Food - I'm concerned

[cdamion]

I have not been on Carnival since they changed the menus. I will find out how it compares to the past in March. Before, I would say that Carnival's food was better than my experiences on RCI and Princess. Same with MDR service.

 

I don't cruise for the food, but do want it to be of good quality with excellent service. With Carnival you do get what you pay for though. I am going to have much different expectations on different lines. I was disappointed with Princess' food. It was not quite as good as Carnival's, but the price was so much higher. If I am on Crystal (will never be) you bet I will have high expectations in food and service.

[DrLookGood]

I think this is a terrible generalization. I have dined in many upscale restaurants in Boston, New York, California and such, and I still think Carnival's food is great. I don't compare Carnival's MDR food to the 5 star restaurant Top of the Hub in Boston because it's clear that the MDR is NOT 5 star. However, it's not bad. Its certainly better than what most cruisers eat on land in restaurants. You can't compare Carnival's food to 5 star restaurants because it's just not fair; they are two different fields. So, sorry, but I think your statement is rude & quite offensive considering you don't know what people on here eat on land.

 

I am not trying to compare MDR food to 5 star restaurant. In my cruise years (not that many) it never was - but it was well prepared. Not anymore. I don't want to eat "steamed" steak. I don't want to eat greasy deep fried shrimp. And I don't want to eat crab cake that is more bread crumbs than actual crab. There are ways to make even comfort food taste good/great. The two places I really like in Minneapolis - St. Paul are are Public House of McCoy and Edina grill. Both are comfort food type of places - but are not Perkins or Denny's. Google them and you will find that the menu is not upscale at all, yet they are very successful everyday type of restaurants.

 

If you feel I was rude - I am sorry you feel this way, but I am convinced that people who continue to like Carnival food, do not know any better or are willing to settle for less (maybe because they don't care what they eat - I realize that some people are partial to food).

[Cruzface]

I don't think I am a complainer at all, but I do not want to settle for less. Those who think that food is fine just don't know any better. This is not a put down. It is what it is - if you continue to like MDR food on Carnival - you don't eat better food in your every day life - otherwise you would not continue to like it.

 

I just came back from New Year Legend cruise and the food quality in MDR declined from my August Cruise on Legend which declined from my New Year (2011) cruise on Spirit. I really don't care how many people cruise line needs to serve at the same time (presumable they have more people in the kitchen now then when they only had to server 500 or 1000).

 

 

During our last New Year cruise, all meat dishes in MDR were inedible. By the end of the cruise, I was eating Caesar salad and one or more appetizers - no entries.

In the beginning of the cruise I jokingly reprimanded my son for ordering hamburger (sorry, in my opinion, if you want a hamburger you can get it on Lido - hamburger on the menu takes a place of another dish). On the third night, after my husband tried to eat his entry and then my son's entry (my son left dinner early to participate in youth activity), he gave up and ordered hamburger.

 

I actually like Carnival's deserts.

 

Clearly many on this board disagree and this is why Carnival can get away with lowering food and service quality.

 

Now ... ready... set... flame away...

 

P.S. While I don't necessarily cruise for food, I feel since I made an effort to dress nicely (even not on elegant night) to eat dinner on MDR, I should have a nice meal. Or wait... dressing nicely is not required anymore... I guess nice food went the way dress code went...

 

Do you really think that Carnival is giving lesser quality food because people are not dressing up? Really? It is simple business. They are changing the food offered in the MDR because they want people to pay more for the better food in the extra charge venues. Carnival is a for profit business. Anything they can do to get you to spend more, they will.

[livestocruisetoo]

Just go to "Denny's" and you can get a preview of the new Carnival menu..

 

Tastes are like...opinions. Everybody has at least one. :rolleyes:

[Crusing Nut]

I don't think I am a complainer at all, but I do not want to settle for less. Those who think that food is fine just don't know any better. This is not a put down. It is what it is - if you continue to like MDR food on Carnival - you don't eat better food in your every day life - otherwise you would not continue to like it.

 

I just came back from New Year Legend cruise and the food quality in MDR declined from my August Cruise on Legend which declined from my New Year (2011) cruise on Spirit. I really don't care how many people cruise line needs to serve at the same time (presumable they have more people in the kitchen now then when they only had to server 500 or 1000).

 

 

During our last New Year cruise, all meat dishes in MDR were inedible. By the end of the cruise, I was eating Caesar salad and one or more appetizers - no entries.

In the beginning of the cruise I jokingly reprimanded my son for ordering hamburger (sorry, in my opinion, if you want a hamburger you can get it on Lido - hamburger on the menu takes a place of another dish). On the third night, after my husband tried to eat his entry and then my son's entry (my son left dinner early to participate in youth activity), he gave up and ordered hamburger.

 

I actually like Carnival's deserts.

