Food in decline?

[lovesthebeach2]

9 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

When were you on the Radiance? We board her in March, hopefully they'll improve by then...

We were on for NYE so it was a lot more expensive than usual. The MDR food and service were good, but the WJ which is where we had breakfast and lunch and a couple of dinners was not good at all. I even noticed the staff walking around with empty plates looking for decent food there, especially lunch.
We were on Odyssey for 27 days in October and the food there was great! The WJ was really good and not just brown or red sauce with floating mystery meat.

 

We love Radiance class and cruise a lot on all the ships in that class, but we’re noticing both the quality and choices of the food isn’t nearly as good as on the large newer ships, and that’s a shame. 

 

 

 

 

[TwoMisfits]

10 hours ago, aac1623 said:

Just got done on the Mariner and this was our first Royal Caribbean cruise and I was not impressed with the majority of the food. The buffet was just OK, lots of options though! The MDR was hit or miss, the service was fantastic and we loved our waiters. The New York strip steak I had on first day and 4th day. The first day was great, the 4th day it just wasn’t as good. Attached is a pic of the lobster Mac and cheese, there was nothing cheesy or lobster about it 😂😂 it had 2 tiny pieces of lobster and that was it. I’m not a picky eater by far, this is the only thing I didn’t eat, but nothing was “great” to me. I also noticed the portions were small in MDR. I ordered shrimp cocktail as an app and it came with 4 shrimp. I’ve cruised Disney and princess before so maybe that spoiled me some. 

 

Okay, if that is lobster mac and cheese, it does look awful...and lacking lobster and thickness/creaminess.

Edited January 23 by TwoMisfits

[SUgwoz]

13 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

 

A very honest review about how our expectations color our food experiences.

 

We have set our expectations much lower than what we experienced in the past so we are not disappointed.

 

Food is food. We do not go to bed hungry. I just really enjoy a good food experience which seems harder to find on a consistent basis with 'Royal' compared to years past.

 

Thank you for your opinion.

I am a fairly picky eater, so having limited options immediately makes a small menu an issue for me.  However, I found I was able to select something I wanted and enjoy it.  I can say that I am sure 20 years ago when I was on a cruise I had a meal or two I was unsatisfied with my options.

 

I do have low expectations, since its mass production and servings.  I prefer the specialty since I know its more like a traditional restaurant and often at a low capacity.  As oppose to MDR which is like a catering event or a land based restaurant that is serving over capacity. 

[crusnbee]

We took our first short cruise on Independence of 1/11. While we normally can find something to eat from the MDR menu, we decided that we would do the WindJammer if nothing was truly appealing. We ate there two of 4 nights.

 

My DH almost choked when they brought him his beef tenderloin in the MDR. The pieces were less than 1/4 in thick. That combined with the three stalks of asparagus and a small scoop of mashed potatoes didnt even take up half of the plate! Had the meal been over the top on flavor, it would be fine. Sacrificing quantity for quality is always a good thing. Here they sacrificed both.

 

The Windjammer on Caribbean night had one of the best meals I have had on a ship in quite a while. It was simply beans and rice and Jamaican beef patties. Doesnt always have to be complicated to be good.

 

Final observation - the Windjammer on Independence looked smaller than normal. Didnt seem like as many options as in the past. Of note was the fruit and yogurt parfait at breakfast. That was one of my favorites. The lunch and dinner meals seemed dominated by Indian food. I love it, but found there to be so much of it, other selections suffered.

 

As many have said, YMMV. Bon Appetit to all!

[jeh10641]

Here is my take on Anthem of the Seas food for an October 2023 transatlantic cruise.

 

     The main buffets are always extremely busy on Boarding Day so we had decided in advance to try something different. We went to the Solarium Bistro (also a buffet). It had both hot and cold main courses, salads, and desserts. It was not busy when we sat down. We had our choice of tables. By the time we were done around 1 PM, it was a lot busier but still had tables available. In addition, it was relatively quiet and less hectic. Very civilized. The food selection was varied and delicious. That did not surprise me. On our previous cruise on Royal Caribbean in 2008, the food was always good.

