The Fun Researcher Posted December 14, 2022 #26 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Not having that strip steak really sucks. There is always one night in the MDR where I just don't care for the main entrée options. (I don't remember which menu day it is). I would default to the strip steak. Maybe we can still get something by request? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted December 14, 2022 #27 Share Posted December 14, 2022 On 12/13/2022 at 10:15 AM, Mikew0805 said: I wish they would go to no table cloths, and have nice table tops. Yuck! Makes me think of a cafeteria. Why suggest making dining in the MDR less special? Dan 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB_NJ Posted December 14, 2022 #28 Share Posted December 14, 2022 1 hour ago, The Fun Researcher said: Not having that strip steak really sucks. There is always one night in the MDR where I just don't care for the main entrée options. (I don't remember which menu day it is). I would default to the strip steak. Maybe we can still get something by request? Dan I assume they will be willing to provide something at extra cost from one of the specialty restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted December 14, 2022 #29 Share Posted December 14, 2022 41 minutes ago, LB_NJ said: I assume they will be willing to provide something at extra cost from one of the specialty restaurants. Yes, a 2nd lobster tail for $16.99 + 18% grats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted December 14, 2022 #30 Share Posted December 14, 2022 2 hours ago, LB_NJ said: I assume they will be willing to provide something at extra cost from one of the specialty restaurants. That would be a bummer. I don't necessarily need a filet or ribeye cooked from Chops. I think those upcharges are at least $20. That NY Strip steak got the job done on that rare night that I couldn't find an entrée on the main menu that I liked. I'd even settle for a decently cooked sirloin. I just don't want to pay more for something we had complimentary. Hopefully they will accommodate. Heck, maybe I'll see what Asian or Indian cuisines they are secretly offering that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB_NJ Posted December 15, 2022 #31 Share Posted December 15, 2022 5 hours ago, nelblu said: Yes, a 2nd lobster tail for $16.99 + 18% grats. I was thinking more like $16.99 +18% grats for the filet from Chops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DallasGuy75219 Posted December 15, 2022 #32 Share Posted December 15, 2022 21 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said: We recently sailed with Carnival and found both the dining room options and in particular their buffet food far superior to Royal. Depends on what you consider superior at the buffet. I find Carnival's lunch and dinner buffets are heavy on cheap carbs and have much less selection/variety than Royal's. Not to mention many of Carnival's prepared salads seem to be whatever random ingredients they could scrounge up and mix together vs. what the signs on the buffet say they should be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pellaz Posted December 15, 2022 #33 Share Posted December 15, 2022 23 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said: Agree. We recently sailed with Carnival and found both the dining room options and in particular their buffet food far superior to Royal. And on newer ships particularly, Carnival's free/included lunch options run circles around Royal's. 23 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said: The buffet also had longer evening opening hour’s. More: Unlike the Windjammer, the Lido buffet area on Carnival never closes, so if you need some ice, water, lemonade, soda (on Excel-class) or Swirls (frozen ice cream or fro-yo), you can get it at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikew0805 Posted December 15, 2022 #34 Share Posted December 15, 2022 19 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said: Yuck! Makes me think of a cafeteria. Why suggest making dining in the MDR less special? Dan I don't understand "yuck?" Also, I do not understand how a table cloth makes a dining experience special? I guess that is just me. I prefer the look of just a table top, sans the table cloth. Like in many of the Coastal Kitchen restaurants. (not all of them are just a table top, I think I remember Odyssey had table cloths.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starry Eyes Posted December 15, 2022 #35 Share Posted December 15, 2022 On 12/13/2022 at 10:15 AM, Mikew0805 said: I wish they would go to no table cloths, and have nice table tops. I hope not. Those large, crowded main dining rooms are already noisy. Aesthetics preferences aside, the table cloths dampen some of that noise. Back to aesthetics: the current decor of the dining rooms calls for tables cloths. Maybe a decorator could design a dining room that large that looked good without tablecloths; that’s a project for a revamp or for a new ship. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lissete Posted December 15, 2022 #36 Share Posted December 15, 2022 21 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said: Yuck! Makes me think of a cafeteria. Why suggest making dining in the MDR less special? Dan We have a huge selection of high end restaurants here in Miami. I don’t recall having tablecloths at any recently. Most recently we dined at the Matador Room. It absolutely is not a cafeteria. The only place that I recall having a table with tablecloth, was Bern’s. But then again, it’s Bern’s. 😊 We haven’t been there since last year, so perhaps they have changed as well. Like people’s personal attire, tablecloths does not affect (or cheapen) our dining experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DallasGuy75219 Posted December 15, 2022 #37 Share Posted December 15, 2022 6 hours ago, Pellaz said: More: Unlike the Windjammer, the Lido buffet area on Carnival never closes, so if you need some ice, water, lemonade, soda (on Excel-class) or Swirls (frozen ice cream or fro-yo), you can get it at all times. One of Carnival's recent cuts is that soft serve is no longer available 24/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish65 Posted December 15, 2022 #38 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I hope they keep tablecloths in the main dining room, for my personal taste I go on a cruise for those touches. I grew up appreciating the soft feel. They absorb a lot of sound. Younger people probably don't see it that way; in recent decades fewer and fewer restaurants use tablecloths anymore, because they are a substantial expense, and the design trends are for a "cleaner" or more modern look, like Virgin has. Going without tablecloths does save a lot of money. For me, a hard tabletop feels cold and even sticky, I don't like the way things slide around, and hearing a lot more clanking of silverware. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted December 15, 2022 #39 Share Posted December 15, 2022 6 hours ago, Pellaz said: And on newer ships particularly, Carnival's free/included lunch options run circles around Royal's. More: Unlike the Windjammer, the Lido buffet area on Carnival never closes, so if you need some ice, water, lemonade, soda (on Excel-class) or Swirls (frozen ice cream or fro-yo), you can get it at all times. You can get water, coffee, cakes, sandwiches, fruit at the Cafe Promenade almost 24 hours a day. There is also Sorrento's open till 2AM at least on the Oasis classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbxking Posted December 15, 2022 #40 Share Posted December 15, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 9:30 PM, Tatka said: I’ll pay RCI prices not to sail with Carnival!!! Although I’ve heard that Carnival is not cheap anymore When we started sailing with RCI in 2004 menus were much weaker than now. Also I remember when Classic section was not a thing on RCI, but also on Celebrity or Holland. And that was without huge inflation we are having now. Do you know how difficult is hiring abroad is now? say what you will, but Carnival food and especially options are far better than RCI. RCI on the Radiance class is limited to a buffet and MDR basically if you are not paying extra. yes i know sandwiches and pizza also 😉 As inflation rises, this is what will happen. I am thinking stop whining and start voting 🙂 haha I am looking forward to my JOTS trip on 2-11-23, hoping for some decent food 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph2017China Posted December 15, 2022 #41 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I remember when, people actually complained that they DON'T change the menu on a regular basis.....oh my, now it is changed people complain.....oh well, welcome to Cruise Critic, and let's not forget paying for water in a can, that you can get free 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbxking Posted December 15, 2022 #42 Share Posted December 15, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 5:02 PM, nasa1974 said: This is a quote from the article. "The big change is not that there'd be an "Italian" or "American" night with the chef's featured choices listed at the top of the menu, but rather that the "classics" section of the menu would no longer be offered. " Here is the link to the MSN article. Royal Caribbean Confirms Huge Main Dining Room Menu Change (msn.com) anyone have a copy or sampling of the new test menus?