Carnival Glory New Dining :(

[Crusin6]

Family style seems to be the new way of serving.

 

Just attended a black-tie optional dinner, seated with strangers and every dish was served family style. Two problems--the dish with the fish in pesto was oily by the time the last person (me) got it and we were lucky there were only nine at our 10-top. We used the space to park the dishes.

 

I went to a 60th bday party in a fairly nice restaurant and was seated with both extended family and some friends of the bday boy and was mortified when one of the unknown friends took the platter of 8 gorgeous stuffed mushrooms and promptly proceeded to take 3 for himself. We were at a table of 8

 

When the next dish came I took it and announced that it was smart of the restaurant to put 8 jumbo stuffed shrimp on the plate for a table of 8. Someone else informed the waiter that for subsequent plates that maybe he should bring two platters for our table.

[The4Cruisers]

All the wives will have to go in the galley and whip up dinner.

 

Ok, that was funny! :D

[Crusin6]

All the wives will have to go in the galley and whip up dinner.

 

*Sexism intended.

 

Can you answer my question or not?

[SadieN]

Ok I admit to not being fully informed about the carnival dining changes but what does the op mean when he says "family style dining?"

 

Is he saying they are putting pass around platters on the table for a bunch of strangers to share?

 

My definition of family style is just that

 

Someone please clarify on detail. Thanks

 

We've heard that you can order the family style dishes for the size of your party. So if your family is sharing a table with another family you will not be forced to share the dishes.

 

Carnival is going to be tweaking this as it goes. By then end of February there will be four ships serving the new menu. I'm sure that when we sail on the Inspiration in February the menu will have changed a bit. Many of the dishes have been around in some form for a while now.

Edited December 15, 2013 by SadieN

[geovet]

We've heard that you can order the family style dishes for the size of your party. So if your family is sharing a table with another family you will not be forced to share the dishes.

 

 

You do not have to share with anyone. You can get a small dish for one or two people.

[Crusin6]

We've heard that you can order the family style dishes for the size of your party. So if your family is sharing a table with another family you will not be forced to share the dishes.

 

Carnival is going to be tweaking this as it goes. By then end of February there will be four ships serving the new menu. I'm sure that when we sail on the Inspiration in February the menu will have changed a bit. Many of the dishes have been around in some form for a while now.

 

Thanks for the clarification. The op makes it sound like he had to share with strangers. Reread the first post to see what I mean

 

I really wish posters would take the time and make the effort to clarify what they are trying to get across. It would have been so much more informative if he had said done this.

[Crusin6]

You do not have to share with anyone. You can get a small dish for one or two people.

 

Sounds like the op did not know this. Thanks also for the clarification.

[cjknox]

Just got off the Glory this morning. Don't like the no tablecloths because the drink glasses sweat and it puddles on the table. The family style dining is crap. Maybe better if you are with family it would be fine.

 

We had a horrible head waiter so that didn't make the new dining experience any better.

 

Nobody monitored clothing ... "Formal" night there was a large family wearing jeans, t-shirts and shorts. Last night, someone in that family had on a wife-beater tank top!

 

They put the tablecloths on for "formal" night but the atmosphere wasn't there.

 

Will post a full review some time later this week. I am sitting at the airport waiting for my flight.

 

Sorry you didn't enjoy your dining experience. How did you like the food, how did it compare to the the previous menu? Looking forward to your review with lots of pictures.

[Tutankhamen]

Can you answer my question or not?

 

Yes, I can answer your question.

[joeyancho]

No tablecloths, New menus, family style dining.....the latest Carnival disaster.

[mnmstaller]

Don't care about the table cloths either way, but the service sucked.Waited way to long to get the wrong food or wrong drinks or forgot sides or soups or just forgot about us all together. We stopped eating in the dining room and ate at the buffet. The whole concept is stupid they now need Gordon Ramsey in to fix it all. This hospitality group they used really soiled the bed.

