BigRed93 Posted December 15, 2013 #151 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Just off Glory as well- I like the looks of the dining room, both on casual and elegant nights. Tablecloths were not missed in the casual dining and it did not increase the noise in the room. We didn't have rolling seas, but we did have some clumsy table mates, and there was no breakage or any other issues. The first couple of days were rough, and dinner was extraordinarily long. This did improve through the week. The first elegant night the menu consisted of choice of entrees only. Appetizers were a sampling of 4 different items and there was one dessert choice. I don't think this went over well, and although the food was delicious, by the 2nd elegant night it was back to several choices in each category. I thought the options on the casual nights were varied and delicious and there is a tropical flan on one night that was fabulous. The first few nights we had sides more family style, but later in the week they came out more individualized, even if we ordered the same thing. Having the sides separately added another column to the order and I think that was some of the hold up in the galley. We tried very hard to understand that this was not only a new menu, and new place settings, but also a new process for the servers and the kitchen staff. We did see visible improvements throughout the week, and it seemed that these were the results of the feedback they were getting. There are several items that no longer appear on the menu, and although they may have been favorite to some, I am sure the numbers of actual orders didn't support keeping them. There are several new items added and I think it's a nice change. No meatloaf! LOL I think once there are a few weeks of ironing out the process, it will be Much smoother. This wasn't our all time best cruise experience, but it wasn't based on the dining changes. The good and positive far outweighed the problems, and we were with good friends enjoying ourselves. It was fun trying something new and I hope they have a separate survey for everyone on board to complete. I know the dining room staff requested that we be brutally honest with our comments. They also said they had daily meetings to go over the process and feedback. I truly wish people would reserve judgement until they could experience it themselves, because so much of the complaints are just based on utter BS. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bostonjetset Posted December 15, 2013 #152 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) Hey everyone - this is the OP. We are almost back in port and I just wanted to let all of you know my final opinions on the new dining. I tried very, very hard to keep an open mind about these changes, but I'm just not happy with them. I really like the looks of the dining room, on both casual and formal nights. I believe the food presentation is more upscale than before. The quality and taste of the food is top notch. BUT...the menu options are severely limited, especially for dessert. The elegant night menu and presentation are both a complete disaster. If you are a "foodie," you might like the new elegant night. However, most people that I spoke to on the ship had VERY strong negative feelings about it. I promise to write a thorough review on the new dining, but it probably won't be for another day or two. Send from device_name using Cruise Critic your_app_name App Thanks for the feedback! Many of us appreciate you taking the time to update us on the current state of affairs in the MDR. I am sorry to hear that the new setup didn't excite you although maybe this will give CCL some feedback to not make such drastic changes. I just got off a quick CTN on the NCL Gem and was again reminded that whilst I like almost every aspect of NCL better than Carnival, I have to admit that Carnival offers [well, at least in the case of the Glory, OFFERED] a better MDR experience. The food on CCL is just a bit better and the set dining times on CCL give better service than NCL's all free-style concept. That said, NCL does at least still have tablecloths and a proper silverware setting in the aft MDR. They also have the traditional menu style with various options in each course including a page that stays constant. Food was the main thing Carnival had over their similarly priced competitors, let's hope they don't take that away like they did with entertainment [NCL is already MUCH better in that department with true headliners like The Second City and Burn the Floor]. Edited December 15, 2013 by Bostonjetset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarnivalBreeze319 Posted December 15, 2013 #153 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Just off Glory as well-I like the looks of the dining room, both on casual and elegant nights. Tablecloths were not missed in the casual dining and it did not increase the noise in the room. We didn't have rolling seas, but we did have some clumsy table mates, and there was no breakage or any other issues. The first couple of days were rough, and dinner was extraordinarily long. This did improve through the week. The first elegant night the menu consisted of choice of entrees only. Appetizers were a sampling of 4 different items and there was one dessert choice. I don't think this