New MDR themes & menu

[Jack S]

Since the MDR menu change-

Any favorite theme nights? And any particular items recommended?

[FionaMG]

I think they're all seriously underwhelming.

I'd say out of the ones I've tried my favourite was the Asian night but that isn't one of the more common ones (it turned up on our 8-night cruise on Anthem out of NJ). I particularly liked the salmon teriyaki on that one.

Out of all the others I've tried, the ones I disliked least were Welcome Aboard, Caribbean and Bon Voyage.

I have yet to experience the Mexican and Taste of the USA menus, both of which look so bad to me that I would probably be tempted to pay for speciality dining on those nights.

Obviously it's all very subjective and others will inevitably love the things I've said I dislike.

 

[JFCruise]

I'm in the minority is seems. But I actually like the change to make each night more 'thematic'. I don't have lofty expectations of the food, but I find the MDR to be almost always good. Not like ohmygod this is the best meal ever, but much better than many of the complaints I've read (aka. Barely Gas Station quality, Worse than Applebees, etc).

My only complaint is that they should probably lean into the cuisines of each theme night even more (Risotto and pasta on French night? That's pure chaos). Ok, 2 complaints: Why don't they have Indian Night (at least I have never heard RC has one) and instead put one indian dish daily? They almost always look delicious.

I dined every night on a 7-nighter on Allure in Juanuary. This is my very quick review, take it as you will:

Welcome Abroad

Fried chicken is blah. Not crispy. I also noticed that a the New York Strip was ordered much more than when it was down in the 'classics'. Stay away from it. It's a thin piece of meat that there's no way to cook correctly. Crab cakes are good. The peanut-caramel square is basically a rice krispies square with a bit of peanut butter swirl and berries.

I'm doing another 7 nighter next year, and we are going to the Solarium instead of WA.

French Night

Beef Bourguignon was good. The cream puffs were pretty good. But they are cold, I - for some reason - wasn't expecting that. Just putting it out there in case cold desserts are not your thing. The cobbler is good too.

Italian Night

My favorite night, by far. The Lasagna is probably my favorite MDR dish. Risotto is solid. The Arancini is...well, it's fried rice with cheese. It's great. Make room for the Tiramisu and the Chocolate-Hazelnut cake

Caribbean

No real recommendations, but my pork chop was dry. My wife enjoyed her double dose of shrimp starter and entree.

Mexican Night

This night I decided to try the Butter Chicken and I have no regrets. The Warm Chocolate Chip cookie is a warm cookie in a cup and it's delicious. Corn cakes are good too.

Royal Night

I don't love lobster, but be sure that if you say I can only have one tail, I will have one. It's...well...lobster. I also had the Chicken Marsala and...well...I don't remember it.

Bon Voyage

The lamb is a winner in my opinion.

[ScottD]

7 hours ago, JFCruise said:

I'm in the minority is seems. But I actually like the change to make each night more 'thematic'. I don't have lofty expectations of the food, but I find the MDR to be almost always good. Not like ohmygod this is the best meal ever, but much better than many of the complaints I've read (aka. Barely Gas Station quality, Worse than Applebees, etc).

My only complaint is that they should probably lean into the cuisines of each theme night even more (Risotto and pasta on French night? That's pure chaos). Ok, 2 complaints: Why don't they have Indian Night (at least I have never heard RC has one) and instead put one indian dish daily? They almost always look delicious.

I dined every night on a 7-nighter on Allure in Juanuary. This is my very quick review, take it as you will:

Welcome Abroad

Fried chicken is blah. Not crispy. I also noticed that a the New York Strip was ordered much more than when it was down in the 'classics'. Stay away from it. It's a thin piece of meat that there's no way to cook correctly. Crab cakes are good. The peanut-caramel square is basically a rice krispies square with a bit of peanut butter swirl and berries.

I'm doing another 7 nighter next year, and we are going to the Solarium instead of WA.

French Night

Beef Bourguignon was good. The cream puffs were pretty good. But they are cold, I - for some reason - wasn't expecting that. Just putting it out there in case cold desserts are not your thing. The cobbler is good too.

