Specific MDR recommendations for my cruise

[HappyTexan44]

 

Enough time has passed that people have experience with the new MDR menu items.   What I'm looking for is recommendations specific items, particularly what to avoid and what is pretty good.   The same ship/itinerary as ours starts in a few days and it has the menus up.   They are:

Voyager – Likely MDR Menu lineup for our 5-day cruise
1    Welcome Aboard
2    France
3    Caribbean
4    Mexico
5    Italy

I've noticed that the thoughts on the beef dishes is all over the board, which makes sense because it just depends on what the suppliers have on hand.   I always avoid anything with "White Fish" in the description.    I feel that is the fish equivalent to admitting the dish is Mystery Meat.   

So, I'm curious about everything else.  We don't have any dietary restrictions.  DH loves vegetables so if there is a really good veggie meal, I'd like to hear about that.  The desserts *sound* really good, but I haven't noticed any glowing reviews on any desserts.   
This is our starter cruise, so we'll be sticking tot he MDR.   

 

 

 

Caribbean+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room (1).pdf French+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf Welcome+Aboard+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf Italian+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf Mexican+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf

[Tree_skier]

On French night order the Beef Tenderloin.  It is my favorite MDR meal every week...   For dessert I love the warm apple cobbler. 

[HappyTexan44]

I hope somebody has tried the lamb.   My MIL is a Kiwi, so DH orders lamb often.  

[c-leg5]

4 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

Enough time has passed that people have experience with the new MDR menu items.   What I'm looking for is recommendations specific items, particularly what to avoid and what is pretty good.   The same ship/itinerary as ours starts in a few days and it has the menus up.   They are:

Voyager – Likely MDR Menu lineup for our 5-day cruise
1    Welcome Aboard
2    France
3    Caribbean
4    Mexico
5    Italy

I've noticed that the thoughts on the beef dishes is all over the board, which makes sense because it just depends on what the suppliers have on hand.   I always avoid anything with "White Fish" in the description.    I feel that is the fish equivalent to admitting the dish is Mystery Meat.   

So, I'm curious about everything else.  We don't have any dietary restrictions.  DH loves vegetables so if there is a really good veggie meal, I'd like to hear about that.  The desserts *sound* really good, but I haven't noticed any glowing reviews on any desserts.   
This is our starter cruise, so we'll be sticking tot he MDR.   

 

 

 

Caribbean+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room (1).pdf 904.36 kB · 0 downloads French+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 834.21 kB · 1 download Welcome+Aboard+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 790.88 kB · 0 downloads Italian+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 861.59 kB · 0 downloads Mexican+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 763.27 kB · 0 downloads

I would just go with a sense of adventure. 

 

Just because someone else likes/doesn’t like something doesn’t mean you will or that it will actually be good on any given night.

 

It’s only 5 nights - you won’t starve there is always something else to try. Consider it a learning curve for next time.
 

I know you have asked a lot of questions over the last year and it is good to “be prepared ” but, be careful not to over plan and spoil the excitement of something new. 
 

I always used to have the lamb shank  but we haven’t sailed in last 12 months so can’t attest to current situation. The last lamb I had in Chops was excellent.

[firefly333]

For mexican I've been ordering the butter chicken. Idk what's mexican about butter chicken but it's not bad. Last time on harmony I got Indian bread with it, not the other times.

 

The sliced steak with sauce I would have eaten except I asked for MW.. and mine was red.

 

The enchiladas are wierd. I had them once and pulled out the pulled pork and ate it not the wierd covering. Supposed to be wrapped in tosdados not that thick coating. Those cooks needs a week in texas to learn enchiladas. 

 

Butter chicken has been my go to on mexican night. 

 

Hated italian night. The other nights all have something I liked.

[Mum2Mercury]

Welcome Aboard menu: 

- I like the Crispy Crab Cake 

- I have to have a Shrimp Cocktail every time it's offered ... and at 4 shrimp, it's not hard to have that plus another appetizer. 

- I was a little jelly 'bout a neighbor's Spinach & Artichoke Dip.  Might have to try it next time. 

- Caesar Salad you can skip.  It's out of a bag, which is okay at home ... but disappointing on a cruise. 

- My husband has Escargots every time they're available ... loves them.   

- I really like the Pan-Roasted Fish Fillet.  Nice combination, but would've like a bit more sauce.  

- My husband wasn't overly impressed with the Prime Rib.  A bit fatty. 

- Key Lime Pie is good but not great.  

- Skip the cheesecake.  

 

Caribbean Night menu: 

- I do not care for the French Onion Soup. 

