Disappointed with food.

[paulista1950]

"They must have been hiding the "special vegan" menu from us!!!" Of course they "hide (?!)". Can you imagine a cruise ship offering

Vegetarian

Pescetarian fish

Low /no fat

Low salt /no salt

Lactose intolerant /dairy free

Gluten /wheat free /coeliac

Low cholesterol

Diabetic

Kosher

Vegan

 

menus three times a day for everybody onboard? Like in airlines you need to order in advance

[orvil]

Last year we had a surprisingly difficult time for my DH on QV. We were QG. He had developed a double whammy, no wheat and no dairy. Now, these are sensitivities and not life threatening. But, he pays the price for eating them. It takes about a week for him to begin to feel better after consuming one of these items.

 

We explained to the wait staff and maître d' the issues. They seemed a little puzzled by it. They wanted him to make selections at lunch for modification. He found it really tiresome. It became much easier to select around the issue or push that item to the side. He thought that he would be able to say, leave this or that off the plate, or ask to include something on another meal. Now, I'm talking about side items or sauces. That shouldn't be all that difficult. Apparently, it was. This was in QG, where you expect some flexibility.

 

When I took the ship's tour, the bakery was making gluten free rolls. We wondered why they hadn't been offered to us.

 

What we ended up doing was spending a lot of time in the King's Court because we could take only what we needed. The guys working the food stations were more accommodating and we were grateful.

 

Now, part of the problem may have been we didn't provide a notification when making our reservation. This next trip, we have already notified Cunard. We'll see how it works out. We'll be on the QM2. They were much more accommodating when we travelled on her.

[M&PGermany]

In my opinion, the way you look at food (amount, quality, etc.) on a cruise ship is very much influenced by the food culture in your home country as well as the fact if you cook yourself or not.

 

I consider myself a "foodie" (yes, I even take photos of dishes in restaurants) and I also cook myself.

 

The food on Cunard is very good to excellent in the Grills (with huge amount of food every day) and satisfactory to good in Britannia. They offer great menus but they are not overly creative in their cuisine. The items on the menus also have a tendency to be rather heavy dishes (terrines, duck, cakes, custard, etc.) It is simply not a very mediterranean cuisine - more like a solid British-French mix. The buffet restaurant (Lido), however, is the worst restaurant I have ever seen on any cruise ship: sad pizzas, grey and brown bowls of something, terrible salad bar and desserts we had one day before in QG. Also, afternoon tea (which was always very good, best AT however was on Oceania...) is in addition to other meals. Not instead of a proper evening menu...

 

I just had to decide between 14days on QM2 and 18days on Seabourn Sojourn in Asia for my next cruise. The vote was in favour of Seabourn and I can say food also played a role in my decision making. It is also a HUGE disadvantage that QM2 doesn't have any outside fine dining. For me, especially in warmer climates, that is a part of the cruise experience.

[balf]

I was trying to remember the food we enjoyed aboard QE2 when I chanced on this. http://www.beyondships.com/files/1994_Columbia.PDF

 

I don't recall having many complaints back then and I'm sure the problem now is that there is just not the fare revenue available to cater as in past times. The cruise market has gone "mass" market with real time fares slashed to rock bottom. Sadly it's not likely to get better any time soon.

 

DAVID.

[balf]

Oh, and real caviar too.

 

David

[BigMac1953]

Oh, and real caviar too.

 

David

 

"Vegatarian" ???

 

Tsk, tsk.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I was trying to remember the food we enjoyed aboard QE2 when I chanced on this. http://www.beyondships.com/files/1994_Columbia.PDF

 

I don't recall having many complaints back then and I'm sure the problem now is that there is just not the fare revenue available to cater as in past times. The cruise market has gone "mass" market with real time fares slashed to rock bottom. Sadly it's not likely to get better any time soon.

 

DAVID.

 

You're absolutely right about the fare revenue. Portion sizes, number of options, etc have diminished over the years. Thanks for posing that menu. Ah, the memories! I miss the sorbet course.

