Thanksgiving cruise Jewel review

[ashleycrew]

I think it just sounds like a good portion of NCL "travellers" are just not happy with the food and although everyone is going to say that food is subjective I do think there are enough complaints here that the fact has merit. Speaking of my recent NCL cruise I felt as if most of the food was acceptable but the food that was bad was verrrrrrrryyyyyy bad......

[Retired not Expired]

I think it just sounds like a good portion of NCL "travellers" are just not happy with the food and although everyone is going to say that food is subjective I do think there are enough complaints here that the fact has merit. Speaking of my recent NCL cruise I felt as if most of the food was acceptable but the food that was bad was verrrrrrrryyyyyy bad......

 

Yes, that's why these threads die out so quick, everyone agrees with the OP.:rolleyes: Where does a good portion come in?

 

We have a couple of people saying the food was bad and quite a number disagreeing including several who was on the same cruise.

 

Food is subjective. We have the OP wanting garlic on the food. Many people do not like garlic or only want it in moderation. Also the spicy comment. Many people like spicy food, many do not. Many people are on salt free diets and are use to bland food, where others want the salt or the food is too bland.

 

When fixing food for over 2000, it is impossible to satisfy everyones taste. Things such as medicine or the amount of certain minerals in your body can change your taste buds. One time I was low on zinc and couldn't stand the smell of bread, much less be able to eat it. Got my zinc back to normal and love bread again.

 

That's why food reviews are not very helpful. We don't know if the person giving it has our taste, different taste, or just plain taste for crap.

[ashleycrew]

Yes, that's why these threads die out so quick, everyone agrees with the OP.:rolleyes: Where does a good portion come in?

 

We have a couple of people saying the food was bad and quite a number disagreeing including several who was on the same cruise.

 

Food is subjective. We have the OP wanting garlic on the food. Many people do not like garlic or only want it in moderation. Also the spicy comment. Many people like spicy food, many do not. Many people are on salt free diets and are use to bland food, where others want the salt or the food is too bland.

 

When fixing food for over 2000, it is impossible to satisfy everyones taste. Things such as medicine or the amount of certain minerals in your body can change your taste buds. One time I was low on zinc and couldn't stand the smell of bread, much less be able to eat it. Got my zinc back to normal and love bread again.

 

That's why food reviews are not very helpful. We don't know if the person giving it has our taste, different taste, or just plain taste for crap.

 

I agree food is subjective even in my own house there are things some people love and other hate. My wife is from New England and from a french/canadian background and I remember the first year we were married we went over to her aunts house for new years for some traditional New Years meal called pork pie. I could not believe they were eating such as I actually had to spit out the one bite I tried in my napkin. So food is subjective. The only point I was trying to make is that there are a lot of complaints on this board about it so I think to immediatelly expel it as subjective would be wrong, if it were just a few then yes but it seems like daily there is a new discussion around it.

[Retired not Expired]

I agree food is subjective even in my own house there are things some people love and other hate. My wife is from New England and from a french/canadian background and I remember the first year we were married we went over to her aunts house for new years for some traditional New Years meal called pork pie. I could not believe they were eating such as I actually had to spit out the one bite I tried in my napkin. So food is subjective. The only point I was trying to make is that there are a lot of complaints on this board about it so I think to immediatelly expel it as subjective would be wrong, if it were just a few then yes but it seems like daily there is a new discussion around it.

 

We have a very small number of cruisers that use CC. I believe we have had five or six from this one cruise give their opinion of the food. That is around one-fourth of one percent of the passengers on that cruise. Hardly a number to draw a conclusion about something that is subjective.

 

NCL is filling their ships and has a good number of loyal repeat customers. It also has Freestyle, which seems to bring out much passion from those who like it and those who dislike it. When you start seing ships sail with only a partial passenger count, then a conclusion can be drawn. Any debate about any subject on here is just individual opinions, nothing more nor nothing less.

[ute_fan]

Ashleycrew -- Just out of curiosity, when was your recent NCL cruise, and do you know if you had the "old" menus that debuted in January, or the "new" menus that started being implemented in October? I'm just wondering which ones your verrrrryyyy bad choices came from.

