was busy creating and perfecting. I think he was tasting quite often also.:p Once he makes ones that he's happy with he then records the recipes so that the ships can then make them. The one he was working on looked pretty tasty.:D

[CincinnatiGal]

Some new desserts are on the way.;) Just off the Freedom and the Head Pastry Chef from Miami was on board creating new desserts. He was busy creating and perfecting. I think he was tasting quite often also.:p Once he makes ones that he's happy with he then records the recipes so that the ships can then make them. The one he was working on looked pretty tasty.:D

 

Schooner Bar Girl----I am so happy after reading your posting today. Thank you so much! I am thrilled to hear this news that new desserts are on their way to Royal Caribbean ship menu's! YEAH I feel like we all just won a lottery or something! Incredible!

[ahamill]

DH and I eat only sugar-free desserts, and we really enjoyed the s.f. coconut layer cake, as well as the

s.f. chocolate mint cake. :)

We often order the fruit appetizer to have as dessert.

Cruzin Lady

 

We just got off Oasis and although I did not order either one of these, members of my family did and I tasted both and they were great!! Better than my "with sugar" desserts!