Food Quality of Windjammer

[JoeRC19]

Hello.  I recently traveled on the Independence and Explorer cruise ships and noticed that the food quality has gone down a lot. At least only at the Windjammer. And the options in the buffet are no longer as varied.  Has anyone noticed this? Are they cutting food expenses to cover losses by Covid19?

[Ampurp85]

I notice this as well, but I don't this is a direct cut of food expenses. More like a combination of everything going on. They may have had to change vendors because they were shut down for 15months. Or the vendors they normally used are available, but their supply is different. Also, they are serving lest food because of capacity. Some chefs learn to cook only massive amounts and cooking in smaller batches mess with their mojo. 

[CruisingNewb]

34 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I notice this as well, but I don't this is a direct cut of food expenses. More like a combination of everything going on. They may have had to change vendors because they were shut down for 15months. Or the vendors they normally used are available, but their supply is different. Also, they are serving lest food because of capacity. Some chefs learn to cook only massive amounts and cooking in smaller batches mess with their mojo. 

As a former chef...all of this is on point!

[Linda R]

On Oasis I very much enjoyed the food and variety at Windjammer.  

[Baked Alaska]

We were on Oasis Dec 26-Jan 2 sailing 2021-2022. I noticed the food in the Windjammer was not up to par. Fewer offerings and the quality was just not there, at least for breakfast and lunch: half-empty curry pans with dried curry on the sides, dried out egg dishes. The brunch in the Solarium Bistro was not good. Just plain old yuck. Same issues as the Windjammer, sans the curry. The specialty restaurants, however, were excellent.

[CruiseGus]

Although I reconize food is very subjective, I am on Explorer right now, 2nd week, and I find the food to be very good. 

I see a lot of the same things at Breakfast every day, but how varied can you be?

Lunch has had a good variety to go along with the common always there burgers, dogs, etc.  Some days a pasta bar and other a salad bar.  

Although I eat in MDR ech evening almost nightly like to make my inspection tour of Windjammer and I find a dfferent theme each night with what I consider decent variety, once or twice I've told my wife, who occationaly accomanies me on my tour, I almost wish I'd have had dinner in Windjammer instead of MDR.

Again yes there are things that they can run out of and it can be noticed, for a couple of days on recent cruises, no Bananas, limited vegtables, but they are trying.

[Baked Alaska]

I am looking forward to the Windjammer on this summer's Radiance sailing! 

[Fairlynew]

Also, supply chain issues may make it more difficult to obtain certain ingredients.

[Nate Y]

I don't have much to compare it to but I cruised last week and thought the food on the Windjammer was average to above-average for buffet fare. Tried corned-beef hash for the first time and loved it.  We closed the Windjammer on disembarkation day, we could hardly stop eating.

[JasonOasis]

Windjammers has been knocking it out of the park on Anthem.  I've only done breakfast and lunch at Windjammers on Anthem over the past 10 days I can say not a bad meal at all on any of those days.

I wish I could say the same things about Chops. Chops normally is one of my favorite restaurants onboard but on this cruise Chops has been a swing and a miss both times that we've gone. The first time we went I was like this has to be a fluke the kitchen is having an off night at Chops, we went to Chops again last night and again the food was terrible. I'm just going to chalk it up to the fact that the Northeast was hit with that major blizzard 2 days before we boarded Anthem and perhaps Chops couldn't get the quality of meat and seafood they are use to getting do to the storm.

[Eric26]

Just went on Adventure of the Seas last week and the food was absolutely disgusting. Will not be going on another cruise after that terrible experience. Most of the food seemed fake and like it had been sitting in a freezer for years. Just awful quality. 

[SpeedNoodles]

1 hour ago, Eric26 said:

Just went on Adventure of the Seas last week and the food was absolutely disgusting. Will not be going on another cruise after that terrible experience. Most of the food seemed fake and like it had been sitting in a freezer for years. Just awful quality. 

There are more places to eat than the buffet.  I find the buffet food not remotely to my likely, but I just eat at other venues.

[ChessE4]

WJ on Vision was fine last week except for limited selection on last night. I don't know where else I can get chocolate bread pudding!  Since MTD was messed up, WJ was a viable option. But I agree it isn't always appealing. We found specialty (Chops) lunch fantastic, so there are other options, as reported.

 

[loki007]

totally agree! 3 cruises in 2022 (Indy x 2) and Mariner and the food was not good in the Windjammer and MDR. On mariner my niece ordered Mac n Cheese on the kids menu and was served noodles with a half melted piece of kraft singles on top. Royal has taken a turn for the worse coming out of the pandemic. 

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, loki007 said:

On mariner my niece ordered Mac n Cheese on the kids menu and was served noodles with a half melted piece of kraft singles on top.

I've seen it served like that even before covid.

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, loki007 said:

On mariner my niece ordered Mac n Cheese on the kids menu and was served noodles with a half melted piece of kraft singles on top.

I have never experienced decent mac and cheese on a Royal ship. They each have had different interpretations of the dish but mostly it's a very bland dish of slightly creamy noodles in all of the venues. Not surprising as the orange cheese they have on the buffet and cheese plates is very flavorless.  Even the generic version of the blue box stuff you make at home is better than the ship!

[atseau]

Sometimes the food is pitiful in the windjammer and the MDR. Not hot enough or poor variety.

Or is it that i'm just not that hungry hmmm.......

[Jill]

There’s been a lot of discussion about food quality in general since the re-start. Initially all seemed fine but around last March it became evident the quality was not the same. 

