Ocean Cruise Food?

Share your experiences!

Andy

On Apr 10, 8:39�am, Andy > wrote:
> Ocean Cruise Food?
>
> Share your experiences!
>
> Andy

Good Morning Andy,

Generally the food seems to be very good to excellent. They have
everything . The buffet seems to be open and loaded nearly all the
time. The dining room has a menu , you order from the menu. However,
if you do not like anything on the menu , just tell them. they will
fix what ever you like. If you have a special thing you want.... say
every day a shrimp cocktail, just tell your waiter. It will be there
waiting for you.

The ships all seem to have speciality restaurants, ranging from
Hamburgers and fast food ( Johnny Rockets) to more dressy and formal
Italian or steak places. There is usually a moderate surcharge for
these places.

Usually on the menu there is a vegatarian offering and a spa or lower
calorie offering. All have been delish.

Once I had a dessert I especially liked, the waiter brought me the
recipe.

More than once I have eaten in my room. There will be a knock at the
door and a couple waiters come in with a complete meal and bottle of
wine.

You may eat a little or a lot. It is hard to resist all the good
looking well prepared food.Generally when in port, you will have
specialties of the area. I have never had bad food.

If you are sitting at a table with people you do not care for, you can
always change your seats.

Did I cover enough?? If you need to ask more questions, just email me.

Rosie

rosie said...

> On Apr 10, 8:39�am, Andy > wrote:
>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>
>> Share your experiences!
>>
>> Andy
>
> Good Morning Andy,
>
> Generally the food seems to be very good to excellent. They have
> everything . The buffet seems to be open and loaded nearly all the
> time. The dining room has a menu , you order from the menu. However,
> if you do not like anything on the menu , just tell them. they will
> fix what ever you like. If you have a special thing you want.... say
> every day a shrimp cocktail, just tell your waiter. It will be there
> waiting for you.
>
> The ships all seem to have speciality restaurants, ranging from
> Hamburgers and fast food ( Johnny Rockets) to more dressy and formal
> Italian or steak places. There is usually a moderate surcharge for
> these places.
>
> Usually on the menu there is a vegatarian offering and a spa or lower
> calorie offering. All have been delish.
>
> Once I had a dessert I especially liked, the waiter brought me the
> recipe.
>
> More than once I have eaten in my room. There will be a knock at the
> door and a couple waiters come in with a complete meal and bottle of
> wine.
>
> You may eat a little or a lot. It is hard to resist all the good
> looking well prepared food.Generally when in port, you will have
> specialties of the area. I have never had bad food.
>
> If you are sitting at a table with people you do not care for, you can
> always change your seats.
>
> Did I cover enough?? If you need to ask more questions, just email me.
>
> Rosie


Rosie,

Great reply!!! I stopped shy of asking all the questions you answered!

Does the menu vary as you approach different ports of call to include noted
cuisine? They probably plan that in advance?!?

Thanks!

[waving]

Andy

Andy said...

> Does the menu vary as you approach different ports of call to include
> noted cuisine? They probably plan that in advance?!?


Rosie,

You already answered that question. Sorry!

STOP READING MY MIND!!!

