But The Food Though

[lilsonicfan]

Once I scored some reg Dramamine from Guest Services I was ok, but it took me a hot minute to realize that my wife had not actually gotten me the Dramamine I asked for. She was trying to be sweet because she didn't want me to be sleepy - not realizing that it wasn't the same at all.

I could be wrong but I think what the medical center (guest services?) provides is actually the meclizine-based product, brand name Bonine (but there are generics).

I will also say that my seasickness is always a tad bit worse when dining in the aft MDRs on night 1, there's something about being close to the aft thrusters that makes me feel off.

 

[Dug720]

I don't understand why they don't put them mid ship like Triton's a more stabilized space better for those who suffer sea sickness, making it easier for them to consume food in that area.

Either way our second trip through Tiana's while I was properly medicated was much better.

There is only so much space midship. They want to maximize cabins, so that eliminates additional decks for midship - especially with the atrium on Disney.

 

[Dug720]

I could be wrong but I think what the medical center (guest services?) provides is actually the meclizine-based product, brand name Bonine (but there are generics).

I will also say that my seasickness is always a tad bit worse when dining in the aft MDRs on night 1, there's something about being close to the aft thrusters that makes me feel off.

Night one is usually more motion regardless of where you are because you're crossing the gulf stream. (you do it on the last night too, but usually while you're sleeping).

 

[auntlynne]

 

[mm824]

We use the Scopolamine patches until we get our sea legs and then take them off (usually around day 2-3).

As for food, our food on the Dream was notably good. Our food on the Wonder was deplorable and many diners complained. I wondered if they were missing a shipment because we had the same ingredients 7 different ways. Cabanas was more memorable than the MDR. The best meal we had was at Tianas, mainly due to the beignets.

My brother works in the food industry, specifically with cruise lines. DCL is a purveyor of some very high quality ingredients - more so than many other cruise ships; what they do with it, is seemingly another story ....

 

[scoobysgirl]

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?

We went on the Wish in November and the food was absolutely a knockout. We are still talking about it. Marceline Market was incredible, Mickey's Food Fair was good, I didn't have the pizza, but my daughter had a mexican bowl and thought it was better than Chipotles...the barbeque was really good, also. Palo's was amazing. The rotational dining was good...loved 1923, Marvel was good and fun, we didn't really care for Arendale...that was our repeat rotational dining, and we didn't go. So all in all, the food on the Wish was a big hit with us. We had a wonderful time.

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?

 

[scoobysgirl]

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).

I do agree with you on that...Arendelle left a little to be desired. But we absolutely loved Marceline Market and Mickey's Food Fair smokehouse BBQ was my go to place...We loved Cookies 2 on Castaway Cay. So we pretty much loved everything on the WIsh except Arendelle's. We are going back next Feb on the Wish and we'll skip that dining choice.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Was on the Dream in September and I was good with the food. So I am always preparing food. I cook a lot. Everything from scratch, mostly. I am very fussy and there are only a handful of places I will eat out. That being said, I enjoy the food when I cruise. I mainly eat fish and vegetarian when I cruise. Not every dish is 5 star, but maybe I am just so happy not to prepare food and clean up that I am in need of a break? LOL I have never been disappointed with Palo. And the chicken tenders on deck... Yum. I manage my expectations. There are a lot of people to serve. With different palates. On a ship. I chose wisely. And so happy to have a cooking break.

 

[PJ]

Hadn't really planned to comment on the food, but I'll add a couple observations... On the Fantasy in October every cream soup we tried tasted of flour. I was surprised because I wouldn't think that would be hard to make in bulk. We enjoyed all of the soups on the Wish last week. The only bad dish I had was the chicken schnitzel on the Fantasy - could barely cut it, and pretty tasteless. I know they would have brought me something else, but it just wasn't that important.

 

[holula]

Yeah, that's pretty much any change, be it rides, parades, etc. Disney makes a change and it divides the fanbase. Except for the Pirate Night menu. Pretty sure no one will shed a tear if it ever goes away.

The only good thing on that menu is the Johnny cake. The rest of it can just go in the trash.

Interestingly I was on the Magic, Fabtasy and wonder last year and felt the Wonder had the best food. I basically eat the same thing every cruise though (apart from a few special europe items they had on the Magic!) so I’ve pretty much honed the menu to what I like to eat.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Hadn't really planned to comment on the food, but I'll add a couple observations... On the Fantasy in October every cream soup we tried tasted of flour. I was surprised because I wouldn't think that would be hard to make in bulk. We enjoyed all of the soups on the Wish last week. The only bad dish I had was the chicken schnitzel on the Fantasy - could barely cut it, and pretty tasteless. I know they would have brought me something else, but it just wasn't that important.

