But The Food Though

[katmigordon]

We've been back for a while now, and I've had time to reflect on our trip.... which was both good and bad, but enough bad that we left the ship swearing we would never go back.

In hindsight though a lot of our issues could have been solved with a handicap assessable room - which we will be getting from now on, no matter where we stay on sea or land.

What I can't get past is the food, the food on the wonder ranged from really good - to downright inedible, the problem is it more frequently leaned towards the latter than the former. Is the food any better on any of the other ships at this point?

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

I wouldnt even say it is shipspecific but cruise specific. I did for example the Fantasy in October and early December. October we had terrible food most of the time made even worse by our dining team who managed to serve us icecold dishes while they served 5 coursed in 45 min..... then For my merrytime I still wouldn't rate it as amazing but it was def edible and most of the time tasty.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Food is always a bit of a divisive issue due to the very subjective nature of opinions on the topic. What you found inedible may have been perfect to someone else’s taste and vice versa. I’ve never had a truly terrible meal on any cruise ship, but maybe that’s less about the food and more about my “hey, at least I’m on vacation” thought process. Food on a cruise ship especially in the MDR is generally pretty comparable to a large hotel wedding banquet. It’s mass-produced and is designed to appeal to a wide variety of palates.

 

[katmigordon]

Food is always a bit of a divisive issue due to the very subjective nature of opinions on the topic. What you found inedible may have been perfect to someone else’s taste and vice versa. I’ve never had a truly terrible meal on any cruise ship, but maybe that’s less about the food and more about my “hey, at least I’m on vacation” thought process. Food on a cruise ship especially in the MDR is generally pretty comparable to a large hotel wedding banquet. It’s mass-produced and is designed to appeal to a wide variety of palates.

Let's put it this way when I had cruised in the past, given it has been 7 years, I actually really LIKED the food on DCL. I was shocked to be so disappointed on this last cruise.

 

[Clarkson U]

We took our DCL #1 in August 2011 and DCL # 10 in Dec 2022. Over that span of time there had definitely been a degradation in food quality, variety at Cabanas (or MM) and in overall service.

Sometimes meaningfully noticeable and other sailings not so much.

In my opinion it is still better than the other major cruise lines overall.

 

[lollidrop]

If you think it was the quality, there's a chance the food could be different on the east coast routes due to different suppliers.

If it was more the prep or choices, probably standard across the board.

 

[happycamper47]

Food is always a bit of a divisive issue due to the very subjective nature of opinions on the topic.

Exacty, Since the restart we've done the Wonder, the Dream twice, the Fantasy twice and the Wish and we had no complaints regarding the food or service as compared to any of our previous cruises. On both the Dream and Fantasy we were with other couples and everybody was happy with the offerings. I will say DCL is in a bit of a "menu rut", but quality wise we didn't see any major differences.

 

[yowcruiser]

The infamous food issue....
Sailed 4 times last year and the summary would be
1. On the Fantasy, food was ok, but somewhat tasteless in MDR, pretty good at Cabana's and quick service and excellent at Palo
2. On the Wonder during the WBPC, the food was pretty good and tasty in the MDR, acceptable at quick service venues, but very inconsistent in Cabana's depending on where the ship would get its supply - and actually running short of a few things. Palo was meh...
3. On the Wish, the food prep was excellent at the quick service venues and Marcelline. The dishes were good in the MDR, but you could still tell the the kitchen was learning as things were a little bit inconsistent when it came to food prep (but quality was not an issue)
4. On the Magic in Europe, the quick service food was beyond disappointing and Cabana's was great on someday and ok on others... I think that 4 different brand/types of chicken fingers were served during that cruise. The MDRs were pretty good and Palo would have been average on that one.

So... did I have a few meals, some at Palo and some at quick service venues were I found that the food quality was below what I was used to on DCL... definitely... but for the most part, things were still pretty good.

 

[Calantha]

Quick take from the Wish last week, I generally agree with yowcruiser (#3). We loved the new quick service. The Market was fine. We liked 1923 and Marvel, but as much as I liked the restaurant overall, I thought the food in Arendelle was not good. This was my mom's first cruise and she thought everything was pretty good (especially all the desserts).

 

[cvjw]

We have sailed on the twice on the fantasy and twice on the dream since the restart. No issues with the food. We liked some dishes better than others, but had nothing that we thought was terrible. Had dinner at least once at Palo on each sailing. Loved everything we were served.

