Can we STOP complaining about the MDR food?

[RecoveryDude]

OP, if you're tired of people complaining about the main dining room food, a simple solution would be for you to stop reading those threads.

 

Food is a big part of a cruise, and it's going to be discussed. Yes it will be discussed over and over if you're a long time poster here, but for new people they want to give their opinions about it, as they should.

 

:)

 

....Thank you for the suggestion! I do try to avoid reading posts that "only" talk about food. The ones that I DO read tho, are the "full cruise reviews." And often people just go on and on about how "terrible" the food was. ...Also, I have NO problem what-so-ever with someone complaining "in the moment" if they are not happy with something while actually dining, no matter if they are in the MDR, Lido, Stakhouse, or where ever - but, Like previous posters, I'll bet the loudest complainers on CC also ordered the most food while on the ship.

 

It just seems like (and this is what I was frustrated with) people have very high expectations with what they want the food in the MDR to be. It's like they feel some sort of entitlement to get super high quality "fine dining" food ... this is just not possible when you are serving dining rooms full of thousands of people at the same time. Should it be hot? Yes. Should it taste good? Yes. Should it be overcooked? No. Most of the time, I think the MDR on the many CCL ships I'm on have accomplished these things. There are exceptions of course ... Some of which have nothing to do with the kitchen. A poorly executed wait staff can cause cold or overcooked food either by taking too long to serve it.

 

Let me be clear: I am HAPPY with the MDR food. I think it's a very good value and love the fact that cruises still allow you to order as many items as you want without charging extra. I also think they have a wonderful variety of different things avaiable and it changes every night. I think there are Def some "hits and misses" ... it's not all good ... but typically there is always something I like on the new AT menus.

 

I guess the whole point of my post originally was that sometimes it seems like people are very picky and have lofty, unreasonable expectations. ...and when these expectaitons are not met, they flame CCL or whoever. These "reviews" can scare away new cruisers thinking they are going to be "stuck on a boat with terrible food" and this is just not the case IMO.

 

Thank you for everyone who commented, tho. I enjoyed reading everyone's take on this topic. :) ....49 days till I will be "not complaining" about the food on Carnival Sunshine!!!!!!!

[tennboy1981]

I think we all know that Carnival is a budget cruise line. They have some of the most competitive cruise fares around. I mean its like going to Dennys and expecting a 5 star meal. Its just not going to happen. I personally find Carnival's food to be pretty good. Is it 5-star quality? Of course not. Yes the steak an lobster is gone, actually on my last cruise you could get it every night, for 20 dollars. Which really isnt bad at all. Steak and lobster for 20 bucks? Thats a pretty good deal IMO.

[Alikan]

Really? the menu is completely different every night...

 

 

Yes, but with two vegetarian options and three sea food options it does not seem varied to those of us who do not like or can not them.

[JusBeachn]

The food is what it is for the price. When you pretend to be something your not, there's a problem. It used to be a large experience, but now is no better than the buffet with servers. I ordered the ribeye and it came as a piece of meat, and a potato on a plate. Simple garnish would do wonders too. A simple solution would be to just change the DR's into buffet's with different styles of food. Skip the whole serving experience all together.

[spookyfudge]

Love reading these boards but so tired of people complaining about the "quality" of the MDR food on Carnival. THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FINE DINING FOOD, people .... Perhaps some people just need to adjust their expectations? I consider the MDR food to be "Banquet Quality" ... which is as good as anyone should expect ... its not possible to push out thousands of "fine dining" meals in such a short amount of time. With my "Banquet Quality" expectations ... I am rarely disappointed with anything I get in the MDR, and If I am, I just order something else. Better yet I typically order multiple entrees and starters anyway and usually like at least one thing they bring. :)

 

If you truly want an elevated food experience ... then simply factor an extra $245 into your cruise fare and book the Steakhouse every night for your 7 night carnival cruise -

 

.....And before you start saying that "This line or that line has better food than CCL" ... consider that "those lines" also charge significantly MORE to book your cruise than carnivals fare + $35/day for the steakhouse.

