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Another awesome cruise on Liberty, except . . .

pgaedke

By pgaedke,
in Royal Caribbean International

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pgaedke

pgaedke

Posted
Posted

Hey gang! I haven't posted that much in recent years, but I wanted to share my experience on the Liberty of the Seas New Year's cruise.

 

A little background. I'm male, 50, married two kids one almost 18 one 19. We received our 140 night crystal thingy this week. We have cruised all over the world.

 

As you may have read already, the ship was late getting into Galveston due to fog. Once she got in, we managed to board pretty quickly. I hear some weren't so lucky!

 

After we got on board, the fog rolled back in and we were stuck in Galveston for the night. Hey, at least we were on a cruise ship. We ate and drank, and had fun that night despite being stuck in Galveston. I probably ended up saving money as the casino was closed.

 

The next day we finally got moving and managed to make it through the fog. I want to say that the entire crew did a PHENOMINAL job. They kept us busy, made sure everyone had lots to eat and drink and made the whole thing really great. This is our 5th NYE cruise and we had a blast again. Due to some necessary port changes we were not able to go to Belize but we did get to go to Costa Maya. A new port!?! Cool.

 

Let me say that there is not just a a heck of a lot to do in Costa Maya but sit your butt down on the beach, eat, drink, and be merry. It is because of the lack of stuff to do that it was one of our favorite stops! I'd love to go back. The extreme lack of things to do make it perfect.

 

Overall great trip. However, there's always a but . . .

 

The “but” on this trip was Giovani's.

 

Before I go on, I am not a “MY VACATION WAS RUINED” kind of guy, heck, you're on a boat in the Caribbean! If your vacation is ruined by one little thing, that's on you. By no means was this a deal breaker. We had a great cruise. The only reason for mentioning this is that RC charges extra for Giovani's so there is some expectation of something above average. Further, I am aware that food is subjective so this is one man's opinion. As they say, opinions are like . . . well you get the point.

 

The menu has undergone a pretty dramatic change. Most of the incredible appetizers have been taken off the menu and replaced with other not so incredible dishes. We were somewhat disappointed by this. Except for my sinewy steak, yeah they did away with the fillet and, it seems, replaced it with the cheap steak you get in the main dining room, the food was fine, not what we were expecting, but fine. My biggest complaint was the service. The entire meal was rushed. They were literally taking dishes off of the table while we were still eating them. What should have been a relaxed, somewhat elegant evening of dining, felt like I was at Chili's on a Friday night. It seemed the staff was trying to turn tables as fast as possible. The entire meal lasted less than an hour due to the hurried service. I was disappointed. I may give Giovanni's another try, but I doubt it. Too bad. It's been a family favorite for years.

 

All that being said, Good cruise. Good times.

 

Have fun Kids!

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ckmommy

ckmommy

Posted
Posted

We were on the same cruise as you! What a fun time!! Our biggest complaint was in Giovanni's as well. For different reasons, but funny at the same time.

 

Our favorite port was costa maya too. A cheap beach retreat. Awesome massage and good drinks. I was the extremely sunburned redhead that day! Sad to be home. Adventure awaits again soon!

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roxy2003

roxy2003

Posted
Posted

I just posted a comment regarding Allure. The difference in the RCI experience from our first sailing on Allure in 2010 to our sailing in 2016 was night and day.

 

We had the same rushed experience when we dined at Chops during our recent cruise and the fillet was mediocre at best - I am from Texas and know a good fillet & dining experience when we dine at Pappa's Steakhouse.

 

I am sailing on the Radiance out of Sydney in two weeks and have made reservations at Chops again in hopes our last experience was an anomaly.

 

I am really hoping it's truly not the new RCI.

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fdthird

fdthird

Posted
Posted

Wow...we had a totally different experince back in October. It was the highlife of our cruise food, and the pasta class we took there on our last day was over the top. Sorry your experience wasn't the same.

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Biker19

Biker19

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The entire meal lasted less than an hour due to the hurried service.

 

And then there are people who prefer that and complain when the waiters took too long to clear off the table. Just like the food, service can be a very subjective matter.

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George C

George C

Posted
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Thanks for info, I normally love Giovanni's and it was fine on Liberty last April ( will be on in a few months) we had dinner at Giovannis 6 times on a 12 night cruise on Brilliance in September. WE have 2 RCCL cruises this year and if they continue to cut food quality and entertainment, we may have to go back and try other lines or back to Sandals.

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Junkhouse

Junkhouse

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Posted
And then there are people who prefer that and complain when the waiters took too long to clear off the table. Just like the food, service can be a very subjective matter.

 

The best thing is to tell the waiters what you are expecting. If there is something you need to get to tell them you are in a hurry. If you want to sit back and chill, let them know. If they don't accommodate then complain. You can't expect them to be mind readers too.

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cello56

cello56

Posted
Posted

We did both Chops, Sabor and Giovanni's on Oasis last month. Chops and Sabor were both excellent. My steak at Chops was outstanding. Giovanni's was not good at all. The steak was tough and flavorless. Since I am unable to eat cheese, the steak was my only option. I seriously doubt we will eat at Giovanni's again. Too bad, as we really used to like that restaurant the best. :(

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ssb

ssb

Posted
Posted (edited)

When we brought repo Liberty in from New York, we experienced same in Giovanni's . We ate 4 times in Specialty restaurants. We would not return to Giovanni's eventhough we had planned to. We had 8 diners.