 

[Pens Fan]

Food is so subjective. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. We've never been huge fans of the food on DCL as it's mostly too bland and often the proteins are overcooked for our tastes. However, it's pretty much exactly what I'd expect from a cruise line that caters to families with tons of little kids on board. That being said, I've never gone hungry on a DCL cruise . We've sailed a lot on NCL and definitely prefer their food, but we sail NCL for very different reasons (more varied itineraries, ability to afford a suite) than we do DCL (getting our Disney fix at sea).

 

[vakamalua]

Been sailing DCL since 1998, lower your expectations. No one should book DCL "for the food."

 

[soniam]

I see everyone complaining about the food on DCL and Celebrity lately. I wouldn't say the food in the MDR on Fantasy in July was the best we have ever had on the Fantasy in the MDR, but it wasn't terrible. I have thought the free desserts in the MDR and Cabanas have always been pretty tasteless. I find this to be true sometimes at WDW too, not so much from their table service though. Remy was and has always been amazing though. I think the DIS was complaining about their food on the Wonder Alaska cruise this last summer. Some people liked it or thought it was OK, but I think Craig and Pete thought some of the meals were terrible.

 

[Flossbolna]

I have thought the free desserts in the MDR and Cabanas have always been pretty tasteless.

Yes!! It’s most baffling how DCL is nearly incapable to produce a tasty dessert that is more than just sweet. The Grand Marnier soufflé is the one exception.

I have to say that I read so many complaints about the food before my first cruise that I was pleasantly surprised ever since that the food was always fairly decent. Some dishes are better than others. But I always take into account that this is mass feeding not small restaurant quality and for that it’s mostly good.

But I can see that for some people restaurant quality food is part of their vacation experience that they want, so cruising DCL might just not be the right vacation then. Other cruiselines with more speciality dining options might be better then.

 

[sethschroeder]

In my opinion it is still better than the other major cruise lines overall.

What other lines and how often have you cruised with would be my question? Been on DCL, NCL, and RCL since they have all reopened and they are very similar honestly with NCL having Haven (best) and RCL having unlimited dining plan (better).

DCL is the best dining experience though because of the different dining rooms, menus, and waitstaff following you.

 

[brentm77]

... the food on the wonder ranged from really good - to downright inedible, the problem is it more frequently leaned towards the latter than the former. Is the food any better on any of the other ships at this point?

What specifically didn't you like about it? Did it taste like it had gone bad, not-flavorful, cold, not cooked properly? It seems like the Wonder has been struggling from various reports I have heard including the DIS vlog. Magic last June was the best we have had, but others after our sailing complained, so it sure seems like consistency has become a problem.

We are sailing the Fantasy in March and the Wonder in September, so it will be interesting. I have decided I will be 100% honest on surveys about the food, even if it hurts servers scores, because there is no other way to let Disney know if the food was subpar. I hope others do the same, because I am sure the execs in that department think everything is fantastic because all of us are too nice on the surveys when it isn't earned. If we are all honest, it should average out for all servers.

It the food truly isn't meeting expectations, I will also talk to the Head Server and give him/her/them a chance to fix it before leaving an honest review too. I hope that won't be necessary. My expectations aren't that high - I just want an average meal for mass produced food. Disney usually meets or exceeds that expectation for me.

 

[NephieRN]

I thought the MDR food on the Wish was pretty bad. I don’t think I loved a single dish I ordered. I don’t eat seafood, but my family that does said several of their dishes were fantastic. I did find the food on deck on the Wish fantastic - especially Donald’s cantina. Palo and concierge lounge food was excellent as always. Hoping that on our next sailing on the magic in March, I will enjoy the MDR more.

 

[mamaburrito]

I have always called the food in the MDRs wedding banquet food. It’s made for the masses - I usually go with what the server suggests and they more than once let me know when to stay clear of something.

Now Palo and Remy are up there with some of the best meals I have ever had.

 

[anjuan]

I agree that things are variable. I've been watching message boards for NCL since we're cruising on their new Prima ship in May. One thing that they are doing, which I at least don't see DCL doing at this point is adding upcharges for things like steak, taking more detailed sides and dishes off the menus and replacing them with downgraded sides (think loaded baked potato and sweet potato fries changed to things like mashed potatoes and rice).

 

[tvguy]

I will say DCL is in a bit of a "menu rut", but quality wise we didn't see any major differences.

Well, that is a tough situation for Disney. For you it may be a rut, but for others it is disappointment because their favorite menu items have been dropped since their last cruise. At least from what others have posted over the 20 years I have been on these boards.