Is the Quality of Food On The POA Reflective of all NCL Ships?

[need2cruisesoon]

Just curious because on our July cruise the food was terrible in the MDR, like made earlier in the day then re-heated.

Not to mention Jefferson Bistro and Moderno.

 

If this is the case then count me out of any future NCL cruises.

[dexddd]

The food on POA is reflective of the other NCL ships. We didn't eat at any of the MDRs but did eat at Bistro.

 

That being said, we thought the food was fine and actually thought the buffet was one of the better ones. The fresh pizza was great there.

[newmexicoNita]

The food on POA is reflective of the other NCL ships. We didn't eat at any of the MDRs but did eat at Bistro.

 

That being said, we thought the food was fine and actually thought the buffet was one of the better ones. The fresh pizza was great there.

Just a reminder to everyone Food is very subjective. I will add I am considered a good judge of food, like decent quality and with the exception of breakfast I find the food on all NCL ships to be as good or better than many lines.NO of course the MDRs are not going to be fantastic, but certainly satisfactory. Anyone who wasn't satisfied with Le Bistro isn't the normal eater, but must be very selective and sophisticated. Again, food is subjective.

[Travel R]

Just a reminder to everyone Food is very subjective. I will add I am considered a good judge of food . . . . . Anyone who wasn't satisfied with Le Bistro isn't the normal eater, but must be very selective and sophisticated.

 

IMHO Le Bistro was just okay - nothing to write home about. [i am far from a picky (i.e., selective) eater.] But as you stated, food is very subjective.

[Regguy]

I've noticed a decline in the last five years, though I haven't sailed POA. Our most recent cruise was worse than a year before (same ship) and it was worse that time than the time before.

 

So, while I agree it's subjective and one person's experience may not transfer to others in an absolute sense, I do think that one person's view of the change over time is potentially significant. I think a word used above -- "satisfactory" -- is about right. And while it's true that one person's "satisfactory," might be another's "gross," or "excellent," I can say that in the last five years, the food everywhere but the specialties has dipped closer and closer to my personal baseline of "satisfactory," and there were a few times it fell below. I would put O'Sheehan's breakfast on our last cruise closer to the "gross" category.

 

In the end, so long as it stays around "satisfactory," give or take, we don't care. We don't cruise for the food. In fact, we'd prefer that the food stay the way it is if making it better would increase the cruise prices. NCL is definitely not a culinary experience, and I'm fine with that, but I would note that in terms of what my group of friends at home seem to regard as a "satisfactory" meal, I am not exactly a foodie.

[dexddd]

Just a reminder to everyone Food is very subjective. I will add I am considered a good judge of food, like decent quality and with the exception of breakfast I find the food on all NCL ships to be as good or better than many lines.NO of course the MDRs are not going to be fantastic, but certainly satisfactory. Anyone who wasn't satisfied with Le Bistro isn't the normal eater, but must be very selective and sophisticated. Again, food is subjective.

 

By who?

[Silver Sweethearts]

Just curious because on our July cruise the food was terrible in the MDR, like made earlier in the day then re-heated.

Not to mention Jefferson Bistro and Moderno.

 

If this is the case then count me out of any future NCL cruises.

 

When you are the only game in town you don't have to be good.

[roger001]

And then again.......I haven't been on POA. But all the other ships we've been on, I think the food is at least very good...and getting better with each cruise. Subjective........

[newmexicoNita]

I've noticed a decline in the last five years, though I haven't sailed POA. Our most recent cruise was worse than a year before (same ship) and it was worse that time than the time before.

 

So, while I agree it's subjective and one person's experience may not transfer to others in an absolute sense, I do think that one person's view of the change over time is potentially significant. I think a word used above -- "satisfactory" -- is about right. And while it's true that one person's "satisfactory," might be another's "gross," or "excellent," I can say that in the last five years, the food everywhere but the specialties has dipped closer and closer to my personal baseline of "satisfactory," and there were a few times it fell below. I would put O'Sheehan's breakfast on our last cruise closer to the "gross" category.

 

In the end, so long as it stays around "satisfactory," give or take, we don't care. We don't cruise for the food. In fact, we'd prefer that the food stay the way it is if making it better would increase the cruise prices. NCL is definitely not a culinary experience, and I'm fine with that, but I would note that in terms of what my group of friends at home seem to regard as a "satisfactory" meal, I am not exactly a foodie.

Now we are showing how subjective food is, as I have found, for the most part food is better now than in years past. There was a time for about 10 years, maybe 2005 to about 2015 I thought the food had gone downhill. I found this on many lines. Now, I find it improved. I would say Le Bistro isn't as good as it once was, but it is the atmosphere, etc plus the qualuty that makes it a favorite of so many.

[newmexicoNita]

By who?

for starters, by the people who we entertain mostly and then by the number of recipes I have had published in several food magazines. I am just going by what others have said. :)

[Vyhanek]

On the NCL Board you do hear a lot of...."Food is subjective".