 

We're just back from the Christmas Cruise on QM2, and I was very happy with the Princess Grill options. Our table was probably the "nuisance" table the staff muttered about when we were gone--it seemed somebody always had a special request, from a second portion (multiple desserts were almost the norm!), to the order-in-advance special items, to "what else can you flambe for us?" All requests were honored graciously.

 

I've always been pleased with Britannia food, but now PG has probably spoiled us forever. Kings Court, on the other hand, remains a form of torture, even with the pretty refit.

[fantasy51]

Last year we had a surprisingly difficult time for my DH on QV. We were QG. He had developed a double whammy, no wheat and no dairy. Now, these are sensitivities and not life threatening. But, he pays the price for eating them. It takes about a week for him to begin to feel better after consuming one of these items.

 

We explained to the wait staff and maître d' the issues. They seemed a little puzzled by it. They wanted him to make selections at lunch for modification. He found it really tiresome. It became much easier to select around the issue or push that item to the side. He thought that he would be able to say, leave this or that off the plate, or ask to include something on another meal. Now, I'm talking about side items or sauces. That shouldn't be all that difficult. Apparently, it was. This was in QG, where you expect some flexibility.

 

When I took the ship's tour, the bakery was making gluten free rolls. We wondered why they hadn't been offered to us.

 

My brother-in-law also pays a steep price if he eats wheat and dairy. They travel on HAL and various river cruises and I think he has only had a problem once. (The chef argued with the Maitre D' about whether or not he could eat a dish and the Maitre D' won the argument - but Owen lost a couple of days because of it!)

 

I wonder if your wait staff did not understand that wheat sensitivity means gluten free? They may have been trained in one set of words (i.e. gluten free) but not fully understood that wheat sensitivity comes into the same family. That's the only reason I can think of for them not offering you gluten-free rolls.

 

At least you will know to ask for them on your next cruise.

[Eric2005]

On a QM2 trans-Atlantic crossing last November the food was satisfactory, sometimes good. The lamb we were served the last night was excellent. On the whole the food is not brilliant but it's acceptable. I prefer small portions. I didn't gain an ounce on the crossing. I ate as I usually do - no more, no less.

[Dajo5601]

My wife and I might well be in a minority but almost without exception the food that we have been served on all Cunard cruises has been excellent and of a high standard. We have returned from cruises and discussed whether we could think of a single course throughout the whole of our time on board when our expectations were not met (and we also eat well at home).

 

My view is, if you don't like a course - ask for it to be changed, if a portion is too small - ask for a larger one, if you enjoyed a course and would like more - ask for another one.

 

We tend to sit on tables for 8+ people and I am staggered by the negative and critical comments from some of the diners who I'm convinced are just "attention seekers". Food is obviously subjective to the diner, but come on some of the criticism on these postings are difficult to understand.

 

David

[M&PGermany]

My wife and I might well be in a minority but almost without exception the food that we have been served on all Cunard cruises has been excellent and of a high standard. We have returned from cruises and discussed whether we could think of a single course throughout the whole of our time on board when our expectations were not met (and we also eat well at home).

 

My view is, if you don't like a course - ask for it to be changed, if a portion is too small - ask for a larger one, if you enjoyed a course and would like more - ask for another one.

 

We tend to sit on tables for 8+ people and I am staggered by the negative and critical comments from some of the diners who I'm convinced are just "attention seekers". Food is obviously subjective to the diner, but come on some of the criticism on these postings are difficult to understand.

 

David

 

 

I am not so sure about the "attention seekers"... This is a discussion forum. People come here to share their views. In my opinion, it's always good to be able to compare the cruise lines. Things they do well and things that need improvement. David, why don't you try another cruise line just to find out what we (the complainers) are talking about... Maybe, Oceania (wonderful food all over the ship, all restaurants, all outlets), Azamara (excellent buffet, disappointing, mediocre main restaurant, very good speciality restaurants), etc etc...

[Host Hattie]

Both usually more expensive than Cunard Britannia though so hardly fair comparisons for most travellers.

[M&PGermany]

Both usually more expensive than Cunard Britannia though so hardly fair comparisons for most travellers.

 

 

Med/July: 9 Nights on Queen Victoria standard balcony from 3150 EUR including nothing extra.

