Fussy eater on Explorer Of The Seas

My wife and I are considering doing a Norwegian fjords cruise next year on Explorer Of The Seas. The worry we have is that my wife is a very fussy eater and doesn't like 'fancy' food at all. She will spend hours picking bits of onion or chunks of tomato out of sauces, she doesn't eat seafood, pork or bacon. She is happy with a pasta carbonara, pasta with a cheese sauce, chicken, mild curry, pizza, burgers etc.

My question is how accommodating can the main dining room be to a very picky eater or will she be able to find something at Windjammer. We would like to avoid paying for the speciality restaurants every night if possible.

Any advice is gratefully received.

Typical menu from Navigator this year (actually this was formal night).

UK sailings always have a curry and a pie.

They even have Roast Chicken specially for her!

She can also order off the kids menu where I think they have macaroni cheese..yum!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bless her heart. She should be okay at the Windjammer. As you can tell from the menu posted here, lots of good selections in the MDR as well.

If you mean she prefers simple food Windjammer is absolutely fine!

My wife and I are considering doing a Norwegian fjords cruise next year on Explorer Of The Seas. The worry we have is that my wife is a very fussy eater and doesn't like 'fancy' food at all. She will spend hours picking bits of onion or chunks of tomato out of sauces, she doesn't eat seafood, pork or bacon. She is happy with a pasta carbonara, pasta with a cheese sauce, chicken, mild curry, pizza, burgers etc.

 

My question is how accommodating can the main dining room be to a very picky eater or will she be able to find something at Windjammer. We would like to avoid paying for the speciality restaurants every night if possible.

 

Any advice is gratefully received.

I don't mean to be insulting, but they will let adults over off the kids menu. That said, there are daily alternatives on the menu that I think will fit her bill. (Speaking of Bill, I'm a semi-reformed fussy eater)

Speak to the maitre'd and he will organise for her to be able to choose her food for the following night. When my daughter was younger she was extremely fussy and would have plain boiled rice or plain pasta...no butter, sauces or herbs. They went out of their way to make sure she got something to eat.

They even have Roast Chicken specially for her!

She can also order off the kids menu where I think they have macaroni cheese..yum!

Now macaroni cheese she loves! Thanks for posting the menu.

I don't mean to be insulting, but they will let adults over off the kids menu. That said, there are daily alternatives on the menu that I think will fit her bill. (Speaking of Bill, I'm a semi-reformed fussy eater)

Not taken as insulting at all :)

Thanks for all the replies so far.

As the wife of a "fussy" eater, I can say she will be fine. You can order almost anything without sauces or onions, or whatever it is they don't like.

I almost fell out of my chair one night when my "fussy hubby" wanted to taste the caviar (this was years ago, when it was pretty standard fare on cruises)....he didn't like it...but he tried!

My wife and I are considering doing a Norwegian fjords cruise next year on Explorer Of The Seas. The worry we have is that my wife is a very fussy eater and doesn't like 'fancy' food at all. She will spend hours picking bits of onion or chunks of tomato out of sauces, she doesn't eat seafood, pork or bacon. She is happy with a pasta carbonara, pasta with a cheese sauce, chicken, mild curry, pizza, burgers etc.

 

My question is how accommodating can the main dining room be to a very picky eater or will she be able to find something at Windjammer. We would like to avoid paying for the speciality restaurants every night if possible.

 

Any advice is gratefully received.

My family are fussy eaters. You can get chicken, steak, or spaghetti pretty much every nite at the mdr.

My wife and I are considering doing a Norwegian fjords cruise next year on Explorer Of The Seas. The worry we have is that my wife is a very fussy eater and doesn't like 'fancy' food at all. She will spend hours picking bits of onion or chunks of tomato out of sauces, she doesn't eat seafood, pork or bacon. She is happy with a pasta carbonara, pasta with a cheese sauce, chicken, mild curry, pizza, burgers etc.

 

My question is how accommodating can the main dining room be to a very picky eater or will she be able to find something at Windjammer. We would like to avoid paying for the speciality restaurants every night if possible.

 

Any advice is gratefully received.

She can also order a full dinner off the appetizer menu, which is pretty basic.

 

Typical menu from Navigator this year (actually this was formal night).

UK sailings always have a curry and a pie.

 

They even have Roast Chicken specially for her!

She can also order off the kids menu where I think they have macaroni cheese..yum!

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like the variety of cold soups has been removed, are they gone or can you order off menu.

Looks like the variety of cold soups has been removed, are they gone or can you order off menu.

I have been told if you ask for them

You can get them. Haven’t tried personally. I loved the cold soups! I would have thought if they went to the effort of making a pot/vat of chilled soup 🥣 they would tell guests it was available!!![emoji848]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cruises are the best for fussy eaters. The staff is very accommodating and will make most dishes without sauces.

