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Which cruise line has the best and worst food?


tomchi
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Good food and service is in the eye of the beholder. While it is unfair to expect gormet fare when feeding thousands it is fair to expect hot and resonably seasoned food. Except for Carnival my expectations have been met most of the time. Have I had a bad meal, of course and it was sent back, stuff happens. After my last trip on Carnival with yet another below par score in the dinning room, we will not sail with them again unless it is totally FREE!! Buffet service slow due to poor design of stations. Main dining room food just barely ok. The wait staff worked hard with what they had to work with. Pizza by the pool YUK!! But I grew up in Chicago with real pizza.

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I'm VERY nervous for my NCL cruise now!

 

Even though the food is not great, you will not go hungry. The specialty restaurants are supposed to be very good, but we did not try any of them. Relax, you'll have a great time!

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  • 10 months later...

I'm not sure why NCL gets such vitriolic responses. We have found them to be comparable to most of the standard lines and a great value. Like all lines, if a meal is not to your taste they will cheerfully replace it.

 

We're booked for the Star next spring and I'm puzzled by the same level of responses. Is it a perception thing? Or is it that many equate quality food on a ship with a dress code? When I cruise, I don't expect steak to be cooked at the same quality level as in a steakhouse. I try not to order it either since there are so many other options that are out of my ordinary rotation and they're mostly included in the price. So that makes me wonder how much of the criticisms are that people can't get what they are used to.

 

We've sailed Celebrity and Princess once each. Food was better on Celebrity, but we liked the anytime dining offered on Princess better. But we didn't order steak or much of anything without a sauce on it.

 

The research I've done so far tells me that, as a suite guest, we'll be fine for breakfast and lunch on the Star and we'll just take our chances for dinner. I think no matter what we'll enjoy the freestyle aspect of the experience. Even bad steak tastes better to us wearing business casual and eating when we want to. ;)

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First to qulaify my comments I have dined at many of the 3 star Michelin places in France, and dozens of the 2 stars across europe.

Second I received a Cordon Bleu certificate...

 

There is no seagoing restauraunt that comes near to 2 or 3 stars... maybe...barely a 1 star. But several Michelin worthy of mention" class.

Three stars is a world to its self.. not just food but in every level of the restauraunt from waiter, decore, wine , china, bus, and how it all compliments the whole.

 

Based on that The best food with out exception is on the Regent Seven Seas of the Regent Line. Why?

Price and level of customer knowlwdge on food.

Someone said " you get what you pay for" and they were 500% correct.

The cheapest regent cabin will be around $700 a day for 2. This compared to other lines that charge $as little as $95 a day.

 

 

The less you pay, the less the kitchen budget. Less lobster and more Pizza and hot dogs and pasta .

 

I would suggest too that food is subjective and to properly evaluate a post of this is good or that is bad, that one consider the tastes and experience of that specific person.

 

To hear a rave from a person who loves corn dogs and frito pie with a Brew 102 chaser id one thing

Onter other hand a person who likes to start with a Kir of Rodier Krystal and delights in loin of lamb in a a thyme puree and finish with a Chateau Yaquem.. is quite another.

 

In short judge each comment by the taste and the perceived experience of the raiter.

 

My general observation is that most specialitie restauraunts are there for hype and profit and my experiences , except with Regent, have proved poor at best. Holland America would be my choice for a popular brand for dining, but not in its speciality restauraunts which are more mid-west steak and potatoes than than haut or classic.

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I would think IMHO if you wanted anything at any Michelin level you would avoid any mainstream line. May one of the luxury lines Silversea, Cunard etc. would be more on that high-end level.

 

Personally I've never dined at any restaurant on a Michelin level, It's just never lined up in the budget that way. Not that I wouldn't spend it if I could :-)

 

I hope that's improved . . .I love my morning coffee . . .and coffee looking out over the sea is something I'm looking forward too!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 10 months later...

My wife and I went on Carnival Cruises for our honeymoon in 1996. It was a full week cruise.

 

I assumed food would be great on any cruise line. We ended up hungry the whole trip. For example, we ordered ribs and got a single ribblet for dinner! Sure, we could keep ordering and waiting for 2nds and 3rds and 4ths, but what is the point? At night, the line for the pizza buffet wrapped around the top of the ship twice! We each lost several pounds on our honeymoon and we have not taken another cruise. Neither of us is overweight.

 

My point? This is a good thread. I wish I had asked more questions about food (not just quality, but quantity) before the honeymoon. Don't assume that cruise = lots of good food. In my estimation, some cruise ships are for gambling, some are simply trying to give the lowest cost get-away, and there are some ships for adults who can afford the price to have good service and good food. The boats differ. The experience will effect you for a lifetime.

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  • 5 years later...
CB Princess New England out of NYC the food was bland my wife said it was because of all the 75-99 year olds onboard. Off subject but they also forgot how to use a door ( go through and stop just beyond the opening this included the elevators also). Back to food the Italian specialty dinning venue we found to be very good too bad we ate there our last night.

Crown Princess Med itinery very good in MDR and buffet. The meal in the Crown Grill one of the best meals I ever had on a ship!!!!

Saphire Princess Alaska Not a bad meal but the fresh local shushi and pasta bar on deck during the Glaciar Bay cruise day put the food over the top.

 

Hope this helps.

 

My wife and I must be exception. We are in our mid-80 and our food tastes are anything but bland and we eat almost anything -- except for the boringly bland.

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My wife and I must be exception. We are in our mid-80 and our food tastes are anything but bland and we eat almost anything -- except for the boringly bland.

 

Hi c,

 

This thread is eight years old, so you might want to look at more recent postings:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2415303

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Love the Silhouette, Celebrity, great food in the MDR and the buffet was constantly amazing, great salads, breads. Lawn Club was outstanding and the Porch was a great diversion for lunch.

Only been on Celebrity and NCL but will keep my pillow with Celebrity, more precisely, Silhouette. Taking her to Europe on another TA and there is plenty of time to enjoy all the offerings this great ship has to offer.

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