Same lunch menu in MDR

[Markanddonna]

I have cruised with NCL several times and don't recall the situation I found on the Star in May. The lunch menu at the Versailles (the Star's main dining room open for lunch) was the same on BOTH sides of the menu every day except for "Item of the day" that changed. The item was not posted but told to you by your waiter at the table.

 

When did this menu policy change? Someone who had been on a 14 day Panama Canal cruise right before the TA to Copenhagen mentioned this to me the first day and I didn't fully understand what he was talking about until I saw it for myself.

 

I think I am mostly surprised that it seems to be accepted by the NCL passengers as no big deal. I haven't noted this policy on any other ship or cruiseline until this one. I realize that I can go to the buffet, but I do prefer eating in the MDR at lunch especially since the Star's buffet area is rather like a school cafeteria atmosphere.

 

I did mention this to the staff and they just responded that the new menu change was coming on May 22nd. It seems likely that the policy to have the same lunch menu day after day probably won't change as they were elusive on this point.

 

The cruise I was on was for fourteen days and I can see why someone who did a B2B would tire of this after a few days. There were, in fact, not many eating in the MDR at lunch.

It really wasn't the quality of the food at issue, but the lack of a menu change.

[peg013]

I have cruised with NCL several times and don't recall the situation I found on the Star in May. The lunch menu at the Versailles (the Star's main dining room open for lunch) was the same on BOTH sides of the menu every day except for "Item of the day" that changed. The item was not posted but told to you by your waiter at the table.

 

When did this menu policy change? Someone who had been on a 14 day Panama Canal cruise right before the TA to Copenhagen mentioned this to me the first day and I didn't fully understand what he was talking about until I saw it for myself.

 

I think I am mostly surprised that it seems to be accepted by the NCL passengers as no big deal. I haven't noted this policy on any other ship or cruiseline until this one. I realize that I can go to the buffet, but I do prefer eating in the MDR at lunch especially since the Star's buffet area is rather like a school cafeteria atmosphere.

 

I did mention this to the staff and they just responded that the new menu change was coming on May 22nd. It seems likely that the policy to have the same lunch menu day after day probably won't change as they were elusive on this point.

 

The cruise I was on was for fourteen days and I can see why someone who did a B2B would tire of this after a few days. There were, in fact, not many eating in the MDR at lunch.

It really wasn't the quality of the food at issue, but the lack of a menu change.

 

I am not aware that the lunch menu ever changed and I've been cruising on NCL 1-4 times a year since 2008. (Also had one on NCL 2003)

[LAWTONCRUISE]

That's interesting to know. We usually only have lunch in the MDR on embarkation day. Buffet gets a little too crowded and there's plenty of time before your stateroom is ready. Thanks for the info.

[scm200]

I think this has been the standard for quite a while, on Carnival too as I remember it from our last cruise also

[spidybabe]

We eat in the main dining room for lunch the first day, and hardly ever go back because of the sameness of the menu. That menu has not changed in years and years ( well not totally true as some items have been taken away). Very boring for a lunch menu.... day after day after day...

Safe sailing

[TrumpyNor]

I am not aware that the lunch menu ever changed and I've been cruising on NCL 1-4 times a year since 2008. (Also had one on NCL 2003)

 

I agree - I have done 15 NCL cruises since 2003, and I can't remember that they changed the menu in the MDR daily. Only for dinner they do change one side of the menu, not for lunch. Not even at the "VIP" lunch at Cagney's they change the menu for lunch on a daily basis, it is the same menu offered every day - and it has been like that for years....

Edited May 28, 2014 by TrumpyNor

[josephmz]

As OP said there are very few people eating lunch in the MDR, but I don't think it is due to sameness of menu. Other than embarkation day, I doubt that most people want to take the time for a sit down, white table cloth lunch. On most cruises, the majority of people are not even on the ship at lunch time.

 

I do understand that on a 14 day btb that it might be a little limited for someone eating there every day

[Cubechick]

I agree with everyone else. The menu has been static for years.

