Ben & David review of MDR new menus, not positive!!

[Mike.s]

They weren't impressed.

The weren't impressed

[CanHardlyWait]

Oh yes, I saw this yesterday. It starts off OK, but by the end it's crazy bad. And they try very hard to find the positive whenever possible. And they sent so much food back and even walked out on meals. Also, had issues with the service (or lack of).

They also have a first day boarding video of this trip where they say the crew were all unhappy and basically were unpleasant.

Really makes it hard to stay positive about my May 21st Wonder. 

I know, I know food is subjective. But I really don't thing temp is. And frankly the food in the video just looks sad. Kinda hard to believe it might actually taste better than it looks. 

If Royal is not careful they will get Carnivals old reputation for bad food, which even people who never thought about cruising were aware of.

It's an eye opening vlog. Brutally honest by the end.

But happy thoughts. LOL.

[tjcruisers]

That Chicken Parm didn't look appetizing. No excuse for food being cold seeing the scaled back the menu

[Chippertrips]

I love Ben and David and just watched their MDR review.  YIKES! With three upcoming RC cruises scheduled I am worried.  First time cruiser here. I wonder if it varies by ship and time of day? Early vs late dining I mean. Any thoughts from cruisers currently on Grandeur or Serenade of the Seas?

[smokeybandit]

I have no idea who that is, but I witnessed MDR with my own eyes and stomach and it was just fine.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

I have no idea who that is, but I witnessed MDR with my own eyes and stomach and it was just fine.

If I went by others' opinions instead of my own preferences and experiences, I'd stay away from the WJ, especially on embarkation day, because it's ALWAYS crowded.

I haven't been a fan of the MDR for quite a while, long before covid let alone menu changes and YouTube reviews (that said, I've had some meals there that were perfectly fine). To each his own...

[CruiseGus]

There's alway someone trying to point out the negatives

I'm on my 12th cruise this year on 5 different ships.  Yes the an occasional not great meal in the MDR, yes they are serving 3000+ a night not everything is like "cook to order" meals.

Bad service, noticable unhappy employees, not willing to fix a meal you're unhappy with, NEVER.

But that's JMHO YMMV depending on expectations 

[CanHardlyWait]

1 hour ago, CruiseGus said:

There's alway someone trying to point out the negatives

I'm on my 12th cruise this year on 5 different ships.  Yes the an occasional not great meal in the MDR, yes they are serving 3000+ a night not everything is like "cook to order" meals.

Bad service, noticable unhappy employees, not willing to fix a meal you're unhappy with, NEVER.

But that's JMHO YMMV depending on expectations 

"There's alway someone trying to point out the negatives"

Not these guys. That's not how they operate. They were genuinely upset to have to say such extreme negative things. They do nothing but cruise and post videos for a living. (Nice work if ya can get it. LOL) They have hundreds of thousands of people watching per year. Tons of videos. It's kinda the proof they don't roll like that on a daily basis. That's IMHO is what made the video so powerful. 

[Pattycruise]

I was on this sailing.  I’ve been cruising monthly since the restart.  The food was abysmal.  When I started watching their video I was shocked they said they had hot food, I was quite jealous. Then, it quickly turned for them to the experience my table of 10 had from the get go.  yes, we had the head waiter at our table nightly.  Towards the end of the cruise they served unlimited champagne nightly and sent the D+ people chocolate covered strawberries and chocolates to our cabins.  
I had that horrid chicken parm.  Well I didn’t eat it….they were only a table if 2. We had many people order the same plate of food and one was perfectly fine(just warm) and the next cold.  One was over salted and the next fine. One chicken parm fine, mine inedible.   Chicken Marsala needed a steak knife to cut it….and it was like that on my next ship, so I was now afraid to order it on my recent sailing on enchantment but the waiter assured me it would be soft, and it was but it was super salty.  That stale bread, probably leftover from my Oasis sailing in May of 22, it was petrified then, for most of the week in fact despite asking for fresh bread.  The tiramisu, I laughed out loud when I saw that, as we had one at our table with even more cocoa and the other barely had a smidgen.  the only hot meal anyone had all week was French onion soup or the pot pie.  
so say what you will, the video was spot on for that sailing.  Other ship have had their issues.