Italian Night

My favorite night, by far. The Lasagna is probably my favorite MDR dish. Risotto is solid. The Arancini is...well, it's fried rice with cheese. It's great. Make room for the Tiramisu and the Chocolate-Hazelnut cake

Caribbean

No real recommendations, but my pork chop was dry. My wife enjoyed her double dose of shrimp starter and entree.

Mexican Night

This night I decided to try the Butter Chicken and I have no regrets. The Warm Chocolate Chip cookie is a warm cookie in a cup and it's delicious. Corn cakes are good too.

Royal Night

I don't love lobster, but be sure that if you say I can only have one tail, I will have one. It's...well...lobster. I also had the Chicken Marsala and...well...I don't remember it.

Bon Voyage

The lamb is a winner in my opinion.

I also enjoyed the Lasagna (a bit small, so I also had some of my wifes chicken Parm which was also very good).  

We missed Welcome aboard night last time due to a late departure and my family not wanting to miss sail away, so we will give it a shot this month. 

I would only expect a cream puff to be cold, I think I'd be thrown off if it wasn't! 

We had the "autumn dinner" on Bon Voyage night and it was pretty good, the Mediterranean steak on the other hand was dry and chewy .

On mexican night I had the pork enchiladas which were pretty good, as well- going to try the carne asada next time around

 

Overall I enjoyed most of the food at MDR, was it 5 star, no...but it was fine for "included" dining. 

[JFCruise]

7 hours ago, ScottD said:

I would only expect a cream puff to be cold, I think I'd be thrown off if it wasn't! 

I'm not complaining at all, but in my mind, I thought it would be more "room temp" than actually cold.

And personally, I like that the dishes in the MDR are small-ish. Gives more room to try different things.

[smokeybandit]

I like the fried chicken.  

 

However the honey fried chicken on USA night is a completely different beast. I'm not sure what they were going for there.

 

Caribbean jerk chicken was good. Enchilada on Mexican night was good (though ask for extra sauce). Tortellini was good, though when I first had it the portion was tiny. The next cruise I didn't order it, but saw someone else's plate and portions were much larger.

I've tried 4 of the Indian dishes. All good, but they all taste the same to me.

[KristiZ]

5 hours ago, JFCruise said:

And personally, I like that the dishes in the MDR are small-ish. Gives more room to try different things.

This! 100%

[Yo2slick]

We just sailed on Voyager and ate MDR 4 out of the 5 nights.  I never had a bad meal.  I actually enjoyed the MDR more than our chops dinner on night 4.  Our waiters Nandy and Melvin were absolute rock stars and really made the experience.  We never waited on drinks and always left stuffed.  I ordered the Filet I believe on night 2 and when Nandy came over he said "Looks like you enjoyed your steak, would you like another one?"  Hands down best MDR experience we have had. 

As much as I didn't think I would like the themed menus I have to admit it's not that bad.  I miss the desert options the most but it made me try some new things.  

 

[smokeybandit]

On 9/6/2023 at 10:05 AM, JFCruise said:

Gives more room to try different things.

And less guilt when you snack outside of meals!

[OCSC Mike]

12 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And less guilt when you snack outside of meals!

I am unfamiliar with this concept. I feel guilty when I don't snack enough in between meals.

[Katiemay0101]

The MDR has been a bit hit or miss on the last 4 cruises for us. When we went to Mexico on Mariner in April it was just like what we've been used to. The MDR was really good, we somehow managed to find something for everyone even though there were 9 of us and the service was amazing. On Anthem in June to Norway they did a British night that would've made my very English mother cringe on the spot. The scotch eggs were anemic and we questioned if the sausage was actually sausage (no flavor and was a strange grey color), the toad-in-the-hole was just weird with the yorkshire pudding chewy/rubbery. We skipped Caribbean night, it didn't offer anything we wanted. One of the mornings we went to the MDR for breakfast and were served still frozen breakfast burritos. Fingers crossed when we get on Radiance in a few months they've worked out a few more kinks. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

16 minutes ago, Katiemay0101 said:

MDR for breakfast and were served still frozen breakfast burritos.

This would have been IT for me.  I would have caused a scene !  Well....not really, but someone would have heard about it for sure.

