All you can eat....really???

[vesparudy]

My wife and I were just on the Norwegian Cruise Line and they would only let you order one entree. No sodas or other drinks included. You would have to order drinks from the bar. On the menu they had entrees that were higher quality like say filet mignon but that would cost you extra like an extra $12.

Disney does cost much more than many of the other cruise lines. My opinion Dismey knows it can charge a premium for its cruises. So if customers are willing and able to pay extra why not.

 

[com_op_2000]

There is an old saying in the cruise industry:
"You enter the cruise as a guest and depart as luggage if you eat at every meal all that is offered."
You can get as much food as you like in any portion amount you want in the MDRs and the specialty restaurants.

I find that if I skip either the appetizer or the dessert at each meal that I do not gain near as much weight.

 

[RedSox68]

It depends somewhat on your server. We had a server on our Northern European cruise last summer who was really good. Sometimes I just wasn't hungry so I would tell him right when I was ordering that I wasn't very hungry and he'd direct me to the lighter items. Then the assistant server would find me a glass of wine that would pair nicely (usually those items didn't have a pairing listed in the menu).

I almost never eat dessert but will normally have a liqueur instead. On one of our cruises, the server knew I never ate dessert and tried to guess each night which liqueur I would order.

Rather than trying to feed me more food, they were more concerned with trying to find me something that would make me happy. Best kind of server.

One of our DCL cruises we had the complete opposite experience -- the wait staff would not stop trying to get us to order more or get dessert. If we didn't like anything on the menu, they insisted on bringing us plates "for the table" to try. No matter how many times we asked them to stop bringing so much food, they kept doing it. Talk about wasting food.

 

[Manwe967]

In my experience, not only is it common, but it takes something just short of armed conflict with the wait staff to prevent them bringing way more food than you care to eat.

 

[kamik86]

I didn't cruise on DCL but princess allows this as well. I ordered two entress once when I couldn't decide. Ended up loving one and didn't like the other at all. So in that case it did get wasted.

One of the things I like about cruises is that I can try so much food without having to worry about not liking it as I can get something else later if I don't like it.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Well--all you want to eat IF you actually eat it!!

Saw a kid at Tow Maters last cruise who must have had 3 hotdogs, 3 hamburgers, and a couple of wraps--all on one plate walking back to his table. One of the hamburgers actually fell off the plate onto the floor as he was hauling it all back. About 15 minutes later the family up and left--with almost everything he hauled back to the table un-eaten.

IT had all been for him and he probably had no intention of even eating most of it.

That's just awful! Why do people feel the need to be so wasteful? I hate when I see people throwing away perfectly good food!

 

[Jess_S]

In my experience, not only is it common, but it takes something just short of armed conflict with the wait staff to prevent them bringing way more food than you care to eat.

This was my experience. The expression on our server's face when we declined bonus lobster was priceless.

 

[lucas]

In my experience, not only is it common, but it takes something just short of armed conflict with the wait staff to prevent them bringing way more food than you care to eat.

I guess they think that will get them the "excellent" ratings they are always asking for.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

My wife and I were just on the Norwegian Cruise Line and they would only let you order one entree. No sodas or other drinks included. You would have to order drinks from the bar. On the menu they had entrees that were higher quality like say filet mignon but that would cost you extra like an extra $12.

Disney does cost much more than many of the other cruise lines. My opinion Dismey knows it can charge a premium for its cruises. So if customers are willing and able to pay extra why not.

5 night DCL Magic cruise for 3 in February 2017 = $2800 US
6 night RCL Freedom of the Seas cruise for 3 in February 2017 = $1500

We can eat in specialty restaurants every night, buy drinks galore and still not come up to DCL prices.

Anyways, yes, it's okay to order more than one of whatever. My dad always orders a "side steak" so if the portion size of his other entrée is smaller than expected (and yes, it does happen), or he doesn't really like it, he always has a back up. If I order the vegetarian dish, then I also usually find myself ordering another entrée as well because they are often not quite filling enough. Though I don't look at ordering 1 salad, 1 appetizer, 1 soup - I just pick what looks good from those 3 categories and go from there. Sometimes it's 1 soup, 2 entrees; other times it's a salad, an appetizer, and a meat entrée.

I find DCL desserts often not worth eating. On our Fantasy cruise, our server just couldn't understand that so would insist on bringing me something and it would go uneaten. If I don't like it, I'm not going to eat it just because you put it in front of me. That goes for stuff I don't order/want or stuff that I don't like (and that has also happened a few times on both DCL and other cruise lines).

 

[SuperDry]

One of our DCL cruises ... If we didn't like anything on the menu, they insisted on bringing us plates "for the table" to try. No matter how many times we asked them to stop bringing so much food, they kept doing it. Talk about wasting food.

That's because of how the MDR section of the guest satisfaction survey is set up. There simply is no way to state that you didn't like the food. Any food-related problems are considered the fault of the serving team, not the kitchen or management. It's considered the serving team's responsibility to a) notice that you don't like something, and b) make it right by bringing you something that you do like so that you leave happy. While I see the logic to some degree, I don't think it's really fair to the serving team when there is a genuine issue of people just not liking the food.

 

[RedSox68]

That's because of how the MDR section of the guest satisfaction survey is set up. There simply is no way to state that you didn't like the food. Any food-related problems are considered the fault of the serving team, not the kitchen or management. It's considered the serving team's responsibility to a) notice that you don't like something, and b) make it right by bringing you something that you do like so that you leave happy. While I see the logic to some degree, I don't think it's really fair to the serving team when there is a genuine issue of people just not liking the food.

