The points guy says carnival among 6 top cruise lines for food

[maryann2]

17 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I doubt many people have been on 6 cruise lines 

I have 

RCL,  Celebrity,  Carnival,  HAL.  Princess,  Cunard,  Costa,  MSC.

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

I would be interested in your thoughts on the new menus when you try them.  I loved them.  

I especially liked the appetizers pork bites and hawaiian shrimp poke. The sauce on the pork bites was what made it for me. Shrimp imo isnt poke. Poke is square cut raw fish, but I still liked the appetizer. I love poblano soup one night which rcl also has. I did several of the salads which are listed as entrees, idk why, waiter said because they are larger. Ribs both times were fall off the bone perfect. I cant remember what all else was listed as emeril picks but I always made sure to check them.

 

New menu items a hit with our table. 

[tidecat]

The barbecue salmon was good. It appeared to be quite popular the night it was offered on my sailing.

[jimbo5544]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I especially liked the appetizers pork bites and hawaiian shrimp poke. The sauce on the pork bites was what made it for me. Shrimp imo isnt poke. Poke is square cut raw fish, but I still liked the appetizer. I love poblano soup one night which rcl also has. I did several of the salads which are listed as entrees, idk why, waiter said because they are larger. Ribs both times were fall off the bone perfect. I cant remember what all else was listed as emeril picks but I always made sure to check them.

 

New menu items a hit with our table. 

And ours.  

[cmichael1221]

On 2/21/2024 at 7:27 PM, firefly333 said:

His usual thing is which credit cards have the best benefits and how to get upgraded on airlines. I've read him for years. Cruiselines arent his usual, just happened to see this one. That's why his name. He flies on points from credit cards a lot.

 

I thought the food was much improved from early after covid. Others have gone down, carnivals was improved. I liked the new menu items, emeril inspired or whatever. Tasty. He mentioned big chik so maybe he did mardi gras. Had to have been on a newer carnival ship. 

Agreed - we really liked the new menu items in the MDR on Celebration in December, especially he Emeril-inspired dishes.  We had been avoiding the MDR, gave it a try once so see how things were and decided to keep going back! 

[Its the journey]

On 2/23/2024 at 3:41 AM, sparks1093 said:

We all have different gauges when it comes to food. I have always liked what Carnival has offered and I have seen improvement overall since we started cruising with them in 2012. I am looking forward to the new menus as well. I think you are the only one that used the term "best food at sea", but I would definitely say that it's the best food at sea for the fares we've paid.

Exactly.  Carnival's food is way better than any other budget cruise line.  It doesn't compare to the ultra premium lines, but it beats the competition in its category.  Royal is almost unbearable for me after the Jan 2023 cuts.

[Saint Greg]

54 minutes ago, Its the journey said:

Exactly.  Carnival's food is way better than any other budget cruise line.  It doesn't compare to the ultra premium lines, but it beats the competition in its category.  Royal is almost unbearable for me after the Jan 2023 cuts.

Way better is a stretch. When I compare Carnival to Princess and NCL. Some things are better. Some things are the same. Some things are worse. 

[sprint180]

On my last cruise the food was not great.  To be fair I have never thought cruise food was wonderful (talking MDR) but the last cruise never had me wanting more.  That being said.  I don't really like hamburgers and I had a Guys Burger on the last cruise and it was fantastic.

[jimbo5544]

51 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Way better is a stretch. When I compare Carnival to Princess and NCL. Some things are better. Some things are the same. Some things are worse. 

Food is def a subjective topic.  I can even have the same thing on different ships and it taste and look different.  

[Saint Greg]

46 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Food is def a subjective topic.  I can even have the same thing on different ships and it taste and look different.  

I can do that on the same ship. 

[Jamman54]

When you're cooking for that many people it's banquet food, nothing more, nothing less.  If you want cooked to order you need to go to the specialty restaurants. 

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I can do that on the same ship. 

Have to take your word on that.  I cannot think of a cruise where I do the same thing twice in the same cruise (other than a couple of lido options, Guys, or pizza).

Edited February 24 by jimbo5544

[jimbo5544]

8 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

When you're cooking for that many people it's banquet food, nothing more, nothing less.  If you want cooked to order you need to go to the specialty restaurants. 

As we both know, we have seen the way food is prepped and prepared,  The only possible way it can work.

[Its the journey]

5 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Way better is a stretch. When I compare Carnival to Princess and NCL. Some things are better. Some things are the same. Some things are worse. 

Princess is not a budget line.  It is a premium line and is expected to have food that is a cut above. 

 

Carnival is the budget line and Princess is the premium line of the same company carnival corporation. 

 

Just as royal Caribbean is the budget line and celebrity is the premium line of royal Caribbean international.

 

It is important to compare only to lines in the budget category to carnival. Carnivals food is very good compared to what is offered by other budget cruise lines.