[Sailor of the Seas]

I have to say this, and I really do not care what anyone else says.  So, if you disagree with my comments, just disagree with them and keep your comments to yourself.  I speak facts, and I am not commenting on anyone else's opinion.  The MDR themed menu each night is terrible.  The quality of ingredients have grossly dropped.  For example, (I'm not going to list everything) i.e., desserts that should have "whipped cream" do not have good quality whipped cream on them--a cheaper version is obviously used and is simply a turn off once you put the fork or spoon in your mouth.  Do not eat the coconut layer cake, unless you have never tasted what a real cake with whipped cream should taste like.  It is a joke that they even put that product out to be eaten.  Tastes like a cheap dessert at the Old Country Buffet restaurant, which is no longer in business because it had terrible, cheap food.  That is just one example that supports my stance--there are numerous others, but I do not have the time to write a book about every item on the MDR menu and the poor ingredients that were used.  Also, the nightly options to choose from are limited and make no sense whatsoever.  If you are going to have a theme night, then stick to the theme night!!!!!  Why in the world is there an "Indian" type dish on the menu each night?  I personally cannot stand Indian food!! The spices put off an extremely offensive odor that not only smells while the food is on the dish but also smells from the pores of your skin once you eat the food.   I know I am not the only one on this earth who detects this horrific smell that comes with Indian food.  I am not prejudice nor racist; I am a minority--so those of you who are thinking on that line of thinking need to grow up and just accept the fact that Indian food puts off an awful smell due to the spices used when making it.  There are many other foods that smell, but I am focusing on Indian food because Royal Caribbean seems to believe that everyone who buys a passenger ticket wants to eat it and smell like it.  How about just having an Indian restaurant for those who want to eat Indian, instead of subjecting everyone else to it.  I don't see you putting Sushi on the menu every night, oh because there is a Sushi restaurant for that.  You would think that the majority of paying passengers were Indian in Royal Caribbean's eyes, as they have specifically catered to that culture by putting an Indian dish on the menu every night.  However, that is not the case and majority of paying passengers are not Indian.  Since I speak facts, simply read the menus:  Royal Night (spicy shrimp jalfrezi--Jalfrezi is an Indian curry sauce); French Night (curried lamb rogan josh--Indian lamb curry); Welcome Aboard Night (aromatic chicken sagg--Indian vegetable dish); Italian Night (spiced lamb kofta--Indian meatballs); Caribbean Night (rustic chicken korma--Indian chicken); Mexican Night (butter chicken--Indian chicken); Mediterranean Night (chicken chettinad--Indian chicken).  I cannot believe that there was a post by someone else on this blog asking for Indian night--it's already Indian night every night!!  That's my rant on the nightly options to choose from.  At the end of the day, if you want to eat anything that has quality ingredients and doesn't smell like you just got off the plane in New Delhi, then put out the money and pay to eat at a restaurant, pub, or bar that requires you to pay for your food.  I can attest that the specialty restaurants (even the sports bar and BBQ places) have superior food options that are extremely tasty and made with far better quality ingredients---a world of difference from the MDR food.  I believe that Royal Caribbean purposely makes inferior food in the MDR so that you are forced to put out the extra money to eat at an establishment that costs extra money.  Because the MDR food is awful, I have no problem putting out the extra money and will readily pay for upgraded food options.   I do feel bad for those who cruise on a budget and have no choice but to eat in the MDR.  They are missing out on what food should really taste like and have paid good money to be slighted in that area.  I have given my comments to Royal Caribbean after two sailings, and I am confident they have ignored every word I have said.  However, I am confident that there are others out there that agree and feel the same way.  If you have a theme night, stick to it.  Just make a specific Indian night, so people who feel the same way that I do, will have the chance to avoid Indian food and can dine somewhere else that night.   I am scheduled to sale on Icon of the Seas in 2024 and have already purchased specialty dining.  I do not plan on ruining my vacation by eating the awful food in the MDR.   It is not a hit or miss in the MDR, it is a miss every night.....  The service is great, the servers are great, but the food is not and it is a shame that it has to be that way.  (Simply Carnival Cruise level food.)

[Xaa]

10 hours ago, Sailor of the Seas said:

I have to say this, and I really do not care what anyone else says.  So, if you disagree with my comments, just disagree with them and keep your comments to yourself.  I speak facts, and I am not commenting on anyone else's opinion

For someone who doesn't care what anyone else says, you use up a good amount of space asking us not to say it.  Seeing as you have declared your wall of text to be facts, then I am meeting your demand and not commenting on someone else's opinion.  I will comment on your facts.

