Meanwhile, the port complaints tend to be around long wait times, or poor communication and signage which isnt always the fault of the cruise line but could be the port authority. "Sometimes, you cannot eat it.". In my experience, the MDR food (and service) on NCL ships is uniformly less enjoyable than that on other lines. Regent Seven Seas Cruises kicks it up a notch with their cooking school at sea, Culinary Arts Kitchen. Customers who have traveled on the old vessel have commented that the food and service are horrible, two qualities that dont do well with a business, and the entertainment is amateurish. Really the same holds for restaurants on land. Do you have a story to share? By far the best dining. Most Scenic ships also offer a special six-course, wine-paired chefs table experience (Table la Rive) to suite guests and return passengers. Families are a big part of MSC Cruises business. P& Os newest ship, MS Iona is a mega-ship, as will be her sister, MS Arvia, due to sail in 2022. I'm so sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Of the lines I've sailed, the worst food I've had was on NCL. 16 / 24 I've been meaning to create a thread like this for a while, in hopes that it could be helpful for people looking for this information in the future as well. Discoveries Restaurant is the main dining room on destination-focused Azamara, but its anything but mainstream when it comes to culinary discoveries. Hi, I'm Jenni. Silver Wind (Silversea Cruises) This ship scored a 79 score overall, due to several drinking and pool water options having too-low pH and chlorine levels, stacks of A newlywed couple from Baton Rouge, Louisiana experienced what is described as a medical nightmare aboard the Norwegian Pearl during a recent cruise to the Caribbean. Menus change frequently and even on any single cruise line food quality can vary greatly from one ship to another depending on the skills of the executive chef and his/her staff. The main dining room was 'blah' at best though and the service was worse than I've seen on any ship. No lobster, but always a good, varied selection, and our server never batted an eye when someone asked for 2 appetizers. "The food for the crew is really bad," Viana said. Over the years though, that score has dropped. They had a lobster night and regular escargot. ), the most fun, young cruises have the worst food (Carnival, Norwegian, RCL). Kellers influence also shines in theme nights at The Colonnade and select dishes during lunch at The Patio. Another small-ship line, Noble Caledonia, took third place with an overall score of 86 percent, and was the only company to gain top marks in the category for shore excursions. With SHARE by Curtis Stone the chefs first restaurants at sea Stone combines his three loves: travel, food and the ocean. All Viking Ocean Cruises ships feature a dining concept called Mamsens, which is named for company chairman Torstein Hagens mother. 2023 Warner Bros. By admin | 2023-02-28T14:13:42+00:00 February 28th, 2023 | 0 Comments. Regent Seven Seas But for me, Norwegian has the fewest enjoyable meals and a few that I literally found inedible and had to go to the buffet after dinner. #2. You can read more about why MSC Cruises are so cheap here. The most fun cruise ships on the high seas, Recommended Reading: Cruises To Maui From California. Really cool cooking workshops organized by America's Test Kitchen. And because a large proportion of the ship is dedicated only to guests staying in the exclusive MSC Yacht Club, everyone paying the standard fare will feel the squeeze even more. I think the main issue is that people take cruises with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity etc, then they pay half as much for MSC and expect it to be the same standard. I just look back and say: "Yes, we would like that, thank you." Food is a overrated discussion which has been done to death. Food overall very good (for cruise ship food) but soups too salty. Which? Carnivals fleet of 24 ships are loud in color and volume with music pumping, adults letting lose and kids having a ball. break!! Cant get a table at a Thomas Keller restaurant on land? Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions, C858B0A9-6769-424D-B129-59363EDAC023.jpeg, B5073042-BF8A-4EEC-BD19-0938D8732763.jpeg. The Which? With a focus on fresh Alaskan seafood on every sailing, Alaskan Dream Cruises chefs prepare fresh crab, salmon, spot prawns, black cod, halibut, rockfish and more on each cruise from spring to fall. In other words, what is considered very good by one may be viewed as equally bad by another. British and continental influences are prominent, including a variety of seafood dishes, Romney Marsh lamb, chateaubriand, roast duckling and crepes Suzette (flambed tableside). Almost no vegetables with any of the dishes though, it was strange. Also, their sit down brunch on sea days has some of the best food at sea and is usually some the best meals of the week. In 2015, Seabourn announced a partnership with celebrity chef Thomas Keller, who crafted new menus for the three existing ships and spearheaded new restaurants on the two newest ships, Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation. There, according to five people who have worked on cruise ships, the food leaves much to be desired. With a lot more passengers to ferry across the deep blue sea, these cruises have had to step up their game to make sure those that are traveling with them feel entertained and satisfied enough to not only want to book with them again but to also convince others to also book with them. There are a number of cruise lines that received 3 stars out of 5 for cabins on the Which? The Switzerland-based cruise line fell to the bottom of the 2020 ranking for the second year in a row with a score of just 57 per cent, with its customer service and food ranking poorly. When it comes to Deliziosa, there are a lot of reviews with headlines such as Think Again, Never Again, and Beware, three headlines that give off warning right away. We picked this specifically because it's allegedly known as a foodie cruise line, but we still can't figure out why. When you consider whats included, its understandable that MSCs standards in some areas may be a little below the more expensive cruise lines. The Meraviglia is a liner that can hold almost 4,500 passengers. The problem, for us, is that the quality of food/cuisine has changed so much over the years that its impossible to rate current ships unless one has