New Menu - what order?

[Eldaph]

I'm trying to plan our upcoming Alaska Cruise, on Radiance if it makes a difference.  This post isn't to complain about the new menus, but there are certain nights we definitely don't want to eat in the MDR because of them. We did want to try specialty dining so I want to book on a night we won't enjoy it. 

 

Obviously Welcome Aboard is the 1st night, I heard French is the 1st formal night. Our 2nd at sea is also our last night so I'm guessing that's Royal night?

If we're lucky the menus we don't like will be on nights we will still be in port later than our dining time!

 

Any guidance would be appreciated. 

[Merion_Mom]

2 hours ago, Eldaph said:

I'm trying to plan our upcoming Alaska Cruise, on Radiance if it makes a difference.  This post isn't to complain about the new menus, but there are certain nights we definitely don't want to eat in the MDR because of them. We did want to try specialty dining so I want to book on a night we won't enjoy it. 

 

Obviously Welcome Aboard is the 1st night, I heard French is the 1st formal night. Our 2nd at sea is also our last night so I'm guessing that's Royal night?

If we're lucky the menus we don't like will be on nights we will still be in port later than our dining time!

 

Any guidance would be appreciated. 

 

The menus are posted several places, including here:

 

First look at Royal Caribbean's new main dining room menus | Royal Caribbean Blog

[cruiseboy89130]

Good Bye dinner is on the last night!

[molly361]

You can check the current sailing of your ship on the app

[melbur]

Asking this not to stir up a can of worms but curious if anyone else has heard this . . . 

New menus have been on Oasis since the 22nd Jan, the day I boarded, and for the 4 following weeks. My friends who just got off Sunday said their waiter told them Saturday night that the new menus were being "tweaked" and they were to report on turn around to the MDR for a briefing.??

 

[Mom*3]

2 hours ago, molly361 said:

You can check the current sailing of your ship on the app

 
I’ve been doing this with my upcoming Wonder cruise, but the order has changed 3 times. 😂 I was checking more out of curiosity, I booked a Specialty restaurant based on a later port day.  I was just curious which menu we would miss.

 

[Scotico]

Avoid the Italian night.  Nothing was good.  If I were go again on Royal, I would do specialty every night.  

[teddybear231]

5 hours ago, molly361 said:

You can check the current sailing of your ship on the app

 

I'm set to sail on Explore March 18 and we still have no dinner menus on the app...

[melbur]

5 minutes ago, teddybear231 said:

 

I'm set to sail on Explore March 18 and we still have no dinner menus on the app...

Nothing for Jewel next week either

[melbur]

2 hours ago, Scotico said:

Avoid the Italian night.  Nothing was good.  If I were go again on Royal, I would do specialty every night.  

Am I the only one that thinks specialty dining is highly over rated? Their quality has diminished also IMHO

[teddybear231]

Just now, melbur said:

Nothing for Jewel next week either

I'm hoping they update before we sail because we want to make specialty dining reservations based on the MDR menus.

[sgmn]

50 minutes ago, melbur said:

Am I the only one that thinks specialty dining is highly over rated? Their quality has diminished also IMHO

But the prices have gone way up. £116 for two at Chops on my next cruise in the planner. 

[cruiseguy1016]

1 hour ago, teddybear231 said:

 

I'm set to sail on Explore March 18 and we still have no dinner menus on the app...

 

1 hour ago, melbur said:

Nothing for Jewel next week either

 

Try looking at the CURRENT sailing.

[joe/jack]

29 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

 

Try looking at the CURRENT sailing.

Going on Odyssey this Saturday 

menus have been posted for weeks 

making reservations for kid activities 

is the real problem 

[sassy1ja]

39 minutes ago, joe/jack said:

Going on Odyssey this Saturday 

menus have been posted for weeks 

making reservations for kid activities 

is the real problem 

Which activities? I thought all kid stuff was FCFS.

[Jussabitconfused]

For Explorer, Day 1 Welcome Aboard, Day 2 Italian, Day 3 French, Day 4 Caribbean, Day 5 Royal, Day 6 Bon Voyage,

[Magicat]

3 hours ago, melbur said:

Am I the only one that thinks specialty dining is highly over rated? Their quality has diminished also IMHO

We have thought this for a while now.  Did Chops back in September on the Voyager and it was mediocre at best.  

[JTBCruiser]

3 hours ago, melbur said:

Am I the only one that thinks specialty dining is highly over rated? Their quality has diminished also IMHO

We've tried Chops 4 times and each time it was progressively worse. Unless we sail for more than 10 days, will avoid the specialty restaurants.

[Mum2Mercury]

The only menus that really appeal to me are 

 

- Welcome Aboard Night 

- Caribbean Night 

- Royal Night 

 

As for specialty dining, I think it's okay -- but we choose to stick to the "included in the ticket price" foods.  Why?  Given that we've already paid for meals onboard, we'd rather spend that money on a meal out at home.  Just makes financial sense to us.  

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[Tatka]

7 hours ago, Scotico said:

Avoid the Italian night.  Nothing was good.  If I were go again on Royal, I would do specialty every night.  

 

Do you realize that tastes vary.

We just discussed this night in a group for upcoming cruise and people listed what they liked.

 

Do you think they have bad taste?

 

I see two appetizers I like (Carpaccio and Minestrone), 1 entry (Sole, my husband will probably order NYC steak) and most desserts (desserts I do not order).

Edited March 7, 2023 by Tatka

[teddybear231]

4 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

 

Try looking at the CURRENT sailing.

 

Explorer is coming back from a dry dock, next sailing isn't until 3/12 and there isn't any menus for that sailing either.

[melbur]

2 hours ago, Tatka said:

 

Do you realize that tastes vary.

We just discussed this night in a group for upcoming cruise and people listed what they liked.

 

Do you think they have bad taste?

 

I see two appetizers I like (Carpaccio and Minestrone), 1 entry (Sole, my husband will probably order NYC steak) and most desserts (desserts I do not order).

It's not a matter of bad taste. It's more in the preparation . . . spent 5 weeks with this menu and the chicken parm is like a frozen Tyson chicken, the NY strip was stringy and chewy, the Minestrone was waaaay too salty. Risotto was the best imho. Don't expect what you enjoy at home in a favourite land based restaurant or what you may prepare yourself. 

[Tatka]

3 hours ago, melbur said:

It's not a matter of bad taste. It's more in the preparation . . . spent 5 weeks with this menu and the chicken parm is like a frozen Tyson chicken, the NY strip was stringy and chewy, the Minestrone was waaaay too salty. Risotto was the best imho. Don't expect what you enjoy at home in a favourite land based restaurant or what you may prepare yourself. 

Is this that different from previous cruises? We do 5 a year (lately with Royal), so I pretty much familiar with their quality. Our last cruise was in January on Anthem. 

[happy cruzer]

On 3/7/2023 at 7:00 AM, melbur said:

Asking this not to stir up a can of worms but curious if anyone else has heard this . . . 

New menus have been on Oasis since the 22nd Jan, the day I boarded, and for the 4 following weeks. My friends who just got off Sunday said their waiter told them Saturday night that the new menus were being "tweaked" and they were to report on turn around to the MDR for a briefing.??

 

Very interesting.  I wonder what will be tweaked??

[cruiseboy89130]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

Very interesting.  I wonder what will be tweaked??

Too much selection!

Next: Chicken or Beef!

Edited March 8, 2023 by cruiseboy89130