 

Thank you for letting me rant. :)

 

Yes I agree food is bad(n)

[Thrilled2012]

Yes but that's not the point. They just repeat the same kinds of dishes over and over again. Honestly how different is salmon from tilapia? It's still fish and they're serving it every night. It varies a little but after a week it gets monotonous.

 

Salmon and tilapia are worlds apart. Not even close to being the same....just sayin :D

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

Out of five cruises, I may have had two to three dishes that I didn't not like, or flat out tasted horrible. Of course I just simply ordered something else, so it was not that big of a deal.

[srlafleur]

I look forward to eating in the MDR, any cruise, any line. I love having all the choices - appetizers, soups, salads, etc.

The only times I've disliked anything was when what I ordered wasn't quite what I expected; not that it was made badly, but my choice wasn't to my liking. One example would be when I ordered beef lasagne. Now, when I make lasagna, it's very cheesy, almost to the point of "soupy" when it's still very hot. The lasagna I got was almost meatloaf sandwiched between pasta, with a little cheese. Was it terrible? No. It wasn't what I expected. I'm sure there were plenty of people who loved it.

Probably why I try to order things I couldn't or wouldn't make at home.

Now, I rarely eat steak or other "whole" meats, preferring to stick to casserole or stir-fry type foods, duck (yum), pasta, and the like, so obviously YMMV.

[crusinpsychRN]

I never will understand this attitude. This sets the bar so low as to be ridiculous.

 

Agreed.

[Sitzmark]

I put it in the same category as "a bad day at sea is better than a good day at work", "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse", and "there's nothing to eat in the house" (typically said by a teenager while looking into a full fridge.

 

As long as the Corporation is making money doing it the way they are doing it then customer complaints are relatively pointless.

 

I disagree, and I don't care for those sayings either. As to complaints being pointless, then why do they do post cruise surveys? If people get service or products that they don't like they should complain, this is the warning to the corporation that there is a problem. If the corporation does not react then people will vote with their dollars and find a different product that does meet their expectation.

 

 

If you like the product, by all means feel free to say so, but I don't understand the attempt to chill the discussion by suggesting that complaints are not going to be heard at all.

[krehberg]

One thing is for sure...CCL can't please everybody, but they try their best. My sister-in-law, which we've cruise with on both CCL and RCCL complained about both. She's also a very picky eater - doesn't like seafood, green vegetables of any kind or red meat. She was left with chicken and potatoes...and well, not every chicken dish was to her liking. The pickier one is, the harder it will be for them to enjoy the experience as a whole..and that's not the cruise line's fault. Even if this was the cruise line of yesteryear, I believe people like that would be hard to please

 

Speaking for yesteryear, prior to the Fantasy class (at least for CCL), the ships capacity was around 1500 or less passengers. Now depending on how the YTD folks are dispersed time wise, the kitchens are now catering to nearly that many people per seating. Its why, IMO opinion the best dishes served are the ones that can be done in large quanties (braised meats, soups, etc) and the ones that suffer the most are ones best made to order and served immediately (steak for instance). Yes, they downgraded the everyday steak I believe from NY Strip to Flat Iron. I think I've ordered it once on all my cruises since I don't really like mass produced steak, as I'll never get it like I want it. I'll gladly pay for the steakhouse to serve it as I want it...for a nice thick portion and higher quality grade of meat.

 

If you want foodie level cuisine...chef's table and steakhouse are the option. Needless to say, since I like to eat and try most things, I haven't had much trouble finding enjoyable things to eat on a cruise...and I love almost every soup they make....so I make sure that is one of my apps every cruise.

[John Reid]

Love reading these boards but so tired of people complaining about the "quality" of the MDR food on Carnival. THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FINE DINING FOOD, people .... Perhaps some people just need to adjust their expectations? I consider the MDR food to be "Banquet Quality" ... which is as good as anyone should expect ... its not possible to push out thousands of "fine dining" meals in such a short amount of time. With my "Banquet Quality" expectations ... I am rarely disappointed with anything I get in the MDR, and If I am, I just order something else. Better yet I typically order multiple entrees and starters anyway and usually like at least one thing they bring. :)

 

If you truly want an elevated food experience ... then simply factor an extra $245 into your cruise fare and book the Steakhouse every night for your 7 night carnival cruise -

 

.....And before you start saying that "This line or that line has better food than CCL" ... consider that "those lines" also charge significantly MORE to book your cruise than carnivals fare + $35/day for the steakhouse.

