What do you think of the NCL main dining room food?

[BaileyandBella]

Is the menu for breakfast and lunch the same each day? Does anyone know where I can find what is offered?

[dragonfly08]

For me, it was a combination of the poll choices. I found the food to be good, not great and certainly not better than homemade in most cases, but definitely improved by the fact that I didn't have to cook it or clean it up!

 

The main disappointment for me was with the desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth, and other than the cookies available either through room service or in the buffet during the afternoon, and a couple of items at the chocoholic buffet, I was very dissatisfied with the quality.

[newmexicoNita]

I have yet to have a meal in the main dining room where at least one item I tasted was not worth the trip to the dining room.

 

Sure, some dishes can be off, but overall, it's pretty good.

 

I get a kick from people who come on a cruise expecting to eat the best food of their lives. That's not reasonable. It's just regular food, and you do not have to cook it. Eat it and be thankful!

good point, there was a time , many years ago when ships were quite small and cruising was for the upper middle class and above, yes, dining then was one of the luxuries of cruising. There was little in night time activities, workout centers and spas were not part of the cruise experience and trivia games hadn't even been invented. people cruised to sell the wold, play shuffle board, read, go to afternoon tea and eat in style. That is not today's cruising.

 

Dragonfly, did they have coconut souffle? The last night on our Star cruise it was on the menu, I am not a big dessert eater, I prefer to drink my calories (LOL) but I did try it; I could have eaten it all night, Yum, yum.

 

Nita

[cruizinwithkids]

go to afternoon tea and eat in style. That is not today's cruising.

 

Nita

 

Formal tea is one thing I really miss. Do other mass market cruise lines still offer this? I really feel like I'm playing "dress up" or something.

[burny]

Formal tea is one thing I really miss. Do other mass market cruise lines still offer this? I really feel like I'm playing "dress up" or something.

 

Yes,the HAL has formal tea and a special TEA EXTRA VAGANZA!

Also the "RHAPSODY" ,a small and older ship from MSC has still formal tea.

But not everybody is dressing up anymore.

[flashdog_1]

White gloved waiter service. Seated. Choices are brought to the table from cucumber sandwiches to filled desserts. Nice way to meet new people, too.

 

There is also the casual tea most days, but is really only the buffet.

[Marge106]

Formal tea is still offered on Princess. It is a great experience.

As far as NCL food...when I cruise on the Dawn and am told that the turkey does not have white meat (I still don't think it was really turkey, lol), you can be assured that this indicates a problem with the quality of the food. I won't discuss service since that is not what this thread is all about. IMHO I think the NCL food in the regular dining room borders on inedible.

[newmexicoNita]

Formal tea is one thing I really miss. Do other mass market cruise lines still offer this? I really feel like I'm playing "dress up" or something.

I know HAL did have high tea each afternoon, but it was still very casual compared to the "olden days" Of course in the olden days people dressed formally every meal, buffets were unheard of, there were no alterntive dining choices, etc

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Yes,the HAL has formal tea and a special TEA EXTRA VAGANZA!

Also the "RHAPSODY" ,a small and older ship from MSC has still formal tea.

But not everybody is dressing up anymore.

 

We didn't see anyone dressed up on our HAL cruise and it was mostly seniors. We only did tea one afternoon.

Nita

[dznymom]

We found the food on the Majesty to be fine, and pretty much of comparable quality to all of the cruises we have been on. Presentation was weak, but generally everything tasted pretty good.

 

I also think a cruise is a terrific opportunity to try new foods. I have found a number of things I love that I would never have spent the money to try in a regular restaurant! Be brave people, try something new and if you don't like it, politely inform your server and they will bring you something else. Such a deal!

[WinnieinWA]

DD and I really enjoyed the food and excellent service in the Venetian main dining room when we cruised the Dawn Dec. 16-23. :)

 

Winnie <-----> loves good food :D

[Terre]

On our POAm cruise a couple of weeks ago, neither the food nor the choices were that great. Usually I can remember everything I have on a cruise, but not this time...not even good enough to remember!

[Cosmopolitan]

I voted VG...we have never ordered a meal that we didn't enjoy:) I love the basket of rolls in the Venetian - could make a meal out of them.

 

BUT, we liked the old menus - not the menus before the current ones but the ones before that.

 

There were certainly more appetizer, salad and entree courses available for lunch and dinner on the old, old menus.

 

The menus have gotten smaller;)

[ute_fan]

Is the menu for breakfast and lunch the same each day? Does anyone know where I can find what is offered?

 

I didn't see where anyone had answered your question. When we were on the Pearl last May, there were two alternating breakfast menus. Lunch has a different menu every day, and normally include sandwiches, hamburgers/or hotdogs, a "main dish" salad, as well as other choices.

[grumpycajun]

Hmmm, I picked Very good - but with a qualification. It's NOT better than we eat at home because I do 99% of the cooking!;) Can't beat the not having to clean up part, though.

[Toyz711]

i voted 'very good'
in some cases, i think they try to get a little too fancy. but i have noticed some nice changes, like serving size on some dishes (coq au vin, for one)
it is funny how the desserts go from excellent to yuck. in the main dining, very little middle ground