Food - what’s good, don’t miss or should avoid

[mzk90]

I rather enjoy the beef.........that's going on within this thread🤷‍♂️

[mzk90]

On a somewhat off piste note, when did speciality dining on Anthem become so much more expensive in the evening, as it's coming up as £54($65) per person???

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, mzk90 said:

On a somewhat off piste note, when did speciality dining on Anthem become so much more expensive in the evening, as it's coming up as £54($65) per person???

The increase seems to be since the restart last year.

[familycruzinnewbie]

We just returned from our cruise. I wish we could still see it in the app and look at menus. I ate a lot - MDR every night and two lunch and one breakfast. They switched all the brunches to breakfast and lunch. And then one lunch, they switched to an all new menu different than app.  Chose lobster roll on that one which wasn’t a great choice. Roll was massive and lobster was mixed with potato. 
I had beef tenderloin on night two.  So funny because my right hand is in a cast and the head waiter or maître d cut it up for me into tiny child size pieces. Table waiters had a chuckle. 
I didn’t like the upsell to specialty dining. Even my Waiter in MDR tried to book us into specialty restaurants 

 my husband is a picky eater and my son (not on this trip) is highly selective and has sensory issues. We had MDR meals where he ate toast and chocolate milk.

weird food - I live in St. John’s Newfoundland which is a cruise port. Come visit and try moose, caribou, Cod tongues and seal. We have a huge seal overpopulation and an ethical and sustainable seal hunt. Visitors may have to settle for a meal because you can’t bring seal products into the US

 

 

 

[moposh]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:25 PM, familycruzinnewbie said:

We are taking our first Royal cruise on serenade next Sunday. I’ve heard service has declined a bit. Just looking for some recent food reviews or recommendations. I am the more adventurous one and will try new things, eat seafood, etc.  Hubby is a meat and potatoes guy - no fish or cheesy things. We do not have an ungraded dining plan and are hoping to mostly just eat what is included - unless there is a specific thing we should not miss. 

Hope you had a good time.  I was on Serenade for an Alaskan cruise several years. ago.

[moposh]

On 7/16/2022 at 12:39 PM, neverbeenhere said:

Windjammer Desserts(look great, taste like ship)

yes, they look good, but most do not taste good.

[rudeney]

52 minutes ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

weird food - I live in St. John’s Newfoundland which is a cruise port. Come visit and try moose, caribou, Cod tongues and seal. We have a huge seal overpopulation and an ethical and sustainable seal hunt. Visitors may have to settle for a meal because you can’t bring seal products into the US

 

😮 Seal?!?  Besides being ingrained with horrific images of poachers bludgeoning baby seal, they just don't sound very tasty.  I understand the overpopulation and ethical hunting because we have the same issue here with dear.  I love to watch them - they are all over the nature preserve behind our house, but too many and not enough food is an issue.  

[Biker19]

57 minutes ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

I wish we could still see it in the app and look at menus.

You can usually see the menu on any ship inside final payment - you don’t need to have any sailings booked to see that. 

[familycruzinnewbie]

Rodney - I try many things but the only way I’ve eaten seal was my grandmother’s flipper pie. Which I’m sure is an acquired taste like kidney pie but I was not a fan. We now have talented chefs who know how to make tasty things, I just haven’t been to many high end restaurants, and haven’t tried seal there.  The cruises that stop here are more expensive lines or itineraries. There  are US chefs who would love to offer it in restaurants if allowed. 

[rudeney]

1 hour ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

Rodney - I try many things but the only way I’ve eaten seal was my grandmother’s flipper pie. Which I’m sure is an acquired taste like kidney pie but I was not a fan. We now have talented chefs who know how to make tasty things, I just haven’t been to many high end restaurants, and haven’t tried seal there.  The cruises that stop here are more expensive lines or itineraries. There  are US chefs who would love to offer it in restaurants if allowed. 

 

Given the chance, I'd try it.  I'll try any food once, though I do draw the line at food that is still alive and wiggling.  

[Ret MP]

On 7/26/2022 at 9:55 PM, Oceansaway17 said:

I enjoy the cookies on RCI ships, however, I just returned from NCL and their other desserts are realy very good and tasty.

I find a lot of RCI cakes and pies are pretty but blah or bland.  But NCL has very tasty and quite different desserts than RCI.

 

 

I've never been on a NCL cruise.  But, I feel the same way about Carnival, which I don't cruise anymore.  Their cakes and pies are very good compared to Royal's.  And yes, Royal's cookies are very good.  And, Royal's breads and rolls are the best.  The only place I've enjoyed bread and rolls more that Royal is Publix Bakery's.  You have to live in the S.E. to know what I'm talking about or visit a lot.  All of that is excluding top tier land based restaurants and bakeries, of course.

[Oceansaway17]

19 hours ago, Ret MP said:

I've never been on a NCL cruise.  But, I feel the same way about Carnival, which I don't cruise anymore.  Their cakes and pies are very good compared to Royal's.  And yes, Royal's cookies are very good.  And, Royal's breads and rolls are the best.  The only place I've enjoyed bread and rolls more that Royal is Publix Bakery's.  You have to live in the S.E. to know what I'm talking about or visit a lot.  All of that is excluding top tier land based restaurants and bakeries, of course.

I have heard of Publix since my family lived in savannah for a while.

Up north we have Wegemans upscale grocery and they have great bakery as well

[Ret MP]

54 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I have heard of Publix since my family lived in savannah for a while.

