How do you rate MDR menu these days?

[Ret MP]

How do you rate MDR menu these days?

I've found them to be very dry, tough, and very very very hard to swallow.  Katchup seems to help the taste and toughness a little.  I don't think they have changed much over the years except way back when they were actually printed on Parchment Paper.  I really don't care for Parchment Paper, it doesn't digest very well.

 

Edited in:  I don't know why my post went to double spacing.  I didn't do anything unusual.

Edited August 27, 2023 by Ret MP

[artvlay]

Last two recent cruises on Anthem 6 out of 10.

[pcur]

On 8/25/2023 at 3:30 PM, Engineroom Snipe said:

"But honey, you forgot your pants......", to which he responds dryly, "I have on sporty underwear."

 

I like the man just from your description.

Well here's another one:

I miscarried before I had my first son.  6 weeks off from work, and the first time my co-workers saw me again was at a party in one of their homes.  We walked in, everyone went all sad, somber, and solicitous, with me reassuring them I was just fine.  REAL party downer.

 

One of the guys asked my husband, "And, how are you managing, Rick?".  My one-liner pro immediately said, "Oh, I do a LOT of recreational reading in the bathroom."

 

The whole group of 30-40 people got hysterical, and..............the party was back on.

 

(Last one; promise)

Edited August 28, 2023 by pcur

[nimbex1970]

On 8/24/2023 at 8:14 PM, Slidell_Cruiser said:

Totally correct…I’m a TA, PC member and was Loyal since 1997 when the MDR was specialty dining each night.

A number of my $200 deposit sails, now cancelled, are my last donation to RC…

Sail Virgin…superior food, and almost of the prior RC clients are moving there also.

Funny, that's what we did, booked Virgin, few upcharges.  New line to explore, new port, new entertainment.  I thought I was the rare one.

[ReneeFLL]

4 hours ago, nimbex1970 said:

Funny, that's what we did, booked Virgin, few upcharges.  New line to explore, new port, new entertainment.  I thought I was the rare one.

We have friends that made Pinnacle about 2 years ago and are masters in the casino. They are now mostly booking Virgin and MSC and they cruise about 5 - 6 times a year.

[d66d66]

On 8/24/2023 at 7:36 PM, Ret MP said:

VA does sound like the answer, but it also sounds a little too "Footloose and fancy-free" if you know what I mean.  I'm just an old fart approaching 72 in two months.

 

My daughter (45) did VA in May and had a ball.  She said it was like Spring Break for older people. Her pictures of all the theme nights and parties are pretty outrageous, but funny.

[Jbluebird]

We just got off Jewel of the Seas and ate in the MDR every night. Our table of 6 always found something we liked from all menu items.  Some nights we ordered 2 appetizers or 2 desserts.  Food was always hot and good.  No one sent anything back or found it to be inedible. My husband commented that each time he ordered the fish, which was several nights, it was always good. Our wait staff was always attentive, asking after each item was delivered whether we liked it or not and encouraging that if we really didn't like it to let them know and they'd happily get us something else.  As I mentioned, no one ever returned a meal. 

[Loracpin2]

On 8/17/2023 at 6:55 PM, thefog said:

I was not to happy with the quality of the food on our cruise in May.

We were a group of 9 on the Oasis in July. I will geneously give the quality of MDR/Windjammer food a 5/10. and the dinner in Chops (that cost $650.00) a 7/10. 

[teddie]

1 hour ago, Jbluebird said:

We just got off Jewel of the Seas and ate in the MDR every night. Our table of 6 always found something we liked from all menu items.  Some nights we ordered 2 appetizers or 2 desserts.  Food was always hot and good.  No one sent anything back or found it to be inedible. My husband commented that each time he ordered the fish, which was several nights, it was always good. Our wait staff was always attentive, asking after each item was delivered whether we liked it or not and encouraging that if we really didn't like it to let them know and they'd happily get us something else.  As I mentioned, no one ever returned a meal. 

 

We also found things we liked on the Anthem this past February, but it wasn't the same as coming away from what we found were excellent to occasionally fabulous meals in the MDR on RCI cruises we took 5+ years ago.  I realize things change, and even expect them to.  It's just so drastically noticeable to us.  

 

Teddie

 

 

[HappyTexan44]

I think that "I found something to eat every night" is not an endorsement.  That is what I say when we go a restaurant I don't like, but we go because DH or DD really like it.  

[Ky Bill]

We just came off of the Grandeur, Aug 19-26th out of Tampa on a 7 night.  This was our first opportunity to try the "new menu."  Much to my surprise we liked the new menu.  The food was so good we ended up not going to any of the specialty restaurants with the exception of the Chef's Table.

Bill

[PATRLR]

I was on Oasis Aug 20-27.  I'd give the MDR menus a 7/10 (in other words good choices) but the quality of the food is about a 3/10.  I've been an NCL frequent cruiser lately and while I give NCL a slight edge in MDR food quality (maybe they get a 4 or 5), Royal's service was far superior. Royal also had a few things that were much better than NCL:  The French Onion Soup for one.  Royal's prim rib is a lousy quality like NCL, but at least Royal cuts it thick enough to measure (NCL uses a deli slicer to slice theirs, I'm sure)

The good news is, IMO, Royal's Specialty Dining was far superior to NCL's.

