Why can"t rccl"s food quality be as good as carnival's?

[BuckNakedBooda]

I hate to be a food snob, but if you're ordering filet well done, you need to be taken out back and shot. :D

 

I have to give you a DOUBLE AMEN and a HOLY JEHOVAH on that one. I cringe when my wife orders a filet well done then wants to put Heinz 57 on it.....

 

The Eastern Ohio Redneck definitely pops out....AHHHH !!!

[ETski]

My opinion food is subjective. Having cruised many lines and ships I have never gone to bed hungry. This September while sitting in a lounge on the Carnival Victorywe started taking to a group of people. During the entire cruise my husband and I said that the pizza was the best we have had on board any ship. Well a couple sitting with us thought we were joking. Their description of the pizza was cardboard with sauce! Sooooooo that being said just enjoy and eat what you want:p

 

PS we are taking our first Royal Caribbean cruise soon.

[RoofingPrincess]

You haven't cruised on Carnival Ecstasy - BLECCCH!!!

It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't too bad. Reminded me of going to family style restaurants. Both the food and the decor.

[luvscruising2007]

Thanks to several posters for explaining in more detail why they prefer one line's food to another. I have to agree with Cruisinmama that there really isn't a wow factor on RCL. I have enjoyed the food however.

I do have one observation. And that is the food is different from ship to ship.

I ordered the onion tart on Radiance on our first cruise and thought it was okay. I tried it on Brilliance and it was prepared slightly different and tasted much better. So a different ship, therefore a different chef, does make a difference.

[AllieInMD]

*shudder*

 

Oh I don't know. The purple Barney ship (AKA Sensation) spent alot of money on neon. I bet it cost them a pretty penny to match the purple striped carpet with the purple striped walls. :p

[patrickc]

Did our first Carnival cruise last month- on the Victory. Guess what, the food was better than Celebrity, RCCL & HAL. I hate to admit it, but it was. I still prefer RCCL, but my whole family was giddy each night over dinner. Not as much pomp & circumstance/formality- but the best filet mignon, seafood newburg, lobster, chateau briand, prime rib, veal. Not 1 night was a miss. We never had to defer to the alternative menu. Now, the buffet was another story- was much, much too crowded. But, the dinner in the dining room was fantastic.

[crusinmama06]

hahaha... I got a chuckle out of that one...I actually enjoyed the "tacky" decor on the Sensation. I looked at it like going to a bowling alley. :)

 

Now, I have seen pictures of the Freedom of the Seas (my next cruise), and I am prepared to be "wowed" by the more subdued, but almost luxurious decor of this ship. I'm afraid once I see the inside, I won't be able to enjoy the Carnival decor philosophy that was prevelant for a period.

 

Here Todd this is for you....:D Just so you don't get confused when you are on Freedom, you don't need to look for the big purple columns when going between floors. :p

 

(And yes, the food is still better on the purple barney ship...lol)

 

The elevator on Sensation...

 

 

The elevator on Freedom...

 

[Tom_n_Sara]

We thought the food on Carnival was only a little better, but not by much. For us, the main difference was in the deserts. RCI seemed to be rather bland, except at Chops.

 

Of course, your mileage may, and obviously will, vary.

[Evilgrin72]

I have to give you a DOUBLE AMEN and a HOLY JEHOVAH on that one. I cringe when my wife orders a filet well done then wants to put Heinz 57 on it.....

 

The Eastern Ohio Redneck definitely pops out....AHHHH !!!

 

That is brutal. I would never crack on someone for their personal preferences... to each his own, after all.. but people that order steak well done and then complain that it's too tough are missing the boat. #1, steak gets tougher as it's cooked, period. But, even if you're prepared for that, most people that order well done steak don't realize that most good steak restaurants are going to give you the sh-ttiest cuts of meat if you order well-done too. You get all end pieces and afterthought cuts becuase the prevailing opinion is that if you ordered it well, you don't know the difference between a good steak and a leather shoe anyway. This is not me talking, by the way, but the steak houses I worked in during college. I know several restauranteurs these days and they basically subscribe to the same theory.

[Cruisin-Family]

I thought I heard that all of you RCI shareholders were draining so much of the operating income out of the company with all of your "combined benefits" that they can no longer afford Carnival's level of food quality!

 

Shame on you.

 

:D

[HMSDingy]

As I have never sailed RCI, I can't really comment on the food but I have been following a "live" report from someone on the Jewel and he says that the food so far is excellent. Food is very subjective and we all have different tastes. On all of our past Princess cruises, we thought the food was great but some fellow passengers thought otherwise.

[abridalmaven]

I agree with the original poster. The menus on RCCL now show the same pasta dishes first up on the menu: too much pasta frankly. Salmon and chicken and THEN finally, some other options. I am platinum but agree that Carnival has a better selection, better quality and is cheaper besides.

Aside from the fact that I no longer eat pasta, even when I did, it would not be food I would bother with on any vacation. Pasta is so ordinary not matter what you put on it. And before you get defensive, I am married to an Italian and can make ( and have) made the best sauces around.

 

I still make an amazing Italian cheesecake!:rolleyes:

[abridalmaven]

Am I in the minority here? :confused:

 

Food is just not that important to me on a cruise. Granted I have only ever sailed RCI, but there are very few menu items either in the Windjammer or the Main Dining Room that I haven't enjoyed. In the rare instance something is not to my liking, I either choose something else from the buffet - or order another item from the menu.

