kiford
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2012
- Messages
- 4,770
Changing up the menu isn't a one-step process. They have to ensure that they can get a consistent supply of the ingredients, especially if they're resupplying in different ports (assuming there are different ingredients), at a cost-effective price. They have to have time to ensure that the kitchen staff is fully trained on the new menus and can deliver it in bulk without interrupting service on other items (both during training and when it's added to the menu) and do it consistently across the fleet if it's being introduced to all ships (which isn't necessarily the case but is sometimes). A lot of land-based restaurants are not open for 3 meals per day, seven days per week, 365 days of the year and who serve a large volume of people simultaneously (yes, I know that not all of the restaurants are open for all 3 meals but at least 2-3 are). It doesn't leave a lot of time for training on something new.
One of the chefs told us that they have to be able to trace the ingredients to their origin in the event of any contamination, allergic reactions (especially to pre-packaged foods), or other issues - not just trace in general but trace to the actual container it came from so supply logistics is a critical issue. Any potential contamination can have a much larger impact than at a land-based restaurant. It has to be essentially the same ingredient at a particular level of quality and has to be available in consistent quantities for every single cruise from trusted and approved vendors and these contracts are often multi-year in order to get the best price and supply. So it takes a fair bit of incentive to change it up. Like too few people ordering it to justify acquisition of the ingredients, long-term supply issues, slowing down service, pricing increases, etc. It's not like a land-based restaurant where you might be able to substitute or get other ingredients on short notice or where you could borrow from other related restaurants (like in WDW) if you run short on something.
There's probably some percentage of people who are tired of the menus because they cruise with DCL frequently but it may be too small of a percentage to justify going through all of that to change it. I'm sure that the menus haven't changed substantially over the years that we've cruised with DCL but unless there's something that I particularly like (pasta pursiettes) or dislike (set appetizer plate at AP on show night), I probably don't remember it from cruise to cruise.
I am very glad to hear that they have decided to get rid of the set appetizer plate for the AP show night. One of the items was seafood and I'm allergic. I can't be sure that it hasn't contacted the other items so I always had to skip it entirely and there were no other options beyond the kid's chicken soup (not complaining about the soup - I do actually like it). I always thought that particular dish was a huge blunder for them especially given their normal attention to managing allergies. There has to have been a significant number of people who are allergic to one or more items on that plate as well as complaints about the lack of choice.
One of the chefs told us that they have to be able to trace the ingredients to their origin in the event of any contamination, allergic reactions (especially to pre-packaged foods), or other issues - not just trace in general but trace to the actual container it came from so supply logistics is a critical issue. Any potential contamination can have a much larger impact than at a land-based restaurant. It has to be essentially the same ingredient at a particular level of quality and has to be available in consistent quantities for every single cruise from trusted and approved vendors and these contracts are often multi-year in order to get the best price and supply. So it takes a fair bit of incentive to change it up. Like too few people ordering it to justify acquisition of the ingredients, long-term supply issues, slowing down service, pricing increases, etc. It's not like a land-based restaurant where you might be able to substitute or get other ingredients on short notice or where you could borrow from other related restaurants (like in WDW) if you run short on something.
There's probably some percentage of people who are tired of the menus because they cruise with DCL frequently but it may be too small of a percentage to justify going through all of that to change it. I'm sure that the menus haven't changed substantially over the years that we've cruised with DCL but unless there's something that I particularly like (pasta pursiettes) or dislike (set appetizer plate at AP on show night), I probably don't remember it from cruise to cruise.
I am very glad to hear that they have decided to get rid of the set appetizer plate for the AP show night. One of the items was seafood and I'm allergic. I can't be sure that it hasn't contacted the other items so I always had to skip it entirely and there were no other options beyond the kid's chicken soup (not complaining about the soup - I do actually like it). I always thought that particular dish was a huge blunder for them especially given their normal attention to managing allergies. There has to have been a significant number of people who are allergic to one or more items on that plate as well as complaints about the lack of choice.
