Food Quality Decline?

[Lothlórien]

I will apologize for the length in advance. Just want to share what our experiences have been so you know what we look for in a cruise.


One of the big things about cruising for my husband is the food. He is not a heavy guy at all. He plays soccer several days a week at 47 so he can enjoy good food.


We have been on 5 cruises. 1 Disney, 1 Royal and 3 Carnival.


We are not cruise snobs. We love the water, magnificence of Creation and as long as our room is clean and the ship is large so that my tummy can tolerate it, I am good with whatever.


We do not drink.

We like getting in the ocean, but not pools so much.

We like movies and nighttime shows.

We enjoy comedy if it is clean.

We do not go to the casinos.

We enjoy the shows if they do not get raunchy.



1st Cruise – December 2002 - Disney Wonder

• We (hubby and myself) selected this cruise and went on it with just us and our daughter during Christmas.
• Felt is was very expensive for a 4-day cruise, but it was definite Disney quality.
• Food was very good on this cruise in both the dining room and Lido (or whatever they call it)
• LOVED Disney Dreams. Talking about it today still brings tears to my eyes. <3

2nd Cruise – May 2009 - Carnival

• Went with 2 other couples. Cruise was chosen by one of the couples we went with.
• Price was good for a 7-day cruise
• Food was decent and we definitely found things we liked on both the Lido deck and in the main dining room.
• We often refer to this as the "drunk ship cruise" - drinking is not our thing and it seemed most guests were drunk by noon. It did not spoil our fun, just an observation about the cruise (or cruiseline) There was definite entertainment that was clean and enjoyable.

3rd Cruise – April 2013 - Royal

• Went with entire family (11 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• Felt the price was good until we got on the cruise and found that almost everybody was over 80 and there was not much to do unless you like the casino and drinking. (we do not)
• Food was just okay in the dining room. Lido had better options.
• Evening shows were good after the early dining. 2nd show was quite adult!

4th Cruise – March 2014 - Carnival

• Went with family (9 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• FIL paid for it, so I cannot comment about the value for the money
• Food was just okay on the Lido, dining room was an improvement over the Royal, still not great other than elegant nights.
• Lido did have other options such as taco day, Chinese day, Italian day, etc. They also had Guy’s burgers (simple fast food) and a Taco bar which were decent.

5th Cruise – January 2016 - Carnival

• Went with family (10 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• FIL paid for it, so I cannot comment about the value for the money
• Food was overall quite disappointing. The food in the dining room always seemed to be cold, soups were very, very thin, meats lacked flavor/seasoning and all the side dishes were overcooked.
• Lido did have an Asian Wok, burger place, taco/burrito place and an Italian bar for lunch daily, but most of it was lacking flavor. (I did enjoy the tacos and the Guy burgers when they were fresh. For everything else in the Lido, it was the same hard bread, same salad bar, a veggie lasagna, a fried meat, baked potato and gelatin-mold desserts every day.

I do have to say, I am a darn good cook/baker. That may have something to do with our dining disappointments.

Anyhow -

As we pulled into port Saturday, we saw the Fantasy and our faces lit up. I am pretty sure there was a tear in my eye, too.

We are thinking about doing another Disney Cruise. I love all things Disney and so I know the entertainment will be good. However, it has been 14+ years since we did a DCL cruise and I have no doubt with all of the cutbacks in the parks that the cruise line also has had cutbacks.

Like the other lines, has DCL had a major food decline over the years? (not counting Palo). Have they also cut back on daily activities throughout the day?

Do you think if I booked a cruise with Disney we would be disappointed with the dining, entertainment and such? As I have not been on DCL in a long time, I really am hoping those of you who go often can offer some thoughts. Especially those who have been recently as well as 10 – 15 years ago.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Like the other lines, has DCL had a major food decline over the years? (not counting Palo). Have they also cut back on daily activities throughout the day?

Do you think if I booked a cruise with Disney we would be disappointed with the dining, entertainment and such? As I have not been on DCL in a long time, I really am hoping those of you who go often can offer some thoughts. Especially those who have been recently as well as 10 – 15 years ago.

There are those who feel ALL cruise line food (in the main dining rooms) has declined (regardless of cruise line). Personally, I have no issue with the food I've had (except for one or two specific dishes). But, I'm not what you'd call a "foodie". As long as the food is prepared well, and not burned or raw, I'm fine with it.

I don't feel there's been any decline of activities. If anything, they've added some things (ticketed meet & greets; royal tea; more tastings classes).