 

They probably don't feel the need to offer a rotating menu as you also have the buffet and O'Sheehands (or the Blue Lagoon) as dining options.

[hpecorari]

As OP said there are very few people eating lunch in the MDR, but I don't think it is due to sameness of menu. Other than embarkation day, I doubt that most people want to take the time for a sit down, white table cloth lunch. On most cruises, the majority of people are not even on the ship at lunch time.

 

I do understand that on a 14 day btb that it might be a little limited for someone eating there every day

 

On most ships the MDR is closed for lunch on port days anyway.

 

Harriet

[2inTul]

I agree with the other posters. It has been at least eight to ten years since the MDR lunch menu changed every day. There have been several changes to the lunch menu over the years but it has been as you describe it for quite some time.

[sugarnyc]

Even the dinner menus need change. Felt like a majority of the choices were the same or very similar as the night before!

Edited May 28, 2014 by sugarnyc

[TrumpyNor]

Even the dinner menus need change. Felt like a majority of the choices were the same or very similar as the night before!

 

The right side of the menu stays the same every evening and the left side of the menu get changed every day. But it still needs a change now - they have had more or less the same menus in the MDR for years. I read somewhere that they were trying out new MDR menus on the Breakaway and the Getaway now, and that it was going to be fleetwide after the "trial period". I hope that is true..... :)

[Cubechick]

The right side of the menu stays the same every evening and the left side of the menu get changed every day. But it still needs a change now - they have had more or less the same menus in the MDR for years. I read somewhere that they were trying out new MDR menus on the Breakaway and the Getaway now, and that it was going to be fleetwide after the "trial period". I hope that is true..... :)

 

I have read that the new MDR dinner menus are on the Dawn. There is hope!

[luddite]

The lunch menu changed about four years ago. Same as when they eviscerated the menus in the dining room for dinner.

[jjikids]

The right side of the menu stays the same every evening and the left side of the menu get changed every day. But it still needs a change now - they have had more or less the same menus in the MDR for years. I read somewhere that they were trying out new MDR menus on the Breakaway and the Getaway now, and that it was going to be fleetwide after the "trial period". I hope that is true..... :)

 

They are changing menus one ship at a time. Dawn is done. Gem will be done in July.

[sugarnyc]

The right side of the menu stays the same every evening and the left side of the menu get changed every day. But it still needs a change now - they have had more or less the same menus in the MDR for years. I read somewhere that they were trying out new MDR menus on the Breakaway and the Getaway now, and that it was going to be fleetwide after the "trial period". I hope that is true..... :)

 

 

I was just on the Breakaway! I did not hear about this trial period until seeing posts over the last few days. My post you commented on is accurate! There was NO right side "staying the same." "There was NO left side "changing." Lots of same or similar choices and just some new ones put in. All sailing with me did not like the menus. Needed more variety!

[anandaindonesia]

Exactly that's one of the reasons I don't want to go back to NCL.

Sorry.

[rvsullivan]

Even the dinner menus need change. Felt like a majority of the choices were the same or very similar as the night before!

 

 

One side of the menu changes every night for dinner. It is nowhere near the same each night. There are several/many posted here on CC if you would like to review the differences. Now, if by the same you mean there was always a fish choice and chicken and beef, then that's true. But nowhere near the same food.

[Markanddonna]

One poster mentioned that they stopped changing the menu about four years ago. That is when we last sailed with NCL, so now it makes sense that NCL passengers have lower expectations on this issue. I have sailed more recently with RCCL and HAL and they have a varying menu. I agree that port days are not important for lunch, but on a transatlantic, you have eleven sea days in 14 days, so eating at the MDR would be very nice.

 

Pity the Australians who did a B2B2B, from LA to Miami, Miami to Copenhagen and then the Baltic.

[rvsullivan]

Yep, lunch menu is the same. But, with multiple choice of dining for lunch, it should not be much of an issue.

