Carnival Food Quality Very Subpar

[Wennfred]

Here’s an example, top picture is Panorama 18 Dec. and the 2nd picture is 13 Nov. if they are out or Mushrooms then don’t serve them. The presentation on other foods in the MDR looked tired and unpleasant.

 

 

[Wennfred]

The Steak house onboard Panorama, a 2 inch filet Mignon over cooked, a small Lobster the size of a shrimp. Compare the portions with the Lime, it looks big but it’s not, I had to Zoom in for that shot.

This isn’t like the past. Their good looking cheese cake had Zero Flavor, I took a small tiny bite to see what my wife was taking about, now I’m thinking we got Covid because there was NO taste. 
 

We went up to the Blue Java Cafe and tried their Cheesecake and it was real. Better cheesecake there then at the freaking Steakhouse.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Wennfred

[Wennfred]

I’m pretty much done with the foods on Carnival, I have a Miracle cruise Feb 6th then a Conquest cruise May 23rd and Magic on Nov 5th, I’m hoping that the foods in the MDR are better there and I will write about them. After that I’m going to try Celebrity. I don’t eat much onboard, on a Keto Diet I’m hardly hungry and I also do One Meal a Day (OMAD) while at home so when I do go on a cruise I expect better.

 

Fred

[sparks1093]

47 minutes ago, Wennfred said:

The point with paying $2000.00 for the week with your family is you have the choice to go to many types of restaurants and have good quality foods, and not forced to eat dog food onboard.

 

Yes you can find something to eat as I did even on a restricted diet but the MDR has gone down big time, 27 cruises since 1983 so I’ve seen the changes.

 

Fred

The complaints of the quality of onboard food quality having dropped since 1983 has probably been lodged against every cruise line.

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, Don Kehote said:

Lou Malnati's > Gino's East > Pequod > Uno > Due > Giordano's.  I am willing to die on this hill.

 
We had some Lou when we were up in the city for a weekend last winter!

 

Paisano’s was the best thin I ever had. Nancy’s is good for stuffed too.

[BlerkOne]

I wonder if the people who find Carnival food to be tasteless have been tested for covid? 🙂

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 12/29/2021 at 1:14 PM, icft said:

Carnival changed something a few years back and ruined their pizza. I have heard that it was a change in the ovens and that makes sense because the change resulted in burnt edges and under cooked centers (like a wet paper towel). 

 

That does not look like any Carnival pizza I have ever seen. Too thick, too much cheese and they have never served me a pizza on a chopping block with a pizza cutter.

I took that picture right after they removed it from the oven and set it on there,

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

The complaints of the quality of onboard food quality having dropped since 1983 has probably been lodged against every cruise line.

That may be very true. However. Royal has excellent food and so does princess compared to Carnival. Far more selections also.

[sparks1093]

Just now, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

That may be very true. However. Royal has excellent food and so does princess compared to Carnival. Far more selections also.

Sorry but I found the food on Royal to be similar to Carnival. A little better in some areas but still about the same overall. 

[Calnev1]

10 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Sorry but I found the food on Royal to be similar to Carnival. A little better in some areas but still about the same overall. 

And I found the MDR food on the RCCL Empress of the Seas to be worse than Carnival.  We ate our last four evening meals aboard the Empress at Johnny Rockets cause their pay-to-eat hamburgers were better than the MDR.  Of course, dining quality varies from ship to ship, even within the same cruise line.  And someone above was saying that Princess pizza was better than Carnival.  Again, disagree.  we have been on many Princess cruises, and I avoid their pizza.  On one Princess cruise, I took a bite of pizza and literally spit it out.  I don't know what that cheese-looking-product was, but it WASNT CHEESE.  And then I noticed no one else was ordering or eating the pizza.  I am sure that they made some positive change after that.

[Wennfred]

I guess it’s hit & miss anywhere you go.

[KmomChicago]

43 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Sorry but I found the food on Royal to be similar to Carnival. A little better in some areas but still about the same overall. 

Agreed.

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, KmomChicago said:

 
We had some Lou when we were up in the city for a weekend last winter!

 

Paisano’s was the best thin I ever had. Nancy’s is good for stuffed too.

DH, my 2 DDs and I chowed down at Lou Malnati's while in Chicago.  A pizza big enough for 6 and we got a salad as well.  Yum!!

[SNJCruisers]

Food is always subjective when it comes to comparing the MDR's of Carnival, RCI and NCL.  One area that NCL excels at is the 24 hour pub that is available on their breakaway and breakaway plus class ships.  On the other hand, Carnival blows away all of the lines with their various non buffet options at lunchtime, even more so with the added choices on the Mardi Gras.

[dave_k58]

3 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Sorry but I found the food on Royal to be similar to Carnival. A little better in some areas but still about the same overall. 

I think the food on Princess was more alike than different to Carnival food. Portions were absolutely tiny on Princess. The difference was the atmosphere in the dining room was better.

[CruiseHealing]

We have cruised 3 times this year (started on Horizon July 4th).  We were disappointed that it’s the same menu as pre-pandemic.  Really?  Carnival you have had your ships anchored at sea for over a year and your chefs could not come up with new menus dishes?????  
 