I hear 3 gripes hidden in your giant paragraph.  Whipped cream is bad, theme nights aren't strict enough to the theme and you can't stand even the presence of Indian food.  None of those things bother me in the least. 

I have no recollection of the whipped cream but if I ever didn't like it, I'd kick it to the side. 

I love the Indian dishes and get them every night as a second entre.  I love them.  India has the largest population in the world, but you don't need to be Indian to love Indian food.  Your logic that there aren't a ton of Indian people on your cruise holds little water.  The makeup of the sailings are overwhelmingly American.  Does that mean there should only be cheeseburgers, pork BBQ and chicken wings?  Of course not, anyone can and most people do, enjoy eating the food of other countries.

The themes are fine and are generally just reflected in the Chef's choice for the evening.  Nobody should be expecting cultural immersion.

You are doing the right thing by choosing the dining options that make sense for you.  You have those options and that is a great thing about cruising.  While I won't see you in the MDR on Icon, here's hoping you get stuck in an elevator with me after dinner so you can enjoy the Indian food smell oozing from my pores.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, Xaa said:

I love the Indian dishes

I haven’t been an MDR fan for a long time (personal preference like most things, especially food), but I absolutely love the Indian food onboard as well, wherever I get it (CK, WJ, MDR).

I don’t ever eat it at home (wife is picky and not a fan) but have some almost everyday while cruising.

[bretts173]

12 hours ago, Sailor of the Seas said:

I have to say this, and I really do not care what anyone else says.  So, if you disagree with my comments, just disagree with them and keep your comments to yourself.  I speak facts, and I am not commenting on anyone else's opinion.  The MDR themed menu each night is terrible.  The quality of ingredients have grossly dropped.  For example, (I'm not going to list everything) i.e., desserts that should have "whipped cream" do not have good quality whipped cream on them--a cheaper version is obviously used and is simply a turn off once you put the fork or spoon in your mouth.  Do not eat the coconut layer cake, unless you have never tasted what a real cake with whipped cream should taste like.  It is a joke that they even put that product out to be eaten.  Tastes like a cheap dessert at the Old Country Buffet restaurant, which is no longer in business because it had terrible, cheap food.  That is just one example that supports my stance--there are numerous others, but I do not have the time to write a book about every item on the MDR menu and the poor ingredients that were used.  Also, the nightly options to choose from are limited and make no sense whatsoever.  If you are going to have a theme night, then stick to the theme night!!!!!  Why in the world is there an "Indian" type dish on the menu each night?  I personally cannot stand Indian food!! The spices put off an extremely offensive odor that not only smells while the food is on the dish but also smells from the pores of your skin once you eat the food.   I know I am not the only one on this earth who detects this horrific smell that comes with Indian food.  I am not prejudice nor racist; I am a minority--so those of you who are thinking on that line of thinking need to grow up and just accept the fact that Indian food puts off an awful smell due to the spices used when making it.  There are many other foods that smell, but I am focusing on Indian food because Royal Caribbean seems to believe that everyone who buys a passenger ticket wants to eat it and smell like it.  How about just having an Indian restaurant for those who want to eat Indian, instead of subjecting everyone else to it.  I don't see you putting Sushi on the menu every night, oh because there is a Sushi restaurant for that.  You would think that the majority of paying passengers were Indian in Royal Caribbean's eyes, as they have specifically catered to that culture by putting an Indian dish on the menu every night.  However, that is not the case and majority of paying passengers are not Indian.  Since I speak facts, simply read the menus:  Royal Night (spicy shrimp jalfrezi--Jalfrezi is an Indian curry sauce); French Night (curried lamb rogan josh--Indian lamb curry); Welcome Aboard Night (aromatic chicken sagg--Indian vegetable dish); Italian Night (spiced lamb kofta--Indian meatballs); Caribbean Night (rustic chicken korma--Indian chicken); Mexican Night (butter chicken--Indian chicken); Mediterranean Night (chicken chettinad--Indian chicken).  I cannot believe that there was a post by someone else on this blog asking for Indian night--it's already Indian night every night!!  That's my rant on the nightly options to choose from.  At the end of the day, if you want to eat anything that has quality ingredients and doesn't smell like you just got off the plane in New Delhi, then put out the money and pay to eat at a restaurant, pub, or bar that requires you to pay for your food.  I can attest that the specialty restaurants (even the sports bar and BBQ places) have superior food options that are extremely tasty and made with far better quality ingredients---a world of difference from the MDR food.  I believe that Royal Caribbean purposely makes inferior food in the MDR so that you are forced to put out the extra money to eat at an establishment that costs extra money.  Because the MDR food is awful, I have no problem putting out the extra money and will readily pay for upgraded food options.   I do feel bad for those who cruise on a budget and have no choice but to eat in the MDR.  They are missing out on what food should really taste like and have paid good money to be slighted in that area.  I have given my comments to Royal Caribbean after two sailings, and I am confident they have ignored every word I have said.  However, I am confident that there are others out there that agree and feel the same way.  If you have a theme night, stick to it.  Just make a specific Indian night, so people who feel the same way that I do, will have the chance to avoid Indian food and can dine somewhere else that night.   I am scheduled to sale on Icon of the Seas in 2024 and have already purchased specialty dining.  I do not plan on ruining my vacation by eating the awful food in the MDR.   It is not a hit or miss in the MDR, it is a miss every night.....  The service is great, the servers are great, but the food is not and it is a shame that it has to be that way.  (Simply Carnival Cruise level food.)