The only disappointment I find in DCL entertainment is the shows on the Dream class ships don't "feel" as good as the ones on the Magic class ships. That said, they are still better than what I've seen on Carnival, Princess, and Holland America (except one specific show on Holland America - that was the best show I've ever seen on any cruise line).

We started on DCL in 2008 and our most recent was last May. I think they still have a quality product. BUT, I don't think that quality is worth the massive cost increases that DCL has been implementing in the last year or two.

 

[tigger2002]

We have been cruising with Disney since 2009 and once with RC to Alaska. I think that the Disney food has changed over the years, not better or worse, just changed some. The newer bigger ships have plenty of entertainment throughout the day I think. The "adult" shows at night are really good. I think that the best thing to do would be to look at some of the recent navigators from the Fantasy. Your first Disney cruise was for four days, I would recommend a seven day so that you could explore the ship more and they do have more activities.

 

[allears]

The replies will be all over the place as they have with many of the threads that have talked about food or anything highly subjective. So good luck!

For what it's worth here's my opinion. I have sailed DCL 14 times since 2000 and only sailed Disney. I have alwyas enjoyed the food. Found it well prepared tasty and interesting.

If something isn't to your liking they are happy to get you something else or within reason fix a special order.

We are a couple of weeks away from our fourth time on the Fantasy and very much looking forward to meals!

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Just based on what you describe as your likes and dislikes, I think DCL is actually where you will be happiest. I'm not an expert on food, but I have consistently been pleased with DCL food. We've been on four cruises. I like all of it, from the dining rooms, to the buffet, to the snacks in the coffee shop, to the selections up on the pool deck. I have not been to Remy (yet!), but I wouldn't miss Palo.

 

[mmouse37]

We have been on 38 DCL cruises and have been cruising with Disney since Day 1 of their sailings. We most recently sailed on the Wonder and I felt the food over the years has changed (as someone else mentioned) but not necessarily worse. I did notice a change in my favorite soup (the butternut squash) but that was about it.

We love Tiana's place and thought the food was really good.

MJ

 

[SeaSpray]

From 2003 until as recently as 3 months ago, we've been cruising on Royal Caribbean and Disney. We cruise for almost the same reasons as you and your husband, regarding don't go to casinos, don't like anything raunchy, etc.

We've enjoyed both cruise lines a lot, but definitely prefer the classic Disney ships. My husband feels that there's been a slow decline in the food quality across the board (Palo is still excellent!) but we did have some excellent meals in the main dining rooms recently.

In my opinion, the activities have not been cut back at all; in fact there seems to be even more.

From everything you said, I don't think you'd be disappointed with a Disney cruise.

 

[Quellman]

There are those who feel ALL cruise line food (in the main dining rooms) has declined (regardless of cruise line). Personally, I have no issue with the food I've had (except for one or two specific dishes). But, I'm not what you'd call a "foodie". As long as the food is prepared well, and not burned or raw, I'm fine with it.

I don't feel there's been any decline of activities. If anything, they've added some things (ticketed meet & greets; royal tea; more tastings classes).

The only disappointment I find in DCL entertainment is the shows on the Dream class ships don't "feel" as good as the ones on the Magic class ships. That said, they are still better than what I've seen on Carnival, Princess, and Holland America (except one specific show on Holland America - that was the best show I've ever seen on any cruise line).

I can get behind that statement, though I know you and I disagree on some of them. I keep hoping they'll toss Wishes and Believe.

For @Lothlórien, cruise food is what you make of it. I would be surprised if anyone could recall the food they at 14 years ago, so you wouldn't necessarily know that the quality for Disney changed or not. Obviously they are preparing food for 2-4000 people a night. Expect some quality degradation. If you make it onto the Dream and Fantasy, you can splurge with Remy in addition to Palo. You will find food prepared as you wait and with quality ingredients.

If anything, I think the daily activities have been steady. In addition to the standard Bingo and trivia, they provide a bunch of neat activities. Things like learn to draw a Disney character, cooking classes, Disney music trivia, scavenger hunts, and family style game shows.

On longer cruises, they have variety acts and comedians. They have both family and 'adult shows,' but adult is still Disney friendly in terms of language and sometimes a little risque (think the 70s match game and 'whoopie'). All cruises feature quality lounge acts.