- Asian Tacos are good, as are the Crispy Coconut Shrimp. 

- The Tiger Shrimp are good ... and what's wrong with an all-shrimp dinner? 

- The Roasted Chicken and Pork Chop are good but not great. 

- I'll choose Carrot Cake every time it's offered.  Royal's rendition is good but not nearly as good as my homemade. 

 

Mexican Night menu: 

- The Tortilla Soup is good but not great.  

- I tried the Corn Cakes last time ... they were a solid choice. 

- My husband had the Enchilada last time, and I wished I'd chosen that instead of the Carne Asada, which was okay (lots of cilantro, and people have strong opinions about that).  

- The Coconut Cake is not bad, but it's not really worth the carbs. 

 

Italian Night menu: 

- The Garden Mixed Salad is much better than the Caesar Salad. 

- I tried the Crispy Parmesan Aricini, and I'd have it again ... but I wouldn't seek out the recipe. 

- Thumbs up for the Pan-Seared Fillet of Sole. 

- The Chicken Parm is quite good, though the serving was huge.  The spaghetti with which it was served was forgettable. 

- My husband tried the Lasagna and said he wouldn't get it again.  The meat was chopped up (not ground), and he wasn't a fan. 

- I love Tiramisu, but I wouldn't get Royal's version again.  

- Overall, Italian night is a good evening to eat in the MDR, then pop up to the Windjammer for dessert. 

 

French Night menu: 

- If you order the Calamari, all you'll taste is the breading.  

- The Chicken Cordon Bleu is the worst item on Royal's menu.  It's like a worse version of those little individuals you can buy at Aldi's for about $1.29.  

- The Beef Bourguignon was tasty ... would definitely get it again. 

- The Beef Tenderloin is good.  

- My husband liked-but-didn't-love the Seafood Linguini. 

- Again, nothing on the French Night's dessert menu really excites me ... another good evening to go to the Windjammer for dessert.  

 

Overall thoughts:  With the exception of the Cordon Bleu, nothing we've had in the MDR has been BAD; some things were better than others.  I totally disagree about the fish being "mystery meat".  No-extra-cost steaks aren't bad, but they are on the thin side.  The bread is what you'd get at a good-quality grocery store deli.  

Edited January 3 by Mum2Mercury

[allie3490]

Omg how much over analyzing is necessary?? I would never trust some rando on cruise critic with food choices. Just look at the menu when you sit down and decide then.

[BND]

Everyone's tastes are different and between allergies and dislikes, you're going to get 1000 different opinions.  For example, I'm allergic to shrimp so I would never recommend seafood, even though that might be the best thing on the menu if you can eat it.

[Engineroom Snipe]

19 hours ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

Enough time has passed that people have experience with the new MDR menu items.   What I'm looking for is recommendations specific items, particularly what to avoid and what is pretty good.   The same ship/itinerary as ours starts in a few days and it has the menus up.   They are:

Voyager – Likely MDR Menu lineup for our 5-day cruise
1    Welcome Aboard
2    France
3    Caribbean
4    Mexico
5    Italy

I've noticed that the thoughts on the beef dishes is all over the board, which makes sense because it just depends on what the suppliers have on hand.   I always avoid anything with "White Fish" in the description.    I feel that is the fish equivalent to admitting the dish is Mystery Meat.   

So, I'm curious about everything else.  We don't have any dietary restrictions.  DH loves vegetables so if there is a really good veggie meal, I'd like to hear about that.  The desserts *sound* really good, but I haven't noticed any glowing reviews on any desserts.   
This is our starter cruise, so we'll be sticking tot he MDR.   

 

 

 

Caribbean+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room (1).pdf 904.36 kB · 20 downloads French+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 834.21 kB · 12 downloads Welcome+Aboard+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 790.88 kB · 6 downloads Italian+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 861.59 kB · 5 downloads Mexican+Night+Menu+-+Royal+Caribbean+Main+Dining+Room.pdf 763.27 kB · 8 downloads

You know I do not like to make food recommendations in general anymore but I know your style from all of your postings. I trust you to take it with a grain of salt (pun intended). You are well aware things change cruise to cruise and ship to ship.

 

We ate every night at the second seating of MDR for nine nights in November on the Jewel for our anniversary.

 

We were at a table for two and arrived with our choice of wine in hand from the Schooner Bar. We enjoyed listening to piano or guitar and violin. Very relaxing.

 

My wife's favorite has always been escargot and she enjoyed it every meal that it was offered. Warning, the sauce is extremely rich. What looks to be a small portion with one stick of bread can be very filling. I tried it once during the week and it was good but I would have no room for another  appetizer after it. Shrimp cocktail is always consistent. If I want salad, I would go to the Windjammer. I eat many soups at home so I did not feel the urge to have them.