[mnmstaller]

Don't care about the table cloths either way, but the service sucked.Waited way to long to get the wrong food or wrong drinks or forgot sides or soups or just forgot about us all together. We stopped eating in the dining room and ate at the buffet. The whole concept is stupid they now need Gordon Ramsey in to fix it all. This hospitality group they used really soiled the bed.

[mapsmith]

All the wives will have to go in the galley and whip up dinner.

 

*Sexism intended.

 

Where is the LIKE BUTTON??????????????????????

[ksy8384]

Family style dining restaurants are common here in the South so as long as my table mates are pawing the food I don't mind sharing. What's the difference between sharing in the MDR and sharing at the buffet? My concern is with the lack of table cloths are the tables not wet after they have been wiped from the previous guests? I hate that when I go to a restaurant to eat.

 

Also, wasn't too thrilled with the food on the Dream and hoping maybe these new changes will be a plus food wise.

[vols_159]

We sail on the Glory three weeks from today. I was astonished to see the bare cold tables in a photo posted a few days ago, I just thought it looked awful. That's my opinion and shared by hundreds of others. Smart Management listen to their customers. It's my hope they have a change of heart and bring back the table cloths.

 

For every 100 who hate it there's probably 105 that love it

[nimiq]

I don't mine how people dress but when a dress code is mentioned by a line then they should make it respected.

 

Can't wait to hear about how it went with the new dining family style.

Sea ya

Eric

[Crusin6]

Yes, I can answer your question.

 

But you just chose not to?

[Crusin6]

No tablecloths, New menus, family style dining.....the latest Carnival disaster.

 

Newbies don't realize this though and all of the changes seem to be in line for the demographic pax carnival seems to attract and market to.

 

Every cruise line has a demographic that is not a problem. It is just that the changes on carnival seem to indicate that over the years the carnival demographic has and is changing as well. Actually it is indicative of good marketing on carnivals part if their ships are sailing full and showing a profit

 

Personally our last 3 cruises since 2008 have been on other lines though.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Crusin6

[jmwg49]

I was on this cruise as well. The food quality, plating etc was just fine. We always enjoyed the food. The options were not plentiful. My daughter is very picky and she ate mashed potatoes most evenings...period...a big bowl of mashed potatoes. They did allow her to order from the kids menu and she got chicken nuggets one night (she is 18). The first elegant night was disasterous and seemed as tho the servers didn't know what they were doing. The 'family style' was not great. If two people ordered the same side option, they brought a larger bowl and put it in the middle of the table. Our experience was that they did not even offer serving utensils, just help yourself. Thankfully, we were all family. As for the dancing etc from the waitstaff...it was poor. We always have enjoyed it, but they did a lame dance one night, they did one dance that wasn't terribly energetic and then sang Leaving on a Funship the last night. All in all, we were disappointed with the dining options. For new cruisers who don't know any different, I'm sure they are the ones that will think it was great, but for those that know better...not so much

[MicksMom]

I was on this cruise as well. The food quality, plating etc was just fine. We always enjoyed the food. The options were not plentiful. My daughter is very picky and she ate mashed potatoes most evenings...period...a big bowl of mashed potatoes. They did allow her to order from the kids menu and she got chicken nuggets one night (she is 18). The first elegant night was disasterous and seemed as tho the servers didn't know what they were doing. The 'family style' was not great. If two people ordered the same side option, they brought a larger bowl and put it in the middle of the table. Our experience was that they did not even offer serving utensils, just help yourself. Thankfully, we were all family. As for the dancing etc from the waitstaff...it was poor. We always have enjoyed it, but they did a lame dance one night, they did one dance that wasn't terribly energetic and then sang Leaving on a Funship the last night. All in all, we were disappointed with the dining options. For new cruisers who don't know any different, I'm sure they are the ones that will think it was great, but for those that know better...not so much

 

We convinced family to cruise for the 1st time. One of them is very picky, I convinced her to sail by showing her the everyday menu. She was fine with the burger or fried chicken. Don't know if I should pass the new menus on or wait til we board in April. Some say picky ones can eat in Lido but what fun is that when you are with a group...

