Giving up on MDR food

[71 Truck]

Sorry to hear this.
My wife, mom and I were on the fantasy last week and the food was great. We also had a great serving team. Our head server stopped by out table several times during dinner to make sure everyone was happy with the food and the service.
My wife and I always get a side dish of Indian food along with our regular dinner and this also was very good. On our last cruise that was all we ate in the main dinning room for dinner.

 

[paladin732]

Sorry to hear this.
My wife, mom and I were on the fantasy last week and the food was great. We also had a great serving team. Our head server stopped by out table several times during dinner to make sure everyone was happy with the food and the service.
My wife and I always get a side dish of Indian food along with our regular dinner and this also was very good. On our last cruise that was all we ate in the main dinning room for dinner.

How do you manage to get Indian food?

 

[randumb0]

How do you manage to get Indian food?

Tell your server you like Indian food and ask if there is something available that isn't on the menu

 

[71 Truck]

How do you manage to get Indian food?

A few years ago we were sitting next to a family that were Indian. One night we notice that they were eating Indian food so we politely asked after they were done eating how did they get it, did you have to let them know before you go on the ship as a special dietary situation? They said no we just asked for it each night. If you are still on the ship ask your server (or head server) if you can get the Indian Dish of the night. They usually have one, sometimes 2 a night.

I mentioned before that on our last cruise we only ate Indian food each night, no entrees (we did order apps) and the day before the last day the head chef who was from India came out to talk to us and asked why. We told him we really enjoy good Indian food and don't get it very much near where we live. He was very pleased.

 

[Cheburashka]

We're doing our first cruise with DCL soon on the Wish, and if the food is poor, it'll almost certainly be our last DCL cruise. Weird to me that folks wouldn't hold DCL to a higher standard when paying luxury-cruise prices.

You're paying for Disney entertainment and theming throughout the cruise, and Disney cruises also have bigger staterooms of the same category than most ships on other mass market cruise lines.

Have you ever sailed a mass market cruise before? The norm is for main dining food to be mass produced like food at a hotel banquet. Not bad, but not the quality of a similar type of land restaurant, where they're cooking everything to order. If you want that you go to Palo or (for gourmet) Remy.

 

[peder]

You're paying for Disney entertainment and theming throughout the cruise, and Disney cruises also have bigger staterooms of the same category than most ships on other mass market cruise lines.

Have you ever sailed a mass market cruise before? The norm is for main dining food to be mass produced like food at a hotel banquet. Not bad, but not the quality of a similar type of land restaurant, where they're cooking everything to order. If you want that you go to Palo or (for gourmet) Remy.

Yes, we've been on other mass-market cruises. The trouble is that DCL's pricing is in the luxury tier, so having mediocre food at these prices doesn't compute. We're doing Concierge on the Wish, so maybe the additional food offerings in the Concierge Lounge will be better.

 

[FastPasser.]

Just got off the Fantasy yesterday and our server team and service was as good as we’ve ever had, we’re Platinum.

I’m certainly not a foodie but our food was fine. Once again it shows that experiences do vary even on the same cruise and maybe in the same dining room at the same time.

 

[Dug720]

Did Palo room service tonight (which was wonderful, food was still hot when it arrived!) and asked concierge to change the waiter for tomorrow.
Should I expect a table number change, or just a server change?

After the fact, but I'd hope and assume a table number change. I'd hope they wouldn't disrupt other cruisers' service by changing the team that has gotten to know them halfway through the cruise just because one person asked for a change of servers.

 

[Carolynleanne]

I was on the Wish in August and it was some of the best cruise food I've EVER had - and I've sailed a lot of cruise lines.

 

[tidefan]

If I could change one thing on DCL, it would be better pool-side food and a dinner buffet. I would love a quick and easy option to get a good dinner, which DCL doesn't have (with the exception of the Wish from what I hear). It is one of the things I am looking forward to on our first Celebrity cruise.

This is my #1 complaint about DCL. They should most definitely open Cabanas back up for dinner. We ate at the buffet on our Regal Princess British Isles cruise many nights this past Summer and it was so easy to just eat when you wanted (especially when you may be on land until late at night on a port intensive cruise). Princess even had a different theme in there every night.

