How off-menu/ethnic can you order in the MDR?

[gotomu212]

We had tablemates on one cruise that were vegetarian and when the Head Server came by to check on everyone he specifically asked them about their experience with the options (DCL doesn't always have the best vegetarian options). When they said it was just okay, he asked if they liked Indian food and they provided a curry each night.

I think that's an example where a dietary restriction was being better accommodated and less a "fun" thing. I think the fun request has less likelihood of working.

 

[bbel]

Not to mention if the food is coming from what is prepared for the crew, you could also be affecting them.

I would have been more than happy to share my 'ethnic' crew mess food anytime if it meant I got some guest food haha!

Rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner. 3 types of rice: boiled, steamed and a special.
Something brown in something brown. Fish heads. I'm not a fussy eater and have no allergies but I pretty much lived off cereal, bread rolls and peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Carb it up!
There's a reason there's a line out the mess every night at 10 when they bring the guest food down.

You may get ethnic food because the crew know how to cook it but it certainly doesn't come from the mess, at least not at DCL.

 

[MaleficentRN]

I would have been more than happy to share my 'ethnic' crew mess food anytime if it meant I got some guest food haha!

Rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner. 3 types of rice: boiled, steamed and a special.
Something brown in something brown. Fish heads. I'm not a fussy eater and have no allergies but I pretty much lived off cereal, bread rolls and peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Carb it up!
There's a reason there's a line out the mess every night at 10 when they bring the guest food down.

You may get ethnic food because the crew know how to cook it but it certainly doesn't come from the mess, at least not at DCL.

I worked in a luxury hotel and we basically had burgers and fried chicken every day in the employee dining room. I loved to work Sunday afternoons because they would bring us the Brunch Buffet leftovers!

 

[ludari]

I enjoy ordering off the menu in the MDR and do it every time I cruise with Disney.

 

[bbel]

I worked in a luxury hotel and we basically had burgers and fried chicken every day in the employee dining room. I loved to work Sunday afternoons because they would bring us the Brunch Buffet leftovers!

We usually got burgers on an embark day, after a while that was the only way I knew it was the start of a new cruise lol

 

[smacmillan83]

Not to mention if the food is coming from what is prepared for the crew, you could also be affecting them.

We have been offered this by our servers on two seperate cruises, we happily accepted as our family is a lover of Indian food. We specifically asked if it was coming from what was prepared for the crew, the answer was no. The severs put in the request the night before with the kitchen. It does not affect what is given to the crew.

 

[ILovePixieDust]

We have been offered this by our servers on two seperate cruises, we happily accepted as our family is a lover of Indian food. We specifically asked if it was coming from what was prepared for the crew, the answer was no. The severs put in the request the night before with the kitchen. It does not affect what is given to the crew.

Which would mean that these meals that are not on the menu are indeed extra work for the already over-worked servers and the chefs. Like a previous poster said, a one off surprise is one thing when offered by your server but to request it without a dietary restriction seems to be asking a lot.

And for those who say "it doesn't hurt to ask, they can say no", I think they also need to remember that the crew is also relying on "excellent" ratings in their reviews and will bend over backwards to meet your requests. Which means, it definitely doesn't hurt those who ask but it may affect "hurt" (time, inconvenience, effort) the servers and chefs to please you and meet your dining whims.

 

[FigmentSpark]

My DS had tomato soup, which was on the menu the first night. He loved it, and asked for a second, as he wasn't having an appetizer. They were happy to bring it. The next night, he didn't realize that it wasn't on the menu and asked for it. They said no, as it hadn't been prepared for any of the menus. Our server didn't ask if we wanted him to order it for the next night or any other accommodation (which is fine, he survived and is looking forward to the next cruise), so I would say that at least some of these special 'off the menu' items that people get are luck of the server draw. If you go there expecting them to accommodate whatever you ask for, you may be disappointed.

 

[smacmillan83]

Which would mean that these meals that are not on the menu are indeed extra work for the already over-worked servers and the chefs. Like a previous poster said, a one off surprise is one thing when offered by your server but to request it without a dietary restriction seems to be asking a lot.

And for those who say "it doesn't hurt to ask, they can say no", I think they also need to remember that the crew is also relying on "excellent" ratings in their reviews and will bend over backwards to meet your requests. Which means, it definitely doesn't hurt those who ask but it may affect "hurt" (time, inconvenience, effort) the servers and chefs to please you and meet your dining whims.

As I stated, we were offered this, we did not ask for special treatment to meet our dining whims.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I'm not sure how all this works and I'm not going to pretend to, but I do know the Indian food we received and that others mentioned receiving takes time to make. Meaning, they're making it regardless, this is not a burger they are frying up. It must be some niche off-menu availability, maybe for vegetarians (seemed to be two curries and a starch), not sure if there is an increase of vegetarians or Indian pax, perhaps. I notice on Cruise Critic, it is noted that other cruise lines also have a good availability of Indian food. Maybe it is just becoming more popular. Also, the food we had one night was completely different from the day before. I know the jeweled rice takes all day to make. It is my understanding there are a large number of Indian chefs, and they enjoy cooking the food from their homeland, esp to the delight of others. We made zero requests as to actually wanting the food, so if we were to have requested it, I do not imagine we would have been served three different items each time if it was a difficulty or hardship. Meaning, they certainly did not whip that all up just for us. I don't know why people are jumping to the conclusion we are inconveniencing anyone. We are not difficult to please/serve, do not have any allergies/limitations that we had discussions about nor did we make any requests.