[quietmn12]

We got back from the Glory yesterday as well, and I do not like the new changes at all! I am a loyal Carnival cruiser and know how to take the good with the not so good, but this was really not at all good. It is a new concept and the staff was confused and I know that was to be expected. Down to details though: The first elegant night they listed the starters on the menu but you didn't get a choice, you got a small sampling of all of them. The menu listed pasta with alfredo sauce and again, everyone was served that. The entree listed choices which were fine. One dessert was listed and once again, everyone was served that. There is also a "rare finds" listing which takes the place of the "didja" menu and that was shark on elegant night. Then they have a section "for the table". This included flatbread with herbs and such, fried calamari and ceasar salad. These could be ordered for the table to share or for a couple or small group. There were no soups on elegant night and no cold fruit soups (which I love) on any night of the cruise. They do still have warm chocolate melting cake (not on elegant night) but they have renamed it and are serving is in a fancy bowl. I think they had bitter and blanc but the name was also changed and I didn't have it. Service was very slow! You saw the wait staff frantically running from table to table and working very hard, but they were so undermanned and overworked. I spoke to our maitre d and even he admitted that 90% of the diners did not like the new program. I hope they can get the kinks out of this system or removed it altogether. This will not make me stop using Carnival but it does make me question my loyalty. My comment card with be full of thoughts and ideas and I hope they pay attention.

Sorry to ramble, any questions, ask away.

[GottaLuvCruising]

Yikes! Initial feedback is pretty scary. I will not do the "family style" and would insist on individual servings (as JH is telling us on Facebook). I do hope people are sharing their feedback with Carnival. After two of my three Carnival cruises this year I did not receive the email survey, but I would write to them.

[weloverunning]

I was on this cruise as well. We were a party of 14 seated at two tables. I have to agree with jmwg and quietmn. We never had an issue with Carnival’s dinners in the past. We were very unhappy with the change. Thank goodness we were a family because “family style” was done without serving utensils. So someone’s utensils were being used to dish out their servings. Choices were not there. They had what they called “surprises” for appetizers and desserts. There was no choice. That was the surprise. One night everyone got pasta alfredo. Another night everyone got a sampling of the four appetizers. It is a waste of food to give people three of four appetizers they do not like. One night I ordered a dessert from the menu but everyone got the same sorry looking sticky bun. One of our party is still waiting for a salad she asked for on day one and day two. Requested iced tea multiple times and never got it. Never got potatoes. Service was not the best. No tablecloths was a problem as they put serving pitchers of water on the table which were constantly making puddles. Sometimes they were sitting in black plastic holders to keep the sweating to a minimum and sometimes they were just sitting on the table. We are going on a three-day on the Imagination on Jan. 3rd. I hope they have the old menu in place. We became platinum on this cruise (but have cruised 22 times overall) and have decided maybe it is time to give Carnival a rest and give one of the other lines a chance again.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

Thanks for the clarification. The op makes it sound like he had to share with strangers. Reread the first post to see what I mean

 

I really wish posters would take the time and make the effort to clarify what they are trying to get across. It would have been so much more informative if he had said done this.

From what I'm hearing the intent is not for every table to not follow the family style. Yes, the new concept is to bring a dish and everyone passes it around to share. Not for each table to say they don't want family style.

[Cruzin2paradise09]

I'm sorry some of you were confused by the family style comment I made initially. I was posting from my phone at the airport and that is why I didn't come back.

 

After my husband picked me up at the airport (making me, the OP, a SHE), I spent time with my family.

 

Thanks to all the others who just returned from the Glory, who helped clarify what I was saying.

 

Since I got home sick, it will be a day or two before a full review, with photos, will be posted.

 

And for the record, I had fun on the cruise. The dining experience is just one aspect of a cruise.