 

[MamaMermaid]

We've never had issues with food or service. I hope things get resolved for you!

 

[Halfbrit]

I've sailed on the Fantasy twice and had good food and fantastic service. We asked them on day one both times to bring us extra (and a variety of) vegetables with our meals and they did that every day thereafter without us having to ask again. Our servers got to know our food preferences and their recommendations for our tastes we're spot on. We normally eat a variety of international cuisines at home, so missed that on the menus. Will definitely ask for Indian next time now I know we can!

We're going on the Wonder from Sydney on 24 days. My wife was diagnosed as coeliac since or last cruise so this'll be out first cruise experience with dietary needs. We've not heard good things so far about DCLs handling of special dietary requirements on the Aussie cruises. Let's hope our experience is better now that they've had a few months here in Australia.

 

[Sykes]

Yes, we've been on other mass-market cruises. The trouble is that DCL's pricing is in the luxury tier, so having mediocre food at these prices doesn't compute. We're doing Concierge on the Wish, so maybe the additional food offerings in the Concierge Lounge will be better.

There are a lot of things that the price premium is paying for, but it's not the food. Overall food on the Wish may be a little bit better (as earlier posters mentioned), but don't expect Concierge to close the gap between DCL and luxury cruise lines--it's just snacks and light bites rather than a full premium dining room like you'd get on some other lines.

 

[DisneyBill]

Just got off the Fantasy yesterday and our server team and service was as good as we’ve ever had, we’re Platinum.

I’m certainly not a foodie but our food was fine. Once again it shows that experiences do vary even on the same cruise and maybe in the same dining room at the same time.

I was going to comment along the exact same lines. We had Raffaell and Yogi as servers and they did a remarkable job. Really miss them now that I have to eat what I cook and clean up my own mess.

 

[paladin732]

I was going to comment along the exact same lines. We had Raffaell and Yogi as servers and they did a remarkable job. Really miss them now that I have to eat what I cook and clean up my own mess.

Well thats interesting. Were you in the first seating or second?

 

[Flcruising]

Yes, we've been on other mass-market cruises. The trouble is that DCL's pricing is in the luxury tier, so having mediocre food at these prices doesn't compute. We're doing Concierge on the Wish, so maybe the additional food offerings in the Concierge Lounge will be better.

You and others question why DCL has higher pricing , even in the luxury tier. Im not sure DCL pricing is equal to luxury cruise prices but regardless some responses have given you partial reasons. Other threads address this also. I would simply add here Disney doesn't have casinos as other lines do. So that may be a reason pricing seems higher. Other lines have a stream of cash from the gambling which DCL doesn't have. Gambling adds to the cruise cost for many passengers, but they don't see it that way when are comparing pricing.
Personally I'm generally satisfied with food quality. It's not the best but better than some other lines. And better than what we cook for ourselves on a normal night at home.
I would never make food a factor in choosing a cruise line. I use other criteria, But everyone is different.

 

[DisneyBill]

Well thats interesting. Were you in the first seating or second?

We were on main dining, table 121 if that helps.

 

[Tiberella626]

We were on the Wish for Thanksgiving and the food was just ok, never hot but sometimes warm. The service was absolutely AWFUL! The first night our assistant server came by told us what the alcohol was and we declined a we never saw her again. The main server was always irritated and at least one person at our table got the wrong dish every night, it just rotated who it was. This was our first cruise and I was very disappointed in the food and service. I did later hear that the Wish dining team was 30% understaffed so that makes sense.

 

[paladin732]

We were on main dining, table 121 if that helps.

Hah. We were late dining table 122 before we moved.
Interesting we had such different experiences with the same server team

 

[RedHead0186]

There are a lot of things that the price premium is paying for, but it's not the food. Overall food on the Wish may be a little bit better (as earlier posters mentioned), but don't expect Concierge to close the gap between DCL and luxury cruise lines--it's just snacks and light bites rather than a full premium dining room like you'd get on some other lines.

In concierge on the Wish, I believe there is a small menu where you can order hot foods on demand (as in, you ask and they cook it for you, not sitting out waiting to be grabbed). It's still not a full meal, but it is a bit more than the snacks and light bites in concierge on the other ships.