Which foods would you avoid on NCL cruises?

[halos]

Avoid the lobster. )

 

 

 

Yes...avoid it!!

Royal Caribbean's lobster was even worse the one time I had it....Carnival is the only line fo the three that can pull a good lobster tail off without a hitch. (I'm from Maine, so I am a good judge :D)

 

Everything else in the MDR is good....sometimes it can be very good, but I have never found food on NCL (in the mdr) to be exceptional. We do make use of the surcharge restaurants...WELL worth the small added cost.

[Dolphins]

The only sure thing to avoid is hot dogs at the outside buffet. You don't go on a cruise to eat hot dogs.

[NMLady]

Hi everyone. We are leaving tomorrow on our first NCL cruise. I've read quite a few postings on this site complaining about the food, but then again there are postings saying how good the food is.

 

Well, I just read a recent review from a person, and this was their 4th NCL cruise and they compared the food to prison food. The person said that the food was so bad that they they considered leaving after the third day, but the flights were too expensive.

 

Since all cruise lines are cutting back on everything, I'm sure the food area is taking a big hit on all cruise lines. What foods would you avoid on a cruise?

 

If you have taken more than one cruise on NCL which food dish that you ordered in the past has really changed on your most recent cruise? Which dish wouldn't you order again?

 

On the Princess Cruise Line, the first cruise we ever took about 3 years ago, my niece usually ordered a steak and some sort of alfredo noodles. I usually ordered chicken, as long as it didn't have any sort of gravy on it. Sometimes I would order steak, and when they had lobster, which was one night, I definitely ordered it. The lobster was very good on the Princess Cruise Line, but that was 3 years ago.

 

I read a posting on this site where a person said they got sick from the lobster and someone else said that it is really tough, et cetera. Should we just avoid the lobster and not order it? I hate to order it if we weren't going to eat it, and I am kind of a picky eater.

 

How are the steaks in the main dining room? We will be eating all our meals in the main dining room and the buffet. We will have a ten-month with us, so I can't see going to one of the restaurants where we have to pay a coer charge and then we have to walk out if he is having a bad day.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

We have taken 4 NCL cruises (soon to take 5-6-7) and have no complaints about the food. Remember that chefs vary from ship to ship and even on the same ship the food quality can vary from previous cruises. There is no way to make an 'always' statement.

 

There is no food on NCL that I would avoid. Yes, we did have tough lobster once. But the other 3 times it was delicious. And two of those times were after our unfavorable experience, so I was glad I hadn't avoided the lobster just because of one unfavorable experience.

 

I've rarely had complaints about food on NCL.

[tiff123]

We're from ME as well and even on Carnival I didn't care for the lobster tail there. But I'd still try it on NCL.

 

Because we all have different tastes, every meal is not going to be a hit for everyone. Some are excellent, some aren't good and some will be just okay. Definitely expect that, no matter what cruise line you sail!

 

I think it would be quite impossible for 100% of passengers to come off a ship thinking every meal was great.

[PimpDaddy2Kool]

Unfortunately the onboard food in general is akin to college cafeteria food. But we all know that before booking.

 

In the buffet I would stick with anything that looks appealing. I tend to go for the live stations, such as the pasta, etc. That way I can tell the cook exactly how I want my dish prepared. Keep an eye out if the carving station has decent meat. Also the Indian food is decent because a lot of the cooks are themselves Indian. The desserts are hit or miss...ice cream and brownies are always good. Coffee is horrible and the "juices" are simply sugar water.

 

In MDR I would simply have to go with what looks appealing on the menu. Worst case scenario, get one of each dish. The escargots are pretty good. Avoid steak here as it is inedible. The lobster is very small and usually paired with a fish. I also avoid pasta dishes here.

 

Avoid the specialty restaurants at all cost...unless you really want to pay a surcharge to eat crappy food.

[mrs cruise]

 

That said, here's some help from a good cook who does not tolerate dull food.

The steaks in the MDR are not real wonderful. Doesn't matter, you don't need to order them. They are run-of-the-mill sirloins. There are other options.

The prime rib will do you nicely. The Beef Wellington is also pretty tasty.