 

Clearly many on this board disagree and this is why Carnival can get away with lowering food and service quality.

 

Now ... ready... set... flame away...

 

P.S. While I don't necessarily cruise for food, I feel since I made an effort to dress nicely (even not on elegant night) to eat dinner on MDR, I should have a nice meal. Or wait... dressing nicely is not required anymore... I guess nice food went the way dress code went...

 

BBM

That is an insult, no matter how I read it.

 

Carnival food is fine. The Steakhouse on the Carnival line is great. The Chef's table was outstanding. I pay more for fine dining at home, I have no trouble with that.

 

I have never had any troiuble with any of the servers on Carnival but I certainly can see why some do.

[kyrisong1]

I think the food is fine and the passengers are increasingly chronic complainers.

 

Here are the newest menus and some food pictures:

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/index.htm

 

On our Carnival Spirit Alaska cruise, in addition to the regular menus, there was a fish special every night that was listed in the Capers/Fun Times.

You said it. in a nutshell!!!

Our food on Miracle was great in October, there were changes on the menu I wouldn't order and didn't, they didn't bother me at all being there.

Most are complaining about the "comfort food" and I agree, not for me.

But there are plenty of other good choices.

We avoid Lido buffet and just enjoy room service or MDR on sea days!!

[rtw68]

DW & I are new to cruising, so we can't compare the quality now to the "good old days."

 

That being said, I'm not expecting 5 Star Dining and haven't been disappointed yet with the quality and taste of the food on our two cruises.

 

Having gone on the Behind The Fun Tour recently on the Dream, I have a new appreciation for the attention to quality of the food that they really have.

 

Upscale dining will be at an additional charge moving forward. I would rather have that choice than have the cost for cruising go up across the board.

[DragonMouse]

I am looking forward to trying the "Didja ever" choices on my next cruise.

 

Me too now. I tried escargot on both Carnival and RCI...it was tasty and honestly I couldn't tell a difference. It'd be cool to have the frog legs...My dad used to make them all the time when I was a kid. I've tried shark before but it's been a long time. I'd love to see what they have to offer.

 

...

 

Here are the newest menus and some food pictures:

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/index.htm

 

On our Carnival Spirit Alaska cruise, in addition to the regular menus, there was a fish special every night that was listed in the Capers/Fun Times.

 

YAY...I could totally live on fish and seafood. :D THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE LISTING...it's really not so different than any of the other times we've been on....I'm a "little" persnickety about "fried fish" but if it's grilled, poached or any other way...I am soooo there. (I only like it if in cornmeal fried...don't really care for battered), oysters...yay...shrimp...yay... calimari ... yay!!!

 

I never starve on a cruise...I usually find something I like. Worse case scenerio...a burger will do me fine...my only requirement is my bun MUST be toasted...but they've always done this for me anyway. I was just a bit concerned because of some of the negativity I heard and "new menu" being thrown out there. In the MDR...I'm NOT shy about asking the server for MORE or something different...

 

I do understand people from other places comparing it to land based resturants they're used to...For example on the Ectasy they had a "Mexican" night. When you're from Texas...meh...the food was closer to Taco Bell...hardly a comparison. I kinda thought it silly to offer Mexican food since the boat was out of Galveston...but whatever..:rolleyes:.the line to the buffet was around the corner. Honestly... by then I'd already stuffed myself silly with everything else...I really didn't want anymore to eat. Alas even on land I get my Taco Bell urges sometimes. They had a Chocolate Buffet...meh...as much as I LOVE chocolate I didn't care for "dark" chocolate...alas...they had 24 hours of ICE CREAM...YAY :).

 

I never expect a whole lot out of buffets whether I'm on Carnival, RCI, Golden Corrale or Vegas (I always think of "Vegas Vacation" and how everybody always said you can get GREAT food for $1.99 in Vegas...rigghht...just like in the movie...I'll have some yellow stuff...some blue stuff...LOL...LOL). Although it's no where NEAR like that movie. In the past I find plenty that I like...in the MDR if I didn't like something I'd just have the waiter bring me something else...usually I was always satisfied. On the Conquest we had tried the Point for $30. My my my...that was very nice...the service was FANTABULOUS. But I guess like any resturant the waiter/waitress you get is the "luck of the draw". They couldn't do enough for us.

 

RCI (we went on the Oasis) had some drawbacks that wouldn't really cost them much to improve...the biggest disappointment for me was cold burger buns...you served yourself but they took the buns out of the fridge and threw them in a bin for you to take. :(...Ice cream was from 12:00-6:00 ...the pizza was just weird...you were pretty much limited to pepperoni unless you built your own pizza...that COULD have been cool but they had weird toppings like "blue cheese" and some sort of green leaf..no normal toppings :rolleyes: and no calzones...They had a place to get some panninis but they closed really really early...other than that they had 2 kinds of cold sandwiches...I was a "little" annoyed because of the obscene amount I paid for THAT cruise. Alas...I still did not come close to starving and I did find some things that were very very tasty such as a sweet potatoe tart/quiche. Normally I'd never have tried it but both my son and I could have eaten it every night if it was offered.

