Worst food item you tasted on a cruise??

[Seasickblues]

I recently got back from the Solstice and I had the Osso Bucco in the MDR and it was just awful. It sat on polenta that had no flavor at all and the veggies were chopped up into little cubes. I took a photo of it and each time I see that picture I gag because I can almost smell it! **cough**:eek:

[Tmrlovesjr]

NCL Majesty shrimp cocktail. Smells like cat food. Other than that the food on NCL is really good imho.

[suezyq50]

biscuits and gravy

[numberguy]

I've cruised three times now, and have only had one bad experience. The menus on NCL list most of the ingredients along with the name of the dish (I'm guessing other cruise lines do, too), so I can just not order something if it's got something on it I don't like (melons--ick. And don't even get me started on beets).

 

There has only been one dish I ordered that I thought I would like (or would at least be interesting and edible) but couldn't stand.

 

Now, bear in mind, I'm originally from Virginia, and I eat peanut soup like others eat chicken noodle. I love peanuts--I joke I'd eat paint chips if they had peanut butter on them. So when I saw a chilled macadamia nut soup (with pineapple oil, I think?) on the Norwegian Gem in November 2008, I thought I'd try it (I like macadamias, too).

 

Oh man, was it bad. Could have been the texture, could have been just my taste buds. Maybe I'll try it again just in case I got a bad batch, but I'll order a second appetizer to have on hand just in case!

 

Also, on that same trip, American Thanksgiving day was during the TA part of the cruise, so they served a traditional Thanksgiving meal. It was OK, sort of blah, but OK. On the one hand, I expected something fantastic, since I think the chefs on cruise ships are first rate. On the other hand, the ship sailed out of Europe, so I wasn't even sure they'd have American Thanksgiving dinner on the ship. They did, but they could have not bothered, and that would have been OK, too.

 

--Michael

[arlee]

The baby shrimps (looked like pink worms)! in the Venetian dining room on the NCL Dawn and the steak as well - tough and tasteless.

[debberannne]

On the Holiday a few years ago, there was sushi ice cream. I didnt eat it, I just watched the guy across the table gag enough for everyone at the table.

[Bethwte]

Ham (who knows, it might have actually been spam) Sushi on RCCL Adventure of the Seas. There is just something *so* wrong with that. Even if it had been fish it might have ranked as the worst though, because it was probably 90% mushy rice which tasted of nothing but very strong white vinegar, and the nori it was rolled with was almost impossible to chew. I know cruise line sushi isn't going to be the same as what I can get at home in true sushi joints, but this was just baaaaad.

 

Other than that I have really been pretty pleased with food on cruises. Some dishes are certainly better than others, but the amazing service I've experienced more than makes up for it.

[dukeysmom]

back in 2006 we were on the Jewel of the Seas. Husband had a snack in the buffet, I think it was blueberry cake or muffin. Bit something crunchy, and everyone's nightmare, a BIG beetle (whole, and intact)! We complained and they brushed it off like it was nothing. Complimentary chocolate covered strawberries showed up in our stateroom the next afternoon - that was all, not even an apology.

[BroncosFan2010]

back in 2006 we were on the Jewel of the Seas. Husband had a snack in the buffet, I think it was blueberry cake or muffin. Bit something crunchy, and everyone's nightmare, a BIG beetle (whole, and intact)! We complained and they brushed it off like it was nothing. Complimentary chocolate covered strawberries showed up in our stateroom the next afternoon - that was all, not even an apology.

 

OMG that is awful!!! Where were you at: Caribbean, Hawaii,???? What in the world makes it acceptable to have that in the food and them not even apologize??

[dragonswordkata]

back in 2006 we were on the Jewel of the Seas. Husband had a snack in the buffet, I think it was blueberry cake or muffin. Bit something crunchy, and everyone's nightmare, a BIG beetle (whole, and intact)! We complained and they brushed it off like it was nothing. Complimentary chocolate covered strawberries showed up in our stateroom the next afternoon - that was all, not even an apology.

I think it was a simple mix up with Andrew Zimmerman's table :) You lived the adventure lol

[BroncosFan2010]

I think it was a simple mix up with Andrew Zimmerman's table :) You lived the adventure lol

 

LOL that is funny, but still awful. I will try almost anything, and have eaten several creepy crawly critters, but if it was unexpected in his case, I think I would be livid!

[dukeysmom]

It was a repositioning cruise (that started on 10/31 - Halloween! I just noted the irony!) from Boston to Florida via Bermuda. The staff told us that when using fresh fruits (as in blueberries) "these things happen". It really did freak me out because one of the main reasons we cruise is for the food.

