Too much of a good thing..

[Sky Sweet]

When people complain about the lack of variety between cruises, I wonder if that is a problem of cruising too frequently. Since we only take one cruise a year, I can barely remember the menu from another cruise. All we really care about is the quality and presentation of our food. One of the reasons why we only take one cruise a year, and several land vacations in between them, is so that cruising will always be special to us.

[ocngypz]

As they say, familiarity breeds contempt.

 

However, with the exception of some new pasta dishes.. the menus really haven't been overhauled since 1998.

 

That is tooooooooooooooo long.

[superjerryw]

If people complain about the lack of variety between cruises, why do they continune to cruise. If it's so bad, why don't they take a different type of vacation. I think these people just like to complain.

[teedee]

I try for 2 or 3 cruises a year & never get tired of it. Even though they haven't changed the menus there are my favorites or different things to try every cruise. I used to take more land vacations but the more I cruise the more I want to cruise!

Terri

[ahoughton]

I have been on 14 cruises. Went on 4 in 8 months and the only complaint I have is I can't find another fast enough.

[Longboysfan]

The only thing I remember is Lobster Tail night.

[barbels]

Our last cruise on X was the Zenith in June. It was our 7th X cruise in 7 years with a Rennaisance cruise thrown into the mix. Our wonderful waiter would come to the table to describe the dishes every night and every night I would say "I know. This is my seventh trip with the same menu."

 

Don't misunderstand, the food was good as ever and I was pleased to see my children and their significant others enjoy it as much as I did. However, when it came time to chose our January cruise this year, I saw that X had no 10 day cruise on a Millie class ship in the Carribean in 2006. I didn't want to cruise on the Mexican Pacific because I've been to most of those towns and the water and beaches don't come close to being as good as those in the Carribbean.

 

A number of my friends were saying good things about the Norwegian Dawn which is based in New York, so we decided to book a 10 day cruise. No airport hassles, no worrying about flying weather. Great. NYC to St Thomas in 2 and 1/2 days!

 

That aspect of the cruise was wonderful. But except for the indoor pool in the spa almost nothing else on the cruise was. The food was so so- even in the extra cost Le Bistro. There was no filet mignon served in the main dining rooms and no rack of lamb. There was never any smoked salmon in the breakfast buffet and no fresh pineapple anywhere on the ship. I have noticed that smoked salmon is apperaing less and less frequently on Celebrity's buffet- but never! One night I made the mistake of ordering oxtail stew for my main course; the little meat in it was fatty and gristly. I couldn't get the waiter's attention to bring me a substitute because he was nowhere to be seen.

 

When we were docked in San Juan, sunning on our balcony we watched the Infinity pull into its berth. "I want to be on that ship," I moaned. I wish Celebrity would base a ship in NYC year round, but since they don't, we'll probably be on the Connie which is doing a 10 day out of Ft Lauderdale.

 

I enjoyed the Dawn cruise, but I never once felt pampered and I didn't mind debarking the last day. Most times I feel like they'll have to carry me off a Celebrity ship protesting all the way.

 

So a liitle thing like the menus not changing for 7 years doesn't bother me now. I just hope that the new menus don't eliminate rack of lamb.

[DavidLloyd]

Barbels - In January we did our 4th Celebrity cruise - I've never been on any other line. I'm frequently tempted to try another brand, but your comments are what I need to remember until the day comes when we can try RSSC or one of the other super-premiums. You just can't beat the general tenor of a Celebrity ship and service. Anything else would be a compromise.

David

[catmand]

With all the choices, we still have several things on our cruise "to-do" list. I doubt we will ever get tired of anything.

[Gypsea]

and three more other NCL's I have to say that I have never noticed a huge difference in the food quality. Perhaps, the ten nighter somehow lacks the quality of the seven but I was fine with my meals except the Mexican meal in La Salsa. As for the extra cost dining, I did not partake but heard raves about Le Bistro. You must have appreciated the $32 million art collection there of the French Impressionists, didn't you? You didn't mention it. I think to be a fair judge you may have to give NCL another try. I absolutely love it. But your number one will always be your number one. Nothing will change that most likely. There is lots to do on NCL though and I have always found the staff to be very attentive. Of course, I also love Celebrity and look forward to my first on the "C" class which will be my fourth with this line. It is a slightly more mature crowd and maybe less to do at night but that's okay. I do appreciate the champagne and cold towels and all the things that makes X famous but I love NCL for their non-stop fun.

 

One thing I will say for all of the Celebrity execs who may be monitoring..most lines are missing out on the northeast sailings cuz we NEEEEEEEED more ships up here sailing to the warm climates year round. That's my opinion as a New England agent who really suffers in this weather. People could or would sail if they didn't have to fly either because of the extra cost or because they don't like flying.

[98Charlie]

DH & I hve averaged 4 cruises a year since 2003 and have cruised 4 different cruise lines and sailed only two ships twice. Have never felt we have received the ``same old, same old.'' Each cruise has been different and delightful for us, but then we're people who love to make our own adventure on each sailing.

 

IMHO, if you expect the cruise line to make your cruise, then you might get disappointed cruising the same line or even multiple lines very often.

 

We prefer to think of the cruise line as a means of transportation to make our cruise dream come true. Don't care if the menus in the dining room don'w change between cruises. Don't care if the CD isn't up to our liking or the entertainment isn't to our liking.

 

We're on vacation, far from home with the blue seas below us and a star-studded sky above it. How much better can it get?:D

 

Dianne

[Gypsea]

Amen, Dianne!! How can cruising be bad? Other than being addictive, that is.

