What is Yummy in the Main Dining Room?

[Billy Baltic]

11 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

And there is a MDR children's menu, with other child-pleasing dishes to choose from.

Of course. Who wouldn’t be thrilled with the same choice of five items every evening. 

[yogimax]

2 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

I think that one is gone....

We saw pavlovas at Windjammer lunch a couple of days.  They do go quickly though.

[Merion_Mom]

On 9/2/2023 at 2:13 PM, Isaboo said:

We cruised in June and I don't think it was as bad as people are making it out to be.  It was "fine", but not really memorable.  The only thing I remember thinking I wanted more of was the crab cake appetizer.  Other than that, there was nothing memorable.  It's not what it once was but it's fine. 

 

On 9/2/2023 at 4:31 PM, HicksRA said:

Crab cakes? - crab meat is not rubbery is it?  What’s in there?

 

 

It's not crab.  I'm not sure that it was ever crab.  It's surimi.

 

8 hours ago, yogimax said:

Too much negativity here.  It's not just about the food, which is fine.  

 

It's about the interaction with the waiters and assistant waiters

It's about sharing a time with family and special fiends

It's about enjoying being served and not complaining about everything

 

Enjoy!

 

No, dinner is about eating dinner.  And not with fiends.  😄 😄 😄

 

8 hours ago, RedSails1968 said:

 The leg of lamb came on a huge bone that kept rolling around when you tried to cut it. The only option was to try it Fred Flintstone style, which I did not attempt. 

 

It's not leg of lamb.  Who told you that?  Not the menu description.  It's a "lamb shank" and it's awful.

 

 

[RedSails1968]

13 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

It's not crab.  I'm not sure that it was ever crab.  It's surimi.

 

 

No, dinner is about eating dinner.  And not with fiends.  😄 😄 😄

 

 

It's not leg of lamb.  Who told you that?  Not the menu description.  It's a "lamb shank" and it's awful.

 

 

I wasn’t sure what it was called but I was assured it would fall off the bone. I agree that it was awful. 

[bonsai3s]

And on sea days, lunch, the MDR serves the Royal Burger. 

 

* After all the different dishes, it's nice to just have a delicious cheeseburger and crispy fries.

[Diane67B]

14 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

And on sea days, lunch, the MDR serves the Royal Burger. 

 

* After all the different dishes, it's nice to just have a delicious cheeseburger and crispy fries.

I’m all in. Yum!

[Ret MP]

I don't know how RCCL can do so well with bread/rolls/buns and really suck with desserts. Some of the pies are okay, I haven't been impressed with any of their cakes though.  I got the Keylime Pie once, which I usually love, and it was Keylime jello in a pie shell with cool whip on top. Not kewl!  As much as I'm not a fan of Rustbucke Cruise Lines (which has nothing to do with rust), I think their cakes and pies are sooo soooo sooo much better than RCCL.  My favorite pie is Pecan.  Neither lines does it well.  

[nelblu]

2 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

And there is a MDR children's menu, with other child-pleasing dishes to choose from.

It's limited and not like it was pre-new menu.

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

No, dinner is about eating dinner.  And not with fiends.  😄 😄 😄

 

 

 

Have you considered that some of my friends may indeed be fiends???🙂

[HicksRA]

2 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

It's not crab.  I'm not sure that it was ever crab.  It's surimi.

 

 

No, dinner is about eating dinner.  And not with fiends.  😄 😄 😄

 

 

It's not leg of lamb.  Who told you that?  Not the menu description.  It's a "lamb shank" and it's awful.

 

 

I know what is in the crab cakes. The statement was tongue in cheek. 
 

Why don’t they call it surimi cakes and stop lying to us. They don’t put walnuts in a pecan pie……

[Mum2Mercury]

On 9/3/2023 at 9:18 AM, eem0924 said:

Since I don't have rolls/bread with dinner at home, it's a real treat.  

I don't eat bread with my meals at home or on a cruise ship -- not that I don't like bread, but it's about a low-carb diet (I also don't gain weight on a cruise; this is just one way I make that happen).  Bread just isn't at the top of my choice list. 

 

But, yeah, I can see that it being something different makes it a real treat. 

On 9/3/2023 at 10:00 AM, lovesthebeach2 said:

That was a good review….and I also ask for extra veggies, sometimes they just bring an extra plate of veggies and we share 👍

I'd find an extra plate for the table perfectly acceptable.  

On 9/3/2023 at 10:10 AM, Sunshine3601 said:

I don't think send waitstaff to another location to get pizza for MDR was ever an option.   Sorry, but it does take away from waitstaff doing their job in MDR.

Agree.  They're pushed to do their job as it is.  

On 9/3/2023 at 10:43 AM, Diane67B said:

Wow!!! What an incredibly informative post!! I ate it up! See what I did there? 😎😜 Thank you so much! So, definitely avoiding the chicken cordon blue and it seems several people have commented on less than great pork and prime rib. So many votes for beef bourguignon and tenderloin, short ribs and shrimp, and asian pork, escargot.  I’m definitely getting those! I wish they had your carrot cake with cheesecake in the middle. Yum!

Glad you enjoyed it!  

You're considering the right choices.  Remember, you can send things back, if they aren't what you personally like.  

