Cruise Talk: Carnival Cruise Line Food

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Topic: Carnival Cruise Line Food

DCera
Just Boarded
Member # 106

posted 02-12-1999 05:05 PM

Help, I need to book a cruise for Spring break this weekend. I usually travel Celebrity but their quads and triples are sold out. I also like Princess but they are also sold out. My choices are Norwegian where we have lots of fun, but the food is just barely adequate, Costa Romanica which I know nothing about, and Carnival which I hear are fun, but the food is horrible. Does anyone know about the quality of food on the Romantica, or has anyone traveled Carnival and other lines that can compare their food quality for me to other lines. I'm really not a snob but my first cruises were Cunard, Celebrity, and Princess, and we just fell in love with the food. Also does anyone know if Carnival has movie theatres on board? I know this is huge request but any info. would be appreciated.
Thanks, Debbie

Posts: 8 | From: Poolesville, MD, U.S. | Registered: Feb 99

asoowal
First Class Passenger
Member # 485

posted 02-14-1999 12:10 AM

First of all the food in the buffet lines of all ships is barely passable! In the dining room, Carnival is just as good as the Zenith, the Monarch, NCL Dream, and the Sun Princess. We have sailed on MANY lines, and have yet to find truly poor food in any dining room. Notice I emphasize the dining room! As I said the buffet lines, depending on when you go through them will vary greatly. The quality of food on all the cruises I have been on is superlative, and we have cruised 15 times. I have found that the choices vary from line to line, and for menues you can check the web sites of the respective line, or check cruiseopinion.com. Surprisingly on CostaMarina, the PASTA was not good, the rest of the menu was fine. On Carnival there are no movie theaters on the Fantasy class ships, but, they do show movies on sea days in the main show room on a giant screen, currently TITANIC on the Elation.LOL.

Posts: 68 | From: Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA | Registered: Feb 99

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 02-15-1999 06:33 AM

Since I'm not a fan of Carnival Cruise Line at all, I can't tell you much about the quality of food on their ships. From what I've heared it is nothing special and not at all to compare with Celebrity or Princess. You shouldn't expect any elegancy either. But I don't want to say more bad things about it. I'm sure they do also have their good things.
I recently cruised with COSTA CLASSICA, the sistership of COSTA ROMANTICA and the food there was not so good as I expected. The pasta dishes were fine, typical Italian made which I liked very much. But their meat needs more attention. There's a poor selection on the buffets as well. The dining room atmosphere is rather cold, more like a station restaurant but the service crew is friendly and attentive.
Expect many Italian passengers onboard and therefore the non-smoking rules in the dining room probably won't be followed like it was on my cruise. They just don't care, even if it was written in every daily newspaper.
Maybe Costa is turning too much towards Carnival style since they purchased them. The true Italian style, like it was to find on EUGENIO COSTA, CARLA COSTA or ENRICO COSTA for example, is probably forever gone.
Better cruises in Italian style you will find with Mediterranean Shipping Cruises.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98

Pam
First Class Passenger
Member # 360

posted 02-15-1999 12:07 PM

Carnival is a good choice if you are looking at price. I Have been on RCI and the buffets especially lunch are ten times better than carnival. As someone mentioned earlier, Eat in the dining room not the buffet unless you want the same thing everyday :-(

As far as Carnival owning another cruise line so the bad rep travels, they own Holland America now has the service with them gone downhill?

Posts: 21 | From: Danbury NH USA | Registered: Feb 99

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 02-16-1999 02:07 PM

Hi Pam,
I know that Carnival owns Holland America as well and you're right that Holland America did not get influenced by Carnival style. They are still as good as they were before.
But in case of Costa Crociere it looks different. Maybe it's not mainly a reason because Carnival purchased them because their larger vessels were already build before this. But anyway, Costa was much much better when they were still operating with smaller vessels under own management. The real Italian ambiance you once found onboard their ships once is gone and I wonder if the purchase by Carnival did anything positive about this.
It doesn't mean that I want to say that Carnival is bad, I just don't like their style. But I really like Holland America Line and I'd also like Costa more again if I knew they'd keep their slogan "Italian style" true.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98

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