[tuggers]

As a Serial Cruiser with over 30 cruises in two years, mostly on X but some other lines thrown in, I must say that I continue to feel that X is where I want to be. Yes, the menus are the same, but don't you have favorite restaurants where you tend to have the same things no matter what they put on the menu? Especially if you are only doing 1 to 4 cruises a year, you get tired of having the same thing 4 times a year? Well, not me!

 

I'm leaving in a few minutes for lunch and the places I will choose from are a Chinese restaurant where I have basically the same thing each time (egg drop soup, egg roll, sesame chicken and fried rice) a small mom and pop (fried chicken, mashed, homemade biscuits) or Subway (hot ham and cheese). Oh and one place that has barbq and sweet potato fries. I eat one or all of those things several times a month and I'm not tired of it yet.

 

Cruising to me is still special, no matter how many times I go. I love it and I'm addicted!!!:D

[howard6933]

The old saying goes, "variety is the spice of life". I've been on 42 cruises with 14 different cruise lines and 36 different ships. Some of the cruises have been great, some good, and none in my opinion have been BAD. I always have a good time and I enjoy seeing the difference in the way each cruise lines does things and even how ships in the same cruise lines do their thing. Last december I was on Costa Mediterranea, and this year I'm booked on Carnival Valor, Diamond Princess, and Norwegian Jewel. So, don't get stuck on one cruise line.......give several of them a shot and if you don't have a good time on a cruise, it's your own fault. :rolleyes:

[98Charlie]

Amen, Dianne!! How can cruising be bad? Other than being addictive, that is.

 

Addicted to cruising? Not really - we'd do more land vacations if we could travel to as many countries and islands in a week or two as cheaply and as quickly as we can through a cruise.

 

We've done the land vacations by car - in the states and Europe. Loved every minute of those vacations. DH & I are getting a bit older now and just enjoy knowing we can get to the cruise ship, unpack once, and then sail off to foreign lands while the driving is up to someone else.

 

Will travel by cruise ship as long as we can. Not ready for bus tours yet. We don't even like to take excursions by bus at ports of call. Have taken a couple of them, not our bag. We just like to strike out on our own at the port - visit a central market, maybe hire a taxi to take us somewhere we have read about - and then end our day at a local eatery or a quiet family bar imbibing a local beer and learning more about life from the people who live on those islands.

 

Dianne

[albertiger]

30 cruises in 2 years???:confused: i smell i misprint or you're a VERY busy girl!:D

[98Charlie]

Just wanted to put in my 2 cents here for all the great info you have posted on these boards. I do enjoy your input and regard them highly when Gwynn & I are looking for a future cruise.

 

We have never sailed together but hope some day we will.

 

Of anyone I could think of who epitimizes the addage ``variety is the spice of life,'' it would be you.

 

Dianne

[excitedofharpenden]

Well I'm with others on this one. 'I know what I like and I like what I know'. I don't think I would get bored with what the menus have to offer as I have enjoyed the food on the cruises I have been on and could eat them again and again (especially the beef tournedos and any dessert that has the word "chocolate" in it). Being on the sea and eating with a great group of tablemates is enough for me.

 

I have to ask Sky Sweet. You start a lot of polls and threads about what people prefer on a cruise. Are you writing a book on preferences or are you just nosey?;)

 

Phil

[tuggers]

No misprint. I think the number is around 34 or 35 counting all lines. Yes, it has been a busy but enjoyable couple of years!:)

 

98 Charlie, well thanks for those kind words. One thing I have in abundance are opinions :D and I'm always glad to share them!!

[98Charlie]

Regarding Tuggers: No, that's not a miss print. She can do it and has. Just read her posts.

 

Phil: I hope someday to sail with you as well. I still have an opened jar of Marmite in my refrigerator to hand over.:D

 

Dianne

[excitedofharpenden]

Phil: I hope someday to sail with you as well. I still have an opened jar of Marmite in my refrigerator to hand over.:D

 

Dianne

Hi Dianne. I hope you and Gwynn are both well. I forgot the Marmite on my list, but I don't think Michel Roux "does" Marmite, so I may have a long wait:)

 

Phil

[98Charlie]

Hi Dianne. I hope you and Gwynn are both well. I forgot the Marmite on my list, but I don't think Michel Roux "does" Marmite, so I may have a long wait:)

 

Phil

 

Maybe I'll just take this jar on our X cruise next week and ask the chefs to something that will surprise us!:D

 

Dianne

[gkm]

When I find something I like, I enjoy exeriencing it over and over. I love cruising, and I love the food served on the menu. There's such a wide variety of choices that I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. I only cruise a couple of times a year and I have favorite dishes that I look forward to ordering. I'd be disappointed if they were removed from the menu.

 

My DH and I go out to dinner on Friday nights, and we usually get the same order weekly. We enjoy it and look forward to having it every week.

 

Dianne, it's good to see you! We've missed you over on the Owls. Please come and say hello.

 

Garry

[excitedofharpenden]

Maybe I'll just take this jar on our X cruise next week and ask the chefs to something that will surprise us!:D

 

Dianne

I've thought of one! Marmite Surprise. Petite Maison de Fromage avec Marmite, legumes du jour et champignons sautee. Then again, that's not much of a surprise now, is it?:D

 

Phil

[98Charlie]

I've thought of one! Marmite Surprise. Petite Maison de Fromage avec Marmite, legumes du jour et champignons sautee. Then again, that's not much of a surprise now, is it?:D

 

Phil

 

Maybe it is to me. Only French I speak is ``we, we'' and I'm not sure what that really means.

 

Maybe I'll just ask the chef to come up with a Marmite sauce to enhance my American hamburger and fries. Would be something different.:D

 

Dianne