Major cuts to MDR menus

[erisajd]

8 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

?? How can I look at a menu and know that your "old favorites are gone"?

 

Besides, you put 2000+ people on a ship and every menu item is bound to be somebody's favorite.

We’re getting on the bliss in 3 weeks.  It’s our first cruise on NCL. So everything is new. For us.  And in the Haven we won’t know any better. 

[phillygwm]

NCL had a decision to make:  Keep the former menus, levels of service, etc. and raise prices, or try to hold prices and cut food and service.  Personally, I'd have preferred the former but they chose the latter.  No doubt, they did studies to support their decision.  

 

Will it impact my travel choices?  Not yet.  But I've always weighed NCL against the competition to see which is the best "value."  Not necessarily the cheapest but the best bang for the buck.  So far, IMHO, it remains NCL but it's something I keep an eye on before booking a new cruise.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 5/17/2024 at 6:05 PM, relmondcrsise said:

Someone posted all the current MDR menus from the Encore to another group I belong to (you can see them here).  It looks like most of the entrees are the same, but huge cuts to the appetizer and dessert sections.  I'm wondering if this has rolled out fleet-wide yet?  Has anyone had these on other ships?  While I've been hoping for a long time that NCL would totally revamp their menus (which have been basically the same for YEARS), it seems like they are just cutting items.  Disappointing for those of us who cruise a lot and were getting sick of the same things over and over.  Now we have even less to choose from.  I know all lines are streamlining, that's nothing surprising.  But at least come up with NEW menus if you're going to limit the number of items. 

 

I would not consider trimming down the appetizers or desserts MAJOR cuts,  Also I have never had them limit how much I can order.  Much ado about nothing.

[david_sobe]

MSC now charges for any second entre in the MDR.   You can still order another appetizer or dessert but a second entre is $5.00.  I can see all cruise lines doing this soon.

[ready2cruzagain]

12 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

 

I would not consider trimming down the appetizers or desserts MAJOR cuts,  Also I have never had them limit how much I can order.  Much ado about nothing.

Would you consider the fact that the menus now are all cheap fish, Hoki, Talapia, Bluefish nothing? How about how much pork there is on the menus? I agree to disagree. 

[ready2cruzagain]

2 hours ago, david_sobe said:

MSC now charges for any second entre in the MDR.   You can still order another appetizer or dessert but a second entre is $5.00.  I can see all cruise lines doing this soon.

At first this bothered me when MSC did this but then I thought about it. Rarely have we ever ordered more than one entree but one cruise on MSC I seen a guy order a large amount of lobster entrees (7 or 8 ) and only eat a couple. The amount of food wasted was pathetic. NCL does not serve lobster in MDR and hasn't for years but I doubt anyone would order multiple Tilapia but if one is still hungry when dinner is over I would suggest O'Sheehans.

Edited May 24 by ready2cruzagain

[david_sobe]

58 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

At first this bothered me when MSC did this but then I thought about it. Rarely have we ever ordered more than one entree but one cruise on MSC I seen a guy order a large amount of lobster entrees (7 or 8 ) and only eat a couple. The amount of food wasted was pathetic. NCL does not serve lobster in MDR and hasn't for years but I doubt anyone would order multiple Tilapia but if one is still hungry when dinner is over I would suggest O'Sheehans.

I dont really see it as an issue too.  But usually cruise lines copy each other and expect other lines to maybe do the same. I would also imagine they will be limiting appetizers to one or two someday.  I am waiting for this board to explode if NCL copies this approach 🙈

Just imagine a cruise soaking in your private hot tub for only an hour with no hash browns or cookies and having to pay for a second entre after eating 2 appetizers and dessert.

It's just too much 😲

Edited May 24 by david_sobe

[david_sobe]

******double post*****

Edited May 24 by david_sobe

[Twolittleboys]

On my recent cruise on the Dawn I did feel quite disappointed in the menu. Comparatively few choices for appetizers and dessert and hardly any of my favorite entrees. Yes, the price of the cruise was quite competitive but personally I would rather pay a little more for nicer food and better service. 

