Royal Waiters Advising Against Certain Items

[dragontrainer]

Food is subjective, but our waiters and assistant waiters get to see general reaction to items daily.

 

Have you had the dining staff advise you against an item when ordering?  We can see if there are common culprits, or if food is so subjective that nearly everything on the menu has been noted by a waiter as something to avoid.

 

• We were strongly steered away from the Vegan Cheesecake (the waiter was quite apologetic but didn't even want to bring it out), we ordered something else.
• I also saw on another thread the Oat Bar was noted as no one liking it by a waiter.
• I'll give honorable mention to the Pork Enchiladas.  The waiter checked with me after I finished it asking if I wanted something else since it often is not good.  In this instance the one I got was quite good, but apparently they often come out hard or cold).

 

Any items you've been encouraged to avoid?

(This post is meant more as a light, fun topic to see when dining staff have seen enough negative reactions to suggest diners choose a different route, no offense is meant to those that enjoy these items).

 

[firefly333]

36 minutes ago, dragontrainer said:

Food is subjective, but our waiters and assistant waiters get to see general reaction to items daily.

 

Have you had the dining staff advise you against an item when ordering?  We can see if there are common culprits, or if food is so subjective that nearly everything on the menu has been noted by a waiter as something to avoid.

 

• We were strongly steered away from the Vegan Cheesecake (the waiter was quite apologetic but didn't even want to bring it out), we ordered something else.
• I also saw on another thread the Oat Bar was noted as no one liking it by a waiter.
• I'll give honorable mention to the Pork Enchiladas.  The waiter checked with me after I finished it asking if I wanted something else since it often is not good.  In this instance the one I got was quite good, but apparently they often come out hard or cold).

 

Any items you've been encouraged to avoid?

(This post is meant more as a light, fun topic to see when dining staff have seen enough negative reactions to suggest diners choose a different route, no offense is meant to those that enjoy these items).

 

I love the oat bars. I went to the WJ where they had them and had 2. I passed a lady with 3 on a plate coming out of  the Mdr. She said her favorite dessert. 

 

I think the issue on the pork enchilada is they are  ot pork enchiladas..they have a thick covering. I eat the pork out of mine, not that wierd covering. They should be wrapped in a tortilla where I come from in texas. Nothing to do with not served hot or cold. ..I like the butter chicken the same night but had the chilli lime salmon that night instead last week.

 

Why would you let a waiter decide what you like? I know what I like. I know many memorize recommendations,... I dont listen. Yawn. 

 

Try the fruit bars yourself. 

[smokeybandit]

I love the pork "I'm actually a burrito" enchiladas. That's my go-to on Mexican night. I have no idea why anyone would intentionally steer you away from them.

 

I personally would always stay away from vegan versions of dishes that traditionally are highly dependent on non-vegan ingredients.

[BND]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I love the pork "I'm actually a burrito" enchiladas. That's my go-to on Mexican night. I have no idea why anyone would intentionally steer you away from them.

 

I personally would always stay away from vegan versions of dishes that traditionally are highly dependent on non-vegan ingredients.

This.  Why don't they just call it what it is?  It's certainly not an enchilada, but I do like it.

[orville99]

7 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

That's my go-to on Mexican night.

Our go to on Mexican night is the WJ - where we can make our own Tex Mex much better than anything served in the MDR.

Edited Monday at 04:50 PM by orville99

[smokeybandit]

Just now, BND said:

This.  Why don't they just call it what it is?  It's certainly not an enchilada, but I do like it.

Marketing. Enchilada sounds "fancier" than a burrito.

[crusnbee]

I asked about the vegan cheesecake and our waitress it was nothing like cheesecake, but brought one anyway.

 

She was right. Kind of odd consistency.

[neverbeenhere]

Many staff have told us "Others are not liking that recently, you'd be better off picking something else". We have blindly followed their advise and order something else.

[DCGuy64]

59 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

Many staff have told us "Others are not liking that recently, you'd be better off picking something else". We have blindly followed their advise and order something else.

I am so much the antithesis of the average person, that when someone tells me I'm not going to like something because "nobody else does," I'm likely to enjoy it anyway, because I'm different.

[TheBeardedCruiser]

9 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I am so much the antithesis of the average person, that when someone tells me I'm not going to like something because "nobody else does," I'm likely to enjoy it anyway, because I'm different.

I too am different! I just tell the server "Challenge Accepted!" Even if it tastes horrible, I'll eat it anyway, out of spite.

[KimA75]

Ours told our son the same thing about the oat bar.  He steered him towards the cheesecake, and ended up bringing out both.  My son tried both, agreed with him, and ended up eating the cheesecake.  

[marci22]

Most of our waiters have given input, some stronger than others. I think it's a good guide but order what you like and you can always get it replaced. If they really know something is bad they tend to bring out another option as well to save time.