 

I had great success with all of the cuts of beef that week. The New York Strip was a nice thickness, satisfying proportion, and cooked medium rare to medium. Warm when it arrived, no gristle, maybe the smallest vein of fat (all meat needs a bit of fat for flavor so I was not disappointed in seeing it).

 

The beef tenderloin came in two slices, juicy, cooked rare to medium rare, tender, and more than enough portion to satisfy me.

 

My wife and I had salmon both times it was offered because the first time was excellent.  Moist, cooked but not overcooked to the point of falling about with a great sauce. The fillet itself was about 6 ounces after cooking so it was a satisfying size without being overwhelming.

 

Second salmon was with an excellent curry spice sauce.

 

We shared one additional appetizer of tiger shrimp which had a very nice sauce but the shrimp were a 28 to 38 per pound count and got lost in the sauce. I think a 19 to 28 per pound count would have been more visually appearing but it was good.

 

We ate a big breakfast, light lunch, and one appetizer and one entree main meal with no desserts by our second day. We are not used to eating three meals each day. We are early risers so we were first into the Windjammer, our lunch snack was about 1pm to 2p, and the MDR at 8pm.

 

The Windjammer was the best I have seen since the opening of the Pandemic. Good salad selections, the grilled tomatoes are back, and the breakfast smoked salmon station was the best in my last six cruises.

 

I hope this helps you in some way.

[Mum2Mercury]

20 hours ago, allie3490 said:

Omg how much over analyzing is necessary?? I would never trust some rando on cruise critic with food choices. Just look at the menu when you sit down and decide then.

You should try the Cordon Bleu.  

[HappyTexan44]

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful replies.   I am particularly happy to hear that people have liked the Escargots and the Tenderloin, since those were the two things I was most interested in.  

 

People are different, some like to wing it on vacation.   Me, I find that stressful.  I love the anal scale that was mentioned here and I'm somewhere in the 9.2-9.5 range.   I'll never forget the AZ vacation where we drove around, and I'd had it well-planned except for the restaurants because life got busy the weeks beforehand.  At one point DH turned to me and said, "Where's good to eat near here?"   I had to say, "No Clue."  Plus, planning and researching vacations helps to extend the vacation.  

 

[crusnbee]

I am not sure which night it pops up in, and I could not open your menus at work, but one of my favorites the the roasted poblano soup. Yum!

[Tree_skier]

18 minutes ago, crusnbee said:

I am not sure which night it pops up in, and I could not open your menus at work, but one of my favorites the the roasted poblano soup. Yum!

That is on Mexican night and is very very good.  I forgot about that one when I made my recommendation. 🙂. 

[Starry Eyes]

6 hours ago, crusnbee said:

I am not sure which night it pops up in, and I could not open your menus at work, but one of my favorites the the roasted poblano soup. Yum!

I like it too, though I’d only recommend it to people who want a hotter soup.  The people who want a milder soup might order with the enchilada soup.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

7 hours ago, crusnbee said:

I am not sure which night it pops up in, and I could not open your menus at work, but one of my favorites the the roasted poblano soup. Yum!

Is it super spicy?

[villageidit]

On 1/3/2024 at 12:31 PM, firefly333 said:

For mexican I've been ordering the butter chicken. Idk what's mexican about butter chicken but it's not bad. Last time on harmony I got Indian bread with it, not the other times.

 

The sliced steak with sauce I would have eaten except I asked for MW.. and mine was red.

 

The enchiladas are wierd. I had them once and pulled out the pulled pork and ate it not the wierd covering. Supposed to be wrapped in tosdados not that thick coating. Those cooks needs a week in texas to learn enchiladas. 

 

Butter chicken has been my go to on mexican night. 

 

Hated italian night. The other nights all have something I liked.

The burrito I had was the same on Explorer last year. Didn't resemble any burrito I've had in my life. Most of my life spent near the southern border so I've tried quite a variety. 

[Tlbecker1]

On 1/3/2024 at 10:19 AM, Tree_skier said:

On French night order the Beef Tenderloin.  It is my favorite MDR meal every week...   For dessert I love the warm apple cobbler. 

Agree 💯!

[Tree_skier]

4 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Is it super spicy?

I would say, as someone who likes mild spice, that it is just perfect. There is a tiny bite but far from anything that'll set you on fire.  

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

5 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I would say, as someone who likes mild spice, that it is just perfect. There is a tiny bite but far from anything that'll set you on fire.  