been on the ships within the past few months. In December 2021, Seabourn Venture is due to join the fleet, with a not-yet-named sister arriving in 2022. And as others have mentioned food comparisons are far too subjective to provide a legitimate answer as everyone's taste and preferences are different and can only be judged on individual experience. Of course it is possible (in fact, highly probable) that there is always something worse out there than that which has already been experienced i Norwegian Cruise Line Facebook. Seabourn Cruise Line. We're considering Carnival for our next vacation. When possible, the chef also takes participants to a local market to shop for ingredients used in the class that day. Related:Services That Vacationers Assume Most Cruises OfferBut They Don't. Royal Caribbean International. Ive seen 2 of the worst big production shows Ive ever seen on any cruise Ive been on. Her dream is to write a book and have it published. Recommended Reading: Cruises Leaving From Baltimore Harbor. The river cruise branch of tour operator Vantage Deluxe World Travel has several of its own ships, the majority of which sail in Europe. Right now Oceania is leading that pack. If youre someone who prefers a quieter cruise, you could still very much enjoy an MSC sailing if you choose one of the less popular dates. We have had very mediocre food on Celebrity, HAL, Princess, RCI, NCL, and Carnival. Over the years, the maintenance on the ship has gone downhill, as well as the customer service. The real winner, IMHO, is the brunch option in the main dining room. Others have commented that the juice was watery, the service was horrible, and the staff was rude and unenthused. But that changed shortly after Lisa Lutoff-Perlo took over the company and imposed various cut-backs. Food not the one issue, as one can dine in speciality offerings. It's acombination of things, accommodation,basic menus, availability of decent beds/deck space after breakfast, shows, service, entertainment, and other guests. If you want italian food, try an MSC cruise. Plus, the most important thing to remember is that you get what you pay for, and MSC cruises are often some of the cheapest available, especially for families. Rivals anything on land in the same category (Five Guys, Smashburger, Shake Shack, etc). Viking River Cruises also includes complimentary Wi-Fi and select shore excursions in its prices, and its Culture Curriculum offers experiential learning through events like regional wine tastings and menus that rotate seasonally. KFC Brings Back Its Mind-Boggling Bunless Chicken Sandwich, The Double Down, The Key Food Moments You May Have Missed in The Last of Us, Peeps-Flavored Pepsi Makes Its Adorable Return. WebNoble Caledonia, Viking and Saga, which include everything from wi-fi to excursions in the headline fare, were among the top-ranking brands. Norwegian is the worst IMO. I got pears that were completely fermented into alcohol. Started August 27, 2021, By I've sailed with the three mainstream lines and have found their offerings in the main dining room andbuffets to be very close quality-wise. I have no problem answering this question. Survey revealed MSC had been given two-star ratings for most categories. Princess Cruises Facebook. I can go eat 5 star dining here if I want, but I just don't. We know folks who specifically book Seabourn because they like things like their caviar, which is available in unlimited amounts at any of the bars. The free food at the main dining room is generally good also, as is the buffet. There are some who have ridden it though that were not too happy with their experience. #2 in Best Cruise Lines for the Money. Focusing on adventurous coastal Norway destinations, the line and its chefs are dedicated to procuring and preparing locally produced, raised and caught ingredients. In early 2015, Crystal brought a yacht into its fleet for the first time, and following its success, the cruise line decided to custom-build a polar-class expedition megayacht. But plenty of people do. Just squeaking into the Best category by .1 of a star, Carnival Cruise Lines are definitely known as the fun ships. Those sailing on Holland Americas classic older ships dont have to miss out there is a Sel de Mer evening in the specialty dining room, Pinnacle Grill. The average size of an inside cabin on some of the other cruise lines with low scores tends to be between 120 and 150 square feet. Excluding the luxury cruise lines like Crystal, which mass market cruise line has the worst food for the price? Previous. I would disagree with Joebucks because we think food/cuisine is a very legit discussion issue, especially among those of us who find it an importan Many had the same comments when it came to this cruise line: the food was boring, the entertainmentwas uninteresting and lacking and the staff was unfriendly. A former Carnival Cruise Line employee said he would advise crew members to refrain from eating the food he served them. Food is too subjective for such a question to have a legitimate answer . Any cruise line can not exist if it was considered by most to be the worse Waiter grabs my plate and walks away without saying a word. This is definitely a cruise line for partiers, extroverts and boisterous families with young children. Tuis highly rated cruise line, Marella, has a low average price per night, which includes drinks and tips. Just one guys opinion. This fleet of 15 vesselswith passenger capacities ranging from just 28 to 148sails to rugged, far-flung destinations, including Arctic Svalbard, Antarctica, Indonesia, and the Galpagos. **Edit: Hypothesis - The most boring cruises with a lot of older travelers have the best food (HAL? Definitely the best specialty dining of any we've done. The demonstration kitchen is part of the experience, where guests watch the chefs prepare the meal, which is paired perfectly with unlimited hand-selected regional wines. Two new 1,200-passenger ships are on the way for Oceania, set for delivery in 2023 and 2025. Every Hurtigruten ship does have basic facilities that guests need including restaurants, bars and a laundry room, while most have a gym, but thats often it for the on-board experience. Never had bad food on any of them. The restaurant features a nightly Destination Immersion dinner buffet, as well as Destination Immersion dishes on the menu, that focus on itinerary-based local ingredients and dishes as Azamaras ships sail to almost 300 ports of call in more than 75 countries.