Dream vs. Dream

[lovethedream]

Edd I just got back from the Carnival Liberty and had late dining and quite a few times I would go check out the buffet and yes they did have rib eyes one night leg of lamb and lamb chops another night also had fish most nights I also saw that they had a soup being offered each night but not chocolate melting cake. They buffet was basicly identical to what was being served in the MDR This has been the norm on all 6 of the Carnival cruises that we have been on!!!

I do remember the fish was served most nights if not every night on our Carnival cruise in the buffet. Also, if I remember correctly, they usually had two or three choices of soup available. There was always quite a variety of food available in the buffet.

Never did see the chocolate melting cake at the buffet.

 

[lovethedream]

We had a similar experience recently on RCCL's Voyager of the Seas. The Windjammer buffet served ALL the dishes offered in the main dining room, except for lobster tails and a few specialty desserts. Plus, they had some dishes not available in the dining room, like sushi rolls.

We liked the option of having dinner at the buffet. After a long day in port, sometimes we did not want to wait hours until 8:00 or so for late seating -- especially if we had an early port the next morning.

We liked being able to go to the buffet when we wanted to and without having to spend 1-1/2 to 2 hours at dinner if we were tired. This was especially important to us at overnight ports -- such as St Petersburg, Russia; Alexandria, Egypt; Sydney, Australia; and Shanghai, China.

Woody

Yes, they had sushi also on the Ecstasy cruise. It was not the biggest selection and it was set up at the big round table by the salad serving area, but none the less!

 

[woody73]

Yes, they had sushi also on the Ecstasy cruise. It was not the biggest selection and it was set up at the big round table by the salad serving area, but none the less!

You're right -- not the biggest selection.

On our cruise, they had platters of three or four different types of sushi, which changed each night. I believe they always had California roll. YUM!

There was a sushi chef (with headband and all) making the sushi fresh and continuously filling the trays.

It was a nice option, and something not available in the dining room.

Woody

 

[TXDCLfan]

On the Carnivals I have cruised on, there is a distinct difference in the food between the buffet and the dining rooms. Ever see a steak, lobster, lamb, red snapper, soups, rolls, desserts and many more chef creations on the buffet that you got the night before in the dining room, chocolate melting cake, the best dessert wver, is not served on the buffets. The buffet on all ships is good, but I always look forward to the dining room meal.

I havge never been on a ship that has a better buffet menu than what they serve during evening dining.

No Edd these were always served the same night not as left overs from the night before maybe that is how RCCL does it but not Carnival. Also I might point out that certain food items can not/ best not be served buffet style ie: chocolate melting cake, lobster and a few others.

 

[woody73]

Wow - I have never thought the buffet food was better than in the main dining room on any ship!

Nancy, I'm a believer.

For many years, on several cruise lines, I religiously went to the dining room. Then, on a RCCL cruise, one of our table mates (Crown & Anchor diamond +) urged our entire table of 12 to go as a group one night to the dinner buffet. He said it was really worthwhile. Okay, he was diamond plus, and previously even worked for cruise lines. Perhaps he knew something.

We went, and he sure was right! Some of the buffet food was better than in the main dining room!

Although many of the dishes were the same, I think the difference is it was often fresher at the buffet. In other words, the food does not sit in the kitchen on a plate under a heating lamp until a server retrieves it. The only thing lacking was the presentation -- no aioli drizzle on the side, pesto droplets, or a raddish cut like a flower. But hey, the main food was fresher and tastier.

On the RCCL Voyager, there is a carving station where I could get prime rib or carved turkey, and have it right away.

On the Norwegian Pearl, they have a person making fresh dessert crepes made to order.

I believe you're about to sail on HAL in Alaska. I think HAL has one of the best dinner buffets. They will cook food made to order right on the food line. So if you want a filet cooked medium rare, they will do it on the spot. Food cooked to order right off the grill. Heavenly!

Again, I'm a believer.

Woody

 

[woody73]

No Edd these were always served the same night: not as left overs from the night before maybe that is how RCCL does it but not Carnival. Also I might point out that certain food items can not/ best not be served buffet style ie: chocolate melting cake, lobster and a few others.

