Dining Etiquette

[cruisewingman]

Hi everyone,

 

I sailed on Getaway's 8/28 New England & Canada Tour.

 

 

A challenge I found in the MDR and Cagneys was the most basic thing - food temperature.

 

In the Manhattan, I had nights where the shrimp fettucine and the rotisserie chicken were just warm and not hot. I went to Cagney's twice and the first experience was so mediocre that half my group made a different specialty booking for the 2nd time. The first time it was temperature issue but my second time was incredible. For anyone familiar with Toronto (Ontario, Canada), I'd say that my second time at Cagneys was a step above the Keg but below Harbour 60/Barberians.

 

So my question for the community is... what do you do in the MDR or a specialty restaurant if the food isn't up to par? Do you send it back for them to warm up or prepare a fresh one?

 

 

 

 

 

[BirdTravels]

20 minutes ago, cruisewingman said:

Hi everyone,

 

I sailed on Getaway's 8/28 New England & Canada Tour. A challenge I found in the MDR and Cagneys was the most basic thing - food temperature.

 

In the Manhattan, I had nights where the shrimp fettucine and the rotisserie chicken were just warm and not hot. I went to Cagney's twice and the first experience was so mediocre that half my group made a different specialty booking for the 2nd time. The first time it was temperature issue but my second time was incredible. For anyone familiar with Toronto (Ontario, Canada), I'd say that my second time at Cagneys was a step above the Keg but below Harbour 60/Barberians. So my question for the community is... what do you do in the MDR or a specialty restaurant if the food isn't up to par? Do you send it back for them to warm up or prepare a fresh one?

At Cagney's I would send the food back. Cagney's has moved to the bottom of my specialty dining list. The service and food has gone down hill across the fleet on every ship for the past few years (pre and post pandemic pause). The problem with sending food back at Cagney's (and we have done that) is that it takes forever to get something refired. 

 

MDR I am more tolerant. You're eating mass produced food. Some of the food may be held for a long time before being served. Unlike your shore-side steak house that may do a hundred covers cooked to order a night, the MDR may do 1000 covers. 

[FlGoodShips]

Nothing. Just eat it. I have a saying, "if it fills the pit till the next meal, just eat it.😁

I have never had anything so bad that I cannot eat it.

[SeaShark]

What you do should be based on what is best for you and you alone. You should not seek to simply do what others do.

[cruiseny4life]

Unless it's a steak cooked badly, then I'd likely just eat it. Sometimes, I'll eat a little, then just leave as I know I can always have another meal, or appetizer, later on, somewhere else.

[PATRLR]

8 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

MDR I am more tolerant. You're eating mass produced food. Some of the food may be held for a long time before being served. Unlike your shore-side steak house that may do a hundred covers cooked to order a night, the MDR may do 1000 covers. 

Preparing and serving thousands of covers is no excuse for poor quality.  There are plenty of places that know how to serve stunningly excellent meals to thousands of people in one seating.

8 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

Nothing. Just eat it. I have a saying, "if it fills the pit till the next meal, just eat it.😁

I have never had anything so bad that I cannot eat it.

 

56 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Unless it's a steak cooked badly, then I'd likely just eat it. Sometimes, I'll eat a little, then just leave as I know I can always have another meal, or appetizer, later on, somewhere else.

These past two comments exemplify why the cruise lines have been able to get away with the poor quality meal services they provide.  It's pretty much the same reason so many low quality chain restaurants thrive in the US.  Oh well, it is what it is...

 

6 hours ago, SeaShark said:

What you do should be based on what is best for you and you alone. You should not seek to simply do what others do.

The OP didn't ask what OP should do.  OP asked what others do.  

 

[TrumpyNor]

If I am not happy (for whatever reason ) with the food I get served, then I just POLITELY explain why and ask for something else instead. 

[dandelpino]

As a customer, the number 1 piece of etiquette for good customer service is to politely inform someone anytime the product or service is not meeting your expectations. Doesn't matter if you're on a cruise, flight, hotel, restaurant, cafe, etc. If something is not to your liking you should say so. They can't improve your experience or the overall service offering to all customers if they don't know what's wrong. The last thing they want is for everyone to just quietly put up with cold food and come away with a less-than-positive outlook on their overall trip. That's a fantastic way to lose customers to their competitors. 

