Dinner Menu

[kikiganz]

I have read in other threads where other people have said they were "looking at the dinner menu". Did I miss something? Where can I find dinner menus? I am sailing on the Serenade of the Seas in December to the Southern Carribean. Thanks! :)

 

kikiganz

[PARNAMI]

Don't bother! RCI, FINALLY, acknowledging the error of their ways by slashing their budgets on food (seriously, their words, not mine), is introducing new menus on their ships which reflect significant increases in the food budgets. Early word is, they're TERRIFIC and offerings include REAL steak, not that........"stuff" that had been passing for steak these past few years. Additionally, sherbert (sorbet?) is served between courses to "cleanse the palate." This week, the dinner menus are being tested on Navigator, next week, lunch menus will be introduced as well. I'd anticipate their going fleetwide..shortly.

 

Even the food in Windjammer seems to have improved, BIG TIME!! ;)

 

So, for all you would be RCI defenders who have bristled at complaints regarding their food, BITCHING DOES HELP!!! It was YOU GUYS, in your unbridled defense of the "slop" being served in the past, that were ruining the experience for the rest of us! :p Now...the question remains... "How long will it take for RCI to regain the trust of formerly loyal RCI customers they've managed to chase away??"

[mj]

Go to http://www.cruiseclues.com and look under menus. The last time I checked they had menus for the Mariner, which should give you a general idea what to expect. The lunch menu in the dining room was the same the entire week.

[DrD]

Parnami, that is great news! Any idea when the changes will take place? We're on the Grandeur December 4, do you think she will have the new menus by then?

[Cruiser Forever]

I guess if the price of cruise won't be discounted anymore we should at least receive great meals. Don't you agree? BTW, where did you read this news? Is there a link to the article? Thanks!!:D

 

§ "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man fights to make the world adapt to him. That's why our progress depends on the unreasonable man" -- George Bernard Shaw

[PARNAMI]

DRD...I'm hoping!! I don't expect it too take too long for the new menus to spread fleetwide. I would guess that the Florida ships will get them first....and the rest..at some time afterward.

 

I can't stress enough....so far..these menus (meals) are GREAT (and that comes from sources whose opinions I absolutely trust). It sounds like a complete turnaround in food for RCI! :)

 

Like I've been saying all along..I don't care if they charge for some food on the ships...just as long as it's not done at the expense of downgraded food included in the cruise fare. Finally, it appears RCI is doing things right! Stay tuned....it could just be a game until such time as managment, again, feels they've regained the trust of past passengers......then....BACK TO SLOP! I'm optimistic, this time, that is not the case..but, with these people back at the office..you just can never tell!

[PARNAMI]

I guess if the price of cruise won't be discounted anymore we should at least receive great meals. Don't you agree? BTW, where did you read this news? Is there a link to the article? Thanks!!:D

 

I do agree! Although I've done plenty of complaining about RCI food and their charging for premium hamburgers and "stuff", I've never complained about the pricing for cruises..and, actually, never did pay less. When pricing decreased, I just booked better cabins..so my cruise budget remained constant. It may now be tough going back to normal outside or balcony cabins..but.... we'll see. I don't mind if they charge for some food..just don't serve me that garbage they had been serving!

 

I don't know that anything about this, yet, is available in the form of a press release. I'm receiving my info from people actually on board, enjoying the new menu offerings. Next week, check out the reviews from passengers debarking Navigator this week..to see if they are in agreement with what I'm hearing. I'm confident they will be!

[cbryteach]

It is exciting to hear that they are upgrading. I sure hope that it makes it to the Serenade by Nov. 27. It would be a real bummer to just miss the food upgrades!

[Brad1185]

If your correct, the news is fantastic. As usual its hard to believe, so I will not get too excited. I cannot imagine RCI doing this.

 

Closing down the dining room for lunch except for a few days, then having the same menu was one of the worst cutbacks I have seen. I already thought the dinners were great. The buffet was barly edible.

 

This change goes against the norm for RCI.

[PARNAMI]

This change goes against the norm for RCI.

LOL>.tell me about it!! I'm the one who was causing the ruckus about RCI's food on the boards as well as their charges for Johnny Rockets. (Everytime I get notice of a response to this thread, I wonder..how badly am I being flamed by the RCI RAH RAHs?) Fact is, RCI managment actually admitted, slashing the food budget was done in error. Now..they've got to struggle to get you, I, and a bunch of others, back as loyal customers. Maybe, NEXT time..they'll think before acting irrationally!

[Shanafan]

LOL>.tell me about it!! I'm the one who was causing the ruckus about RCI's food on the boards as well as their charges for Johnny Rockets. (Everytime I get notice of a response to this thread, I wonder..how badly am I being flamed by the RCI RAH RAHs?) Fact is, RCI managment actually admitted, slashing the food budget was done in error. Now..they've got to struggle to get you, I, and a bunch of others, back as loyal customers. Maybe, NEXT time..they'll think before acting irrationally!

 

Looks like we owe you a great big Thank you for causing the ruckus! When can we expect the new menus and are they fleetwide??

[stretch]

Looks like we owe you a great big Thank you for causing the ruckus! When can we expect the new menus and are they fleetwide??

 

Lisa, I really like you and look forward to reading your posts, but please, please refrain from feeding the pets.

Stretch

[PTarbay]

I was on the Radiance last week and I thought the food was pretty good.My waiter told us it was a new menu.There was no ranch steak it was a sirloin steak.

