How was the food before to make it so good?

People are always posting that the food was better before and have gone down hill since... So how was it better, did they use to serve whole 3 pound Maine lobsters or one pound filet mignon? Were the only fruits papaya and mango? Was there a big dish of Russian caviar for appetizer? Did you have your very own waiter who only served you and no one else? Was the fish fresh caught off the back of the boat?

So what made it that much better.

I really have no problem with the food on any cruise line and have found them more the same than they are different. I am usually full when I get up and am very happy with almost all my meals, and we will be going on our 14th cruise and have traveled on six different lines.

Robert

The absence of favorites such as Alaskan King Crab legs among others in the MDR leads to our thinking that menu offerings are not as good as they used to be.

The difference in food preparation among Princess ships can result in some disappointing entrées. For instance, the food onboard the Island Princess in early 2011 was fantastic; however, the same dishes on our Ruby cruise immediately after was quite bland and much too salty.

Lew

I do miss the Crab legs in the MDR but also on sail away and formal nights in Horizon Court. They still do have the lobster claws and shrimp. I think one of my fav's was the Lobster Bisque. The food is still great in my opinion and understand from the cost stand point that cost of crab has increased at an alarming rate and it is not financially able to keep it on the menu.

The build up of cruise lines during the peak times has lead to very reasonable prices for cruising. It is all supply and demand. I know that Princess has that 7 day menu which they repeat on longer cruises after day 7. I have found on longer cruises like transatlantic's and transpacific's that they mix it up and remember how great the pork bellies and mac and cheese were. Sitting here I still think how great the food still is.

I do miss those few things but then again there is so much else to enjoy.

Robert, I have often wondered that myself. Overall, we have always enjoyed the meals presented on our cruises. I can say, from recent experience, that even Michelin rated restaurants miss the mark on occasion. That has absolutely no bearing on my intent to eat in another high end restaurant.

I have always thought cruise food was more than sufficient and is always presented well. Maybe there has been some compromise in quality due to the higher volumes of passengers with all the mega ships these days. I can imagine how difficult it must be to prepare 3,000 meals 3 times a day plus all other prep work.

I also wonder if those who are dissatisfied with today’s cruise food are those who originally sailed the smaller ships and were catered to a little more.

Larry

When Princess was the original Princess as well as Sitmar, the service in the dining room was the European style silver service. Meat entrees, veggies and more were individually placed by your waiter off a silver try onto each plate. The plate was presented to you hot but empty and then the waiter did his thing putting what you had ordered onto it.

None of this 'everything is already on the plate" style of today.

To say it was a hell of a lot better than would be an understatement.

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

When Princess was the original Princess as well as Sitmar, the service in the dining room was the European style silver service. Meat entrees, veggies and more were individually placed by your waiter off a silver try onto each plate. The plate was presented to you hot but empty and then the waiter did his thing putting what you had ordered onto it.

 

None of this 'everything is already on the plate" style of today.

 

To say it was a hell of a lot better than would be an understatement.

 

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

Wow, talk about timing. You just clarified a point I was making about past cruisers comparing then to now. I would guess, for you, food would not be the only change. I would think the how people dress would also have affected you views on today’s cruising. I wish I could have had the pleasure to experience that style dining.

Has this changed your desire to continue cruising? I hope not.

Years ago, there was a separate salad course and a separate pasta course, so there were far more courses. Dinners took a lot more time and it was more of an "experience." There were real flambee desserts and the pasta course was prepared tableside. Of course, it was also far more formal with three formal nights, three semi-formal (which passes for formal today) and one smart casual night every seven nights. Men were required to wear a jacket and tie, and if they didn't, one would be provided before they were allowed in the dining room. Is this what everyone is missing??? :)

Chef + Ship + Itinerary = Cuisine served. There was a time when the lowest common denominator of this equation was good while the highest outstanding. But such is not the case any more. The cost cutting means there is less selection especially of the haute cuisine menu such as, and this is but one example, Rack Of Lamb. Senior Chefs with Princess must be astonished at what is and has been happening. They tell me that for twenty bucks extra I can make a reservation and go to a special dining room and have my Rack Of Lamb. I say, why not pop twenty bucks onto the cost the fare and serve it to all the passengers? They use to.