/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted December 15, 2022 #43 Share Posted December 15, 2022 4 hours ago, Mikew0805 said: I don't understand "yuck?" Also, I do not understand how a table cloth makes a dining experience special? I guess that is just me. I prefer the look of just a table top, sans the table cloth. Like in many of the Coastal Kitchen restaurants. (not all of them are just a table top, I think I remember Odyssey had table cloths.) I don't think those tables look nearly as nice as the MDR tables with the white cotton table clothes. Maybe it's just me, but looks cold. Dishes clanking on the table surface, surface cold to the touch... I'm being picky but it is a significant difference to me Dan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted December 15, 2022 #44 Share Posted December 15, 2022 1 hour ago, nelblu said: You can get water, coffee, cakes, sandwiches, fruit at the Cafe Promenade almost 24 hours a day. There is also Sorrento's open till 2AM at least on the Oasis classes. Not to derail the thread but I've complained about the lack of good late night food options with Royal ever since our second cruise. (The first cruise on the Freedom in 2010 at least had really good paninis every night as well.) Finger sandwiches and pizza are very lackluster especially by about day 3 or 4 of the same dang thing. I love the AMPED ships with Playmakers now. I'm willing to pay a few dollars for some good gastropub type fare. Other lines like NCL kill it with O'Sheehans though. Wide menu, 24 hours, full service, complimentary. All lines have their plusses and minuses though Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted December 15, 2022 #45 Share Posted December 15, 2022 1 hour ago, Lissete said: We have a huge selection of high end restaurants here in Miami. I don’t recall having tablecloths at any recently. Most recently we dined at the Matador Room. It absolutely is not a cafeteria. The only place that I recall having a table with tablecloth, was Bern’s. But then again, it’s Bern’s. 😊 We haven’t been there since last year, so perhaps they have changed as well. Like people’s personal attire, tablecloths does not affect (or cheapen) our dining experience. Given a choice of the two, I much prefer table cloths. I respect your opinion. Can't argue that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum2Mercury Posted December 15, 2022 #46 Share Posted December 15, 2022 (edited) On 12/13/2022 at 5:23 PM, nelblu said: I don\'t know what your definition of weaker menu is, but I remember more choices and selections. It's amazing that some poster indicated that NCL is expanding it's MDR menu. "Weaker menu" is subjective, but I'd say a good menu should include something for everyone: A beef entree, a seafood entree, a chicken/duck entree, and a vegetarian entree. A good menu should include something for foodies and something for adults who still eat like children (I know quite a few young adults who still eat chicken nuggets 3-4 times/week). A good menu should have something for the health conscious and should not be carb-heavy. On 12/13/2022 at 6:14 PM, Nunagoras said: ... are now discovering they can have a better life at home on activities that don't require an 11 months embarkation contract doing such a "24/7" job journey! ... Thing is, a lot of the crew can't have "a better life" at home, and they're almost all young -- some of them want the opportunity to get away from home. On 12/14/2022 at 11:36 AM, The Fun Researcher said: Not having that strip steak really sucks. I had the Steak Diane once recently. It was just okay. For anyone ordering it, ask for a little tub of extra sauce on the side. 21 hours ago, nelblu said: Yes, a 2nd lobster tail for $16.99 + 18% grats. That price is too high for a lobster tail. 5 hours ago, Mikew0805 said: ... Also, I do not understand how a table cloth makes a dining experience special? I guess that is just me. ... I get it. It's a traditional, upscale look. 1 hour ago, nelblu said: You can get water, coffee, cakes, sandwiches, fruit at the Cafe Promenade almost 24 hours a day. There is also Sorrento's open till 2AM at least on the Oasis classes. Yes, I want something available late-night. I don't care if it's the full-scale buffet or a smaller venue. 1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said: I remember when, people actually complained that they DON'T change the menu on a regular basis... Yes, when guests do back-to-backs or sail several times in a short period, they like the menu to change. Personally, I don't care -- I can't eat everything on the menu, even if I'm sailing two weeks in a row. Edited December 15, 2022 by Mum2Mercury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted December 15, 2022 #47 Share Posted December 15, 2022 1 hour ago, soapbxking said: anyone have a copy or sampling of the new test menus?/ Look up a thread titled "New Menus on Symphony" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted December 15, 2022 #48 Share Posted December 15, 2022 1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said: I remember when, people actually complained that they DON'T change the menu on a regular basis.....oh my, now it is changed people complain.....oh well, welcome to Cruise Critic, and let's not forget paying for water in a can, that you can get free It's not about changing the menu, but in the reductions of selections and normal stand by options. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted December 15, 2022 #49 Share Posted December 15, 2022 9 minutes ago, nelblu said: Look up a thread titled "New Menus on Symphony" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum2Mercury Posted December 15, 2022 #50 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I just googled menus, as suggested. Here's what I found: Symphony, Day 1 Appetizers Classic Caesar Salad Spinach & Artichoke Dip Chilled Shrimp Cocktail Escargots a la Bourguinonne Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup Maryland Crab Cake Entrees Battered Fish & Chips Southern Fried Chicken Grilled Pork Chop Aromatic Chicken Saag Spaghetti Bolognese Vegan Herb-crusted Portabello Slow-roasted Prime Rib Maine Lobster Tail ... $16.95 + 18% tax Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Warm Blueberry Cobbler w/ice cream Boston Cream Pie Ice Cream Royal Cheesecake Vegan Peanut-Caramel Bar Key Lime Pie Symphony, Day 2 Appetizers Classic Caesar Salad Classic Wedge Salad Crispy Buttermilk Calamari Baked French Onion Soup Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Escargots a la Bourguinonne Entrees Fragrant Herb-Crusted Salmon Chicken Cordon Bleu Classic Beef Bourguignon Seafood Linguine Curried Lamb Rogan Josh Vegan Spring Pea & Asparagus Risotto Roasted Beef Tenderloin Maine Lobster Tail ... $16.95 + 18% tax Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Layered Peach Trifle Ice Cream Toasted Almond Profiteroles Apple Blossom a la Mode Vegan Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies Creme Brulee Symphony, Day 3 Appetizers Classic Caesar Salad Garden Mixed Salad Crispy Parmesan Arancini (mushrooom) Italian Minestrone Vegan Golden Polenta Fries w/ Spicy Dip Seared Beef Carpaccio Entrees Pan-seared Filet of Sole Chicken Parmesan NY Strip Steak Creamy Mushroom Risotto Spiced Lamb Kofta Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese Garlic Shrimp & Vegetable Linguine Maine Lobster Tail ... $16.95 + 18% tax Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Dark Chocolate Custard Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Ice Cream Lemon Curd Tartlet Vegan Crumbly Oat & Berry Bar Classic Tiramisu Symphony, Day 4 Appetizers Classic Caesar Salad Green Lentil Soup Asian-style Pork Bao Tacos Baked French Onion Soup Vegan Honey-soy Tofu & Avocado Salad Crispy Coconut Jumbo Shrimp Entrees Garlic-herbed Buttered Tiger Shrimp Steak Diane Grilled Caribbean Chicken Pesto Tagliatelle Rustic Chicken Korma Vegan Stuffed Grilled Eggplant Jerk Seasoned Pork Chop Maine Lobster Tail ... $16.95 + 18% tax Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Coffee Pot de Creme Royal Chocolate Cake Ice Cream Carrot Cake Vegan Chilled Banana Cocoa Custard Pineapple Sunshine Cake Symphony, Day 5 Appetizers Classic Caesar Salad Escargots a la Bourguinonne Fried Chicken Empanadas Grilled Sweet Corn Cakes Vegan Tortilla Soup Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup Entrees Chipolte-lime Crusted Salmon Pulled Pork Enchiladas Carne Asade Spaghetti All'Arrabbiata Spicy Shrimp Jaffrezi Vegan Crunchy Chili-crusted Tofu Tacos Pollo a la Mexicana Maine Lobster Tail ... $16.95 + 18% tax Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Coconut Layer Cake Soft-baked Chocolate Chip Cookies Ice Cream Caramel Flan Vegan Toffee Cheesecake Tres Leche Cake Symphony, Day 6 Appetizers Classic Caesar Salad Escargots a la Bourguinonne Chilled Shrimp Cocktail Vidalia Onion Tart Vegan Bright Citrus Avocado & Melon Salad Baked French Onion Soup Entrees Broiled Lobster Tail ... second entree costs $16.95 Lemon Butter Baked Cod Autumn Turkey Dinner NY Strip Steak Cheese Tortellini Pasta Butter Chicken Vegan Stuffed Red Bell Pepper Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Strawberry Shortcake Warm Chocolate Cake Ice Cream Red Velvet Cake Vegan Chocolate Creme Brulee Baked Alaska Symphony, Day 6 -- yes, I know we already had a 6, but this is how it's labeled Appetizers Seafood Fritters Chilled Shrimp Cocktail Baked French Onion Soup Traditional Greek Salad Vegan Pan-seared Asparagus Mediterranian Tapas Medley Entrees Moroccan Spiced Ahi Tuna Chicken Marsala Clams & Linguine Grilled Mediterranian Steak Chicken Chettinad Vegan Vegetable Moussaka Braised Lamb Broiled Lobster Tail ... second entree costs $16.95 Chops Grille Filet Mignon ... $19.99 + 18% tax Surf & Turf ... $34.99 + 18% tax Dessert No sugar added Cappuccino Chocolate Mouse Dark Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Warm Apple Cobbler Vegan No-bake Lemon Tart Creme Catalana 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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