 

I think all in all it doesn't matter what cruise line your on they have some good stuff and bad stuff. I honestly was just concerned that Carnival was discontinuing some of my "favorites" but it looks like I'm good to go.:)

[Sargent_Schultz]

Not sure what fish you will have on your Alaska cruise but some of what we were served:

 

Alaskan Fish Special - Seared Cajun Salmon

 

 

Alaskan Fish Special - Fresh Halibut Meuniere

 

 

 

 

Alaska Fish Special - Butter Poached Salmon - Yum!

 

 

 

 

Alaskan Fish Special - Bacon Wrapped Cod - Yum!

 

 

Special Alaskan Fish - Pan seared Alaska Sole Filet

 

 

 

 

and even salmon pizza was available at the pizzeria!

 

 

[Uniballer]

I said this on another post, if you go into your cruise knowing what Carnival does, you will be fine.... I get annoyed by people who constantly complain about Carnival and their food choices, when in all reality, their food is still better than what most people eat in their everyday lives.... If you don't like what they bring you, get something else.... If you don't like that, go to the buffet or to the pizzeria....

 

It's a vacation, don't dwell on something like the food... It's not like the food is terrible, it just doesn't meet your expectations.... And in today's world, where everyone thinks they deserve millionaire treatment, the complaining doesn't surprise me....

[Crusing Nut]

I am not trying to compare MDR food to 5 star restaurant. In my cruise years (not that many) it never was - but it was well prepared. Not anymore. I don't want to eat "steamed" steak. I don't want to eat greasy deep fried shrimp. And I don't want to eat crab cake that is more bread crumbs than actual crab. There are ways to make even comfort food taste good/great. The two places I really like in Minneapolis - St. Paul are are Public House of McCoy and Edina grill. Both are comfort food type of places - but are not Perkins or Denny's. Google them and you will find that the menu is not upscale at all, yet they are very successful everyday type of restaurants.

 

If you feel I was rude - I am sorry you feel this way, but I am convinced that people who continue to like Carnival food, do not know any better or are willing to settle for less (maybe because they don't care what they eat - I realize that some people are partial to food).

 

 

Well I looked up your two favorite places to eat and sorry they are a little upscale. 12-14 bucks for a hamburger is upscale.

 

Now you can look up two of my favorite places to eat, Stone Bar and Frogtown Inn then tell me again that I don't know what quality food is. I care what I eat, I order what I like and I expect to pay more for better quality cut of meat.

 

My suggestion to you would be to cruise with Celebrity or higher. And yes, Celebrity has their upscale restaurants also.

[Sol y Mar]

We just got off of our 13th (12th on Carnival) cruise last month. It was a four day on the Imagination. We were UNDERWHELMED by the food. We found the food in the dining room to be very bland (think Piccadilly Cafeteria). Breakfast on the lido always included some strange sausage blend, which looked good but never was. I missed the plain 'ole link sausage option. Did we starve? No, but DH who cruises to eat, complained to me the whole time, and I complained right back. Maybe the difference was because it was a short cruise? At least my French Onion Soup was the same, or else I'd have been sad. Oh, and I sure did miss my creme brulee :o

 

Sol y Mar

[livestocruisetoo]

I don't think I am a complainer at all, but I do not want to settle for less. Those who think that food is fine just don't know any better. This is not a put down. It is what it is - if you continue to like MDR food on Carnival - you don't eat better food in your every day life - otherwise you would not continue to like it.

 

You're correct. It is what it is...a put down. You make a statement of fact even though it's your opinion. I remember some mighty fine dining in the Twin Cities on trips to Roseville. Some that would wipe out an entire weeks per diem in a couple of hours and other's that would leave a little leftover for a few Perkin's daily special.I picked that up from an engineer that would come down for an install and make his first night stop at Ruth Chris for 'cigars and cognac'. A quick perusing of the restaurants in your neck of the woods found only a single familiar name, Lindey's. It certainly looks more diverse now and that has to be a good thing. I can't remember the name of the place in downtown Minneapolis other than the onyx statue in front of the place. Spending $200-$300 in today's dollars for a nice dinner is a splurge reserved for only a couple of special occasions a year. The money is better spent on a cruise. :D

 

By the way, times have changed. It used to be the restaurants had jackets for men just in case. Not many of them do that anymore.

[glrounds]

I think the food is fine and the passengers are increasingly chronic complainers.

 

 

EXACTLY. :)

 

Today on Carnival people can cruise easily for $100 per day or LESS. For this they get a comfortable CLEAN CABIN serviced twice a day, FREE entertainment, and round-the-clock FREE food of an unimaginable variety, and FREE transportation to some of the most interesting places in the world, BUT . . .

