Seeking a Midwestern veiw of food onboard the PoA

[bgccsownsck]

I was born and raised in Iowa. Food here tends to be pretty decent quality, evan at bar and grill level restauarants. My BF and I are sailing on NCL's Pride of America this December and I am wondering how the food has been recieved by others from the Midwest. I may be a bit biased as well seeing as I am a head chef and have not only the tools, but also the high quality meat and produce at my disposal. How is food in all of the different.venues? Will I be disappointed by even the specialty restaurants? Should I even bother with the Ultimate Dining Package?

[punkincc]

Hello from a fellow Midwesterner! We cruised on the POA 8-16 week. It is difficult to fully experience this ship as you do on a typical cruise. Very long touring days, a case of major jet lag, and all we wanted in the evenings was a quick bite and a coctail. We saw not a single show. As far as the UDP, that would have been a waste for us. We only ate at 3 specialties, Cagney's, Moderno and Le Bistro, and thought the food very good. Our steaks were very good, and the sides in Moderno were as wonderful as they always are. We never made it to the MDRs. We were happy the other nights with the buffet. The selection there was pretty good, but we are not hard to please.

 

The buffet, the Aloha Cafe, is located midship, but it also has an outdoor aft portion, the Aloha Lanai Bar, adjacent to Moderno that not many were aware of. It became our favorite quiet place for breakfast, sailaways and evening coctails. It is canopy covered and has both dining tables as well as big comfy couches and chairs. A breakfast buffet is set up inside Moderno, and you can enter through doors from the aft area and avoid the hubbub in the main buffet. You can dine inside at Moderno or eat in the open air. In the evenings, it is softly lit and there is live entertainment there. There is a bar right there. They set up evening snacks 9:30 to 11:30 PM.

 

You might want to consider eating off the ship on the overnights. We had dinner at Mamas Fish House on our Maui overnight. It is currently listed as number 2 on the top US restaurants by Open Table. It is very pricey by Midwest standards, but worth every penny. It is only a few miles from the ship, and located right on a beautiful beach. We swung by there on our way back from a trip up Haleakala. We also lunched twice at nice places on the beach.

[bgccsownsck]

Thank you so much for your post! I admit I am a little worried about the quality of the food.

[luddite]

Thank you so much for your post! I admit I am a little worried about the quality of the food.

 

It is difficult to imagine that you will be highly disappointed.

They do not actually serve food that is 'inedible'.

[bbryan5]

I'll start by saying I don't live in the midwest.. I live in NYC and am used to going out to very expensive, very good restaurants. That includes steak houses, Italian, ect... I have been on 4 NCL cruises and gotta say, we found the food to be very good. We are not picky people, but appreciate good food. Was the food on the ship comparable to NYC restaurants? No. But we went into our cruise vacations already knowing this. Don't be too worried about the food, just go have a great time! :D:D:D

[Love my butler]

I was born and raised in Iowa. Food here tends to be pretty decent quality, evan at bar and grill level restauarants. My BF and I are sailing on NCL's Pride of America this December and I am wondering how the food has been recieved by others from the Midwest. I may be a bit biased as well seeing as I am a head chef and have not only the tools, but also the high quality meat and produce at my disposal. How is food in all of the different.venues? Will I be disappointed by even the specialty restaurants? Should I even bother with the Ultimate Dining Package?

 

If you are a culinary professional you will be greatly disappointed in every venue. However, if you want decent food and service, get the UDP.

[Medtech2]

If you are a culinary professional you will be greatly disappointed in every venue. However, if you want decent food and service, get the UDP.

Not at all true.

Perception is everything. When I read the title of this post I read "Midwestern" and immediately thought mashed potatoes and cubed steak, with the added excitement of corn.

