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Travel Forum / Travel Types / Cruises / July 2008Is on-board food really that bad
If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat at an additional cost? Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat anywhere else? > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat > at an additional cost? > > Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat > anywhere else? The simple answer is that the specialty restaurants have a somewhat higher quality of food and/or preparation that some people are willing to pay for. And it's not a matter of that the dining room food is "bad" (except for NCL, IMHO), it's just that the specialty restaurants are better, or at least different. Some folks are happy to in the dining room for their entire cruise and don't feel the need for anything else. Some people would probably even be happy to eat at the pool grill. It's all personal taste. Think of it as eating at Applebee's vs. eating at a higher end restaurant when you're at home. >> If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and >> variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > personal taste. Think of it as eating at Applebee's vs. eating > at a higher end restaurant when you're at home. That' so true. We have never opted to eat at any "specialty" restaurant & have never regretted it. The food in the regular dr's is fine with us. If we were at home & ate out it the "regular" food would suffice so why spend the extra money for something a little bit better? I look at it as though I've already paid for a good meal & now have to pay again & for us it doesn't justify the extra quality. On the other hand my brother-in-law was on a cruise & never ate in the regular dr once, opting for special meals every night & thought it was great. > That' so true. We have never opted to eat at any "specialty" restaurant & > have never regretted it. The food in the regular dr's is fine with us. For trhe most part, I agree. On most cruise lines, the food in the dining rooms and buffets is pretty good, or as good as it can get when you are trying to prepare and serve 3000 meals in 4 hours. > If we were at home & ate out it the "regular" food would suffice so why > spend the extra money for something a little bit better? Special occasion... or just maybe "putting on the Ritz" and doing something that you don't normally do. Sometimes, it is just fun! Sometimes it can be the difference between just getting something to eat compared to a nice dining experience. I agree that I don't like the model where the majority of "restaurants" on a ship have additional costs, but cruise lines like Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean may give you one or two specialty restaurants and still maintain good quality in the dining rooms.  SignatureGeorge Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com October 26, 2008 Sleazy 5 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy5.htm Feb. 8, 2009 Solstice Valentine http://www.cruisemaster.com/solstice.htm May 10, 2009 ALASKA http://www.cruisemaster.com/moagc4.htm > I agree that I don't like the model where the majority of "restaurants" on a > ship have additional costs, but cruise lines like Carnival, Princess and > Royal Caribbean may give you one or two specialty restaurants and still > maintain good quality in the dining rooms. Also some of the specialty areas are more fun. For instance the Johnny Rockets on the bigger RCCL ships. On 7/23/2008 8:08 AM Kurt Ullman plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger and said: > >> I agree that I don't like the model where the majority of "restaurants" on a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Johnny Rockets on the bigger RCCL ships. > Fun? Well maybe. But if I want to eat at a Johnny Rockets I can at the local shopping mall and probably at half the price! Signature________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 > Fun? Well maybe. But if I want to eat at a Johnny Rockets I can at the > local shopping mall and probably at half the price! But RCCL gives free admission to the JR for even the lowest levels of C&A membership. (Probably makes it even MORE fun, if you think about it.) >> Fun? Well maybe. But if I want to eat at a Johnny Rockets I can at the >> local shopping mall and probably at half the price! > > But RCCL gives free admission to the JR for even the lowest levels of > C&A membership. (Probably makes it even MORE fun, if you think about it.) I haven't been on RCCl since they started charging for JR. Are you saying they've discontinued charging? > >> Fun? Well maybe. But if I want to eat at a Johnny Rockets I can at the > >> local shopping mall and probably at half the price! [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I haven't been on RCCl since they started charging for JR. Are you saying > they've discontinued charging? The Crown and Anchor book that you get after the first trip (we are still amongst the lowest of the low) has a coupon for free "admission" to JR. Just like it has $5.00 free interenet access, 2 for 1 drinks, etc. Think of it as eating at Applebee's vs. eating > at a higher end restaurant when you're at home. Er. . . we "top out" at Applebee's when it comes to find dining with the Nonnys. Are you saying that there can be something better? SignatureNonny Nonnymus I'm not who you think I am. I'm not who I think I am. I am what I think you think I am. [Default] Thus