Looking piggish?

[Chandra C]

So I noticed a thread about food on the ship. Of course I had to then Google menus of the restaurants on board. Being a simple country girl, some of the items seem somewhat exotic. I am wondering if it is commonplace to order more than one entree or appetizer for yourself just because you want to try it? Am I going to get eyerolls if I do this? Will I appear piggish?

 

[TrySomethingNew]

Yes, it is common and allowed to order more than one item. Nope, no one will roll eyes. Enjoy!

 

[wcw57]

chow down! If THAT makes one a pig, then I proudly say "Oink oink!"

 

[ivanp91]

When you've spent thousands of dollars to sail with DCL, and the food is included, don't feel shy as everyone else will be taking advantage of it too! As TrySomethingNew said, enjoy!!

 

[tinkerone]

I will ask for 'that entrée' with a side from 'that other entree'. More often than not they bring out a whole dinner but sometimes they just bring the side I wanted. Think a prime rib dinner with the lobster tail as a side. There's no point in ordering the whole dinner when I don't want anything off the plate except 'X' but as I said earlier, often they bring the whole thing anyways.
Eat up!

 

[olookasquirrel]

So I noticed a thread about food on the ship. Of course I had to then Google menus of the restaurants on board. Being a simple country girl, some of the items seem somewhat exotic. I am wondering if it is commonplace to order more than one entree or appetizer for yourself just because you want to try it? Am I going to get eyerolls if I do this? Will I appear piggish?

Not only will you get no eye rolls, your waiter will probably praise you for it. I think they take an enormous amount of pride in their job, and actually want you to try things

I mean, it's been true of the waiters I've had that they seem to come from the cultural school of food=love - so if you don't eat my food, you don't like me or are mad at me, if you eat double of my food, it means you REALLY like me!

 

[lorimay]

Order what you like!
The portions are not huge, so thats a plus.

My son in law is a heavy protein eater, so he would ask for a piece of each protein that was on the menu offerings and some veggies, he didn't want the carbs, the server didn't mind at all. We would laugh at all the plates around him, I guess they didn't want to put it all on just one or two plates.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Not piggish at all. I've done it a few times because I have favorites from certain menus that I absolutely want but I want to try one of the other dishes too. I've had servers do it two ways. Sometimes they will bring the full plate from one entree (including those sides) and then bring a smaller "side dish" of the second entree. Other times, they've brought me full plates of both of the entrees including all the sides with both entrees. I think the second way might be easier for them as the kitchen is preparing hundreds of plates of each entree and the server can just grab one full plate of each entree rather than ask the kitchen staff to switch what they are doing for a minute to put a side helping of the entree on a different plate.

 

[squirk]

I agree that given what you are paying for these cruises, you should not feel awkward in the slightest asking for an additional appetizer, entree or dessert. I always get a second lobster tail on lobster night, and no one blinks an eye.

 

[Dug720]

My only caution is that they often bring only one dish at a time - at least with appetizers/soups/salads - so if you order say three appetizers the standard is (or at least has been) to bring one, wait until you are finished and clear that away then bring the next. Which drags dinner out longer - and if you are at a shared table and they are NOT ordering multiples they usually have to wait until everyone is finished with all ordered appetizers anyway. IMHO not fair to them.

Of course you can ask for extra. That is not a problem.

If you are at a table alone the service team can *probably* not affect other tables. But IMHO the polite thing to do especially if you are at a shared table is to ask they all be brought at once rather than one at a time.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

My only caution is that they often bring only one dish at a time - at least with appetizers/soups/salads - so if you order say three appetizers the standard is (or at least has been) to bring one, wait until you are finished and clear that away then bring the next. Which drags dinner out longer - and if you are at a shared table and they are NOT ordering multiples they usually have to wait until everyone is finished with all ordered appetizers anyway. IMHO not fair to them.

Of course you can ask for extra. That is not a problem.

If you are at a table alone the service team can *probably* not affect other tables. But IMHO the polite thing to do especially if you are at a shared table is to ask they all be brought at once rather than one at a time.

I've had that happen before when I've ordered two appetizers but no soup or salad. But if I want both appetizers at the same time, I've always had the servers accommodate me if I tell them to bring the appetizers all at once.

 

[Dug720]

I've had that happen before when I've ordered two appetizers but no soup or salad. But if I want both appetizers at the same time, I've always had the servers accommodate me if I tell them to bring the appetizers all at once.

Yeah - they can certainly accommodate that request. Without it, I'm pretty sure the standard is one at a time. And if people don't know they can request both at once, they then often will fuss at the length of dinner.

 

[PlanoNana]

Not only will you get no eye rolls, your waiter will probably praise you for it. I think they take an enormous amount of pride in their job, and actually want you to try things

I mean, it's been true of the waiters I've had that they seem to come from the cultural school of food=love - so if you don't eat my food, you don't like me or are mad at me, if you eat double of my food, it means you REALLY like me!

I can relate. I try manage leaving the cruising weighing no more than when I arrived by intentionally NOT cleaning my plate. Our servers have always been concerned that there was something wrong with the food (or the service) if my plate wasn't sparkling clean. And they'll even get something from another dining room if you ask. On our last cruise our DIL just mentioned while looking at the menu that they didn't have the mango soup she's likes in Parrot Cay so she choose something else. When they brought out our soups, they brought her what she ordered AND the mango soup. She was delighted. They may not always be able to do stuff like that but they take pride in creating Magical Moments.

 

[dclpluto]

Enjoy you paid for it. Just try not to waste

 

[lklgoodman]

One time I couldn't decide which entree I wanted. I asked our server which one he would recommend, he said both. He then came out with both for me. I didn't know at the time, but it is very common for them to do this. On our cruise to Alaska our server came out one night with every dessert that was being offered. My dd and I were in heaven!!!

 

[acourtwdw]

I was told by my serving team, that it is easier for the kitchen crew not to have to plate or change a side dish when they are trying to create such quantities of food. That is why when you are subbing side dishes, they will bring you the entire entree.

 

[dclpluto]

I was told by my serving team, that it is easier for the kitchen crew not to have to plate or change a side dish when they are trying to create such quantities of food. That is why when you are subbing side dishes, they will bring you the entire entree.

I change the side dishes all the time. I never get the entire entree.

 

[Love2Cruz]

I always get two apps for dinner and skip the salad and soup. I normally get one main dish but if it's something that I don't like, the servers are more than happy to have you try something else.

 

[DCLSailing]

Be careful, if they see how much you like something, they will often bring another whether you like it or not.

 

[Jess_S]

Our servers were definitely concerned when started skipping courses, turned down extra lobster,etc. I felt like we were letting our team down by not eating more.

I agree that ordering extra will get no eye rolls, but you might get a server who thinks that means you are going to be cleaning all those plates. I would tell your team up front that you are taking advantage of the opportunity to try new things and they shouldn't assume you are unhappy if you don't eat everything.