     According the Hotel Director, whom we met one night at Jamie’s Italian, since the cruise began in England, there was no unsweetened ice tea mix onboard, a European thing. Fuwei and Hara brewed us fresh tea every night we ate in this dining room and added ice to the pot.

 

     As for the food, it was on a par with any midrange (4+ star) land-based restaurant. I would expect to pay at least $35-$45 US/person in such a restaurant. There were several choices each night for each of the three or four courses. There were vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free options. The food was excellent and well prepared (medium rare was medium rare). We could have been in and out in an hour but preferred a more leisurely experience. Even then, we were rarely there more than 90 minutes. Well done RCCL!

 

BREAKFASTS: SILK DINING ROOM/WINDJAMMER BUFFET

     We ate breakfast at 9 AM most mornings. We split our meals between SILK DINING ROOM (opposite the AMERICAN ICON GRILL) and the WINDJAMMER BUFFET.  SILK was much quieter and usually less crowded than the WINDJAMMER BUFFET (the main buffet). It also had seats that were more comfortable with cloth-covered tables, making it feel more elegant.

Although the buffet at SILK was not as extensive as in the main buffet, it was more than adequate. There were hot and cold main courses: various cereals, assorted meats and cheeses, fresh breads and pastries galore, ingredients for a full English style breakfast, lox and bagels (my favorite), premade omelets (no omelet station) and more. The hot dishes were hot and the cold were cold. The servers brought coffee, tea and juices to the table. That was a nice touch. In a land-based restaurant, I would expect to pay between $15-$25 US per person for the variety of food available and the service.

 

 

LUNCHES: MANY VENUES TRIED

We varied our lunch venues to a few different places. WINDJAMMER BUFFET, CAFÉ 270, JOHNNY ROCKETS, SOLARIUM BISTRO and SORRENTO’S PIZZA. Except for JOHNNY ROCKETS, they were all included in our cruise fare. They were all buffets or counter service. None had tableside ordering options.

 

     As I mentioned earlier, we tried the Solarium Bistro for our first lunch on boarding day. We ate dinner there once or twice; we had breakfast there once or twice and maybe another lunch or two. It was never crowded; the staff were prompt with drinks and offered any other assistance we might need. The food was always very good and there were ample selections for varied appetites and diets. I would recommend trying it out yourself.

 

     My wife and I, due to diet restrictions (carb intake), do not eat pizza crust but we scraped off the toppings at SORRENTO’S and it was more than adequate for a meal. I did taste the crust a couple of times and it was very much in the New York style (thin, very well made and tasty). The toppings were awesome. I would expect to pay about $10 – 15 US for these pizza slices. As for a star rating, I think 4-stars is about right. We ate here two or three times.

 

     JOHNNY ROCKETS is an a la carte priced burger restaurant and partially outdoors. I say partially because it was enclosed on three side with the fourth being open to the pool deck. It is an extension of a 1950’s themed land-based restaurant chain that we liked long before our first RCCL cruise in 2008. It had a couple of booths but mostly regular table seating options. The burgers were much better than a Burger King or McDonalds but not gourmet. I would say they are a par with the Dive-In on Holland America. The fries were tasty. The best part were the Cookies and Cream milk shakes. A full meal with burger, shake and fries was about $12.50 US in 2023. This pricing is less than what you may pay on land (website pricing $30.95 as of December 27, 2023). We thought the price (reasonable) and the meals (very good) were worth the extra cost. Four stars for value and taste.

 

     CAFÉ 270 is located next to the entertainment venue 270 at the stern (aft) of the ship. Daytime, it had great views of the ship’s wake. That was where the closest seating was if you got lunch in the café. It was buffet style dining with salads, sandwiches and desserts plus beverages. There was more than enough food to satisfy our lunch demands. The view was to die for!

 

     WINDJAMMER BUFFET - This is the main buffet style-dining venue. It is open for long hours for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. It is divided into many individual stations, each featuring different types of food. Even at the busiest times of day, you could get your food quickly. You have to find your own table; that might take longer than getting the food. Plenty of windows from which to view the world around the ship, whether at sea or in a port.

Whatever food we tried in WINDJAMMER, it was excellent and at the correct temperature. You decide on your portion sizes and you can eat as much as you want.

