Battling food fatigue on a 20- day cruise?

Just got off a 9 day cruise to Alaska (longest one for us). I had no problem with the length of the cruise and food service, but my hubby got tired of the "sameness" of the food onboard. So much so that he is questioning our 20-day Panama Canal cruise.

Question for those who have cruises longer than a week-- how did you battle food fatigue? We ate off ship and speciality restaurants but still felt like a dorm experience at the end.

I need some strategies/assurances to convince my hubby to go on the Panama cruise.

Thank you!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I never noticed that on a 7 day cruise, but I eat any type of food...nothing on the ship I wouldn’t try...

I don’t think it would ever bother me at all...throw in a Port meal every now and then, I’d be fine..

The longest cruise we have is 14 Night on board the Eclipse they have a different menu for every day, also different shows, in the B2B's you will repeat the menu so you will have the opportunity to choose other dish or repeat the same. In case you don't like the menu for one day try the specialty restaurant or the buffet

Just got off a 9 day cruise to Alaska (longest one for us). I had no problem with the length of the cruise and food service, but my hubby got tired of the "sameness" of the food onboard. So much so that he is questioning our 20-day Panama Canal cruise.

 

Question for those who have cruises longer than a week-- how did you battle food fatigue? We ate off ship and speciality restaurants but still felt like a dorm experience at the end.

 

I need some strategies/assurances to convince my hubby to go on the Panama cruise.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

After sailing Princess --where even on a 15 day cruise-- the MDR menus never repeated, I immediately noticed the repetitiveness of NCL menus. I can't say I was ever bored with choices, but I just thought it was cutting corners.

That being said, my last NCL cruise was 7 days in The Haven on Getaway where the menu for each meal period does not change. But they are so diversified that I know I would enjoy every meal in there even on a two week cruise!

We have done one 23 day Transpacific cruise on Royal C, as well as two B2B cruises for a total of 28 and 25 days. What we got tired of on the B2B cruises was the repeated production shows.

One thing about all cruise lines is that you can always find something different to order. Still, I think after being on vacation long enough you look forward to some home cooked meals.

We try to eat what we do at home. Every few days we pick up some boxes of cereal and cartons of milk to keep in our room to have for breakfast to avoid the bacon, eggs, toast , potatoes each morning. Then we scour the buffet for their pannini of the day or just have a burger. Lastly we rotate which restaurants we visit for dinner. I plan ahead which restaurants which nights carefully making sure there is a variety. And we do eat off the ship, The coconut shrimp at Margaritaville in Falmouth was wonderful and a nice break.

I battle food fatigue, but the food wins (it celebrates by landing in my mouth) LOL

We battle the "fatigue" by varying where we eat on board, especially dinner. As nice as it is to be served a rather leisurely, sit down dinner, it gets "old" after a while. Sometimes, you just want a faster meal, more "casual" food, etc. We find that having dinner now and then in the buffet is a good "break."

Wow, our longest cruise so far is 33 nights, not NCL in the MDR the menu didn’t repeat fully at any time, a few dishes did make a return visit, but only four or five, through in the other options and I can’t imagine getting bored with the food.

Sounds like NCL need to learn some lessons about longer cruises.

For me, this would be a great opportunity to try all the other venues besides the MDRs. I would absolutely love it!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Think about what you eat at home and how much repetition there is in a two week period. I think that you have a lot more variety on a ship than you actual deal with at home.

I did 18 days on the Sun recently and don’t think there was ever a complete repeat menu in MDR. There were some appetizers, entrees, and desserts that repeated and there a few standards that repeated every night, French onion soup, salmon tartare, choc lava cake, cheese plate, ice cream and the regular 4/5 entrees for people with limited palates.

I did not get bored. There were a few things I wish they had repeated.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

32 days the longest for me and I also had food fatigue. Sometimes I would just eat nuts!! I am not kidding. On my last cruise, 21 day on NCL, the food was repeated so much it was crazy. Yes, at home you do repeat meals, but it is usually something you really like (toast every morning for me, which I did on the cruise also). But sometimes there was literally nothing I would eat, so I skipped the meal. Haha, I lived. But it would be so easy for them to just make some regular stuff once in awhile, like fried chicken etc. Oh well, 1st world problems. Enjoy.