one thing they mentioned was the waitstaff didn’t ask if the meal was ok or if they could get something else for them.  Same for us and this just recently occurred on my last sailing. The waitstaff did not come around and ask about the meal, nor offer an alternative if something was uneaten, but they sure remembered to ask for a high rating. 
 

what about the rest of my sailings, some spot in, others where I’d die of thirst waiting on water and no refill of it either, without having to gain the attention of one of the staff.  This last sailing we all chuckled at our shared table of 8 where everyone was D+ and a Pinnacle, so plenty of sailings with Royal and the service was not noteworthy that would mean clear the plates, serve what’s asked for (butter, sour cream, horseradish,etc), as well as refill water. The head waiter showed up day 3 -in fact we didn’t see an head waiter in the entire dining area on our deck the first 2 nights, , and around day5or 6 and then the final night.  I thought perhaps Royal is cutting them out. 
 

[CanHardlyWait]

1 hour ago, Pattycruise said:

I was on this sailing.  I’ve been cruising monthly since the restart.  The food was abysmal.  When I started watching their video I was shocked they said they had hot food, I was quite jealous. Then, it quickly turned for them to the experience my table of 10 had from the get go.  yes, we had the head waiter at our table nightly.  Towards the end of the cruise they served unlimited champagne nightly and sent the D+ people chocolate covered strawberries and chocolates to our cabins.  
I had that horrid chicken parm.  Well I didn’t eat it….they were only a table if 2. We had many people order the same plate of food and one was perfectly fine(just warm) and the next cold.  One was over salted and the next fine. One chicken parm fine, mine inedible.   Chicken Marsala needed a steak knife to cut it….and it was like that on my next ship, so I was now afraid to order it on my recent sailing on enchantment but the waiter assured me it would be soft, and it was but it was super salty.  That stale bread, probably leftover from my Oasis sailing in May of 22, it was petrified then, for most of the week in fact despite asking for fresh bread.  The tiramisu, I laughed out loud when I saw that, as we had one at our table with even more cocoa and the other barely had a smidgen.  the only hot meal anyone had all week was French onion soup or the pot pie.  
so say what you will, the video was spot on for that sailing.  Other ship have had their issues.

one thing they mentioned was the waitstaff didn’t ask if the meal was ok or if they could get something else for them.  Same for us and this just recently occurred on my last sailing. The waitstaff did not come around and ask about the meal, nor offer an alternative if something was uneaten, but they sure remembered to ask for a high rating. 
 

what about the rest of my sailings, some spot in, others where I’d die of thirst waiting on water and no refill of it either, without having to gain the attention of one of the staff.  This last sailing we all chuckled at our shared table of 8 where everyone was D+ and a Pinnacle, so plenty of sailings with Royal and the service was not noteworthy that would mean clear the plates, serve what’s asked for (butter, sour cream, horseradish,etc), as well as refill water. The head waiter showed up day 3 -in fact we didn’t see an head waiter in the entire dining area on our deck the first 2 nights, , and around day5or 6 and then the final night.  I thought perhaps Royal is cutting them out. 
 

Thanks for the honest review. Like I said complaining for no reason is not the way Ben and David roll. Has to be based in truth and fact. One thing I encourage is people speaking up on board and after. It won't improve if folks stay passive. Call, write, email. So many ways to communicate your experiences. It's possible to improve we know because it once was better. I'm a big believer in if we can do it better tomorrow, then let's try.

[Xaa]

@Pattycruise was the first person I thought of when i saw this vid over the weekend.  The experience mirrored her recent post.  I didn't put together that it was on the same cruise.  The guys seemed to like the flavor of most of the food, but it's hard to get past repeated cold food.  Each iteration makes the previous times worse as it compounds over a week.

