Quantity vs Quality (Food)

[ante2001]

very good point

[molsonschooner]

Inside on Navigator of the Seas for Spring Break. I've travelled in all types of accommodations and don't usually get value from outside rooms. If it's just me and my special someone it may be worth the balcony but this one is my son and I - don't expect to be in the room for anything other than sleep and shower.

 

So,, are you saying that your son is not special., lol

[ante2001]

So,, are you saying that your son is not special., lol

Lol ......I got a kick out of your response

[ONECRUISER]

You get what you pay for, the per diem on cruising is much, much cheaper today than it used to be. I booked a 9 night cruise at $52/day pp. That's an awesome deal for 3 hots and a cot plus entertainment. I "upgrade" my experience by paying for the Deluxe Beverage & Dining pkgs at about $64/day pp. So, my cruise winds up running about $116/day pp and I get a fantastic all inclusive experience of quality and quantity at a fantastic rate.

You got that right. Would people pay double what they pay now? A 7 night cruise in the smallest deck 2 cabin with a tiny Port Hole cost $3400+ 30 years ago. I'll keep what I have today and cruise 43-50+ nights a yr... Can't confirm other ships but on Serenade the Wind Jammer dinner had great food and more selection then the past...

[ante2001]

You got that right. Would people pay double what they pay now? A 7 night cruise in the smallest deck 2 cabin with a tiny Port Hole cost $3400+ 30 years ago. I'll keep what I have today and cruise 43-50+ nights a yr... Can't confirm other ships but on Serenade the Wind Jammer dinner had great food and more selection then the past...

So as long as you can find really low rates,it doesnt matter if the food quality goes down.

[rukkian]

So as long as you can find really low rates,it doesnt matter if the food quality goes down.

Obviously, there are limits to where it is not edible, but right now there are plenty of options. You get go with the free food, and a relatively cheap room, or you can still get the cheap room and spend on specialty (the UDP makes it pretty affordable).

 

I personally like having options, and don't find the food horrible.

 

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[ante2001]

I guess my point is .....when I went on my honeymoon 20 years ago,the cruise fare was a really good rate and the food was amazing.(midnight buffets ,cherry jubilee ,free room service etc...Now its seems that as long as we get a decent cruise fare,,,we will settle for average food choices.

[rukkian]

I guess my point is .....when I went on my honeymoon 20 years ago,the cruise fare was a really good rate and the food was amazing.(midnight buffets ,cherry jubilee ,free room service etc...Now its seems that as long as we get a decent cruise fare,,,we will settle for average food choices.

 

I highly doubt unless you got an incredible rate that what you paid 20 years ago was even close to comparable to today, especially when you figure in all of the amenities you now get compared to back then. I know our honeymoon (21 years ago) was way more per day (like double) for a tiny room with a porthole that you had to stand on a chair to see out of. Was the food better - probably, but we were also bored during the cruise because there was not that much to do. We ended up sitting playing cards a couple of nights.

[Dinkachu]

Quality over quantity would be my choice.

[Joebucks]

Everyone says quality over quantity, but I do not agree that this is what most really want. What I believe the true to be is a balance of quantity and quality.

 

Your fanciest of restaurants generally have a very small menu with high-quality food. How many people would want to be confined to a cruise ship with a small menu to choose from every day? People want their choices. They want their loads of pizza, burgers, desserts, appetizers, entrees, breakfast items, and on and on. Does it have to be the best burger you've ever eaten? No. Would most people be satisfied with above average quality with high quantity? Absolutely.

 

We can compare to how cruises "used to be" 20 years ago. We can also compare how everything was 20 years ago. Lots has changed. There's no one stopping another company from offering 5-star dinners on affordable cruises. Maybe that is not what the market really wants?

[Hop77]

I went for my first RC cruise this Feb on the mariner of the seas. Before embankment, I read about poor food quality and brace myself for it. However, I love what was being offered at the buffet and the promenade cafe, the soft serve and hot dogs at the pool side were lovely as well. I don't find anything amiss. I only went to the MDR once and I dislike it as I find waiting to be serve is a waste of time plus almost what was being offered on the MDR can be found in the buffet. Of course, since I am from Asian and food offered on the cruise ship is usually not what we eat day to day. I am from a socially more humble background, those food are considered as luxury diet. With the price I am paying, I have nothing to complain about. Nothing at all. I guess I am different.