 

We sailed the Jewel prior to their implementing the new menus and enjoyed everything we ate, but didn't feel that there were as many appealing choices as there were on the really old, traditional NCL menus. The new menus look like they would be a lot better -- but again, I haven't had the chance to actually eat the food. I do know one thing -- the addition of the chilled soups makes me want to cruise again in a hurry!

[ashleycrew]

Ashleycrew -- Just out of curiosity, when was your recent NCL cruise, and do you know if you had the "old" menus that debuted in January, or the "new" menus that started being implemented in October? I'm just wondering which ones your verrrrryyyy bad choices came from.

 

We sailed the Jewel prior to their implementing the new menus and enjoyed everything we ate, but didn't feel that there were as many appealing choices as there were on the really old, traditional NCL menus. The new menus look like they would be a lot better -- but again, I haven't had the chance to actually eat the food. I do know one thing -- the addition of the chilled soups makes me want to cruise again in a hurry!

 

My recent cruise was on the Majesty (which I do understand is kind of an odd ball older ship) and it was in Sept. Again most of the food was good but some things were very bad, eggs on the buffet and dining room (obviously powdered and I could not eat) roast beef was 50% fat, pasta just seemed to have been run over hot water.

[ute_fan]

You probably had the "old" menu then -- unless you noticed cold soups on the dinner menu. One other thing to consider with the complaints on the Thanksgiving cruise is that the menus are new -- they started being implemented on the 11/12 sailing. As with anything else, hopefully practice will improve the quality of the product.

[seahorse]

OK, my 2 cents. This food is "subjective" thing drives me crazy:rolleyes: Obviously different people like different food.

 

When a poster says that the food is not available........I wonder:confused: about the credibility.

 

True some people have medical issues that make them taste differently, my husband was one until he was "cured".

 

I want to know;

 

1.......what was available.

2.......was it prepared properly.

3.......was it served at the proper temperature.

4.......was there variety at every meal (there are a lot of ways to cook chicken;) )

5.......was there Vegetarian (my preference)

6.......is it fresh.

 

I could go on, but you get my point.

 

Food cooked in a mass setting has to appeal to the "masses" that is why there are specialty restaurants.

 

If you want low salt......order it.

If you want more garlic put on your food.....ask.

If you want more salt.......shake it.

If you want it more spicier.....ask for hot sauce.

 

excetera........excerata...excetera..:)

[ashleycrew]

OK, my 2 cents. This food is "subjective" thing drives me crazy:rolleyes: Obviously different people like different food.

 

When a poster says that the food is not available........I wonder:confused: about the credibility.

 

True some people have medical issues that make them taste differently, my husband was one until he was "cured".

 

I want to know;

 

1.......what was available.

2.......was it prepared properly.

3.......was it served at the proper temperature.

4.......was there variety at every meal (there are a lot of ways to cook chicken;) )

5.......was there Vegetarian (my preference)

6.......is it fresh.

 

I could go on, but you get my point.

 

Food cooked in a mass setting has to appeal to the "masses" that is why there are specialty restaurants.

 

If you want low salt......order it.

If you want more garlic put on your food.....ask.

If you want more salt.......shake it.

If you want it more spicier.....ask for hot sauce.

 

excetera........excerata...excetera..:)

 

but with that said you still can not just immediately discard someones comment with food is subjective if they say they did not enjoy it... no one ever said you would not enjoy it but id someone truely thinks the food was bad they can post it, I really do not think people who enjoyed the food would post they did not just for fun.

[seahorse]

but with that said you still can not just immediately discard someones comment with food is subjective if they say they did not enjoy it... no one ever said you would not enjoy it but id someone truely thinks the food was bad they can post it, I really do not think people who enjoyed the food would post they did not just for fun.

 

And some people just want to be argumentative:rolleyes:

 

Please re-read my post.........someone`s "bad" can be someone`s "good".:) That is why there are so many different cuisines in the world;)

 

My bullet points speak for themselves.