I don't know if I've just been lucky on the temperature front or if this cruise was unlucky.  The complaint is certainly frequent enough.  Something was clearly broken in foodservice that week on that ship and the processes in place fleet wide appear to allow for a lot of inconsistency.  While I'm sure they are striving for a consistent experience, they aren't there.

Taste is a personal thing for sure, I'm easy to please in that regard while others are more discerning.  "Hot Enough" can also be a personal thing, just read the reviews of any coffee maker and you'll see that is all over the board.  Cold food however is a fairly universal trait.  If one person says the food is cold, everyone at the table is likely to feel the same about that plate.  What these guys and @Pattycruise described isn't an issue of "not hot enough".  It's an issue of cold.

I hope whomever is running the kitchen on that ship gets additional training or really even replaced.  It seems like the staff were afraid to ask how things are because they already know the answer.  Cold.  They likely knew the replacement dish would also be cold.

Food, being able to eat what you like and all you like is a core to cruising.  I hope the core doesn't continue to shake.

[tjcruisers]

11 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

"There's alway someone trying to point out the negatives"

Not these guys. That's not how they operate. They were genuinely upset to have to say such extreme negative things. They do nothing but cruise and post videos for a living. (Nice work if ya can get it. LOL) They have hundreds of thousands of people watching per year. Tons of videos. It's kinda the proof they don't roll like that on a daily basis. That's IMHO is what made the video so powerful. 

While I'm not superfans of them, I have watched quite a few of their videos. The ones I've seen they've always been quite friendly to Royal. Also David seems to be extremely laid back in their videos, he gives off a vibe his stress level is like -10 and just goes with the flow. With him saying the food is off I would take it the same category as Matt posting that the food is off, that something was definitely wrong. Seeing Pattycruise also experienced it, definitely something going on.

[BrianB]

I saw their video.

My experience with the new MDR menu is quite different. In fact I used to get the specialty dining package and eat the rest of my dinners in the CK. But now, I only get a Chops dinner and the rest is in the MDR.

There could be many reasons for this…including…

All of my cruises since the new menus have been on the Anthem. 
I travel solo, and sit at my own table, so no worry about group service. 
I do early dining at 5:30 and I’m usually one of the first to be served.

I have found the service to be excellent. Every set of waiters/assistants have been very good at making the substitutions I want, and the timing of my meal courses has been just as I expected.

My food has been delicious. But…I’m not really a food ‘connoisseur’ and I’m pretty easily satisfied.

In particular…I love hot soup and have been very impressed with the flavor and the temperature. My meals have been tasty…fresh, hot, and very nicely plated. I never had any reason to send anything back. I think the portions are perfect for me.

The only concern that I have is with the dessert. They are too delicious and I can not avoid them. Thank goodness for the treadmills.

[Ampurp85]

The MDR on Grandeur was horrendous in Jan but my experience in April on Freedom was at least an 8.6/10. On Freedom everything was hot, mostly seasoned and as described. On Grandeur it was the first sailing with the new menus, and it was cold, not as describe, my service lacked........the list could go on. 

I think since this was one of the first Med sailings, things weren't up to snuff. Plus, new crew aren't always as attentive as one would expect. As taste and temperature tolerance is subjective, I often give some leeway, but this sounds like it was just a sh!tshow from start to finish. 

[KevinJ]

On Odyssey in Jan, we had our first experience with the new menu. For me it was an overall positive experience. I purposely tried some things I'd never had before like Indian dishes and liked some and not others. Can't say I recall any issues with food temperatures but I tend to like my meals warm not hot. Like @BrianB we eat at 5:30 and had no issues with service. Ben and David had a late seating and I do wonder if that has a negative effect overall. Staff start to get tired, food my sit around for awhile.  On Wonder in March, got to see Matt!, we had the UDP and I did feel some of our meals were not up to par. But again I had ordered out of my comfort zone. My son and I are doing a B2B on Harmony starting May 20th so I'll get another shot at evaluating the new menu.

