Food quality on Dream vs. other Disney ships

[dlmaranich]

My family just returned from our first sailing onboard the Disney Dream. We've cruised on every other Disney ship, including a recent 3-night on the Wish (in November) and a 4-night on the Magic (in January). One thing that stood out to us was the food quality on the Dream. We found it to be exceptionally poor, with very few exceptions. Our meals in the dining rooms were not good at all, our meals/snacks from Deck 11 were bad and even the food at Castaway did not meet expectations. This is not something we've previously experienced and I'm wondering if it was just an off sailing or if there was more to it than that.

I'm quickly approaching PIF date for a 10-night Fantasy sailing in July and I'm feeling really nervous about food quality. We haven't sailed on the Fantasy since 2019. Can anyone who has sailed recently onboard both the Dream and another ship offer your experience regarding food quality on the Dream vs. other ships? I'm seriously considering cancelling our Fantasy cruise based on what we ate onboard the Dream.

Thank you for any insights you can share.

 

[DWillowBay]

We just sailed the Dream in November and did not experience what you are citing. We have never been disappointed in our meals on board any ship (we've sailed all except the Magic). How unfortunate that you had that negative experience. I suppose there could be many contributing factors that caused 'rough seas' in the kitchen, but I wouldn't let that drive your next cruise. If you find that you repeat the experience, I'd 1) report that directly to the cruise line and 2) find it reasonable that you wouldn't return at that point. I really hope you don't have to consider any of these options, but that your next cruise is stellar!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My family just returned from our first sailing onboard the Disney Dream. We've cruised on every other Disney ship, including a recent 3-night on the Wish (in November) and a 4-night on the Magic (in January). One thing that stood out to us was the food quality on the Dream. We found it to be exceptionally poor, with very few exceptions. Our meals in the dining rooms were not good at all, our meals/snacks from Deck 11 were bad and even the food at Castaway did not meet expectations. This is not something we've previously experienced and I'm wondering if it was just an off sailing or if there was more to it than that.

I'm quickly approaching PIF date for a 10-night Fantasy sailing in July and I'm feeling really nervous about food quality. We haven't sailed on the Fantasy since 2019. Can anyone who has sailed recently onboard both the Dream and another ship offer your experience regarding food quality on the Dream vs. other ships? I'm seriously considering cancelling our Fantasy cruise based on what we ate onboard the Dream.

Thank you for any insights you can share.

Possibly there was a new chef onboard. Maybe food supplies were not up to par. Any number of reasons. I've never had really "bad" food onboard any ship I've cruise on (yet). Yes, there have been specific dishes that just weren't as good as they should have been, but not really bad.

 

[Flossbolna]

We sailed the Dream and the Wonder in 2023 and thought the food on the Wonder was much better than on the Dream. Same dishes were better prepared and plated, so we did experience a bit what you did, but not to the point that we thought the food was bad. We just noticed on the Wonder that the food was better than what we had a few months earlier on the Dream.

 

[Debonna]

Could you provide more details about what you considered exceptionally poor? I am sailing on the Dream in about three weeks and would like to know what you had and disliked, if you don't mind sharing. Was the food inedible, poorly prepared, not fresh, etc.? Also curious if you notified any cast members onboard (head server, etc.) and if they made attempts to rectify, bring you some other dish, or so forth. Thanks, and I'm sorry to hear about your experience.

 

[Cheburashka]

Can anyone who has sailed recently onboard both the Dream and another ship offer your experience regarding food quality on the Dream vs. other ships?

We're on the final night of our Dream cruise right now, and the food is just as good as it has been on my 11 other cruises on 4 different Disney ships. This includes MDR, Palo, Cabanas, pool deck quick service and room service. We didn't eat on the island this cruise, but we did also sail the Dream this past November and ate at the Serenity Bay barbeque on that cruise, and that was good, too.