We have sailed a few times on RCCL (we're diamond level with 97 nights), and have never seen leftovers at the dinner buffet.

But sometimes I wish they did. If I really liked a dish in the main dining room, I wouldn't mind having it the next night at the dinner buffet. But I even asked, and RCCL does do not serve food from the prior night.

YMMV.

Woody

 

[Edd]

I agree with the above RCCL does not serve food from the night before. Shanks of Lamb, tiger shrimp, steak, lobster, duck, filet mignon, pork chops, prime rib and roast beef, cooked rare to medium, are not on the buffets of any ship that I have cruised on. Soups are usually the basic soups on the buffet, nothing like I have seen at dinner. I have also got to say the salads are much better at dinner than in the buffet. Many of the desserts are pretty unique and you probably wouldn't see them on the buffet. I have never seen the rolls they serve on the carnival and the RCCL evening meals on the buffets. My recollection is that I had to wait to get the two favorite rolls I like at the dinner table.

Doing the buffets only means you will miss a lot of great foods and desserts. Buffets are good, but not great like the evening meals on all ships.

 

[NancyIL]

Good point so I went back and double checked the price on the original apples to apples Dream cruise comparison to ours and the Carnival prices haven't changed a bit since they first offered the 2012 itineraries earlier this year. Since those prices haven't changed, I assume the spa cabin prices haven't changed either, but I could be wrong. Regardless, they are more expensive than our cabins even on Day 1 booking if you go off the assumption that they are always more than normal balcony rooms.

Why is it so hard to make the point that Disney prices were very comparable to both Carnival & RCCL when Disney first opened up the 2012 bookings? I agree that Disney has since raised their prices to a point of absurdity!

I have occasionally seen comparable prices for DCL as on RCI. However, my Dec. 2012 Fantasy cruise's starting price was $959 pp for the least expensive inside cabin vs. $599 for RCI's Freedom of the Seas - with a similar itinerary and sailing date. I booked the Fantasy because it's a DIS Podcast cruise, and the 10% onboard booking discount and OBC from DCL and DU help to lower the net price.

Was your Carnival Dream vs. Fantasy comparison before or after taking into account your 10% onboard booking discount and OBC? I wouldn't assume that the spa cabins have not gone up, as I imagine there are fewer of them and they are more desirable than regular balconies. However, there's no way to know now.

Nancy, I'm a believer.

For many years, on several cruise lines, I religiously went to the dining room. Then, on a RCCL cruise, one of our table mates (Crown & Anchor diamond +) urged our entire table of 12 to go as a group one night to the dinner buffet. He said it was really worthwhile. Okay, he was diamond plus, and previously even worked for cruise lines. Perhaps he knew something.

We went, and he sure was right! Some of the buffet food was better than in the main dining room!

Although many of the dishes were the same, I think the difference is it was often fresher at the buffet. In other words, the food does not sit in the kitchen on a plate under a heating lamp until a server retrieves it. The only thing lacking was the presentation -- no aioli drizzle on the side, pesto droplets, or a raddish cut like a flower. But hey, the main food was fresher and tastier.

On the RCCL Voyager, there is a carving station where I could get prime rib or carved turkey, and have it right away.

On the Norwegian Pearl, they have a person making fresh dessert crepes made to order.

I believe you're about to sail on HAL in Alaska. I think HAL has one of the best dinner buffets. They will cook food made to order right on the food line. So if you want a filet cooked medium rare, they will do it on the spot. Food cooked to order right off the grill. Heavenly!

Again, I'm a believer.

Woody

I have never had dinner in the buffet on an RCI ship, but I have on Princess and HAL. It wasn't bad...just not as good as in the dining room. HAL's buffet wasn't open very late, and we got there just before they stopped serving dinner. HAL will get another chance next month on the Amsterdam because we chose the flexible dining times. Maybe I'll be a believer after I try it again!

