Princess Food

[Q52]

On a recent cruise on Caribbean Princess, the quality of food in the main dining room and buffet were signficiantly lower than we experienced on my previous four cruises with Princess. What I was wondering was how much of this is related to issues on the Caribbean versus cost-cutting across the entire line?

[Doug R.]

On a recent cruise on Caribbean Princess, the quality of food in the main dining room and buffet were signficiantly lower than we experienced on my previous four cruises with Princess. What I was wondering was how much of this is related to issues on the Caribbean versus cost-cutting across the entire line?

 

I just love when someone starts a thread like this but offers no specifics about thier complaint. I would like to know what did not not live up to the quality expectations based on previous cruises? Selection? Quality? Quantity? Specific entrees, appitizers or desserts?

 

Details por favor!

[huskerdan25]

This issue seems to be discussed on every single cruise line forum (yes, even Celebrity). I have been on 4 Princess cruises and have enjoyed the food in the MDR and the specialty restaurants on every single one. I have not seem or experience this so called degradation of quality of the food on Princess. Have I just gotten lucky? I felt the food on the Coral cruise to Alaska just a few weeks ago was fantastic.

 

Anyway, food is subjective and we all have different taste. So people think the coffee syrup is about as nasty as it gets but then there are others like my wife who found it just fine. So, not sure there is much to be gained in discussing whether food quality has gone down because you'll get responses across the board. Will hardly solve anything or provide any conclusive evidence that what the OP believes is the case is truly the case.

[goose30]

I just love when someone starts a thread like this but offers no specifics about thier complaint. I would like to know what did not not live up to the quality expectations based on previous cruises? Selection? Quality? Quantity? Specific entrees, appitizers or desserts?

 

Details por favor!

 

Why do they have to give specifics? They just did not like the food. I was on the CB recently the food was terrible. All of it. The veal was inedible.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just off the Emerald western Caribbean cruise and all the food was top notch!

No cutbacks that I saw. :)

[jff50]

When were the prior cruises? Are they comparing to cruises 20 years ago, or to cruises over the past few years?

 

I think that there have been some cutbacks in what Princess offers in the main dining rooms occuring over the years. But I'm satisfied with what is offered and the quality.

[cruisin36]

To paraphrase an old proverb "One man's garbage is another man's delicacy". We have had 28 cruises on Princess on various ships and the food has always been 5 star. Nothing ever was

inedible". It will be interesting to get some replies from people on the same cruise!

[Doug R.]

Why do they have to give specifics? They just did not like the food. I was on the CB recently the food was terrible. All of it. The veal was inedible.

 

I was on the CB recently and the food was far from terrible. Your assertation that it was all bad strains your credibility.

 

Don't remember having veal though.

[huskerdan25]

I did have one dish that I didn't care for on my Coral cruise and that was the Barramundi. Never have had fish on a Princess cruise that smelled bad and tasted the same but this was on time when it did. But I replaced it with another dish and everything was fine. So, I can see a dish or two not being right for everyone but to say that all of the food was just terrible just doesn't jive with me. One thing that was fantastic was the freshly made pasta.

[Clutterlady]

Why do they have to give specifics? They just did not like the food. I was on the CB recently the food was terrible. All of it. The veal was inedible.

 

When you say the food was terrible....all of it, that's a pretty wild statement. Respect your right to feel that way, but if it was "all" bad what do you eat all the days you were cruising? Think you would be pretty hungry by the time you got home:)

[Woobstr112G]

In our last three Princess cruises, we've found the MDR food very good to excellant. We found food in the HC to be your typical buffet fare. The only somewhat disappointment we encountered was the Crown Grill. Service was so so and the food was (yes this is subjective) kinda uninspiring. The lamb shank was absolutely terrible.

 

Bob

[Druke I]

As stated - food is very subjective.

 

The on-board chef can make a huge difference. Ancient history now, but Royal Princess, 3-98 trans-Atlantic, food not so hot. Same ship, 6 mos later, another trans-Atlantic, food very good - different chef!

[chipmaster]

After my recent alasakan tour I concur, huge drop off in consistency, service just about everything. What was most dissapointing or unsatisfactory was the many times the buffet line went dry on basic things, like hot entrees, fruit, desserts you name it so long that I just gave up. That combined with spotty service in 2/3 AT makes them no longer my primary choice, not a bad line, nor horrible experience, but a drop off enough that I'm giving other lines a first chance.

 

On a recent cruise on Caribbean Princess, the quality of food in the main dining room and buffet were signficiantly lower than we experienced on my previous four cruises with Princess. What I was wondering was how much of this is related to issues on the Caribbean versus cost-cutting across the entire line?

[1 HappyCruiser]

Although very few Princess dishes can be classified as 5 star (unless you go to the Specialty restaurants) we've found most to be very good on almost all the ships. Some cooks are definitely better than others and can do wonders with what they've been given to work with. Unfortunately the cooks on the Caribbean Princess lately must not be as good as the ones we've run across.