My only complaint is that beverages were not delivered to the table at lunch or dinner. Breakfast time saw juices, tea and coffee brought to your table (some of the time). I would rate this as 4.95 stars (lack of unsweetened ice tea prevents five).

 

     Before entering the buffet dining area, there are handwashing/sanitizing stations. USE THEM TO HELP PREVENT/CONTROL ANY SHIP BOARD ILLNESSES!

 

SPECIALTY DINING – tried three counting Johnny Rockets

     On our first cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship in 2008 (Navigator OTS), we ate at two specialty restaurants including Chops. At that time, we felt that although the food was excellent, it was not worth the extra fees because the Main Dining Room and Windjammer Buffet food was so good. On this cruise on Anthem OTS, the food in the American Icon Grill/Windjammer was also excellent.

 

     As we were celebrating birthdays this time, we decided to have dinner twice in specialty venues. Our first meal was in CHOPS, the steakhouse, on my wife’s actual birthday. We had the filet steak and it was perfectly cooked (medium for my wife, medium rare for me). It was delicious and tender. The staff made a big production about singing Happy Birthday and had prepared a special dessert for her. Well done RCCL!

 

     A few days later, not wanting to stop celebrating, we dined at JAMIE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT. We ordered two Chicken Parmigiana. Once again the chef did it right, pounded thin, crusted, with cheese and sauce. Momma mia, it was one of the best ever. More singing and desserts added to the festivities. Kudos RCCL!

 

Jim

[HappyTexan44]

That lobster mac and cheese looks like a broth-based soup.  

[Tatka]

17 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

That lobster mac and cheese looks like a broth-based soup.  

 

Soup? I did not see a liquid in this dish.

[jeh10641]

On 1/12/2024 at 4:54 PM, Engineroom Snipe said:

Patience is a virtue.

 

 

...few men possess. 

[HappyTexan44]

10 minutes ago, Tatka said:

 

Soup? I did not see a liquid in this dish.

I was speaking of Post #129.  That looks like a thin liquid in that photo.  

[PACrew]

I hope everyone is completing the surveys after the cruise. 

[jeh10641]

On 1/13/2024 at 5:37 AM, OCSC Mike said:

 

I appreciate the sentiment and also enjoy our food discussions.

 

No, my experiences are never perfect (few things is this world are) but I've also never NOT gained a bunch of weight on a cruise, lol, so I'm unlikely to majorly complain about the food.

 

The closest I've come to a bad experience was on Indy in 2022, but that was more due to the lack of included venues (Fish N Ships charged for everything back then; if I could have gotten included fish n chips and chicken fingers as a snack, I might have loved it) as well as the worst CL snacks I've ever seen, but that part really isn't important. That cruise let us know that while we're perfectly happy to drop down from Oasis class to Freedom/Voyager class, I really missed the extra food venues.

Hi, OCSC Mike,

The reason I prefer the MDR over Windjammer for dinner is not the quality or quantity of the food. I find both very good quality. It is because I prefer a sit down dinner with individual service as opposed to self service.

Jim

[jeh10641]

On 1/13/2024 at 7:07 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

I agree food is not the only part of a cruise, but if I am going to be on a ship for 7-14 days or longer, if I didn’t think the food was above average, I wouldn’t cruise on that ship/cruise line. I think Icon is going to be a great ship for families, especially from what I have heard from a few friends who have been on Icon the last few days. But as I move into my late 50s with adult kids, I don’t think Icon will be one of my favorite RCI ships, although I do have a few cruises booked on her this year. At this point I like Celebrity as much as RCI, but it’s tough to ignore 5 free drinks, free WiFi and free drinks in the casino on RCI. 

I hear that Celebrity will match some, if not all, Royal perks for Crown/Anchor members.

[PhillyFan33579]

2 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

I hear that Celebrity will match some, if not all, Royal perks for Crown/Anchor members.

If you are Diamond or above (I am Diamond +), Celebrity gives you Elite status in their loyalty program. In my opinion the 5 free drinks you get per day as a Diamond + is the best perk RCI offers. As an Elite or above on Celebrity, they have a 2 hour happy hour (usually 5-7 PM) where you get free drinks. However, the drinks available are limited and you can only get free drinks at certain bars. This varies from ship to ship, but free drinks are never available at the most popular bars on a ship. Based on this I always buy the premium drink package on Celebrity, while I infrequently buy the deluxe beverage package on RCI. 