[ScottC4746]

We are going on Vision end of Feb. I wanted to go back to RCI as I remember the main dining room was fantastic. The food choices and quality exquisite. Some of the posts I have seen make it look like it has gone down the tubes. I followed a link on here to view menus and while I don't know how old they were, the menu looked ho-hum only 3 courses. Appys, entree, desert. I went on the Monarch in 94 and remember it was better than that.

Help please! Am I doomed to Denny's at sea?

[stretch]

Based on last years experience, you might be wishing for Denny's.

But I have seen several recent posts that say that RCI has drastically increased the money they spend on food and that the results have been good. I think now may be a time of change. Good luck and remember you're still on a cruise and it's better than snowcones.

Stretch

[wannacruise655]

If it's true .....perhaps it's the CELEBRITY influence! I'm on Sovereign in May.... if the food is as good as Celebrity... I'm in Heaven!

[PARNAMI]

If it's true .....perhaps it's the CELEBRITY influence! I'm on Sovereign in May.... if the food is as good as Celebrity... I'm in Heaven!

Ironically, it's worked just the opposite way.

Celebrity's influence was felt on RCI BEFORE they purchased the line, while they were competing with one another. During that period, RCI showed an increased concern with the presentation of their meals in fashions similar to Celebrity. For those old time RCI fans, remember when plates were delivered to the table containing the entrees alone with "platter service" provided by the busboy for vegetables? That ended as RCI was influenced by Celebrity and began designing their platters to look good rather than to cater to the wants or desires of the passenger....just as Celebrity was doing! BEFORE they became part of the same company!

Food quality also increased during those years!

Almost immediately after RCCL purchased Celebrity, food on RCI began its decline in quality. While presentation remained a factor (they never returned to platter service), the monies spent on food saw the first of many cuts.

Meanwhile, over at Celebrity, their fans too were complaining about declines in food quality. While I can't say for certain, I believe RCCL slashed Celebrity's food budgets back to approximate what, previously, they had been spending on RCI, while RCI's budgets continued to see new levels of thrift.....eventually gaining them the deserved reputation of serving the worst food of any line catering to the American market.

Regrettably, once earned, bad reputations are difficult to overcome. Just as RCI continues to suffer a bad rap regarding their "tiny cabins" (now wrongly), and as Carnival continues to be labeled as the "party line", RCI, regardless of how high they raise their budget for food, may never overcome the reputation they've earned for poor quality. But, hey, they're run by a guy who cut his teeth slashing food budgets on airlines, so can we really expect any different with on ships?

RCI with their recent moves, has succeeded in chasing away many previously loyal customers. They now seem to feel those customers can be regained by allowing them to maintain their previous status with RCI, when sailing Celebrity. I'm not so sure this is going to work since the lines, food aside, are entirely different in onboard style. It'll be fascinating to watch the outcome.

Meanwhile, we'll also have to see for how long RCI will maintain their newly increased food budgets. Already, I'm hearing conflicting comments about it, seemingly indicating they may be having second thoughts.

[FinelyCruising]

Are you saying they are changing again??? It'd be news to me since the menus were changed this past summer.

 

At no time have I ever heard before or after the menu change that RCI has the worst food of any line. Sensational is what I would call that opinion.

[lojill]

I wonder what i will be getting when i sail on the Enchantment. Everybody I talk to says the food is fine. I will not have anything to compare it with so I'm left in the darkness. I'm cruising after the upgrades so I wonder will they upgrade the food?

[cruislovin]

The menus were new, at least different, when we cruised in Feb 2004 than when we cruised in Aug 2003. I thought there were new menus rolled out during that timeframe. True or false?

 

Are you saying there is another set of new menus about to be launched? If so, any word on the schedule for the roll out fleet wide? Will we see another set of new menus in February?

[PARNAMI]

The menus were new, at least different, when we cruised in Feb 2004 than when we cruised in Aug 2003. I thought there were new menus rolled out during that timeframe. True or false?

 

Are you saying there is another set of new menus about to be launched? If so, any word on the schedule for the roll out fleet wide? Will we see another set of new menus in February?

 

Yes, there are new menus being introduced now. Navigator got the first of them, beginning, I believe, this past November. BUT, having new menus and increasing the quality of the food do not, necessarily go hand in hand. RCI, if they chose, could buy better ingredients and use the old menus (thus increasing the quality) or, they could buy cheaper ingredients and use the new ones (meaning the same old slop). The problem is not the menus, per se. It's the raw product. I had heard that they were now commited to increasing quality, with managment acknowledging that it was a mistake to have downgraded to the extent they had. Now, I'm beginning to hear conflicting signals leading me to believe, maybe, they're reconsidering their position.

[FinelyCruising]

I'm thinking you are hearing things all right...

[mwebb]

Any recent Navigator sailors have copies of the new menus and Compass. Sailing 4/2/05 with group of 17 ages 13-72

[ScottC4746]

So sounds like good changes are happening.

Grant you RCI will NEVER be Cunard quality on food, but look at the differences in rates. Apples to oranges.

[FinelyCruising]

Let me try to put this into perspective...

 

The vegetables are out of this world and cooked to pefrection. I can eat them all day long. Any fish we have ever had on board has been excellent. The rack of lamb or rib chops have always, always been raved about. Chicken is chicken a few different ways, there is always a pasta selection which is good, I am not a big pasta eater but my one daughter was always pleased with hers when she ordered pasta. Appetizers/soups are good, salads are their weakness but I eat them all anyway, desserts are good, bread and butter is good. It's all good. The beef is fine and even the Royal Ranch Steak which everyone made fun of was good.

 

So unless you are expectations include Angus or Kobe, I don't think you will go hungry.