Up north we have Wegemans upscale grocery and they have great bakery as well

I believe I've heard of Wegemans but haven't had the pleasure.  Publix, I wouldn't call it "upscale" but it is more expensive than, say, Walmart, Kroger, Winn Dixie, Save A Lot, et al.  But, Publix does a great job in the bakery, my whole family loves loves loves Publix cheese bread, when they have it.  Far to seldom though.  Oh, Publix has great sales, even today, on Ribeye (Choice, bone-in) steaks for $9.99 a pound.  We stock up when they do.

 

If I'm not mistaken, and I've never been to one, never lived close to one, Whole Foods is much more expensive than Publix. 

[Mum2Mercury]

On 8/4/2022 at 2:31 PM, moposh said:

yes, they look good, but most do not taste good.

Yeah, Royal's desserts tend towards overly whipped offerings, which are more light than is desirable.  Of course, I run a very small, select bakery business, so I'm kinda a snob.  

20 hours ago, Ret MP said:

... And, Royal's breads and rolls are the best.  The only place I've enjoyed bread and rolls more that Royal is Publix Bakery's ...

Again, I'm kinda a snob.  I make better rolls and bread on a weeknight.  

[Oceansaway17]

On 8/6/2022 at 4:53 PM, Ret MP said:

I believe I've heard of Wegemans but haven't had the pleasure.  Publix, I wouldn't call it "upscale" but it is more expensive than, say, Walmart, Kroger, Winn Dixie, Save A Lot, et al.  But, Publix does a great job in the bakery, my whole family loves loves loves Publix cheese bread, when they have it.  Far to seldom though.  Oh, Publix has great sales, even today, on Ribeye (Choice, bone-in) steaks for $9.99 a pound.  We stock up when they do.

 

If I'm not mistaken, and I've never been to one, never lived close to one, Whole Foods is much more expensive than Publix. 

yes they are very much

[CruiserNic]

On 7/25/2022 at 3:55 PM, baelor said:

It just seems weird for a grown adult to not even try it, especially if it is free and/or a taste off someone else's plate.

It also just seems weird for another grown adult to care what another grown adult chooses to eat or not eat. 

[ARandomTraveler]

On 7/25/2022 at 1:41 PM, Biker19 said:

Here's an approximation - Would you pay $50pp extra (or whatever you can get Chops on sale for) to eat at Texas Road House when you have a free paid for dinner at Outback.

With all due respect, neither of these places are quality places to eat. They're basically just the steakhouse version of chilis and Applebees. Where I live, Outback and Texas Road House are lower quality dining options (in fact, both Outback and Applebees closed down in my town because they couldn't get enough business here). A good steakhouse here costs about $75/person for a steak and one side, no drink, no dessert. 
 

Heck, even our salad "chain" restaurant (Sweetgreen) costs $18 for a salad by the time you add an egg or an avocado. 
 

I understand the point you're trying to make about there already being free food that in your opinion is basically the same quality, but I agree with @baelor in that cost is relative to what you're used to paying for a restaurant at home. 
 

$35/person for the specialty restaurants is a deal compared to what I pay to eat out at home. I'm usually totally fine with the free food on the ship, but for $208 + 18% per person, it seemed like a very inexpensive  add-on to our upcoming cruise in exchange for opening up access to all dining venues on the ship, rather than just the free ones.
 

It was more about the option to eat everywhere vs the quality of the food to me, since the price for 2 people for the entire week was just slightly more than what I paid for 2 of us to eat one Omakase sushi meal last time we went.

Edited August 8, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[nferr]

If the MDR and Windjammer were the only main restaurants available I would be absolutely fine with it.  The food is perfectly adequate for me. But I really like Chops, Jamies/Giovanni's, and Wonderland so I'll usually buy a package. For my November cruise on Anthem it's $102 for 3 dinners which is $34 a meal. Or I may just do a day or two for lunch which is low $20's each. To me the food is a step up and I like the atmosphere better. 

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

that cost is relative to what you're used to paying for a restaurant at home. 

And again, RCI appreciates you thinking that way and helping them return to profitability. 

[mzk90]

7 hours ago, Biker19 said:

And again, RCI appreciates you thinking that way and helping them return to profitability. 

 

[ARandomTraveler]

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

And again, RCI appreciates you thinking that way and helping them return to profitability. 

Probably not thanking me as much as they're thanking the people who pay for those $10,000 and $20,000/week suites.

 

I'm fine with stimulating the economy and being in a company's target market for profitability, and I'm happy they're offering me a good/service that I'm excited to pay for. It makes the world go 'round. 

[baelor]

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

And again, RCI appreciates you thinking that way and helping them return to profitability. 

You still have not identified a different frame of reference that you seem to think is more accurate or passenger-friendly.

[Biker19]

16 minutes ago, baelor said:

You still have not identified a different frame of reference that you seem to think is more accurate or passenger-friendly.

Not sure I can provide anything more than already provided in post #85.

[baelor]

14 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Not sure I can provide anything more than already provided in post #85.

Oh, I thought maybe you had a response to my responses.

 

But to squarely address the issue, I would gladly pay $70+ for a dry-aged A5 wagyu filet even if I were getting a free meal at Outback, which I would probably turn down anyway.

[Ret MP]

On 7/25/2022 at 2:41 PM, Biker19 said:

Here's an approximation - Would you pay $50pp extra (or whatever you can get Chops on sale for) to eat at Texas Road House when you have a free paid for dinner at Outback.

 

I'd do both.  You buy'in?