Theyre lively and fun. Data, collected over the last five years from CruiseJunkie.com reveals which cruise lines have had the highest number of Norovirus/gastrointestinal outbreaks. Late to this thread but I came here to say this! Jamile Viana, a former bar waitress and bartender for Island Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Costa Cruises, and Cunard Line, said that, while working for Cunard, she often complained to the chef who cooked for crew members. Where there may be some discussion is with the specialty restaurants, but we've only eaten in one. Over the years though, that score has dropped. The workshops were easy to view physically and not so packed that you couldn't see anything. Related:Services That Vacationers Assume Most Cruises OfferBut They Don't. Here are 10 cruise lines that have missed the mark and have some of the lowest ratings on travel sites, as well as two cruise lines that make sure to go all out for their passengers. review, with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also scoring low in this area its not a new complaint for MSC. The United Kingdoms premier cruise lineand the worlds oldest, having commenced passenger operations in 1837P& O sails Europe, North America, and the Caribbean with a crowd made up primarily of British nationals. With high reviews, there have been comments left from other passengers stating that while there, the entertainment was jaw-dropping, the outdoor spaces were spacious and like a paradise, the activities were entertaining and family-friendly and it was just all-around beautiful and fun experience. Please give an overall rating of the ship MSC Lirica. #3. The food on the other areas of the ship were just as bad. The most 'average' in our opinion but in a fairly good way. And a lot of the people who leave bad reviews are experienced cruisers. Of course you should expect to pay more for significantly better food - this thread is not about higher fares translating into better food it is about the worst food. Of those 3, I found the least enjoyable MDR food on Norwegian. Also in the top five were Hurtigruten, with an 85 percent score, followed by Azamara with 84 percent. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. I even woke up early to catch breakfast there. With just six vessels, beloved small ship line Windstar Cruises can focus its attention on food. The Best Pan Dulce Bakeries Across the U.S. Tableside Dining Is Making a Comeback, and Here Are 20 of the Best Experiences to Check Out, 14 Restaurants Designed to Feel Like Dinner Parties, The Best Restaurants at Orlando's Theme Parks, The Best Restaurants in Disney Worlds Epcot, The Best Food Inside and Near LAs Amusement Parks. The decor can be a bit dated, the space to get dressed is very limited, and you may not have anywhere to sit down just a bed, which could even be a raised/bunk bed recessed into a sloping wall. My experience and opinionare based on numerous fairlylong cruises ranging from 3to 8 weeks in duration. All of the lines have things most people will like, and things they may not like. We ate most of our meals on Bleu and were mostly disappointed when we went elsewhere. Food not the one issue, as one can dine in speciality offerings. Neither is it the amount paid. It's a combination of things, accommodation, basic #2 in Best Cruise Lines for Couples. When possible, the chef also takes participants to a local market to shop for ingredients used in the class that day. #1. While Carnival caters more to families, Princess 17 ships target more adult travelers, especially on longer voyages. Though officials originally blamed a freak tornado for the tragedy, investigators later said strong winds, heavy rains, and the crew's failure to send a rescue signal all contributed to the disaster. Friends tell us that Oceania offers the best food for the price paid, but that is one of the few major lines upon which we have never cruised. They are all about the destination. But the question of the worst food is one we would not want to tackle. Food overall very good (for cruise ship food) but soups too salty. And sometimes there are things which arent that great, but in the context of the price of the cruise, or personal preference, its not that bad. They weren't serving fancy species of fish prepared in an exotic way. And its the same with cruise lines. Most Scenic ships also offer a special six-course, wine-paired chefs table experience (Table la Rive) to suite guests and return passengers. Im sure there is better food on the nicer luxury lines but in my experience carnival was way better than Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, etc. Worst-Rated Cruise Line on the Horizon yes, on the ship! #3 in Best Cruise Lines for Couples. Which cruise line has the best It has just two ships in its fleet, neither of which is necessarily a showstopper, but thats not what the crowd is here forthis is a relatively no-frills cruise line for those interested in quick, affordable getaways. Ownership, menus and chefs in restaurants change more frequently than some people change their