[Pattycruise]

5 hours ago, KevinJ said:

Like @BrianB we eat at 5:30 and had no issues with service. Ben and David had a late seating and I do wonder if that has a negative effect overall. Staff start to get tired, food my sit around for awhile.  

I was on the “Ben and David sailing”. I had the 5:30 seating.  My agreement to their review is above.  Seating time had nothing yo do with cold food.

side  note: Symphony was one of the first ships with the new menus, prior to this sailing, so it’s not a “menu is new” problem either.  

[CanHardlyWait]

I went to culinary school and also worked in the hospitality/travel industry for 25 years. First week of new staff, new menu's, etc doesn't fly. Your tought you only get one chance to make a first impression.

[Bmac]

On 5/1/2023 at 9:38 PM, Pattycruise said:

 

 but they sure remembered to ask for a high rating. 
 

 

I truly hate this aspect of how corporations do business now. I don't like getting a service and being harassed to give a good review so the company can show the shareholders "look at our great customer reviews". I get these surveys from my doctor and dentist and just think of how tacky it is, it makes me feel like going to my doctor is the same as getting my car serviced. If I truly enjoyed the service I received I make sure to let people know and recommend it to friends. Filling out a survey doesn't seem to make a difference at the consumer level as I never see suggestions being put into effect. I've never been contacted about a single survey that I've submitted so what's the point? 

[osok]

Over last 5 months we have sailed 43 nights on Adventure and Radiance.  Adventure was just before new menu for 5 nights and service as well as food was as we remembered prior to shut down.  Radiance was for 38 nights, the MDR waiters & Asst.'s were excellent except one sailing.  Head waiters for 3 sailings visited each night.  The food was mostly good but a few instances food was just terrible, cold, tasteless and or poor presentation.  But again usually the food was warm with a good taste.   One dish was a shrimp & pasta that contained no shrimp but the table next to me with same dish contained a dozen shrimp.  Another time the table next to me had a chicken dish and the chicken was not cooked at all.  Yes, I typed that correctly!  Overall we would rate the food as a 6.  Never before would we have rated it below 8.  Dining time was about 60 - 75 minutes.  A few times extended to 90+ minutes.  We rarely order extra plates so that does not effect our dining time.

We have 308 nights booked over the next two years and hope that MDR will get back to what we remember.

[GatorCruiser]

8 hours ago, Bmac said:

I truly hate this aspect of how corporations do business now. I don't like getting a service and being harassed to give a good review so the company can show the shareholders "look at our great customer reviews". I get these surveys from my doctor and dentist and just think of how tacky it is, it makes me feel like going to my doctor is the same as getting my car serviced. If I truly enjoyed the service I received I make sure to let people know and recommend it to friends. Filling out a survey doesn't seem to make a difference at the consumer level as I never see suggestions being put into effect. I've never been contacted about a single survey that I've submitted so what's the point? 

Patient experience metrics are tacky but they exist because they are monetized by the hospital systems meaning they use them when they negotiate with the insurers/payors for better reimbursements for office visits etc 

[Kirsten]

On 5/2/2023 at 8:44 AM, BrianB said:

I saw their video.

My experience with the new MDR menu is quite different. In fact I used to get the specialty dining package and eat the rest of my dinners in the CK. But now, I only get a Chops dinner and the rest is in the MDR.

There could be many reasons for this…including…

All of my cruises since the new menus have been on the Anthem. 
I travel solo, and sit at a my own table, so no worry about group service. 
I do early dining at 5:30 and I’m usually one of the first to be served.

I have found the service to be excellent. Every set of waiters/assistants have been very good at making the substitutions I want, and the timing of my meal courses has been just as I expected.

My food has been delicious. But…I’m not really a food ‘connoisseur’ and I’m pretty easily satisfied.

In particular…I love hot soup and have been very impressed with the flavor and the temperature. My meals have been tasty…fresh, hot, and very nicely plated. I never had any reason to send anything back. I think the portions are perfect for me.