Edited February 24 by Its the journey

[Its the journey]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

When you're cooking for that many people it's banquet food, nothing more, nothing less.  If you want cooked to order you need to go to the specialty restaurants. 

Horse *****.  Forty years ago, ships were a bit smaller, but they fed 1500 a night, all in the mdr with first class cuisine.  

 

Ships are larger, but with many competing onboard restaurants today, I think they serve a comparable amount of people in the mdr.  They could provide excellent food, they did in the past.

 

It is the severe budget limitations that have lowered the food quality.  It isn't because it is impossible to give that amount of people a great dining experience.  They used to be able to provide it.  The thing that changed it is cutting back and saving money.

Edited February 24 by Its the journey

[jimbo5544]

29 minutes ago, Its the journey said:

Horse *****.  Forty years ago, ships were a bit smaller, but they fed 1500 a night, all in the mdr with first class cuisine.  

 

Ships are larger, but with many competing onboard restaurants today, I think they serve a comparable amount of people in the mdr.  They could provide excellent food, they did in the past.

 

It is the severe budget limitations that have lowered the food quality.  It isn't because it is impossible to give that amount of people a great dining experience.  They used to be able to provide it.  The thing that changed it is cutting back and saving money.

Leaving the horse asterisk comment alone, me thinks you missed the point.  While I cannot compare 40 years ago, I go back 30+.  I would agree that there are constraints from the shutdown for 19 months (nothing of their own doing) and this has an impact (30 bill in the hole will do that).  That said, and for the sake of discussion I will use my first sailing, Carnival Celebration (the original), could hold 1,500 and had 2 dining options.  The Mardi Gras has 6,400 capacity and multiple (22) dining options.  The issue comes in that all but 2 Lido and the two MDR’s do it in much smaller number which my friend Jeff said (actuarily) are prepared in MUCH small ways, which allows specialization and attention to detail.  However, the majority of people still eat dinner in the two mdr’s, hence the need for prep and cooking, which if you do a CHef’s table or do a main kitchen walk thru during mealtime, you would see.  

 

I have recently sailed a 5 star cruise line ship (14 say sailing).  While the service was better, the tables had white linen, and the presentation was top notch, I would give an edge (not a lot, but still and edge) to Carnival.  Sometimes, chicken salad really is chicken salad and not chicken …something else.  You may disagree, but Jeff speaks truth….

[BlerkOne]

48 minutes ago, Its the journey said:

It is the severe budget limitations that have lowered the food quality.  It isn't because it is impossible to give that amount of people a great dining experience.  They used to be able to provide it.  The thing that changed it is cutting back and saving money.

If cruise lines didn't manage costs, you couldn't afford to cruise. The cruise lines aren't saving money.

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, Its the journey said:

Princess is not a budget line.  It is a premium line and is expected to have food that is a cut above. 

 

Carnival is the budget line and Princess is the premium line of the same company carnival corporation. 

 

Just as royal Caribbean is the budget line and celebrity is the premium line of royal Caribbean international.

 

It is important to compare only to lines in the budget category to carnival. Carnivals food is very good compared to what is offered by other budget cruise lines.

Well it was cheaper than carnival.

[Jamman54]

1 hour ago, Its the journey said:

Horse *****.  Forty years ago, ships were a bit smaller, but they fed 1500 a night, all in the mdr with first class cuisine.  

 

Ships are larger, but with many competing onboard restaurants today, I think they serve a comparable amount of people in the mdr.  They could provide excellent food, they did in the past.

 

It is the severe budget limitations that have lowered the food quality.  It isn't because it is impossible to give that amount of people a great dining experience.  They used to be able to provide it.  The thing that changed it is cutting back and saving money.

If you say so. I was  cruising 40 years ago, were you? 😎

[jimbo5544]

11 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

If you say so. I was  cruising 40 years ago, were you? 😎

Wow, you must be old!😝

[Its the journey]

3 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

If you say so. I was  cruising 40 years ago, were you? 😎

 

My first cruise was in 1973.  I was five years old.  I'm old but there are many older cruisers around.

[Its the journey]

4 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Well it was cheaper than carnival.

Princess often has very good rates, but they are still a premium line.

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, Its the journey said:

 

My first cruise was in 1973.  I was five years old.  I'm old but there are many older cruisers around.

Old? And you were 5 in 1973? I was 26 in 1973, I must be ANCIENT! 🤦‍♂️🤣

[Fredette]

On 2/23/2024 at 11:56 AM, BlerkOne said:

I doubt many people have been on 6 cruise lines 

From my reckoning, I'm up to seven.

[jimbo5544]

14 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Old? And you were 5 in 1973? I was 26 in 1973, I must be ANCIENT! 🤦‍♂️🤣

I resemble that remark.