Cruise Food

This has nothing to do with local dining... so if I'm off-kilter, please feel free to delete me!

My daughter, her friend and I am going on a Carnival Cruise for Spring Break Week (Myself and 2 teenage girls!! ) This is our first time and I'm wondering about the quality of the food on ship... Everything I read is very mixed. Some say awesome and some say mediocre, at best. Anybody have any experience?

Also, we stop in Key West and Cozumel. Suggestions on a "must try"?

I found the food the last cruise I took also to Mexico like yours to be very good and it was Carnival. The evening meal comparable to at least a 3 star dining experience if not better. No complaints at all.

Key West

http://www.keylimeshop.com/html/visit_u ... _west.html

http://www.elmesondepepe.com/about/about.htm

http://www.conchrepublicseafood.com/

These were the favorites from our last trip.

Clothing optional bar. Quite entertaining!
http://www.bullkeywest.com/GARDENcoupon.asp

Clothing Optional?? Yikes! I'd say we'll have to pass on that one for this trip..

OK, now to sound really naive and dumb, but what the hell is "conch'??

Clothing Optional?? Yikes! I'd say we'll have to pass on that one for this trip..

OK, now to sound really naive and dumb, but what the hell is "conch'??

Medium-sized to large sea snails second in popularity only to the escargot for edible snails, the "meat" of the conch is used as food, either eaten raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers. All parts of the conch meat are edible. However, some people find only the white meat appetizing.

I found the food the last cruise I took also to Mexico like yours to be very good and it was Carnival. The evening meal comparable to at least a 3 star dining experience if not better. No complaints at all.

Same. I sailed on Carnival Inspiration out of Tampa. I believe that's that correct Port. I did miss the "Meet the Cpt" dinner the first night because I was tired. However, the rest of the cruise was good. Dress, other than the meal with the captain, is Business casual. Some people wear ties; but it's not mandatory. They kinda frown on anyone wearing jeans to these meals. They are good eats. I have quality service; met some great people from New Jersey; and tried Escargot for the first time.

The day meals were OK. Nothing too fancy, as I only went to the buffets, but it was not bad. My cruise was 4 days and 3 nights.

Clothing Optional?? Yikes! I'd say we'll have to pass on that one for this trip..

You haven't lived until you've seen naked 80 year olds dancing to rap music.

You haven't lived until you've seen naked 80 year olds dancing to rap music.

Probably about as eye popping as this 50 year old.

And even though I'm a seafood lover, (sushi, oysters, lobster , etc....), tht conch looks gross. Like a cow stomach or something...

Actually, conch is good. It does look gross, but you won't see that! Try fritters or conch burgers.

Colleen and I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise and I was quite suprised at how good the food was considering I wasn't expecting much going into it having some idea of how many meals are prepared each day.
.

Actually, conch is good. It does look gross, but you won't see that! Try fritters or conch burgers.

I'm with Bonnie- It actually can be very good and I've never had a preparation that looks anything like the animal. Conch ceviche is thin strips, and many of the other presentations are fried. But only get it at a place that "specializes " in conch ( probably every place in Key West ). If over-cooked- it gets very rubbery.

Deb

We've enjoyed the food on Royal Carri bean. In fact one of my all time favorite dishes was on a RC ship. I had it again on another RC ship and it wasn't quite the same, so the chef and kitchen crew does make a difference. I suspect you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I will say, that the midnight chocolate buffet that I went to was not good. But I'm a chocolate snob.

[Robin Garr]

I can't testify to cruise fare, but if you have a chance in Key West, try El Sibouney, a really fun diner-style Cuban restaurant. Food like Havana Rumba, atmosphere like Cottage Inn. It's a bit out of the tourist district, but not far - just a block or two off Truman and a few blocks north of Duval.

We were on the Imagination last October. The meals in the dining room were good (not great but taking into consideration the vast amounts of food they had to prepare, they do pretty well). On the plus side for indecisive people, you can order as many appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts as you want.

The buffets are better than average for that type of meal. It's more casual than the dining room and you have a good choice of food, a burger buffet, a Mongolian stir-fry, a sandwich station, and pizza. There's probably more that I'm forgetting, there's food everywhere.

You can also get 24-hour room service at no charge (other than tipping your server) although that menu is limited.

On the days at sea they offer an afternoon tea in the lounge that has some very tasty desserts along with your choice of hot tea. I highly recommend making time for this.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/index.php is a good source for information about the different ships and ports.

My lovely bride and I have taken three cruises on three different lines, and the experience is all over the place. You'll have to experiment between on-board restaurants to find the one that works for you. The room service on most boats is pretty cool - sit on your balcony and have a decent meal in total relaxation. On our last cruise (Alaska) we were upgraded to a giant suite and had a butler - now that's taking it to a whole new place!