I was on the Fantasy in December. Also had the chicken schnitzel. Couldn't cut it, gave up. I didn't like it either.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I recently watched a YouTube video, a man rating experiences with dining (quick serve/main dining), activities, staterooms, etc. I haven't cruised other lines than DCL in a loooong time. I was surprised to see the food options, particulary quick service. I know it was just one man's experience and opinions, but just watching the videos and seeing the choices (Guy Fieri's burgers....YUM)! I don't have high expectations for food when on DCL. I have been along on thinking how good can it be cooking/preparing for all those people. But now, there's another side of me that says food should be better. Disney is one of the most expensive cruises, they tout the service and experience. Well, food is a big part of that service and experience. I'm now on the side that the food should be better across the board.

 

[goofy4prez]

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

I have to agree with this. Our first DCL cruise was in 2019 on the Fantasy. We were so excited for the dining and was so disappointed that our expectations were not even close to reality. The food quality was very average at best and down right awful at worst, especially at Cabanas. The service was not all that great either. We were glad we had a Palo brunch, dinner, and a Remy dinner booked. We were so disappointed we tried to get a second Palo but was not available and ended up doing a second night at Remy.

With that though, other than the MDR's, we loved our first cruise and just did another cruise on the Dream this past December for 5 nights. This time we did concierge and was able to book Palo twice, Palo brunch once, and Remy twice. Not once did we dine in the MDR or Cabanas. We absolutely loved the food and the service this time. We used up a nice OBC and rewards from our Disney Visa. I also just booked another DCL sailing on the Fantasy for April 2024.

In the meantime though, I have a cruise with RSSC for 10 nights on the Splendor in a few weeks in March. I have no doubt that with dining being a very important part of our cruise experience, we are going to love the food with Regent. Different experience, atmosphere, and size of ship, but hopefully other than the food, wine, and drink, we will have a great time. But having said that, we will never tire of the on board experience of DCL.

 

[Remysister28]

I appreciate all the comments here as my friend and I will have our first DCL experience on the Wonder this spring. She’s already disheartened by Pete’s reported experience the last time in the Alaska cruise (French onion soup was bad) and otherwise unimpressed. Looks like we will temper expectations and remember it’s feeding 4000 people in the MDRs.

 

[blabbermouth]

It's interesting here that everyone with multiple cruises reports some as good food and some as bad, but there doesn't seem to be any consistency to which ship is which!

 

[BrokeMack]

It's interesting here that everyone with multiple cruises reports some as good food and some as bad, but there doesn't seem to be any consistency to which ship is which!

I think with that many meals from so many suppliers over so long a time period it's just the law of averages. The food is mostly good, but you eat it long enough you catch a miss. Most people have some favorites and it's really obvious when they are sub-par. But the MDRs especially will work with you if there's a problem so be sure to speak up if they send you a hockey puck when you ordered a steak.

 

[Sykes]

Cabana's was really hit and miss
Pool Deck Food was terribad except the chicken strips which rocked.

This mostly matches how I felt. The pool deck food is embarrassingly bad. I’ll add that the food on Castaway is also a consistent disappointment for me. Cabanas has some good dishes, but I mostly found it to be much worse than the buffets on most other cruise lines I’ve been on. (And Disney should be embarrassed by the extremely limited hours of Cabanas right now.)

I find the MDR food to be perfectly average. It’s palatable but pretty boring, usually under-seasoned, and uninspired. I still look forward to it as a break from my usual meals, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

 

[holula]

This mostly matches how I felt. The pool deck food is embarrassingly bad. I’ll add that the food on Castaway is also a consistent disappointment for me. Cabanas has some good dishes, but I mostly found it to be much worse than the buffets on most other cruise lines I’ve been on. (And Disney should be embarrassed by the extremely limited hours of Cabanas right now.)

I agree with all of this except the shawarma station on the Magic and Wonder which I enjoy a lot. The chicken strips are great, the rest is poor, Cabanas is really hit and miss depending what you get.

 

[BrokeMack]

I agree with all of this except the shawarma station on the Magic and Wonder which I enjoy a lot. The chicken strips are great, the rest is poor, Cabanas is really hit and miss depending what you get.

They aren't exactly haute cuisine, but those Cabana's hashbrowns have never let me down. Then again the scrambled eggs are weird.

 

[TestingH2O]

They aren't exactly haute cuisine, but those Cabana's hashbrowns have never let me down. Then again the scrambled eggs are weird.

The scrambled eggs are revolting. I think they are from powder. If I want eggs in cabanas, I order them fresh from the omelette station.