spake Bill <billrubin@prodigy.net>: >> If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and >> variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >personal taste. Think of it as eating at Applebee's vs. eating >at a higher end restaurant when you're at home. We have only had one complaint in food. Our first cruise was a Carnival 5 day on the Celebration. After the 3rd night, the lettuce left something to be desired. Since then, it seems that most of the lines have been taking on short term perishables at various ports. And on something like a 14 day East West PC cruise, you can't stuff enough food into the freezers and fridges. > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat > at an additional cost? > > Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat > anywhere else? Regular dining is fine ... The specialty restauants are extras mainly for the ambience ... calmer quieter more intimate ... although also the cuts of meat ... the size of the shrimp ... the choice of desserts ... are somewhat better ... but nothing about regular dining is bad ... Food is, of course, a really subjective area. Some people love Brussel Sprouts or liver - I find them revolting. The food on most ships in most dining rooms is decent - some cruiselines have better food than others, but again, it's a subjective taste. The specialty restaurants, however, give you a choice to have a change of venue for dining, not to mention a special food. For instance, NCL's french restaurant has a chocolate fondue that is really amazing. Dining room has always been fine for me, although I usually end up in the buffet because I don't like to spend huge amounts of time on meals on my trips. I've also discovered that the buffet usually has the same food (at least on NCL) as the main dining room, so I feel I'd rather spend the time enjoying a mai tai in a quiet corner listening to the ocean than sitting and waiting for the food to be served. Not going to the dining room for most meals has the added benefit of gaining little or no weight on a cruise. In article <41fba54a-197b-4f88-884d-f9886906fe75@m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, > > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > desserts ... are somewhat better ... but nothing about regular dining > is bad ... Kay & I eat at least once in the specialties. After awhile the main dining becomes "home" and we like to go "out" once a week. We like the change of environment, pace, etc. > In article > <41fba54a-197b-4f88-884d-f9886906f...@m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > dining becomes "home" and we like to go "out" once a week. We like the > change of environment, pace, etc. Exactly as we look at it ... On our transatlantic/Iberian peninsula cruise earlier this year ... 3 specialty restaurant meals blended nicely with the 13 day cruise ... and 7 sea days overall ... > > In article > > <41fba54a-197b-4f88-884d-f9886906f...@m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > cruise earlier this year ... 3 specialty restaurant meals blended > nicely with the 13 day cruise ... and 7 sea days overall ... I just can't imagine having three restaurants. Why not go on a small cruise boat where the food is gourmet and made to your order every day? It's like having your own personal chef for the duration. --Margery Quasar Expeditions http://www.galapagosexpeditions.com >> > In article >> > <41fba54a-197b-4f88-884d-f9886906f...@m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >cruise boat where the food is gourmet and made to your order every >day? It's like having your own personal chef for the duration. The perception is that it's too expensive. Your company's cruises, for example, sound very interesting, and I'd love to go on one, but a week on one of your ships would cost two or three times what I would pay for a week on Princess or NCL (though not to the Galapagos). You might, by the way, want to update your web pages to show 2009 cruises instead of 2007 cruises. >--Margery > Quasar Expeditions > http://www.galapagosexpeditions.com > I just can't imagine having three restaurants. Why not go on a small > cruise boat where the food is gourmet and made to your order every [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Quasar Expeditions > http://www.galapagosexpeditions.com It depends on why you enjoy cruising. I like the ships and I enjoy being at sea. The entertainment onboard is one of the highlights for me, not so much the food. Becca We never eat in the specialty restaurants,since we are not big eaters,we are quite content with the food offered in the main dining room,or at the buffet. And do not think the cruise lines should charge for dining in another room. < cruise lover> > We never eat in the specialty restaurants,since we are not big eaters,we > are quite content with the food offered in the main dining room,or at [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > cruise lover> > I agree that the food offered in the special venues is a lot better than the food offered in the general dining rooms, The service is also a significant "cut above" the service in the general dining rooms. If the food is better and the service is more "intense" an additional charge is worthwhile. Just how much the additional charge amounts to is another matter. I believe that the price point is set to ensure that the extra charge dining room returns the highest potential profit, not a reflection of what it costs