All that being said, for Disney, the clubs get pretty sparse post 11pm. Remember the majority of people all have kids who need sleep in order to function the next day for their excursions etc. So if you need lots of people for a social night life you likely won't find it!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I keep hoping they'll toss Wishes and Believe.

I hear you. Although, the one redeeming quality I find in Wishes is that it's about Disneyland. We out here on the west coast don't get much acknowledgement about being in the Disney family.

But, Wishes and Believe both are so obviously an attempt at re-working the Disney Dreams storyline (and not very sucessfully).

 

[wombat_5606]

I, personally, think the food has declined and I didn't think it was all that good on my very first cruise. I really have to work on my husband to get him to go to the MDR.

In the old days, food was a very big part of cruising. Sadly, now it's all about making you pay extra to get a good meal.

 

[Quellman]

I hear you. Although, the one redeeming quality I find in Wishes is that it's about Disneyland. We out here on the west coast don't get much acknowledgement about being in the Disney family.

But, Wishes and Believe both are so obviously an attempt at re-working the Disney Dreams storyline (and not very sucessfully).

Going off topic, I find both story lines to be solidly in the pre-teen genre with limited appeal to adults traveling or without kids.

 

[buzzlightyear1977]

Looking at the Room Service Menu's over the years it appears things either just go away or become extra cost year after year. No more wings? $38 cheese and fruit etc...

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Looking at the Room Service Menu's over the years it appears things either just go away or become extra cost year after year. No more wings? $38 cheese and fruit etc...

There were wings on the room service menu our most recent Wonder cruise. As well as a fruit bowl and the all hands on deck platter. All "free".

 

[Lothlórien]

I, personally, think the food has declined and I didn't think it was all that good on my very first cruise. I really have to work on my husband to get him to go to the MDR.

In the old days, food was a very big part of cruising. Sadly, now it's all about making you pay extra to get a good meal.

YES!!! Especially if you want good steaks or seafood. $30 and upwards per person to dine in the small specialty restaurants

 

[Shanti]

I will apologize for the length in advance. Just want to share what our experiences have been so you know what we look for in a cruise.


One of the big things about cruising for my husband is the food. He is not a heavy guy at all. He plays soccer several days a week at 47 so he can enjoy good food.


We have been on 5 cruises. 1 Disney, 1 Royal and 3 Carnival.


We are not cruise snobs. We love the water, magnificence of Creation and as long as our room is clean and the ship is large so that my tummy can tolerate it, I am good with whatever.


We do not drink.

We like getting in the ocean, but not pools so much.

We like movies and nighttime shows.

We enjoy comedy if it is clean.

We do not go to the casinos.

We enjoy the shows if they do not get raunchy.



1st Cruise – December 2002 - Disney Wonder

• We (hubby and myself) selected this cruise and went on it with just us and our daughter during Christmas.
• Felt is was very expensive for a 4-day cruise, but it was definite Disney quality.
• Food was very good on this cruise in both the dining room and Lido (or whatever they call it)
• LOVED Disney Dreams. Talking about it today still brings tears to my eyes. <3

2nd Cruise – May 2009 - Carnival

• Went with 2 other couples. Cruise was chosen by one of the couples we went with.
• Price was good for a 7-day cruise
• Food was decent and we definitely found things we liked on both the Lido deck and in the main dining room.
• We often refer to this as the "drunk ship cruise" - drinking is not our thing and it seemed most guests were drunk by noon. It did not spoil our fun, just an observation about the cruise (or cruiseline) There was definite entertainment that was clean and enjoyable.

3rd Cruise – April 2013 - Royal

• Went with entire family (11 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• Felt the price was good until we got on the cruise and found that almost everybody was over 80 and there was not much to do unless you like the casino and drinking. (we do not)
• Food was just okay in the dining room. Lido had better options.
• Evening shows were good after the early dining. 2nd show was quite adult!

4th Cruise – March 2014 - Carnival

• Went with family (9 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• FIL paid for it, so I cannot comment about the value for the money
• Food was just okay on the Lido, dining room was an improvement over the Royal, still not great other than elegant nights.
• Lido did have other options such as taco day, Chinese day, Italian day, etc. They also had Guy’s burgers (simple fast food) and a Taco bar which were decent.