[cruisin36]

I was on the CB recently and the food was far from terrible. Your assertation that it was all bad strains your credibility.

 

Don't remember having veal though.

 

Princess does have a veal chop or "rack of veal" that (IMHO) is definitely 5 star. Melts in your mouth and is very tasty.

[huskerdan25]

Princess does have a veal chop or "rack of veal" that (IMHO) is definitely 5 star. Melts in your mouth and is very tasty.

 

I don't know what 5 star food is as I don't believe I have eaten in a restaurant that would be considered 5 star. All I know is that the food I have eaten on the 4 Princess cruises was very good.

 

As for the veal, we had a couple at our table on the Coral who hated veal but decided to give it a try in the MDR. They loved it. Asked for seconds. I did not have it myself because there were other dishes that night that I wanted but two people who couldn't stand veal sure loved it on the Coral.

[RickEk]

Just off the Sea Princess and, for the most part, the food in the main dining room was very good to excellent. There were a couple of dishes (the aforementioned veal... more like shoe leather) that weren't up to snuff, but others were spectacular. The second night, they served a filet mignon that was perfect. The prime rib was also very good. We traveled with a self-proclaimed "foodie" and he would order two different entrees every night. I don't think he was ever disappointed in the food. Oh, and I had one of the best hamburgers I've ever had at lunch one day... it was served with a slab of bleu cheese and was cooked perfectly. :)

[Iamcruzin]

I think that passenger expectations are too high. They do an excellent job considering how many meals they pump out. I agree with Doug when someone complains about the food it is hard to give feed back without specifics such as the veal was tough or I don't like the way the food is prepared. Those are justified complaints. Personally I agree that the veal in the MDR is not as good as what my wife makes at home but I find that the veal on Princess is about as good as any restaurant I have eaten in. The veal chop in Sabatini’s is much better than the veal in the MDR. In all honesty I only paid $57 a day for the last cruise I took. I would eat pizza and burgers all week as long as I don't have to cook and clean up after.

[Iamcruzin]

I was on the CB recently and the food was far from terrible. Your assertation that it was all bad strains your credibility.

 

Don't remember having veal though.

Doug I think they served it in the MDR on the night we were both in Sabatini's.

[AlaskaGolden]

We're just got off the CB last month. Overall the food was very good. However, I'd like to mention the following exceptions:

• The beef in the MDRs -- just not to my liking; funny after-taste
  
• The appetizers/soups in the Crown Grill -- Although the steaks were FANTASTIC at the Crown Grill, we were underwhelmed with the appetizers/soups (lobster cake, lamb loin, bisque and the black/blue onion soup)
  

I thought the quality of the flour cakes improved since the last cruise. I actually enjoyed eating them this time. First time that's happened on a Princess cruise.

 

The last cruise was my first cruise with a Café Caribe and an International Café. I think both these venues helped me think of the food as a "notch above" the prior Princess cruises.

[RickEk]

The veal in the MDR was tasty... just a little tough. We did the Chef's Table and the main entree was veal cooked two different ways and it was excellent. 'Course, for $75, it better be excellent! :p

[1 HappyCruiser]

Just off the Sea Princess and, for the most part, the food in the main dining room was very good to excellent. There were a couple of dishes (the aforementioned veal... more like shoe leather) that weren't up to snuff, but others were spectacular. The second night, they served a filet mignon that was perfect. The prime rib was also very good. We traveled with a self-proclaimed "foodie" and he would order two different entrees every night. I don't think he was ever disappointed in the food. Oh, and I had one of the best hamburgers I've ever had at lunch one day... it was served with a slab of bleu cheese and was cooked perfectly. :)

 

I don't think I've ever had a piece of prime rib on a Princess ship that could be classified as excellent. It has always varied from not so good to OK, but never great. We often eat at a local restaurant in northern New Jersey (not 5 star by any imagination but still very good) & there prime rib would put Princess's to shame. If that restaurant served what Princess offer's as prime rib they probably wouldn't be in business very long. That being said, I still order the prime rib on Princess but never expect the same high quality as I would at home.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree, my beef wellington last week was fantastic. :D

[huskerdan25]

I agree, my beef wellington last week was fantastic. :D

 

Love the beef wellington! I think we had that on lobster night so I order both :)

[Rhitson88]

Tell you the truth, I think its hit or miss. But I cannot believe that after 7 days you feel the overall food value was low. That would mean all the meals you ate were bad for 4 days at least. Not really Princess style right there. Lol but no matter the line or ship I have ever been on, I have never had "bad food". Its all good to me. If it does not taste good, ask for something else :D. And, if it is....well still ask for something else. I usually try some crazy stuff that I would never try on land. Mainly because its free and I will go into my comfort zone of a steak if it is nasty lol. So come on people!!