Can I just leave MDR if I don't like the food?

[sparks1093]

41 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Hoping you enjoy your first cruise - suggest that you consider either fixed dining which would give you table mates, or simply asking to be seated with others.  You will find that cruising can be a lot more enjoyable with the sort of interaction group dining provides.

I would second this. One of the pleasures of cruising is meeting new people and dinner is one of the areas where it's easy to do that.

[Essiesmom]

Another advantage of tablemates is that if they order something and it looks good, you can ask the waiter to bring it.  Sometimes the item descriptions can be hard to interpret into ‘meat and potatoes’.  EM

[MWarren3549]

On 9/27/2022 at 3:31 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

What is the proper title for the person that services one's stateroom?  

Cabin Stuart of course!  😉😝

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

 Sometimes the item descriptions can be hard to interpret into ‘meat and potatoes’

 

🤣   Most of us don't take a course in "menuese".  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 9/24/2022 at 8:49 PM, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I will be on either Majestic or Caribbean Princess.

I would 100% choose Majestic instead of Caribbean Princess.

 

Never had any food on Princess we didn't like, with a notable exception of the kid's menu on Caribbean Princess many years ago.

 

We cruise on Princess for food. 🙂

[navybankerteacher]

On 9/29/2022 at 4:10 PM, MWarren3549 said:

Cabin Stuart of course!  😉😝

Very few Indonesians or Filipinos are named "Stuart".

[Mary229]

On 9/29/2022 at 3:12 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

🤣   Most of us don't take a course in "menuese".  

Google, my friend, google. I even listen to the pronunciations  before dining, mostly I find I have been saying it wrong for years.  I discovered this trick when I first traveled to Iceland and wanted to be able to properly say those city and town names.  Djúpivogur was a real mouthful until I found the correct pronunciation 😁

[CruisingWalter]

On 9/24/2022 at 8:49 PM, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

This may sound like a really dumb question, but my first cruise will be on Princess and I've heard so many bad things about the main dining room.  If I get my food in the MDR and it's really terrible is it ok to just leave and go to one of the locations with burgers, pizza, or international cafe etc?  Is it required to explain to the server why I'm leaving or can I just leave?  I've read so much about servers being unavailable that I wonder if I'd be sitting there a very long time looking at food I don't want.  I will be solo so will have complete flexibility with my dining.  I don't want to be rude but I also wouldn't want to waste my time.  Thank you for any advice.  I will be on either Majestic or Caribbean Princess.

 

Not a dumb question at all, and first of all, welcome to cruising! Our first three cruises were all on Princess with Caribbean being our very first ship. We had a great time on all four of our Princes cruises so far. 

 

First off, keep in mind that food is so subjective. What I consider amazing others will find terrible. So you have to take all the food reviews (even mine) with a grain of salt.  In our experience across 8 cruise lines so far, Princess has had one of the better MDR experiences. If you can upgrade to a Club Level cabin, then the MDR experience is elevated, I'll explain in a moment.

 

MDRs are, by design, assembly line processes because they are feeding so many people each night. Because of that, items have to be prepared en masse so the food is often not necessarily prepared to order. That's not a bad thing, it's how catering is done worldwide, it just means sometimes your food may not have as much flavor as you'd expect it to have. 

 

One trick we've found to get dishes that are prepared fresh to order and sometimes more flavorful is to order the vegetarian options. Not nearly as many of those are ordered so they are most often made fresh to order. Plus any item that you have to pay extra for will be made fresh to order. Almost all MDR menus now have items that are an extra charge such as a larger steak, lobster dish or possibly some special of the night. If you order those, they will be made fresh to order.

 

To your question, yes you can leave if you don't like your food, as a courtesy, just let your servers know you're leaving so they can have the table bussed and cleaned. But you are also not limited to single menu items in the main dining room. If you don't like your appetizer, entree or dessert, you can ask for something else. Alternatively, if you can't choose between multiple items appetizers, entrees or desserts, on the menu you can order multiple items. For the entrees, you can ask the server to bring you appetizer sized portion so you can try them all. I do that quite often actually when I can't choose between 2 or 3 entrees. 

 

Certainly if something is wrong with the dish, but you really want to enjoy whatever it is you ordered, tell your server (or any server who is nearby) right away so they can take it back and have another dish prepared for you.

 

The MDR is actually a great place to try things you're not so sure you like because there's no added cost to you. So if you see something you've never tried before, you're not sure you're doing to like it, order that plus a 'safe dish' you know you'll like. Again, you could ask for the appetizer portion sizes of both. I am very food adventurous so whenever I see something on an MDR menu I've never had, I usually order at least a small portion of it to taste. 

