Royal Caribbean New Menus - Expected on all ships by end of February

[Engineroom Snipe]

47 minutes ago, silentbob007 said:

When I took my wife on her first cruise, we ate dinner in the MDR the first night (with the usual madness) and the food/service did not make it a good experience.  We've sailed in suites since then and eaten at CK.  Very close to booking Allure in April to be with family but will be back in a balcony ... I tried to sell her on the new menus but she was a bit upset when she realized shrimp cocktail (her go-to every day) was only on the MDR menu 4 nights. Oh well, I tried. 

Everyone has that special memory or treat when they go on a cruise. That memory separates a cruise vacation from other vacations.

 

As much as I joke about life in general (sometimes it was the only method of dealing with adversity), the little nuances are very important and special.

 

RCI, take notice, a few cents on a few shrimp can be a turning point. A decision to vacation elsewhere is never based on one or two individual points but they add up to a decision to spend money on other experiences.

 

By the time the metrics say RCI is losing customers, the tsunami will hit and RCI will say, "We never saw it coming." I see many avid and loyal customers starting to stamp their feet at this moment. I can see something happening.

[sfaaa]

Most if not all mass market cruise lines are cutting back to save operating costs. RCCL is now following this industry trend and would not be at a disadvantage to compete when everyone else is doing the same.

[Beeline Cruiser]

4 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

By the time the metrics say RCI is losing customers, the tsunami will hit and RCI will say, "We never saw it coming." I see many avid and loyal customers starting to stamp their feet at this moment. I can see something happening.

 

….nope. Been there done that but still here! DONT forget more people are booking!

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-ends-2022-with-very-impressive-numbers/92052

[Engineroom Snipe]

3 minutes ago, Beeline Cruiser said:

 

….nope. Been there done that but still here! DONT forget more people are booking!

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-ends-2022-with-very-impressive-numbers/92052

Yes, I read those articles plus so many more. I am well aware that current trends show that cruises are at a very high capacity. I have posted and admitted such.

 

Many companies think that they have unlimited demand until they don't. Amazon was flying in the clouds next to the Sun like Icarus until their demand and stock plummeted. How many would have foreseen Amazon stock diving over 49% in a twelve month period?

 

I like cruising. I know RIGHT NOW capacity is high. If a customer experience starts to degrade, most companies do not understand it until it is too late.

[mattg43]

4 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

How many would have foreseen Amazon stock diving over 49% in a twelve month period?

 

Well since their gains in 2020 and 2021 were in large part due to fear of covid, when that fear subsides, it makes sense that more people would return to brick and morter stores vice strictly online.

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 minute ago, mattg43 said:

 

Well since their gains in 2020 and 2021 were in large part due to fear of covid, when that fear subsides, it makes sense that more people would return to brick and morter stores vice strictly online.

 

 Amazon was only 10% from its absolute highest stock value in December of 2019, well before any Covid fears or influence. Amazon stock only rose by 10% during the "Fear of Covid". The brick and mortar stores are still hurting. Bed, Bath and Beyond is going bankrupt. Kohl's is holding on by a thread. Target has posted horrible results during the last two quarters and they are brick and mortar.

 

Many companies start to ignore the base that is the foundation of their business because at the moment, things are going well. They only do a business analysis when it is too late. They lost contact with their core customers.

 

Revenge travel is doing great, FOR NOW. RCI would not be the first company to be too optimistic and find their dedicated customers looking for other alternatives if they feel that the experience is not worth the expenditure.

[OSUZorba]

On 1/8/2023 at 5:39 PM, Deeliteful said:

Think they look great. I’m sure I won’t starve. 
The only thing I would take exception to is the fillet of fish - what fish? I need to know what fish it is before I order. Only thing I can complain about, otherwise looks good to me.

That generally means generic white fish.

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, OSUZorba said:

That generally means generic white fish.

I would understand that to be cod, sea bass, halibut, flounder or sole. Some aficionados are sensitive to "bottom feeders" or "trash fish". I am not picky but I respect those who would like to be told what the "white fish" is.

 

From what I have been reading, asking the waiter is rather hit or miss.

[OSUZorba]

14 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I would understand that to be cod, sea bass, halibut, flounder or sole. Some aficionados are sensitive to "bottom feeders" or "trash fish". I am not picky but I respect those who would like to be told what the "white fish" is.

 

From what I have been reading, asking the waiter is rather hit or miss.

Cod, pollock, haddock, tilapia probably a few others.

 

Not sea bass, halibut, or flounder. Those are too expensive to be given a generic name.

[Bailey & Sophie]

4 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I would understand that to be cod, sea bass, halibut, flounder or sole. Some aficionados are sensitive to "bottom feeders" or "trash fish". I am not picky but I respect those who would like to be told what the "white fish" is.

 

From what I have been reading, asking the waiter is rather hit or miss.

 

We got off Harmony in Nov. Lots of tilapia. Not my fav.

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

We got off Harmony in Nov. Lots of tilapia. Not my fav.

From what I read on this site, cruisers spending extra money in specialty restaurants have been served fish that were specifically named on the menus only to get substitutions without notification. I think they have a legitimate complaint.

 

If the menu says "whitefish", I guess it is consumer beware. I would eat well-prepared anything, but I would like to be able to trust my server that their answers to any food questions are accurate.

[foodsvcmgr]

I would suspect Hake, a cheap flavorless substitute for Cod.