We have done quite a number of cruises on 20 days or longer and do not get fatigue for dinner as there are so many options in dining rooms and the choice. We do get some fatigue over breakfast and lunch as we tend to like waiter service and so don't often use the buffet which may help us.

I agree the main fatigue is the repeated shows especially when the cruises are short B2Bs.

We mostly cruise on longer cruises and 22 days was our longest.

NCL has about 8 evening menus and only 2 lunchtime menus. On my last 2 week cruise in April with them, the food was fine, but the buffet was uninspired.

The problem of sameness was noted mostly on sea days because there weren't many venue options at lunch. The outside grill was not open because of wind/weather on our TA..

Royal, HAL, and even Carnival give better attention to changing up menus. I was surprised that Carnival was so good in the food area because of so many negative general reviews.

I agree that this is a first world problem. Maybe some of us cruise too often if this is perceived as a real problem.

Longest had been 42 days. For cruises of such a length the focus should change. Being more concerned about have a healthy calorie amount with the right macronutrients.

For one week one can over indulge and enjoy the special occasions. For three weeks the focus should be on healthy eating. Just a question of the right mindset.

There is plenty of variety on a cruise ship, I don't see how anyone could claim otherwise.

Our longest cruises have been on Seabourn, where the chef will, literally, prepare anything you ask for. Could never get bored, just fat!

We mostly cruise on longer cruises and 22 days was our longest.

 

NCL has about 8 evening menus and only 2 lunchtime menus. On my last 2 week cruise in April with them, the food was fine, but the buffet was uninspired.

 

The problem of sameness was noted mostly on sea days because there weren't many venue options at lunch. The outside grill was not open because of wind/weather on our TA..

 

Royal, HAL, and even Carnival give better attention to changing up menus. I was surprised that Carnival was so good in the food area because of so many negative general reviews.

 

I agree that this is a first world problem. Maybe some of us cruise too often if this is perceived as a real problem.

NCL has a 14 day menu rotation for dinner. I thought there was only one breakfast and lunch menu.

O'Sheehans has a rotating menu as well (for one dinner entree).

It is perhaps fatigue because there are options given that one doesn't care to eat so is stuck choosing the "same" entrees over and over.

I agree with getting tired of the food. Usually, by day 8, I'm wanting some "home cooking".....I get tired of the same veggies over and over...it's like eating every meal in the same chain restaurant....after a while, it all blends together.

There are many different food venues to choose from. No food fatigue.

Look at it this way, we don't have to cook or do dishes. Those jobs fatigue me.

No food fatigue here. I don't have to buy it, cook it, clean up after it...that my kind of food !:D:D

No food fatigue here. I don't have to buy it, cook it, clean up after it...that my kind of food !:D:D

Ditto, Oh to have such problems LOL.

We try to eat what we do at home. Every few days we pick up some boxes of cereal and cartons of milk to keep in our room to have for breakfast to avoid the bacon, eggs, toast , potatoes each morning. .

That’s similar to what we do. I use the continental rs menu to avoid the breakfast buffet and start day w a lighter meal. Helps from feeling worn out by a full plate of breakfast daily on vacation. Eggs, bacon, pastries, not part of my daily at home often and gets old on a ship fast for me.

I try to make sure I grab a lunch in the MDR a few times as well. Tend to find unique items and helps w portion sizes ordering off menu.

To the OP I’d say just consider all your options and shake up your routine, see what other eateries your ship offers, a sushi bar or a sports bar, pay attention to themed nights At the buffet, if practical vary your timing and schedule so maybe you have entertainment first then dinner, etc. just to mix it up. Part of the repetitiveness isn’t just the food. Up following the same schedules in the same place.

Hope you don’t find it a deterrent in future cruises, let us know

We just did 27 days on the Bliss - we got tired of the entertainment, and I like to limit the time in the casino, so we did a couple of nights as a Progressive dinner

Appys at Ocean Blue because hubby likes oysters

main at Food Republic or Haven

Dessert at Coco's, Haven or Q

this might help your hubby's food fatigue