 

Thank you for letting me rant. :)

But doesn't your post actually start another "quality of food" thread? I use a different solution.

I don't read threads that I believe I'll find personally annoying. Works great.

[sanmarcosman]

But, since they seem focused on bringing in the newbies who don't know how it used to be, they will continue to make cuts.

 

I don't disagree with most of what you have said but do know that even Bob D. in his heyday was known for telling his sales and marketing staff that if they relied on repeat business instead of always seeking new business they weren't doing their jobs.

 

Bob's book Selling the Sea tells his sales philosophy and retaining current business wasn't his focus either.

[1threadshort]

you remind me of the couple that was seated next to us on our first cruise, magic, back in 2014. They went on and on, through dinner, complaining that carnival food just wasn't that good, other cruise lines are better. On and on and on. Then they ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts each. After telling me how bad the quality was, i watched this lady eat chicken nuggets and french fries from the kids menu. Then she had ordered 2 creme brulee desserts, ate the topping off each one, left the rest. Her husband ordered two plates of roast beef, ate it then complained it was tough and that they would never pay money for that crap. He only ate one bite of each dessert he ordered. Such a waste of food. They also told us that formal night they both ordered 2-3 lobster tails each so they got their "money" worth.

 

oink! Oink!

[sparks1093]

I disagree, and I don't care for those sayings either. As to complaints being pointless, then why do they do post cruise surveys? If people get service or products that they don't like they should complain, this is the warning to the corporation that there is a problem. If the corporation does not react then people will vote with their dollars and find a different product that does meet their expectation.

 

 

If you like the product, by all means feel free to say so, but I don't understand the attempt to chill the discussion by suggesting that complaints are not going to be heard at all.

 

It's fine to disagree and they are just sayings that people say, quite often without even thinking through all of the "ramifications" of what they are saying. I didn't say that complaints were pointless, I said as long as they are making money, doing things the way that they do them, that they are relatively pointless. Heavy qualifications included in that statement. If you received bad service then yes, you should complain about it- onboard, where it matters. If your food was served cold then yes, you should complain about it- onboard, where it matters. If one spots a pattern (I hardly cruise often enough, yet, for that to apply) then I suppose elevating the complaint to Corporate might be in order but again, they have an acceptable threshold for complaints and as long as that threshold isn't exceeded then it's very likely that nothing will change.

Edited March 10, 2017 by sparks1093

[1threadshort]

No. We can't. Because once we accept lower quality, then we have given up.

Once we accept lower quality, Carnival will lower the quality yet again.

Once we accept lower quality, then the standards will never rise.

 

Do not accept. Complain about the food. Complain about the lack of tablecloths. Complain about cold entrees Complain about the lack of service. Be heard.

 

I will not be complacent with my money. :)

 

I absolutely agree with everything you said. if you don't like something voice your opinion. if I bought a bad piece of meat from my butcher I'd go back and tell him it wasn't very good. so why wouldn't I say something about a cruise that I've spend thousands of dollars on. if I were at a restaurant at home and got bad food I'd say something. so what's the difference here.

 

ive also learned there is no accounting for taste and class. some people are just very complacent. others voice their opinion. I'm tired of being the silent majority especially when I'm paying for it. my husband and I have worked very hard our whole lives. and now is the time for us. have a pleasant trip and don't kiss too many frogs! lol!