[nelblu]

34 minutes ago, foodsvcmgr said:

I would suspect Hake, a cheap flavorless substitute for Cod.

Maybe that is what they used to prepare the seafood salad.  While on Oasis in October, I had a yearning for a nice tuna salad for lunch in the WJ.  Tried a few times, but no luck.  One day I saw next to the chicken salad the so-called seafood salad.  It was horrible and tasteless even with the amount of Mayo.  Whether it was the mayo or the ingredients I came away very disappointed.

 

Also, if you ask the waiter what type of fish is in the dish, he or she does not know or will mention a fish type that I've never heard of.😊  

 

[DJLDRUMS]

   I may have missed someone's post, so I'll ask now. The menus show seven different selections for each day, so if you're on an 8 or 9 or longer night cruise, how do the menus work, do they go back to day one and go from there?                                                                                                                                                         Secondly, has the new menu had any effect on the food selections in the Windjammer, meaning, are the selections the same as they were before the change. Has there been more guests going to the Windjammer nightly or on certain theme nights where guests aren't thrilled with the menu of the day? Thanks in advance to those who reply.

[c-leg5]

27 minutes ago, DJLDRUMS said:

Has there been more guests going to the Windjammer nightly or on certain theme nights where guests aren't thrilled with the menu of the day?

More importantly does the WJ have a different theme on a given night - not that there aren’t several options in the WJ but would be interesting to know if it is a universal theme night.

[lovesthebeach2]

Just now, c-leg5 said:

More importantly does the WJ have a different theme on a given night - not that there aren’t several options in the WJ but would be interesting to know if it is a universal theme night.

Not sure about that with the new menus, but we just got off Jewel and there was a theme each night in the WJ

[nelblu]

14 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

Yes, I read those articles plus so many more. I am well aware that current trends show that cruises are at a very high capacity. I have posted and admitted such.

 

Many companies think that they have unlimited demand until they don't. Amazon was flying in the clouds next to the Sun like Icarus until their demand and stock plummeted. How many would have foreseen Amazon stock diving over 49% in a twelve month period?

 

 

I guess you haven't been paying attention to the rout of the tech stocks. 

[c-leg5]

14 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Not sure about that with the new menus, but we just got off Jewel and there was a theme each night in the WJ

Yes there has been a theme in the WJ for some time BUT is it the same theme,?

[Engineroom Snipe]

12 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I guess you haven't been paying attention to the rout of the tech stocks. 

I certainly have. The lesson to be learned from many of the tech stocks is they were too optimistic. They expected the demand would continue with current consumers and interest rates would stay low forever. Changes can be good. Time will tell.

 

Past cruisers make up a large part of each cruise. Even if they are not as high a profit margin as newer cruises, they are needed to fill a percentage of the cabins. From the looks of so many threads regarding cruise menus and cruise food, food quality and presentation is important to them. This could be foreshadowing a transition of some of their market share to other venues or diminish the desire to cruise as often. 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

54 minutes ago, DJLDRUMS said:

   I may have missed someone's post, so I'll ask now. The menus show seven different selections for each day, so if you're on an 8 or 9 or longer night cruise, how do the menus work, do they go back to day one and go from there?                                                                                                                                                         Secondly, has the new menu had any effect on the food selections in the Windjammer, meaning, are the selections the same as they were before the change. Has there been more guests going to the Windjammer nightly or on certain theme nights where guests aren't thrilled with the menu of the day? Thanks in advance to those who reply.

 

Seven menus were initially posted and now, thanks to Mw0805, we're seeing a British theme night so that makes 8 different them nights I've seen....so far. 
Since the new menus are just rolling out there hasn't been a lot of feedback about what's happening. I'm sure we'll hear more soon...and that should include what's happening in WJ.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

13 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Yes there has been a theme in the WJ for some time BUT is it the same theme,?

The same theme as what? We're just off NV and WJ had theme nights that were noted in the Cruise Compass.....American, Asian, Caribbean, Indian to name a few.  

[c-leg5]

7 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

The same theme as what? We're just off NV and WJ had theme nights that were noted in the Cruise Compass.....American, Asian, Caribbean, Indian to name a few.  

Someone suggested that more people might go to the WJ on a night when they didn’t  like the MDR theme. It isn’t really important to me because I don’t find the MDR 100% dedicated to the theme anyway and I am not a picky eater. I will find ‘something’ to eat or decide to go to specialty or WJ in advance BUT I was just interested to know if when it was Caribbean, Mexican etc in the MDR was the WJ going to have the same theme on that night to consolidate food preparation. 

Edited January 11, 2023 by c-leg5

[island lady]

13 hours ago, OSUZorba said:

Cod, pollock, haddock, tilapia probably a few others.

 

Not sea bass, halibut, or flounder. Those are too expensive to be given a generic name.

 

Swai.  

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Swai.  

Interesting. After reading about it, there are as many negative articles as there are positive. Especially noting it was much more affordable than say haddock. Thanks for posting.

[island lady]

21 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

Interesting. After reading about it, there are as many negative articles as there are positive. Especially noting it was much more affordable than say haddock. Thanks for posting.

 

Walmart sells filets of Swai in large bulk.   It's a mild white fish.  Actually quite easy to use in various recipes, and never fishy.  No real flavor itself, but does take on the flavors of what you add to it.