[Ret MP]

On 8/29/2023 at 11:39 AM, d66d66 said:

 

My daughter (45) did VA in May and had a ball.  She said it was like Spring Break for older people. Her pictures of all the theme nights and parties are pretty outrageous, but funny.

Full disclosure, first:  I have never cruised on VA and what I've read about is solely from the Internet.  So, we all know that it has to be 100% factual.

 

I've read that there are "Invitation Only" cruise line-sponsored parties.  It's been reported that they are for the upside-down pineapple crowd.  And various other not-so-discreet activities/venues.  I'll admit that I'm under no obligation to attend any of the above, and I won't/wouldn't.  But, I just can't even see myself or my wife being associated with a business or other activity that promotes such things.  

 

I can hear those now who have totally different opinions and want to criticize my post.  You/must know this, this is my opinion and decision.  It doesn't have to be yours or anybody else's.  You do your thing, I'll do mine.  Please state your opinion, that's what this board is about, a discussion board, but don't even try to criticize me for mine, I already know I'm an old fart, and so on.  It won't do any good, anyway.  

[markpark]

Just off the Voyager and found MDR food really good.  Not excellent but really good.  I do think the portions are smaller.

[sockmonkeygirl]

On 8/19/2023 at 3:23 PM, MommaBear55 said:

I feel very badly for all of you who find the food in the MDR better than you eat at home. Since Covid, we've only eaten in the MDR a few times, generally we get the UDP.  The only time we do the MDR is if we are traveling with kids or can't get UDP. We've been known to "snack" our  dinner by getting a few slices of pizza from Sorrento, then the charcuterie plate at Vintages and finish up with salad and dessert in the Windjammer. 

Poor unfortunate souls! 🐙

[mosiegirl]

On 8/18/2023 at 5:47 PM, orville99 said:

Recent history and countless posts would contradict that opinion. Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you sailed, because that has not ben our recent MDR experience.

same.. when I asked for the waiter to put them all down at once, he said he was not allowed to.

[orville99]

On 9/5/2023 at 3:03 PM, markpark said:

Just off the Voyager and found MDR food really good.  Not excellent but really good.  I do think the portions are smaller.

Just off of Grandeur, and ordered in suite from the MDR every evening. Hopefully the dinners in the MDR were as good as what we had delivered to our cabin. The food was excellent (and room service had potato chips)😇

[cruiseorcamp]

Hit or miss has been my experience. 

Eating in buffet more often than not @ dinner for more choices, less wait time and salads.

[sjb317]

7 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Just off of Grandeur, and ordered in suite from the MDR every evening. Hopefully the dinners in the MDR were as good as what we had delivered to our cabin. The food was excellent (and room service had potato chips)😇

We, too, just got off of Grandeur and I was amazed by how much better the food was than on our previous cruisers this year (Jewel, Independence, and Mariner) .  I would rate the food on Grandeur a 8.5- 9.

 

Sherri🙂

[ReneeFLL]

On 9/1/2023 at 2:04 AM, Ret MP said:

Full disclosure, first:  I have never cruised on VA and what I've read about is solely from the Internet.  So, we all know that it has to be 100% factual.

 

I've read that there are "Invitation Only" cruise line-sponsored parties.  It's been reported that they are for the upside-down pineapple crowd.  And various other not-so-discreet activities/venues.  I'll admit that I'm under no obligation to attend any of the above, and I won't/wouldn't.  But, I just can't even see myself or my wife being associated with a business or other activity that promotes such things.  

 

I can hear those now who have totally different opinions and want to criticize my post.  You/must know this, this is my opinion and decision.  It doesn't have to be yours or anybody else's.  You do your thing, I'll do mine.  Please state your opinion, that's what this board is about, a discussion board, but don't even try to criticize me for mine, I already know I'm an old fart, and so on.  It won't do any good, anyway.  

You haven’t heard that Bliss Cruises (and no telling who else) charters Royal for clothing optional cruises? My guess is that’s the same thing as upside down pineapple cruises. 

[GimmeOcean]

6 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

You haven’t heard that Bliss Cruises (and no telling who else) charters Royal for clothing optional cruises? My guess is that’s the same thing as upside down pineapple cruises. 

 

Those must be quite interesting cruises for the crew.

[Norwich Cruiser]

On 8/27/2023 at 1:50 PM, artvlay said:

Last two recent cruises on Anthem 6 out of 10.

That’s quite generous 

[cruising twosome]

We sailed Navigator-Mexico 7 day in February and Ovation from Hawaii to Vancouver in May-enjoyed MDR on both! We never sent anything back, I had fish almost every night and my husband goes for the beef. Love MDR for lunch too when available.

[birdofsong]

Allure - August 13th and August 20th -- 

Anything with Beef:  3/10

Other entrees:  7/10

Appetizers and desserts:  10/10

 

 

[deliver42]

I've been on the Wonder and the Ovation, and haven't any problem with the quality of food, though the choices might have been better.