 

That's because NCL used to have really awful food....thus "subjective". Really for about 10 years the food was terrible, the dining service was terrible and terribly slow (you would have to block out 2.5 hours for dinner and sometimes have to leave dinner before dessert just to make your show. That's after sitting there for 2 hours!) terrible. The food product didn't used to compare to the other major lines. That's why NCL had the reputation, well deserved, as the worst food at sea!....Subjective.

 

But, in the past 2 years I would say, NCL has done a complete turn around in everything food. The quality they purchase is better. Choices are more interesting, even forward style restaurants, I'm thinking Food Republic, etc. For awhile, lobster was on most menus and it was well prepared (I'm from New England so yes, I can say that!). Then probably a year ago, lobster disappeared from all menus and I think the food quality declined slightly in general.

 

But it's still good food! Don't pass up NCL because you think the other lines are offering better food. I think all the lines have turned to the food budget as a way to cut costs. But they are learning. You can only cut into the food budget so much without getting the horrible reputation like NCL....The worst food at Sea!

 

And yes, food is subjective but you don't hear that when the food is good. Only when the food is mediocre and gets bad reviews do posters here justify the term subjective.

[newmexicoNita]

On the NCL Board you do hear a lot of...."Food is subjective".

 

That's because NCL used to have really awful food....thus "subjective". Really for about 10 years the food was terrible, the dining service was terrible and terribly slow (you would have to block out 2.5 hours for dinner and sometimes have to leave dinner before dessert just to make your show. That's after sitting there for 2 hours!) terrible. The food product didn't used to compare to the other major lines. That's why NCL had the reputation, well deserved, as the worst food at sea!....Subjective.

 

But, in the past 2 years I would say, NCL has done a complete turn around in everything food. The quality they purchase is better. Choices are more interesting, even forward style restaurants, I'm thinking Food Republic, etc. For awhile, lobster was on most menus and it was well prepared (I'm from New England so yes, I can say that!). Then probably a year ago, lobster disappeared from all menus and I think the food quality declined slightly in general.

 

But it's still good food! Don't pass up NCL because you think the other lines are offering better food. I think all the lines have turned to the food budget as a way to cut costs. But they are learning. You can only cut into the food budget so much without getting the horrible reputation like NCL....The worst food at Sea!

 

And yes, food is subjective but you don't hear that when the food is good. Only when the food is mediocre and gets bad reviews do posters here justify the term subjective.

most experiences in life are subjective. but you are right, how often do we use that word if we find something totally to our liking? :)

[Mom2B&Z]

We've sailed multiple NCL ships and I would say that the food on POA was so-so compared to the ships sailing the Caribbean. I'm comparing main dining rooms, as we didn't go to any specialty restaurants on POA.

It was certainly adequate to keep us fuelled for the busy days in port. We had better meals in Hawaii during the land based portion of our trip.

 

 

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[janj01]

On the NCL Board you do hear a lot of...."Food is subjective".

 

That's because NCL used to have really awful food....thus "subjective". Really for about 10 years the food was terrible, the dining service was terrible and terribly slow (you would have to block out 2.5 hours for dinner and sometimes have to leave dinner before dessert just to make your show. That's after sitting there for 2 hours!) terrible. The food product didn't used to compare to the other major lines. That's why NCL had the reputation, well deserved, as the worst food at sea!....Subjective.

 

But, in the past 2 years I would say, NCL has done a complete turn around in everything food. The quality they purchase is better. Choices are more interesting, even forward style restaurants, I'm thinking Food Republic, etc. For awhile, lobster was on most menus and it was well prepared (I'm from New England so yes, I can say that!). Then probably a year ago, lobster disappeared from all menus and I think the food quality declined slightly in general.

 

But it's still good food! Don't pass up NCL because you think the other lines are offering better food. I think all the lines have turned to the food budget as a way to cut costs. But they are learning. You can only cut into the food budget so much without getting the horrible reputation like NCL....The worst food at Sea!

 

And yes, food is subjective but you don't hear that when the food is good. Only when the food is mediocre and gets bad reviews do posters here justify the term subjective.

Sorry I dont agree with you. We have been cruising with NCL only since 2010 but have found the food great. Sure maybe on the expensive cruise lines the food may be better but you are paying a lot more for it as well. Also we always found when we went for dinner of we told our waiter we wanted to go to the show we were alwways finished in time. A lot of people enjoy relaxing at dinner time and not beeing rushed with another course being delivered as soon as the previous onne is consumed.

 

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[sarcher]

The food on the newer ships (Breakaway, Escape, etc) is the best quality food. Overall, the food has been changing to be more in line with Frank Del Rio's tastes. In some ways it's better... much more variety in the main dining room. I don't like how the specialty restaurant food is changing. I think NCL is just catching it's swing from the way it used to do things.