[travelplus]

Quality all the way. I would rather order seconds of a quality dish than to waste a poor tasting dish.

 

In culinary school they teach you that quality over quantity always wins for us Foodies

 

At Chops I would rather have a juicy 8 OZ Fillet Mignon over a leather dry 12 OZ NY Strip steak. The sides and dessert are more than enough.

 

A good $100 Kobe Wagyu beef that is 4 OZ over a $75 8 OZ Fillet Mignon is worth paying more for the quality.

 

I hate to tell you this but the European method of ordering 5 or 6 dishes and sharing is better than the American mentality of quantity.

 

My Father and I prefer the MDR but will go to the Windjammer on days the MDR is closed for lunch.

[yuvraj]

The consensus is less choice and better quality. That is fine if you like mainstream, popular menu options. One would assume menu would be designed to suit the vast majority. Not helpful, however if you don't fall into mainstream groups.

 

We choose RCI because it offers a broad range of menu choices that suits the broadest group of people possible. Including those who don't eat red meat, seafood or something else. Can't cater for all tastes and limitation but it is good to feel included. The food quality is not always amazing but it is perfectly ok IMO.

 

Just to turn this on its head, how would the steak eaters feel if beef was no longer on the menu as part of reduced choice, higher quality initiative.

[SRF]

We can compare to how cruises "used to be" 20 years ago. We can also compare how everything was 20 years ago. Lots has changed. There's no one stopping another company from offering 5-star dinners on affordable cruises. Maybe that is not what the market really wants?

 

But what would they give up to get 5 star meals?

 

Cruise lines are businesses. They operate to make money. So if they increase quality or service level or even quantity, that cost has be be offset by reductions in other areas, or higher prices.

 

People want a 5-star experience, but are not willing to pay 5-star prices, in general. But if you want a 5-star cruise, don't cruise on the mass market lines. This is the market of the luxury lines.

[newcruzer2]

For the people saying quality- what would reducing quantity look like? Not serving breakfast, lunch? Maybe not have anything other than meals? What exactly would you suggest? If you just say quantity vs quality in a bubble, I think everybody says quality. There are already plenty of people that complain about no midnight buffets, no great options in the middle of the night, limited hours at what, etc.

 

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I agree, it's easy to say quality ' in theory', however once the cruise lines reduced our options Back to just mdr and buffet, they would then slowly begin cutting quality again.

I don't do on cruises for the food. And would MUCH rather have the Johnny rockets /park cafe /mini bites ... In order to have choices, even if they Do taste like gas station food LOL

[island lady]

As far as the quantity issue: I don't cruise just to eat, there is food everywhere...we don't go hungry. We go expecting the type of food you get with mass production...then are happily surprised when we get something of better quality. ;)

 

The one thing I find silly is the pax that seem to think they have to pile mountains of food on their plate at the buffet. The food will still be there, they really don't have to take it all at once...if they are still hungry, go for seconds. :rolleyes:

 

Then unfortunately you see some of those same people leave half or more of their food on the plate...such a waste. :(

[CRZR58]

I always find it funny when people pile a ton of food on their plates in the buffet then complain that it wasn't hot enough. Take a bit and go back for more. That's what a buffet is supposed to be all about.

 

As for the original question. Quality beats quantity every time for us. I'd rather have 3 good courses than 4 or 5 mediocre courses. A good small steak over a larger lower quality one.

 

A small menu doesn't have to mean very little choice because the menu can change from day to day. It doesn't have to be more expensive to provide better food. Just take the savings from the bigger meals and apply them to better, smaller, meals.

 

Food is one of the biggest things for us on a cruise. We don't want plentiful burgers, hot dogs, soft serve ice cream, fast food pizzas or chain restaurants. We're not looking for the 'Olive Garden At Sea' experience. We're looking for the good restaurant at sea experience. That doesn't exist in the RCI, Carnival or Celebrity world anymore, unless you are willing to pay large up charges. Even then...

[ReneeFLL]

Fewer choices, higher quality.

[island lady]

Fewer choices, higher quality.

 

Actually many ships have already instituted a new menu in the MDR. More streamlined, easier to read, but fewer choices.

[traveltilidrop]

Omg

Cherries Jubilee.was so good

They made it right at your table on RCI Viking Serenade in 1993 (many moons ago).