 

If you have an issue the proprietor/manager will want to solve your issue so you have a good experience and the only way they know of an issue is to speak up. I'm absolutely not saying to be a Karen and make a scene with ridiculous demands but just a simple "hey this dish is cold, could you have it refired".

Edited September 12, 2022 by dandelpino
spelling/grammar fix

[kasimir]

If the food is not to my expectations (especially in a specialty restaurant), I will politely inform them to either change the food item or I will let them know at the end of the dinner. 

 

And for me food quality/issues, are a big deal and will make us consider changing to the competition. I am not expecting Michelin Star quality, but if I can have a better meal at Denny's then my next cruise is with the competition. 

 

So far with NCL I had no major issues with the food, I was just once overall disappointed with the Teppanyaki experience (food, service and ambiance), that we finished our meal, but I told the restaurant manager at the end, that we were not impressed at all and I didn't think it was worth an extra charge. 

[LaCal]

The problem I’ve had with Cagneys is when I order my steak medium rare and 3 outta 5 times it came out so bloody rare it was bleeding all over the plate 

 

Sent it back and it took awhile to come back out 

 

Now I order my steak medium well and it comes out medium rare 🤣🤣

 

Youd think the chefs would cook the steaks correctly since that’s their main job 

[The Shrike]

I let the staff know, but unless it's actually cold I usually eat the meal.  Then I also let NCL know on the post-cruise survey.

[PATRLR]

8 minutes ago, LaCal said:

The problem I’ve had with Cagneys is when I order my steak medium rare and 3 outta 5 times it came out so bloody rare it was bleeding all over the plate 

 

Sent it back and it took awhile to come back out 

 

Now I order my steak medium well and it comes out medium rare 🤣🤣

 

Youd think the chefs would cook the steaks correctly since that’s their main job 

I find this to be very frustrating because it isn't difficult to cook a steak to the requested doneness.   If I can do it on my cheap backyard grill, professional cooks should be able to also.  All it really takes is a decent thermometer the first few times, until you are confident in your timings for your grill.

 

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

I find this to be very frustrating because it isn't difficult to cook a steak to the requested doneness.   If I can do it on my cheap backyard grill, professional cooks should be able to also.  All it really takes is a decent thermometer the first few times, until you are confident in your timings for your grill.

 

Correct, I find the touch method to be very accurate.  

[The Traveling Man]

Only very rarely have I sent a meal back, but frequently I have spoken to the server, or better yet to the restaurant manager, to explain what I found lacking in the meal.  I usually assume that if I sent it back, it would seem to take forever to get it fired again.  

[destar]

Being from New York, we are spoiled with steakhouses, I avoid Cagneys to prevent a disappointment.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, PATRLR said:

I find this to be very frustrating because it isn't difficult to cook a steak to the requested doneness.   If I can do it on my cheap backyard grill, professional cooks should be able to also.  All it really takes is a decent thermometer the first few times, until you are confident in your timings for your grill.

 

Totally agree. Sent a steak back twice on our last cruise because it was blue (cold to the touch) in the center. I talked to the restaurant manager about that being culinary school 101, and I could tell without cutting into it, that it was raw in the center. And it was. It a cook can’t tell by touch, use a thermometer. 

[casofilia]

I like my fillet blue so never have a problem with the way it is cooked; sometimes it could be a little hotter but no complaint required.

[mjkacmom]

41 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Totally agree. Sent a steak back twice on our last cruise because it was blue (cold to the touch) in the center. I talked to the restaurant manager about that being culinary school 101, and I could tell without cutting into it, that it was raw in the center. And it was. It a cook can’t tell by touch, use a thermometer. 

This is from the menu of one of our local steakhouses.

[annmarz]

12 hours ago, TrumpyNor said:

If I am not happy (for whatever reason ) with the food I get served, then I just POLITELY explain why and ask for something else instead. 

I totally agree! I do not hesitate to do this.