The only concern that I have is with the dessert. They are too delicious and I can not avoid them. Thank goodness for the treadmills.

My experience on Anthem last month was similar to yours.  I was disappointed at first that they didn't have the classic nightly menu anymore, but I always found something that I enjoyed.  The food was great, our waiters were fantastic, and they checked on us often.  We never had to send anything back and we got a variety of meals.  I found the Indian dishes to be tasty- I ordered Indian if chicken was in the dish and the chicken was very tender.

[CanHardlyWait]

3 hours ago, osok said:

Over last 5 months we have sailed 43 nights on Adventure and Radiance.  Adventure was just before new menu for 5 nights and service as well as food was as we remembered prior to shut down.  Radiance was for 38 nights, the MDR waiters & Asst.'s were excellent except one sailing.  Head waiters for 3 sailings visited each night.  The food was mostly good but a few instances food was just terrible, cold, tasteless and or poor presentation.  But again usually the food was warm with a good taste.   One dish was a shrimp & pasta that contained no shrimp but the table next to me with same dish contained a dozen shrimp.  Another time the table next to me had a chicken dish and the chicken was not cooked at all.  Yes, I typed that correctly!  Overall we would rate the food as a 6.  Never before would we have rated it below 8.  Dining time was about 60 - 75 minutes.  A few times extended to 90+ minutes.  We rarely order extra plates so that does not effect our dining time.

We have 308 nights booked over the next two years and hope that MDR will get back to what we remember.

Some folks get to do this once in a decade or a lifetime. There isn't a second chance waiting already booked around the corner. We don't all have the luxury of hoping for improvement in the future. So this kinda of situation can really just plain stink. Shame on a company that takes your money, then after final payment makes endless cuts in quality and service. 

[CruiseGus]

I just have to say if I had even half the bad experiences the folks posting in this thread report, the Restaurant Operations Manager and I would be on a first name, come see me every night basis.

So glad I have never had to experiance this on any Royal ship I've been on.

BTW by the point mentioned above I'd also have met the Food and Beverage Director on that specific cruise, which actual happens on almost every cruise I go on.

[Aron_Ross]

Saw this video too and I was disturbed.  It's also making me nervous for my upcoming sailing on Ovation in about 7 days.  I've been on three cruises with Royal since May 2022.  First ever was Freedom exactly one year ago, Harmony in Nov then Navigator earlier this year.  My girlfriend and I are more buffet people and noticed the Windjammer was inconsistent from ship to ship.  Dinner in WJ on Harmony was terrible.  The food was cold and tasteless, and you better believe I let them know in the post cruise survey.  On our last night on Navigator there were some cheese biscuits that were so hard they could kill a person if thrown at them.  So here is a question, rather than wait to address a food issue in the survey, can I just kindly talk to the head food and beverage person in the WJ?  Is it ok to just let the server know? 

I would like to think Royal will certainly hear about Ben and David's review and take some action. 

[Xaa]

2 hours ago, Aron_Ross said:

I would like to think Royal will certainly hear about Ben and David's review and take some action. 

I would be shocked if they didn't know about that Symphony TA cruise.  There seems to have been some enormous issue outside of the normal general inconsistency.  I hate for people to lose jobs, but if it wasn't a person doing some sort of emergency fill in who was running the kitchen that week, they may need some additional experience/training or a new vocation.

In the totality of the forums here, I think you should expect an experience similar to the ones you have experienced on your last 3 cruises and do speak up in the WJ.

[bobroo]

It pains my heart that Royal Caribbean has decided to consciously make every MDR a Costco of the Seas.

 

 

 

[WAAAYTOOO]

@Aron_Ross, you can most definitely ask to speak with the F&B manager.  The truth is, bitching about bad food or service on a blog does nothing to improve it.  Only diplomatically discussing the issues with someone actually in a position to do something about it, will help.  I have found that the management staff on the ship truly appreciate constructive feedback.  They don’t want yellers and screamers, but someone with tempered feedback are generally always appreciated, in my experience.

