MDR formal nights

On our last cruise (Jan 17), only two of the four formal nights featured an enhanced/Gala menu - Is that now the norm?

On every previous cruise all formal nights featured special menu.

Yes it does seem to be the norm and it's a shame. On one of the formals on my last cruise we had a very strange menu and when the maître d asked if I enjoyed I said it would have been nice if we had been served a more formal menu.

His reply was that the chef chooses the rotation of the menus.

I does make a bit of a mockery of a formal and you wonder what is the point of getting dressed up.

Just a question but if they serve boeuf bourginon instead of beef stew or the other way round does it make any difference to one's enjoyment?

Just a question but if they serve boeuf bourginon instead of beef stew or the other way round does it make any difference to one's enjoyment?

Betcha life it does, it is a bad chef that serves beef stew as Boeuf Bourginon as there is little resemblance to between them.

Yes it does now seem that special menus (Marco Pierre White etc) are on roughly every other formal night with a ‘standard’ MDR menu on the others. I would agree that it seems a contradiction when everyone is asked to don all their finery.

We were surprised on a recent cruise that the Black and White Formal Evening, usually the Gala Night had a normal menu served at dinner. Then the next night, which was Smart Casual was the MPW menu! Most odd. That was on Ventura.

Betcha life it does, it is a bad chef that serves beef stew as Boeuf Bourginon as there is little resemblance to between them.

My point is beef stew in red wine jus with pearl onions or beef bourgignon are essentially the same thing:)

My point is beef stew in red wine jus with pearl onions or beef bourgignon are essentially the same thing:)

Even a RN Cook or Army Catering Corps Cook would agree with that, lol. Same ingredients in my book.:halo:

My point is beef stew in red wine jus with pearl onions or beef bourgignon are essentially the same thing:)

I get your point however as a matter of regional food differences any beef stew I have had or made has lots of root vegetables in it and no wine, but a gravy based sauce. Beef bourgignon on the other hand has a bottle of red wine, lardons and is loaded with lots of garlic and herbs.

It is a pity that the formal nights don't all have abetted menu, feels like dressing up for nothing special sometimes.

MPW or normal makes little difference. I had a MPW xmas dinner on Oceana that I described at the time as pretentious rubbish, which it was. I had a much better quality xmas dinner in a local pub. Real traditional ingredients cooked properly such as proper roast potatoes not boiled ones dipped in oil, real stuffing not wrapped in pastry etc. The next year was better but still no better than a normal meal.

The enhanced menu on formal nights pre-date MPW being involved. They typically included higher cost ingredients such as lobster, prime cuts of meat etc.

It's obviously a cost cutting exercise - but if customers can't tell the difference...

MPW or normal makes little difference. I had a MPW xmas dinner on Oceana that I described at the time as pretentious rubbish, which it was. I had a much better quality xmas dinner in a local pub. Real traditional ingredients cooked properly such as proper roast potatoes not boiled ones dipped in oil, real stuffing not wrapped in pastry etc. The next year was better but still no better than a normal meal.

Every cruise on P&O disappoints me with the MPW, I always think that it is pretentious poor quality food and I always comment about it on the the questionnaires that we get. Most pubs produce better food. Rant over, I think with the exception of MPW the MDR is acceptable and has proved over the last 18 months.

I get your point however as a matter of regional food differences any beef stew I have had or made has lots of root vegetables in it and no wine, but a gravy based sauce. Beef bourgignon on the other hand has a bottle of red wine, lardons and is loaded with lots of garlic and herbs.

 

 

 

It is a pity that the formal nights don't all have abetted menu, feels like dressing up for nothing special sometimes.

I have never thought that the reason to dress up on formal night was anything to do with the food. I always thought it was to give a different ambience to the evening.

Being used to black tie do’s with Round Table and Rotary and 41 Club you don’t expect anything special in the way of food. Most of the time it turns out to be chicken.

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I have never thought that the reason to dress up on formal night was anything to do with the food. I always thought it was to give a different ambience to the evening.

 

Being used to black tie do’s with Round Table and Rotary and 41 Club you don’t expect anything special in the way of food. Most of the time it turns out to be chicken.

 

 

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It always seems a good night to get nice formal photographs,meet the Captain and then receive free cocktails rather than the restaurant offering which usually is better on formal night.

I have never thought that the reason to dress up on formal night was anything to do with the food. I always thought it was to give a different ambience to the evening.

 

Being used to black tie do’s with Round Table and Rotary and 41 Club you don’t expect anything special in the way of food. Most of the time it turns out to be chicken.

 

 

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I suppose I expect it because it always used to be the case. It's not the only reason for dressing up but a special menu, nicer table setting, waiters dressed more formally etc is all part of creating the ambience.

You made me smile re dressing for black tie events and then being served very mediocre food, been there as well and yes it does always seem to be chicken😀

I have never thought that the reason to dress up on formal night was anything to do with the food. I always thought it was to give a different ambience to the evening.

Being used to black tie do’s with Round Table and Rotary and 41 Club you don’t expect anything special in the way of food. Most of the time it turns out to be chicken.

Well what then is the point to even having a formal menu.

I have never thought that the reason to dress up on formal night was anything to do with the food. I always thought it was to give a different ambience to the evening.

 

Being used to black tie do’s with Round Table and Rotary and 41 Club you don’t expect anything special in the way of food. Most of the time it turns out to be chicken.

My wife wears cocktail dresses every night anyway but it is lovely seeing everyone looking glamorous on formal night.

Well what then is the point to even having a formal menu.

I always thought of there being two special menus the first and last.

They are not formal menus.

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I always thought of there being two special menus the first and last.

 

They are not formal menus.

 

 

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We have always enjoyed all our food in the MDR, Freedom dining and speciality restaurants be it formal or non formal nights.