[Retired not Expired]

Food can be different in different parts of the world, even in different parts of the country. All fried chicken is not created equally. And chilli, with beans, without beans, and Cincy chilli is sure not the chilli I grew up with. Not to say it's not good, just way different.

 

I had a number of people rave to me about a new Mexican place here in town. I asked if it was real Mexican and was assured it was. I dined there and it was Tex-Mex, wrap an unknown meat in a tortilla and pour some chilli and cheese on it, not Mexican.

 

Some people are meat and potatoes, some like a wide variety. Some like liver, but hide a very small piece in a stew and others will start gagging.

 

Not just this forum but most others we find some good overall reviews but too many are nothing more than 10% cruise and 90% food reviews. If I were to vacation with food being the primary reason, a cruise would rank very low on my list.

[ashleycrew]

Food can be different in different parts of the world, even in different parts of the country. All fried chicken is not created equally. And chilli, with beans, without beans, and Cincy chilli is sure not the chilli I grew up with. Not to say it's not good, just way different.

 

I had a number of people rave to me about a new Mexican place here in town. I asked if it was real Mexican and was assured it was. I dined there and it was Tex-Mex, wrap an unknown meat in a tortilla and pour some chilli and cheese on it, not Mexican.

 

Some people are meat and potatoes, some like a wide variety. Some like liver, but hide a very small piece in a stew and others will start gagging.

 

Not just this forum but most others we find some good overall reviews but too many are nothing more than 10% cruise and 90% food reviews. If I were to vacation with food being the primary reason, a cruise would rank very low on my list.

 

retired I actually agree with you that I think people put way too much of an emphasis on the food..... cruise food as a whole no matter what the line is not all that spectacular. You do get to try different things that you would not everyday but if people number one thing for the vacation is food then a cruise would be near the bottom of the list for considerations.

[Planer's Edge]

Very well said RnE.

 

Now when will someone come along and discredit what you just said because a very small minority disagree with you and we should take their word for it because they say it over and over so it must be true.:eek:

 

PE

[johnql]

but with that said you still can not just immediately discard someones comment with food is subjective if they say they did not enjoy it... no one ever said you would not enjoy it but id someone truely thinks the food was bad they can post it, I really do not think people who enjoyed the food would post they did not just for fun.

Yes, food taste being subjective is exactly why you can discard a specific individual's comment (or behavior) as meaningless. Isn't that what your relatives did after you spit out their pork pie, which they were probably enjoying? As seahorse said, I think you're just being argumentative.

 

The only truth that we know is that on a cruise ship with 2000 passengers, the old cliche still applies: You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.

 

Now, somebody...please pass the large grain of salt. :D

[johnql]

Sorry, dupe.

[ashleycrew]

Yes, food taste being subjective is exactly why you can discard a specific individual's comment (or behavior) as meaningless. Isn't that what your relatives did after you spit out their pork pie, which they were probably enjoying? As seahorse said, I think you're just being argumentative.

 

The only truth that we know is that on a cruise ship with 2000 passengers, the old cliche still applies: You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.

 

Now, somebody...please pass the large grain of salt. :D

 

Grain of salt taken with one added comment which is my point to begin with. Food is subjective but if you check the boards of the 3 budget cruise lines (Carnival, RCCL and NCL) far and away there are more complaints about NCL's food. Hence NCL must be appealing to less of the masses than others.

[Zeno]

OK, my 2 cents. This food is "subjective" thing drives me crazy:rolleyes: Obviously different people like different food.

 

When a poster says that the food is not available........I wonder:confused: about the credibility.

 

True some people have medical issues that make them taste differently, my husband was one until he was "cured".

 

I want to know;

 

1.......what was available.

2.......was it prepared properly.

3.......was it served at the proper temperature.

4.......was there variety at every meal (there are a lot of ways to cook chicken;) )

5.......was there Vegetarian (my preference)

6.......is it fresh.

 

I could go on, but you get my point.

 

Food cooked in a mass setting has to appeal to the "masses" that is why there are specialty restaurants.

 

If you want low salt......order it.

If you want more garlic put on your food.....ask.

