constable145 Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Travelling with some picky eaters coming up in a few months... I've read some horror stories about the direction food is heading since I last cruise in the fall of 2022. I've done tons of specialty dining thanks to previous Star Class voyages. The picky eaters I'm travelling with have enjoyed Chops in the past. I'm thinking Mason Jar and Playmakers might be a good idea for the picky eaters but I've never done them myself. Is the MDR "THAT" bad now? The 3 night package is currently 20% off so thinking about it as a Christmas gift. Anyone have any insight? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretts173 Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 No it's not that bad, unfortunately the nature of human behaviour states if something is bad even a little bit I should tell the world. One review thousands read it and everyone says ooo the MDR iss horrible now. Satisfied people don't feel the need for the attention. Ryan79 and OCSC Mike 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Mason Jar Brunch (never had dinner but there’s some overlap) was one of my favorite meals on a ship ever. We have 3 upcoming Wonder cruises & will be doing brunch on each one. Huge menu & I agree it would be good for picky eaters. Fun drinks there too. We also love Playmakers, especially the burger & garlic parm fries. They also have 2 of my favorite drinks. We’re frugal & my wife is picky but we love those 2 venues. We haven’t been fans of the MDR for a long time (way before covid & menu changes, just personal preference & wife’s pickiness). Ate there 3 nights on Allure in October and it was perfectly fine. Some stuff better than others, nothing amazing, but nothing terrible either. One last note… Playmakers is a la carte & inexpensive so not something you would use with a 3N package. Don’t be overly concerned about the food on Wonder. There are so many options. Between breakfast, lunch, & snacks in between (El Loco Fresh, Park Cafe, Sorrento’s, etc.), l don’t need my dinner to be amazing (that’s just me though). WAAAYTOOO and KristiZ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan79 Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Food is always going to be subjective. This is why and how places like Applebees and Olive Garden stay in business. I’ve never found the MDR to be inedible. I’ve had more good meals than bad ones. But different folks will just have different tastes and even different experiences. KristiZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aron_Ross Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 My wife and I cook a lot, we are not chefs or experts, but we do tend analyze what we eat whether on land or at sea. I find that on the three cruise lines we've been on (Princess, Royal, Carnival), they all have food quality issues. Some are better at the buffet food/complimentary eats, and others are better at the Main Dining Room. Ten cruises total and the BEST buffet was a cruise we took on Royal Princess in 2019. It was so good we regrettably never got to try their Italian/pizza restaurant, which most people raved about. Of course food is subjective, which is something to take into consideration. We sailed on four different ships with Royal from 2022 to 2023 and we thought the MDR food was better than the buffet for dinner. It was usually hot and fresh. We experienced both the old menu and the new. Sure there were some items that we didn't care for, but honestly we experienced more of the bad in the Windjammer, which by the way was best at lunch. Some of the complimentary food around those ships were surprisingly pretty bad too. Our favorite of the specialty dining was Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, which I believe is on Wonder. I've heard people love Mason Jar and some who grew up on southern cooking, said it was not authentic and Cracker Barrel quality. I wouldn't know, I've never been to either one. Sailing with picky eaters can be tricky. Would love to know how it all works out. Keep us posted... Ryan79 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constable145 Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 I pulled the trigger and bought the package as a Christmas gift. At 177 CAD it's a sensible purchase considering one trip to Chops is 77 CAD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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