It sounds like you had bad luck (maybe their supply of certain ingredients was low or less fresh on a particular cruise, or there was illness among the chefs), subpar servers (lukewarm food isn't as good as hot food- and that did happen to me in the MDR about a year ago), and/or selected dishes that aren't among DCL's best fleetwide (they do have better and worse dishes). If you have serious dietary restrictions such as being vegetarian or gluten free, that will affect food quality, too.

 

[Flcruising]

Never experienced bad food on any of the ships.
But i do wish they would upgrade a bit.
Maybe it was an off cruise or maybe your tastes aren't compatible to DCL food or cooking . In that case it's not the chefs fault. Nor is it yours. Not trying to insult you at all. Many people find their tastes are better served on particular cruise lines.

 

[TRTRguy]

Only issue I had on the Dream was in October 2023 (4th time on Dream), it was the 2nd sailing out of NYC after it came over on transatlantic and still had a lot of provisions from Europe. Bright side was they also had a lot of European beer.

 

[dlmaranich]

Could you provide more details about what you considered exceptionally poor? I am sailing on the Dream in about three weeks and would like to know what you had and disliked, if you don't mind sharing. Was the food inedible, poorly prepared, not fresh, etc.? Also curious if you notified any cast members onboard (head server, etc.) and if they made attempts to rectify, bring you some other dish, or so forth. Thanks, and I'm sorry to hear about your experience.

By "exceptionally poor" I mean that, top to bottom, we experienced dishes that were not aligned with the quality (including taste, temperature and freshness) of what we've experienced on other ships recently.

On the first night, I only took a few bites of my appetizer because it was served lukewarm and the sauce had noticeably congealed. I was fine to leave it at that but the server noticed and asked if I liked it. I told him it was a temperature issue and he insisted on bringing out a new one. The plate on the new one was quite hot but the food on the plate, still was just slightly warmer than the first. I ate most of it just to avoid any further discussion of it; I don't like to feel like I am complaining. To me, I'd rather just try again next time rather than make a fuss.

Throughout the cruise, we experienced food that was served lukewarm. My husband's tuna was seared so unevenly that it was completely raw in the middle and then the edges were so overcooked that it was difficult to eat. Dishes that I've enjoyed on other ships were not consistent with regard to ratios of broth to pasta, etc. The chicken parm I always order at Palo brunch was served with risotto that was really salty. The veggie burger I was served on Deck 11 for lunch one day was either severely overcooked or so old that it was akin to a hockey puck. The chicken strips also on Deck 11 were dry -- and we LOVE the chicken strips usually. The bbq chicken at Castaway was dry and stringy, maybe a result of having been frozen too long? Salads had wilted and browned greens. Breakfast pastries were stale.

We definitely have discerning tastes and so DCL food has never been standout for us, but even so, we've usually been satisfied with dining on our cruises. That was not so this time. I don't think I finished a single dish. I stopped ordering dessert because it just wasn't worth the wait or the calories.

We are platinum cruisers, so we've had plenty of experience with dining on Disney ships. I feel like I know how to order to accommodate my taste preferences and avoid dishes that might not meet my expectations. But on this cruise, it just seemed like even my go-to favorites were wrong. It was not a good dining experience, unfortunately!

 

[yowcruiser]

Is the "food quality" the same across all ships? No Is the "food quality the same at all port of departures? No Is the food quality consistently the same within the same ship or even within a single sailing...? Not always

For me, because of allergies, I tend to eat very similar dishes every single cruises, with the occasional variations... so I have been able to compare salmon royale in Triton/Royal, the ginger-teriyaki beef tenderloin in Animator, the beef tenderloin at Palo, the tomato soup at Palo, the chicken tenders, the burgers and so on... I found the beef cuts on the Wonder out of Vancouver to be superior to what I had experienced on any other ships... yet underwhelming at Palo when we sailed out of New Orleans on the same ship for Panama Canal. The salmon dishes are a bit more bland on the Fantasy for some reason. The different supply in Europe resulted on 3 different variations of chicken tender on a sailing in 2022... some good... some so-so. The tomato soup at Palo (brunch) is either awesome... or just meh... depending on the tomato supplies from the port, and maybe seasonality... when a new kitchen crew comes in, the food tends to be overcooked for a few nights.. until enough guests offer constructive feedback and adjustments are made.