 

The Club Level cabins give you a special area in the MDR that has a slightly different menu plus the dining captain prepares something fresh right in the dining room. Most nights it is an entree, but on a few nights it was a dessert. Because it's a smaller section of the MDR, you get more personalized attention from the servers because they are responsible for fewer tables. Plus that fresh entree prepared to order is amazing. That was my go-to meal every night we were in the MDR, whatever he was making, that was my entree. 🙂

 

Yes you can totally leave the MDR and go eat elsewhere. The cruise line is not 'keeping track of where you eat' and you're permitted to eat in as many locations on any day as you'd like. My 22 year old nephew called it 'second dinner' when we cruised in March, he was so excited about all the included food on his first cruise. Every night he had at least two dinners in two different venues. 🙂 

 

I do have a "Foodie's Guide To Cruise Food" on my YouTube channel that might be helpful. CC doesn't permit me to provide direct links to that channel, but if you search Where's Walter Travel on YT you'll find the channel and the episode easily enough. It might help better understand the food options on various cruise ships. I have not been on a Princess ship in a few years so I don't have a food tour of one of their ships yet, just the Mardi Gras and Scarlet Lady. Next time I get onboard I will make one. 

 

Caribbean Princess is an older, more classic ship that has the amazing aft terrace pool that we really enjoyed. She's a lovely ship, we had a great time. Majestic Princess is one of the newer Royal Class ships with more bells and whistles on her including that amazing Hollywood Pool Club and I believe she has a few more dining options as well. If you're interested in that new Love Boat reality series on CBS, they are filmed onboard one of the Royal Class ships I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either. Again, welcome to cruising, I really hope you enjoy your first vacation! 

 

Last piece of advice, work with a good travel agent to plan and book your cruise. They are 100% free to you and are invaluable if you have to or want to make any changes to your cruise after its booked. Instead of you trying to get through to the cruise lines, you simply tell your TA what you need and then it's their job to get through to the cruise lines and get the changes made. We are not permitted to recommend TAs on cruise critic because they are owned by a travel company, but you can do some research on your own to find a reputable cruise travel agent. Again, welcome and enjoy! 

 

 

[CruisingWalter]

On 9/25/2022 at 6:38 AM, sparks1093 said:

I can't believe that any MDR would be that bad. I wouldn't put too much weight in those reviews. 

 

Food is so subjective, yes, look at a review and see what exactly they are complaining about and see if you can 'read between the lines.' 🙂

 

In our experience so far, we've found NCL, Holland America, Carnival and Royal Caribbean MDRs to be 'meh.' Not horrible by any means, just 'meh' you'll get something decent to eat but you won't rave about it.  Celebrity, Princess and Disney have the best MDRs and of course Virgin doesn't have an MDR but does have some of the best food at sea in every venue. 🙂 

 

NCL has some of the best specialty dining across all their ships as well with Food Republic being one of the most fun and flavorful venues at sea. On Princess, Sabatini's is my go-to specialty meal, just show up hungry. 🙂

Edited October 8, 2022 by WheresWalter

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, WheresWalter said:

On Princess, Sabatini's is my go-to specialty meal, just show up hungry.

 

Agree; excellent cuisine and service in all that I have dined.  The Royal Class ships (and some of the others as pop-ups) have Alfredo's which prepares excellent pizzas, salads, and desserts in a sit down dining venue.  

[MWarren3549]

On 10/5/2022 at 9:11 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Very few Indonesians or Filipinos are named "Stuart".

You KNOW it was a joke ... right? hahahaha   It's the phrase that SO many people on here use instead of 'Steward'.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 10/8/2022 at 3:17 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Agree; excellent cuisine and service in all that I have dined.  The Royal Class ships (and some of the others as pop-ups) have Alfredo's which prepares excellent pizzas, salads, and desserts in a sit down dining venue.  

something we didn't know about Alfredo's/GiGi's on our first Regal Princess cruise is that it's free. FREE. 🙂

[rkacruiser]

16 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

something we didn't know about Alfredo's/GiGi's on our first Regal Princess cruise is that it's free. FREE. 🙂

 

There are so many options for dining and entertainment and venues to visit that it is difficult to learn about them and experience all of them during a 7 day cruise!  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

17 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

There are so many options for dining and entertainment and venues to visit that it is difficult to learn about them... during a 7 day cruise!  

and that's what cruisecritic is for. 🙂

[rkacruiser]

Just now, Itchy&Scratchy said:

and that's what cruisecritic is for. 🙂

 

Exactly.  I think I learned about Alfredo's on the Princess Message Board before I sailed on Royal Princess.  

[Nemanoxer]

You may even make a scene before you leave the MDR screaming and shouting.

 

But that makes it a bit harder to socialize with other cruisers later during the cruise...

[ldubs]

On 9/25/2022 at 6:35 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Unless you are on NCL or Carnival, it is highly unlikely that the food will be “…really terrible…”, and even on those lines it will probably be OK.  Of course, you should look at the menu and select something that you think you will like.  If it is badly prepared, or served cold, you should certainly point it out to your server.  At the end of the day, you are of course not required to show deference to a dining room staff if they serve you swill.

 

My recent experience is different.  So far this year we have been on Carnival and Princess. I would say the Carnival MDR was better and the Princess buffet was better.  However, that doesn't mean either was bad.  

[ldubs]

On 9/27/2022 at 12:31 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

What is the proper title for the person that services one's stateroom?  

 

Oops -- Didn't see the previous response.  

Edited October 12, 2022 by ldubs

[ldubs]

On 10/8/2022 at 4:50 AM, WheresWalter said:

 

 

First off, keep in mind that food is so subjective.