 

[Dug720]

I'm not sure how all this works and I'm not going to pretend to, but I do know the Indian food we received and that others mentioned receiving takes time to make. Meaning, they're making it regardless, this is not a burger they are frying up. It must be some niche off-menu availability, maybe for vegetarians (seemed to be two curries and a starch), not sure if there is an increase of vegetarians or Indian pax, perhaps. I notice on Cruise Critic, it is noted that other cruise lines also have a good availability of Indian food. Maybe it is just becoming more popular. Also, the food we had one night was completely different from the day before. I know the jeweled rice takes all day to make. It is my understanding there are a large number of Indian chefs, and they enjoy cooking the food from their homeland, esp to the delight of others. We made zero requests as to actually wanting the food, so if we were to have requested it, I do not imagine we would have been served three different items each time if it was a difficulty or hardship. Meaning, they certainly did not whip that all up just for us. I don't know why people are jumping to the conclusion we are inconveniencing anyone. We are not difficult to please/serve, do not have any allergies/limitations that we had discussions about nor did we make any requests.

So they just randomly brought out Indian food? Without any discussion? Completely bizarre.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

So they just randomly brought out Indian food? Without any discussion? Completely bizarre.

No, in my first post i said how we had been speaking with our server about his homeland, must have mentioned something about the cuisine, and two nights later he surprised us with it and the night after as well.

 

[smacmillan83]

So they just randomly brought out Indian food? Without any discussion? Completely bizarre.

In our instance, whilst chatting and getting to know our server who was from India, we asked him questions about where he was from, region etc. It led on to a discussion about regional Indian food, he next asks whether we would like to sample some Indian dishes the following night. So yes, discussion. No demands or unreasonable requests.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just pointing out that if this starts to become a "thing" - this people ordering "ethnic food" - the ability might end up going the way of dropping things off at guest services to be signed.

IMHO it's one thing if it's an occasional surprise based on a conversation with a server, but it's quite another to go in and literally ask for it every night. And I could see them putting an end to the practice if it becomes a thing where more and more people are requesting their own food unrelated to allergies.

They've been doing it for ages. Our first dcl was in early 2013 and it wasn't new then. At all. It's the same on Royal.

Royal is now offering an Indian menu on some cruises!

I'm never quite sure why people ask for foods that aren't on the menu?

Because their vegetarian food is heinous nearly across the board. Apart from the potato celeriac thing at AP on Dream if they still have that.

And when a server comes by and sees your family staring at their plates, they want to make you happy.

Not to mention if the food is coming from what is prepared for the crew, you could also be affecting them.

The reason for needing a full day's notice is so they make enough.

The servers we've had on Disney and Royal who have done this for us have flat out told us that it's what they are making for the vegetarian Indian chefs onboard, and they just make extra for us.

 

[Believe2017]

I would have been more than happy to share my 'ethnic' crew mess food anytime if it meant I got some guest food haha!

Rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner. 3 types of rice: boiled, steamed and a special.
Something brown in something brown. Fish heads. I'm not a fussy eater and have no allergies but I pretty much lived off cereal, bread rolls and peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Carb it up!
There's a reason there's a line out the mess every night at 10 when they bring the guest food down.

You may get ethnic food because the crew know how to cook it but it certainly doesn't come from the mess, at least not at DCL.

Hahahaha oh my gosh. My son works for DCL and too has talked about the fish heads followed by fish soup the following days. Haha! He too, also lives off of cereal, rolls and peanut butter and jam sandwiches and of course the care packages I send him

 

[dcassetta]

The first time I ever had Indian food on DCL was after meeting the executive chef Panda on Captain's Gala night. He was talking to guests about the food in the dining room, and I mentioned that it would be nice if there were some more Asian or Latin offerings. He inquired if I enjoyed Indian food and I said I did very much. And the next night I was surprised by Indian food. I think they must've made a note on my record somewhere, because since then I've been asked if I would like Indian food.

I've never gotten the impression that this created an issue and that's why I suggested that you could ask for it. Since I'm in the dining room, they have to serve me something. So this is what brought out instead of the regular menu items. On the Fantasy last fall there were two Indian families served off menu every night. It actually seems like less work for my servers, because it doesn't come out in multiple courses like the regular meals do. I guess on my next cruise I will very specifically ask the head server if I'm creating a problem. It was never my intent to cause more work for the crew, or suggest anyone else do so.

 

[cmph]

I've had Indian food from the Cabanas lunch buffet and Daisy's De-lites build-your-own bowls (biryani bowls that day) on the Wonder. I'm guessing some prep work for MDR off-menu dinner food is simplified by the fact that it's to be found elsewhere on board earlier in the day. I cook a lot of Indian food myself, and I typically make up ginger-garlic pastes (even freezing it in ice cube trays) and spice blends in advance of cooking, a lot of which are used in multiple dishes. I would assume they similarly have a system that keeps them from having to start completely from scratch, plus they can utilize lunch sauces, etc, if they know to put some aside in advance. If you ask for something that isn't ever seen at lunch time, then that's probably a bit more complicated for the chefs.

 

[bbel]

Hahahaha oh my gosh. My son works for DCL and too has talked about the fish heads followed by fish soup the following days. Haha! He too, also lives off of cereal, rolls and peanut butter and jam sandwiches and of course the care packages I send him

People don't believe me about the fish heads, I took a photo to prove it lol, they assume we had guest food and wonder why I came home thinner not fatter!
I lived for the goodies from home, and trips to walmart/mega lol!

 

[aggiedog]

I completely believe you about the fish heads! I've lived in Japan and traveled in China. The things I've found floating in my food...dh still talks about it. I drew the line at frog custard.

 

[dcassetta]

I completely believe you about the fish heads! I've lived in Japan and traveled in China. The things I've found floating in my food...dh still talks about it. I drew the line at frog custard.

I have to ask - frog-flavored custard? custard with frog parts? frog legs covered in custard?