For someone who claims to speak facts this is one of the most opinionated messages on here.

[TheMaxRebo]

To the original question, I think it can vary a bit by ship and just some nights on some sailings the cooking is better than others - so your millag may vary

 

For our cruise (the one we have done with the new menu) the Royal night was honestly one of the better meals I have had in a while anywhere everything was really good and I ordered the steak and the lobster and our server combined them into one plate for a "surf and turf". While a little thin the steak was cooked really well and the seasoned butter was yummy

 

On the flip side, Mexican night was rather bad - things just not cooked well and didn't enjoy it (and I generally love Mexican food)

[smokeybandit]

I liked Mexican night, though have only had it once.

British night has been my least favorite so far.

[JFCruise]

13 hours ago, Xaa said:

I love the Indian dishes and get them every night as a second entre.  I love them.  India has the largest population in the world, but you don't need to be Indian to love Indian food.

Adding to your comment - 

I just got off Indy. Under the daily Indian menu item, there is a small note that states that 'Vegetarian Indian dishes are available upon request' (paraphrasing). Two tables off mine, there was a big indian family who feasted on the indian dishes and the vegetarian ones. I wasn't nosey enough to ask what they were, but they seemed to enjoy them all.

I also had 2 dishes on different nights and...they are pretty good.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, JFCruise said:

I just got off Indy. Under the daily Indian menu item, there is a small note that states that 'Vegetarian Indian dishes are available upon request' (paraphrasing). Two tables off mine, there was a big indian family who feasted on the indian dishes and the vegetarian ones. I wasn't nosey enough to ask what they were, but they seemed to enjoy them all.

I had a similar, and fortunate, experience in CK on Wonder in June.

One night 3 or 4 I asked if I could order an Indian dish off the MDR menu. The CK manager was allowing our family to order from the MDR menu, but I got an even better answer. He informed me that there was an Indian family eating in CK every night (as were we) and the CK chef (who was Indian) was making them an Indian dish special every night. He told me any night I wanted some, I was more than welcome to request it... so I did for the rest of the cruise (sometimes along with an entree on the menu). It was delicious (and obviously about as freshly made as possible).

I'm still pretty ignorant in my knowledge of Indian food but I've tried to learn the basics. I know I love butter chicken and the chicken tikka masala I had was a close 2nd. After that, I'll try anything, but I may or may not know what it is without an explanation from someone, google, or the little card in the WJ that sometimes gives a description.

[Mike n Ky]

On 9/22/2023 at 5:54 PM, Sailor of the Seas said:

I have to say this, and I really do not care what anyone else says.  So, if you disagree with my comments, just disagree with them and keep your comments to yourself. 

After those two sentences there wasn't any desire to read the rest.

