Surprisingly disappointed with the food on the Pearl

[mariefisher]

newmexicoNito, totally agree.

Edited October 14, 2015 by mariefisher

[Love my butler]

If your budget doesn't allow a few extra dollars to try just one specialty restaurant maybe you are cutting it too close and going on a cruise wasn't the best choice for you financially.

[Moby0215]

If your budget doesn't allow a few extra dollars to try just one specialty restaurant maybe you are cutting it too close and going on a cruise wasn't the best choice for you financially.

 

 

I don't disagree with this as I have tried all of them and will eat them again when I don't care for the MDR menu. And not sure if this was directed towards me or not. Just wanted to voice my opinion on the specialties. I don't mind them. I don't find them that great of deal for the money. If I am going to pay money for the meal then it better be damn good. I would rather go to a land based restaurant and pay more.

 

 

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[pspercy]

No real chef will ever serve a prime piece of steak with a sauce. They all know that the sauce simply takes away from the flavor and hides the lack of quality of the beef. It has noting to do with tastes, it has to do with quality. That is one reason you never see steak sauces in a quality restaurant.

 

Disagree, this is but one example from a first rate place:

http://www.chamberlainssteakhouse.com/menu.html

[LrgPizza]

Disagree, this is but one example from a first rate place:

http://www.chamberlainssteakhouse.com/menu.html

 

 

I know that Gordon Ramsey's Steakhouse in Vegas offers 6 sauce choices for their steaks.

[newmexicoNita]

Not a fan of any buffet, land or sea, not a fan of NCL's MDR's.

 

If not for the speciality's (we enjoyed them quite a bit) and the UDP, probably wouldn't sail or consider NCL again.

 

We have the Wave promo UDP for our 7 day cruise, will not be eating at any MDR's and buffet maybe only for a snack or quick bite.

 

So if you were not getting the package, which lines would you choose that has better food? Other than HAL and Celebrity, quite a few years ago, I can't think of any ships with better or worse food than NCL> To me, other than Princess all the food is similar. Princess used to have outstanding food; that is the line, in my opinion that has really gone down hill, food wise.

 

We are not huge buffet eaters either, especially hubby, but we do think NCLs buffets with the exception of the Star are as good as they come and the convenience makes them attractive for some breakfast and lunches. Never would any buffet be considered as 4 star dining. they are what they are: a place to get a variety of foods, that are at least decent for a reasonable price. I do prefer breakfast in the buffet rather than the MDR.

 

Of course we don't cruise just for the food, we cruise for the variety of entertainment, the chance to see other places and the fun of meeting so many other people.

[gergles]

If your budget doesn't allow a few extra dollars to try just one specialty restaurant maybe you are cutting it too close and going on a cruise wasn't the best choice for you financially.

 

Wow.

 

If your budget doesn't allow a few extra dollars to throw into a furnace on the way into the ship, maybe you should just stay at home and watch the Poor Person TV Network. Give me a break! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

I found the food on NCL to be extremely low-quality in the MDRs, O'Sheehans, buffet, and room service. I am paying for included food and I will not pay extra for edible meals, on principle only. "You can fix us serving you swill by paying another $40 per night" is not an acceptable attitude. I don't care how cheap the base product is, there are minimum quality standards that must be met, and NCL's food doesn't meet them, IMO.

 

Celebrity's food quality was astronomically higher, even with all the cutbacks that have apparently happened there.

[scopewest]

You can't judge your food by another person's taste buds. We usually cruise HAL, and DH said he was through sailing with them, he didn't enjoy the food anymore. I convinced him to try one more ship (because of the itinerary), and he loved the food. He didn't have anything negative to say about it. In fact he thought it was the best ever. So you never know!

[PATRLR]

Every time I read poster's comments that they feel they didn't need to pay extra for food because the food in the main dining room was just fine.....I chuckle and chuckle and chuckle some more.