[bobroo]

The menus, the procedures, the formula, these recipes, the choice of ingredients-- all come from Miami. The reality is there is very, very little a F & B manager, head chef, or a hotel director can do. Essentially this discussion about the MDR is not an onboard issue.

Adding to what @WAAAYTOOO so correctly stated above; being angry, raising your voice, showing frustration, throwing a temper tantrum-- will get you absolutely nowhere with Royal Caribbean. This includes the MDR, Guest Services, shore excursions, security, the casino, or even your stateroom attendant. I'll go so far as to say being demanding and frustrated will put you in a WORSE position with them.  

 

 

[Aron_Ross]

WAAYTOOO and booboo yes I totally agree with you!  It's all about how you approach them and not throwing a tantrum or becoming demanding and obnoxious.  That's not in my nature anyway.  I should have definitely said something on Harmony with the cold tasteless food rather than wait for the survey, and when those biscuits on Navigator were like stones, but I just didn't want to bother anyone.  No longer will I stay quiet and will kindly speak to someone.

The reason my girlfriend and I chose Royal in the first place was to try something different instead of what we were familiar with.  When you end up with food that is just ok, it makes me think, "why should I pay a little more for this cruise line when it's not that much better than the others?"  And those other lines being Carnival and Princess.  We've learned when compared to Royal, they each have their pros and cons overall.  My last Princes cruise (Royal Princess, pre covid 2019) the buffet was shockingly pretty damn good!  It was the best buffet we ever had out of the 9 cruises we've been on.  The Princess MDR was not good and found Royal does a better job, but that was the old menu.  We haven't tried the new Royal menu yet and are about to next week.  

On our Freedom of the Seas cruise, I was very impressed by how a gentleman in a blue suit (food and beverage manager possibly?) made some suggestions as I was serving myself on the last night in the WJ.  He saw that I was selecting the lamb shanks and suggested I use the au jus gravy, which was as he put it...created with the lamb shank drippings.  I would have never know about that gravy if it were not for his suggestion.  My point is, I guess it depends on the ship and their staff, but that guy showed me he cared about the food.  Of course I mentioned his name in my post survey.  If I remember correctly, his name was Richard from Jamaica.  We don't expect cruise buffet food to knock our socks off, we just ask that it's hot, has flavor and not over cooked.      

[Pattycruise]

I’ve had the displeasure of visiting the windjammer for late night dinner (well before 9pm) and the only reason I’ve done it is from hunger from not eating the entree in the MDR.  I couldn’t believe the food was so bad in WJ.   This was on more than one ship.  Just before WJ closes I’ve noticed white shirt uniforms with stripes come in for a meal, this has been on various ships.  They eat the food, I guess something is better than nothing?   I don’t know what the food islike earlier in the evening but in my opinion after 8:30 they’d be better off throwing it out. 

[BowTieBrigade]

On Adventure in February, we gave up on MDR after night 2. The WJ is what it is, but it doesn’t require 75 minutes and a change of clothes. 

[KLA]

We did all MDR on our recent 5 night on Grandeur, and while some things were hit or miss I loved the Caribbean night menu. The roasted chicken might be my favorite plate of food I've ever eaten in an MDR - it was so well done. 

[michaelp1446]

I always try and find the positive... Just got off the Jewel 8 night Norwegian Fjords cruise. Inconsistent is the most positive term I can come up with.

Had a wonderful cruise but the MDR experience was very similar to Ben & David's video. Dw and I left one night mid-meal due to undercooked, cold chicken and less than stellar service. After 9 cruises of giving 10's on post cruise survey for MDR, I gave a 3. One night I'd let it slide. 2 nights, what the hell is going on... Night 3 spoke to Head Waiter..Night 4-8 went completely down hill... I'm at a loss. Have 5 more cruises booked in the next 1 1/2 yrs. Hoping our experience was a an off week for the MDR staff.