[Mike n Ky]

As I have stated before, the new menu in the MDR is not a hit with us. Our last cruise consisted of specialty and the CK with a night in the WJ. Italian night in the WJ advertised in our app a pasta station where we could create our own dishes. Got suckered on that one as it didn't exist. We have seen that in the WJ before but not on this one. Very limited choices and very disappointing.

[OCSC Mike]

48 minutes ago, Mike n Ky said:

Got suckered on that one as it didn't exist. We have seen that in the WJ before but not on this one.

What ship? One of the reasons we preferred WJ to the MDR historically was b/c my picky wife could get something made to order (pasta or stir fry) every night. I can always find something but I enjoyed it as well.

[ChessE4]

On 9/22/2023 at 6:54 PM, Sailor of the Seas said:

I have to say this, and I really do not care what anyone else says.  So, if you disagree with my comments, just disagree with them and keep your comments to yourself.  I speak facts, and I am not commenting on anyone else's opinion.  

While your food aversions are understandable -- they can result from one-trial learning -- the whole point to international travel is learning about other cultures and foods.  I'd be careful of letting a food aversion color your view of the culture.  Smells, sights, sounds, people -- they will be different.  Thus, if you are truly inflexible, maybe limit the types of international travel you book.

[smokeybandit]

I've tried 4 or 5 of the Indian dishes. They're all good but since I don't have that native palate, it was if they used the exact same seasoning for every dish.

[ScottD]

Phew...that was a lot of writing to say "I don't like cheap whipped cream or Indian food"

[barjpoe]

My take on the new MDR menus. Just recently finish a TA from Amsterdam to Bayonne on JotS.

1st night Welcome Aboard – Prime Rib was good ; very little fat and no gristle

2nd night – A taste of France – didn’t eat in the MDR. Did GT got the Filet.

3rd night – Beyond the Sea – NE Clam Chowder just more like NE Clam Broth, not thick; Lamb shank fell off the bone, good; Berry Cobler wasn’t very warm.

4th night – A Taste of Asia – didn’t eat in the MDR. Did GT got the Filet.

5th night – A Taste of History – Bay Scallops was good; Spinach Pie too soupy; Horseradish Crusted Salmon -ok (different); Pecan pie – ok.

6th night – A Taste of Mexico – Burrito was good; Beef was ok , though thinly sliced it was still chewy; Apple cobbler was good.

7th night – A Taste of the Caribbean – didn’t eat in the MDR

8th night - Italian - don’t remember

9th night – British night - don’t remember

10th night - Mediterranean – don’t remember

11th night – Beyond the Sea – Vegan Rice Paper rolls, good; special order Grilled Chicken w/ Tomato Risotto Shrimp – good; fish platter ok

12th night – Taste of the Classics – Onion Tart – ok; French Onion soup – I’ve had better (too much bread, very little onion)

Went to Chops for lunch – Burger was good, Salmon was ok, Shrimp Cocktail is always good.

13th night – International – didn’t eat in the MDR. Did GT got the Shrimp w/the Mushroom risotto

14th night – Beyond the Sea – (same theme night but different menu) Shrimp & Salmon os

15th night - Beyond the Sea – (same theme night but different menu) Royal Shrimp salad – ok; Chicken Schnitzel good , chicken was moist’ Cocoanut cake – fine.

16th night – Royal night – they did offer the Lobster tail, mine was small (4 bits, I saw others with a bit larger ones).

17th night – Bon Voyage -  Don’t remember.

[JFCruise]

1 hour ago, barjpoe said:

2nd night – A taste of France – didn’t eat in the MDR. Did GT got the Filet.

Take this with a grain of salt, but my waitress on Indy told me that the filet from the 'France' menu is the same piece of beef as the filet from Chops (and I would imagine Giovanni's too).  It makes some sense at least because the smart thing to do would be to buy the whole piece of the filet - but the tapered would be unservable at the speciality restaurant.

I had that in my latest cruise and my son and I each got the tapered part of the filet. It's not a complaint, but it would give some credit to the idea that they use the same beef in the MDR and Chops; and not something of lower grade.

[Mike n Ky]

On 9/23/2023 at 9:10 PM, OCSC Mike said:

What ship? One of the reasons we preferred WJ to the MDR historically was b/c my picky wife could get something made to order (pasta or stir fry) every night. I can always find something but I enjoyed it as well.

We were on the Allure a few weeks ago when that happened.