(caveat: as long as you don't order them past medium-rare)

The lamb chops or lamb shank will break you away from the beef.

There are fish dishes, usually broiled. They tend to be a bit over-cooked for our palates. Not nasty, they just cannot watch 'em as close as we'd like.

The lobster is what it is. What it ISN'T, is a 2 pound Maine lobster. It is broiled and is a rock or spiny lobster tail. We like them fine but they are not the same as knocking back a fresh steamed Maine lobster.

Get the crab-pumpkin bisque. God,what a nasty sounding thing, I

thought. :) Wrong! It is a must-have item.

At lunch, watch for the curried beef with chutney. I would steal for this.

There was a pork medallion/shrimp with pasta at lunch. Very tasty.

Eggs benny and salmon benny at breakfast.

 

To avoid? At lunch, there is an unholy bad Asian beef noodle thing. It is the worst thing I've ever eaten. Anywhere.

The Italian salad dressing is a bunch different from what you're used to. You might like it but my stomach rumbled in displeasure as I wrote that.

 

You are not gonna go hungry. Here is a perfect opportunity to expand your horizon. Order stuff that you've never had. It costs nothing to try it. If you really can't eat it, send it away and order something else. There is no penalty involved. That's how we found the pumpkin-crab soup and the tuna tartare. If you can get it at Denny's or TGI Chilbee's Garden, why get it on the ship?

Thank you for your post, Luddite. I like your description of yourself (does not tolerate dull food) :) and as foodie myself, I appreciate your recommendations! I can't wait to try the dishes you described!!! Have also read some bad NCL food reviews, but I try to take them with a grain of salt, considering that so many people do not like to try new things, or have very simple palates.

[Sauer-kraut]

The only sure thing to avoid is hot dogs at the outside buffet. You don't go on a cruise to eat hot dogs.

 

Wow, I LOVE hot dogs! Anywhere anytime! Smothered in onion, tomato, pickle relish, dill pickle slice, celery salt and sport peppers! OMG...heaven

[halos]

We're from ME as well and even on Carnival I didn't care for the lobster tail there. But I'd still try it on NCL.

 

.

 

 

You know the size of a chicken lobster?? Well, a tail half the size as one you would get off a chicken lobster...broiled until it is unrecognizeable.....that's what you may find. That's what has been my experience on my NCL cruises (and my RCCL).

I keep trying them though, so I'm not suggesting you don't. I figure one of these days they'll get it right :)

But if someone does ask what food to avoid, unfortunately lobster is the first to come to my mind.

[Planer's Edge]

stay away from sushi from the 3rd day on.

 

There is nothing wrong with having sushi after the third day as it is all fresh frozen.

 

As for the initial question...I steer away from burgers as it is impossible to get a burger cooked less than well done.

 

PE

[downsized]

 

As for the initial question...I steer away from burgers as it is impossible to get a burger cooked less than well done.

 

PE

 

That's not entirely true.

We typically eat breakfast and lunch at Cagney's, but have found that about 3:00pm, or so, the crowds thin at the pool bar, and I've been able to order burgers that are rare!

The pool bars on NCL have (in my opinion) the best burgers and fries aboard ship.

 

What's not to like about a good cheeseburger, hot fries and a cold beer, while watching the swimmers!

[tdcjerry]

Question from the OP- Which foods would you avoid on NCL cruises? The word fresh fish go'es out the window after a couple of days, it's not the same, if you like sashimi like I do you can tell the difference after a couple of day's. So AVOID the not so fresh fish.

[annecolorgreen]

Thanks for the helpful comments!

 

My philosophy: if I don't like it, we can always make a walk through of the buffet, the diner, or order room service. And I'm "fluffy" enough that I won't starve ;).

 

(I've lost 75 lbs but have about 20 more to go ;))

[luddite]

Thank you for your post, Luddite. I like your description of yourself (does not tolerate dull food) :) and as foodie myself, I appreciate your recommendations! I can't wait to try the dishes you described!!! Have also read some bad NCL food reviews, but I try to take them with a grain of salt, considering that so many people do not like to try new things, or have very simple palates.

 

It's a pretty regular game for some fool to come here and post a review that says NCL food is inedible and the cabin stewards are thieving foreigners who don't smile and refuse to do their job. I think the first one in 2010 was Jan 2.

