:( Well Bye bye Carnival :(

[Blurgh]

It's Cruise Critic...'advertising dislikes' is definitely something that can be done here as well as likes.

 

No one wants to hear anything bad.

I think they should change the name of this web site to 'Ostrichville'

 

I wonder in a parallel universe, if there's a site called Cruise Shill, where everyone is ridiculously negative and anyone who says anything positive, no matter how factual it may be, gets reamed.

[elcuchio24]

I am a Platinum cruiser with 2 more booked cruises. After those are completed we are taking a break from CCL.

 

We ahve enjoyed our cruises in the past but CCL has become to stress filled. 3 of the 4 in our group are smokers and have no problem with new rules about smoking in cabins(never did) and one side of ship smokin etc.

 

However now it seems CCL changes the rules without notifying anyone ie Liberty. We are rules followers but changing rules in midstream makes no sense.

 

We will return to NCL and HAL in the future. If they alter their rules at a moments notice--we have many spots we love as land vacations.

 

I think it's good to mix it up in general. Our only cruise currently booked is for NCL in the spring. Friends are trying to get us to go with them on a RCI trip next year. None of the major lines loyalty programs offer anything good enough for us to be loyal to any one line. So we just mix it up and cruise whatever itin looks good and has a decent price.

[beachseeker]

I have heard that Princess is the winner in mdr food by many people who have sailed that line. I don't know myself...haven't tried Princess yet.

 

After 4 cruises with Princess and two with RCI, we thought overall RCI had better food in the MDR.

[Blurgh]

I thought Celebrity was the champion as far as food goes. Almost made up for other things that bothered me, mainly just being too young at the time (early 20's) to be on a Celebrity ship. They do things differently or at least did then.

 

Of course, they're in the same reality as everyone else, one where you can do a week on Seabourn for around what it used to cost to do a week on a Voyager class w/ a balcony.

So I'm guessing long time Celebrity people are pretty livid themselves.

[elcuchio24]

After 4 cruises with Princess and two with RCI, we thought overall RCI had better food in the MDR.

 

Really? I guess everyone's tastes/experiences really are different.

[firefly333]

Iv also heard that HAL has really good food.

 

Carnival food suits me, as Im not a fancy person.

[finsupcruiser]

Iv also heard that HAL has really good food.

 

Carnival food suits me, as Im not a fancy person.

 

HAL has wonderful food both in MDR and Lido. We are not fancy eaters either and have generally been pleased with food in MDR on Carnival.Not so much Lido.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

But what is their excuse for bringing out cold food that is supposed to be hot and vice verse? Economy is not a good answer for that. That's just bad restaurant management.

 

It is due to the volume of people being served at the same time. They can't control the temperate when serving so many people at once. Have you seen them bring out the trays from the kitchen? They bring a bunch at once and sort & remove lids and serve banquet style. It isn't like a basic Chile's restaurant where they cook your order and when the table order is complete, the waiter brings the food to only your table. It never is that way on a mass dining room like this.

 

Our company has holiday parties at hotels and they serve the food in mass banquet style. My food never arrives piping hot either. I don't gripe, I eat it. Maybe that is the difference. If you want piping hot food, cooked to your perfection, a mass cruiseline is not for you. Go to Cunard or whatever and pay their high prices for the specialized attention. I have never had a piping hot meal on NCL, RCI or CCL. Ain't gonna happen.

[halos]

You do realize that if your Prime Rib was

one big hunk of fat, you can always just have

them take it back, and ask for another one...

 

Not a big deal, if you don't like what you

get served, get another one..

 

Very true...but it wasn't necessary in this case. He ate the bit of meat that was on his plate and 1/2 of my prime rib as my portion was too big for me.

I have read a few complaints on portion size but I have to tell you, we didn't experience small portions at all....

[Kdram]

When it comes to cruiseline food, everyone has their own opinion including Cruise Critic's editors.:D

 

 

2011 Editors' Picks Awards Winner

Best for Dining: Celebrity Cruises

[Cruzface]

Sorry, but if it's food you want, RCI is NOT the answer! I'm saying this from experience.

[scperk]

Agreed, but OP be aware that regular cruisers on RCI and NCL are also complaining about a decrease in food quality so you might be disappointed there, also.

