NCL Sun - Is an Onion a Vegetable 'Side'?

[wileyhilton]

We just returned from a 7 day western caribbean cruise and are still wondering who designs the NCL Sun freestyle menus? Our first dinner in Four Seasons we ordered the mahi mahi and the roasted lamb. The mahi was unseasoned and was served with a scoop of safron tinted polenta and a large slightly steamed onion. A whole onion. The lamb was quite fatted and was served on top of a plate of white beans, some of which were mushy while the rest were crunchy. There were no other vegetable sides offered. We're assuming that the beans were a mix of old and new, but can't figure out the onion. Our waiter disappeared not long after serving the entrees. The ever hopeful cruisers, we left mid dinner to try the tapas in Las Ramblas. There the pianist was great, but again the food seemed to be left over from the previous cruise and/or cooked by staff in training. The spinach and goat cheese empanadas contained only spinach. The pastry was thick and tough, enough so that the muscular males at the neighboring table broke off the edges and asked 'how are we suppose to eat this?'. I used a knife to cut into the middle of mine. At least the spinach helped to balance out the onion meal! Later in the week we tried the steak in Four Seasons. It was much better than our initial experience there, but the wait staff was still unorganized.

 

Overall we found the food on the NCL Sun to be lacking. Our group booked East Meets West and found that the filets were excellent. On the other hand, the prime rib, ribeye, and t-bones were all tough. We all agreed that the prime rib served in Seven Seas (no surcharge) was very good. The trick seems to be to order the steak rare. It will arrive to the table anywhere from medium rare to well done, but can be returned and replaced until it is to your liking. We noticed that ordering rare yields a thicker leaner cut of meat.

 

Our best meals were breakfast in 7 Seas and dinner in Le Bistro which was nothing short of FANTASTIC.

 

Back to the onion .. why?

[debberannne]

At one of our meals on the Sun, an entire onion was baked until very tender, and stuffed with some kind of rice/dressing/cheesy sauce. It was very good! I had it with a steak and caesar salad.

Of course, when you eat an entire onion, everyone you are sharing a cabin with needs to get one too. :D

[wileyhilton]

At one of our meals on the Sun, an entire onion was baked until very tender, and stuffed with some kind of rice/dressing/cheesy sauce. It was very good! I had it with a steak and caesar salad.

Of course, when you eat an entire onion, everyone you are sharing a cabin with needs to get one too. :D

 

This was just an onion .. not baked .. not tender .. not stuffed.

[I'mwithhim]

That onion gives a whole new perspective on "freestyle" dining! :eek:

 

We are on the Sun in 26 days and are hopeful that the staff might be better organized by then...this is our first cruise..hopefully we won't get a sour taste..or an "oniony" one.. :D

[kathyFNP]

We also just returned on the Sun and I agree the food left much to be desired. One small lobster tail was all the lobster we got unless you wanted to pay $30 at East Meets West. Very dissapointing. Unless the food improves greatly, this will probably be our last cruise with Norwegian.

[jp2001]

I always order a side of steamed veggies, they have it in every venue from what I know. Otherwise, veggies are very rare with the meals.

[newmexicoNita]

NCL is very good about serving veggies on the side if you ask. They usually have asparagus, carrots, beans, just about anything you would like. I haven't cruised the Sun in a few years, but find the food to be average to good, not great, nor is any food, on any line great anymore. By any line, I mean any mass marketed line. Read my comparison of NCL Star versus Princess Golden. We just got off the Golden yesterday. The food, in some cases was outstanding, others hardly eatable.

 

Nita

[CanadianTwosome]

Interesting. I imagine the steamed onion was someone's idea of 'presentation'. I posted a link to pictures we took of much of the food we had on the Star and there is definitely effort put into making it look pretty. :)

 

I find the OP's comments about the meat very interesting as well, since I like my meat one way - rare. I sometimes fluctuate between rare and medium rare... but I'm a little confused about 'The trick seems to be to order the steak rare.' It sounds as if the people tried ordering their steaks well done, medium well, medium... and finally got a 'good one' when they ordered something rare. See, to me, the reason I send back overcooked meat (anything more than that is overcooked in my opinion) is because I always find it to be tough, not to mention lacking flavour... on the Star I found every piece of beef I ordered to be tender and delicious - and they were all cooked perfectly to my request. :)

[wileyhilton]

Most in our group consistently ordered their steaks rare. A couple ordered medium rare. We consistently received several well done steaks and returned them again specifying rare. Some were replaced with medium rare and some with rare as requested.