 

Certainly not everything is great all the time. It's just like on shore, pick your battles. I don't get the steaks on board. I can cook them better and I choose a better cut so why bother? Burgers and dogs? On a ship? Not a chance I'm doing that.

You might notice that I didn't recommend anything from the buffet. I can recommend the Caesar Salad and the coffee. That's all that we get from the feeding trough. Other stuff might be wonderful but I wouldn't and don't want to know.

[electricron]

I avoid all uncooked foods except fruits whenever I'm traveling. That means I avoid salads. One never gets ill eating properly prepared and thoroughly cooked food.

[Planer's Edge]

All of the fish on NCL is as fresh on the sixth day as it is on the first day as it ALL starts out frozen. Whether it is grilled, fried, rolled into sushi or served as sashimi it is all the same.

 

PE

[MissRabbit]

 

hash browns in the MDR

Steaks can be dry, overdone (order rare if you want medium rare, of medium if you want well done)

 

what was wrong with the hash browns? We love hash browns so knowing what we're in for would be nice.

 

also regarding ordering of steaks one level rarer than you normally order: is this a general rule of thumb across the entire NCL fleet or ship specific?

I like my steak to be between medium rare and medium but i definately don't want any brown in it except for the nummy sear on the outside. I'm a little hesitant to order rare in order to get medium-rare, in case they end up actually making it rare! i guess i can ask them to cook it a little longer....

[Planer's Edge]

That's not entirely true.

We typically eat breakfast and lunch at Cagney's, but have found that about 3:00pm, or so, the crowds thin at the pool bar, and I've been able to order burgers that are rare!

The pool bars on NCL have (in my opinion) the best burgers and fries aboard ship.

 

What's not to like about a good cheeseburger, hot fries and a cold beer, while watching the swimmers!

 

You have a lot better luck in your 2 NCL cruises at getting a well cooked burger than I have had in my 22 NCL cruises.:rolleyes:

 

I have seen the occasional burger cooked medium. I have requested medium rare and have been told that they are not allowed to serve burgers that way. So, I have a hard time believing that you have received a burger that was truly rare.:confused: Good for you if you did.

 

PE

[dalgirl]

I avoid the fake breakfast juices in the buffet. But I also avoid the hamburgers - don't like them. But DH loves them and eats them several times. So food is really subjective on the ships. You will want to try something before you reject it out of hand. And heads up - the juice doesn't get really bad until near the end of the cruise:)

[4774Papa]

We just completed the two week Med cruise on the Gem. We did not have a bad meal the entire two weeks. Some meals were superb. The specialty restaurants were super, especially the French, Italian and Japanese. El Bistro, the French restaurant fed a large group, and everyone loved the food. The Garden Cafe was reliabily good, especially for breakfast. Great salad choices. Some of the pasta was average, but if you didn't like it, get something else. We didn't eat a lot of desserts, but the no sugar added desserts were good, and not loaded with calories.

The Magenta serves a great eggs benedict, and for dinner Magenta and Grand Pacific did well, even though we had a few items that were average. The bean soup didn't have a lot of beans. The fish was sometimes overcooked, sometimes fine. We had lamb a couple of times, and it was subperb. One night I had the fillet and lobester, and it was quite good.

I have never been to prison, but this clearly was not prison food.

[GROOVERS]

Avoid all food, pass it over to my plate!:D We've been on NCL a bunch of times and to be real truthful to ya, the worst I ever had was just vantastic! I just can't stand it cause I gain so much weight on these darn cruises! Unless you have allergies or you are morbidly obese, you don't got to worry about the food, and it's included! I love to go out back in the mornings and get an omlet, with everything on it, there's always a line, but it's always just funderful! And they got fresh fruit, and juices, and yogart, and muffins, and sweet rolls...My My My, don't get me started, we got 11 more weeks till we sail again!:eek:

 

Oh yea, and don't let the whiners alter your good time!;)

[MsTabbyKats]

I'm gonna get flamed but......

 

Since a large percentage of the cruisers seem to be gourmands, opposed to gourmets......

 

Just eat what you want.