went over well, and although the food was delicious, by the 2nd elegant night it was back to several choices in each category. I thought the options on the casual nights were varied and delicious and there is a tropical flan on one night that was fabulous. The first few nights we had sides more family style, but later in the week they came out more individualized, even if we ordered the same thing. Having the sides separately added another column to the order and I think that was some of the hold up in the galley. We tried very hard to understand that this was not only a new menu, and new place settings, but also a new process for the servers and the kitchen staff. We did see visible improvements throughout the week, and it seemed that these were the results of the feedback they were getting. There are several items that no longer appear on the menu, and although they may have been favorite to some, I am sure the numbers of actual orders didn't support keeping them. There are several new items added and I think it's a nice change. No meatloaf! LOL I think once there are a few weeks of ironing out the process, it will be Much smoother. This wasn't our all time best cruise experience, but it wasn't based on the dining changes. The good and positive far outweighed the problems, and we were with good friends enjoying ourselves. It was fun trying something new and I hope they have a separate survey for everyone on board to complete. I know the dining room staff requested that we be brutally honest with our comments. They also said they had daily meetings to go over the process and feedback. I truly wish people would reserve judgement until they could experience it themselves, because so much of the complaints are just based on utter BS. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Thanks for the feedback. Did the waiters still sing and dance every night? What was the desert parade like? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphir Posted December 15, 2013 #154 Share Posted December 15, 2013 BINGO and that's exactly where CCL is trying to bring the cruise line. Family styled and good casual dining.l On the formal nights you will get your tablecloths. And if I don't want or like the family style? If we are two lovers.....even with friends, I love the chic style and I don't think being the only one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamrose228 Posted December 15, 2013 #155 Share Posted December 15, 2013 And if I don't want or like the family style? If we are two lovers.....even with friends, I love the chic style and I don't think being the only one If you want a chic romantic dinner, forget about CCL. Go on HAL, Princess, Celebrity they don't cater to families and kids as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphir Posted December 15, 2013 #156 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Heres another high end resturant in San Francisco with no tablecloths. Once again, if executed properly this new setup has alot of potential: the problem is that Carnival does not at all a look like this. It looks like rather has a cafeteria... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 cruzen Posted December 15, 2013 #157 Share Posted December 15, 2013 No, not that I'm aware. I think maybe we'll get a different post-cruise survey than the normal one. I offered feedback on the first night and it was greatly appreciated. I was even given a free bottle of wine for offering feedback. Unfortunately, my opinion of the dining went downhill after the first night. After three nights, I gave up on it and ate on Lido for the rest of the trip. I am not a picky eater, but I'm obviously too picky for the new dining. Send from device_name using Cruise Critic your_app_name App That's what I'm afraid of for myself. I think if you a meat and potatoes guy like my DH, he will be happy. Steak, pork chops just about every night. Personally, I like seafood, not necessarily fish. Sad to see such limited apps...yes, there are 8'or so, but on the old menus, there were around 13. Oh well. We shall see as our next cruise is on Liberty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel24m Posted December 15, 2013 #158 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hi Maybe you can get Carnival for $40 a nite but I pay more like $100 since I cruise solo so I expect the choices and quality of food to be good and these new menu choices seem to be severely lacking. I do not eat seafood except some shellfish, don't eat duck, or chicken (I can have that at home as often as I like) but still had many choices on the old menus. Now from seeing some of the selections it looks like it will cost me quite a bit more since the steakhouse or the cucina will be my go to for food on the Carnival ships that have these venues. Hopefully it will not reach the Sunshine before the repositioning to Pt. Canaveral since that is the last cruise I have booked and may be the last if upon reviewing all the menus I cannot find something that I truly like five out of the seven days I usually cruise. I admit I do have a sweet tooth but the desserts that have been mentioned so far leave a lot to be desired. Luckily my last cruise on the Legend in November I mentioned to the hostess that I missed my favorite crème brule since I went to the steakhouse that night and it