[Je Souhaite]

Love reading these boards but so tired of people complaining about the "quality" of the MDR food on Carnival. THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FINE DINING FOOD, people .... Perhaps some people just need to adjust their expectations? I consider the MDR food to be "Banquet Quality" ... which is as good as anyone should expect ... its not possible to push out thousands of "fine dining" meals in such a short amount of time. With my "Banquet Quality" expectations ... I am rarely disappointed with anything I get in the MDR, and If I am, I just order something else. Better yet I typically order multiple entrees and starters anyway and usually like at least one thing they bring. :)

 

If you truly want an elevated food experience ... then simply factor an extra $245 into your cruise fare and book the Steakhouse every night for your 7 night carnival cruise -

 

.....And before you start saying that "This line or that line has better food than CCL" ... consider that "those lines" also charge significantly MORE to book your cruise than carnivals fare + $35/day for the steakhouse.

 

Thank you for letting me rant. :)

 

AH, see? That food that has been moved to the steakhouse was once served in the MDR and was part of your fare.

 

You just ruined your own argument.

[amystarfish]

I just booked a cruise for $147 a night for two people and that includes food. I couldn't go away anywhere else and pay that price. We've always been very happy with the food but we've always been realistic. I once read a review where a lady complained that they served mac n cheese in the MDR and when I finally cruised and had it...it was delicious!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[1threadshort]

I understand that they're working with budget constraints, and that there's a big crowd, and I agree that the food is pretty good but not gourmet by any means. But am I the only one who wishes there was more variety? Sometimes I feel like I'm eating the same thing every night throughout my cruise.

 

when we were on carnival last year I absolutely thought I was eating the same food every night. ya know how you have a roast and you just keep coming up w/new ways to present it.....

[sparks1093]

AH, see? That food that has been moved to the steakhouse was once served in the MDR and was part of your fare.

 

You just ruined your own argument.

 

I don't need food like they have the steakhouse, so why should I pay to have it served in the MDR by paying a higher fare?

[RecoveryDude]

AH, see? That food that has been moved to the steakhouse was once served in the MDR and was part of your fare.

 

You just ruined your own argument.

 

I am not following your logic ... I never said the quality of food in the MDR was "moved" to the steakhouse. The quality in the MDR is the quality. I dont see it any differently than I did when I cruised back in the 80's. It was "banquet quality" then, just as it's Banquet quality NOW. Many people say it's "gone downhill" with cutbacks, I don't really agree. The only thing I miss was the lavish midnight buffets of those early days. (Yes I know about Journeys ... that's a bucket list for me).

 

If anything ... I think the addition of the steakhouse is a GOOD thing, for those who want elevated food. On all of my cruises ... I have NEVER been presented with food like I get in the steakhouse in the MDR.

[krehberg]

AH, see? That food that has been moved to the steakhouse was once served in the MDR and was part of your fare.

 

You just ruined your own argument.

 

Last steakhouse menu I saw, both the NY Strip and Ribeye were prime beef..while they don't say prime for the Filet. Its safe to say, they never served prime beef in the MDR. So you might be 1/2 right...might have same quality filet and same size lobster tail that used to be served..but I don't go to the steakhouse for either of those.

[tjmaher]

Cruised the Pride in May and had NO problems with the food. Enjoyed every meal. Cruise the Oasis in October and was extremely disappointed in their food. NOT a Complainer, but is was not good. Most of the folks were not happy with their new menu. Many folks in the "President's Club" felt that the menu was "lacking" in order to up-sell you to the specialty restaurants. I honestly believe that is a possibility.

[summersigh]

The food is what it is for the price. When you pretend to be something your not, there's a problem. It used to be a large experience, but now is no better than the buffet with servers. I ordered the ribeye and it came as a piece of meat, and a potato on a plate. Simple garnish would do wonders too. A simple solution would be to just change the DR's into buffet's with different styles of food. Skip the whole serving experience all together.

If we had to stand in lines for dinners buffet style that would be a deal breaker for us. The joy of my cruise is being waited on and pampered for the duration. DH was in the US Army and vowed never to stand in a buffet line ever again :D

[1threadshort]

If we had to stand in lines for dinners buffet style that would be a deal breaker for us. The joy of my cruise is being waited on and pampered for the duration. DH was in the US Army and vowed never to stand in a buffet line ever again :D

 

I totally agree w/you. I'm not standing in any line for food. like I said above, there's no accounting for taste or class.