Food poll: Celebrity (X) or HAL

[Joanandjoe]

Jeff, Da Cruz Nut, had a comment that the food on Carnival wasn't as good as Celebrity (AKA "X") or Princess, but far better than Holland America (HAL), RCCL, or other lines. Of the lines he mentioned, we've only tried HAL and X, and liked the HAL food much, much more than the X food. As we stated on our welcome back message, food tastes are very subjective.

We're starting two polls: which line has better dining room food, and which has better buffets. Specialty restaurants, room service, and bar food are not included in the polls, but feel free to comment. Consider hamburger grills, pizza stations, ice cream, etc., to be part of the buffets.

This is the dining room poll. The buffet poll is a separate thread.

P.S. I goofed in my vote. My vote for HAL didn't register the first time, then I accidentally clicked on the wrong button. If possible, my vote should be changed from "equal" to a very strong vote for HAL.

[JoeyandDavid]

Great Poll

We voted X

[Rat]

Overall, I would say Celebrity has HAL beat in food quality. In our recent HAL cruise, the desserts were horrible. And for the first time ever, my family actually made a complaint about the desserts. One plus for HAL though, I can say their soups are much better than Celebrity's.

[KeithnRita]

X received our vote. HAL has been great and very good on five of the six cruises with them. They were mediocre on number six. Celebrity has been great on both the Mercury and the Horizon.

We will let you guys tell us how good the dining room food is on the Zenith. :wink: :wink:

[edtonkin53]

Both are very good, but Celebrity is alittle ahead pf Holland American

[Lisa63]

I rated them about the same. However, I had higher expectations from Celebrity, and I don't feel their food in the main dining room was nearly as good as it was ten years ago.

[Shari2]

I like Celebrity's food, but I haven't been on Holland America yet, so I didn't vote. I do have to agree with Lisa , though, although we had great food on the "Infinity" it was so much more back in 1992 on the Inaugural cruise on the "Zenith."

The "Zenith" and the "Horizen" back then, was voted the best of all the ships, even the much more expensive cruises. It was really gourmet back then. It is still the best food I've had on any of the cruise lines I've been on, though.

[jtutak]

WOW you can remember the taste of food 10years ago :grin:

[Lisa63]

No, of course I don't remember the taste, but both my husband and I recall being totally blown away by the quality. And, that wasn't our first cruise, either.

[DaCruzNut]

Ten years ago, nearly all of the food, for all of the lines other than Carnival, was provided by Apollo Food Chandelers, in Miami. The last holdout, that used Apollo, was Celebrity! When they dropped Apollo, they hired a lot of Apollo's employees.

Of all the mainstream cruises, they are toy only one who still brews coffee from coffee grounds and dousn't use liquid concentrate coffee....

I will say, however, that the buffets on Princess have a better variety, and food equal in quality, to Celebrity.

As far as my personal taste, I find even Carnival to be superior to HAL. I found that, because HAL caters to a (much) older group, the food lacks spices and is very plain and bland.