cruise-y Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 I'd like to have a serious discussion here about the MDR. Truthfully, I always love to try a lot of different, innovative dishes. Rillettes, crepes, tarts, consommés, ceviche, vignoles, rum baba, panna cotta, pavlova, tapas, gateaux - made with indigenous island ingredients. It's why I have always cruised RCCL in the past and loved their MDR. I don't care for the normal steaks and pastas that I can get anywhere. But, the majority of the cruise food reviews (here or on Cruise Critic) are about steak, broccoli, baked potatoes, shrimp cocktail, caesar salad and chicken breasts (ordered either in the MDR or Chops). And now I hear RCCL is going to change their MDR to adhere to a more traditional menu that apparently everybody (but me) wants. Does ANYBODY here share my sensibilities, or am I a lone wolf? Neaxan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 They'll always have a variety of foods, plus the Windjammer usually has turned each night that really mix things up. The best was an Indian themed night where the were custom grilling naan and making some kind of wrap type dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 One of the reasons we enjoy MDR as opposed to WJ is the overall time and experience.. if we could take some of the WJ food and put it in the MDR menu, I would be thrilled. When we were on Liberty in January we found the MDR to be pretty good.. but on Majesty it seemed to cater to the bland foodies. We actually struggled to pick what we wanted, especially from the appetizers. On liberty we tried several dishes, on Majesty we barely finished 1 dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHStoneman Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 Going to the MDR for me has always been my first choice. As a matter of fact, I would never consider going to the buffet for dinner and NEVER have. I want to be seated, wait staff assisting, white linen, the whole experience. During my eight cruises, I have seen many items "disappear" but that will not make me change my preferences. I can't comment on bringing some food from the buffet to the MDR, since I don't know what they are offering different. I do eat in the buffet for breakfast but it still is a "Bob's Hog Trough" experience. I cruise to be pampered, not to experience what is typically available when going out am home. RestingBird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 Trust me, I prefer the papering and service of the MDR, too, and this is one reason why I lunch in the MDR as much as I can. However, on our Serenade cruise, the food at dinner was far superior in the WJ than in the MDR. They also had a cooked to order grill station, cooked to order crepes for dessert, a carving station, and another cooked to order themed station. Unfortunately, on this one sailing, the did was inferior in the MDR, so we ended up only dining there twice on a 13 night sailing and in specialty restaurants six nights. Fortunately, this was a one-off experience that we have not had on other sailings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 I like it both ways. The new MDR menu on Anthem did a good job at blending traditional dishes with some new options. The MDR will never be haute cuisine. Places like 150 CP, Wonderland or Chef's Table take up that mantle. That being said, I feel like the new menu offers more than just steak, chicken and a pasta. Applebees, it is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 8 hours ago, Matt said: I like it both ways. The new MDR menu on Anthem did a good job at blending traditional dishes with some new options. The MDR will never be haute cuisine. Places like 150 CP, Wonderland or Chef's Table take up that mantle. That being said, I feel like the new menu offers more than just steak, chicken and a pasta. Applebees, it is not. Anywhere to view the new MDR menus yet? I didn't see them anywhere on the menus tab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise-y Posted June 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 13 hours ago, Matt said: I like it both ways. The new MDR menu on Anthem did a good job at blending traditional dishes with some new options. The MDR will never be haute cuisine. Places like 150 CP, Wonderland or Chef's Table take up that mantle. That being said, I feel like the new menu offers more than just steak, chicken and a pasta. Applebees, it is not. Thanks Matt, that makes me feel somewhat better. I think. I saw one new Anthem menu and thought it had way less selections and was pretty heavily traditional, which is what got me worried. I have never expected haute cuisine from the MDR but I do like the innovative variety (like watermelon pudding for example) and always enjoyed the selections based on the areas we were cruising (exotic tropical fruits, oxtail, lentils and so forth). They always had that traditional corner of the menu every night for people who DO enjoy a steak or chicken, so it's not like those items were missing. I'm sailing Liberty in July and asked RCCL if the new menu would be in effect and just got a typical non-answer in reply. This really is a deal-breaker for me. I can eat a baked potato and a soggy spear of broccoli anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise-y Posted June 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 21 hours ago, DocLC said: They'll always have a variety of foods, plus the Windjammer usually has turned each night that really mix things up. The best was an Indian themed night where the were custom grilling naan and making some kind of wrap type dish. If the WJ had outdoor seating, and maybe lowered lighting for dinner, it would be much more palatable at night. It's fine for breakfast and carrying lunch out to the pool, but the atmosphere at night is off-putting to me. I took an Oceania cruise last year and the buffet had seating out on the deck right next to the ocean. With tablecloths and a covered candle on each table. Steaks and lobster grilled every night as well as the usual fare. Made the usually mundane buffet a go-to destination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 We were watching an episode of dream cruises recently and we love how some of the other (medium, smaller) cruise lines have proper outside tables, right next to the rails and without 10 foot of plexiglass.. and without being 14 decks above the ocean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 15 hours ago, FManke said: Anywhere to view the new MDR menus yet? I didn't see them anywhere on the menus tab. You can get a small preview in my Anthem of the Seas Live Blog I did earlier this year: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/anthem-of-the-seas-live-blog 2 hours ago, toodle68 said: We were watching an episode of dream cruises recently and we love how some of the other (medium, smaller) cruise lines have proper outside tables, right next to the rails and without 10 foot of plexiglass.. and without being 14 decks above the ocean. ...and also probably much more expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 3 hours ago, toodle68 said: We were watching an episode of dream cruises recently and we love how some of the other (medium, smaller) cruise lines have proper outside tables, right next to the rails and without 10 foot of plexiglass.. and without being 14 decks above the ocean. This could be coming in future ship designs. I know NCL has a lot of outdoor dining options on their mega ships and the MSC Seaside had moved their buffet to deck 5 and had designed the ship with a tremendous amount of outdoor space, yet the MSC Mergiavila (sp?) opted to clean the Royal Promenade and have their seating in there. Time will tell. Personally, I like the seating options on the Oasis class ships. Sitting on the Boardwalk at Johnny Rockets or in Central Park was an awesome experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoo Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 12 hours ago, cruise-y said: ......but I do like the innovative variety (like watermelon pudding for example) and always enjoyed the selections based on the areas we were cruising (exotic tropical fruits, oxtail, lentils and so forth). ...... Oxtails!! Where!? I like a well prepared oxtail, nice an saucy with tender fall of the boane meat. As fine as any osso bucco! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 2 hours ago, BillHoo said: Oxtails!! Where!? I like a well prepared oxtail, nice an saucy with tender fall of the boane meat. As fine as any osso bucco! I've only seen Oxtail soup, which was quite good. Chops and Giovanni's Table both had very good Osso Bucco, although it may only be available in Giovanni's now. It's the one dish I only have on cruises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise-y Posted June 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 6 hours ago, BillHoo said: Oxtails!! Where!? I like a well prepared oxtail, nice an saucy with tender fall of the boane meat. As fine as any osso bucco! Doc is right, I've only seen the soup in the MDR. But it was really good and I had 2 servings. I think it was on a cruise that stopped in Jamaica if I remember correctly. I fear these kinds of interesting things are going by the wayside. DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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