 

[RJAYL]

We are avid DCL cruiser's with that said we sailed on the Carnival Glory last summer & had a great time! Good Food, Nice Ship, Nice People, It is not a Disney Cruise it is fun but Different, Different is good (at least to my family)

We have the Carnival Dream booked for this December(after a stay at the Beach Club Villas) & the Carnival Breeze booked for Feb 2013 (Nice Itinerary 8 nights Grand Turks, Curaco, DR & Aruba) We will also be sailing the Disney Fantasy 2X next year. Have no plans on sailing the DCL Dream (will not cruise less than 7 nights).

If this thread is still active we will post a Carnival Dream review after the cruise!

 

[deide71]

As I have stated previously I did not change cruises because of cost, but since we are trying to compare prices.

In our case we originally had a DCL 7 night western booked with day one booking price and 10% OBB discount. For a family of 5 with one balcony cabin and one inside cabin across the hall the price was $5100. This does not include $700 in onboard credit.

Our Carnival Dream cruise, also a 7 night western leaving the same day, we have connecting balcony staterooms for a family of 5 for $3300. When you include the shipboard credits we would have had on Disney the cost difference is just over $1000, or about $200 per person. Not a huge difference.

And since we have a few folks looking at the exotic western itinerary on Carnival and wondering about excursions...we have booked:

Cozumel-Nachi Cocum
Belize-Lamanai Mayan ruins tour
Roatan-Victor Bodden tour zipline
Costa Maya-Maya Chan

I think if the Disney brand and characters and atmosphere is important to you that is fine and you do not need to justify your decision to anyone, just as myself and others do not have to justify our decisions to book other cruislines. At the end of the day it is your $$$ and your vacation.

 

[NancyIL]

I think if the Disney brand and characters and atmosphere is important to you that is fine and you do not need to justify your decision to anyone, just as myself and others do not have to justify our decisions to book other cruislines. At the end of the day it is your $$$ and your vacation.

Well said!

By the way - I was on the Lamanai Mayan ruins tour on RCI in 2005, and it was excellent.

 

[kaseyC]

I think if the Disney brand and characters and atmosphere is important to you that is fine and you do not need to justify your decision to anyone, just as myself and others do not have to justify our decisions to book other cruislines. At the end of the day it is your $$$ and your vacation.

Well said!!

 

[deide71]

Well said!

By the way - I was on the Lamanai Mayan ruins tour on RCI in 2005, and it was excellent.

That's great to hear. My 12 year old daughter just finished studying the Mayans in her Ancient Civilizations course so we are both really looking forwad to the trip.

 

[poohfriend9]

We love Disney! We love Disney cruises and they are best! Other cruiselines can not compare when it comes to experience and quality you get on a Disney ship. We have not been on the Disney Dream yet and not sure if we will be able to touch the Disney Fantasy from the ticket prices we have seen.

We just got off of the Carnival Dream and I must say it really is a nice ship! We decided to give Carnival another shot this past March after family asked us to go with them. March cruise was fun and the Carnival Dream we just got back from was really fun. Plenty of jacuzzi's, laser show and movies on the Lido pool deck all great!

Still nothing compares to Disney except for price. We already rebooked Carnival Dream and would love to go on the Disney Fantasy, but it all comes down to price and right now it's too high.

 

[mhsjax]

I agree with the above RCCL does not serve food from the night before. Shanks of Lamb, tiger shrimp, steak, lobster, duck, filet mignon, pork chops, prime rib and roast beef, cooked rare to medium, are not on the buffets of any ship that I have cruised on. Soups are usually the basic soups on the buffet, nothing like I have seen at dinner. I have also got to say the salads are much better at dinner than in the buffet. Many of the desserts are pretty unique and you probably wouldn't see them on the buffet. I have never seen the rolls they serve on the carnival and the RCCL evening meals on the buffets. My recollection is that I had to wait to get the two favorite rolls I like at the dinner table.

Doing the buffets only means you will miss a lot of great foods and desserts. Buffets are good, but not great like the evening meals on all ships.