[cello56]

When we sit down for dinner the first evening we gently explain to our waiters that we are very familiar with the menu and will not need guidance on our choices. This way they get a break from giving their nightly 'speil' and we get in and out of the dining room more quickly. Before anyone jumps on me, we always sit at a table for two so we are not inconveniencing anyone else who might want to hear the speil. Now if I want to try a dish I haven't tried before I might ask their opinion.

[island lady]

We like traditional dining, since we get the same wait team, who knows our likes and dislikes.  Our waiter knew that I did not like over salted food, too much spice, and definitely not anything fishy tasting.  I would ask him about various items...and he was very honest and helpful as to steer me away from those items.  This was most useful when he would announce the special of the night.  

 

After 62 nights this last quarter on Serenade...he was a great influence for me.  🙂 

[cruisegirl1]

22 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I love the pork "I'm actually a burrito" enchiladas. That's my go-to on Mexican night. I have no idea why anyone would intentionally steer you away from them.

 

I personally would always stay away from vegan versions of dishes that traditionally are highly dependent on non-vegan ingredients.

I am not vegan, and have limited knowledge in preparing the dishes,   but one of my favorite dishes is the vegan spaghetti bolognese offered on the Italian  night menu.   I pair it with the  beef  carpaccio appetizer. 
m
 

[island lady]

25 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

I am not vegan, and have limited knowledge in preparing the dishes,   but one of my favorite dishes is the vegan spaghetti bolognese offered on the Italian  night menu.   I pair it with the  beef  carpaccio appetizer. 
m
 

 

Me as well...not Vegan.  But there are several of those items they offer that we do enjoy.  The "Vegan" spring roll is one of my favorites.  😋

[smokeybandit]

Vegan tortilla soup is good, granted, non-vegan tortilla soup is the same recipe.

[Engineroom Snipe]

I sometimes ask our waiter in a diplomatic way if there are specific items that evening which seem to only have a few bites missing as the plates are removed. Since I am second seating, first seating can be the guinea pigs.

 

He was also diplomatic to say which orders always appeared to get the clean plate dish awards.

 

He conveyed things in a positive way and I was not disappointed in his recommendations.

 

😋

[Merion_Mom]

I think that the oat bar tastes like spoiled sawdust.  😄

[lovesthebeach2]

In the past we would sometimes say, “what’s good tonight on the menu” and then had the servers suggest what TO GET for dinner. They would say what they thought was good that night.  I can’t remember them telling us what not to eat.

 

I don’t even ask anymore what’s good that night if we even do decide to go to the MDR, because it’s the same menu over and over and over…..on every ship. 

[lovesthebeach2]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

We like traditional dining, since we get the same wait team, who knows our likes and dislikes.  Our waiter knew that I did not like over salted food, too much spice, and definitely not anything fishy tasting.  I would ask him about various items...and he was very honest and helpful as to steer me away from those items.  This was most useful when he would announce the special of the night.  

 

After 62 nights this last quarter on Serenade...he was a great influence for me.  🙂 

Until someone (possibly John) mentioned that they had a special each night, we were totally unaware. I wish they did that on all ships, all the time….we would ask what the next nights special was so we could decide if we would just do the WJ.

[RedSails1968]

Our waiter on Jewel told me that the lamb would “fall off the bone.” There was no falling off the bone and it clung so tightly that I would have had to pick it up and gnaw at it like Fred Flintstone. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

8 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

In the past we would sometimes say, “what’s good tonight on the menu” and then had the servers suggest what TO GET for dinner. They would say what they thought was good that night.  I can’t remember them telling us what not to eat.

 

I don’t even ask anymore what’s good that night if we even do decide to go to the MDR, because it’s the same menu over and over and over…..on every ship. 

 

And the difficulty on recommendations is that the New York Strip on one night can have a completely different texture two nights later as it might be part of a different shipment of meats.

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 minute ago, RedSails1968 said:

Our waiter on Jewel told me that the lamb would “fall off the bone.” There was no falling off the bone and it clung so tightly that I would have had to pick it up and gnaw at it like Fred Flintstone. 

 

You could always get a "doggie bag" for Dino!

 

🤣

[island lady]

37 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Until someone (possibly John) mentioned that they had a special each night, we were totally unaware. I wish they did that on all ships, all the time….we would ask what the next nights special was so we could decide if we would just do the WJ.

 

Totally agree.   Our wonderful waiter, which we were so lucky to have for the entire 62 nights on this last quarter (unlike dining staff in MDR constantly changing them out for each segment on first quarter)...informed us that first night about nightly specials.  We were always interested to see what the Chef was "cooking up" each night.  

 

We had two daily specials during the Pinnacle breakfast when it was held on deck 5...then they switched it to Giovanni's...with no specials and less choices than MDR.  😞