underwear, and yesterday's star can be today's dudor vice versa . When Preziosa first launched in 2013, it had some pretty stellar reviews. We have had excellent food on Celebrity, HAL, Princess, RCI, NCL, and Carnival. But overlaid across many of the lines ships are high-end suites, upscale restaurants and luxury services most notably the suites and amenities in the exclusive, upscale MSC Yacht Club areas found on some vessels . Two Disney ships (Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy) also offer adults-only Remy restaurants, with an elegant French-leaning dining experience. Best variety of cool upscale food Ive had cruising. Others described food of poor quality, like chicken with a rubber-like texture or sauteed fish heads. In the Caribbean. So while the on-board facilities are limited, thats by design. #2. As such, prepare for the ships amenities to have a British bent . And then she finally walks us over to another one (without going back!). 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. Good service. Number 7 The Year of Cruise Ship Power Failures? This edgy ship was designed to appeal to a non-cruising clientele with innovations like Eden, a three-story hybrid experiential restaurant, craft cocktail lounge, and performance venue and Le Petit Chef at Le Grand Bistro, a dinner restaurant that features a 4D animation projected on your plate throughout your meal. Like any large scale food operation, I understand that theyll all have good nights and bad nights, and good weeks and bad weeks regardless of ship or company. Bargain cruise deals might sound good value for money, but could mean you face grumpier staff, expensive add-ons and not enough personal space. Crystal Cruises. CC Help Jenn The buffets were unremarkable, but the main dining room had the highest quality food. Theres no point in having a drink package if it takes over 30 minutes for each drink to be served to you. Ive gotten good service in the specialty restaurants and in blue but main dining service has been a little spotty. They arent saying its a bad holiday just that this is how they perceive MSC in comparison to other cruise lines. Carnivals fleet of 24 ships are loud in color and volume with music pumping, adults letting lose and kids having a ball. **Edit: Hypothesis - The most boring cruises with a lot of older travelers have the best food (HAL? Love their risotto. I have no problem answering this question. worst cruise lines Outstanding service everywhere. Find the lowest cruise price. They are not suitable for consumption.". And House of Houdini. Cant get a table at a Thomas Keller restaurant on land? worst cruise line food Not the worst food per dollar - just the worst food. These cruise ships are not holding anything back and making sure their passengers are spoiled rotten. Fusing fine cuisine and entertainment, the tabletops themselves come to life for dinner through a partnership with TableMation Studios featuring Skullmappings world-famous Le Petit Chef, an animated 3D character who appears on diners plates and "prepares" the courses right before their eyes. Great snacks/sandwiches in the coffee shop until late at night, and we had a lot of fun going to those diners where they sing, even if the food is so-so. 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 important part of cruising. Of the newest ships to enter service, MSC Cruises ships tend to have the least amount of cubic feet per passenger. Its four smaller Regatta-class ships, each accommodating 684 passengers, also have excellent dining options, like the Polo Grill and the Italian eatery Toscana. 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. Although the size of the ship is impressive, there were a lot of useless gimmicks such as a robot bartender that left them disappointed. Their team expertly plans tasty and tasteful upscale cruises and in-depth shoreside programs in practically every corner of the world, curated for discerning palates. On board, people have mentioned excursions being cancelled at short notice, or crew not taking enough action to stop people smoking in their cabins. Which? We have had very mediocre food on Celebrity, HAL, Princess, RCI, NCL, and Carnival. Travel Pulse states that NCL informed travel agents of the so-called nominal adjustment to its daily service charges today. Royal Caribbean International. Really the same holds for restaurants on land. Find out how to find the best cruise deals. The steak was perfectly prepared and tender, very impressive. The MDR was better than I expected. Get tips, news & inspiration. Celebrity chef-helmed onboard restaurants, cooking classes, food-centric shore excursions and themed culinary cruises mean shipshape culinary experiences abound. The portions can be pretty small, so you should be sure to order sides to go with your main course in the main dining room. Oishii, The Brand Behind the Omakase Strawberry, Introduces New Koyo Berry Breed, 5 Best Non-Alcoholic Gins, According to a Spirits Expert, Everything You Need To Cook Like Emily Mariko, 25 Get Well Soon Gifts That Show How Much You Care, 6 Best Whiskeys, According to a Spirits Expert, These Cord Organizers Save Your Kitchen From Clutter, Enter Daily for Your Chance to Win $10,000. 