I'd say that 80% of my meals on DCL have been between "above average to excellent" - with 20% falling short, usually due to a different local supply or a new kitchen crew.

 

[Cheburashka]

By "exceptionally poor" I mean that, top to bottom, we experienced dishes that were not aligned with the quality (including taste, temperature and freshness) of what we've experienced on other ships recently.

On the first night, I only took a few bites of my appetizer because it was served lukewarm and the sauce had noticeably congealed. I was fine to leave it at that but the server noticed and asked if I liked it. I told him it was a temperature issue and he insisted on bringing out a new one. The plate on the new one was quite hot but the food on the plate, still was just slightly warmer than the first. I ate most of it just to avoid any further discussion of it; I don't like to feel like I am complaining. To me, I'd rather just try again next time rather than make a fuss.

Throughout the cruise, we experienced food that was served lukewarm. My husband's tuna was seared so unevenly that it was completely raw in the middle and then the edges were so overcooked that it was difficult to eat. Dishes that I've enjoyed on other ships were not consistent with regard to ratios of broth to pasta, etc. The chicken parm I always order at Palo brunch was served with risotto that was really salty. The veggie burger I was served on Deck 11 for lunch one day was either severely overcooked or so old that it was akin to a hockey puck. The chicken strips also on Deck 11 were dry -- and we LOVE the chicken strips usually. The bbq chicken at Castaway was dry and stringy, maybe a result of having been frozen too long? Salads had wilted and browned greens. Breakfast pastries were stale.

We definitely have discerning tastes and so DCL food has never been standout for us, but even so, we've usually been satisfied with dining on our cruises. That was not so this time. I don't think I finished a single dish. I stopped ordering dessert because it just wasn't worth the wait or the calories.

We are platinum cruisers, so we've had plenty of experience with dining on Disney ships. I feel like I know how to order to accommodate my taste preferences and avoid dishes that might not meet my expectations. But on this cruise, it just seemed like even my go-to favorites were wrong. It was not a good dining experience, unfortunately!

The lukewarm and congealed MDR food was a service issue. You had a poor MDR server who didn't make sure you got your food hot. I had the same thing happen to me on the Dream in January 2023. However, I just sailed the Dream this past week and also in November 2023, and did not have that issue as we had good servers on those cruises. I also have never had that issue on any other cruises on any ship (including the Dream) prior to that January 2023 cruise. So you had bad luck with servers on that cruise. I've read that some of the best servers and entertainers were sent to the Wish, which might be why the Dream has had inconsistent MDR service since the Wish's launch.

 

[Flip flops in winter]

Were you late dining? I've sailed all the ships and the only time the food was lousy was on my last trip on the Fantasy in '23. It was the 2nd time on the Fantasy for us but I fully attribute the poorer quality (cold!) to the fact that we were late dining. This is the only time we've ever done late and we won't ever do it again. I know that's an unpopular opinion around these parts but that was my experience.

 

[dlmaranich]

Were you late dining? I've sailed all the ships and the only time the food was lousy was on my last trip on the Fantasy in '23. It was the 2nd time on the Fantasy for us but I fully attribute the poorer quality (cold!) to the fact that we were late dining. This is the only time we've ever done late and we won't ever do it again. I know that's an unpopular opinion around these parts but that was my experience.

Yes, we were seated at the later dining time. But, we also chose late dining for the Wish in November '23 and the Magic in January '24, so two very recent sailings and did not experience poor food quality or temperature on those cruises. Also, the issues we experienced went beyond the MDR, to include Palo and quick service choices on Deck 11.