[Siora7777]

I want both, and that's not too much to ask. Royal has the worst food of all the 5 lines I've cruised. There's not one thing I look forward to eating. On all the other lines there are things I love and look forward to.

 

I'm not a picky eater and I won't go hungry but Carnival has better food IMO. I really enjoyed the food on my last Carnival cruise.

 

When I cruise royal I keep my expectations low. I'm definitely not going for the food.

[kingoftheicedragons]

I don't like how this was phrased as quality versus quantity.

 

I will say that I want as many options as possible. And to be honest with you, if I'm presented with five choices, all of which sound sort of boring, I'm already going to be disappointed, regardless of how good the food is. And, if I'm disappointed with my choices to begin with, I'm not going to have a favorable opinion, no matter how good the food is, I'm not going to leave going, "oh that was the best boring food I ever had." Just not going to happen. So in essence, if someone asked me how the food was after I got back from the cruise, my response would be "it was good, I guess."

 

On the other hand, if I have food that I'm excited about--give me eight choices, and there is food that sounds interesting and different, and maybe three things that I think sounds good, I'm going to be happy about it, and that happiness/excitement is going to carry over onto my perception of the taste and quality of the food. If one of the things I choose one night isn't the greatest despite sounding good, chances of that happening every night is slim. Then when I get back and talk about the food, and think about the food following the cruise, I'm going to be much more upbeat about it, and talking up the food as one of my favorite parts of the cruise.

[ante2001]

I always find it funny when people pile a ton of food on their plates in the buffet then complain that it wasn't hot enough. Take a bit and go back for more. That's what a buffet is supposed to be all about.

 

As for the original question. Quality beats quantity every time for us. I'd rather have 3 good courses than 4 or 5 mediocre courses. A good small steak over a larger lower quality one.

 

A small menu doesn't have to mean very little choice because the menu can change from day to day. It doesn't have to be more expensive to provide better food. Just take the savings from the bigger meals and apply them to better, smaller, meals.

 

Food is one of the biggest things for us on a cruise. We don't want plentiful burgers, hot dogs, soft serve ice cream, fast food pizzas or chain restaurants. We're not looking for the 'Olive Garden At Sea' experience. We're looking for the good restaurant at sea experience. That doesn't exist in the RCI, Carnival or Celebrity world anymore, unless you are willing to pay large up charges. Even then...

Very well said............

[icsys]

As for the original question. Quality beats quantity every time for us. I'd rather have 3 good courses than 4 or 5 mediocre courses. A good small steak over a larger lower quality one.

 

A small menu doesn't have to mean very little choice because the menu can change from day to day. It doesn't have to be more expensive to provide better food. Just take the savings from the bigger meals and apply them to better, smaller, meals.

 

Food is one of the biggest things for us on a cruise. We don't want plentiful burgers, hot dogs, soft serve ice cream, fast food pizzas or chain restaurants. We're not looking for the 'Olive Garden At Sea' experience. We're looking for the good restaurant at sea experience. That doesn't exist in the RCI, Carnival or Celebrity world anymore, unless you are willing to pay large up charges. Even then...

There is nothing wrong with the burgers, ice cream, fast food and pizzas, they are ok for snacks if you are feeling a little hungry, but you are spot on about the 'good restaurant at sea' experience.

Our first RCI cruise was on the Grandeur and the MDR had that 'WOW' about it. Now that wow seems to have gone.

It could be that after a dozen cruises we have gotten used to the same food, but shouldn't any cruise line strive to continue to wow?

 

If you watch this RCI Press Center video you could be forgiven for thinking that is what the chef's strive for at every seating.

Yes, they strive for consistency across each seating. However consistency on its own is not the key, consistent quality day after day, sailing after sailing, should be the key driver.

 

Guest feedback plays a strong part in what dishes are served, tweaked and perfected, and no doubt the quality too. At least that is what it says on the Press Center link above.

How many cruisers score the MDR food a ten when it perhaps is not?

Edited March 8, 2018 by icsys

[katiel53]

I'd rather quality over quantity any day. If Royal Caribbean had people pay extra if they ate more than 1 app, entree and dessert, it would be easy to provide better quality for everyone. I have seen so many posts where people brag about how many lobster tails they have eaten at one sitting, how they order at least 2 entrees nightly etc.

 

I know my view will cause lots of people to be angry, but in order for those to have all they want plus some, quality is lower.