5th Cruise – January 2016 - Carnival

• Went with family (10 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• FIL paid for it, so I cannot comment about the value for the money
• Food was overall quite disappointing. The food in the dining room always seemed to be cold, soups were very, very thin, meats lacked flavor/seasoning and all the side dishes were overcooked.
• Lido did have an Asian Wok, burger place, taco/burrito place and an Italian bar for lunch daily, but most of it was lacking flavor. (I did enjoy the tacos and the Guy burgers when they were fresh. For everything else in the Lido, it was the same hard bread, same salad bar, a veggie lasagna, a fried meat, baked potato and gelatin-mold desserts every day.

I do have to say, I am a darn good cook/baker. That may have something to do with our dining disappointments.

Anyhow -

As we pulled into port Saturday, we saw the Fantasy and our faces lit up. I am pretty sure there was a tear in my eye, too.

We are thinking about doing another Disney Cruise. I love all things Disney and so I know the entertainment will be good. However, it has been 14+ years since we did a DCL cruise and I have no doubt with all of the cutbacks in the parks that the cruise line also has had cutbacks.

Like the other lines, has DCL had a major food decline over the years? (not counting Palo). Have they also cut back on daily activities throughout the day?

Do you think if I booked a cruise with Disney we would be disappointed with the dining, entertainment and such? As I have not been on DCL in a long time, I really am hoping those of you who go often can offer some thoughts. Especially those who have been recently as well as 10 – 15 years ago.

We sailed on the Magic a year ago, and on the Fantasy last month. We found the food best on the Fantasy, and in general it was better in the MDRs than in Cabana's or on the pool deck. The food was good. Entertainment and service were ample.

The Disney parks and the Disney cruises are two different beasts. The latter is more expensive across the board for all guests, so it seems that they strive to provide a higher quality product and service across the board for all guests. Prices are way up- that's more the issue with DCL than a lowering of goods & services.

 

[Lothlórien]

Thank you to everybody for your very valuable input. ((BIG HUGS FOR ALL))

 

[cmph]

I've cruised on 4 other cruiselines over the years (since I was a young teenager) and I have to say that I do actually remember cruise food from my first cruise 25 years ago! That was Princess, an Alaskan cruise. We had amazing seafood - prepped by the head waiter tableside, in some cases. Waiters cut our (hot entree, not cold appetizer) king crab legs, so we ate quite a lot of them! A number of different dessert souffles for MDR dinners through the week, crepes suzette prepared tableside, a crazy fruit de mer appetizer that my picky mother ordered quite to our surprise (and hers, too, as she hadn't read the description whatsoever and was shocked to find whole small sea creatures on her plate rather than a fruit salad!!), white glove service afternoon tea. Anyway - my point is, I do actually vividly remember how good the food was that trip. Subsequent cruises on other lines were never quite as good.

Having said that, we were very happy with our recent 7-day Wonder over New Year's (our first DCL) and would probably rate it higher than any cruise we've taken aside from that Princess Alaskan cruise. We enjoyed Cabanas lunch buffet quite a lot - good dessert selection, German dishes on the buffet, etc. Whenever I saw Indian dishes around, I took them; I particularly liked the biryani in the bowls area of Daisy's D-lites. We didn't find anything to complain about in the MDRs at dinner; my parents thought MDR lunch was inferior to Cabanas and gave up on that after a couple tries. My husband, kids and I only had lunch in Cabanas or around the pool. I never felt like I was eating unseasoned food (like I did on HAL), and my MDR choices varied over the week with beef, seafood, pasta. We tend to be fairly adventurous eaters in my house, but my picky mom was happy with nearly everything too, aside from a terrible roast beef sandwich at lunch in Triton's, and loved Tiana's beignets more than any other cruise dessert she's had. Hopefully the vivid food memories I clearly have are somewhat helpful!

Regarding the shows - my parents greatly prefer "clean" comedy/performers. They absolutely loved nearly all the entertainment we had this cruise. The only exception was the ventriloquist b/c my mom thinks they are creepy. They went to every adults-only show offered late in the evening as well as every main show (except for my mom skipping the ventriloquist). My dad preferred the singers/comedians, but he's not a huge Disney fan. My mom isn't really either, but she loved the Broadway style shows as much as the singers/comedians. I was happy to have all the main shows be something we (my kids, my parents, husband and me) could enjoy together. My 11yo, DH, and I were impressed with Disney Dreams and Frozen, and even the kinda cheesy Golden Mickeys had very cute bits. (We're the big Disney fans in this group.) My dad laughed at the "adults only" designation for the late night shows, b/c even they were very clean. From your description of show preferences - if you are a Disney fan, it's very hard to imagine you liking shows more on another line!