 

We have found good service and food in every venue. Since this is a Hawaii cruise I would be inclined to eat the local food, if possible, as another poster stated. That said, I would not waste money on a UDP. A chef is going to have certain biases and inclinations anyway. Accepting that whatever food is served won't be made the way you would make it will increase enjoyment. ;)

[chengkp75]

The thing the OP needs to remember is that this is not a restaurant with maybe 40 place settings that you turn twice a night. This is a restaurant that turns a couple thousand meals (many thousands if you count breakfast and lunch as well) a day. You cannot compare food prepared to order with the vast quantities of food prepared daily onboard. Even in the specialty venues, while the number of dinners is smaller, so is the staff, so there is more of the "chain restaurant" than "haute cuisine" in play. Having said that, and admitting to being a bit of a foodie (Portland is a foodie town), I enjoy the food onboard generally, and the specialties in particular.

[cruisecritiquer]

No one can really answer this for you. It depends upon your personal tastes and how finicky you are as an individual.

[TrinaLC]

Not at all true.

Perception is everything. When I read the title of this post I read "Midwestern" and immediately thought mashed potatoes and cubed steak, with the added excitement of corn.

 

I had a similar reaction - thought the OP would be saying "well, I'm from the midwest, where food is already pretty boring, mostly chain dining, so I guess the food on POA will probably at least measure up to that ..."

 

I guess I'm a NY food snob :)

[punkincc]

I had a similar reaction - thought the OP would be saying "well, I'm from the midwest, where food is already pretty boring, mostly chain dining, so I guess the food on POA will probably at least measure up to that ..."

 

I guess I'm a NY food snob :)

 

 

Well, you said it, not me;), but I can't let you run down our Midwestern food like that!

 

Every city and small town has it's share of chain restaurants, but you'd be surprised how many fine and unique restaurants we have right here in Northwest Indiana. Here is a sampling of some of the great choices we have in the little college town of Valparaiso near us. You can probably figure out their specialties by the name. Bon Femme, Pestos, El Salto, Meditrina Market Cafe, dish Restaurant, Don Quijote, Parea; Stacks Bar and Grill. The latter features Osso Bucco; Blackened Grilled Salmon over Parmesan herb risotto and sautéed asparagus finished with Mediterranean cruda; Hand Cut Filet, grilled and topped with Gorgonzola cheese and a tomato basil cruda. And their beer menu of craft beers is well over 150 selections. You can even order a beer flight. Not boring in the least. And all offer good old Midwestern hospitality to boot. No snobbery here.

 

Speaking of corn, I doubt anyone raised in NYC has ever had a vegetable that was fit to eat. Ever had corn on the cob fresh from the field and melt in your mouth good? How about some tender green beans the way Grandma used to make them? Tomatoes so ripe and juicy we used to eat them like apples when we were kids.

 

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming;).

Edited September 5, 2014 by punkincc

[Va. Plumber]

The "foodie posts" drive me absolutely nuts. They only serve to create doubts in prospective cruisers as it apparently has you.

 

This seems to be one of the major complaints. When is the last time you saw them dropping emergency food packages to a cruise ship because the

passengers were in danger of starving. The average pax appears to be very well fed with a large number overfed.

 

Don't know if the complainers are trying to impress everyone with their highly developed palates. Perhaps they dine every night in a four star restaurant or have a personal chef at home.

 

Suffice to say, if you go on the cruise with the mindset that the food will be inedible, then, guess what, it will probably be inedible.

 

All that being said, I would not waste money on the UDP. At this point,

you have no idea what you will be doing every night of the cruise. If you decide on somehing else a couple of nights, you negate the savings of the UDP.

 

I am 70 years old and I realize my taste buds may be shot, but I have never had a meal on any ship that I thought was horrible to the point that some posters would have you believe.

[mjkacmom]

I had a similar reaction - thought the OP would be saying "well, I'm from the midwest, where food is already pretty boring, mostly chain dining, so I guess the food on POA will probably at least measure up to that ..."

 

I guess I'm a NY food snob :)

 

Being from the NYC area, those were my thoughts! I thought the OP was afraid the food would be too "fancy." I wouldn't think of food snobs living in the Midwest - they live here - lol.

[mjkacmom]

Well, you said it, not me;), but I can't let you run down our Midwestern food like that!