was offered to me every other nite I was in the MDR! Now not even crème brule in the MDR so I guess I will either loose some weight or go to the coffee bar and get a piece of carrot cake. ( I have been known to get up after seeing the dessert menu going to get it and coming back and sit down to enjoy my dessert) Hopefully the feedback to Carnival will support having a few more entrée and dessert choices. pat murrells inlet, sc We don't cruise solo but pick our lido balcony for around $1500 for two so I can understand the cost factor.if food was that important of an issue we would cruise a line that meets our needs.their are lines for every taste literally but one needs to pay for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roswellmom Posted December 15, 2013 #159 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I hate when people say "if you don't want to dress up go eat at the buffet". My family does not like to eat dinner at the buffet. We HATE to dress up. I wear nice shorts in the MDR on casual nights. On dress up night I wear nice new dark jeans and a polo. That is how I am comfortable. We like eating in the MDR. We don't want buffet food for dinner. We are very well off. We can afford any cruise line. We stick with NCL and Carnival because of the dress code. Every time I stray and look at Cunard or Princess my wife reminds me about the dress code. I say oh yeah. We eat dinner at many 5 star restaurants. Many of them do not have table cloths. Our favorite is Morton's Steakhouse. We eat their weekly. Normally I wear jeans but sometimes nice shorts. Some people dress up. Whatever they want it doesnt affect my experience whatsoever. I am a very good tipper and the staff are always happy to see me. They not care what I wear. I guess I'm just a low class kind of guy. :) Well said. I hope I never get to the point that I stop cruising a particular cruise line because of no tablecloths. As a CCL stockholder, I have absolutely no problem with tablecloths only appearing on formal night. It's also a very eco-friendly decision to make. Just think of all the water savings if there's only one or two nights with tablecloths as opposed to every night. I have no problem with no tablecloths and our family eats dinner out every single night. :) Life is Good my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roswellmom Posted December 15, 2013 #160 Share Posted December 15, 2013 the problem is that Carnival does not at all a look like this. It looks like rather has a cafeteria... I haven't been on all of the Carnival ships but I can honestly say that none of the ships I've sailed on have Main Dining Rooms that look like cafeterias. I certainly could understand why you wouldn't want to continue to sail with Carnival if you feel that their Main Dining Rooms look like cafeterias. You must have some fancy cafeterias up in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geovet Posted December 15, 2013 #161 Share Posted December 15, 2013 On our first American Feast night, we spilled a drink within minutes after being seated. I laughed to my self thinking it would have cleaned up quick and easy without the tablecloth. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarnivalBreeze319 Posted December 15, 2013 #162 Share Posted December 15, 2013 On our first American Feast night, we spilled a drink within minutes after being seated. I laughed to my self thinking it would have cleaned up quick and easy without the tablecloth. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Do the waiters still sing and dance every night? Also what is the desert parade? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccersharon Posted December 15, 2013 #163 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Just off Glory as well-I like the looks of the dining room, both on casual and elegant nights. Tablecloths were not missed in the casual dining and it did not increase the noise in the room. We didn't have rolling seas, but we did have some clumsy table mates, and there was no breakage or any other issues. The first couple of days were rough, and dinner was extraordinarily long. This did improve through the week. The first elegant night the menu consisted of choice of entrees only. Appetizers were a sampling of 4 different items and there was one dessert choice. I don't think this went over well, and although the food was delicious, by the 2nd elegant night it was back to several choices in each category. I thought the options on the casual nights were varied and delicious and there is a tropical flan on one night that was fabulous. The first few nights we had sides more family style, but later in the week they came out more individualized, even if we ordered the same thing. Having the sides separately added another column to the order and I think that was some of the hold up in the galley. We tried very hard to understand that this was not only a new menu, and new place settings, but also a new process for the servers and the kitchen staff. We did see visible improvements throughout the week, and it seemed that these were the results of the feedback they were getting. There are several items that no longer appear on the menu, and although they may have been favorite to some, I am sure the numbers of actual orders didn't support keeping them. There are several new items added and I think it's a nice change. No meatloaf! LOL I think once there are a few weeks of ironing out the process, it will be Much smoother. This wasn't our all time best cruise experience, but it wasn't based on the dining changes. The good and positive far outweighed the problems, and we were with good friends enjoying ourselves. It was fun trying something new and I hope they have a separate survey for everyone on board to complete. I know the dining room staff requested that we be brutally honest with our comments. They also said they had daily meetings to go over the process and feedback. I truly wish people would reserve judgement until they could experience it themselves, because so much of the complaints are just based on utter BS. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Thank you so much for posting :) It is a work in progress, and JH did say that things would evolve, based on customer feedback. Sent from my GT-S5830D using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geovet Posted December 15, 2013 #164 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Do the waiters still sing and dance every night? Also what is the desert parade? Thanks I did ATD and there was singing at least 2 nights that I know of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRed93 Posted December 15, 2013 #165 Share Posted December 15, 2013 We were at the steakhouse one night, so I don't know if they danced that night, but we had dancing on 2 nights. They did a double on the last night :). The first 2 nights they cancelled the dancing because the dinner service was running so far behind those first few days Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarnivalBreeze319 Posted December 15, 2013 #166 Share Posted December 15, 2013 We were at the steakhouse one night, so I don't know if they danced that night, but we had dancing on 2 nights. They did a double on the last night :). The first 2 nights they cancelled the dancing because the dinner service was running so far behind those first few days Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarnivalBreeze319 Posted December 16, 2013 #167 Share Posted December 16, 2013 I did ATD and there was singing at least 2 nights that I know of. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyoo Posted December 16, 2013 #168 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Looking forward to hearing some more about the new dining menu/experience from you. Not a fan of either the table setting or the menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockbock Posted December 16, 2013 Author #169 Share Posted December 16, 2013 OP here again. I sent some comments to JH this morning and I figured I'd post them here as well. These are my observations of the good and bad aspects of the new dining. I have some more food photos to post, but it won't be until later today or tomorrow. Good morning, John. I promised you some very detailed feedback on the pilot cruise for the new dining program. I'm going to try to be as objective as I can, commenting on both the good and the bad. I'm sorry to say that, overall, I was very disappointed...so disappointed, in fact, that I may never eat in a Carnival MDR again. I understand you've been receiving feedback from the Glory staff that the feedback from guests on this cruise has been very positive. I can honestly say that I only encountered one person on this cruise (my father) who was happy with the changes. I talked to many people about the dining changes and virtually all of them were disappointed. IMO, the two most important aspects of a dining experience are CHOICES and TASTE. If either of those is lacking, the meal is a failure. Unfortunately, the CHOICES on the new dining menus are severely limited and this problem alone completely ruined the entire experience for me. I will preface this review by saying that I gave up on dining in the MDR after the 3rd night of this cruise; however, I received feedback from family members and other guests on board regarding the last four nights in the MDR. First, I'll comment on what I saw as improvements to the MDR experience: (1) I liked the new table settings. I know most people are critical of the lack of tablecloths, but I'm indifferent to this change. The tables looked nice IMO. (2) The champagne toast on elegant night was a nice touch. I really liked the presentation of the champagne too (mixer was already in bottom of glass when we were seated and the waiter poured the champagne over it). (3) The presentation of the dishes was definitely stepped up a notch. The presentation was more like what you would expect from a 5-star restaurant. Most plates had some "fancy touches." (4) The quality/taste of the food was exceptional. I enjoyed Carnival's MDR dishes before, but they have definitely stepped it up a notch on quality and flavor. The only menu item that seemed to be ill-received by everyone I spoke with was the new bread pudding dish. Everybody seemed to comment that it was mushy and looked/tasted very unappetizing...such a disappointment, since Bitter & Blanc was always a Carnival favorite for so many guests. (5) I like the option of being able to order appetizers family style. I know that food-sharing isn't for everyone, but that's why it's presented as an OPTION. For my family, it's a good option. (6) The