<grins>

Best,

Andy

On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:36:05 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>rosie said...
>
>> On Apr 10, 8:39�am, Andy > wrote:
>>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>>
>>> Share your experiences!
>>>
>>> Andy
>>
>> Good Morning Andy,
>>
>> Generally the food seems to be very good to excellent. They have
>> everything . The buffet seems to be open and loaded nearly all the
>> time. The dining room has a menu , you order from the menu. However,
>> if you do not like anything on the menu , just tell them. they will
>> fix what ever you like. If you have a special thing you want.... say
>> every day a shrimp cocktail, just tell your waiter. It will be there
>> waiting for you.
>>
>> The ships all seem to have speciality restaurants, ranging from
>> Hamburgers and fast food ( Johnny Rockets) to more dressy and formal
>> Italian or steak places. There is usually a moderate surcharge for
>> these places.
>>
>> Usually on the menu there is a vegatarian offering and a spa or lower
>> calorie offering. All have been delish.
>>
>> Once I had a dessert I especially liked, the waiter brought me the
>> recipe.
>>
>> More than once I have eaten in my room. There will be a knock at the
>> door and a couple waiters come in with a complete meal and bottle of
>> wine.
>>
>> You may eat a little or a lot. It is hard to resist all the good
>> looking well prepared food.Generally when in port, you will have
>> specialties of the area. I have never had bad food.
>>
>> If you are sitting at a table with people you do not care for, you can
>> always change your seats.
>>
>> Did I cover enough?? If you need to ask more questions, just email me.
>>
>> Rosie
>
>
>Rosie,
>
>Great reply!!! I stopped shy of asking all the questions you answered!
>
>Does the menu vary as you approach different ports of call to include noted
>cuisine? They probably plan that in advance?!?
>
>Thanks!
>
>[waving]
>
>Andy

It does somewhat, but the staples like roast beef etc. are still
available. What I liked about Carnival is that on one side of the
entrance to the main informal dining room (pool deck) were hamburgers
and fries etc., on the other side sandwiches like reubens etc.. Then
the main dining room had complete entrees, salads, etc.
The back of the the ship behind the informal dining room overlooking
the stern of the ship( ocean ) through a glass wall had Pizza, five
kinds and they put out about thirty every five minutes... they were
only nine inch but delicious

Then there was the formal dining rooms, that's a whole other post.

On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:39:53 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>Ocean Cruise Food?
>
>Share your experiences!
>
I wasn't bowled over by the quality (carribean cruises). Didn't even
partake in late night snacking. I went to dinner at eight and spent
the rest of the night(s) dancing. I do like all the little cafes
where you can get a pizza or ice cream whenever the mood hits.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Andy wrote:
> Ocean Cruise Food?
>
> Share your experiences!
>
> Andy

We've done lots of cruises and by and large the food is always good and
the dining experience is great. I just love being fussed over by the
wait staff and having them anticipate my desires before I even get into
my seat.

That said, I do have to say that the worst dining experience was on
Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) Their "Freestyle" cruising has a dining
experience reminiscent of Applebees on a Saturday night. There is no
assigned seating. If you want to eat at the most common times (so that
you can get to the entertainment show) you often have to wait until they
find you a table. We waited as long as 30 minutes on our cruise. Because
all diners don't arrive at around the same time, the staff is running
around like chickens with their heads cut off. We did not have one meal
in the main dining room where someone did not drop a tray. Chaotic
pretty much describes the ambiance. It was not a happy experience and I
believe the cruise line designs it that way so that passengers will pay
extra for the fancy restaurants. (where the service isn't much better,
but it costs you a premium)

NCL's buffet was not much better than a high school cafeteria. The food
was always the same and not very good. Other lines generally have dishes
on the buffet that are being served in the main dining room for the
passengers who don't want to go to the regular seatings.

We mostly cruise with Royal Caribbean. We really enjoy the entire dining
experience and the food is pretty good, too. They have begun a "my time"
dining program where a section of the dining room is reserved for those
who don't want the hours of the two regular seatings. They take
reservations for two people which NCL refused to do.


