Since this is the food board...

[elycelynne]

Maybe some of you can share in my amazement. Almost always and on many of the different boards here, whenever there's a discussion about the quality of food on the various lines, someone will always pop up with something like "I don't focus on food when I go on a cruise. As long as I don't have to cook it I'm happy".

I can see food not being the total focus of one's cruise (although I think it's a major part, but others' mileage may vary). However, a person doesn't have to cook when they walk into a McDonald's or a White Castle either, but I don't think I'd want either served to me on a cruise.

Does anyone else just shake their heads when they read these statements?

[Marysunshine]

I think part of the joy of the cruise or a vacation is being in a place with nice ambience and being served and actually enjoying the flavors and variety. At least this is true for me.

[marvholly]

To me a large part of the enjoyment of a cruise is eating the things that either I do not allow myself to eat at home on a regular basis (red meat, Deli), things that I cannot afford (lobster, escargot) and/or things that are just too d*** much work to make, especially for a single. I also like to see different places and do different things. This year I got to travel with my 25 y/o daughter and we did a bunch of the water stuff late hubby and I never did.

[joeyancho]

Watch what you say about White Castle..........

[SisZ]

I agree, elycelynne. We had no idea about where we wanted to go, it didn't really matter-our first desire was to get the highest quality food and service. I wait on folks for a living and really appreciate good service and good food prepared well.
I also cook 6 nights a week and am comfortable in the kitchen. I am the one the friends call with, "What is a tumeric", and "Is my Cream of Tartar any good? It's all dried up".....So, when we went to the travel agent, we told her we wanted excellent food!!
We have never been on a cruise, but she put us on one and I am hoping to enjoy myself. Do you think we made the right choice with the Millennium?

[bUU]

Different folks have different priorities. For many folks, especially many folks who have started cruising in the last ten years, the cruise fare, the itinerary, and/or the amenities of the ship such as the health club, are more important than whether the food is 3-star vs. 4-star quality. As the market gets larger, different cruise lines will specialize more, some aiming to provide a lower-priced offering that more people can afford, some aiming to provide an offering that represents state-of-the-art in terms of the ships, and some aiming to provide that ol' traditional cruising experience, complete with the focus on food. Folks will naturally gravitate to the cruise line that best meets their own needs.

I think what you need to keep in mind when you read folks statements that they "don't focus on food when I go on a cruise" is that they're saying that they evaluate the quality of food they get in the context of its importance to them, and that if all goes well, that level of importance matches that of the cruise line itself. If you're looking for gourmet food to rival the best restaurants in New York, you probably want to aim for a cruise line that does so as well. If you're looking for yummy food that hits the spot after a long day of climbing rock walls, playing basketball, and roller blading, then you probably want to aim for a cruise line that focuses its energies on providing these recreational options.