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, Mike n Ky said:

We were on the Allure a few weeks ago when that happened.

Of course you were... we have until today to decide if we're going on a last minute Allure cruise when she gets to PC next month.

Thanks for the info. My wife will survive if she decides she can go. She just needs a vacation.

[WAYNO]

I try not to be the complaining Karen.   Mostly, I eat what I'm offered and I am pleased.  And mostly, I do like the MDR.  I can find something pleasing, in spite of the updated menus. 

My Wife sent this tonights menu to me today.  She is aboard Navigator, on the last evening of this cruise. 

She said she'll be eating in the Windjammer tonight.

 

[JFCruise]

@WAYNO - The lamb is one of the better MDR dishes and the Mediterranean steak is pretty solid with that chimichurri.

[smokeybandit]

I like the lamb. But I agree that's not an exciting night. But the steak is fine. That Indian chicken is good. Can't go wrong with the spaghetti as a default.

I've never been impressed with the turkey dinner, even on the old menu.

[WAYNO]

The steak would have been my choice.  My Wife had a steak on the first night.  It was cut very thin, and very overcooked.  She didn't want to try it again.  I guess my point is, all these new choices may be exciting and/or acceptable to some, but for me, the menu is sorely lacking of comfort foods.  Had I been there, I also would have opted for the Windjammer. And I would have remained happy.

Folks on this forum ask to see menus.  I shared one.

[FionaMG]

It shows you how subjective the food is; to me, that is one of the better menus. The Mediterranean steak is different and better according to DH and DS. The chicken chettinad is a bit spicier than the other Indian dishes I tried.

[Xaa]

Lamb Shank is a good night for sure!  That's a good one.  I get two each night and I would get the Lamb Shank and the Chicken Chettinad and feel a little slighted that I was missing the Med Steak.  My wife would certainly get the turkey and I would sample from her plate for her safety.

[OCSC Mike]

3 hours ago, Xaa said:

Lamb Shank is a good night for sure!  That's a good one.  I get two each night and I would get the Lamb Shank and the Chicken Chettinad and feel a little slighted that I was missing the Med Steak.  My wife would certainly get the turkey and I would sample from her plate for her safety.

I'm not big on lamb but I enjoy pretty much any Indian dish on the ship and could easily try just about any steak. My picky wife will also eat the turkey so that's one of the "acceptable" MDR menus in her book.

[WAAAYTOOO]

10 hours ago, WAYNO said:

The steak would have been my choice.  My Wife had a steak on the first night.  It was cut very thin, and very overcooked.  She didn't want to try it again.  I guess my point is, all these new choices may be exciting and/or acceptable to some, but for me, the menu is sorely lacking of comfort foods.  Had I been there, I also would have opted for the Windjammer. And I would have remained happy.

Folks on this forum ask to see menus.  I shared one.

I completely agree with you (and your wife) that the MDR steak is yuck.  Soooo thin and chewy.  One and done with that....

Dan loves the lamb shank (it was renamed braised lamb for some completely unknown reason) so we always eat in the MDR on the last night (that's when this menu is served on a 7 night cruise).  Agree with @smokeybandit that the turkey is awful and that spaghetti is a reasonable fall-back option and it's usually what I order.  I may or may not have ordered from the children's menu on this night as well....

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I may or may not have ordered from the children's menu on this night as well.

I've been telling my wife to try that on certain nights. Pretty sure at least one adult in our family had the kids hamburger before and it was edible. If it's one of the nights she's going to order the boring grilled chicken, she might as well try something else (or in addition to). Grilled chicken is never exactly going to be amazing. We're likely going to check out the WJ after early seating on those nights anyway.

Oh well, not a big deal, she's never starved on a cruise, we just know some nights will likely be a lot more enjoyable for her than others.

[Pattycruise]

17 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I like the lamb. But I agree that's not an exciting night. But the steak is fine. That Indian chicken is good. Can't go wrong with the spaghetti as a default.

I've never been impressed with the turkey dinner, even on the old menu.

I should try the lamb.

I’ve always loved the Turkey dinner but it’s never enough Turkey or stuffing.  I don’t care for the new stuffing and the cranberry sauce has been less than desirable on various ships-watered down “souplike” but perfectly fine on others.