breads were AMAZING! I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone on this ship about the new bread baskets. Now for the bad. Unfortunately, the list of bads far outweighs any of the improvements I wrote about above. In fact, I can honestly say that I may never eat in a Carnival MDR again if these problems aren't addressed. (1) The menu options are severely limited. I am NOT a picky eater, but I don't like any seafood, nor do I like or any appetizers/main courses with a creamy sauce. My options were few and far between. In fact, on elegant night there wasn't even a single appetizer on the menu that I could eat. I asked the waiter to bring me a salad and he obliged, but I REALLY missed being able to enjoy a "real" appetizer. Many guests complained that the menus lack any healthy and/or "plain" options. Dessert options were as good as nonexistent. WHAT A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!!! I understand that a fruit plate or a scoop of ice cream are always available upon request, but I don't really consider these "desserts"...they are alternatives for people who don't want a "real" dessert. And the menus don't even state that these items are available upon request, so anybody who isn't "in-the-know" won't even realize that the options exist. On elegant night, there was exactly ONE DESSERT on the menu and every guest was automatically served this same dessert. I have to admit, it was the single best dessert I've ever had on a Carnival ship, but the problem is that there was no option for anything else. Anybody who doesn't like chocolate was completely out of luck (unless, of course, they knew that they could order a plate of fruit or scoop of ice cream by request). I understand if Carnival felt the old menus offered too many options and it made cooking/serving the meals difficult, but now there are so few options that virtually every guest on the ship had complaints. They may not have voiced their complaints to the crew, but they certainly made their dissatisfaction clear when chatting with other guests. (2) The elegant night serving style was confusing, wasteful, and ill-received by most guests. People who are "foodies" might be attracted to the new elegant night dining, but everyone I spoke to except for my father really hated it. Four appetizers, none of which were "plain," were automatically served to every guest...one bite of each item. My sister ONLY liked the stuffed mushroom. She would have liked an entire serving of these...not just the one mushroom. The other three items would have been wasted if my "foodie" father wasn't at the table to eat them. My mother ONLY liked the creamy pork pastry and would have liked a full serving. Her other three items would have been wasted, except that my dad took them. I liked NONE of the four options. Complete waste, if my dining companions didn't split up my plate amongst themselves. Very few guests want a single-bite of every item. Most would prefer a full serving of their item(s) of choice. I know guests can still request a full serving, but most won't know that this option exists. Guests are now automatically served a pasta course. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat this either, since it was creamy. Dessert was a fiasco...THE SAME dessert item delivered to every guest? Who was the brainchild of that idea? (3) I understand that Carnival wants to make money in the MDR, but the marketing is a bit over-the-top when we are offered more drink choices than meals/desserts. I did NOT like the idea of automatically placing a bottle of wine on the table each night. I'm sure it resulted in additional sales for Carnival, but I thought it was tacky. I didn't care to see all of the cocktail choices on the dinner menu. And the wine menu offered more choices than the dinner menu! And then there were the roaming cordial / shot servers. Too much of a push on alcohol IMO. (4) Service in the MDR has always been too slow for my liking, which is why I frequently chose to eat on Lido. On this cruise, the service was even slower than normal. I'll cut a little slack here and give the crew the benefit of the doubt, since they were adjusting to some major changes. (5) On the first night of the cruise, my family was in the MDR from 5:45pm until about 7:45pm. There was no entertainment other than one card trick at the table. On the second night of the cruise (elegant night), we dined at approximately the same time. There was no entertainment and I did not notice the "Dessert Parade" that you spoke of in your blog. On the third night, we dined slightly later (but still early in the evening). There was no entertainment while we were there. Perhaps the entertainment started later in the week, but I gave up on the MDR after three nights. (6) I expected to receive a feedback survey on the last night of the cruise regarding the dining changes, but none was received. How is Carnival to know the guests' reactions to the changes if they aren't each asked for their impressions? I spoke with some of the crew on the first night and offered some feedback. Most of it was positive, but it was offered before reviewing the limited menu and before experiencing an elegant night. My opinions changed for the worse and I would have liked to have been asked for my feedback. I'm sure I'm forgetting some important comments