So why do you like/not like about the food?

[jinxyoz]

Reading numerous reviews and comments about the quality of the food onboard the NCL ships.

 

So what is it you like or don't like about the food?

 

I am going on my first ever cruise in July and have no expectations. I am lucky to live in a country where I believe the quality of food is probably the best in the world. So as someone who travels a lot, I go in with no expectations whatsoever and if I have a great meal...terrific...if not...oh well.

Personally I feel the food in America is pretty bad for tourists. Cheap yes, good quality...no. Yes I'll probably got a serve for making that comment on a board with 95% Americans, but I notice a lot of the comments about the food being bad comes from American customers. So what are you comparing it to? Home cooked meals? Fast food? Vegas buffets?

 

Would love to hear the good and bad of the food choices on board as well as exactly what people are offered at the buffets etc.

[jdavid]

I agree that there are many comments in reviews about NCL food so all cannot be wrong. But what do the comments mean?

 

I am not a food snob and my tastes range from comfort food to lamb, duck and escargot. (things I do not get at home but enjoy on cruises). We have only cruised NCL three times and can only compare them to Princess and there is no comparison when it comes to food. I believe when most posters make comments it is in a comparative way.

My reason for choosing a cruise will be based on itinerary then price and lastly for a ship experience. We have a future cruise credit for NCL and it will likely be the Breakaway. I would bet that will be the best cruise food experience for us on NCL. There is always hope.

 

The food experience is not just about food. It includes atmosphere, service, staff, quality, taste and temp of the product. NCL has not scored tops in all these categories once for any given meal compared to Princess,

That's what it is all about for me.

[50something]

We have been on Princess twice, Ncl once. Princess food was by far the best. That being so we are on NCL Jewel soon, it's the itinerary that makes the cruise for us. The worst food ever was on Costa Pacifica, we will never cruise with them again, the whole experience was dreadful.

[fergusonvt]

We've been on NCL twice and CCL once. I thought the MDR food on all 3 cruises was very good. The portions were small which I like. I thought NCL had a much better buffet than CCL. Choices at dinner on the buffet on CCL were very limited. The steakhouse on CCL though was fantastic and one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. We are not picky eaters and thought all the food we had on NCL was decent quality, tasted good and was served at the right temperature. DH only had 1 appetizer that he didn't like and they tried to bring him something else.

[sparks1093]

I think the MDR food for the cruises we've been on compares well with good banquet food for most dishes and for some dishes exceeds that quality. DW and I went to a concert several years ago and bought a meal plan in the venue's restaurant. It cost us $40 each and we both agreed that the food on the Sky was comparable to what we had. Not 4 or 5 star dining but would probably qualify for 3 stars overall. We like buffets and enjoyed the buffets on both NCL and CCL.

[delily]

On my last cruise (Carnival Fascination) I learned just how subjective food can be! I was seated at a table every evening with a family who complained bitterly about the food. And yet, my husband and I found it to be wonderful. Why the difference? Because the other family were sending back steaks because they were pink inside. They never ate any of the accompanying vegetables because they were "too hard." They didn't like pasta dishes if they could see pieces of tomato in the sauce. All the things that to us make those dishes edible! It's just a matter of what you're used to I guess :)

[Elkpad]

I think the buffet food is decent, after all it's a buffet! For me, MDR food tends to be pretty, but fairly tasteless. There are some good things in there but I think some pairings are a little odd and often there isn't a lot of flavor. In addition a lot if what I get is either over or under cooked and the cuts of meat/ seafood tend to be of lower quality lately. Lastly, food choice and availability between 12am and 6am on some ships/lines is almost non existent. That said, I'm not gonna starve and I have found some things I really like. It's all subjective!

[Seago2]

The food on NCL is good. Some is great. Some is excellent. Presentation is great. None is bad. It's delicious. It's creative.

 

And then you hit the desserts.

 

Bland. Tasteless. They look like they've been extracted from a machine. They're like half-logs and they're all gelled. "Cheesecake" is a gelled item. Cake has a few layers. One will be a dry cake, one will be a rubberized layer, and one will be a fake frosting- all with no flavor. Horrible. Awful.