--
Janet Wilder
way-the-heck-south Texas
spelling doesn't count
but cooking does

Janet Wilder wrote:
> Andy wrote:
>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>
>> Share your experiences!
>>
>> Andy
>
> We've done lots of cruises and by and large the food is always good
> and the dining experience is great. I just love being fussed over by
> the wait staff and having them anticipate my desires before I even get
> into my seat.
>
> That said, I do have to say that the worst dining experience was on
> Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) Their "Freestyle" cruising has a dining
> experience reminiscent of Applebees on a Saturday night. There is no
> assigned seating. If you want to eat at the most common times (so that
> you can get to the entertainment show) you often have to wait until
> they find you a table. We waited as long as 30 minutes on our cruise.
> Because all diners don't arrive at around the same time, the staff is
> running around like chickens with their heads cut off. We did not have
> one meal in the main dining room where someone did not drop a tray.
> Chaotic pretty much describes the ambiance. It was not a happy
> experience and I believe the cruise line designs it that way so that
> passengers will pay extra for the fancy restaurants. (where the
> service isn't much better, but it costs you a premium)
>
> NCL's buffet was not much better than a high school cafeteria. The
> food was always the same and not very good. Other lines generally have
> dishes on the buffet that are being served in the main dining room for
> the passengers who don't want to go to the regular seatings.
>
> We mostly cruise with Royal Caribbean. We really enjoy the entire
> dining experience and the food is pretty good, too. They have begun a
> "my time" dining program where a section of the dining room is
> reserved for those who don't want the hours of the two regular
> seatings. They take reservations for two people which NCL refused to do.


Janet, I could not agree with you more, concerning Norwegian Cruise
Lines. About 20 years ago they were my favorite cruise line, but NCL
was purchased by Star Cruises, late in 1998, and the wheels began
falling off the wagon.


Remember when the waiters, assistant waiters and cabin stewards on NCL
were all from Haiti or Jamaica? I was on the Norwegian Sky in December
of '98 when the rumors of a buy out were flying, and the employees were
worried about their jobs. Star Cruises is a Malaysian company and the
employees were afraid they would be replaced by Asians.


The Jean Ann Ryan dancers do a wonderful job, and I have missed seeing
them. At one time NCL made the best pastries, but all of that has
changed. The Asian model for cruises is different than what most
cruisers are accustomed to. Oh, and Apollo Management has purchased 50%
of the stock, and that made the situation worse. If you go on a NCL
cruise, be prepared to buy your meals in the for-purchase restaurants at
night, because the food in the dining room is not what it used to be.


None of this has helped Andy at all. lol Andy, you may want to try
the newsgroup rec.travel.cruises. I have been on over 60 cruises and I
am still learning. Do I have a favorite cruise line? Not yet, but I
am working on it.


Becca

On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:48:12 -0500, Becca > wrote:

>None of this has helped Andy at all. lol Andy, you may want to try
>the newsgroup rec.travel.cruises. I have been on over 60 cruises and I
>am still learning. Do I have a favorite cruise line? Not yet, but I
>am working on it.

*60* cruises? Are you a travel guide????

I like Costa, but it was my first trip a bazillion years ago.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:
> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:48:12 -0500, Becca > wrote:
>
>
>> None of this has helped Andy at all. lol Andy, you may want to try
>> the newsgroup rec.travel.cruises. I have been on over 60 cruises and I
>> am still learning. Do I have a favorite cruise line? Not yet, but I
>> am working on it.
>>
>
> *60* cruises? Are you a travel guide????
>
> I like Costa, but it was my first trip a bazillion years ago.

Costa and Holland America are two cruise lines I have never tried, but I
may try HAL in early December, if they drop the prices. They say
Holland American is the cruise line were elderly people take their
parents on vacation. lol


Becca

Becca said...

> sf wrote:
>> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:48:12 -0500, Becca > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> None of this has helped Andy at all. lol Andy, you may want to try
>>> the newsgroup rec.travel.cruises. I have been on over 60 cruises and I
>>> am still learning. Do I have a favorite cruise line? Not yet, but I
>>> am working on it.
>>>
>>
>> *60* cruises? Are you a travel guide????
>>
>> I like Costa, but it was my first trip a bazillion years ago.
>
> Costa and Holland America are two cruise lines I have never tried, but I
> may try HAL in early December, if they drop the prices. They say
> Holland American is the cruise line were elderly people take their
> parents on vacation. lol
>
>
> Becca


BECCA!!!!!!