here, but at least this is a start. I really wanted to like the MDR changes, but I just couldn't. I think that people who are seafood-lovers and enjoy "Chef's Table" food choices will enjoy the new menus. However, for those of us who prefer foods we can recognize, the new menus are a total failure. PLEASE consider adding more choices to the menus...especially appetizers and desserts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottaLuvCruising Posted December 16, 2013 #170 Share Posted December 16, 2013 OP here again. I sent some comments to JH this morning and I figured I'd post them here as well. These are my observations of the good and bad aspects of the new dining. I have some more food photos to post, but it won't be until later today or tomorrow. Good morning, John. I promised you some very detailed feedback on the pilot cruise for the new dining program. I'm going to try to be as objective as I can, commenting on both the good and the bad. I'm sorry to say that, overall, I was very disappointed...so disappointed, in fact, that I may never eat in a Carnival MDR again. I understand you've been receiving feedback from the Glory staff that the feedback from guests on this cruise has been very positive. I can honestly say that I only encountered one person on this cruise (my father) who was happy with the changes. I talked to many people about the dining changes and virtually all of them were disappointed. IMO, the two most important aspects of a dining experience are CHOICES and TASTE. If either of those is lacking, the meal is a failure. Unfortunately, the CHOICES on the new dining menus are severely limited and this problem alone completely ruined the entire experience for me. I will preface this review by saying that I gave up on dining in the MDR after the 3rd night of this cruise; however, I received feedback from family members and other guests on board regarding the last four nights in the MDR. First, I'll comment on what I saw as improvements to the MDR experience: (1) I liked the new table settings. I know most people are critical of the lack of tablecloths, but I'm indifferent to this change. The tables looked nice IMO. (2) The champagne toast on elegant night was a nice touch. I really liked the presentation of the champagne too (mixer was already in bottom of glass when we were seated and the waiter poured the champagne over it). (3) The presentation of the dishes was definitely stepped up a notch. The presentation was more like what you would expect from a 5-star restaurant. Most plates had some "fancy touches." (4) The quality/taste of the food was exceptional. I enjoyed Carnival's MDR dishes before, but they have definitely stepped it up a notch on quality and flavor. The only menu item that seemed to be ill-received by everyone I spoke with was the new bread pudding dish. Everybody seemed to comment that it was mushy and looked/tasted very unappetizing...such a disappointment, since Bitter & Blanc was always a Carnival favorite for so many guests. (5) I like the option of being able to order appetizers family style. I know that food-sharing isn't for everyone, but that's why it's presented as an OPTION. For my family, it's a good option. (6) The breads were AMAZING! I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone on this ship about the new bread baskets. Now for the bad. Unfortunately, the list of bads far outweighs any of the improvements I wrote about above. In fact, I can honestly say that I may never eat in a Carnival MDR again if these problems aren't addressed. (1) The menu options are severely limited. I am NOT a picky eater, but I don't like any seafood, nor do I like or any appetizers/main courses with a creamy sauce. My options were few and far between. In fact, on elegant night there wasn't even a single appetizer on the menu that I could eat. I asked the waiter to bring me a salad and he obliged, but I REALLY missed being able to enjoy a "real" appetizer. Many guests complained that the menus lack any healthy and/or "plain" options. Dessert options were as good as nonexistent. WHAT A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!!! I understand that a fruit plate or a scoop of ice cream are always available upon request, but I don't really consider these "desserts"...they are alternatives for people who don't want a "real" dessert. And the menus don't even state that these items are available upon request, so anybody who isn't "in-the-know" won't even realize that the options exist. On elegant night, there was exactly ONE DESSERT on the menu and every guest was automatically served this same dessert. I have to admit, it was the single best dessert I've ever had on a Carnival ship, but the problem is that there was no option for anything else. Anybody who doesn't like chocolate was completely out of luck (unless, of course, they knew that they could order a plate of fruit or scoop of ice cream by request). I understand if Carnival felt the old menus offered too many options and it made cooking/serving the meals difficult, but now there are so few options that virtually every guest on the ship had complaints. They may not have voiced their complaints to the crew, but they certainly made their dissatisfaction clear when chatting with other guests. (2) The elegant night serving style was confusing, wasteful, and