So no more southern fried chicken on the everyday menu...

I'm just a tiny bit concerned. My kids (both teens now) always had a fallback position for a meal with the fried chicken. I'm looking at the new American Feast menus and so many things are items they would choose but then they throw in a deal breaker, like adding peas to ziti. WTH? I suppose my kids will be fine with just grilled chicken or steak (one of them eats steak one doesn't). Maybe I can get them to try some new stuff. Oh well they can always get pizza after dinner. :)

The new American Table menu su*ks! The fried chicken has always been my backup item and I hated the food on the American Table menu during our last cruise. I ordered the chicken without thinking and not reading properly, I was surprised when they brought out the grilled chicken. It was awful just like the rest of the menu. We ended up eating pizza most nights.

My go to now when nothing else looks appealing is the Pork Chop. I've enjoyed every one of them I've had on our last couple of cruises with the American Table. Also...I like the peas in the ziti :o:hearteyes: Tell your kids to eat around them if they don't like them.

Oh no! Now I'm worried! I'm a picky eater! You don't HAVE to go to the dining room at night though, right? The buffet is open? I think we'll be more likely to do that.....

Oh no! Now I'm worried! I'm a picky eater! You don't HAVE to go to the dining room at night though, right? The buffet is open? I think we'll be more likely to do that.....

There is a kids menu too.

Oh no! Now I'm worried! I'm a picky eater! You don't HAVE to go to the dining room at night though, right? The buffet is open? I think we'll be more likely to do that.....

The buffet is open. We eat there most nights just for the convenience

When did the fried chicken fall off the menu?

Fried chicken was on the American Table menu just one evening during our New Year's Eve Magic cruise.

Childrens menu has chicken tenders

Now that you mention it, I did miss the fried chicken on our last cruise. I'll never eat the everyday chicken breast again. It was horrible! It tasted like it had gelatin added to it. Gross.

 

The dining room food has really gone downhill. :(

I thought that was just me with the chicken - didn't like it and it had a weird texture!!!!

I agree, the Grilled Chcken was NOT really Chicken. I am sure it never saw a grill let alone that it didn't have any chicken in it. Some sort of foam rubber with black marker lines drawn on it.

Anyway, try the flat iron steak. Not a real great steak, but edible. As stated above, chicken fingers from the kids menu x 2. Or just order a couple or 3 appetizers that they might like (frog legs, escargo, calamari, salads- all kinds of choices). You don't have to eat the entree. Apps and dessert is just fine.

I'm a very picky eater, and I have never had a problem finding something to eat on the American Table menus. I'm sure your kids will be fine. It's nearly impossible to starve on a cruise. [emoji4]

In any case, I would suggest trying to get them to eat tilapia or salmon from the Everyday menu. This is my go-to when I can't find something else that I like. I didn't start eating fish until I was an adult, and I can tell you that I was sure missing out when I was a kid!

And as a side comment: I've quite enjoyed the American Table menu on the three cruises I've been on that have had it. The Port of Call dishes are especially good. Only thing I miss from the old menu is the bitter n blanc.

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I admit this isn't very helpful to your question but I find if funny that people are looking for the fried chicken and upset that it's not on the every day menu any more. When it was first added, there was major backlash about how low class that is for them to have *gasp* FRIED CHICKEN *gasp* heaven forbid!!! on a cruise ship menu! (I never saw a problem with it.) I'm sure your kids will find something they enjoy. And like you said, there's always pizza! There's something for everyone!

I admit this isn't very helpful to your question but I find if funny that people are looking for the fried chicken and upset that it's not on the every day menu any more. When it was first added, there was major backlash about how low class that is for them to have *gasp* FRIED CHICKEN *gasp* heaven forbid!!! on a cruise ship menu! (I never saw a problem with it.) I'm sure your kids will find something they enjoy. And like you said, there's always pizza! There's something for everyone!

I'm a picky eater, as is my son, and we weren't disappointed at all with the MDR menu. Even if we repeated the grilled chicken or flat iron steak more than once, it was fine with us because both of us thought both items tasted great. I guess our pallets aren't as refined as everyone else in this thread. :confused: Just like you said, there is something for everyone on a cruise.

We've only been on one so far and just recently booked our second, so we haven't been around long enough to see any of the changes in recent years. I think that's part of it. When you've been around something long enough and enjoy it, you hate to see anything change. Whereas we're new to it and most of it seems pretty dang good to us. Maybe we'll feel differently in 5-10 years, but if it gets that bad, it's simple...we'll stop cruising. Or at least stop cruising Carnival. It's funny that people complained when the fried chicken was put on the menu and now they complain about it being taken away. I guess people are going to complain no matter what. And not just about the food. The food, the shows, the perks (or lack thereof), the service, you name it. It's a bit shocking to see how many people complain about Carnival on here. I was telling my wife about it the other day and she said, "That's fine, it'll be less crowded for us on the ship." :D

I thought that was just me with the chicken - didn't like it and it had a weird texture!!!!

