Ordering (partially) off the MDR menu when eating at the Haven Restaurant

[IAcruising]

12 hours ago, gizfish said:

OP, ignore the people trying to shame you for your request.

 

No one is trying to shame anyone, except perhaps you who seem to want to shame considerate individuals in the Haven.

 

The rest of your post wreaks of Karen-like entitlement from start to finish. When you shell out the price for the Haven, you pay for what the Haven offers, not for what it normally doesn't, but you want it anyway.

 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, dexddd said:

We sailed Prima Sept. 2022 and found the Haven menu quite good.  Even some special items once in a while.  That being said, we sailed MSC on same ship in February and October 2023 in YC and the food stunk second time around.  Only make mention as we've seen reports here about savings pressures but not sure how deep they've gone in regards to Haven.

We eat in Coastal Kitchen suites restaurant on Royal a lot. There were several nights on our last cruise where we walked out the back door of Costal Kitchen into the Windjammer Buffet to get "better" food. Service and food on Royal has been on a steep decline. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

There were several nights on our last cruise where we walked out the back door of Costal Kitchen into the Windjammer Buffet to get "better" food. Service and food on Royal has been on a steep decline. 

LOL.  I think Covid has more lingering effects on Cruise Line health than human health.  Hopefully, they too will soon recover.

[gizfish]

10 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

No one is trying to shame anyone, except perhaps you who seem to want to shame considerate individuals in the Haven.

 

The rest of your post wreaks of Karen-like entitlement from start to finish. When you shell out the price for the Haven, you pay for what the Haven offers, not for what it normally doesn't, but you want it anyway.

 

You are correct that you're paying for what the Haven offers, and part of that is an ultra high level of service.  The level of service you are paying for, the "ship within a ship" idea as it is marketed, does mean one can certainly ask for things that are not on the list of things you think are "normally included."  The gummy bears, bar mix and M and M's so many talk about is not on your imagined list.  Maybe we should stop inconveniencing the butlers with that?  People asking the maitre'd to make arrangements for something to be brought from elsewhere is not going to cause a complete collapse of service in the restaurant.  Asking if the chef can make you a burger instead of what's printed on the menu is not going to cause the other diners to starve or even have to wait longer for their food.  And if it truly is a problem for your request to be accommodated, they will tell you no.  Asking for any of this when you are not a Haven guest is "Karen" behavior.  But in the Haven, you are paying for special service. It is not at all inconsiderate to make a request. I wasn't encouraging anyone to make a demand.

[sanger727]

On 1/1/2024 at 12:25 AM, sherylc said:

Wow, they have always gotten it right and served hot? Our whole table actually finished our food while waiting for them to serve a steak to our 4th that was anywhere near mid-rare (first was well done and then just took forever for a replacement). Maybe the people around you are willing to spend thousands of dollars and then just accept whatever comes, regardless of quality.

 

On 1/1/2024 at 12:35 AM, ChiefMateJRK said:

You spend thousands of dollars for a cheapo MDR meal?

 

On our last NCL cruise, the food in the MDR was terrible. The specialty dining wasn't much better.

 

So yes, in the MDR we each ordered a soup/salad, appetizer, entree, and dessert - and we typically found enough that was edible to not send it back. If we were still hungry we just did a run by the buffet before they closed. When we went to Cagneys there was a woman complaining at the host stand that she had sent her steak back 3 times and it never came our right. Ours came out incorrectly cooked and poorly seasoned, but we didn't think we would get any thing better if we sent it back so just ate what we wanted and got a couple more sides. 

[Greenpea2]

Not going to enter the fray as to if you should, but I did want to say that on the Bliss last year we ate dinner one night at Hudson's MDR. It was a wonderful meal and we wanted to go back a second time! We never did because of other plans, but it was really great. Loved Hudson's.

Edited January 7 by Greenpea2

[detroitlions]

Just like everything now adays the food in general on my last 2 cruises were on the decline quality and quantity. And I bet it is like that on all main cruise lines. I had hit or miss dinning all over the ship Cagney the folks that ordered Fillet liked there food my Porterhouse was probally the worse I ever had. In the Italian my sons food was not good some chicken hidden in a lot of sauce. The pizza sucked and deserts all over the ship were bad. But we all found some meals to be good but like I said hit and miss.