I had a conversation with someone this past weekend that has first hand knowledge of the food situation with Royal Caribbean Group. Let’s just say things are VERY different since Fain left. The focus is very financial now. Fain was very much about customer experience. Liberty is a $$ guy

Most shocking to me is that they are now using “no roll beef.” Explains why I’ve had some questionable steaks, even at Chops. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt about supply chain etc but this person assured me that even when things get turned around, the food isn’t going to. 

If you don’t know what “no roll beef” is, just Google it. 

I sincerely hope Mr Liberty doesn’t pinch too many pennies because there are many people not happy with the quality of the food right now. 

With that being said, my Odyssey cruise out of Rome 3 weeks ago had very good food. My US based cruises (3 this past year), not so much. 

We’re paying more and getting less.

I think our surveys need to start hammering home that food quality is being sacrificed. 

[Pooch]

Just off Explorer, food was just ok.  In the really good category were the MDR crab cakes, Coq au Vin, beef bourguignon and all the no sugar added desserts.  In the WJ my husbands favorite beef stew liberally heaped over mashed potatoes and bacon cooked exactly as I like it.  I liked (and asked for) the roast chicken but was a little disappointed that there never seemed to be any breast or wing pieces, mostly thighs. Everything else was mostly edible but nothing to write home about.

[mac66]

I've done three Celebrity cruise this year all make ups from Covid.  The food in both the MDR and buffet was mediocre at best, just plain bad at worse.  Not much variety. Food was often cold and tasteless or cooked wrong. We are on the Explorer the end of this month. If its' not much better we may have to rethink our cruising strategy.

[teddy]

On 11/8/2022 at 4:23 PM, Jill said:

 

Most shocking to me is that they are now using “no roll beef.” Explains why I’ve had some questionable steaks, even at Chops. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt about supply chain etc but this person assured me that even when things get turned around, the food isn’t going to. 

If you don’t know what “no roll beef” is, just Google it. 

 

In the mid-80s when I apprenticed as a butcher/meat cutter, we used no-roll beef to cut up for cheap hamburg sales because….well…it was cheap.  It was also extremely inconsistent as far as quality. 
 

I haven’t seen no-roll in decades, everything is choice and prime nowadays where I work.   I can’t imagine what would possess a business to use it for steaks.   

 

[NotPayinExtra]

On 11/8/2022 at 3:23 PM, Jill said:

There’s been a lot of discussion about food quality in general since the re-start. Initially all seemed fine but around last March it became evident the quality was not the same. 

I had a conversation with someone this past weekend that has first hand knowledge of the food situation with Royal Caribbean Group. Let’s just say things are VERY different since Fain left. The focus is very financial now. Fain was very much about customer experience. Liberty is a $$ guy

Most shocking to me is that they are now using “no roll beef.” Explains why I’ve had some questionable steaks, even at Chops. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt about supply chain etc but this person assured me that even when things get turned around, the food isn’t going to. 

If you don’t know what “no roll beef” is, just Google it. 

I sincerely hope Mr Liberty doesn’t pinch too many pennies because there are many people not happy with the quality of the food right now. 

With that being said, my Odyssey cruise out of Rome 3 weeks ago had very good food. My US based cruises (3 this past year), not so much. 

We’re paying more and getting less.

I think our surveys need to start hammering home that food quality is being sacrificed. 

Take one bite so no one else can have it. Then send back for another and another. Eventually they will see this cheaping out is going to cost them more money and trouble then it's worth.

[Jill]

1 hour ago, teddy said:

In the mid-80s when I apprenticed as a butcher/meat cutter, we used no-roll beef to cut up for cheap hamburg sales because….well…it was cheap.  It was also extremely inconsistent as far as quality. 
 

I haven’t seen no-roll in decades, everything is choice and prime nowadays where I work.   I can’t imagine what would possess a business to use it for steaks.   

 

When I was told that I was surprised as well but did explain the inconsistencies I’ve experienced

[Mike n Ky]

On 11/8/2022 at 3:23 PM, Jill said:

I think our surveys need to start hammering home that food quality is being sacrificed. 

Liberty in September the WJ was less than average on quality and variety. It was noted in my survey but I sincerely believe the surveys have little to no value when relating poor personal experience. I wonder if in fact those who work on the ships are 'managed' based on survey response

[Jill]

13 hours ago, Mike n Ky said:

Liberty in September the WJ was less than average on quality and variety. It was noted in my survey but I sincerely believe the surveys have little to no value when relating poor personal experience. I wonder if in fact those who work on the ships are 'managed' based on survey response

A friend of mine is a former hotel director for Royal and he told me the executive committee of each ship reads every survey and yes, the surveys greatly impact crew promotion/demotion. As far as anything else (food quality/customer satisfaction etc) that I do not know. BTW it wasn’t this person that told me about the no roll beef. That is someone who was VERY high up in food service for RCG

[Mike n Ky]

12 hours ago, Jill said:

A friend of mine is a former hotel director for Royal and he told me the executive committee of each ship reads every survey and yes, the surveys greatly impact crew promotion/demotion. As far as anything else (food quality/customer satisfaction etc) that I do not know. BTW it wasn’t this person that told me about the no roll beef. That is someone who was VERY high up in food service for RCG

My brother keeps in contact with a chef who has served on Oasis class ships for years...in fact, will be checking to see if he has gone onto one of the ships we are on in 23...will try to remember to ask about that...just curious.

That said, as the son of a butcher I can tell you that graded is not the be all, end all, my father wouldn't need the label.

BTW, when I used the term ''managed'' I did so because the review has such an impact on those who work on the ships that they have that in mind with everything they do, hence, the managed. Some exceptional people I have encountered on ships get detailed reviews in an effort to see they are aided in their career path.