On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:54:18 -0500, Becca > wrote:

>Costa and Holland America are two cruise lines I have never tried, but I
>may try HAL in early December, if they drop the prices. They say
>Holland American is the cruise line were elderly people take their
>parents on vacation. lol

From what I've heard, HAL has an excellent reputation. I like a quiet
ship until it's club time... I love it when the dance floor comes
alive. Which cruise line is favored by Italians? After 60 cruises,
you should know this one (I don't). They are marvelous party people -
I wouldn't mind cruising with a boatload of Italians!

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
>
> That said, I do have to say that the worst dining experience was on
> Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) Their "Freestyle" cruising has a dining
> experience reminiscent of Applebees on a Saturday night.

> NCL's buffet was not much better than a high school cafeteria. The food
> was always the same and not very good. Other lines generally have dishes
> on the buffet that are being served in the main dining room for the
> passengers who don't want to go to the regular seatings.

My niece asked us to go with her on a cruise to Italy, France, Spain. We
declined after looking at the schedule. Every day the ship was in a
different port and you had to be back by 5 or 6PM when it left. Dinner was
on board. Why, when visiting countries with some of the best food in the
world would I want to eat at a cattle trough on a ship? I go to these
places to enjoy the local ambiance and food. I can get Applebees any time.

On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:56:53 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>Why, when visiting countries with some of the best food in the
>world would I want to eat at a cattle trough on a ship? I go to these
>places to enjoy the local ambiance and food. I can get Applebees any time.

I wouldn't put it that way, but I agree with you as far as partaking
in the local cuisine. I probably would have eaten early in port
though.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:56:53 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
> wrote:
>
>>Why, when visiting countries with some of the best food in the
>>world would I want to eat at a cattle trough on a ship? I go to these
>>places to enjoy the local ambiance and food. I can get Applebees any time.
>
> I wouldn't put it that way, but I agree with you as far as partaking
> in the local cuisine. I probably would have eaten early in port
> though.
>

The time in port was too short for a good visit, IMO. On a 12 day cruise
there were only 40 hours on land spread out over 9 ports of call. Of that
40 hours, some would be lost just finding transportation.

I guess it depends on how you view the trip. To me, visiting a different
area of the country or the world in an opportunity to see the scenery, meet
the people, learn how others live, and absorb the culture. The cruise was
more of a long ride on a ship with occasional short diversions to some
different city. Time to stretch your legs before boarding again.

Ed Pawlowski said...

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:56:53 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Why, when visiting countries with some of the best food in the
>>>world would I want to eat at a cattle trough on a ship? I go to these
>>>places to enjoy the local ambiance and food. I can get Applebees any
>>>time.
>>
>> I wouldn't put it that way, but I agree with you as far as partaking
>> in the local cuisine. I probably would have eaten early in port
>> though.
>>
>
> The time in port was too short for a good visit, IMO. On a 12 day cruise
> there were only 40 hours on land spread out over 9 ports of call. Of
> that 40 hours, some would be lost just finding transportation.
>
> I guess it depends on how you view the trip. To me, visiting a different
> area of the country or the world in an opportunity to see the scenery,
> meet the people, learn how others live, and absorb the culture. The
> cruise was more of a long ride on a ship with occasional short
> diversions to some different city. Time to stretch your legs before
> boarding again.


Ed,

You make it sound like an elementary school day field trip!

Best,

Andy
--
Eat first, talk later.

On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:33:09 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>I guess it depends on how you view the trip. To me, visiting a different
>area of the country or the world in an opportunity to see the scenery, meet
>the people, learn how others live, and absorb the culture. The cruise was
>more of a long ride on a ship with occasional short diversions to some
>different city. Time to stretch your legs before boarding again.

