New menus on Symphony reported

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, SECdawg said:

I am not a fan of Indian food, though DH is. I usually would get the salmon off of the classic menu several nights. Since the restart I have been very disappointed in MDR choices. I think the goal is to push passengers toward specialty dining. 

 

Honestly not enough seats to push any significant amount of people towards specialty dining.

[FionaMG]

I will be devastated if I can't get my nightly slice of Royal chocolate cake. 😭

[deliver42]

With the changes they're making, Royal has lost me to Celebrity, NCL, or MSC. These changes are ridiculous. They say it's a test, but we all know how that goes. I'm Diamond on Royal, but the heck with my tier.

[karl_nj]

8 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

With the changes they're making, Royal has lost me to Celebrity, NCL, or MSC. These changes are ridiculous. They say it's a test, but we all know how that goes. I'm Diamond on Royal, but the heck with my tier.

 

Well.. NCL is going the opposite way... they are testing a MDR menu that never changes, no matter what the day.

 

[smokeybandit]

12 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

With the changes they're making, Royal has lost me to Celebrity, NCL, or MSC. These changes are ridiculous. They say it's a test, but we all know how that goes. I'm Diamond on Royal, but the heck with my tier.

 

No one knows what changes will be made long term, if any.

And yes it is a test, otherwise they would have simply rolled it out to the entire fleet.

[Nunagoras]

22 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Honestly not enough seats to push any significant amount of people towards specialty dining.

This, exactly; but hey; let CC community to be CC community at least!...

 

The real long-term problem cruise lines are facing these days, far more than the supply chain challenges which are more temporary than effectively mid-to-long-term subject, is the talent pool available to make them service oriented. In summary; the ships are understaffed and that is not only on those far lower level of the pond - Those lower level are pretty easy to replace on a nutshell. They're even more understaffed on the intermediate-to-high specialized level of the pond where replacement needs several years to accomplish, which in summary means that some sacrifice to the old-time service levels will be done, wherever one wishes or not. And that doesn't mean the product will to be cheaper on their part. Sometimes even the opposite.

 

Apart top luxury companies; by reading pretty much every other cruise line's post-pandemic MDR menus; there is a trend that is becoming common industry wise: Menus are becoming shorter, more centric on certain aspects. Let us to have some 2-4 main proteins that will pave the way for the "always available" part of the menu, plus 1-2 daily changes to make for some differentiation. Whatever the commercial names, this is how things are set to operate for the next 3-5 years of cruising till they can train and redeploy a new generation of specialty cruise crew, if that fast.

 

MSC was arguably the first to go that way. Then the new NCL Prima, then pretty much everyone. RCL seems to have resisted the most they could, but again. With bookings reaching the before the pandemic numbers and no crew to serve all the same way, what could they do? The menus presented on this thread are the answer. Centric to the Salmon/Chicken recipes (same protein, perhaps different recipes daily) and let us to have 1-2 changing options a day for differentiation, precisely...

 

Hope things improve as training for new specialty crew talent endures. Till there this is what we will have; and I for one would be more than happy to have it, indeed!...

[#1packerfan]

Not sure I would like these new menus.  I am pretty much a meat and potatoes type of person--extremely picky eater--and yes, I have tried many things and do not like them) and have Celiac as well.  I do not like seafood, or any type of spicier foods, so not a lot of choices on this menu--I am a very boring eater.  I do not mind some pasta dishes as long as it is gluten free, I have not ever had issues with that on any ship.  We always eat in the MDR--never specialty,  but I usually order whatever meat special they have that night with no sauces and a baked potato.  And typically for an appetizer I get the Caesar or occasionally soup if it is something I like.  

 

My DH loves the escargot and onion soup so will be very disappointed if he cannot get those nightly as well.  Hopefully this trial will not carry through fleetwide any time soon. 

[Liljo22]

44 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

 

Well.. NCL is going the opposite way... they are testing a MDR menu that never changes, no matter what the day.

 

Yes but its a larger menu with a whole section just for seafood, a build your own pasta section and higher end options.  Cruisers on the Prima so far have said they enjoyed the new set menu.  Link below for those that want to take a look.

 

https://profcruise.com/norwegian-prima-dining-menus/

[DaKahuna]

Found this an interesting -- 

 

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/royal-caribbean-tests-major-dining-changes-you-wont-be-happy

 

 

[fenton04]

3 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Found this an interesting -- 

 

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/royal-caribbean-tests-major-dining-changes-you-wont-be-happy

 

 

Just read it myself.  I was a little surprised on the new policy on the lobster tail on formal night.  

[DaKahuna]

5 minutes ago, fenton04 said:

Just read it myself.  I was a little surprised on the new policy on the lobster tail on formal night.  

 

 It is going to be interesting to see if this statement is true. 

 

"Currently, the test is only being done on Symphony of the Seas and the cruise line "is adamant they will be listening to guest feedback onboard the ship for their opinions," wrote Hochberg, whose blog is not affiliated with Royal Caribbean."