[lambchoplady]

I said in my recent Epic review that the food was "bland, boring, and repetitive". The food was cooked well and served correctly but:

- the breakfast menu in the MDR is the same every day

- the lunch menu is almost the same every day

- the two soup offerings were the same every day

- at dinner, one side of the menu is the same every day

- grilled chicken breast is a boring offering!

- as is the grilled steak offering

- there was a definite lack of spice and "cuisine".

[latebloomer56]

We've been on NCL twice and CCL once. I thought the MDR food on all 3 cruises was very good. The portions were small which I like. I thought NCL had a much better buffet than CCL. Choices at dinner on the buffet on CCL were very limited. The steakhouse on CCL though was fantastic and one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. We are not picky eaters and thought all the food we had on NCL was decent quality, tasted good and was served at the right temperature. DH only had 1 appetizer that he didn't like and they tried to bring him something else.

We have been on CCL twice and Princess 8 times, RCL only 1 (1986 was expecting and treated like a queen so can't compare) Majesty once which was enough (though liked nightly themed buffets loved looking at all the different items) NCL once so far. Hubby loved CCL above all others and he isn't a foodie. Still says it every trip OK but not CCL :). Hope he enjoys NCL in May. Think he will I've enjoyed reading about it.

[Pennbank]

Food in Spice H2o Yummy

and Corned beef hash for Breakfast Excellent.

Its all great,:D

 

Looking forward to crossing with Breakaway on 30th April.

[repeater]

The cruiselines use SO much salt! I had some onoin soup that was way more salt than onions. It's not healthy, and it's a wimpy way to cook...seasonings take a touch more creativity that a handful of salt.

 

I think the only NCL dessert worth eating at the crepes and cobblers, both in the buffets. We prefer the MDR, then get dessert in the buffet. Watch the crepe-maker; he was going to put a whole pat of butter in my blueberry crepe! shudder!

[weltek]

Why the difference? Because the other family were sending back steaks because they were pink inside. They never ate any of the accompanying vegetables because they were "too hard." They didn't like pasta dishes if they could see pieces of tomato in the sauce. All the things that to us make those dishes edible! It's just a matter of what you're used to I guess :)

 

This is a very illustrative story-thanks for sharing!

 

Another illustration. The chef came by our MDR table before we had ordered on our January cruise, so I asked what he recommended. He said the gumbo-everyone loves the gumbo. We got the gumbo, and the flavor was quite good, but it had Krab in it (fake crab). I'm assuming a few people would've considered this bad food. Since the flavor was good, we just thought it was an unfortunate outcome of managing a kitchen budget.

 

I had great bread pudding in the MDR two years ago (rich, deep flavors, creamy texture), in January it was awful. Bland and rubbery. I didn't understand that. It was one of the first times I really understood how two experiences could be very different according to the ship. The best food we've had was probably on the Dawn in early 2012. The flavors were good, serving sizes were perfect, plating was nice enough, and temperatures were good. Very consistent. I'd rate it an 8/10. Our cruise on the Star in 2013 was very average. I'd rate it a 6/10 for similar food.

 

The buffet is usually very good with great variety. I just wish they had better selections between 2 pm and 5 pm. Salad, cheese, sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs seem to be all that's available during that time unless you go to the Blue Lagoon. Desserts at the buffet are nothing to write home about. Save those calories for dinner.

[mom2tcdx2]

I for one don't ever really complain about the food. I am a picky eater, I eat more comfort foods, not into an overwhelming amount of vegetables (depends on what they are). Personally I don't eat salads and I don't eat foods with mayonnaise in it. I stay away from those items. My family is also pretty simple when it comes to foods, southern cooking, comfort foods. I like things like hamburgers, macaroni and cheese.

 

That being said I can't really recall any food being great on NCL, I just don't remember much at all about what I ate. We did like the Tex Mex restaurants but those are gone now, so I guess others didn't like them?? My daughter loved the cheesesticks (only thing I remember her getting several times).