[sugarnyc]

One side of the menu changes every night for dinner. It is nowhere near the same each night. There are several/many posted here on CC if you would like to review the differences. Now, if by the same you mean there was always a fish choice and chicken and beef, then that's true. But nowhere near the same food.

 

Before you posted this did you actually read my comments and see that I was just on the Breakaway from my signature ?!?? There was NO side of the menu that stayed the same every night on my cruise!!! Other cruises that I have been on yes- but not this past NCL one!!! On the left side were appetizers, salads & soups and the right side entrees and desserts.

[Love my butler]

Before you posted this did you actually read my comments and see that I was just on the Breakaway from my signature ?!?? There was NO side of the menu that stayed the same every night on my cruise!!! Other cruises that I have been on yes- but not this past NCL one!!! On the left side were appetizers, salads & soups and the right side entrees and desserts.

 

Just NCL cutting costs again and again and again. They are really watering down the cruise experience with the nickel and diming and cuts everywhere you turn. Might be time to pay more to get more.

[Truluv]

I was on Breakaway last week, and the menus were the same (stacked under the podium during the day, but also posted across from the Manhattan, Taste and Savor dining rooms). A special was listed, but the waiters never offered to tell us what it was. We asked, and it never sounded appetizing. At one point turkey was offered instead of chicken. Its "striploin" on the menu was odd - I don't know what cut of beef it is, but it sure isn't a strip steak or a sirloin. Mine was gray and seemed like it had been steamed. My kids enjoyed prime rib one night at O'Sheehan's, but then woke up a few hours later with a severe stomach upset that knocked them out for a day. O'Sheehan's didn't seem to be heavily visited, perhaps because it was open to all of the loud noise from Atrium activities.

 

Unfortunately, the lunch buffets in the Garden Café were also pretty much the same every day too. If you hunted down the carving station, it could have something different (such as a 'Caribbean meatloaf'). There were precooked burgers and hotdogs, sandwiches, a small salad bar and a hot station with a stew of some kind (oxtail stew one day, for example). We heard the burgers at the café near the pools were pretty good.

 

Having cruised before with RCL, Carnival and Celebrity, I'd say that food is Norwegian's weakest point. (Personally, I'd plan on adding the specialty dining plan to the price of the cruise if someone wants more choices.)

 

There were a few high points for food though. We loved an appetizer made with salmon and cucumbers, for example. The crème brulees were ok. And certainly food is very subjective, and we met other cruisers who really liked their dinners. I liked that I didn't have to cook or do dishes, so every meal was great :-).

Edited May 29, 2014 by Truluv

[rvsullivan]

Before you posted this did you actually read my comments and see that I was just on the Breakaway from my signature ?!?? There was NO side of the menu that stayed the same every night on my cruise!!! Other cruises that I have been on yes- but not this past NCL one!!! On the left side were appetizers, salads & soups and the right side entrees and desserts.

 

OK, I guess the confusion was that up to this point the OP's question and most/all of the responses were about lunch. I guess I missed the point where you switched over to the dinner menu. My comment was directed to the OP's question about lunch never changing. And my comment was that up until a couple of weeks ago the dinner menu was changed every night to follow the different (some say 14) dinner menus fleetwide. I gather you are saying Breakaway does not follow the rotating menus?

[Markanddonna]

So, I have concluded that the lunch time menu changed to not offer a change of menu each day about four years ago when we last cruised with NCL. We went to the MDR only two times in fourteen days. They also didn't offer the dessert menu on the first day. This was my first cruise experience where the lunch menu didn't change and to be honest, this would be "the tipping point" for us to select another cruise line as we tend to go on longer cruises and compared to our last cruise on the RCCL, NCL really went down a notch.

 

Some things matter to individuals that might seem trivial to others and I realize that others may think that we are making a big deal over this. We don't care about the bars, the casino, the pools, the basketball courts, etc. We do care about the dining experience and really don't enjoy the buffets as much as I do sit down dining.

 

Thanks for your clarification.