[mrsltg]

The Disney Magic - pretty much everything except the cheese tray and Mickey Bars from room service were just.... bad. It was as though the chef had never heard of seasoning. I enjoy somewhat adventurous eating as well as the old stand-by's, but there was just nothing doin' on this cruise. And, I LOVE Disney - just would never cruise them again as I've gotten better meals at McDonald's!

[2sunny]

For me nothing stands out, however whenever I mention soft shell crab, my wife turns blue. She thought she'd try something new, then she wished she didn't.

 

 

May I ask what ship served soft shelled crab?

I have lived my entire live on the Shores of the Chesapeake Bay and having great soft shell crab is a delicacy! BUT to me you have to really know how to pick the 'right' crabs so that they are 'really' soft AND cook them just right. Many people and restaurant brag about 'large soft shell crabs' but my Mom taught me that the best ones are the smallest - legal ones that have just sluffed off their hard shell, that is when they are the softest. We always kept a 'live box' tied to the pier and would keep the crabs ready to sluff in their until they sluffed off their hard shell and then eat them. When they are ready to eat, you prepare them, I won't go into that, :), and they you pat them in flour and salt and pepper and fry them in bacon grease. Eat them on good bakery white bread with Eastern Shore tomatoes and lettuce and mayo and they are THE BEST SANDWICH YOU HAVE EVER HAD!!

[Midnight Writer]

I know that taste is subjective and that what one person may not like, another may love. But if a friend asked you what food they should avoid on their up coming cruise, what item(s) would you tell them to skip? And don't forget the cruise line. What may be bad on one, may be to die for on another. ;)

 

For me, on RCCL (AOS) i would have to say the Lobster Bisque in the dining room. It had a very unlobstery taste, with no lobster in sight. Was also very runny, like canned tomato soup.

 

Maybe being in New England has spoiled me for lobster bisque. I would be interested to know what others thought of RCCL's Lobster Bisque.

 

Do you know that somtimes they use canned lobster and its not even canned its more like leftovers, nothing is ever thrown away, if they do that there would never be any more food left.

 

Since my sister worked for Norwegian years ago, she told me that if you do not use your water in your glasses they reuse it Yuck! is that not disgusting? So drink up all the water people, lets go and have fun!!:p

[cirpi]

I recently got back from the Solstice and I had the Osso Bucco in the MDR and it was just awful. It sat on polenta that had no flavor at all and the veggies were chopped up into little cubes. I took a photo of it and each time I see that picture I gag because I can almost smell it! **cough**:eek:

 

The ossobuco in the main dining room on the Azamara Journey is traditional and good. However, what is listed as ossobuco in Aqualina, one of the Journey's specialty restaurants, is not even a distant cousin of the Real McCoy. It is veal, all right, but meat stripped from bone, molded into a cute little cylinder and wrapped in bacon, resulting in overly dry and salty meat. Without the bone, there was no delicious vessel-clogging marrow to spread on bread.

[EdSails]

Kippers on Princess. I'm sure they prepared them properly, but after one bite I had to send it away and order my breakfast favorite, smoked salmon.

[skipnpeanut]

Jerk chicken! It was horrible!

[Haoie]

It may have just been us, but the fish entrees [i forget the names, might've been bass of some sort] on the Paradise were bleh at best.

[maryallen99]

Yick! Had it on Holland America...I could not get it past my lips....

[bbappel]

I've learned not to order something like Pad Thai in a setting where it has to be prepared for 100s of people. I save it for the little local Thai restaurants. That and the King Crab on Princess Norway Fjords trip. They were old frozen and maybe refrozen. Tough and not tasty at all. You would think in the Fjords, where the King Crab is well, King, that you would get something fresh and delicious.

Usually cruise ship food is pretty good, but never as good as what we eat at home where my husband hasn't met a stick of butter he didn't love and uses fresh herbs, garlic/shallots and stocks in most dishes. So now I'm totally spoiled and cruise food is no longer the delight it was before he learned to cook. Not complaining, mind you.

[TandTinHou]

The Escargot....BLECK!!

[piscesgal223]

Lobster bisque. WAY too much sherry(?) and cream for my liking.And no actual lobster to be found.Lobster stock, yes. But actual pieces of lobster?Well, no.

[TravellinGranny]

pumpkin soup on Carnival......yuck!

[Emzzy]

On the Ventura, the soup tasted and looked like gravy :-O tried a different flavoured soup the next night and was exactly the same. Steered clear of all the soups after that for the rest of the holiday. Everything else in the main dining room was fab, just wouldn't advise the soup.