If you want more salt.......shake it.

If you want it more spicier.....ask for hot sauce.

 

excetera........excerata...excetera..:)

 

I completely agree - everyone has different tastes in food ( I love spices and find all cruise food a little on the bland side) but when someone says something was not available when there is ample evidence that it was indeed available ... well they have pretty much lost me then.

[Planer's Edge]

Grain of salt taken with one added comment which is my point to begin with. Food is subjective but if you check the boards of the 3 budget cruise lines (Carnival, RCCL and NCL) far and away there are more complaints about NCL's food. Hence NCL must be appealing to less of the masses than others.

 

And if you look just a little closer, you will find that NCL has more than its' fair share of "One Post Wonders".

 

Check the thread that was recently locked, titled "NCL Dream - Freestyle SUCKS", that thread was started by a person that registered that day and posted 9 times (all in that thread on the same day) and has never been heard from again.

 

PE<---wonders why NCL is such a target for trolls...

[johnql]

Food is subjective but if you check the boards of the 3 budget cruise lines (Carnival, RCCL and NCL) far and away there are more complaints about NCL's food. Hence NCL must be appealing to less of the masses than others.

Even if it were true that the other 3 boards have fewer complaints than the NCL board (which I'm not entirely willing to admit since no one has done a comprehensive look at that claim), it does not follow automatically or logically that NCL "must be appealing to less of the masses than others". It would only follow logically that those cruisers who have bothered to comment on CC boards have given us an anecdotal impression that that is the case (and that's only if we accept what you say as true, which is a big IF).

 

As others have pointed out, one cannot and should not generalize based simply on opinions expressed on CC. We all know that CC's membership represents a small fraction of the cruising public.

[Retired not Expired]

Grain of salt taken with one added comment which is my point to begin with. Food is subjective but if you check the boards of the 3 budget cruise lines (Carnival, RCCL and NCL) far and away there are more complaints about NCL's food. Hence NCL must be appealing to less of the masses than others.

 

To come to this assuption, you must first spend equal times on all three boards and not just make a quick check of other boards. With these type threads being volatile, many are locked and end up buried and others go poof. If you spend the majority of your time on one board, you will see much more of what happens on that board.

[ashleycrew]

So what I am hearing is 2 things:

 

1. People sabotage the NCL board

2. On other boards if there is anything said negative the thread is locked?

 

seems a bit far fetched to me

[Retired not Expired]

And if you look just a little closer' date=' you will find that NCL has more than its' fair share of "One Post Wonders".

 

Check the thread that was recently locked, titled "NCL Dream - Freestyle SUCKS", that thread was started by a person that registered that day and posted 9 times (all in that thread on the same day) and has never been heard from again.

 

PE<---wonders why NCL is such a target for trolls...[/quote']

 

Not only that but if one is spending time on a forum just to look for the bad to comment on, there is not a forum out there that won't keep that person busy. We seem to get our share of those types also.

[Planer's Edge]

So what I am hearing is 2 things:

 

1. People sabotage the NCL board

2. On other boards if there is anything said negative the thread is locked?

 

seems a bit far fetched to me

 

 

Is anything okay?

 

PE<---didn't say anything about other boards locking thread, sure wishes people read bofore posting...:eek:

[ashleycrew]

Is anything okay?

 

PE<---didn't say anything about other boards locking thread' date=' sure wishes people read bofore posting...:eek:[/quote']

 

PE<---- did not, but that has been stated in the past by others on the reason why NCL boards have more negative comments than the others.

 

Why can't people post that they did not like the food on a ship without being told they are wrong? Again on my recent NCL cruise I thought the food was overall good I am just trying to say that if a negative comment is made it should not just be dismissed as a subjective comment. The posters add a lot of value to the board and should be able to say how they feel. That's all.

[Retired not Expired]

2. On other boards if there is anything said negative the thread is locked?

 

 

No one said "anything". That's your slant. I said volatile, people becoming combative, attacking other posters, etc. It happens here too. But we see it if we spend all of our time here.

 

I read RCCL with a glass of wine as it can be very entertaining.