Former Serenade Passengers-Opinions on Food in Main Dining Rooms

[JacobOliver]

Would appreciate any feedback from previous Serenade passengers. Wondering if the food in the Main Dining room was not as good on a particular night. That is the night we would like to go to Chops or Portofinos. I had heard that there is a Carribbean night, which I would not enjoy. Please feel free to share your opinions on the food.:p

[caviargal]

I dined twice at Portofino (excellent) and once at Chops (good).

 

Of the 4 nights dinners in the main dining room, none stand out as being either special or particularly disappointing. I think it is subjective. I dislike French night and enjoy Caribbean night and I have read lots of postings that are just the opposite.

[gardener68]

Hi there

Just off Serenade 1/21-1/28 dining experience was excellent on service and fair to good on food. RCCL definately cuts corners on food quality and presentation. Service was teriffic.

Chops was just fair and same food is available in dining room upon request, as I found if there was nothing on the menu that someone liked our waiter was willing to get us prety much anything we wanted !

 

the Caribbean night was lobster, and a thi-chicken both were good.

 

If your planning on paying for Chops or Portfinos u should be aware they are both in the middle of the smoking bar and u will smell smoke throughout your meal, we actually requested our dessert to go as we could not take it anymore. Subsequently canceled our res. for Portfinos due to the wandering smoke.

[judy&steve]

In my opinion, I thought the food in the dining room on the Serenade last week was pretty good. I wouldn't go as far as calling it "excellent" but it was far better than our experience on the Adventure a year ago. I order everything without sauce and butter. Even the fish that I ordered twice was good -- not dried out as I expected.

I found the food at Chops to be excellent compared to the dining room. For example, I had the lamb chops at Chops and then a few days later, they had rack of lamb in the dining room. There was no comparison. The lamb at chops was the best I have ever had. The service in the dining room was not good (for us). Our waiter gave us the menu, gave us the suggestions, walked away and within sixty seconds wanted our order. He rushed us (we were second seating and always on time) He pushed the wine program on us for two nights before finally accepted "no".

I can't comment on the SOS Portofino, except we were invited to a brunch there and it was buffet style and okay. We had a dinner at Portofino on AOS last year and I thought it was highly overrated.

I have to agree with the other poster that the smoke in the bar on the way to the restaurants was awful, but it never bothered us inside Chops.

So, there you go. Two different views from the same cruise.

--Judy

[JacobOliver]

We leave in two weeks. That's interesting about the smoke, that will REALLY bother me...one of my pet peeves. I actually love lobster, would not want to skip Carribbean night if that is the case. I had heard that they also serve lobster on one of the formal nights.

 

Does anyone know if you can get a copy of the menus for each day from the head waiter?

 

Thanks so much for all of your posts, they have been very helpful in planning our trip. Cruise Critic is the most imformative website for planning a cruise.

[judy&steve]

They served lobster on the second formal night, which last week was Thursday. I heard some people say it was good, some not so good. We didn't order it.

I'm thinking about the other poster's comments about the smoke in Chops. I hated to walk through the corridor where they allow smoking in a small area. Not good planning. But, in Chops, we were seated by the window one time and in a booth the second time. Perhaps we were far enough from the entrance to not have the smell bother us. I feel like I ruined my clothing walking trhough that Schooner Bar and pool (billiards) area.

Those pool tables are something else!!

Judy

[caviargal]

I agree that the stink from Schooners walking TO the restaurants was pretty awful but in three nights aboard, I never smelled it in the restaurants themselves. We sat at window tables in Portofino and at a center in Chops.

 

Too bad about Schooner as I used to enjoy the bar. Now it just stinks!