Here is another thing Carnival should consider; a Signature dishes just for that particular ship.  Not for the fleet.  So let’s say the Carnival Sunshine has a delicious shrimp / risotto on elegant night.  That ship would be the only ship offering that signature dish.  So this would make passengers more loyal to Carnival and particular ships.
 

 

[KmomChicago]

21 minutes ago, CruiseHealing said:

We have cruised 3 times this year (started on Horizon July 4th).  We were disappointed that it’s the same menu as pre-pandemic.  Really?  Carnival you have had your ships anchored at sea for over a year and your chefs could not come up with new menus dishes?????  
 

Here is another thing Carnival should consider; a Signature dishes just for that particular ship.  Not for the fleet.  So let’s say the Carnival Sunshine has a delicious shrimp / risotto on elegant night.  That ship would be the only ship offering that signature dish.  So this would make passengers more loyal to Carnival and particular ships.
 

 

They used to do Ports of Call which were sorta like that.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, CruiseHealing said:

We have cruised 3 times this year (started on Horizon July 4th).  We were disappointed that it’s the same menu as pre-pandemic.  Really?  Carnival you have had your ships anchored at sea for over a year and your chefs could not come up with new menus dishes?????  
 

Here is another thing Carnival should consider; a Signature dishes just for that particular ship.  Not for the fleet.  So let’s say the Carnival Sunshine has a delicious shrimp / risotto on elegant night.  That ship would be the only ship offering that signature dish.  So this would make passengers more loyal to Carnival and particular ships.
 

 

I am sure you are aware that they were locked down during that time and then repatriating their crew to their home countries.  Also that everyone still on ships was working to do every single thing possible to get back to sailing.  

[BlerkOne]

Hoping to get some of that delicious food tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

 

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Hoping to get some of that delicious food tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

 

sorry if this was already mentioned, what cruise are you embarking on?  TIA!

[BlerkOne]

13 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

sorry if this was already mentioned, what cruise are you embarking on?  TIA!

 

Maybe...

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

9 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

That may be very true. However. Royal has excellent food and so does princess compared to Carnival. Far more selections also.

 

I have to disagree. Of the 18 cruises I've been on, I found Royal Caribbean to have the worst MDR food. Granted, I have not been on an Oasis class ship, so my experience may be different than others. 

 

In terms of MDR, Carnival used to be in line with and maybe a hare above Disney. I understand that Disney has made great strides in recent years (cruise line used to be behind the theme parks in terms of food quality), while Carnival has floundered. Royal had beautiful dining rooms, but the food was very underwhelming. 

 

In terms of extra charge specialty dining, Disney gets the nod for Palo, with NCL's specialty dining in 2nd, Royal Caribbean in 3rd, and Carnival last, with the weak point being Cucina del Capitano. 

 

Buffet quality goes to Disney, while variety (including the various concepts on the pool decks) goes to Carnival. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean had similar buffet experiences, but both were sub-par in quality. 

 

Just my opinion. 

 

[IntrepidFromDC]

11 hours ago, Wennfred said:

Here’s an example, top picture is Panorama 18 Dec. and the 2nd picture is 13 Nov. if they are out or Mushrooms then don’t serve them. The presentation on other foods in the MDR looked tired and unpleasant.

 

 

Dec. 18 stuffed mushroom looks much more appetizing.  Just order 4!

[smellywax]

Again, I have cruises many times over the years with Carnival and I can tell the taste and quality had gone downhill. I did not eat from the buffets but dinners in the main dining room on the panorama this week lacked taste and our group of 8 did not care for most. It was cafeteria tasting food. The steakhouse was a disappointment this time. Steaks were super thin with a lot of gristle hard stuff in rib eye and the filet mignon cooked down to nothing. The bernaise sauce was gross this time as well. This didn’t ruin our cruise but we used to enjoy the dining room much more and the steak house. Service everywhere was top notch.

[Pellaz]

14 hours ago, Calnev1 said:

And I found the MDR food on the RCCL Empress of the Seas to be worse than Carnival.  We ate our last four evening meals aboard the Empress at Johnny Rockets cause their pay-to-eat hamburgers were better than the MDR.  Of course, dining quality varies from ship to ship, even within the same cruise line.  

 

Agreed.  I sailed on two of Royal's Freedom class ships and was extremely underwhelmed by the MDR food.  One night, I asked for two entrees and the waiter looked at me like I'd grown two heads, shocked that I would dare to ask for two entrees at dinner.   Maybe the food was so sub-par because they were charter cruises?   I dunno.

 

I was also shocked at how few free/included total dining options there are on those ships -- and Freedom-class are NOT small ships.  Buffet, Promenade Cafe, Sorrento's Pizza (blech), MDR for dinner...   I think that's it.   Johnny Rocket's, Chops, and Giovanni's Table are all fee-extra.  😞   

Heck, even Carnival's much-smaller Fantasy-class ships have about as many options now, since they have added Guy's and Blue Iguana Cantina to them.  

Edited December 31, 2021 by Pellaz
renamed Italian restaurant