 

Every city and small town has it's share of chain restaurants, but you'd be surprised how many fine and unique restaurants we have right here in Northwest Indiana. Here is a sampling of some of the great choices we have in the little college town of Valparaiso near us. You can probably figure out their specialties by the name. Bon Femme, Pestos, El Salto, Meditrina Market Cafe, dish Restaurant, Don Quijote, Parea; Stacks Bar and Grill. The latter features Osso Bucco; Blackened Grilled Salmon over Parmesan herb risotto and sautéed asparagus finished with Mediterranean cruda; Hand Cut Filet, grilled and topped with Gorgonzola cheese and a tomato basil cruda. And their beer menu of craft beers is well over 150 selections. You can even order a beer flight. Not boring in the least. And all offer good old Midwestern hospitality to boot. No snobbery here.

 

Speaking of corn, I doubt anyone raised in NYC has ever had a vegetable that was fit to eat. Ever had corn on the cob fresh from the field and melt in your mouth good? How about some tender green beans the way Grandma used to make them? Tomatoes so ripe and juicy we used to eat them like apples when we were kids.

 

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming;).

 

Really? You can't beat NJ corn and tomatoes, fresh from the fields. Best in the country!

[tarheelmjfan]

The "foodie posts" drive me absolutely nuts. They only serve to create doubts in prospective cruisers as it apparently has you.

 

This seems to be one of the major complaints. When is the last time you saw them dropping emergency food packages to a cruise ship because the

passengers were in danger of starving. The average pax appears to be very well fed with a large number overfed.

 

Don't know if the complainers are trying to impress everyone with their highly developed palates. Perhaps they dine every night in a four star restaurant or have a personal chef at home.

 

Suffice to say, if you go on the cruise with the mindset that the food will be inedible, then, guess what, it will probably be inedible.

 

All that being said, I would not waste money on the UDP. At this point,

you have no idea what you will be doing every night of the cruise. If you decide on somehing else a couple of nights, you negate the savings of the UDP.

 

I am 70 years old and I realize my taste buds may be shot, but I have never had a meal on any ship that I thought was horrible to the point that some posters would have you believe.

 

Believe it or not, many people don't go on vacation with the thought it will be great as long as they don't starve. It's the posts that say, "you won't starve" that have me rolling my eyes. You could eat potted meat & crackers for a week & not starve. Most people don't go on vacation to eat potted meat, although I'm sure some would be more than happy with that. That's great, if it works for them. I also don't get the "as long as I don't have to cook & clean up, I'm happy" posts. Personally, I'd rather cook & have a great meal than eat a mediocre meal out, but that's me. Some people eat to live others live to eat. Neither are right or wrong, just different. If people are happy with anything as long as there's no effort on their part, good for them. They shouldn't be posting opinions on threads where people are concerned with food quality though. Their opinion on the food will most likely be very different from someone who is accustomed to high quality food.

 

OP, I haven't sailed on NCLA, but have sailed on NCL. From my experience, I would take the advice to eat off the ship when possible & dine in the specialty restaurants when it's not.

[Love my butler]

Believe it or not, many people don't go on vacation with the thought it will be great as long as they don't starve. It's the posts that say, "you won't starve" that have me rolling my eyes. You could eat potted meat & crackers for a week & not starve. Most people don't go on vacation to eat potted meat, although I'm sure some would be more than happy with that. That's great, if it works for them. I also don't get the "as long as I don't have to cook & clean up, I'm happy" posts. Personally, I'd rather cook & have a great meal than eat a mediocre meal out, but that's me. Some people eat to live others live to eat. Neither are right or wrong, just different. If people are happy with anything as long as there's no effort on their part, good for them. They shouldn't be posting opinions on threads where people are concerned with food quality though. Their opinion on the food will most likely be very different from someone who is accustomed to high quality food.

 

OP, I haven't sailed on NCLA, but have sailed on NCL. From my experience, I would take the advice to eat off the ship when possible & dine in the specialty restaurants when it's not.

 

Like.