The WORST experience was on the Med cruise in 2007 -- I didn't feel well one night and didn't go to dinner with my DD and DH. It was lobster night and I could not stomach it. So about an hour into dinner service and there's a knock on my door and there is the assistant server with a giant food tray with lobsters, sides, appetizers, dessert -- UGH. I told him sorry, but I didn't want any of it and he should not have gone out of his way. He looked like a broken puppy! Sorry, but if I can't eat, I can't eat -- especially something that rich!

 

[Markonefive]

Our server on the Wonder was excellent. One night, I asked for one entree plus the meat from another. I ended up getting two full plates, but that is probably how they are plated. On another night, we got an extra appetizer. He accommodated our requests but never pushed us to eat more than we wanted. In fact, one night, my wife said she wanted "nothing" for dessert as she had eaten so much on the cruise. So when he brought my desserts (yes, plural), he brought her a plate that had "Nothing" written on it in chocolate syrup, and we all had a good laugh. So we certainly felt like we could get what we want at all of our meals, without being pressured one way or the other. I don't know if we would have the same flexibility on other cruise lines, seems like it is hit and miss from what I've read in this thread. I do make it a point not to order more than I can and being wasteful, on the other hand, it was a great opportunity to try different things and make sure I got what I wanted.

 

[bumbershoot]

In my experience, not only is it common, but it takes something just short of armed conflict with the wait staff to prevent them bringing way more food than you care to eat.

On one hand, I'm so glad we don't end up with servers like that (we just get resentful ones because we don't eat a ton). On the other hand, like I mentioned earlier, I couldn't even get a second *salad* when I ordered them both at the same time.

That's because of how the MDR section of the guest satisfaction survey is set up. There simply is no way to state that you didn't like the food. Any food-related problems are considered the fault of the serving team, not the kitchen or management. It's considered the serving team's responsibility to a) notice that you don't like something, and b) make it right by bringing you something that you do like so that you leave happy. While I see the logic to some degree, I don't think it's really fair to the serving team when there is a genuine issue of people just not liking the food.

Yep.

I see NO logic to it. It's like car dealership surveys. If you answer anything but "yes" the people that helped you are dinged. Even if you answer "yes they were excellent". Anything beyond just "yes" is just as negative as "they were rotten".

It's not the servers' fault if the kitchen can't make something edible.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It's not the servers' fault if the kitchen can't make something edible.

I agree. It's really unfair that the server gets the ding for bad food. But, from what I've figured out, it is the servers responsibility to find you something you do like, if what you get is bad. And that's where the issue is.

As long as the server can get you something that doesn't "leave a bad taste in your mouth" then everyone gets the "excellent" rating.....yeah, that's right.

 

[RACHEL_GB]

I'm a bit nervous now with what you are all saying about the servers. my children (5 & 9) don't eat a huge amount plus they get a bit overwhelmed at restaurants sometimes, what is the best way of approaching this if the servers are pushy with the food? Just keep saying no until they get the picture?

 

[VFG]

I'm a bit nervous now with what you are all saying about the servers. my children (5 & 9) don't eat a huge amount plus they get a bit overwhelmed at restaurants sometimes, what is the best way of approaching this if the servers are pushy with the food? Just keep saying no until they get the picture?

In 5 cruises I have never had the servers be pushy, especially with my son. I think they take cues from the table too. I didn't like my meal one night but was full and didn't want anything else. They politely asked if I didn't like it and if I wanted anything else. I said no and that was it. We've never been pestered

 

[soniam]

I'm a bit nervous now with what you are all saying about the servers. my children (5 & 9) don't eat a huge amount plus they get a bit overwhelmed at restaurants sometimes, what is the best way of approaching this if the servers are pushy with the food? Just keep saying no until they get the picture?

We weren't pestered and our son lives off air, water, and sunshine You can always say that they don't eat much or don't like certain things. They are probably used to that with kids.

 

[jahber]

I'm a bit nervous now with what you are all saying about the servers. my children (5 & 9) don't eat a huge amount plus they get a bit overwhelmed at restaurants sometimes, what is the best way of approaching this if the servers are pushy with the food? Just keep saying no until they get the picture?

I've found that if you give them a reason beyond that you're just not hungry, they are more likely to leave you alone. Twice I sailed when pregnant and once I was so sick I could only eat potatoes at night. The first night I didn't realize this and I ordered chicken breast and had to run from the dining room. No more chicken for that entire pregnancy, as it turned out. What I could eat, apparently, was potatoes. So the server brought me a big plate of whatever the potato sides were that night. But I actually I had to tell him I was pregnant before he would stop asking me if there was something else I wanted. I was just barely 6 weeks pregnant, we hadn't told a soul--including our other kids--so our server was the first to know. He managed to keep it a secret, but I still can't believe I had to tell him something that personal to get him to stop fawning over me. Oh well. It worked! I've also heard good success from people with allergies, surgery, diabetes, and the like. If you don't have an excuse, maybe you can make one up.
Fwiw, it was probably the smell of the dining rooms that got me. I always ordered room service after dinner and ate plenty.

 

[RedSox68]

We weren't pestered and our son lives off air, water, and sunshine You can always say that they don't eat much or don't like certain things. They are probably used to that with kids.

FYI -- also keep in mind that adults can order off the kids menu too. Some nights they had more interesting offers than our menu so I just got something from that LOL

 

[wcw57]

as noted above, these boards can make newbies nervous. Please note, the servers are generally a fine bunch....they try hard to keep you happy. they will listen to you. unless you had my server on the magic 6 years ago...a complete schlemiel