Dining Room Menu - Time for a Change?

[Joebucks]

I wouldn't be mad about a menu change. However, on my last cruise on the Celebration, there was more variety than ever. The excel class has done what a lot have asked for. Not only was there the other venues in Guys, Chigbang, and Cucina, but sometimes, there was a "special entree" in the MDR. I'm pretty sure there were a few things I never saw before. Including the chicken parm from cucina. I wouldn't be mad to see the port of call options return. Those were fun.

[mz-s]

5 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Supposedly McRib's most recent nationwide deployment was THE last time, and they're done with it.   We'll see....  

As for the Filet-o-Fish, it's available all year, although some stores might not have it on the menu (or have it up continuously) depending on the type of display they have.    

 

I remember the "Viva McRib" pseudo guerrilla marketing scheme that McDonald's tried 15 years ago.

 

As far as the Filet-O-Fish, I know my local outlets don't advertise or show the sandwich outside of the lent season. Perhaps that's just a regional thing. They might be able to make them year round. I rarely eat them anyway so I have never thought about it. I just always assumed it was a time limited deal similar to McRib. I wonder if the Arby's fish sandwich, which is far superior to the FoF, is available year round...

Edited April 5, 2023 by mz-s

[Sabalon]

I know a couple nights we looked at the menu and nothing really stood out to either of us.

I too miss the relative-to-the-port items.  Doesn't mean I always would get them, but it was a nice touch.  Also I liked it when it was "Have you ever?" or whatever instead of "rare finds" for apps like Alligator, Duck, Rabbit, etc...not really rare.

 

But I realized our recent cruise was just over 10 years after our first, and some of the stuff (the cold soups and a few others) are probably the same as they were 10 years ago.  The desserts seem to have a small rotation as well.   I love the idea of highlighting cuisine from home countries of the crew.  

 

Thankfully, over those 10 years, I've started to eat more seafood than I had before (anything more than zero is more!) so that has been nice that there are more things I'll try.  

This was the first time going to the deli one night and that was a pleasant discovery.  Still haven't had the pizza, so I guess next time I don't see anything I want....

[skywalkr2]

I don't cruise often enough to get tired of it. And in fact because of that I do enjoy getting some of my favorite dishes again when I do get back on board.

[BlerkOne]

12 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

 I wonder if the Arby's fish sandwich, which is far superior to the FoF, is available year round...

Arby's fish sandwich is garbage and is on the limited time menu

https://www.arbys.com/menu/limited-time/

 

[staceyglow]

2 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Arby's fish sandwich is garbage and is on the limited time menu

https://www.arbys.com/menu/limited-time/

 

If there is one near you, Culver's has the best fish sandwich hands down.

[john91498]

I think the menu is fine. We only cruise 3 or 4 times a year and I think there's more than enough variety of foods. 

[Pellaz]

34 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

If there is one near you, Culver's has the best fish sandwich hands down.

 

Their "butter" burgers are pretty good, too!   They're scarce in the ATL metro...but there are a few.  

 

[Sabalon]

8 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Their "butter" burgers are pretty good, too!   They're scarce in the ATL metro...but there are a few.  

 

 

If we're trying to figure out something for lunch, it's usually the fall back default.  Thankful we have one in McDonough just down the road from work.   When they have the special pretzel-house burgers I'm up there what seems like every other day!!!

[havanadaydreaming]

i cant say that i've ever been disappointed in the MDR.  i guess i tempered expectations from my first cruise and have always been pretty pleasantly surprised.  

 

my only recommendation would be to get a kick arse shrimp cocktail.   i would love 2-3 nice shrimp for dinner at sea.   then again, i guess some folks would ask for 4-5 orders im sure if the shrimpies were jumbo.  

[ray98]

I don't really have any complaints with the menu.  There is always something I want on there every night, many times it is two entrees and I have to pick one.  Sometimes I wish my second selection popped up later in the week so I could try it but I know that is impossible.

[SASA13]

On 4/3/2023 at 11:22 PM, TravelBluebird said:

Do you remember when they had a few menu selections based on each port of call? I loved the variety that brought to the menu, and I really miss it. Some of my best Carnival MDR meals were from those port of call selections.

oh yes,  We greatly miss that.   Our last trip in March, we only went to the dining room 4 out of the 8 days.  The menu was a bit boring.   