I just got off the Mariner of the Seas last friday for their TA and the food on there was not as good as our Triumph cruise last Sept..Several nights I choose to dine in the Windjammer but there coffee in the buffet was excellent compared to Carnival....Dennis

[Him&Me2012]

If you are someone who eats out alot and at up scale restuarants your tastes are going to be different. If you are someone like me, who cooks at home most of the time, and rarely eats out then anyones food that I dont have to cook or clean up after is wonderful!

 

Bonnie

[halos]

Sorry, but if it's food you want, RCI is NOT the answer! I'm saying this from experience.

 

That was my experience as well...but I only had one RCI cruise. I'd be willing to give them another try.

You can see by comments here on the CCL ships, there is no consistency. I would imagine other cruise lines share that same inconsistency between ships. So, I'd like to think RCI could be better than what I experienced on my cruise, which also included poor service (compared to my other sailings on other lines)

 

 

**********

In my 8 days on the Freedom, I never once ordered from the static menu (thank God, because nothing on that left page appeals to me at ALL).

Everything I chose to eat was pretty good (with the exception of some itmes being too salty). I wasn't disappointed in anything that was put in front of me, although there were occasions when others at our table ordered things that they thought could have been better.

[Cruise Organizer]

I usually enjoyed the MDR on CCL. Last August, the entrees were not good. Some were bad (fish). The appetizers were good.

I was disappointed as the food on this trip was the worst I've had in 28 cruises. I am platimun on Carnival.

RCI is not better. I have not been on NCL in a while.

HAL has better food and better choices, but the offerings in the MDR have also been changed. The menu has less quality.

Celebrity is better, about the same as HAL.

 

If you go out to eat and you choose Applebees, you pay a certain price and get an appropiate quality. If you want a good steak, you will not get that at Applebees, you go to a good steakhouse.

 

If you go on Carnival, you are paying a low fare. I don't expect to get the same quality as a higher priced cruiseline.

If you go to Chili's you get a certain quality - you don't expect a porterhouse steak, you get a flat iron steak (I do not care for them).

If you go on Carnival, you get Chili's, Applebees, etc.

I enjoy the dining experience and will probably not be booking Carnival much in the future.

When I go out to eat, I usually go to a good restaurant. I do not go to the chains.

I rather pay nore for a better meal - that is my enjoyment.

[Trplnckl]

I don't cruise to eat, I eat to live, however I do have my personal standards of acceptable quality. Being fairly picky on what I will eat I sometimes have trouble deciding what to order but usually find something. In the rare cases that doesn't work out there are more options to explore on the ship.

bon appetit y'all

[crusinpsychRN]

It is due to the volume of people being served at the same time. They can't control the temperate when serving so many people at once. Have you seen them bring out the trays from the kitchen? They bring a bunch at once and sort & remove lids and serve banquet style. It isn't like a basic Chile's restaurant where they cook your order and when the table order is complete, the waiter brings the food to only your table. It never is that way on a mass dining room like this.

 

Our company has holiday parties at hotels and they serve the food in mass banquet style. My food never arrives piping hot either. I don't gripe, I eat it. Maybe that is the difference. If you want piping hot food, cooked to your perfection, a mass cruiseline is not for you. Go to Cunard or whatever and pay their high prices for the specialized attention. I have never had a piping hot meal on NCL, RCI or CCL. Ain't gonna happen.

 

It used to come out hot. Salads used to be cold. Something else has changed.

[halos]

I also want to comment about ATD.

It was OK....

What we did do, was on night 4, (when only 3 of us made it to dinner) we got a fabulous waiter and then requested him from that point. Prior to that, service was so-so.

CCL bent over backwards to accomodate us. We were a group of 6 and Richard only was waiting tables of 2 and 4. So they combined tables of 2 and 4 so her could serve us.

Most nights we waited (no matter what time we ate. We were even given a beeper arriving at 8:15 on a couple nights) but that was OK. We were in no hurry. Most of us had no interest in any of the prime time shows so it was OK if we missed them.

Getting to the ATD-room earlier than 8:00 was not good...so we avoided that. I Imagine the only good time to go, with no wait would be 5:30 (for those that don't want to wait at all) or just stick with early or late scheduled seatings.