 

Someone who complains about all the food on a ship has a problem.

[cruiser-007]

Hi everyone. We are leaving tomorrow on our first NCL cruise. I've read quite a few postings on this site complaining about the food, but then again there are postings saying how good the food is.

 

Well, I just read a recent review from a person, and this was their 4th NCL cruise and they compared the food to prison food. The person said that the food was so bad that they they considered leaving after the third day, but the flights were too expensive.

 

Since all cruise lines are cutting back on everything, I'm sure the food area is taking a big hit on all cruise lines. What foods would you avoid on a cruise?

 

If you have taken more than one cruise on NCL which food dish that you ordered in the past has really changed on your most recent cruise? Which dish wouldn't you order again?

 

On the Princess Cruise Line, the first cruise we ever took about 3 years ago, my niece usually ordered a steak and some sort of alfredo noodles. I usually ordered chicken, as long as it didn't have any sort of gravy on it. Sometimes I would order steak, and when they had lobster, which was one night, I definitely ordered it. The lobster was very good on the Princess Cruise Line, but that was 3 years ago.

 

I read a posting on this site where a person said they got sick from the lobster and someone else said that it is really tough, et cetera. Should we just avoid the lobster and not order it? I hate to order it if we weren't going to eat it, and I am kind of a picky eater.

 

How are the steaks in the main dining room? We will be eating all our meals in the main dining room and the buffet. We will have a ten-month with us, so I can't see going to one of the restaurants where we have to pay a coer charge and then we have to walk out if he is having a bad day.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

Well I guess by now you're on your cruise trying out the food. If you do a review later on be sure to detail your food opinion. I love reading reviews and it would be great to know how your food was. Hope your having an awesome cruise or in the case that you read all this when you get back, hope you had an awesome cruise!:)

[cruiser-007]

Avoid all food, pass it over to my plate!:D We've been on NCL a bunch of times and to be real truthful to ya, the worst I ever had was just vantastic! I just can't stand it cause I gain so much weight on these darn cruises! Unless you have allergies or you are morbidly obese, you don't got to worry about the food, and it's included! I love to go out back in the mornings and get an omlet, with everything on it, there's always a line, but it's always just funderful! And they got fresh fruit, and juices, and yogart, and muffins, and sweet rolls...My My My, don't get me started, we got 11 more weeks till we sail again!:eek:

 

Oh yea, and don't let the whiners alter your good time!;)

 

Hey Groovers!, you're my kind of folks- 'glass half full'. Seriosly, when I sit and think when the last time I ate breakfast and looked down at my plate every morning and saw eggs, sausage, pancake, doughnut, hash browns, bacon, and fruit along with chocolate milk, oj, and coffee-- it was on my last cruise because I'll usually never get to eat that way at home. Hey if you don't like, toss it, NCL turns it into fish food anyway. I love the food on a cruise, good or bad, it just keeps on coming!

 

Happy cruising Everybody!!:):D:rolleyes:

[Sea Hag]

There are fish dishes, usually broiled. They tend to be a bit over-cooked for our palates. Not nasty, they just cannot watch 'em as close as we'd like.

Get the crab-pumpkin bisque. God,what a nasty sounding thing, I

thought. :) Wrong! It is a must-have item.

At lunch, watch for the curried beef with chutney. I would steal for this.

I agree big time on the crab-pumpkin bisque being very tasty, but it was imitation crab on the Star last week rather than the Maryland crab stated on the menu. Only get it if you're okay with imitation crab.

 

And do get the beef curry! :)

[disneysteve]

We're just back from Dawn. The food was okay but not great. Don't know anything about prison food but I suspect this was better.:p I don't eat red meat but my wife was disappointed with the steak she had the first night in the MDR. My salmon was good though a tad overcooked. Most everything else was just fine. The one thing that was particularly disappointing was the desserts. I don't think any of us had a single dessert all week that was at all remarkable - all very generic, mass-produced stuff. Not bad, just not any standouts. Wait, my wife did enjoy the chocolate caramel mousse thing. The stuff at the chocolate buffet was equally unremarkable. If you can get there early and avoid the crowd, it is worth it but if there is a line out the door, don't bother.