 

I am not saying that I would definitely not do another Norwegian cruise. The itinerary was wonderful, I quite liked the ship, and had a good time. But for my next cruise I will probably try a different line.

[Cruising89143]

NCL has been in the cruise news this week. This might explain some of the changes that some are experiencing. 
 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/how-nclh-reined-costs-dining-shows-housekeeping-purchasing

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/05/norwegian-cruise-line-more-efficient-cabin-cleaning-less-staff/
 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/05/optimizing-entertainment-at-ncl-has-increased-ship-roi/

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/finance-legal-regulatory/harry-sommer-outlines-nclhs-bold-vision-and-culture-change

[david_sobe]

22 minutes ago, Cruising89143 said:

NCL has been in the cruise news this week. This might explain some of the changes that some are experiencing. 
 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/how-nclh-reined-costs-dining-shows-housekeeping-purchasing

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/05/norwegian-cruise-line-more-efficient-cabin-cleaning-less-staff/
 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/05/optimizing-entertainment-at-ncl-has-increased-ship-roi/

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/finance-legal-regulatory/harry-sommer-outlines-nclhs-bold-vision-and-culture-change

🙈🙉🙊

🤑

[cruiseny4life]

4 hours ago, david_sobe said:

MSC now charges for any second entre in the MDR.   You can still order another appetizer or dessert but a second entre is $5.00.  I can see all cruise lines doing this soon.

And Carnival charges for the third entree. I'm sure NCL will follow suit, once they have designed their entrees to be small enough that a cruiser requires two for sustenance. 

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, Cruising89143 said:

NCL has been in the cruise news this week. This might explain some of the changes that some are experiencing. 
 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/how-nclh-reined-costs-dining-shows-housekeeping-purchasing

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/05/norwegian-cruise-line-more-efficient-cabin-cleaning-less-staff/
 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/05/optimizing-entertainment-at-ncl-has-increased-ship-roi/

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/finance-legal-regulatory/harry-sommer-outlines-nclhs-bold-vision-and-culture-change

Thank you - very informative 

[graphicguy]

6 hours ago, david_sobe said:

MSC now charges for any second entre in the MDR.   You can still order another appetizer or dessert but a second entre is $5.00.  I can see all cruise lines doing this soon.

Off topic, but I really like your new icon for your posts.

[Laszlo]

3 hours ago, david_sobe said:

🙈🙉🙊

🤑

Great article.... I forget what cruise line it was, I was watching a show about different cruise lines and how things work. Anyway they had a number of people behind the scenes who sole job it was to see what people ate and what percentage of food was wasted (trash). It was pretty astounding the amount of food that literally just goes in the trash, something like 25-30%. They then work on doing smaller portions, especially at the buffet and also cutting back on things which people don't eat

[MoCruiseFan]

5 hours ago, david_sobe said:

I dont really see it as an issue too.  But usually cruise lines copy each other and expect other lines to maybe do the same. I would also imagine they will be limiting appetizers to one or two someday.  I am waiting for this board to explode if NCL copies this approach 🙈

Just imagine a cruise soaking in your private hot tub for only an hour with no hash browns or cookies and having to pay for a second entre after eating 2 appetizers and dessert.

It's just too much 😲

 

And don't forget to tip the smokers!

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Would you consider the fact that the menus now are all cheap fish, Hoki, Talapia, Bluefish nothing? How about how much pork there is on the menus? I agree to disagree. 

I will fully admit that when I grew up, tilapia was a trash fish that you caught and released.  
 

Today, it is highly desired and sought after. It is one of the premiere fish on many menus. 
 

NCL continues to cater to the desires of the contemporary cruiser. Old fashion fish like salmon have failed out of favor. 

[kochleffel]

12 hours ago, david_sobe said:

MSC now charges for any second entre in the MDR.   You can still order another appetizer or dessert but a second entre is $5.00.  I can see all cruise lines doing this soon.