[Buffettfan 225]

On 4/3/2023 at 9:58 PM, Mic101680 said:

Yes, total revamp is needed. If they keep some of the same items, they need to update some of the recipes too. There is literally nothing on the MDR menus that make me excited to eat there, and during most cruises, they're lucky if I eat in there more than once. I usually end up making a salad at the Lido buffet and getting whatever the main protein is and sometimes the soup on the regular buffet line.

I also wish the lido dessert area would discover putting more  sugar and flavor in cakes. The only flavorful desserts are choc dessert special. I so miss real tastingdesserts including jellos,cake pops,pies and a keylime pie. 

 

[mz-s]

3 hours ago, Buffettfan 225 said:

I also wish the lido dessert area would discover putting more  sugar and flavor in cakes. The only flavorful desserts are choc dessert special. I so miss real tastingdesserts including jellos,cake pops,pies and a keylime pie. 

 

 

Their newer cakes are much better if you have not cruised recently. Particularly the layer cakes that are sliced and served on demand. These are available during lunch.

 

Still, no dessert Carnival makes is very sweet - everyone's tastes vary. I personally don't like very sweet things so I love most of Carnival's desserts. But I can definitely see how many would prefer more sweetness.

[cruiseguy56]

On 4/4/2023 at 2:26 PM, staceyglow said:

A little while back, John Heald posted a picture of the crew's mess.  It had a big sign listing all of the available entrees, which, of course had many items from the cremembers' home countries.  Some of them sounded really delicious!

I propose that they should have a "crew favorite" menu item every night.  The supply chain is already in place for those dishes, and it would just be a matter of preparing more on that night.  I think it is also a nice way to bond with the crew members and a good topic of conversation you can literally have with any one of them:  "I see that the crew favorite on tonight's menu is the shawarma.  Have you had it?  Is it good?"

 

That is one thing I loved about  Holland America. There were always an option for some sort of Indian or Indonesian dinner in the MDR and several choices in the Lido buffets. Sadly, in all the cruise lines decisions to cut back on menu items to save money after covid, I've noticed fewer "crew favorites"  available on HAL even though they are certainly still feeding their crew.

[Buffettfan 225]

17 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Their newer cakes are much better if you have not cruised recently. Particularly the layer cakes that are sliced and served on demand. These are available during lunch.

 

Still, no dessert Carnival makes is very sweet - everyone's tastes vary. I personally don't like very sweet things so I love most of Carnival's desserts. But I can definitely see how many would prefer more sweetness.

Thanks, I will again re-evaluate this May. Perhaps it is head chef or pastry chef onboard, but would think all recipes across ship the same, but I do know plating quality various greatly. We have ability to drive from Vegas area to Long Beach so have experienced the Radiance 5+ times after she arrived post dry dock- last sailing early March 2023. Really the best choc cakes on sea day chocolate extravaganza and while I do not choose sugar free, the strawberry lemonade was best of cruise. 

[staceyglow]

8 hours ago, Buffettfan 225 said:

Thanks, I will again re-evaluate this May. Perhaps it is head chef or pastry chef onboard, but would think all recipes across ship the same, but I do know plating quality various greatly. We have ability to drive from Vegas area to Long Beach so have experienced the Radiance 5+ times after she arrived post dry dock- last sailing early March 2023. Really the best choc cakes on sea day chocolate extravaganza and while I do not choose sugar free, the strawberry lemonade was best of cruise. 

The last time I took Radiance last winter, all of the cakes were baked in sheets and small squares were set out on the buffet. It was a little disappointing, but I am not the type of person to declare that I will never sail Carnival again because of it 

[MississippiMom]

I think food is so incredibly subjective that there is no way for a cruise line to please everyone.  For example, our youngest daughter and I look forward to the cold fruit soups - strawberry, peach, mango - but I know that isn't everybody's "thing."  I, constantly, read threads about lobster, and never, ever NEED lobster.  I like steak, but odds are slim that I'm going to order it on a cruise ship, because that seems like such a heavy meal to me, when I want to go enjoy the evening activities. 

 

It's impossible to make every cruiser happy.

[slavigne5577]

We cook and grill at home here in Louisiana, so rarely order steaks at any restaurant or while on cruises. My DH grills my steaks perfect to my taste. When on cruises we eat nightly in MDR and once in Steakhouse on the night that doesn't have our go to meal choices. I am so glad they brought back the Fire tomatoe soup (not that it's spicy at all). On one night I normally order several appetizers as my meal and love it. We find things we like to eat. DH eats Guys a few times and I rarely get a burger. We like the variety.