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af114/Yarkerhill/Rack.jpg

Years ago, there was a separate salad course and a separate pasta course, so there were far more courses. Dinners took a lot more time and it was more of an "experience." There were real flambee desserts and the pasta course was prepared tableside. Of course, it was also far more formal with three formal nights, three semi-formal (which passes for formal today) and one smart casual night every seven nights. Men were required to wear a jacket and tie, and if they didn't, one would be provided before they were allowed in the dining room. Is this what everyone is missing??? :)

It would be fun to experience this, at least once. But then, I would expect to see Cary Grant or Doris Day show up. (lol):p

When Princess was the original Princess as well as Sitmar, the service in the dining room was the European style silver service. Meat entrees, veggies and more were individually placed by your waiter off a silver try onto each plate. The plate was presented to you hot but empty and then the waiter did his thing putting what you had ordered onto it.

 

None of this 'everything is already on the plate" style of today.

 

To say it was a hell of a lot better than would be an understatement.

 

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

But that was on a ship that tiny compared to the current Princess fleet. Food served that way in the current dining rooms would be cold by the time it got to the plate...

Other than king crab, what else is missing?

I understand that it was a more formal experience, but how many people back then could afford the experience?

Rick, you are right, it was a smaller ship with fewer paying passengers who pay a lot. Those who pay less got less of everything and I am certain their meals did not last 3 to 4 hours.

I think that cruising used to be more of a travel from point A to point B and not the leisurely vacation that it is now.

How was it in the 50s and 60s and 70s? Was it still that formal and cost wise was it very expensive? Didn't people take the ship to go from the west coast to Hawaii, stay there for a time and then took a trip back? Did they do round the islands type trips like now?

How many people could afford to go?

There are several lines that offer a more traditional luxury cruise experience. Of course you can buy several mass-market cruises for the price of one of these. It is matter of depth-of-pockets and/or priorities.

When Princess was the original Princess as well as Sitmar, the service in the dining room was the European style silver service. Meat entrees, veggies and more were individually placed by your waiter off a silver try onto each plate. The plate was presented to you hot but empty and then the waiter did his thing putting what you had ordered onto it.

 

None of this 'everything is already on the plate" style of today.

To say it was a hell of a lot better than would be an understatement.

 

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

Yes, so true! Perfect description of the way it was. We're old Sitmar & Princess folks too.

Also, the quality of beef in the MDR "ain't what it use to be". :rolleyes:

Other than king crab, what else is missing?

I understand that it was a more formal experience, but how many people back then could afford the experience?

Rick, you are right, it was a smaller ship with fewer paying passengers who pay a lot. Those who pay less got less of everything and I am certain their meals did not last 3 to 4 hours.

I think that cruising used to be more of a travel from point A to point B and not the leisurely vacation that it is now.

How was it in the 50s and 60s and 70s? Was it still that formal and cost wise was it very expensive? Didn't people take the ship to go from the west coast to Hawaii, stay there for a time and then took a trip back? Did they do round the islands type trips like now?

How many people could afford to go?

Yes to many of your thoughts. Travel was often from point A to point B. i.e. SF to Honolulu was a standard form of transport for military families moving to Hawaii. of London to Australia for folks moving there. Many of my early cruises were of this type. We cruised to Hawaii; flew to Japan and then took a ship home. Or in the 60's I took four ships to complete an "around the world" cruise with extended stays in various parts of the world.

Also, at least on the early P&O cruises there were two classes aboard the ship. First class had 1/3 the passengers and 2/3 of the ship, while tourist class (where I was) had just the opposite. Needless to say dress and food in First class was much more elegant.

But if fares were converted into todays prices not so many folks would be cruising. Enlarge the ships, serve less expensive meals and get more customers. People used to dress up to travel by air also and they got served meals. That has changed with bigger planes.