You also have the option of leaving the ship at one port and hooking
up with it at another. In any case, we have different views on
cruising. My idea of a good cruise are the days spent at sea and I
like the idea of a traveling hotel.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:56:53 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Why, when visiting countries with some of the best food in the
>>> world would I want to eat at a cattle trough on a ship? I go to these
>>> places to enjoy the local ambiance and food. I can get Applebees any time.
>> I wouldn't put it that way, but I agree with you as far as partaking
>> in the local cuisine. I probably would have eaten early in port
>> though.
>>
>
> The time in port was too short for a good visit, IMO. On a 12 day cruise
> there were only 40 hours on land spread out over 9 ports of call. Of that
> 40 hours, some would be lost just finding transportation.
>
> I guess it depends on how you view the trip. To me, visiting a different
> area of the country or the world in an opportunity to see the scenery, meet
> the people, learn how others live, and absorb the culture. The cruise was
> more of a long ride on a ship with occasional short diversions to some
> different city. Time to stretch your legs before boarding again.
>
>
It's true that you don't get to spend enough time in a city to
thoroughly appreciate it, but for some of us with limited travel ability
it works. I like the ides of not having to pack and unpack and deal with
airports or hotels.

If you want to do some leisurely travel with out havin g to pack and
unpack, try a river barge cruise. We did one from Budapest to Amsterdam
on Uniworld and it was fantastic. The head chef even took me to the
kitchen for a tour. These river barge cruises are more expensive than
the ones the ocean liner companies offer, but they are so much more
relaxed and gracious. The food on our river barge cruise was awesome.
One day we came back for lunch and they had a Bavarian feast complete
with suckling pig, 7 different kinds of sausages and all the other stuff.

The chef told me that he had corporate permission to purchase any of the
fresh ingredients sold at the farmers markets where the barge would
anchor. One time I saw some wonderful morels and to my delight, they
appeared on the menu in various dishes and even in the breakfast omelets.

--
Janet Wilder
way-the-heck-south Texas
spelling doesn't count
but cooking does

"Andy" wrote:
>
> Ocean Cruise Food?
>
> Share your experiences!
>
>
Whaddaya wanna know... I got everything from Real Deal SOS to Kosher Style
Roast Fresh Ham... here, you gotta try the Mid Rats Scrapple. hehe

brooklyn1 said...

>
> "Andy" wrote:
>>
>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>
>> Share your experiences!
>>
>>
> Whaddaya wanna know... I got everything from Real Deal SOS to Kosher
Style
> Roast Fresh Ham... here, you gotta try the Mid Rats Scrapple. hehe


brooklyn1

LOLOL!!!

I meant a PLEASURE cruise!

Ya BUM!!!

Andy
--
Eat first, talk later.

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> brooklyn1 said...
>
>>
>> "Andy" wrote:
>>>
>>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>>
>>> Share your experiences!
>>>
>>>
>> Whaddaya wanna know... I got everything from Real Deal SOS to Kosher
> Style
>> Roast Fresh Ham... here, you gotta try the Mid Rats Scrapple. hehe
>
>
> brooklyn1
>
> LOLOL!!!
>
> I meant a PLEASURE cruise!
>
> Ya BUM!!!
>
> Andy
>
I mostly remember the pleasures.

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Andy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> brooklyn1 said...
>>
>>>
>>> "Andy" wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>>>
>>>> Share your experiences!
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Whaddaya wanna know... I got everything from Real Deal SOS to Kosher
>> Style
>>> Roast Fresh Ham... here, you gotta try the Mid Rats Scrapple. hehe
>>
>>
>> brooklyn1
>>
>> LOLOL!!!
>>
>> I meant a PLEASURE cruise!
>>
>> Ya BUM!!!
>>
>> Andy
>>
> I mostly remember the pleasures.
Yeah, I bet your hand was tired when you came home.

On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:37:31 -0500, Andy > wrote:
>
>I meant a PLEASURE cruise!
>
Check out this site, Andy.

http://vacationstogo.com/

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf said...

> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:37:31 -0500, Andy > wrote:
>>
>>I meant a PLEASURE cruise!
>>
> Check out this site, Andy.
>
> http://vacationstogo.com/


sf,

Whoa! There's a weeks worth of reading to wade through!!!

The "Cruise Ship Dining" sidebar link looks, on first inspection, very
informative.

Thanks!

Best,

Andy
--
Eat first, talk later.

On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:15:06 -0500, Andy > wrote:

>sf said...
>
>> On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:37:31 -0500, Andy > wrote:
>>>
>>>I meant a PLEASURE cruise!
>>>
>> Check out this site, Andy.
>>
>> http://vacationstogo.com/
>
>
>sf,
>
>Whoa! There's a weeks worth of reading to wade through!!!
>
>The "Cruise Ship Dining" sidebar link looks, on first inspection, very
>informative.
>
You're very welcome, Andy.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Apr 10, 9:39*am, Andy > wrote:
> Ocean Cruise Food?
>
> Share your experiences!
>
> Andy

Hi Andy,

I know next to nothing about cruises (never taken one),but I would
think another place to check would be tripadvisor.com. I use it for
travel all the time. They get reviews from all sorts of travelers, and
you get the "real deal" as to the advice. Much like here.

Kris

Kris said...

> On Apr 10, 9:39*am, Andy > wrote:
>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>
>> Share your experiences!
>>
>> Andy
>
> Hi Andy,
>
> I know next to nothing about cruises (never taken one),but I would
> think another place to check would be tripadvisor.com. I use it for
> travel all the time. They get reviews from all sorts of travelers, and
> you get the "real deal" as to the advice. Much like here.
>
> Kris


Kris,

Thank you!

Best,

Andy
--
Eat first, talk later.

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> Kris said...
>
>> On Apr 10, 9:39 am, Andy > wrote:
>>> Ocean Cruise Food?
>>>
>>> Share your experiences!
>>>
>>> Andy
>>
>> Hi Andy,
>>
>> I know next to nothing about cruises (never taken one),but I would
>> think another place to check would be tripadvisor.com. I use it for
>> travel all the time. They get reviews from all sorts of travelers, and
>> you get the "real deal" as to the advice. Much like here.
>>
>> Kris
>
>
> Kris,
>
> Thank you!
>
> Best,
>
> Andy
> --
> Eat first, talk later.


Andy, I have been on 21 cruises now and enjoyed each and every one of them.
Even the one where we rode out hurricane Isadora.
The food can be wonderful and the food can be mediocre, Salmon is a tough
one to fix for hundreds of people, but Carnival gets it right every time. I
would kill about now for a bowl of West Indian Pumpkin soup.
Some things I don't order are the other fish dishes that are not cooked to
order, as by the time it's plated, it's well over cooked. If it's in a
'casserole type of dish, steer clear of it and go for a nice rare filet.
Burgers are good, bread is quite good, and some of the dessert are good.
But as good as some of them are, it seems I usually end up ordering a cheese
plate with a glass of wine...
Take a cruise and give the food a try

Peaches in Rowlett TX

On Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:20:34 -0500, "Peachie1"
> wrote:

>I would kill about now for a bowl of West Indian Pumpkin soup.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/ar...za-squash.html
I wonder if canned American pumpkin could be satisfactorily
substituted? http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/0631.html


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:20:34 -0500, "Peachie1"
> > wrote:
>
>>I would kill about now for a bowl of West Indian Pumpkin soup.
>
> http://www.foodreference.com/html/ar...za-squash.html
> I wonder if canned American pumpkin could be satisfactorily
> substituted? http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/0631.html
>
>
> --
> I love cooking with wine.
> Sometimes I even put it in the food.


Thanks for that. Living in the Dallas area, we have quite a number of Latin
food stores. Our canned pumpkin doesn't work. Trust me....
I appreciate it sf

Peaches in
Rowlett TX