Try your hand at a carrot cake with a cheesecake in the middle.  At the worst, what do you have?  Something messy and delicious.  Trust me, I've been selling cakes for four decades, and I'm only mid-50s, so I KNOW CAKE.  

On 9/3/2023 at 11:47 AM, yogimax said:

One decadent recommendation for a Windjammer dessert...

Two dessert ideas: 

- Ask for your dessert to go.  They'll give it to you under a dome with extra napkin /silverware. 

- Skip dessert in the MDR and go up to the Windjammer.  You'll be able to SEE the desserts before you choose them.  Their desserts tend to be cut very small, so you can have a couple small things instead of one medium-sized dessert.  Sometimes they do cool things like a chocolate fountain or made-to-order /top them yourself Churros in the evenings.  

On 9/3/2023 at 12:09 PM, Billy Baltic said:

An average high street restaurant 

I've heard the term "high street" on the internet:  high street shops, high street restaurant.  

I think this is a British term?  Anyway, does it mean common, everyday, high numbers of people access it ... or does it mean fancy, special?  Thanks for explaining.  

On 9/3/2023 at 2:13 PM, Billy Baltic said:

Of course. Who wouldn’t be thrilled with the same choice of five items every evening. 

Two thoughts: 

- Children CAN order from the adult menu.  And adults CAN order from the children's menu. 

- Children don't mind the same repetitive foods over and over.  

On 9/3/2023 at 3:16 PM, Merion_Mom said:

And not with fiends.  😄 😄 😄

No thank you.  I don't want to eat with fiends.  

On 9/3/2023 at 3:52 PM, bonsai3s said:

* After all the different dishes, it's nice to just have a delicious cheeseburger and crispy fries.

Personal observation:  Burgers seem to be the #1 item of choice for lunch in the Windjammer.  I wish they'd make them slider-sized instead of quite large. 

 

Regardless, sometimes you just want something simple and comforting.  A burger hits the spot, but -- personally -- one per cruise is enough for me.  

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[cruiselvr04]

Cheese rolls, chocolate desserts if they have them.  Tortellini is good but I’m sure it’s prepackaged and just warmed.  Most salmon dishes.  I get the Turkey dinner. Sometimes it’s dry but I can get lucky and have it moist.  Sweet potato is good. A step above a TV dinner. The onion tort has been soggy lately but you could lucky on that.  
 

I start with a cheese roll and mostly nibble after that unless something’s really good.  I no longer gain weight on our cruises but I don’t starve.  We have a 16 night next month.  It will be interesting to see what’s repeated or if we get something new…..we will do 5 nights in speciality restaurants.

[SchoolNurseMom]

I've definitely had some worse meals and better meals on a ship. But, I am not cooking or cleaning all week. My only decisions have to do with what activity to do next and what drink to enjoy. We've always been able to find something decent to eat even if we visit the buffet on the way out from MDR. LOL!

[Lady Hudson]

We cruised before and after the menu changes.  Right after the menu changes we cruised and were very disappointed with the “new” menus, the items that were missing and many temperature issues.  We cruised recently (August 17).  Menus had changed slightly and some favorites were back.  We were happier with the food.  My take - Royal got a lot of negative food feedback and are making some improvements.  I think it is important to fill out the end of cruise surveys to let Royal know both the good and bad about our experiences.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, SchoolNurseMom said:

even if we visit the buffet on the way out from MDR

 

if? When we have dinner in the MDR we eat early and pretty much always go to WJ after. I like to eat and you never know when you'll find a random dessert or something else to try up there.

 

I'm a big proponent of going to more than one venue per meal, lol.

[Diane67B]

1 hour ago, Lady Hudson said:

We cruised before and after the menu changes.  Right after the menu changes we cruised and were very disappointed with the “new” menus, the items that were missing and many temperature issues.  We cruised recently (August 17).  Menus had changed slightly and some favorites were back.  We were happier with the food.  My take - Royal got a lot of negative food feedback and are making some improvements.  I think it is important to fill out the end of cruise surveys to let Royal know both the good and bad about our experiences.

Good to know.

[FionaMG]

3 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I've heard the term "high street" on the internet:  high street shops, high street restaurant.  

I think this is a British term?  Anyway, does it mean common, everyday, high numbers of people access it ... or does it mean fancy, special?  Thanks for explaining.

 

It means something you'd expect to find on the "high street" (= "main street" in the US, I think) in pretty much any town or city in the country, so something that would generally be considered ordinary, definitely not fancy or special.

[farjar]

On 9/2/2023 at 12:13 PM, yogimax said:

The short ribs in the MDR are excellent.

I printed out the new menus for what I believe will be served on our upcoming 8 night cruise, (Welcome Aboard, Royal Night, Mexican Night, Italian Night, French Night, Caribbean Night, Bon Voyage, and British Night).  I see no mention of short ribs, which we love. Have you had them since the new menus came out?  Perhaps it's another item that has been removed.  

[yogimax]

2 hours ago, farjar said:

I printed out the new menus for what I believe will be served on our upcoming 8 night cruise, (Welcome Aboard, Royal Night, Mexican Night, Italian Night, French Night, Caribbean Night, Bon Voyage, and British Night).  I see no mention of short ribs, which we love. Have you had them since the new menus came out?  Perhaps it's another item that has been removed.  

We had them on Anthem in March.  Whether they still have them... I don't know.