I would be happy if I could get a piece of toast or an english muffin that is not stale.

twenty five years ago I paid $1100 per person for an inside cabin. Look at the rates today. If you want better food then you would have to pay more for your cruise fare. not me. Cruise company have done a great job in controlling their fares.

When Princess was the original Princess as well as Sitmar, the service in the dining room was the European style silver service. Meat entrees, veggies and more were individually placed by your waiter off a silver try onto each plate. The plate was presented to you hot but empty and then the waiter did his thing putting what you had ordered onto it.

 

None of this 'everything is already on the plate" style of today.

 

To say it was a hell of a lot better than would be an understatement.

 

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

How I miss the Sitmar dining rooms and service! I don't think you could find that level of service on any cruise line today.

When Princess was the original Princess as well as Sitmar, the service in the dining room was the European style silver service. Meat entrees, veggies and more were individually placed by your waiter off a silver try onto each plate. The plate was presented to you hot but empty and then the waiter did his thing putting what you had ordered onto it.

 

None of this 'everything is already on the plate" style of today.

 

To say it was a hell of a lot better than would be an understatement.

 

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

Memories vary

My first cruise was in 1979 (33 yrs ago), and at least that long ago, IMO the meal/plate table placement wasn't that much different than it is today. Can't comment years prior than 1979

As I said memories vary, and from 1979 onward mine is pretty good

Srpilo

I found the food on the Princess cruise we just got back from very bland. There was really nothing to like or dislike in the main dining room, it was just extremely dull, with little taste and poor meat quality.

Even the buffet was boring with very strange selections - fish fingers but no fries or sauce, steamed puddings with no custard, curry without rice, chicken fajitas with no salsa or sour cream?

The bread was good, as were the breakfast choices.

The rest was the dullest I have experienced by far.

(I use the term dull, as the food was not bad - it was edible and perfectly safe - just lacking any taste or pairing of ingredients)

We have found the food on Princess to have significantly improved since our first cruise on the Sun Princess in December 2003. Honestly, it's so much better now that it's like a different cruise line. In the early days, only the itineraries kept us coming back. Beef has never been a Princess strong point, but there is so much more shrimp and nicer cheeses now than there used to be. As a seafood nut, I'm very happy with the choices on Princess.

As for service...Princess waiters are horribly overworked, but I think they're amazing for holding it together as well as they do. I honestly don't know if serving me vegetables tableside would enhance my dining experience all that much. I've never had it done that way since I've been cruising on any cruise line (since 1997). Sounds a lot like mom when I was a kid, though.:rolleyes:

The buffet at lunch...well, that's a disappointment. A few more made-to-order items would certainly be appreciated. I ate more pizza on my last cruise than I had eaten in all my prior cruises together.

First cruise Princess about 10 years ago and found the food on the Caribbean Princess this past January to be fantastic. Best fish dishes I ever had on a cruise ship.

I missed the Maine/Nova Scotia lobster but the MDR food that was served was every bit as good IMHO as the quality that sold me on Princess 10 years ago.

How I miss the Sitmar dining rooms and service! I don't think you could find that level of service on any cruise line today.

We'll always miss Sitmar and feel lucky we were able to have had many wonderful cruises with them. :)

The quality of the beef in the regular dining rooms has declined. Often tasteless now, it is much tougher than it used to be.

I know that Princess has that 7 day menu which they repeat on longer cruises after day 7.

On cruises that are only sold as one cruise and are longer than seven days, there will be a different menu every evening. Some items may repeat on some of the menus, but never the entire same menu again during the voyage.

They tell me that for twenty bucks extra I can make a reservation and go to a special dining room and have my Rack Of Lamb. I say, why not pop twenty bucks onto the cost the fare and serve it to all the passengers? They use to.

 

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af114/Yarkerhill/Rack.jpg

I prefer to have no rack of lamb and that extra $20 in my pocket for something else - maybe a couple drinks instead. I'd rather have the fare low and choose what to spend my money on with upcharges later. I think it's about setting expectations of what's included though and finding a cruise line that fits your expectations - maybe a pricier cruise line that includes higher-end food in the price would be more to your liking.