 

[Otimon]

Opinions from others are good to have to compare , but there is only one way to find out for sure if you personally will be disappointed:
book another Disney cruise!

Wishing you a bon voyage and happy eating.

 

[thumpie's mom]

I will apologize for the length in advance. Just want to share what our experiences have been so you know what we look for in a cruise.


One of the big things about cruising for my husband is the food. He is not a heavy guy at all. He plays soccer several days a week at 47 so he can enjoy good food.


We have been on 5 cruises. 1 Disney, 1 Royal and 3 Carnival.


We are not cruise snobs. We love the water, magnificence of Creation and as long as our room is clean and the ship is large so that my tummy can tolerate it, I am good with whatever.


We do not drink.

We like getting in the ocean, but not pools so much.

We like movies and nighttime shows.

We enjoy comedy if it is clean.

We do not go to the casinos.

We enjoy the shows if they do not get raunchy.



1st Cruise – December 2002 - Disney Wonder

• We (hubby and myself) selected this cruise and went on it with just us and our daughter during Christmas.
• Felt is was very expensive for a 4-day cruise, but it was definite Disney quality.
• Food was very good on this cruise in both the dining room and Lido (or whatever they call it)
• LOVED Disney Dreams. Talking about it today still brings tears to my eyes. <3

2nd Cruise – May 2009 - Carnival

• Went with 2 other couples. Cruise was chosen by one of the couples we went with.
• Price was good for a 7-day cruise
• Food was decent and we definitely found things we liked on both the Lido deck and in the main dining room.
• We often refer to this as the "drunk ship cruise" - drinking is not our thing and it seemed most guests were drunk by noon. It did not spoil our fun, just an observation about the cruise (or cruiseline) There was definite entertainment that was clean and enjoyable.

3rd Cruise – April 2013 - Royal

• Went with entire family (11 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• Felt the price was good until we got on the cruise and found that almost everybody was over 80 and there was not much to do unless you like the casino and drinking. (we do not)
• Food was just okay in the dining room. Lido had better options.
• Evening shows were good after the early dining. 2nd show was quite adult!

4th Cruise – March 2014 - Carnival

• Went with family (9 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• FIL paid for it, so I cannot comment about the value for the money
• Food was just okay on the Lido, dining room was an improvement over the Royal, still not great other than elegant nights.
• Lido did have other options such as taco day, Chinese day, Italian day, etc. They also had Guy’s burgers (simple fast food) and a Taco bar which were decent.

5th Cruise – January 2016 - Carnival

• Went with family (10 people total). Cruise was chosen by sister-in-law.
• FIL paid for it, so I cannot comment about the value for the money
• Food was overall quite disappointing. The food in the dining room always seemed to be cold, soups were very, very thin, meats lacked flavor/seasoning and all the side dishes were overcooked.
• Lido did have an Asian Wok, burger place, taco/burrito place and an Italian bar for lunch daily, but most of it was lacking flavor. (I did enjoy the tacos and the Guy burgers when they were fresh. For everything else in the Lido, it was the same hard bread, same salad bar, a veggie lasagna, a fried meat, baked potato and gelatin-mold desserts every day.

I do have to say, I am a darn good cook/baker. That may have something to do with our dining disappointments.

Anyhow -

As we pulled into port Saturday, we saw the Fantasy and our faces lit up. I am pretty sure there was a tear in my eye, too.

We are thinking about doing another Disney Cruise. I love all things Disney and so I know the entertainment will be good. However, it has been 14+ years since we did a DCL cruise and I have no doubt with all of the cutbacks in the parks that the cruise line also has had cutbacks.

Like the other lines, has DCL had a major food decline over the years? (not counting Palo). Have they also cut back on daily activities throughout the day?

Do you think if I booked a cruise with Disney we would be disappointed with the dining, entertainment and such? As I have not been on DCL in a long time, I really am hoping those of you who go often can offer some thoughts. Especially those who have been recently as well as 10 – 15 years ago.

We have been cruising DCL since 2005 and overall we are still very pleased with the quality of food and service on board. We occasionally get a dish we don't care for, but they always bring us something better. The one place we felt the quality went down is the buffet...sometimes it is excellent, other times not so good. We love the entertainment on board and trust me there are plenty of activities to keep everyone busy! Our hardest decision is usually which activity we want to go do.

 

[NC State]

Lothlórien, you sound so much like us. We have often thought about sailing with someone else but we haven't. We just love the Customer Service with Disney.