 

There is plenty of variety so I'm quite sure there is "something" for everyone. :)

I am in agreement. I love great food, and will pay for it if that is what I am going for. But to me a cruise experience is everything together. Being with my freinds is what makes my experince, food is such a small thing in the experience. I barely remember what I ate 2 days ago, and I cooked it!:eek:

[Hgeffen]

It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't too bad. Reminded me of going to family style restaurants. Both the food and the decor.

 

 

Didn't you kind of feel like the ship was a mock vegas? It didn't feel at all like the Rhapsody did. But, hey...it was still a cruise!

[Hgeffen]

That is brutal. I would never crack on someone for their personal preferences... to each his own, after all.. but people that order steak well done and then complain that it's too tough are missing the boat. #1, steak gets tougher as it's cooked, period. But, even if you're prepared for that, most people that order well done steak don't realize that most good steak restaurants are going to give you the sh-ttiest cuts of meat if you order well-done too. You get all end pieces and afterthought cuts becuase the prevailing opinion is that if you ordered it well, you don't know the difference between a good steak and a leather shoe anyway. This is not me talking, by the way, but the steak houses I worked in during college. I know several restauranteurs these days and they basically subscribe to the same theory.

 

 

I've always enjoyed my steak well done, and did not tasted a hint of leather ;).

[Debde]

I am not a good cook and admit it. My husband says 'Nothing says I love you more then a microwave meal.!!! lol

We very rarely dine out.

I am wowed by the Windjammer. Everyone thinks it's great they can pick what they want and its always good. Usually because mom did not cook it! As for the dining room-we always think we are in a top notch best food ever.

So-I guess it sure is a matter of opinion and what you are used to!!;)

[Cruisin-Family]

I am not a good cook and admit it. My husband says 'Nothing says I love you more then a microwave meal.!!! lol

We very rarely dine out.

I am wowed by the Windjammer. Everyone thinks it's great they can pick what they want and its always good. Usually because mom did not cook it! As for the dining room-we always think we are in a top notch best food ever.

So-I guess it sure is a matter of opinion and what you are used to!!;)

 

Yes, my wife assures me that it is not a vacation if she has to cook or even warm up a single meal.

[whyrlygig]

Not every one has the same tastes in food. I actually lost weight on our one and only Carnival cruise because I hated every single thing I tried except the oatmeal.

[Cruising89143]

But to me a cruise experience is everything together. :eek:

 

100% correct Barb which is why I won't cruise on Carnival again. IMHO the food on a cruise is nothing to write home about on any of the mass market lines. It's good but not five star. To me it tastes like food I would get at a Marriott catered event. Mass produced banquet style food. I even feel this way about HAL after trying them earlier this year. I have never gone hungry on a cruise. Also what one person feels is great, another may have a totally different opinion.

 

As stated above, it's the whole package and RCI delivers that to me in a big way. We were docked next to the Carnival Valor last week in St. Maarten. That annoying Seaside Theater blasted all day long. No one on the Freedom that had balconies overlooking the Valor could enjoy any peace and quite due to that over sized boom box. Another reason that I would not step foot on that ship.

[MDSue]

Personally, I found RCCL's food the best out of Carnival, Princess and RCCL. But I'm not complaining about Carnival's food. It was quite good also. Every ship is different, so I think it's unfair to compare an entire cruiseline on one or two ships. I'll be back on Carnival this year and I'm anxious to see how their food compares to my last year's cruise on Royal Caribbean.

[Mikew0805]

They can afford better food due to all the money they save on 'decorating'? ;)

 

hmmm, keep thinking that. :D I think RCI's is lower in quality because they have so much debt.. gotta find the money somewhere!

 

FYI.. I know someone said you would not go hungry on a cruise.. well I think I got VERY close on the Splendour of the Seas. Maybe food taste is subjective.. but temperature and quality is not. Nothing out of the dining room came out hot.. we were lucky if it was slightly above room temperature. Also, nothing subjective about hamburger/hotdog buns all cruise long, that would cause a concussion if it hit you in the head. :eek:

 

The Serenade was an emormous improvement over Splendor, and changed my opinion that they do serve good food.. just not as good as Carnival.

 

 

 

P.S. Michelle, that was not a fair pic on the elevators, you could have at least shown the glass ones with the bright purple neon, that I know has to be mixed with a color that just does NOT work... in atrium... sheesh! LOL :D

[browneyes7]

You haven't cruised on Carnival Ecstasy - BLECCCH!!!

 

Food is very subjective. I thought the food on the Ecstasy was great, but I've also enjoyed the food on all the RC ships I have been on.:)

[browneyes7]

I really think it is funny that so many RCI faithfuls continue to ridicule Carnival ships because of their bright and sometimes gaudy decorations. Carnival obviously has a lot going for it. :D:D

[Lushpuppy]

I own food industry businesses both as a producer and restaurants. I personally am an award winning chef. I never ever complain about cruise food - I just love that I aint cooking and cleaning up! So what - could cook better myself - thats not what cruise food is about. Its people around the table and the fun and laughter that counts. The only memorable food I have had was on Milleniums speciality restaurant when michel roux had control. But I truly cant remember any really bad food either.

[dfishner]

I own food industry businesses both as a producer and restaurants. I personally am an award winning chef. I never ever complain about cruise food - I just love that I aint cooking and cleaning up! So what - could cook better myself - thats not what cruise food is about. Its people around the table and the fun and laughter that counts. The only memorable food I have had was on Milleniums speciality restaurant when michel roux had control. But I truly cant remember any really bad food either.

 

Could not agree more with your statement, it is right on the money.,