 

Also the 'I don't have to cook and clean' crowd forget they are paying lots of money to not have to cook and clean.

 

The people on the recent broken Carnival ships didn't starve either, they ate pop tarts delivered by the US Navy...

[Va. Plumber]

Well Gee Shucks! I guess we-uns here in Virginia don't know what gourmet food is.

 

I guess I'll just have to stop at the country store and get some pickled pigs feet, hot sausages, an RC Cola and Moon Pie.

 

Hee Haw!

[Hikini]

Well Gee Shucks! I guess we-uns here in Virginia don't know what gourmet food is.

 

I guess I'll just have to stop at the country store and get some pickled pigs feet, hot sausages, an RC Cola and Moon Pie.

 

Hee Haw!

 

Be sure to put your teeth in before attempting to eat them pickled pigs feet! :D

[tarheelmjfan]

Well Gee Shucks! I guess we-uns here in Virginia don't know what gourmet food is.

 

I guess I'll just have to stop at the country store and get some pickled pigs feet, hot sausages, an RC Cola and Moon Pie.

 

Hee Haw!

 

Good try, but I was born & raised in the mtns. of NC & have lived in Richmond. ;) There's nothing wrong with not seeing the value in fine dining restaurants & being happy with most restaurants chain & otherwise. Some people don't think fine dining restaurants are worth the money. I have 4 sisters & their families who would agree. However, those who think it's worth the money should be able to ask questions w/o being flamed for preferring high quality food on vacation. We all spend our money in different ways. No one should be judged for how they choose to spend theirs.

[Va. Plumber]

Maybe you should try a more expensive cruise line.

[tarheelmjfan]

Maybe you should try a more expensive cruise line.

 

I wasn't the one who asked about the food in the first place. lol

[luddite]

Really? You can't beat NJ corn and tomatoes, fresh from the fields. Best in the country!

 

ummmmm......beatable

[Medtech2]

I had a similar reaction - thought the OP would be saying "well, I'm from the midwest, where food is already pretty boring, mostly chain dining, so I guess the food on POA will probably at least measure up to that ..."

 

I guess I'm a NY food snob :)

Well, hello there, fellow Charlestonian!

 

Speaking of food snobs, it's Restaurant Week!

[bgccsownsck]

Believe it or not, many people don't go on vacation with the thought it will be great as long as they don't starve. It's the posts that say, "you won't starve" that have me rolling my eyes. You could eat potted meat & crackers for a week & not starve. Most people don't go on vacation to eat potted meat, although I'm sure some would be more than happy with that. That's great, if it works for them. I also don't get the "as long as I don't have to cook & clean up, I'm happy" posts. Personally, I'd rather cook & have a great meal than eat a mediocre meal out, but that's me. Some people eat to live others live to eat. Neither are right or wrong, just different. If people are happy with anything as long as there's no effort on their part, good for them. They shouldn't be posting opinions on threads where people are concerned with food quality though. Their opinion on the food will most likely be very different from someone who is accustomed to high quality food.

 

OP, I haven't sailed on NCLA, but have sailed on NCL. From my experience, I would take the advice to eat off the ship when possible & dine in the specialty restaurants when it's not.

 

I believe you hit my concerns on the head. I do not want to have mediocre meals on my first ever vacation (or any others for that matter).

 

I also want to say, I feel as though people became offend perhaps by the way I worded my inquiry. I had no intention of bad mouthing any other region's food. I just feel as though I eat quite well at home and would like to be 'wow'ed if I am going to spend a bunch of extra money. Thank you to everyone for your opinions on the subject. You were very helpful.

[luddite]

I believe you hit my concerns on the head. I do not want to have mediocre meals on my first ever vacation (or any others for that matter).

 

I also want to say, I feel as though people became offend perhaps by the way I worded my inquiry. I had no intention of bad mouthing any other region's food. I just feel as though I eat quite well at home and would like to be 'wow'ed if I am going to spend a bunch of extra money. Thank you to everyone for your opinions on the subject. You were very helpful.

 

Lots of us eat quite well at home.