ill-received by most guests. People who are "foodies" might be attracted to the new elegant night dining, but everyone I spoke to except for my father really hated it. Four appetizers, none of which were "plain," were automatically served to every guest...one bite of each item. My sister ONLY liked the stuffed mushroom. She would have liked an entire serving of these...not just the one mushroom. The other three items would have been wasted if my "foodie" father wasn't at the table to eat them. My mother ONLY liked the creamy pork pastry and would have liked a full serving. Her other three items would have been wasted, except that my dad took them. I liked NONE of the four options. Complete waste, if my dining companions didn't split up my plate amongst themselves. Very few guests want a single-bite of every item. Most would prefer a full serving of their item(s) of choice. I know guests can still request a full serving, but most won't know that this option exists. Guests are now automatically served a pasta course. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat this either, since it was creamy. Dessert was a fiasco...THE SAME dessert item delivered to every guest? Who was the brainchild of that idea? (3) I understand that Carnival wants to make money in the MDR, but the marketing is a bit over-the-top when we are offered more drink choices than meals/desserts. I did NOT like the idea of automatically placing a bottle of wine on the table each night. I'm sure it resulted in additional sales for Carnival, but I thought it was tacky. I didn't care to see all of the cocktail choices on the dinner menu. And the wine menu offered more choices than the dinner menu! And then there were the roaming cordial / shot servers. Too much of a push on alcohol IMO. (4) Service in the MDR has always been too slow for my liking, which is why I frequently chose to eat on Lido. On this cruise, the service was even slower than normal. I'll cut a little slack here and give the crew the benefit of the doubt, since they were adjusting to some major changes. (5) On the first night of the cruise, my family was in the MDR from 5:45pm until about 7:45pm. There was no entertainment other than one card trick at the table. On the second night of the cruise (elegant night), we dined at approximately the same time. There was no entertainment and I did not notice the "Dessert Parade" that you spoke of in your blog. On the third night, we dined slightly later (but still early in the evening). There was no entertainment while we were there. Perhaps the entertainment started later in the week, but I gave up on the MDR after three nights. (6) I expected to receive a feedback survey on the last night of the cruise regarding the dining changes, but none was received. How is Carnival to know the guests' reactions to the changes if they aren't each asked for their impressions? I spoke with some of the crew on the first night and offered some feedback. Most of it was positive, but it was offered before reviewing the limited menu and before experiencing an elegant night. My opinions changed for the worse and I would have liked to have been asked for my feedback. I'm sure I'm forgetting some important comments here, but at least this is a start. I really wanted to like the MDR changes, but I just couldn't. I think that people who are seafood-lovers and enjoy "Chef's Table" food choices will enjoy the new menus. However, for those of us who prefer foods we can recognize, the new menus are a total failure. PLEASE consider adding more choices to the menus...especially appetizers and desserts! Great job with sharing your experiences in a balanced and thoughtful way. I hope John Heald listens and forwards to the beards. I have one more Carnival cruise booked, under early saver and with other people, so I really can't cancel (at this time, I wish I could). I'll keep watching and reading, hoping for improvements. Feedback like yours should be helpful - thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccruisequeen Posted December 16, 2013 #171 Share Posted December 16, 2013 I am having a hard time with the naked tables. I wish they would leave the tablecloths on the table to look like fine dining and not like the tables on the lido deck :rolleyes: Remind me of the school cafeteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jimbo5544 Posted December 16, 2013 #172 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Remind me of the school cafeteria. You must have went to an entirely different school system then me.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artemus Posted December 16, 2013 #173 Share Posted December 16, 2013 I agree with whoever said it looks like Applebee's. It does. I don't like the look at all without the tablecloths. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphir Posted December 16, 2013 #174 Share Posted December 16, 2013 We don't cruise solo but pick our lido balcony for around $1500 for two so I can understand the cost factor.if food was that important of an issue we would cruise a line that meets our needs.their are lines for every taste literally but one needs to pay for it 2700$ for two (balcony on Breeze). For that price I want some decorum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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