 

[Distinkt]

We were on the British Isles cruise September 2023, late seating, and I really thought the quality of the food was lacking. I know the servers depend on a good review so we tip well and give a good final report on the survey, but in reality I probably would say our meals were mediocre. It seemed like they got worse as the cruise went along, but we still enjoyed the cruise. We have the Vancouver to Hawaii scheduled and I am trying to figure out how to tell our servers that I really want my food to be served hot. I don't want to sound like a Karen from the jump. That was one of my biggest complaints, cold food. And though i loved our servers, the meal seemed to drag on forever. We were always one of the last people out. My husband and I thought one of the best meals was actually lunch on the day of embarkation. We are going to have first seating on the upcoming cruise, and since we have never done that it will be interesting to see if we feel likes its better.

 

[RedHead0186]

Were you late dining? I've sailed all the ships and the only time the food was lousy was on my last trip on the Fantasy in '23. It was the 2nd time on the Fantasy for us but I fully attribute the poorer quality (cold!) to the fact that we were late dining. This is the only time we've ever done late and we won't ever do it again. I know that's an unpopular opinion around these parts but that was my experience.

I've had late dining every cruise I've sailed and never had food quality/temperature issues.

 

[Debonna]

Just sailed on the Dream from April 5 - 8. Our first Disney Cruise. MDR's were mostly disappointing. Caveat - my husband and I both worked in hospitality / hotel sect for years, understand how banquets run, are foodies, and I have a degree in Hospitality/Restaurant Management.

All the "must try's" I heard / read about, I just didn't understand. First night in Enchanted Garden - the sea bass. I had to send it back. I like fish, but this was too fishy and odd texture. Got the prime rib - asked for Med Well - it came out very well done. Since it's sliced, you can clearly see there was zero pink. So I got the chicken, which the server said was "just ok." So I gambled. It was the best thing I tried that night. Our server even told us later on, they don't get to taste the dishes unless it's served in the Crew Mess. So how can they even recommend something or not?

Also, the fried brie in RP was horribly greasy (squirted grease when I cut into it), the kids' pizza was a joke ( 3 tiny, mismatched pieces that were obviously from different pies), the black truffle pursiettes were meh, and all the desserts were just very lackluster. Other guests on our sailing had to send back their kids'pizzas two nights in a row, as they were given half a cold pizza each time.

What was good - the aforementioned chicken in EG, the arugula salad at AP (yum), the tomato goat cheese tart at AP. My DD and I also enjoyed the chicken at AP, but it could've used way more sauce. Mashed potatoes underneath were good but almost an afterthought rather than a side. Wanted more but just decided to move on instead of flagging down a server to get another helping.

Also, MDR service seemed rushed and inattentive, even though we had second seating. 3rd night, we were in AP. We suddenly had a different assistant server we hadn't met before. (original AS name also was not on the tip slip we received in the stateroom - so not sure what happened to him.) Anyway, we arrived on time, and it still took our server forever to come take our order. They just seemed scattered and understaffed. The host who seated us couldn't find our table. She kept asking other servers if they had our table number. I finally told them our main server's name, and they found her. And Crush spent maybe five SECONDS at our screen. My kids are teenage, so they really didn't mind, but it was still a disappointment.

We did Palo for "pre-dinner" one night, and it was hands down, one of the best meals we've ever had. Right up there with Jiko at AKL. The Osso Bucco was heavenly!! And the butternut squash pasta - delicious!! Brunch was fantastic too - - leaps and bounds above MDRs, but not as good as dinner. We'd rebook a cruise just to go back and eat dinner at Palo. If you ever dine at Palo on Dream, request the server Marko from Serbia. He was amazing and served us at both meals. He took my arm and walked me to the table at brunch. Marko guides you very firmly and tells you what's not worth the stomach space - LOL. He was a delight and tipped the scales with our view of service received onboard. I saw him on debarkation morning, working at Cabanas and got to snap a pic with him.

Didn't try Flo's, but our kids said Zaxby's chicken tenders are way better than the ones all the vloggers seem to rave about. DD said the pizza was soggy, but DS will eat anything that vaguely resembles pizza without judgement.