 

Didn't some other cruise line try this a few years ago, to very negative reaction? But I don't think that it's a crazy idea.

 

Several years ago, on the Epic, I was at a solos dinner of about a dozen passengers that went askew because of the different multiple orders plus servers who either didn't ask at all whether anyone needed to get to a show at a particular time, or asked only one person (who didn't need to). Several people ordered two appetizers, and one person ordered, and ate all of, two mains.

 

NCL practice was not to serve a second app or main until the first one had been eaten and cleared, and also not to serve the next course to anyone at the table until all passengers' previous courses at that table had been cleared. I confirmed this with a dining manager.

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

I will fully admit that when I grew up, tilapia was a trash fish that you caught and released.  
 

Today, it is highly desired and sought after. It is one of the premiere fish on many menus. 

 

It wouldn't call it a premiere fish, but it's popular, especially with people who don't especially like fish, and it's relatively inexpensive.

[kochleffel]

5 hours ago, Laszlo said:

They then work on doing smaller portions, especially at the buffet and also cutting back on things which people don't eat

 

The report I saw, possibly not the same one, specifically cited the buffet as a source of waste. That didn't surprise me at all. I haven't, personally, seen comparable waste in the MDR.

[The Traveling Man]

On 5/18/2024 at 7:38 PM, Ellis1138 said:

 

I call that Hobbit Mode. I do it for breakfast, getting just the thing that one venue makes best and going to the next one. 🙂

Which is probably the reason that NCL introduced to food hall on the Pr1ma.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I cruise numerous different cruise lines most recently besides my NCL Joy cruise last month, I have recently cruised Windstar and Holland America. In all honesty I see nothing wrong with the updated new menus, I actually think it looks quite good. ALL cruise lines have cut back. I feel NCL still offers a lot more. If in that menu you do not find anything you want you can go to so many other options to eat such as The Local, The Garden Cafe, anyone of the numerous specialty restaurants. Many other cruise lines do not have those options for dining. They are all looking at the bottom line of profit which they should be and they cut back on items that were more costly and that the majority of people did not order. Las Month on the Joy we were Haven Guests but did 5 nights specialty dining one night in the Haven and one night in the Manhattan Dining Room. One of the top meals was actually in the Manhattan Dining Room.  We are looking forward to November and February cruises on the Bliss 😄

[Laszlo]

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

 

The report I saw, possibly not the same one, specifically cited the buffet as a source of waste. That didn't surprise me at all. I haven't, personally, seen comparable waste in the MDR.

It's sickening the amount of food I have seen people throw out. IDK who is the worst, kids are adults

[IAcruising]

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

I will fully admit that when I grew up, tilapia was a trash fish that you caught and released.  
 

Today, it is highly desired and sought after. It is one of the premiere fish on many menus. 
 

NCL continues to cater to the desires of the contemporary cruiser. Old fashion fish like salmon have failed out of favor. 

 

This is a strange hypothesis. I know of absolutely no one in my fairly large circle of acquaintances, friends, and family that seeks out, or highly desires, Tilapia. It is exactly the same as it was when you grew up -- a trash fish.

 

The only reason anyone willingly eats Tilapia is because, a) it is tasteless and they don't like fish, or b) it is dirt cheap.

 

And I find it fascinating that you think salmon is "out of favor" when it's on nearly every.single.menu of nearly every single respectable restaurant in the US.

 

Strange.

 

 

 

 

[ready2cruzagain]

8 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

This is a strange hypothesis. I know of absolutely no one in my fairly large circle of acquaintances, friends, and family that seeks out, or highly desires, Tilapia. It is exactly the same as it was when you grew up -- a trash fish.

 

The only reason anyone willingly eats Tilapia is because, a) it is tasteless and they don't like fish, or b) it is dirt cheap.

 

And I find it fascinating that you think salmon is "out of favor" when it's on nearly every.single.menu of nearly every single respectable restaurant in the US.

 

Strange.

 

 

 

 

Very well said!