[H82seaUgo]

I don't cruise to eat, I eat to live,

 

and when do you dine?

[halos]

and when do you dine?

 

You know I am NO cheerleader and I missed NCL quite a bit during this cruise for severl reasons...however, we did dine in the evenings.

This is just my opinion....my MIL wanted me to write CCL and tell them that she was disappointed in the food. I told her for what she paid, it was a feast....

The food/service is what it is because of the price.

I just hope that with oil going up even more, that CCL doesn't cut back any more.

The food quality may not be as good as it was...service definitely is not anywhere close to what it once was, but it wasn't horrible by any means.

I did lower my expectations for this cruise. The lower expectations were met as far as entertainment...but as for food, I have to say this cruise was an improvement over my cruises on the Triumph and Fantasy.

 

I guess that makes the issue an issue of consistency.

 

There also are a few things that CCL does that are pretty stupid LOL

These are two things that were pointed out to me (I did not notice this myself)

.

The menu on the first formal night has many very appetizing options. One of them is the BBQ ribs.

BBQ ribs...on formal night??? :p

I didn't think about it but it's true...better to be eating messy food with your fingers when you are not wearing something special.

 

Smoking restrictions: A smoker told me that she had nowhere to go in the adult area of the ship/lido (maybe where Serenity is now??)...and where she was allowed to smoke was right by where the kids are.

(I do not smoke...so I have no clue, but this seemed rather stupidon CCL's part to me. She is a member here...if she happens to read this, I hope she chimes in to clarify specifics....)

 

There were other instances that made you kinda :rolleyes:...but as you can tell nothing serious...just makes you wonder about the mental capacity of those in charge.

[elcuchio24]

I also want to comment about ATD.

It was OK....

What we did do, was on night 4, (when only 3 of us made it to dinner) we got a fabulous waiter and then requested him from that point. Prior to that, service was so-so.

CCL bent over backwards to accomodate us. We were a group of 6 and Richard only was waiting tables of 2 and 4. So they combined tables of 2 and 4 so her could serve us.

Most nights we waited (no matter what time we ate. We were even given a beeper arriving at 8:15 on a couple nights) but that was OK. We were in no hurry. Most of us had no interest in any of the prime time shows so it was OK if we missed them.

Getting to the ATD-room earlier than 8:00 was not good...so we avoided that. I Imagine the only good time to go, with no wait would be 5:30 (for those that don't want to wait at all) or just stick with early or late scheduled seatings.

 

As long as I can eat at a 2top with DW without getting stuck at an 8top with a used car dealer from Toledo I'm happy:)

[halos]

As long as I can eat at a 2top with DW without getting stuck at an 8top with a used car dealer from Toledo I'm happy:)

 

The only issue with the 2 tops is that they are set so close together. I would not do ATD with just two people ever again. It was very awkward for us.

[elcuchio24]

The only issue with the 2 tops is that they are set so close together. I would not do ATD with just two people ever again. It was very awkward for us.

 

I always here this problems with people, but really all you have to do is ask for another table. There are plenty of two tops near the railing or in other parts of the dining room that aren't so close togeather. We ask for an 'out of the way 2 top' and never have a problem getting one....

[halos]

I always here this problems with people, but really all you have to do is ask for another table. There are plenty of two tops near the railing or in other parts of the dining room that aren't so close togeather. We ask for an 'out of the way 2 top' and never have a problem getting one....

That's good to know :)

[livestocruisetoo]

Smoking restrictions: A smoker told me that she had nowhere to go in the adult area of the ship/lido (maybe where Serenity is now??)...and where she was allowed to smoke was right by where the kids are.

(I do not smoke...so I have no clue, but this seemed rather stupidon CCL's part to me. She is a member here...if she happens to read this, I hope she chimes in to clarify specifics....)

 

On the freedom the outdoor portion of Camp Carnival as on the port side below the Serenity. Every time we were there the kids were usually playing games accompanied by at least one counselor and did not seem to be a disturbance although there were those that commented because the 'possibility was there'. :confused: I believe there is no smoking on Serenity. I think the adult pool is located on the Lido fantail and is half smoking. Kids were allowed to use the lounges so there were some there at times.