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by michaelp1446
spacing

[Geezer Of The Seas]

Our last cruise (Wonder April 23rd-30th) we ate in the MDR.......wait for it, not at all. That was by design. We ate in Windjammer, twice in 7 days (dinner, both rather disappointing). 1  dinner at Izumi and 150 Central Park each, Sorrento's one night, Johnny Rockets one night, & Playmakers once (no problem at all falling into line for Aqua Theater performance).  One lunch at Giovanni's, one at Hooked, one at El Loco Fresh, & one in port at St Thomas. Breakfast was room service every day but 2.  Call it 'Our Way' cruising. Wanted to deconstruct the structure a little. No real 'beef' with the food except that alleged pork chop my wife had at Windjammer. What was that?????????

[CanHardlyWait]

34 minutes ago, michaelp1446 said:

I always try and find the positive... Just got off the Jewel 8 night Norwegian Fjords cruise. Inconsistent is the most positive term I can come up with.

Had a wonderful cruise but the MDR experience was very similar to Ben & David's video. Dw and I left one night mid-meal due to undercooked, cold chicken and less than stellar service. After 9 cruises of giving 10's on post cruise survey for MDR, I gave a 3. One night I'd let it slide. 2 nights, what the hell is going on... Night 3 spoke to Head Waiter..Night 4-8 went completely down hill... I'm at a loss. Have 5 more cruises booked in the next 1 1/2 yrs. Hoping our experience was a an off week for the MDR staff.

 

OK, food stunk. Thanks for the honest review. How was the service? Did your drinks get refilled at dinner in a timely manner or at all? I've heard stories of not getting a refill or even water.

[CanHardlyWait]

6 minutes ago, Geezer Of The Seas said:

Our last cruise (Wonder April 23rd-30th) we ate in the MDR.......wait for it, not at all. That was by design. We ate in Windjammer, twice in 7 days (dinner, both rather disappointing). 1  dinner at Izumi and 150 Central Park each, Sorrento's one night, Johnny Rockets one night, & Playmakers once (no problem at all falling into line for Aqua Theater performance).  One lunch at Giovanni's, one at Hooked, one at El Loco Fresh, & one in port at St Thomas. Breakfast was room service every day but 2.  Call it 'Our Way' cruising. Wanted to deconstruct the structure a little. No real 'beef' with the food except that alleged pork chop my wife had at Windjammer. What was that?????????

I'll ask you as well. How was the service? I've heard stories of not getting drinks refilled at meals and some not even getting water. I leave on Wonder on Sunday and DH can finish a diet Coke in 20 seconds. LOL.

[Xaa]

11 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

I'll ask you as well. How was the service? I've heard stories of not getting drinks refilled at meals and some not even getting water. I leave on Wonder on Sunday and DH can finish a diet Coke in 20 seconds. LOL.

Tip, if your DH doesn't already do it, in the MDR when he orders a Diet Coke, ask them for a big glass.  Then they'll serve it in like a pizza joint type of glass instead of a lower volume regular soda glass.

[michaelp1446]

14 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

OK, food stunk. Thanks for the honest review. How was the service? Did your drinks get refilled at dinner in a timely manner or at all? I've heard stories of not getting a refill or even water.

Service was Very slow. waiter got better as the cruise progressed but the assistant waiter disappeared . No bread on two nights, stopped ordering coffee because it never showed. Water re-fills were hit or miss. We saw other tables that were seated after us finishing well before us. I'm hoping ours was an isolated situation with service.

[DublinFC]

From the video, I was not impressed with the lobster dish as a whole.  Lobster tail, cool, sides looked underwhelming.  Anyone else think that?  Are those sides the standard sides for the lobster or was that ordered that way?

[FionaMG]

9 hours ago, DublinFC said:

From the video, I was not impressed with the lobster dish as a whole.  Lobster tail, cool, sides looked underwhelming.  Anyone else think that?  Are those sides the standard sides for the lobster or was that ordered that way?

This was ours on Anthem a couple of weeks ago, with and without shell: