For First Time Cruisers - Regarding Dining

[Madi100]

I just finished listening to the podcast, and I wanted to add my two cents about my dining experience while on the Wonder. Pete is completely entitled to his opinion, and I'm not saying he is wrong. It's his opinion. I just want to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience on our first cruise, which was PCC 1.0. I'm sure that Liz can agree that our assistant server left a little bit to be desired, but the food and service was otherwise great. The cruise gave us the opportunity to try many new foods. We honestly enjoyed the whole dining experience.

While a big part of the dining is the food, there is so much more. The atmosphere, the service, the company was all great and would rank up there with some of the best times on the cruise. Palo was wonderful, and we enjoyed dining in all of the restaurants.

I just wanted to post this, because I don't want any first time cruisers to be rushing out to the nearest grocery store to stock their suitcases full of food so they don't starve. (Of course, if you would like to visit our grocery store, then that is a GREAT idea ) If I remember correctly, the food on the DCL was bragged about prior to our last cruise. I don't remember by whom, but we went on the cruise expecting great food, and we weren't disappointed.

 

[chirurgeon]

I would have to agree with Nicole about the food. I thoroughly enjoyed my meals. I won't say I liked everything I tried, but since you can get anything you want, it is a great way to try new things.

Kim

 

[WebmasterJohn]

I remember the food on PCC 1.0 being very good - we even commented about how good it was on the live show we did on that cruise.

I think Pete was referring to his recent Med Cruise on which he found the food to be particularly bad.

 

[SFBayDon]

Madi,

I agree with you comments about the food on PCC 1.0. As mentioned on the show many many times restaurant reviews are a snap shot of time or in this case a cruise and the food on the Med does not mean we will have the same experience. Hopefully the challenges Disney had on service quality food on the Med cruise were related to using one time vendors and the non-standard itinerary. PCC 2.0 is part of a very standard cruise they do weekly so if it is like 1.0 the food will be good.

If this is your first cruise or first Disney cruise, please take all of the comments from others and use your perspective. To me it is like having someone set my expectations for a movie really really high or low before I ever walk into the theater. When this happens I have prejudged the experience. In this case my recommendation is to be a Tigger instead of an Eyeor. Go in with an open mind and expecting to have a cruise that will impact you in many different ways and is lot of fun
Don

 

[georgemoe]

This is my 2nd cruise/podcast cruise and I enjoyed all the food with two exceptions.

The scrambled eggs are not eggs imho and should be avoided at all cost. Go to the omellette station.

The ribeye steak served on Castaway for lunch at the bbq was one of the worst quality steaks I have ever experienced. It's not that it had fat or grissle. I can deal with that. It's that it was just about ALL FAT & GRISSLE. But I ate what I could of it (yes it was still edible to an extent) and you too will live to see another day if you get a bad steak there.

I was quite happy with the variety and quality of everything else on the ship.

 

[tiggerbell]

I started to answer this and then decided to check my trip report from PCC 1.0... here's some notes:


ANIMATOR'S PALETTE -

We started with bread and spread of some type every night – tonight was an olive spread, I believe. I am not a big olive fan (especially green ones), but I think this was a black olive spread. It was phenomenal!

Now, on this cruise, food is included. Which means you can eat whatever you want at dinner – 2 appetizers? No problem. 3 desserts? Your wish is our command.

I just got 1 appetizer – I believe it was a mushroom & cheese flatbread. This was also quite good.

My entree choice was the salmon in the phylo dough. Again, excellent – I did not eat the beans or whatever those green things are... or did I? I might have, I recall at some point having a conversation about fava beans being somewhere between lima beans and white beans. I hate lima and white beans, but liked whatever fava beans I was eating at the time... Could have been this meal...

Looks like someone had the chicken.

PALO BRUNCH:

I end up at a 6 top with Jason, Shanan, Robin, Ann, and Tom. On the way there, we were offered mimosas or orange juice at the bar.

When we were seated, you were given a napkin – white or black. I thought it was a color scheme thing – go ahead and laugh, but it was because if you were wearing a dark color, they didn’t want the white napkin to leave lint on you!

I don’t get out much.

Our server comes over – we had Judy from Barbados. She leads us around the buffet tables.

Ann and I decide that marrying this dessert table would be a good idea.

And really? Crab claws AND crab legs? Too much! Well, okay, if you insist!

Top left: cream puff, crab leg, I see a little cheese behind that I think, bread, bread with hummus hiding under it, crackers, a spoon with ahi tuna on it, scallops, crab claw.

I have never eaten sushi. So the ahi tuna was something brand new. But our server, Judy, raved about it. So I took one. Turned out it was really very good. Judy went over and got me 2 more and I got Jason to try one.

One of the buffet stations showed all the hot items you could order from the kitchen. There was a pasta dish (I have no control around pasta) – just shells with a creamy tomato sauce and salmon. With some parmesan cheese sliced on top. Lordy, this was delicious!!!

I believe 2 people ordered the eggs benedict.

Someone had the chicken. Look like chicken parmesan to me. Needs pasta.

And Jason ordered the fruit pizza.

Mushroom soup. Shanan, I believe.

Top left: strawberry shot (which I mixed and drank like a shot – so classy!), tiramisu in the martini glass, I think a strawberry on top of a tiny cheesecake?, stollen bread and whipped cream, eclair puff, chocolate pot, and in the center chocolate mousse.

Now let’s get back to that chocolate pot. I don’t know what they put in this thing – but it was PHENOMENAL!!!!! I can’t believe the 6 of us didn’t sit there licking the dishes!

Then I noticed something on someone else’s plate...

I don’t have one of those...

 

[tiggerbell]

MARTINI TASTING:

We order appetizers – Shelly got the Buffalo Mozzarella and Plum Tomatoes with Balsamic Dressing. I thought the tomatoes were a little pale, but she liked it.

　
I got the Traditional Fish and Seafood Soup with Roasted Garlic Crostini. This was good! It was really a broth with seafood in it. I really enjoyed it!

Cleanse the palate with a little lemon sorbet.

I want everything in life served in tiny martini glasses…

Here’s my steak.

And here’s my ravioli.

jUDY WAS OUR SERVER -

Judy came back over later to see how the food was…

JAIME: You don’t know how happy I am that this cow had to die!

Becky also went with the steak.

Judy came to ask her how her meal was.

BECKY: I want to bathe in this cheese sauce!

Time for dessert – again, I am torn… chocolate indulgence… or pineapple ravioli?

both!

Shelly got the chocolate soufflé. I guess it’s kinda famous for Palo.

Ooh, action shot!

The evening is capped off with a shot of something – lemon sorbet in a liqueur?

I don’t know – but it was awesome!


PARROT CAY - PIRATE NIGHT:


Tonight’s bread was some kind of banana, I think – looks like banana bread, doesn’t it?

Pineapple for an appetizer – very refreshing.

That appears to be a crab cake.

Shrimp and scallop pasta – wonderful!!!

Prime rib and sweet potato fries – Yvette’s, I believe. This started a huge conversation about sweet potatoes not really being eaten in the Netherlands...

Poor Yvette – I spent every meal grilling her on the Netherlands – but how often do you get to find out how another country’s school system works, or what kinds of food that you consider perfectly normal (sweet potatoes) they never eat?

I never could master her accent (which I adore!) but I can hear her talk in my head. I was also able to fill in the words she was having a hard time finding. By night 3, I spoke Yvette!

Dessert on Pirate Night was very disappointing – I got the sampler and none of them were very good. I would hear this from a lot of people.

BREAKFAST:

I end up at Beach Blanket Buffet. I enjoy the view and the food – chocolate Mickey waffles?!?!?! Why didn’t I know this before???

LUNCH THE LAST DAY:

Jason, Shanan, and I head up to Beach Blanket Buffet (I'm living in this restaurant this trip...)

Is this my plate???

Why is everything touching???

I really must have been starving! Looks like a seafood buffet... those are not onion rings!

And, Paul! THIS is where you caught me at the dessert buffet, not Palo!!! (sorry) I was loading up my plate with the chocolate lava goodness and Paul comes up and says, "Whatcha doing, lady?"

Ummm... making poor choices?

 

[tiggerbell]

Dinner tonight is at Triton’s.

I would love to know what this is. I remember it being good.

Escargot. NOT mine.

Shrimp. Again, NOT mine. I only like tiny shrimp.

Gray crab cake?

Action shot of a salad.

This one I know! That’s my French onion soup!

And this looks like crab pasta.

Fish?

That looks good.

BREAKFAST AT TRITON'S THE LAST DAY:

Breakfast is good – Attila has some kind of a meltdown this morning – I can’t remember the details... Jen, do you remember?

And Felipe gives us the laugh of the week – however, this is a family board and I can’t share what he said! Sorry! But we all just about DIED!

 

[tlcoke]

As a Newbie Cruiser - Thanks for sharing your experiences with the food on DCL.

 

[tiggerbell]

The ribeye steak served on Castaway for lunch at the bbq was one of the worst quality steaks I have ever experienced. It's not that it had fat or grissle. I can deal with that. It's that it was just about ALL FAT & GRISSLE. But I ate what I could of it (yes it was still edible to an extent) and you too will live to see another day if you get a bad steak there.

I was quite happy with the variety and quality of everything else on the ship.

How did I miss rib eye????? I had a HOT DOG!!!

 

[DVCsince02]

<--- Still laughing at the white or black napkin.

 

[disneycr8zy]

Dinner tonight is at Triton’s.
Gray crab cake?

I believe this is the Duck Confit (a cold appetizer) that was amazing!

 

[tiggerbell]

I believe this is the Duck Confit (a cold appetizer) that was amazing!

That sounds much more appetizing than "gray crab cake". I shouldn't take pictures of other people's food, huh?

 

[disneycr8zy]

That sounds much more appetizing than "gray crab cake". I shouldn't take pictures of other people's food, huh?

We did the same thing - need to write down what everyone had and what picture number it is!

Thanks for the food porn!

 

[robind]

I'm sitting at the airport (what else is new), and I just had to look at Jaime's pictures. The CHOCOLATE POT ---- to die for

I will agree I had very good food on the cruise. Some not great, I think like all buffets they can be hit or miss, sometimes things are cold.

My don't miss recommendations
chocolate pots at palo brunch
Chocolate soufflé at palo dinner
Procutto pizza at palo
I'm sensing a trend here
Mickey bar from room service
Omlette station at breakfast
Pasta station at lunch in the buffet, they hide these

 

[jpeka65844]

Wow...way more seafood than I anticipated. DH and I aren't seafood eaters. Were you always given an option?

Also, that prime rib looks too bloody for my taste. Do they ask you how you'd like your beef cooked???

 

[tiggerbell]

You can order anything on the menu. The seafood buffet pictures was 1 table out of 7 or 8... And it wasn't my prime rib, so I don't know if they asked, but can't see why they wouldn't...

 

[robind]

Wow...way more seafood than I anticipated. DH and I aren't seafood eaters. Were you always given an option?

Also, that prime rib looks too bloody for my taste. Do they ask you how you'd like your beef cooked???

They usually had at least one seafood, one beef, one chicken and a few other choices and yes you can order the temp on your beef.

 

[Cherinva]

The food looks great....we won't go hungry, that's for sure...thanks for sharing.

 

[Madi100]

Not only are there other optiosn (HATE seafood), but if you have something at a restaurant one night and you love it so much, ask for it the next night. Even if it is not on the menu, you can order it. I did this once, and our server acted like he was going to have to take a life boat out to get it, so that when he delivered I'd be really impressed.

Dining was so much fun, as Jaime's pictures show. So many options. You won't go hungry.