 

Every time I read that you need to pay extra $ to enjoy quality dining I get infuriated because high quality dining used to be standard on all cruise lines. We shouldn't have to pay extra to get good food. Unfortunately, I am in the minority on this and the lines know it.

 

If your budget doesn't allow a few extra dollars to try just one specialty restaurant maybe you are cutting it too close and going on a cruise wasn't the best choice for you financially.

 

Wow. This is pretty darn close to saying "you poor people stay down in steerage and don't mingle with the elite class".

[LMaxwell]

Every time I read that you need to pay extra $ to enjoy quality dining I get infuriated because high quality dining used to be standard on all cruise lines. We shouldn't have to pay extra to get good food. Unfortunately, I am in the minority on this and the lines know it.

 

 

 

I agree and have long said the cruise line should charge what they need to in the fare in order to provide good quality dining for everyone. You may be in the minority but you are not alone. As I said earlier in the thread, I was pleased with NCL's main dining room. I enjoyed the food. Not sure why other people laugh at that. That's a really, really strange reaction from other people.

[Love my butler]

Wow.

 

If your budget doesn't allow a few extra dollars to throw into a furnace on the way into the ship, maybe you should just stay at home and watch the Poor Person TV Network. Give me a break! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

I found the food on NCL to be extremely low-quality in the MDRs, O'Sheehans, buffet, and room service. I am paying for included food and I will not pay extra for edible meals, on principle only. "You can fix us serving you swill by paying another $40 per night" is not an acceptable attitude. I don't care how cheap the base product is, there are minimum quality standards that must be met, and NCL's food doesn't meet them, IMO.

 

Celebrity's food quality was astronomically higher, even with all the cutbacks that have apparently happened there.

 

Has nothing to do with being rich or poor. I am simply saying EVERYONE should try a specialty at least once to see if it appeals to them. People making false excuses that one upcharge meal will break them is simply that, false.

[Love my butler]

Over the last 20 years or so I have seen the food quality, food taste, food variety, service and atmosphere slowly degrade in NCL's MDR. I have made many posts regarding my dissatisfaction about it. However, I have come to the conclusion, you can't beat'em, so you gotta join'em. I am not happy paying the extra money to eat in specialties almost every night, but I am even more unhappy dealing with the chaotic mess that NCL currently calls an MDR.

 

Many of you never experienced how nice the MDR used to be and are completely happy with it in it's current form. Lucky you. Enjoy.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Love my butler

[spidybabe]

We are very happy to eat in the MDR also. In fact my favorite dish is served there - Clams over linguine with a delicious sauce. We do eat in specialty restaurants with our casino comp, and platinum dinner certificates. But we are perfectly happy with the MDR the other nights. We dislike most of the buffets for dinner, but enjoy them for breakfast - especially if the ship has a great outdoors.

Safe sailing

[legion3]

So if you were not getting the package, which lines would you choose that has better food? Other than HAL and Celebrity, quite a few years ago, I can't think of any ships with better or worse food than NCL> To me, other than Princess all the food is similar. Princess used to have outstanding food; that is the line, in my opinion that has really gone down hill, food wise.

 

We are not huge buffet eaters either, especially hubby, but we do think NCLs buffets with the exception of the Star are as good as they come and the convenience makes them attractive for some breakfast and lunches. Never would any buffet be considered as 4 star dining. they are what they are: a place to get a variety of foods, that are at least decent for a reasonable price. I do prefer breakfast in the buffet rather than the MDR.

 

Of course we don't cruise just for the food, we cruise for the variety of entertainment, the chance to see other places and the fun of meeting so many other people.

 

As much as people will poo poo this, Carnival's MDR is superior IMHO - both buffets suck. (I also prefer Carnival's steakhouse to Cagny's by just a little bit) Overall Carnivals MDR desserts are way superior to NCL's.

The specialty NCL desserts are good.

 

Cunard's MDR was better too.