We paid before cruise for package . Made reservations on first day. Reservations completely screwed up , table placement default by busy loud kitchen , lack of attentive service , food rushed and had to ask for food ordered not brought to table, waiter was not pouring bottles of wine , and total Confusion on bills.

Totally lacked for up charge and supposely finer dining.

Edited by ssb
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BillOh Holiday Sharing Rare

BillOh

Posted
Posted

After we got on board, the fog rolled back in and we were stuck in Galveston for the night. Hey, at least we were on a cruise ship. !

 

I have yet to buy the alcohol package on a cruise, but if we decide to cruise Dec-March from Galveston, or maybe even Tampa, I will definitely consider it.

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BillOh Holiday Sharing Rare

BillOh

Posted
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And then there are people who prefer that and complain when the waiters took too long to clear off the table. Just like the food, service can be a very subjective matter.

 

I don't think that was the case here as he said they took plates while they were still eating. I have a lot of experience with this. I had the lap band surgery back in 2009 and it did reform me from a person who eats too fast to being a very slow eater. All it takes for good service is, to ask if your done. For the Chops reservations I know they say allow 2 hours for service, so I don't expect to be rushed.

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travelgoddess1

travelgoddess1

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hey gang! I haven't posted that much in recent years, but I wanted to share my experience on the Liberty of the Seas New Year's cruise.

 

A little background. I'm male, 50, married two kids one almost 18 one 19. We received our 140 night crystal thingy this week. We have cruised all over the world.

 

As you may have read already, the ship was late getting into Galveston due to fog. Once she got in, we managed to board pretty quickly. I hear some weren't so lucky!

 

After we got on board, the fog rolled back in and we were stuck in Galveston for the night. Hey, at least we were on a cruise ship. We ate and drank, and had fun that night despite being stuck in Galveston. I probably ended up saving money as the casino was closed.

 

The next day we finally got moving and managed to make it through the fog. I want to say that the entire crew did a PHENOMINAL job. They kept us busy, made sure everyone had lots to eat and drink and made the whole thing really great. This is our 5th NYE cruise and we had a blast again. Due to some necessary port changes we were not able to go to Belize but we did get to go to Costa Maya. A new port!?! Cool.

 

Let me say that there is not just a a heck of a lot to do in Costa Maya but sit your butt down on the beach, eat, drink, and be merry. It is because of the lack of stuff to do that it was one of our favorite stops! I'd love to go back. The extreme lack of things to do make it perfect.

 

Overall great trip. However, there's always a but . . .

 

The “but” on this trip was Giovani's.

 

Before I go on, I am not a “MY VACATION WAS RUINED” kind of guy, heck, you're on a boat in the Caribbean! If your vacation is ruined by one little thing, that's on you. By no means was this a deal breaker. We had a great cruise. The only reason for mentioning this is that RC charges extra for Giovani's so there is some expectation of something above average. Further, I am aware that food is subjective so this is one man's opinion. As they say, opinions are like . . . well you get the point.

 

The menu has undergone a pretty dramatic change. Most of the incredible appetizers have been taken off the menu and replaced with other not so incredible dishes. We were somewhat disappointed by this. Except for my sinewy steak, yeah they did away with the fillet and, it seems, replaced it with the cheap steak you get in the main dining room, the food was fine, not what we were expecting, but fine. My biggest complaint was the service. The entire meal was rushed. They were literally taking dishes off of the table while we were still eating them. What should have been a relaxed, somewhat elegant evening of dining, felt like I was at Chili's on a Friday night. It seemed the staff was trying to turn tables as fast as possible. The entire meal lasted less than an hour due to the hurried service. I was disappointed. I may give Giovanni's another try, but I doubt it. Too bad. It's been a family favorite for years.

 

All that being said, Good cruise. Good times.

 

Have fun Kids!

 

Thanks for a review that was upbeat and refreshingly void of whining. :) I have heard many reports in the past few months about the quality of food suffering in Giovanni's. I'm disappointed to hear this, we enjoyed it so much when it first came to Radiance in 2011. We last ate at Giovanni's in October, on Oasis. It was acceptable, so I am going back to eat there on Allure next month. I'm anxious to see for myself how the food compares to past experiences, especially the osso bucco.

Edited by travelgoddess1
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Big_G

Big_G

Posted
Posted
I would never let one or a few reviews stop us from returning to Giovanni's have been there a dozen or more times on several ships in last 4 years and never had a bad meal

 

I agree George. It's been our 'go to' restaurant for at least our last few cruises. Never had a bad meal there.

 

I am amazed by all the folks going to an Italian restaurant and complaining about the steak...why order the Steak?

 

As others have said here and other threads, the filet was better in Giovanni's than Chops. That's probably why the removed it from the menu.

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british lady

british lady

Posted
Posted
Please tell me the mushroom risotto is still on Giovanni's menu! Are the tuna appetizer and the lamb chops and osso buco still on the menu? So sorry the filet has been removed.

 

Sailed Christmas week on the LOS,

mushroom risotto, tuna and osso buck all on the menu and all very good.

No lamb chops:(

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