 

I didn't have any inedible food, but things may not have been to my liking. I don't however consider that to be bad food. Just not memorable.

[emcelh]

Reading numerous reviews and comments about the quality of the food onboard the NCL ships.

 

So what is it you like or don't like about the food?

 

I am going on my first ever cruise in July and have no expectations. I am lucky to live in a country where I believe the quality of food is probably the best in the world. So as someone who travels a lot, I go in with no expectations whatsoever and if I have a great meal...terrific...if not...oh well.

Personally I feel the food in America is pretty bad for tourists. Cheap yes, good quality...no. Yes I'll probably got a serve for making that comment on a board with 95% Americans, but I notice a lot of the comments about the food being bad comes from American customers. So what are you comparing it to? Home cooked meals? Fast food? Vegas buffets?

 

Would love to hear the good and bad of the food choices on board as well as exactly what people are offered at the buffets etc.

 

As long as you keep your expectations realistic, you'll find the food you're served just fine. Keep in mind the fact that they're preparing meals for thousands of people and trying to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Also, the ingredients used to prepare those meals are not being delivered fresh every day like they might be in a land-based restaurant.

 

You say that most of the negative comments about food come from Americans and that's probably because the majority of people posting are Americans. I'm curious though, why do you feel American food is bad for tourists?

[graphicguy]

On my last cruise (Carnival Fascination) I learned just how subjective food can be! I was seated at a table every evening with a family who complained bitterly about the food. And yet, my husband and I found it to be wonderful. Why the difference? Because the other family were sending back steaks because they were pink inside. They never ate any of the accompanying vegetables because they were "too hard." They didn't like pasta dishes if they could see pieces of tomato in the sauce. All the things that to us make those dishes edible! It's just a matter of what you're used to I guess :)

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I know on my CCL cruises, the steaks were overcooked (which I didn't like, but tablemates did). On my Celebrity Cruise (Solstice) they cooked the daylights out of the veggies to the point they were green, yellow and orange mush. I prefer my veggies crisp.

 

No buffet or main dining room, on any ship, is going to serve 5 star food. The pay venues do, but not the free venues.

 

That said, I found the main dining rooms and the buffet on NCL to be as good (or better) as any on any other line and ship.

 

The one thing that struck me during my Epic cruise over either the Allure of the Seas and Celebrity Solstice was how much fresher the food on the Epic was. That was the main thing.

[jinxyoz]

 

You say that most of the negative comments about food come from Americans and that's probably because the majority of people posting are Americans. I'm curious though, why do you feel American food is bad for tourists?

 

Each trip to the states I have found it extremely difficult to eat anything healthy that isn't way over processed. For example...the cheese is processed, the eggs are powdered, the coffee mostly filtered, layers of dressing and sauce on everything and anything...and the list goes on.

It is a big shock for Australians who travel to the US to find decent meals while travelling, though after 4 times I'm used it to now and know some of the places to avoid.

 

Some really good comments, so thanks to those that have replied. Some of the dishes people are mentioning I have no idea what they are or what they taste like however.

[Kierste]

Each trip to the states I have found it extremely difficult to eat anything healthy that isn't way over processed. For example...the cheese is processed, the eggs are powdered, the coffee mostly filtered, layers of dressing and sauce on everything and anything...and the list goes on.

It is a big shock for Australians who travel to the US to find decent meals while travelling, though after 4 times I'm used it to now and know some of the places to avoid.

 

Some really good comments, so thanks to those that have replied. Some of the dishes people are mentioning I have no idea what they are or what they taste like however.

 

Wow! I guess you need to come to the west coast! We don't eat processed cheese, never seen a powdered egg, and have the best coffee (and microbrews!). I live in Oregon, and while I don't consider our state a foodie state, I do feel we have some of the freshest, locally sustainable, foods in the nation (I'll lump Washington in with us too!). We also have snow capped mountains you can ski on year round, deserts, and the ocean! Come visit here your next trip to the states ;)

[dexddd]

Waiting to see if anyone is going to ask if you have tried Outback Steakhouse.

