No Rotating Menu

[cruzsnooze]

    NCL is debuting a new concept whereby the main dining room menu will be the same. They give multiple reasons why this is a benefit but I'm not so sure. It is a money saver no doubt. On a longer cruise I think I wouldn't like it but on a week or 10 days perhaps it would be okay. 

   My thought is that if something goes over with an effective cost costing measure on any mass market cruise line the others will follow which would include Princess.  Any thoughts about this kind of change?

 

Norwegian Cruise Line on Tuesday will announce that the main included-in-the-fare restaurant on its soon-to-debut Norwegian Prima won’t offer a 14-day rotation of changing menus, as is typical for main dining rooms on cruise ships. Instead, it’ll offer a fixed menu of dishes that stays the same from night to night. 

[azbirdmom]

It could improve quality and consistency if done right and I would hope they would have some regional dishes based on the cruise itinerary.  If the current supply chain issues persist though, it might be a problem to have a consistent menu.

[jwattle]

17 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

    NCL is debuting a new concept whereby the main dining room menu will be the same. They give multiple reasons why this is a benefit but I'm not so sure. It is a money saver no doubt. On a longer cruise I think I wouldn't like it but on a week or 10 days perhaps it would be okay. 

   My thought is that if something goes over with an effective cost costing measure on any mass market cruise line the others will follow which would include Princess.  Any thoughts about this kind of change?

 

Norwegian Cruise Line on Tuesday will announce that the main included-in-the-fare restaurant on its soon-to-debut Norwegian Prima won’t offer a 14-day rotation of changing menus, as is typical for main dining rooms on cruise ships. Instead, it’ll offer a fixed menu of dishes that stays the same from night to night. 

Not a fan; one of the things that we enjoy is the variety. I see why they might do it, but...no.

[Ombud]

So cheese & mushroom quiche would be every night or not at all??

 

Assume lobster would be a charge only 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Ombud

[JimmyVWine]

All depends on how many things are offered.  The PCL menu is quite limited each night, but the rotation makes up for that.  But if you took all 7 daily menus from a 7 day cruise and combined them into a single menu, eliminating certain overlap or similar dishes, the menu might not look too bad to you. A menu that had three meat options (two beef and one lamb), two chicken options, two fish options and three pasta options for example, wouldn't be too bad over the course of a week to 10 days.  I think the tendency here is to imagine a single current Princess menu being offered every day, and I seriously doubt that is what NCL contemplates.    

[cruzsnooze]

Assuming it is rolled out I would miss the Goat Cheese Soufflé the most. I would have to think real hard about my 28 day cruise if something like this takes off.

[memoak]

If this going to be a new thing for cruise lines I am going to be glad I book club class

[JimmyVWine]

2 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Assuming it is rolled out I would miss the Goat Cheese Soufflé the most. I would have to think real hard about my 28 day cruise if something like this takes off.

But you are assuming that if PCL went this way, they wouldn't put that dish on the menu.  I'm thinking the reverse.  The tried and true favorites would be available every day, as is the Love Boat Dream and fettuccini Alfredo now.

[pms4104]

So, if you're not pleased with the first night's menu, you won't like the offerings the rest of the trip.  Bleh.

[cruzsnooze]

7 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

 I think the tendency here is to imagine a single current Princess menu being offered every day, and I seriously doubt that is what NCL contemplates.    

That's what NCL is doing. I hope their menu is expanded so you can find variety if on a 14 day cruise. 

 

Sommer told TPG that the new fixed-menu concept will roll out to the main dining rooms across the Norwegian fleet in 2023 — assuming it is well received on Norwegian Prima.

[Steelers36]

34 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

    NCL is debuting a new concept whereby the main dining room menu will be the same. They give multiple reasons why this is a benefit but I'm not so sure. It is a money saver no doubt. On a longer cruise I think I wouldn't like it but on a week or 10 days perhaps it would be okay. 

   My thought is that if something goes over with an effective cost costing measure on any mass market cruise line the others will follow which would include Princess.  Any thoughts about this kind of change?

 

Norwegian Cruise Line on Tuesday will announce that the main included-in-the-fare restaurant on its soon-to-debut Norwegian Prima won’t offer a 14-day rotation of changing menus, as is typical for main dining rooms on cruise ships. Instead, it’ll offer a fixed menu of dishes that stays the same from night to night. 

Ugh.  Never had plans to sail NCL and hope PCL and sister lines do not follow suit (well, IDC what they do on Carnival as no plans to go on them either).

Boring is the word that comes to mind - unless it is a very large menu.