Thanks. I can deal with mild spice, just not super hot.

[HappyTexan44]

Looking back at the menu after reading what people have said, the Pesto Tagliatelle and Garlic shrimp entrees being combined sounds awesome.  My all-time favorite dish is Shrimp Alfredo.  

Good thing I like Butter Chicken.   When eating Mexican-ish outside of Texas or Mexican, my go-to dish is enchiladas because I *thought* that was a dish that no one could mess up.  I used to think that about lasagna until a restaurant served one without tomato or dairy products.  

 

Side note, we got the 10:30 arrival time.  Our friends going with us are experiences cruisers, and she said the only thing keeping her gang from arriving at 7am with their faces pressed to the glass is the hotel breakfast.  

[Tree_skier]

I know that there was someone that said the Carne Asada wasn't good but my experience has been the opposite.  I have ordered it on two of my last three cruises and enjoyed it each time.  If you are struggling for a pick on Mexican night I wouldn't hesitate to select that.

[Starry Eyes]

31 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I know that there was someone that said the Carne Asada wasn't good but my experience has been the opposite.  I have ordered it on two of my last three cruises and enjoyed it each time.  If you are struggling for a pick on Mexican night I wouldn't hesitate to select that.

We have ordered Carne Asada several times and always enjoyed it.  

[mickeygirl78]

I'm a big fan of steak so I mostly eat whatever the steak dish is.  I also am not a big fan of sweets and do not eat chocolate, so I can't recommend a lot of desserts.

 

On Welcome Aboard, I enjoy the crab cake, prime rib and cheesecake.  Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts and they don't serve it daily anymore so I always get this.  I ordered the Spinach and Artichoke dip one cruise and it came out so rock hard I couldn't even get a fork into it.  I have not bothered to try to order that again.

 

France - I love the French Onion Soup and have never had a bad bowl on Royal.  I typically order that, beef tenderloin and creme brulee.  The tenderloin has always been cooked perfectly and a perfect portion.  

 

Caribbean - Not one of my favorite nights.  I've typically ordered the strip steak with a side of the tiger shrimp.  The steak can be hit or miss with the tenderness but the shrimp have always been good.  

 

Mexico - I've typically ordered the Carne Asada without the beans.  The first time I ordered it was overcooked and tough but the head waiter noticed and replaced it immediately.  What a difference, it was night and day.  The second time I ordered it was very good as well.  It's flavorful and tender.  I also really enjoyed the Tres Leches Cake.

 

Italy - I tend to go to the MDR on Italian night only for the Beef Carpaccio appetizer.  I enjoy the one in the MDR just as much as the one at Chops.  The main courses are just so so.  I typically get either Chicken Parm or Lasagna.  Both will fill you up but nothing to write home about.  

 

If you don't like something, just tell them and they'll get you something else.  I'm sure you will find something you enjoy.

[Tatka]

We tried new menus 4 times now.

Remember... quality also depends on ship/cooks.. to some extent.

 

I often order escargots. In some reason RCI does them better than X.

 

My favorites (I do not order desserts and not always entrees)

Welcome Aboard - Tomato Soup, Maryland crab cake

French - Squash Soup, Calamari, Seafood Linguini

Mexian - Poblano Soup, Chili Lime Salmon

Caribbean - Tofu + Avacado, Coconut Shtimp, Garlic Tiger Shrimp

Italian - Carpaccio ... Do not remember what else.

 

 

[Engineroom Snipe]

6 hours ago, Tatka said:

Remember... quality also depends on ship/cooks.. to some extent.

 

French - Squash Soup, Calamari, Seafood Linguini

 

Caribbean - Tofu + Avacado, Coconut Shtimp, Garlic Tiger Shrimp

 

Cannot agree more with your first statement: "Quality also depends on ship/cooks....to some extent."

 

Someone else stated that the Calamari was heavily breaded and was lost in the batter. That was my opinion also. I love fresh calamari and prepare it often at home. I do not need it perfect, just reasonable. I could not find the Calamari in a heavy batter from RCI. I stopped ordering it.

 

The Coconut Shrimp and Garlic Tiger Shrimp were tasty. I just wish the shrimp in the Garlic Tiger Shrimp were a bit larger on the fork 😁.

 

Everyone has a different interpretation of food because it is SO subjective.

 

Cruise food reviews are a hot topic but I do appreciate people trying to express their opinions without being judged or disrespected.

 

I might have to try the "Tofu and Avocado" on Caribbean Night just to open my taste buds to a new adventure.

 

"Try it, you might like it!"