the line to provide. Cheers, John in LALALand (Where everything is extra!) > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat > at an additional cost? > > Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat > anywhere else? As others have said, it's very much about presentation. You might even use the term entertainment. Sometimes you'll get something very unique in a specialty restaurant. Or something so memorable, that you'll always remember it. The goat cheese soufflé in the Celebrity specialty restaurants is in that category - simply outstanding. I've even made it at home a number of times (the recipe was in the Celebrity magazine). And even better was the mandarin orange crème brule in Todd English on the Queen Mary 2. That's the best dessert I've ever had. Period. Case closed. Another interesting (and free) specialty restaurant on the Queen Mary 2 was the one called Chef's Galley, which is basically an "Emeril Live" at sea. You get to eat the exact same meal that the chef prepares (though chefs behind the demonstration area prepare the larger quantities required to feed the 6 tables of guests). IMHO, the specialty restaurant food is what you got in the main dining room 10-15 years ago. All the lines have made their main dining menus less appetizing and the specialty restaurants are to bring in more money for the cruise lines. Again, JMHO but I really think accurate after cruising regularly for the last 30 years. > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat > at an additional cost? > > Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat > anywhere else? > IMHO, the specialty restaurant food is what you got in the main dining room > 10-15 years ago. All the lines have made their main dining menus less > appetizing and the specialty restaurants are to bring in more money for the > cruise lines. Again, JMHO but I really think accurate after cruising > regularly for the last 30 years. Well said! > > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat > > at an additional cost? > > > Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat > > anywhere else? The joke is the specialty dining on the Constellation last April. The dining room was beautiful but so was the regular dining room. The food was about same in each. The service was very odd to say the least. We were told the menu was a 2 part choice. The left side had 3 or 4 courses and no wine.......but for just a "little" more money the right side had 1 or 2 additional courses and wine throughout the dinner, changing with each course. The problem was our party of 4 were instructed we had to ALL order from the same side of the menu. This was ? can't find the right word. We opted for the left side since only 2 drank wine. Bread was served on your individual bread plate with the 1st course. When dishes were picked up after the 1st course the bread plates were also removed.......except one lady at the table told the waiter she wasn't finished with hers. He looked confused and seemed reluctant when he walked away. The bread plate became a joke/issue during the dinner when the waiter repeatedly tried to remove it. At one point he managed to do this while we were deep in conversation. However our lady friend insisted he bring a new plate and more bread. It had become a "sore point" with her. At over $30.00 each for dinner we all thought she should have her bread plate at her place as long as she wanted it. The rest of the meal was comical. 4 waiters brought the main course to our table and (after a silent nod) in unison removed the large silver domes. This was performed like a ballet. We were finally able to thaw out all our servers and had a good laugh with them about the entire production. After all it wasn't their fault that Celebrity (who we love) had concocted this ? idea. Compare this to the specialty dinning on the Miracle. That experience was delightful. Service was superb and the food even better than the Constellation. If we did another specialty dinner it would be for the quiet and elegant ambiance. ~~DORY~~ ________ / /___/ /___/ /_________ \::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >The joke is the specialty dining on the Constellation last April. The >dining room was beautiful but so was the regular dining room. The food [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >? can't find the right word. We opted for the left side since only 2 >drank wine. They do that because the number of courses served varies, and they don't want to have half of the table being served food while the other half sits there with an empty plate. Why they think it's not up to the guests to decide whether that's ok? I don't know. In Le Bistro (on NCL), I was able to mix and match between the two sides - that is, I could get items from the expensive side served as replacements for items on the less expensive side. That eliminated the problem described above. I don't remember whether I tried that on Celebrity or not. I think I switched the soup or the salad, not one of the main dishes. Whether you can do it probably depends on the mood of the waiter, head-waiter, and chef, how busy the restaurant is, whether they're running low on anything, the phase of the moon, etc. >Bread was served on your individual bread plate with the >1st course. When dishes were picked up after the 1st course the bread >plates were also removed.......except one lady at the table told the >waiter she wasn't finished with hers. He looked confused and seemed >reluctant when he walked away. >The bread plate became a joke/issue during the dinner when the waiter >repeatedly tried to remove it. At one point he managed to do this while >we were deep in conversation. However our lady friend insisted he bring >a new plate and more bread. It had become a "sore point" with her. At >over $30.00 each for dinner we all thought she should have her bread >plate at her place as long as she wanted it. Their attitude seems silly at best. I have the same problem when I want the bread to stay on the table through dessert. >The rest of the meal was >comical. 