 

MSC was better some nights, some nights not so much so.

 

NCL its Specialties or nothing. Other lines don't have as many so its more MDR's there.

[missintuitive]

Navy, I guess we look at it differently. I am glad that families can take their kids on a cruise because it is so affordable. If they raised the prices to make the dining room food really elegant we would go back to the old days where only the rich could afford to take a cruise vacation. The way it is now you can book a room for around $200.00 or a suite for $1000's per person. If you book the basic room you get okay food if you can afford a suite you can afford the specialty restaurants. So it is the only way I can figure out that the cruise line can do it and young families, for example can afford to cruise and have a great time. So when you have ships that hold 4,000 people you have to make concessions to make it affordable for the vast majority and something has to give. I have never felt I was the victim of bait and switch but the victim of wanting a really great dinner and willing to pay $20.00 to have it. But to someone else it may be a waste of money and they are happy with the MDR.

 

 

Unless you book months in advance, a family of four on a newer ship is much more than $200 per person (maybe on sky in an inside). I looked for insides rooms on the getaway for a friend and it was $3000 for a family of 4.

 

 

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[missintuitive]

Has nothing to do with being rich or poor. I am simply saying EVERYONE should try a specialty at least once to see if it appeals to them. People making false excuses that one upcharge meal will break them is simply that, false.

 

 

It won't break 2 ppl but if you're a family of 4-6, then it gets expensive over the course of. 7 day cruise.

 

 

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[Love my butler]

It won't break 2 ppl but if you're a family of 4-6, then it gets expensive over the course of. 7 day cruise.

 

Confused what the length of a cruise has to do with it? I suggested you try it once to see if you like it. Regarding 3-6 kids joining you. Most kids are perfectly happy eating in the buffet everyday all day.

[LMaxwell]

I suggested you try it once to see if you like it.

 

That's not what you originally said and it's kind of a stretch, at best, to pretend it is.

 

But okay, I'll bite (no pun intended); if I enjoy the meals I'm having in the MDR why is that anyones problem or concern? Furthermore, how is that an indicator of my financial situation? Spending money just to spend it on something you aren't really interested in is just frivolous, IMO.

 

I had anticipated going to one specialty dinner on the Sky, but after seeing Il Adagio I did not think it was anywhere near as nice as the dining room and I was satisfied enough with the dining room food to stop considering Le Bistro and Cagneys of which I had heard "Well, it's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not like the greatest. It's decent. Good." Nah, I'll keep my $70 in that case.

[jerseylily]

Did I see on these boards that they were trying new MDR menus? Have they been rolled out to the Pearl yet?

[missintuitive]

Confused what the length of a cruise has to do with it? I suggested you try it once to see if you like it. Regarding 3-6 kids joining you. Most kids are perfectly happy eating in the buffet everyday all day.

 

 

Simple math...7 days is at 119 per person for the package which is expensive for 4-6 ppl. Even one day is $180 for 6 plus $32 for gratuities which is over $210 for just one meal. Plus a family of 4-6 is not necessarily all"kids" some can be teens or grandparents.

 

 

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[Love my butler]

Simple math...7 days is at 119 per person for the package which is expensive for 4-6 ppl. Even one day is $180 for 6 plus $32 for gratuities which is over $210 for just one meal. Plus a family of 4-6 is not necessarily all"kids" some can be teens or grandparents.

 

Let me help you out. Trying it ONE time is NOT buying the 7 day package. It's going to the restaurant of your choice and paying the ONE TIME upcharge fee. As I previously stated if you can't afford to feed your own kids ONE TIME in a specialty restaurant, they will probably be very happy in the MDR or buffet. In my world 'teens' are kids and don't get to come along if I can't afford it. Hopefully granny and papa have a couple bucks stashed away and can also pay if they choose. They are adults right?