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. Good service. Britannia, P& O Cruises. 7 Armonia Has Unfriendly Service, Limited Food Options & Below Average Cleanliness. Find first-hand insights from our cruise experts and read reviews from real cruisers. When Quantum of the Seas first launched, it had a 4 out of 5-star rating. Powered by Invision Community. The Hurtigruten ships can go to places others cannot access including fjord transits. There is so much food available on any ship that I will be just fine. worst cruise line food. survey for food and drink, despite this idea that they must offer some excellent food being an Italian cruise line. When Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Edge debuted in 2018, it marked an overhaul for the line from bow to stern, including cuisine changes for the long-time food-focused line. While theyre closed, more people are crammed into the venues that are open. From what cruisers have commented, the design is poor, the quarters are cramped, there are staff shortages, the food is bland, and the theater is too small to fit its large guest numbers. There are some who have ridden it though that were not too happy with their experience. Which cruise line has the worst food? - Cruise Critic No one is serving banquet TV dinners. What theyre concerned with is conflict resolution. survey has revealed the best and worst cruise lines for the year, with Viking Ocean Cruises taking out the top spot. Would you like to note some short remarks about the MSC Lirica? 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. 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 ", "Yes, I understand that, and I love canned peaches, but these are definitely rotten. Second-bottom of the table was Holland America. In my experience, this problem is made worse by the poor use of space. said Vikings more upmarket ships mean passengers can avoid crowded bars and casinos which tend to be synonymous with cheaper rivals. With a long history of fine dining at sea, Holland America Line is constantly adding new restaurant concepts to their ships. Again, you have to take the context of these ships being smaller than other cruise lines, because they are destination ships designed to get into ports that most larger ships cant. How do you rate the cuisine/the food and beverages offered on the MSC Lirica? Aprime steak should be better than a select steak but I've had good and bad of both because of preparation. Have not sailed ncl in a long time but there food is one of the reasons we will not cruise with them again. The cruises offer many private programs onboard and ashorereceptions, fun and informative seminars, wine tastings and special wine-paired meals. WebWith 27 ships, there are bound to be a few that slip through the cracks, and for RCCL, one of those is Ovation of the Seas. Seabourn Cruise Line. A. Be the first to rate this post. I was on the Eurodam July 2018 to Alaska. The menu reflects traditional Norwegian home-cooked seasonal fare, including Norwegian cheeses, smoked meats, fresh fish, hearty soups and Scandinavian pastries. Not all of the cruise ship employees Business Insider spoke to disliked the food in the crew cafeteria. However one of the biggest sacrifices made is in cabin size. But bringing up the rear at the very bottom of the league was MSC Cruises, with a customer rating of just 57 per cent. And they brew their own beer (four types!) Easily search 70,000+ cruise itineraries to compare and find the best deal. #2 in Best Cruise Lines for Couples. they were bombarded with sales promotions while onboard and the drinks packages on offer were confusing. These were cheaper types fish preparedsimply, but made quite edible based on more careful preparation. Those searching for a wide range of food- and wine-focused cruises need look no further than Food & Wine Trails. Also - the worst food experienced is the worst food experienced - not necessarily the worst food experienced in the last couple of weeks. Situated on two ships from MSC Cruises (MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview), the Asian Market Kitchen by Roy Yamaguchi features three distinct restaurants and culinary experiences a Pan-Asian offering, fresh sushi and sashimi with a Hawaiian twist, and Teppanyaki by Roy Yamaguchi, which serves the chefs East-West cooking made on four teppanyaki grills. Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International. Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! Whether its chana masala vegetable biryani, tempura vegetable tacos or filet mignon with black truffle sauce, culinary discoveries are a keynote of the Azamara experience. This was on a mass market line. Plus they arent exactly super-modern either. Basically which cruise line has the worst food considering how muchyou pay for the cruise? Sparkling, and not just a little bit. But if this is important to you, its definitely something to bear in mind with the older ships in the Hurtigruten fleet. Dishes include fresh oysters, a seafood tower, seared scallops and classic Bouillabaisse Marseillaise. Started June 21, 2021, By I'll make a post for each, to help organize. The food sucks, a former employee for Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America Line said. He immediately got on the phone to the executive chef and thereafter we never had a problemand we order fish quite often. You mightve already guessed from its name, but the Bahama Paradise Cruise Line operates cruises to the Bahamas, sailing two-day itineraries from West Palm Beach, Florida. This is a very subjective topic. Azamara. #6. Both of them scored the same low grade. Agreed. Others have commented that the juice was watery, the service was horrible, and the staff was rude and unenthused. #4. My wife and I really like the steakhouse as well. If you want italian food, try an MSC cruise. The main dining room was 'blah' at best though and the service was worse than I've seen on any ship. We went with the Aqua class upgrade because we read that Bleu was the place to be. Right now Oceania is leading that pack. Originally built for Festival Cruises in 2001, Armonia is one of MSCs oldest Dining on Cruise Ships: What does each line do best/worst - reddit We also had the worst lobster we've ever eaten on the same ship in the same specialty restaurant that served the lousy prime steak. Fantastic service, all of the food was perfectly prepared. Families are a big part of MSC Cruises business. If you ever manage to get served, that is! NOW WATCH: The world's largest cruise ship just landed in Miami here's what it's like on board, Sign up for Business Insider's transportation newsletter, Shifting Gears, to get more stories like this in your inbox, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, Cruise-ship workers reveal how much money they really make, Trump banned US cruise ships from traveling to Cuba, and Carnival is feeling the pain, A lawyer who represents cruise ship workers reveals the hardest job on a cruise ship, A former cruise-ship waiter describes why the party culture on cruise ships isn't as fun as it seems. 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 We have been on 6 cruise lines and in my opinion the worst was Carnival. 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. I don't have comparisons, but I would agree with what you've said. CUstomer reviews are alarming, but thats not the standard the BBB uses to calculate the score. Hi Craig, try not to worry. Remember though that worst doesnt mean bad You can have five amazing things, but one of them has to be the worst of those amazing, and thats often the case with cruise lines. Beyond that, personal tastes are extraordinarily important. In addition, the new S.A.L.T. Working on a cruise ship often involves long hours and few, if any, days off for months at a time. I also like the other cruise lines & when I want more luxury, Im happy to pay for it. Paired with fresh-cut fries, a tasty toppings bar and Carnivals own beers, the Fieri-curated burgers (including the Pig Patty and a version topped with a huge onion ring) make this a popular joint come lunchtime. And as @njhorsemanhas said there can be a remarkable difference between ships. Celebrity Cruises. We just got off a HAL ship. Bar, with regional libations. Some have commented that the food is cold, the boarding and debarking times are extremely long, and the ship is intended for Chinesepassengers and those whoaren't from China are treated with little to no consideration. I didnt miss a meal there for sure! The bigger MSC Cruises ships offer vacationers a ton of options for dining or entertainment. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. It was all very strange, and while ordinarily I probably wouldn't really care, since I grew up in Europe where poor service is common, it just stood out as unusual compared to the exceptional service we've had on every other cruise line. Have not sailed ncl in a long time but there food is one of the reasons we will not cruise with them again. 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. Done six celebrity and disagree. So, so good, and such a delightful surprise for a mass market line. 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. But, back on topic: did you not find anypersonal preference among those 16 lines you DIDexperience? Agree the Chef is important, as they can be the difference. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Luxury line Silversea recently launched a new culinary program called S.A.L.T. Viking received five star ratings for all categories which included customer service, passenger-to-space ratio, onboard facilities, cabins, food and drink, port excursions, social atmosphere and value for money. read more about why MSC Cruises are so cheap here. As others have said, differences between mass market lines are trivial. Cunard First Class is legendary. Avoiding the Rip-Off: Cruise-line promotions occasionally drop the single supplement to a figure in the 10 to 25 percent range.