 

 

 

Just for discussion, I always see this said, but I don't think it really is as much as some say.  To me what is subjective is what kind of food a person might prefer.    Liking something medium well vs medium rare is subjective.  Whether it is cooked medium well or medium rare is not subjective.  Taste is subjective.  Preparation and quality of ingredients isn't really subjective IMO.   I don't like okra.  You could give me the best prepared okra dish in the history of mankind, and I wouldn't like it.  That is subjective.  The salmon being overcooked to the consistency of cardboard is not subjective (in deference to my "not necessarily" friends on CC, I will admit there are always outliers).  

[ldubs]

On 10/5/2022 at 6:11 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Very few Indonesians or Filipinos are named "Stuart".

 

In America, if a random sample were taken about 12% would be named Stuart.  

 

Good stuff for a trivia contest.  

[CruisingWalter]

29 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Just for discussion, I always see this said, but I don't think it really is as much as some say.  To me what is subjective is what kind of food a person might prefer.    Liking something medium well vs medium rare is subjective.  Whether it is cooked medium well or medium rare is not subjective.  Taste is subjective.  Preparation and quality of ingredients isn't really subjective IMO.   I don't like okra.  You could give me the best prepared okra dish in the history of mankind, and I wouldn't like it.  That is subjective.  The salmon being overcooked to the consistency of cardboard is not subjective (in deference to my "not necessarily" friends on CC, I will admit there are always outliers).  

 

We were on a Princess cruise where one couple ordered, caesar salad, roast chicken for the wife, steak for the husband, and vanilla ice cream. Every. Single. Night. They said everything else on the MDR menu was 'too adventurous.' Nevermind going to an Indian, Thai, Hibachi or other cuisine. That's what I mean when I say it's all subjective. Some folks think anything beyond "steak and potatoes" is terrible.

 

Two tablemates tried my escargot on my last cruise and hated it, while I love it. 

 

I find the mexican side of the menu at Carnival's ChiBang terrible, the food was so bland it was almost flavorless, but I see glowing reviews of it here on Cruise Critic. 

 

So when you see people saying "this restaurant was just terrible" you have to see exactly what their complaint is and possibly read it with a grain of salt. Was the food really bad, or do they just not like what they were served. So food is really really subjective. 🙂 

[ldubs]

20 minutes ago, WheresWalter said:

 

We were on a Princess cruise where one couple ordered, caesar salad, roast chicken for the wife, steak for the husband, and vanilla ice cream. Every. Single. Night. They said everything else on the MDR menu was 'too adventurous.' Nevermind going to an Indian, Thai, Hibachi or other cuisine. That's what I mean when I say it's all subjective. Some folks think anything beyond "steak and potatoes" is terrible.

 

Two tablemates tried my escargot on my last cruise and hated it, while I love it. 

 

I find the mexican side of the menu at Carnival's ChiBang terrible, the food was so bland it was almost flavorless, but I see glowing reviews of it here on Cruise Critic. 

 

So when you see people saying "this restaurant was just terrible" you have to see exactly what their complaint is and possibly read it with a grain of salt. Was the food really bad, or do they just not like what they were served. So food is really really subjective. 🙂 

 

I still think it is people's tastes that are subjective, not food.   Some like bland and some like flavor.  Some like spicy and some like really really spicy.  Some like oatmeal and some like cream of wheat (ick).  Me, I want my Maypo  (going to have to be a certain age 😀).  Anyway, just for discussion as we are really saying the same thing, I think, and I'm sure with you on not relying too heavily on individual reviews unless I know the person.

Edited October 12, 2022 by ldubs

[CruisingWalter]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

I still think it is people's tastes that are subjective, not food.   Some like bland and some like flavor.  Some like spicy and some like really really spicy.  Some like oatmeal and some like cream of wheat (ick).  Me, I want my Maypo  (going to have to be a certain age 😀).  Anyway, just for discussion as we are really saying the same thing I think and I sure with you on not relying too heavily on individual reviews.  

 

I will eat most anything once. I think live bugs are the only thing I have passed on so far. But most things I'll at least try it.... It doesn't always go well. 🤣

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, WheresWalter said:

We were on a Princess cruise where one couple ordered, caesar salad, roast chicken for the wife, steak for the husband, and vanilla ice cream. Every. Single. Night.

 

On Royal Viking Sky, the husband of one couple was a "meat and potatoes" man each evening.  He always had the Stewards bring to the table the ingredients for the salad he wanted and he made his own.  When he sat down at his place at the table, the first thing he would have the Stewards do is to remove all of the utensils that he would not be using.  His wife was the exact opposite type of diner.  Both were good conversationalists and very pleasant people with whom I kept in touch for several years.  Many interesting people make up our world!  

[sparks1093]

23 hours ago, WheresWalter said:

 

I will eat most anything once. I think live bugs are the only thing I have passed on so far. But most things I'll at least try it.... It doesn't always go well. 🤣

I wouldn't eat dead bugs either, unless I was in a pure survival situation, but I also like to try different things- especially if they are included in the fare. I'm less adventurous if I am paying for the meal, though.