Med/July: 8 Nights on Riviera standard balcony from 3329 EUR INCLUDING non-alc beverages PLUS beverage package for lunch & dinner plus free wifi.

 

Not much of a difference, is there? ;)

[Host Hattie]

I have not seen comparable prices offered for UK travellers, that QV price looks expensive but then I don't usually travel in July.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Host Hattie

[M&PGermany]

I have not seen comparable prices offered for UK travellers, that QV price looks expensive but then I don't usually travel in July.

 

These might be the German market prices, but this forum is not exclusively for UK travellers, is it? So it's fair to compare ;)

[Tothesunset]

These might be the German market prices, but this forum is not exclusively for UK travellers, is it? So it's fair to compare ;)

Quite right. The other thing to bear in mind when comparing prices is to set aside an amount for on board spending. For example, we reckon that if we had to pay Cunard prices for the things that are inclusive on a Silversea cruise that would add somewhere in the region of 100 Euros each to the daily cost. A very significant sum to add to, say, a 14 day cruise.

 

We are always careful of the headline price for any cruise because it's the on board charges that can add a big sum to the final price. And while we enjoyed our PG TA in Dec we thought it was preposterously expensive when all costs were taken into account.

[M&PGermany]

True!

 

You really have to add up all the extra costs and then decide on the cruise line. That is why I decided against Cunard for my next tour in Asia. And I think that Cunard should finally include non-alc bevs (esp. bottled water!) in the cruise fare.

 

But don't get me wrong. I really like Cunard and I would go on any Cunard cruise without hesitation but it would only be in the Grills... especially because of the food. Also, it seems they are working on the quality of the buffet restaurant as well (started with QM2...). So they are listening to customer feedback. Which speaks for the company.

[Host Hattie]

These might be the German market prices, but this forum is not exclusively for UK travellers, is it? So it's fair to compare ;)

But UK market prices are Cunard £1600 and Oceania £2503 for the same cruises so you can understand why UK travellers don't often consider the two as similarly priced can't you?

Edited January 10, 2017 by Host Hattie

[M&PGermany]

But UK market prices are Cunard £1600 and Oceania £2503 for the same cruises so you can understand why UK travellers don't often consider the two as similarly priced can't you?

 

Absolutely. And therefore I just tried to point out the importance of looking at the FULL prize package. ;)

[Host Hattie]

Even I would struggle to spend £900 in extras on that length cruise !

[M&PGermany]

Even I would struggle to spend £900 in extras on that length cruise !

 

Really? I wouldn't. :D

 

Few glasses of wine for lunch and dinner, sparkling water for lunch and dinner, in-room minibar, specialty restaurants, specialty coffees, use of spa facilities, bottled beverages in the gym, wifi, etc etc ... you get the idea of what I'm talking about.

[Host Hattie]

But these are very port intensive cruises, so there is little to no spend during the day. On our last cruise we had to buy things in the shops to use up our OBC.

I get enough free wifi on Cunard not to have to pay for any.

I think there would be a fairly small number of UK passengers for whom this would make financial sense.

[M&PGermany]

But these are very port intensive cruises, so there is little to no spend during the day. On our last cruise we had to buy things in the shops to use up our OBC.

I get enough free wifi on Cunard not to have to pay for any.

I think there would be a fairly small number of UK passengers for whom this would make financial sense.

 

But you were in Queens Grill, right? That comes with a lot of extras (dining as good as any speciality restaurant, lounge coffees, wet minibar...) already. How does a Queens Grill fare compare to Oceania (or Azamara, or Windstar, or Seabourn, or Silversea, or Crystal...) when you take ALL the things into account that are included on these other lines? ;)

[Host Hattie]

We don't usually travel Queens Grill but in this case it was only slightly more expensive than the July Balcony price for QV and was for 10 nights and included the OBC.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Host Hattie

[M&PGermany]

We don't usually travel Queens Grill but in this case it was only slightly more expensive than the July Balcony price for QV and was for 10 nights and included the OBC.

 

That might have been because November can't really be considered high-season for the Med, don't you think...? ;)

 

Fares in July for Queens Grill are a bit different.....