4 waiters brought the main course to our table and (after a [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >with them about the entire production. After all it wasn't their fault >that Celebrity (who we love) had concocted this ? idea. Celebrity didn't concoct it. It's an old tradition. >Compare this to the specialty dinning on the Miracle. That experience >was delightful. Service was superb and the food even better than the >Constellation. > >If we did another specialty dinner it would be for the quiet and elegant >ambiance. I don't think I would say that the specialty restaurant ambience was more elegant on either Celebrity or NCL, just quieter and darker. > Bread was served on your individual bread plate with the >1st course. When dishes were picked up after the 1st course the bread >plates were also removed.. Hi Dory, The bread is served in this manner in many European restaurants. > The rest of the meal was >comical. 4 waiters brought the main course to our table and (after a >silent nod) in unison removed the large silver domes. This was >performed like a ballet. This is done in upscale European restaurants. Best regards, Ray LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905 http://www.lighthousetravel.com -- >> The rest of the meal was >> comical. 4 waiters brought the main course to our table and (after a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Best regards, > Ray When we've had dinner at Emeril's Fish House in MGM Grand here in Las Vegas, the dinner is served in a similar fashion. There's one server per diner, and the entree is presented to the diners at a table simultaneously. Even with all the servers, they still get miffed when you request catsup for the lobster, though. SignatureNonny Nonnymus I'm not who you think I am. I'm not who I think I am. I am what I think you think I am. >>> The rest of the meal was >>> comical. 4 waiters brought the main course to our table and (after a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >simultaneously. Even with all the servers, they still get miffed when >you request catsup for the lobster, though. You just need to ask for the "sauce aux tomates". Thank you Ray. Now we understand. Since we were aboard a ship and not in a European country it never occurred to us this might be the custom. Live & learn. <big smile> ~~DORY~~ ________ / /___/ /___/ /_________ \::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:06:24 -0400, dorysamu...@webtv.net (Dory > > The rest of the meal was > >comical. 4 waiters brought the main course to our table and (after a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Best regards, > Ray With all due respect Ray, the service in a fine restaurant should be invisible. The focus should be on the food, not on the waitstaff serving it. Fine service means your needs should be anticipated; for instance, the correct silverware for the course being served next should be there in front of you. And, this service should be provided almost invisibly, so there's no break in the flow of the meal. Never should the waitstaff draw such attention to themselves that they disrupt the conversation of the diners (except for taking orders). In my opinion, the "ballet" of removing the silver domes is tacky. Again, it should be the food that's the star, not the folks serving it. >With all due respect Ray, the service in a fine restaurant should be >invisible. Hi Lee, Thanks for the respect. <:+) I stated what happens at the restaurants to explain why they do this on ships. They did not ask my opinion nor yours and will no doubt continue this service whether we like it or not. Best regards, Ray LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905 http://www.lighthousetravel.com -- >> With all due respect Ray, the service in a fine restaurant should be >> invisible. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > on ships. They did not ask my opinion nor yours and will no doubt > continue this service whether we like it or not. I guess we differ. I feel a fine restaurant should offer diversion to go along with the food. For me, it's still Chuck Cheese when I want the very best. Nonny Nonnymus I'm not who you think I am. I'm not who I think I am. I am what I think you think I am. > I guess we differ. I feel a fine restaurant should offer diversion to > go along with the food. For me, it's still Chuck Cheese when I want the > very best. If you want diversion, you can't beat Hooters. >For me, it's still Chuck Cheese when I want the >very best. Hi Nonny, Ah yes, enjoying the Skytubes® attraction along with a Super Combo and free refills on soft drinks. What more could we ask for? <:+) Been there, done that with the world's cutest granddaughter. Best regards, Ray LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905 http://www.lighthousetravel.com -- > Ah yes, enjoying the Skytubes® attraction along with a Super Combo and > free refills on soft drinks. What more could we ask for? <:+) > Been there, done that with the world's cutest granddaughter. > > The other good thing about eating a pizza at CEC (at least when my kids used to go there 20 years or so ago) is the warm feeling you get from patronizing what has to be the country's largest recycler of cardboard. (g)_. >> For me, it's still Chuck Cheese when I want the >> very best. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > free refills on soft drinks. What more could we ask for? <:+) > Been there, done that with the world's cutest granddaughter. Ray, when our kids were little, we visited ChuckECheese precisely 2 times before both the kids and we tired of it. Now, however, I take great enjoyment of listening to our son and his wife describe their visits to it with their own children. Our granddaughers absolutely love the place, however, and since one of the birthdays almost coincides with an anniversary, the kids now celebrate both at ChuckECheese. <grin> Nonny Nonnymus I'm not who you think I am. I'm not who I think I am. I am what I think you think I am. > On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:06:24 -0400, dorysamu...@webtv.net (Dory > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905http://www.lighthousetravel.com > -- I agree with Ray (doesn't that make you feel more secure Ray? :) ). The silver dome thing is an European thing. I've seen it in several of the finest restaurants in Paris. I've always been uncertain about tipping in ships' alternative restaurants. Is service included in the price of the restaurant? >I agree with Ray (doesn't that make you feel more secure Ray? :) ). >The silver dome thing is an European thing. I've seen it in several >of the finest restaurants in Paris. > >I've always been uncertain about tipping in ships' alternative >restaurants. Is service included in the price of the restaurant? Hi Bob, Thanks for the verification that I am not completely crazy (only partially). <:+) As far as tipping in the specialty restaurants, it really varies by cruise line so there is not one correct answer. Best regards, Ray LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905 http://www.lighthousetravel.com -- Sometimes you feel like getting some food not on the regular menu like lobster or filet mignon....... --- http://www.moviesitearchive.com/travel > If food, which is included in the fare, is of good quality and > variety, why do they also have restaurants on board where you can eat > at an additional cost? > > Is the food really that bad that you would willingly pay to eat > anywhere else? On board food is whatever you want it to be. Optional extra cost restaurants were so greatly rejected initially that NCL dropped their charge for Le Bistro, but soon brought back the charge and it has become a staple. HAL gave a free dinner in an optional restaurant to their high-level Mariners Club members, once a cruise, but I think that this has bit the dust. Optional restaurants do give a nice venue to celebrate special occasions for long dinners and an opportunity to "show-off" for those who cruise for that purpose. Ferry ships in Europe offer everything a la carte including the show, the cabin, and food choices from gourmet to fast food. Easy Cruise does al la carte cruising in the med and caribbean, but I don't think that this is what Americans want in cruising and Europeans prefer all inclusive pricing including tips and wine and beer. Inspector Gadget >HAL gave a free dinner in an optional restaurant to their high-level >Mariners Club members, once a cruise, but I think that this has bit the >dust. NCL claims to give a free dinner in Le Bistro to Platinum Latitudes members (14 or more cruises). Given NCL's general administrative incompetence, I suspect that sometimes that benefit gets lost. Generally when we cruise we like to have a "special" night out to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We ususlly go to the steak and lobster restaurant and treat ourselves to the full bill-of-faire and pass on the regular dining room. This does not mean that the regular dining room does not have good food. The other pay-as-you-go restaurants are just something a little special. While we will also opt for paying a bit extra for the special dining that is available on most ship these days, one or two times while on the cruise, we have not experienced any noticeable downgrading of either the food and/or service for traditional dining. Even though in reading through these threads, some obviously feel different, this may have more to do with what they ordered from the menu to begin with and their attitude. For example, on one cruise our assigned tablemates (a couple) complained that the food was rather dry, and ended up ordering something else. Actually, to me, the problem was not really with the food or service, it is the fact that they showed up 45 minutes late for dinner. Of course, people like that will never accept the blame or responsibility for their own actions, so in this case, it was the kitchens fault. Even so, the staff and kitchen did come through as best they could consider the now limited time frame. Happy sailing... John Sisker - SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY (sm) (714) 536-3850 or toll-free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency ID: 714.536.3850) www.shiptoshorecruise.com |
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