 

[auntlynne]

I have finally decided to just speak up. If the food is cold, if the meat is over or underdone… Not if it’s seasoned in a way I wouldn’t do. The Head Server gets involved - but also is then aware to communicate to the kitchen about the food going out. Your replacement dish should be done correctly. If asked, I tell the truth, hoping this improves it for everyone.

This is how you let DCL know these issues without having to rate the food & service in a negative manner against the servers (since they are lumped together).

As to the Fantasy, we cruised in September, having done the Magic in May. Comparable quality. Yes, this is where I had meat not cooked as ordered and some chicken that was not appetizing (I can’t remember what was the issue). All promptly addressed and not part of my overall memory of the cruise.

 

[Flcruising]

Just sailed on the Dream from April 5 - 8. Our first Disney Cruise. MDR's were mostly disappointing. Caveat - my husband and I both worked in hospitality / hotel sect for years, understand how banquets run, are foodies, and I have a degree in Hospitality/Restaurant Management.

All the "must try's" I heard / read about, I just didn't understand. First night in Enchanted Garden - the sea bass. I had to send it back. I like fish, but this was too fishy and odd texture. Got the prime rib - asked for Med Well - it came out very well done. Since it's sliced, you can clearly see there was zero pink. So I got the chicken, which the server said was "just ok." So I gambled. It was the best thing I tried that night. Our server even told us later on, they don't get to taste the dishes unless it's served in the Crew Mess. So how can they even recommend something or not?

Also, the fried brie in RP was horribly greasy (squirted grease when I cut into it), the kids' pizza was a joke ( 3 tiny, mismatched pieces that were obviously from different pies), the black truffle pursiettes were meh, and all the desserts were just very lackluster. Other guests on our sailing had to send back their kids'pizzas two nights in a row, as they were given half a cold pizza each time.

What was good - the aforementioned chicken in EG, the arugula salad at AP (yum), the tomato goat cheese tart at AP. My DD and I also enjoyed the chicken at AP, but it could've used way more sauce. Mashed potatoes underneath were good but almost an afterthought rather than a side. Wanted more but just decided to move on instead of flagging down a server to get another helping.

Also, MDR service seemed rushed and inattentive, even though we had second seating. 3rd night, we were in AP. We suddenly had a different assistant server we hadn't met before. (original AS name also was not on the tip slip we received in the stateroom - so not sure what happened to him.) Anyway, we arrived on time, and it still took our server forever to come take our order. They just seemed scattered and understaffed. The host who seated us couldn't find our table. She kept asking other servers if they had our table number. I finally told them our main server's name, and they found her. And Crush spent maybe five SECONDS at our screen. My kids are teenage, so they really didn't mind, but it was still a disappointment.

We did Palo for "pre-dinner" one night, and it was hands down, one of the best meals we've ever had. Right up there with Jiko at AKL. The Osso Bucco was heavenly!! And the butternut squash pasta - delicious!! Brunch was fantastic too - - leaps and bounds above MDRs, but not as good as dinner. We'd rebook a cruise just to go back and eat dinner at Palo. If you ever dine at Palo on Dream, request the server Marko from Serbia. He was amazing and served us at both meals. He took my arm and walked me to the table at brunch. Marko guides you very firmly and tells you what's not worth the stomach space - LOL. He was a delight and tipped the scales with our view of service received onboard. I saw him on debarkation morning, working at Cabanas and got to snap a pic with him.

Didn't try Flo's, but our kids said Zaxby's chicken tenders are way better than the ones all the vloggers seem to rave about. DD said the pizza was soggy, but DS will eat anything that vaguely resembles pizza without judgement.

I hope you reported this.

 

[Mango7100]

I honestly can’t think of any meal in the MDRs over 4 cruises that I thought were really good. They were ok. Nothing terrible but nothing great or memorable either.

 

[brentm77]

I have finally decided to just speak up. If the food is cold, if the meat is over or underdone…

This is the right thing to do. It won't be fixed if we all just tolerate it. I would suspect that the server would be more careful to bring you a hot plate if that happens once or twice too.