 

 Will Royal really listen to passenger feedback?  Only time will tell. 

 

[nelblu]

19 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

Yes but its a larger menu with a whole section just for seafood, a build your own pasta section and higher end options.  Cruisers on the Prima so far have said they enjoyed the new set menu.  Link below for those that want to take a look.

 

https://profcruise.com/norwegian-prima-dining-menus/

I'd rather they go this route.  Standard menu with many selections.

 

At the rate Royal is going the Dinner menu will resemble the Chop's lunch or the lunch with Officers menu.😃

Edited November 15, 2022 by nelblu

[DaKahuna]

 In my  humble opinion this is all about cost savings.  The more choices on a menu to the more food that must be prepared in anticipation of orders.  By limiting the choices on the menu the cruise ship can better estimate what demand for items will be and thus reduce waste.  

 

You would be amazed at how much waste there is for each meal on a cruise ship.  That represents a tremendous loss to the bottom line. 

 

 

 

[Liljo22]

5 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I'd rather they go this route.  Standard menu with many selections.

 

At the rate Royal is going the Dinner menu will resemble the Chop's lunch or the lunch with Officers menu.😃

Agreed.  I didn't even know NCL was trying this out on the Prima until it was mentioned here.  On almost all of the cruise line menus, there really ends up being 1 or 2 entrees that I would possibly pick.  On the new NCL menu, I would pick any one of the entrees or even do the build your own pasta. 

 

The hope is that if the kitchen staff is making the same dishes every night that the quality and consistency would be better but we shall see.  

[ARandomTraveler]

47 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Found this an interesting -- 

 

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/royal-caribbean-tests-major-dining-changes-you-wont-be-happy

 

 

So they plan to charge $16.99 + 18% gratuity for each additional lobster tail? That's not gonna go over well 😂

Edited November 15, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[Tatka]

I'd be OK with the same menu daily, but I have one important concern. How do you guarantee that they did not just reheated something from yesterday?

[Tatka]

did not reheat.

[crewsweeper]

1 hour ago, ARandomTraveler said:

So they plan to charge $16.99 + 18% gratuity for each additional lobster tail? That's not gonna go over well 😂

That's a bit steep, but if Maine Lobster vs Caribbean lobster you may not want a second one.  Plus Carnival is going to charge for second/third entree every night, regardless of what the dish is.

[Tatka]

I just thought ... If I get Maine lobster, I am good with not getting the second one. It is a very different lobster, than we get on cruises. It has claws for example.

However dish is called

 

Broiled Lobster Tail (Cold water Maine lobster served with ....)

 

So I am confused a bit. Is this just a tail of Maine lobster or whole Maine lobster?

 

On land you never get just a tail of Maine lobster.

 

[DaKahuna]

6 minutes ago, Tatka said:

I just thought ... If I get Maine lobster, I am good with not getting the second one. It is a very different lobster, than we get on cruises. It has claws for example.

However dish is called

 

Broiled Lobster Tail (Cold water Maine lobster served with ....)

 

So I am confused a bit. Is this just a tail of Maine lobster or whole Maine lobster?

 

On land you never get just a tail of Maine lobster.

 

 

 I am working from flawed memory here but hasn't there always been the option of ordering a "Maine Lobster Tail" from the Chops Grill for a surcharge on the MDR menu or is my memory failing me again? 

 

[Tatka]

I never ordered Maine lobster on ships... we get it here in New England, so I cannot confirm.

[firefly333]

40 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

That's a bit steep, but if Maine Lobster vs Caribbean lobster you may not want a second one.  Plus Carnival is going to charge for second/third entree every night, regardless of what the dish is.

Carnival 2 entrees are free. Its the 3rd there is a $5 charge. Let's not post facts not quite right. Bad enough. I'm sure if the cook is wrong on carnival it could be sent back and exceptions. 

 

I have a 14 day to unusual ports jan 2024 booked on carnival. Best ports. Hopefully I can live with the food. Cant get those ports from anyone else from Galveston. 

[Tree_skier]

5 hours ago, Mirrasis said:

The Indian dishes seem cheap and lazy to me. I actually love Indian so I don’t mind that they’re serving it, but every night? The ship is sailing out of the US and Indian is not huge here. I mean we have plenty of restaurants, but it’s just not a staple. I know they serve it every night for the crew so it seems like they are crossing over maybe?

There are people who go off menu most nights and order the Indian.  My wife is one of them.  They've just started adding it to the menu is all it would appear.

[FionaMG]

28 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I am working from flawed memory here but hasn't there always been the option of ordering a "Maine Lobster Tail" from the Chops Grill for a surcharge on the MDR menu or is my memory failing me again? 

 

"Whole Maine Lobster"

[ONECRUISER]

On 11/14/2022 at 6:26 AM, John&LaLa said:

From the app. Maine Lobster 🤔

Looking at whole week I might have to order off Children's Menu couple nites, Chicken Fingers and Fries for me