I totally agree. A few years ago I liked the chicken breast. It was grilled and I ordered honey mustard on the side and it was my go to meal when I didn't like anything on the menu. The last couple cruises, I ordered the chicken breast and it was strange. It was either microwaved or boiled, odd texture. I wont be ordering it again. My new go to meal is the pork chop. It was really good and it was grilled. I hope they don't change that too.

I'm a picky eater, as is my son, and we weren't disappointed at all with the MDR menu. Even if we repeated the grilled chicken or flat iron steak more than once, it was fine with us because both of us thought both items tasted great. I guess our pallets aren't as refined as everyone else in this thread. :confused: Just like you said, there is something for everyone on a cruise.

 

We've only been on one so far and just recently booked our second, so we haven't been around long enough to see any of the changes in recent years. I think that's part of it. When you've been around something long enough and enjoy it, you hate to see anything change. Whereas we're new to it and most of it seems pretty dang good to us. Maybe we'll feel differently in 5-10 years, but if it gets that bad, it's simple...we'll stop cruising. Or at least stop cruising Carnival. It's funny that people complained when the fried chicken was put on the menu and now they complain about it being taken away. I guess people are going to complain no matter what. And not just about the food. The food, the shows, the perks (or lack thereof), the service, you name it. It's a bit shocking to see how many people complain about Carnival on here. I was telling my wife about it the other day and she said, "That's fine, it'll be less crowded for us on the ship." :D

If there's anything I have learned from the internet, it's that people LOVE to complain!

Only thing I miss from the old menu is the bitter n blanc.

 

 

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Don't know about the grilled chicken BUT we actually liked the CCL American Table much better than the HAL MDR menus !!

There were some nights we had a hard time finding an entree we wanted to order off the HAL menu - didn't have that problem with the CCL menu;)

I'm a very picky eater, and I have never had a problem finding something to eat on the American Table menus. I'm sure your kids will be fine. It's nearly impossible to starve on a cruise. [emoji4]

 

There are at least 2 days where there is NO entree that I want, and a 3rd that is iffy, and I don't consider myself picky. I don't care for buffets, we're probably going to eat in the steakhouse at least 2 days and possibly 3. Maybe that's their intention. I COULD always find something on the old menus that I liked. I promise I would not starve if I didn't eat anything at all the whole cruise. But I'm not going to eat food I don't care for.

The few times we have ate the new menus we always found something we liked. There was fried chicken once each cruise , the pork chop was good on the every day menu also. They had flat bread app that was great and big enough to make a meal out of it. I ordered salad as my app and flatbread as my main course.Miss the bitter and blanc but found a couple new desserts that to me was better then the melty cake. Also i asked for no peas in my ham and ziti and it was no problem with that request and if they like mac and cheese the new bacon,mac and cheese is great.

we're probably going to eat in the steakhouse at least 2 days and possibly 3. Maybe that's their intention.

We all know businesses, no matter who they are, make efforts to get customers to buy more expensive products, but I don't believe Carnival is purposely serving MDR food that isn't as good as it used to be just to get people to spend extra in the specialty restaurants. They know the MDR is part of the cruise experience and they invest heavily in that experience.

This is our first Carnival cruise - where can I find the 6 day Bahamas menu online? I google it and it brings up menus from 2012 - which includes the fried chicken and is probably way outdated.

As for the peas in the pasta, 2 of my 3 kids would not eat that either. But on the previous cruises we have been on (all RC) we could ask for the pasta without the peas and it wouldn't have been a problem. Is CCL accommodating of special menu requests like "hold the peas"?

I will probably end up with the salmon a lot of the time if the chicken isn't good - or getting appetizer, salad, and dessert.

The new American Table menu su*ks! The fried chicken has always been my backup item and I hated the food on the American Table menu during our last cruise. I ordered the chicken without thinking and not reading properly, I was surprised when they brought out the grilled chicken. It was awful just like the rest of the menu. We ended up eating pizza most nights.

Over half of the AT menu is the same. Glad you had an open mind about it tho..... Sounds like Carnival is not for you, if you think the whole menu is awful.... Happy cruising

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There are at least 2 days where there is NO entree that I want, and a 3rd that is iffy, and I don't consider myself picky. I don't care for buffets, we're probably going to eat in the steakhouse at least 2 days and possibly 3. Maybe that's their intention. I COULD always find something on the old menus that I liked. I promise I would not starve if I didn't eat anything at all the whole cruise. But I'm not going to eat food I don't care for.

Yeah....they changed the menu to get you to eat at the Steakhouse every night. So let me see if I have this right, no buffet, nothing (as in at all) on the menu for 3 nights, doesn't sound pick to me either......

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This is our first Carnival cruise - where can I find the 6 day Bahamas menu online? I google it and it brings up menus from 2012 - which includes the fried chicken and is probably way outdated.

 

As for the peas in the pasta, 2 of my 3 kids would not eat that either. But on the previous cruises we have been on (all RC) we could ask for the pasta without the peas and it wouldn't have been a problem. Is CCL accommodating of special menu requests like "hold the peas"?

 

I will probably end up with the salmon a lot of the time if the chicken isn't good - or getting appetizer, salad, and dessert.

All the MDR food is pre-plated. They take your order then go to the kitchen and grab a plate that has already been prepared. It's not like a restaurant where they prepare your food after you order.

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