[cruzsnooze]

5 minutes ago, memoak said:

If this going to be a new thing for cruise lines I am going to be glad I book club class

What would that accomplish?  Club class is outstanding for the service  with no wait. They have the same menu and the MDR with one extra dish which sometimes isn't really extra like a Caesar salad which is on the every day menu. I think it would push me to do the buffet for dinner once in a while and a specialty restaurant.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

12 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

All depends on how many things are offered.  The PCL menu is quite limited each night, but the rotation makes up for that.  But if you took all 7 daily menus from a 7 day cruise and combined them into a single menu, eliminating certain overlap or similar dishes, the menu might not look too bad to you. A menu that had three meat options (two beef and one lamb), two chicken options, two fish options and three pasta options for example, wouldn't be too bad over the course of a week to 10 days.  I think the tendency here is to imagine a single current Princess menu being offered every day, and I seriously doubt that is what NCL contemplates.    

I like your way of thinking. If they took all seven daily menus from a seven day cruise and combined them into one single menu then that would be awesome.

[JimmyVWine]

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

1. That's what NCL is doing.

2. I hope their menu is expanded so you can find variety if on a 14 day cruise. 

These two things are contradictory.  Either NCL is going to roll out a menu that looks like a current PCL single day menu, or it is going to roll out an expanded menu.  Logic dictates that it will be the latter.  There is no way that any cruise line would make passengers choose all week from a single menu that looks anything like what a current PCL single day menu looks like.  Any non-rotating menu is going to be three times as vast as a typical Princess Tuesday night menu.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

10 minutes ago, memoak said:

If this going to be a new thing for cruise lines I am going to be glad I book club class

Why?

[cruzsnooze]

5 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

These two things are contradictory.  Either NCL is going to roll out a menu that looks like a current PCL single day menu, or it is going to roll out an expanded menu.  Logic dictates that it will be the latter.  There is no way that any cruise line would make passengers choose all week from a single menu that looks anything like what a current PCL single day menu looks like.  Any non-rotating menu is going to be three times as vast as a typical Princess Tuesday night menu.

  If they make it three times as vast they won't accomplish their goal to save money. NCL states they will have a pasta bar with 24 combinations. That could mean just one pasta with 23 different ways to add a topping or sauce, like sauce and mushrooms. cheese and capers, not really as vast as it sounds. They claim that passengers don't eat but a few meals at the included main dining rooms anymore and skip around to the specialty ones (at a cost). 

  It's all speculation right now (if it goes over and other ships follow )   but interesting to see and watch results of a single menu every night. When it happens on NCL I'm sure lots of CCer's will post that menu. 

[Lady Arwen]

7 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Why?

I wondered the same thing.  Club class uses the same MDR menu with one or two little “Chef’s Addition”, which is nothing really special.  I hope this person isn’t expecting an entirely different and more upscale menu.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Just now, Lady Arwen said:

I wondered the same thing.  Club class uses the same MDR menu with one or two little “Chef’s Addition”, which is nothing really special.  I hope this person isn’t expecting an entirely different and more upscale menu.

It sounds like they may be expecting something special. I hope they’re not disappointed.

[Kmkub]

Shouldn't this be in the NCL forum?

[patrickmoran]

I don't think this will be P thing. NCL large ships have more dining options than P's ships. As NCL reported, the average NCL cruiser only eats in the MDR twice on a cruise. A lot of their sales include specialty dining options. Thus a menu with say 8-10 entrees would work. On P, not so much

[memoak]

28 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

What would that accomplish?  Club class is outstanding for the service  with no wait. They have the same menu and the MDR with one extra dish which sometimes isn't really extra like a Caesar salad which is on the every day menu. I think it would push me to do the buffet for dinner once in a while and a specialty restaurant.

I have sailed with club class since it was started and the extra dish has never been something on the regular menu and it changes daily for more choices. Also they have been excellent for the most

[Bgwest]

39 minutes ago, memoak said:

If this going to be a new thing for cruise lines I am going to be glad I book club class

What in the blazes do you think doing so would accomplish given the fact the CC menu is exactly the same as the rest of the MDR?

[memoak]

17 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

It sounds like they may be expecting something special. I hope they’re not disappointed.

No I have never ever been disappointed in club class over the years. We even pay for upgrades to club class when we are in free casino balcony cruises

[memoak]

Just now, Bgwest said:

What in the blazes do you think doing so would accomplish given the fact the CC menu is exactly the same as the rest of the MDR?

Sorry you must never have had club class because there are 1-2 dishes on each meal that are not on the MDR menu

[RJAM3]

Getting back to the posters mentioning the same menu in the main dining room every night of the cruise sounds to me like the are pushing for people to spend more money dining in the specialty restaurants.