[Seago2]

Each trip to the states I have found it extremely difficult to eat anything healthy that isn't way over processed. For example...the cheese is processed, the eggs are powdered, the coffee mostly filtered, layers of dressing and sauce on everything and anything...and the list goes on.

It is a big shock for Australians who travel to the US to find decent meals while travelling, though after 4 times I'm used it to now and know some of the places to avoid.

 

Some really good comments, so thanks to those that have replied. Some of the dishes people are mentioning I have no idea what they are or what they taste like however.

 

Where, oh where, have you been traveling TO? Did you get your hotel from trip advisor and eat in some dodgy breakfast buffet with hard melon and fake bagels? Did you go to some buffet that I would never go to- and I live here? Because.... While yes, we lead the world in obesity and junk food sales... You have to go to chain restaurants to eat the kind of garbage you've listed. And not good chain restaurants. But I'll hand it to you - our problem with fake food is out of hand. Take Kierste's advice and go to Oregon. It's gorgeous.

[fergusonvt]

Wow! I guess you need to come to the west coast! We don't eat processed cheese, never seen a powdered egg, and have the best coffee (and microbrews!). I live in Oregon, and while I don't consider our state a foodie state, I do feel we have some of the freshest, locally sustainable, foods in the nation (I'll lump Washington in with us too!). We also have snow capped mountains you can ski on year round, deserts, and the ocean! Come visit here your next trip to the states ;)

 

 

Same here in VT. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Cabot cheese. Doesn't get any better than that. We don't have deserts or the ocean though, bummer but you can ski, just not year round.

[mypleasure]

I enjoy the food on NCL. Not all items are to my taste but I have never gone hungry. If folks want food cooked and made by a Michelin starrred chef then you will not find it on a cruise ship.

 

On our last cruise we paid £539 per person for 9 nights in a balcony cabin. We knew at the outset that we were not paying for gourmet foods. What we did get was good value for the money. A meal like the ones we had would cost at least £30 per person in a UK pub in the evening and the service would be no where near as good, or the environment for that matter. NCL also gives me a wide choice for breakfast plus lunch.

 

If we stay at a hotel room only we allow £50 per day per person for all the meals we will need to buy.

 

It's all about expectations and some people need to rein them in a little (or a lot in some cases) and start realising that you will get what you are prepared to pay for and that to meet their expectations they will have to pay 3 times more than NCL asks.

[emcelh]

Each trip to the states I have found it extremely difficult to eat anything healthy that isn't way over processed. For example...the cheese is processed, the eggs are powdered, the coffee mostly filtered, layers of dressing and sauce on everything and anything...and the list goes on.

It is a big shock for Australians who travel to the US to find decent meals while travelling, though after 4 times I'm used it to now and know some of the places to avoid.

 

Some really good comments, so thanks to those that have replied. Some of the dishes people are mentioning I have no idea what they are or what they taste like however.

 

Sorry you've had a problem eating healthy when traveling. You didn't say where in the US you've traveled, but I know there are parts of the country where many restaurants serve the type food you describe. I moved from Northern California to North Carolina several years ago and found a big change, no powdered eggs but lots of fried food and sauces high in fat content in many restautants here.

 

As for not knowing what some of the dishes are, you should look at your NCL cruise as an opportunity to try some new things.

[sparks1093]

Same here in VT. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Cabot cheese. Doesn't get any better than that. We don't have deserts or the ocean though, bummer but you can ski, just not year round.

 

Don't forget the fresh Maple Syrup:).

 

I don't believe that I've ever received a powdered egg in a restaurant (over course my eggs of choice are over easy:cool:.)

[awaywego0000]

Cruise ships and most restaurants will usually accommodate special requests such as dressing on the side, no sauce, no cheese, grilled instead of fried etc...

They had made to order omelets and used real eggs on one cruise we went on.

 

I agree with other posters that the desserts are rather bland.