Of course cruises are also a great time to try something new because you can always ask for something else if you don’t like it. My son is now 27 years old and he is still a fussy eater. However, he has become more adventurous as he has gotten older and always finds something new to try on a cruise.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I hate pretty much everything and I can always find something to eat. I've had cheese and crackers some nights for dinner and was perfectly happy.

Last nights menu on Indie. Looks like chicken again for the wife!

Note the different pie and curry!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Your wife will be fine. The Windjammer might be more suitable for you wife. They always have pizza, burgers, hot dogs and some kind of roast joint. They have plain pasta with the sauces in a separate serving dish. There is also pie and curry, but the curry may not be as mild as your wife is use to, it depends who has cooked it.

My daughter in law, who went with us was an extreme fussy eater. The issue always was that her mother, did not cook well, and it was always basically the same. She lived on chicken fingers, and pasta.

Fast forward to the cruise. I told her either to eat the food, or starve. Never told her that she could order chicken fingers, even though my son knew she could he did not say a word. She tried many items, and the waiter even got into it. End of story, she did not starve, and she discovered, a world outside of chicken fingers.

She still is fussy, but she will eat.

Don't even give it a second thought.

Your waiter knows what they have and how it can be served, sauces or not with the MDR menu.

Plenty of choices even the kid's menu.

The buffet has so many things that ANYONE will be more than satisfied with the choices.

bosco

When nothing else on the menu suits my fancy; my fall-back is baked potato. And you can always get one.

All of these replies are good to know! I can be very picky also and "dissect" my food as well. (that's what my family calls it, in any case!) I read some of the descriptions on the menu and think, well, at least I can have some chicken or pasta if nothing else appeals to me. I know it has helped me to look at threads that contain food pictures, as the description doesn't always sound appealing, but when I see the pictures, it helps me to break down what's in the dish. Perhaps that will help her before you go?

my wife is a very fussy eater and doesn't like 'fancy' food at all. She will spend hours picking bits of onion or chunks of tomato out of sauces, she doesn't eat seafood, pork or bacon. She is happy with a pasta carbonara, pasta with a cheese sauce, chicken, mild curry, pizza, burgers etc.

You may not want to let her know this (if she doesn't know already), but typically, pasta carbonara is prepared with bacon. :o

All of these replies are good to know! I can be very picky also and "dissect" my food as well. (that's what my family calls it, in any case!) I read some of the descriptions on the menu and think, well, at least I can have some chicken or pasta if nothing else appeals to me. I know it has helped me to look at threads that contain food pictures, as the description doesn't always sound appealing, but when I see the pictures, it helps me to break down what's in the dish. Perhaps that will help her before you go?

 

 

 

You may not want to let her know this (if she doesn't know already), but typically, pasta carbonara is prepared with bacon. :o

You beat me to it. So she does like bacon!

I am an extremely picky eater, plus I have Celiac disease, so between what I can't eat, and what I won't eat, there isn't much left! I never have a problem getting food without sauces because unlike your wife, if I see chunks of onions or tomatoes, I won't touch it, won't even consider picking chunks out, just won't eat it at all! I pretty much eat meat and baked potatoes while I cruise, if I like the veggies they bring I will eat them, otherwise, I push them to the side or my hubby eats them. Not a big veggie or fruit person.

They are very accommodating to every type of eater so I am sure she will be fine.

You may not want to let her know this (if she doesn't know already), but typically, pasta carbonara is prepared with bacon. :o

You beat me to it. So she does like bacon!

Well, yes she will eat some bacon as long as there is no fat on it! :)

Thank you to everyone for the replies which have meant we have now booked the cruise. I've done the fjords before so I'm looking forward to going back and introducing my wife to the wonderful scenery :)

I would not call it "fussy" at all- I would say she likes basic/bland foods-nothing wrong with that in my opinion. You can always substitute on the menu-plain vegetables-chicken-steak-seafood- baked potato-salad-fruit-rolls-rice-cheese-plenty of options .Lots of people eat like this-some people have stomach issues or health problems.Explain to your waiter and ask him what he recommends also. Don't over think it- you will both have a great cruise.

I am also a picky eater and after sailing on the Explorer for a Transpacific cruise for 23 days, I never had a problem finding something that I liked from the MDR. The staff will go above and beyond to make things just the way you want them and if you don't like it for some reason they will try their hardest to help. There are always children's menus that you may order from also. Sometimes I would order those just for the smaller portions.

My husband is an adventurous diner and loved to try new things. I stuck with basics and was never dissatisfied. You can order pretty much whatever you want. For instance, the last night of our cruise, because there are so many delicious desserts to order/try, my husband had a dessert for all three courses of our meal. Dessert for appetizer, dessert for entree, and dessert for dessert. Our waiter thought that was the perfect ending to our cruise.

If you are not happy with the dining room, the buffet has lots of things to choose from.

Happy cruising and dining!