[OCSC Mike]

12 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

I prefer a sit down dinner with individual service

I’d venture to say most people do. I enjoy buffets due to variety & unlimited portions so that part doesn’t matter to me. We all have our preferences.

[Oxo]

15 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

If you are Diamond or above (I am Diamond +), Celebrity gives you Elite status in their loyalty program. In my opinion the 5 free drinks you get per day as a Diamond + is the best perk RCI offers. As an Elite or above on Celebrity, they have a 2 hour happy hour (usually 5-7 PM) where you get free drinks. However, the drinks available are limited and you can only get free drinks at certain bars. This varies from ship to ship, but free drinks are never available at the most popular bars on a ship. Based on this I always buy the premium drink package on Celebrity, while I infrequently buy the deluxe beverage package on RCI. 

Totally agree with you on this 5 free drinks per day. I have posted this on Celebrity CC more than twice and get bad responses from those on Celebrity CC. They don't want this, they don't want Celebrity to become RCI, etc. Their loss!!!!

[Tlbecker1]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

I hear that Celebrity will match some, if not all, Royal perks for Crown/Anchor members.

The only thing that Celebrity matches is that you receive a free bag of laundry if you are a Diamond on Royal.  The benefits don’t compare other than that.

[time4u2go]

18 minutes ago, Tlbecker1 said:

The only thing that Celebrity matches is that you receive a free bag of laundry if you are a Diamond on Royal.  The benefits don’t compare other than that.

You also get free drinks on Celebrity during their happy hours, 90 minutes of internet, priority tendering, and several other things, once you reach diamond on Royal.

 

Edited January 23 by time4u2go

[Oxo]

53 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

You also get free drinks on Celebrity during their happy hours, 90 minutes of internet, priority tendering, and several other things, once you reach diamond on Royal.

 

X HH is from 5-7pm. Drinks from a very limited menu. 90 minutes vs RCI 24 Diamond or 48 hours for Diamond+.

JMHO I like RCI perks better! 

[time4u2go]

5 minutes ago, Oxo said:

X HH is from 5-7pm. Drinks from a very limited menu. 90 minutes vs RCI 24 Diamond or 48 hours for Diamond+.

JMHO I like RCI perks better! 

I was just correcting the person that stated that the only thing you get on Celebrity with the status match is the free bag of laundry.  This is incorrect.  There are other benefits, even beyond the ones I mentioned.

[Oxo]

Just now, time4u2go said:

I was just correcting the person that stated that the only thing you get on Celebrity with the status match is the free bag of laundry.  This is incorrect.  There are other benefits, even beyond the ones I mentioned.

NP, I Was just adding details. 

[Morecruisesplz]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

I hear that Celebrity will match some, if not all, Royal perks for Crown/Anchor members.

Not the D+ free drink vouchers. 

[Morecruisesplz]

1 hour ago, time4u2go said:

You also get free drinks on Celebrity during their happy hours

Not the same as 5 drinks to spread over 24 hours.

[time4u2go]

32 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

Not the same as 5 drinks to spread over 24 hours.

I agree. As I said above, I was merely correcting the person that said that the only benefit was a free bag of laundry. There are quite a few other benefits that are also provided. 

 

Edited January 23 by time4u2go

[Jasukkie]

I recently took my first Carnival cruise. While there are many things that make Royal a better fit for me, I was impressed with Carnival's dining room service. I hesitated to do breakfast in the main dining room because it just seems to take forever on Royal, but Carnival had prompt service and I really liked what I ordered. For dinner, their appetizers were small but their entree portions were large and good enough. I like Royal's food but I have noticed the portion size shrinking. Carnival gets the nod for pool deck food with Guy's Burgers and Shaq's chicken. I really like the Fish and Ships on Ovation and wish they'd expand that to more ships.

[Morecruisesplz]

27 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

I agree. As I said above, I was merely correcting the person that said that the only benefit was a free bag of laundry. There are quite a few other benefits that are also provided. 

 

Just not  my favorite. (Although most of ours are used for water. ) Thanks!