 

. . . they still complain ! ! :eek:

 

[zenful6219]

You know, food is a very subjective topic. Everyone has different ideas of what is good, what is 5 star quality, what is fresh, what is over salty & so on. Not everyone has the same taste buds or gets appealed to the same types of food.

 

 

That was very well said and I couldn't agree more. I take every review I read with a grain of salt.

 

Also, something all Carnival passengers should accept. The cost of food, especially meat, is rising significantly. The cost of meat alone is up 17% globally. But Carnival isn't raising its fares by that amount. So I guess it's sorta about what are we willing to pay for "budget" cruise?

[michelle1836]

I agree with the Sargent. Just go with a positive attitude!!

 

I wish he would stop posting pictures of the food though. my computer is beginning to short out because of the drool ;)

[Sargent_Schultz]

I agree with the Sargent. Just go with a positive attitude!!

 

I wish he would stop posting pictures of the food though. my computer is beginning to short out because of the drool ;)

 

I think attitude plays a bigger role than people realize.

 

Yes, food is subjective, but attitude will definitely influence your perceptions.

 

As for food pictures, how do you think I feel? I have to look at a lot more of them to decide what to post. :p

[sk8rpatty]

I find it varies from ship to ship, cruise to cruise and even night to night.

 

My last Paradise cruise I was a bit dissapointed but my last cruise on the Fantasy had some outstanding nights in the MDR. I've had some great meals on the Paradise too on past cruises.

 

Like others have said, you can't be that picky when they are serving so many meals at one time. I think overall they do a great job.

 

Soon I get to try the Inspiration! :D

[bythehex]

I think attitude plays a bigger role than people realize.

 

Yes, food is subjective, but attitude will definitely influence your perceptions.

 

As for food pictures, how do you think I feel? I have to look at a lot more of them to decide what to post. :p

 

I couldn't agree more with this, and your earlier statement about people being chronic complainers.

 

I always find it funny when people proclaim that they're used to "good food" because unless they eat at the Ritz every night or Bobby Flay is waiting for them in their kitchens at home, I don't buy that they eat any better than anyone else does.

 

Granted, not everyone likes the same dishes - my husband likes ham and veal and I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. And I love seafood and he'd rather eat the bottom of a boot. But still, there's never been a time on a Carnival ship where we haven't been able to find something to eat that we've enjoyed very much.

 

But then again, out attitudes are that we're on a cruise and we're going to enjoy ourselves - and then we DO.

[GaNavy]

I think the food is fine and the passengers are increasingly chronic complainers.

 

Here are the newest menus and some food pictures:

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/index.htm

 

On our Carnival Spirit Alaska cruise, in addition to the regular menus, there was a fish special every night that was listed in the Capers/Fun Times.

 

Agreed.

 

In 1994, Carnival had an appetizer on the second formal night of a 7-day cruise that included a taste of caviar. We paid $699 each for an outside (now a 6A).

 

In 2012, there's no more caviar, and you can get that outside on a 7-day cruise at the same time of the year for $500-600.

 

Res ipsa loquitur.

[kroozers]

Agreed.

 

In 1994, Carnival had an appetizer on the second formal night of a 7-day cruise that included a taste of caviar. We paid $699 each for an outside (now a 6A).

 

In 2012, there's no more caviar, and you can get that outside on a 7-day cruise at the same time of the year for $500-600.

 

Res ipsa loquitur.

 

Another post from someone who gets it. Thank you.

[Pepperw23]

I think the food is fine and the passengers are increasingly chronic complainers.

 

Here are the newest menus and some food pictures:

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/index.htm

 

On our Carnival Spirit Alaska cruise, in addition to the regular menus, there was a fish special every night that was listed in the Capers/Fun Times.

 

Man that made me hungry!!!!

[Sargent_Schultz]

Agreed.

 

In 1994, Carnival had an appetizer on the second formal night of a 7-day cruise that included a taste of caviar. We paid $699 each for an outside (now a 6A).

 

In 2012, there's no more caviar, and you can get that outside on a 7-day cruise at the same time of the year for $500-600.

 

Res ipsa loquitur.

 

The price of oil was well under $20/barrel in 1994. :eek:

[funtimes4us]

i will say this ive only been on one cruise with CCL and i think the MDR food is not to good BUT everything else rocked

[Rosefloater]

I agree with the Sargent. Just go with a positive attitude!!

 

 

Recently returned from Splendor cruise. I did go with a positive attitude. I can positively say that for the most part the food was cold, bland and inedible. The only decent food was at the tandoori grill, the pizza station , salads and most of the desserts. In fact, we lost weight.

 

After 18 Carnival cruises, I think I can judge when the quality of the food has declined. Luckily, I don't cruise for the food.