Well of all the dining rooms on DCL and the dining room on the Carnival Liberty, the buffets on both and Harry's on the Liberty and Palo on DCL, the only great food was Palo. I havn't been on RCCI, but my DB has and he is a real food snob and he said that Carnival was better than RCCI. I think anyone that thinks "Great food" come from a cruise ship, probably doesn't have the standards that I do.

 

[Edd]

The Carnival also has some great food. I think about the steaks and the chocolate melting cake right off. I do rate the Carnival steaks better than the RCCL. They also have some other great dinners.

I do not think you should pay for food twice and so do not eat at the pay restaurants other than an occasional luncheon visit to Johnny Rockets on the RCCL. I just cannot imagine food better than the food in any of the dining rooms that is worth $25.00 to $75.00 more per head. I think some people pay on the DCL because it is a chance to get away from the kids.

 

[TXDCLfan]

The Carnival also has some great food. I think about the steaks and the chocolate melting cake right off. I do rate the Carnival steaks better than the RCCL. They also have some other great dinners.

I do not think you should pay for food twice and so do not eat at the pay restaurants other than an occasional luncheon visit to Johnny Rockets on the RCCL. I just cannot imagine food better than the food in any of the dining rooms that is worth $25.00 to $75.00 more per head. [liB]I think some people pay on the DCL because it is a chance to get away from the kids.[/B]

Not true at all, most of us like the great quality of food and the choices that Palo has and find the cost very reasonable Maybe you should try it and then make up your mind You give people a hard time when they express their opinions and have never cruised on other lines maybe its time for you to try the other options that are out there and really become an "experienced" cruiser like you say that you are

 

[lovethedream]

Well of all the dining rooms on DCL and the dining room on the Carnival Liberty, the buffets on both and Harry's on the Liberty and Palo on DCL, the only great food was Palo. I havn't been on RCCI, but my DB has and he is a real food snob and he said that Carnival was better than RCCI. I think anyone that thinks "Great food" come from a cruise ship, probably doesn't have the standards that I do.

Good food from the main dining room on either RCCL or Carnival has not been OUR experience. As a matter of fact, our entire food experience with RCCL was not all that great, except for Johnny Rockets or the pizza, so for us, thank goodness for Johnny Rockets . However, the buffet on Carnival was good. So much so that is where we ate most of our cruise on the Ecstasy.

 

[lovethedream]

The Carnival also has some great food. I think about the steaks and the chocolate melting cake right off. I do rate the Carnival steaks better than the RCCL. They also have some other great dinners.

I do not think you should pay for food twice and so do not eat at the pay restaurants other than an occasional luncheon visit to Johnny Rockets on the RCCL. I just cannot imagine food better than the food in any of the dining rooms that is worth $25.00 to $75.00 more per head. I think some people pay on the DCL because it is a chance to get away from the kids.

It is a good thing to get away from the kids once in a while and spend a little time with your significant other. I see it as no different than hiring a baby sitter and going out for a nice dinner and a movie.

Besides, just as there are food items available in the main dining rooms that are not available in the buffet, it is my understanding that the same holds for the pay restaurants also.

 

[lovethedream]

I agree with the above RCCL does not serve food from the night before. Shanks of Lamb, tiger shrimp, steak, lobster, duck, filet mignon, pork chops, prime rib and roast beef, cooked rare to medium, are not on the buffets of any ship that I have cruised on. Soups are usually the basic soups on the buffet, nothing like I have seen at dinner. I have also got to say the salads are much better at dinner than in the buffet. Many of the desserts are pretty unique and you probably wouldn't see them on the buffet. I have never seen the rolls they serve on the carnival and the RCCL evening meals on the buffets. My recollection is that I had to wait to get the two favorite rolls I like at the dinner table.

Doing the buffets only means you will miss a lot of great foods and desserts. Buffets are good, but not great like the evening meals on all ships.

I have to say I am a bit puzzled by the salad observation. At least on our Ecstasy cruise, any salad you had in the buffet was self made. They had an entire table set aside with everything you would need to make your own. I have a difficult time understanding how a self made salad looses every time to a salad made by a complete stranger?

Also, are you referring to the buffet as it is set for lunch and not for dinner?