 

With that many people on a cruise together I would guess you shelled out thousands and thousands of dollars for the trip. You are trying to convince us you don't have maybe 100 bucks extra for discretionary spending? If that is true, I personally don't think you should have booked the cruise. You are cutting your expenses too close. However, it's your money and your choice so do as you wish, just don't try to convince me that a few piddly dollars are what is keeping you from trying a specialty restaurant just once.

 

I feel like I am working PR for NCL trying to convince people to spend their nickels and dimes while on board. Promise I aint.

[newmexicoNita]

Every time I read that you need to pay extra $ to enjoy quality dining I get infuriated because high quality dining used to be standard on all cruise lines. We shouldn't have to pay extra to get good food. Unfortunately, I am in the minority on this and the lines know it.

 

 

 

Wow. This is pretty darn close to saying "you poor people stay down in steerage and don't mingle with the elite class".

 

you are right about the days gone by and food, but taking inflation into consideration think of how much cheaper cruising is today.

 

As for the statement about if you can't afford a few extra $$s you are right. People cruise on different budgets and none of us should be so judgemental.

[Love my butler]

That's not what you originally said and it's kind of a stretch, at best, to pretend it is.

 

But okay, I'll bite (no pun intended); if I enjoy the meals I'm having in the MDR why is that anyones problem or concern? Furthermore, how is that an indicator of my financial situation? Spending money just to spend it on something you aren't really interested in is just frivolous, IMO.

 

I had anticipated going to one specialty dinner on the Sky, but after seeing Il Adagio I did not think it was anywhere near as nice as the dining room and I was satisfied enough with the dining room food to stop considering Le Bistro and Cagneys of which I had heard "Well, it's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not like the greatest. It's decent. Good." Nah, I'll keep my $70 in that case.

 

It's EXACTLY what I originally suggested. It's anyone's concern because this is a public blog where people post their opinions and experiences. I don't care at all if you go or don't go. I merely suggested people try it at least once so they can have an informed opinion on why they like it or dislike it. You know, actual first hand experience.

 

If you don't want to spend a few buck on dinner, don't. Like I posted earlier, most people cruising today don't know what it was like 10-15 years ago and are perfectly happy dealing with the MDR. More power to you!

[newmexicoNita]

As much as people will poo poo this, Carnival's MDR is superior IMHO - both buffets suck. (I also prefer Carnival's steakhouse to Cagny's by just a little bit) Overall Carnivals MDR desserts are way superior to NCL's.

The specialty NCL desserts are good.

 

Cunard's MDR was better too.

 

MSC was better some nights, some nights not so much so.

 

NCL its Specialties or nothing. Other lines don't have as many so its more MDR's there.

 

What you are missing here is the word often used: subjective. I happen to agree with you on the dessert issue, I am not a dessert eater but when I do break down and have one on NCL I usually wonder, aftrwards, why did I bother?

[legion3]

What you are missing here is the word often used: subjective. I happen to agree with you on the dessert issue, I am not a dessert eater but when I do break down and have one on NCL I usually wonder, aftrwards, why did I bother?

 

No, I didn't, I did put IMHO... so this is my view.

 

NCL MDR's are not as good to me or DW as the other lines we have sailed. With NCL it's specialties or no deal.

 

NCL MDR = Often uninspired dishes with often uninspired taste.

 

When we were deciding on our next family cruise, the wave promotion came in the mail, all DW wanted to know about was the UDP and what it entailed. That and the idea of sailing on the new Escape, which at the time was only $200 more than the Getaway for an M6 is why we booked.

 

(we wouldn't book the same trip today as the prices have soared - currently the cheapest inside cabin is going for what we got an M6 minisuite for)

 

All the changes NCL did since we booked made us consider cancelling - and we still might - but for now we are looking forward to using the UDP for this cruise.

 

Anyway for us its simple NCL= Specialties eating only, thats what we have so hopefully it will all be good.

 

Buffett for breakfast is OK in a pinch...