Does the crew aboard princess eat well also???

[only1deejay]

So since the crew is working while we are having fun...do they have a employee buffet area??? and is the food also on par?? thanks.

 

 

I work at a major las vegas casino, and our employee dining room is just like a vegas buffet and pretty good since it is free. thanks again. :)

[Essiesmom]

They have a crew mess, and the food is often geared to their cultural background...Indonesian, Indian, etc. EM

[cantwaitfornextcruise]

So since the crew is working while we are having fun...do they have a employee buffet area??? and is the food also on par?? thanks.

 

:)

 

dry salt biscuit a tot of rum and 40 lashes :eek: that's what keeps them working

[Richard in Panama]

Does the crew aboard princess eat well also???

So since the crew is working while we are having fun...do they have a employee buffet area??? and is the food also on par?? thanks.

 

 

I work at a major las vegas casino, and our employee dining room is just like a vegas buffet and pretty good since it is free. thanks again. :)

 

DeeJay - "Come on board, we're expecting you . . . the Love Boat" and good experienced DeeJays are always welcome. Check out the Princess Web site!

 

For those of you who wonder . . . why the crew is always walking, and working out . . . we eat well! I just happened to have posted this on my blog [www.richarddetrich.wordpress.com] today, so for those of you who wondered . . .

 

Eating out? Pretty much I don’t when I’m home. I “eat out” every night when I’m on the ship, so when I’m home I like to sit by the fire, watch TV and eat in my grubbies. I know there are cruise passengers who think the crew eats their left-overs. Sorry to disillusion you. On Princess the crew eats very well, thank you very much. The “crew” have their own mess and food that is just like food at home, be it the Philippines or India or wherever. Lots of rice three times a day and amazing curry, if you like curry. The staff and officers eat either at the “Staff Mess” (on smaller ships like PACIFIC PRINCESS) or on the larger ships in the “Staff Mess” and “Officer’s Mess.” [Holland America had an "Officer's Mess" and a "Dirty Officer's Mess". The Dirty Officers Mess wasn't for reading HUSTLER while you eat but for the guys working in the engine room who didn't want to change out of their work clothes to eat. ] We get the same identical menu as in the Dining Room with the exception of lobster: only the guests get the lobster. But every night, if you like, it’s a spectacular 5-course dinner that is, to coin a word, “excellent.” Really is! Interestingly a lot of the crew will choose the “line” (a steam table) over the menu because it is generally simpler, more home-style fare, or sometimes they get inventive and combine stuff to get their own “dish” kinda like they would do at home. So when I’m home in Palmira [Panama] I don’t generally eat out.

 

Regards, Richard

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

As one of very few pasengers every to be invited into visit the crew mess

 

they eat well, they eat the type of food they want Princess goes to great lengths to ensure they get the food they are used to

 

From my point of view it would appear most of the crew eat about a ton rice a week.

 

The officers have a different selection, but you can find them sitting with the crew as well.

 

From my vists the area was very neat and tidy, spottless like any kitchen on a Princess ship,

 

but what was nice was the crew all smiled and waved on seeing a passenger in their area.

 

yours Shogun

[curiouscat]

While never been to the crew area to eat.... a few times upon occasion on both X and Princess I've been served "crew food"...I usually tell the head waiter or maitre d that I prefer Indian food and Voila.... I get some great dishes not found on the "MDR" menu..

 

and yes it was wonderful:p

 

CC

[Loonbeam]

This was addressed on the UST. The crew has access to the same food served in the MDR and buffet if requested but most choose to eat more traditional foods.

 

I quote "They will eat rice dishes 3 meals a day 7 days a week if we make them. They are welcome to order from the kitchen as well, but that rarely happens, they say the food is too rich and too much meat for them, although they do often request the veggies."

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

While never been to the crew area to eat.... a few times upon occasion on both X and Princess I've been served "crew food"...I usually tell the head waiter or maitre d that I prefer Indian food and Voila.... I get some great dishes not found on the "MDR" menu..

 

and yes it was wonderful:p

 

CC

Thanks for the tip

[pablo222]

This was addressed on the UST. The crew has access to the same food served in the MDR

 

This is true for staff, not crew. You have to have at least one stripe.

 

Princess hypes the crew food to the moon, with lots of comments about

cooking whatever people have at home. Yeah, but...

 

That might not be what's available in the 5-minute break you have to

eat, so you have to eat what's there. Rice. Fillapino Soup.

Or, Fillapino Soup, Rice.

[jlp20]

I was out and about in the wee hours about 3 AM. I can only guess that due to the size of the 3rd watch, the crew galley or kitchen was closed. Anyway, about 20 crew and officers were seated about the Horizon Court. Didn’t appear to a special occasion so I assume this was something that occurs on that watch.

[sportsmum]

We have often seen the uniforms in line at HC and sitting at the tables during lunch. In one's or two's and they have eaten off to the side.

 

Notably on HAL the young staff took the best viewing tables and cut in line to be with their 'friends' on our first Alaskan cruise. Granted, while behind them they were not shy or quiet to share who was doing what with whom on the ship! Does that count as dinner and entertainment?:rolleyes:

[compozer]

We toured the crew galley. The food IS NOT the same. I remember a large pan of hot dogs and one of rice. We also went thru the officers dining room - very nice. There is a big difference between crew food and officers food. The intertainment staff are allowed to eat in the MDR and buffett.

[kicker]

This reminds me of a question a newbie cruiser once asked of a Captain:

 

Does the crew eat their meals on the ship?

:D

[Loonbeam]

Note I didn't specify access to the MDR. If a crew member requests food being prepared for the main rooms that night they can go to the kitchen and get a plate. That doesn't mean they have time to eat it or to take the extra time to get it, but it is an option for them.

 

I would guess that mainly happens on days or shifts off.

 

This is true for staff, not crew. You have to have at least one stripe.

 

Princess hypes the crew food to the moon, with lots of comments about

cooking whatever people have at home. Yeah, but...

 

That might not be what's available in the 5-minute break you have to

eat, so you have to eat what's there. Rice. Fillapino Soup.

Or, Fillapino Soup, Rice.

[Vexorg]

When I was on the Ruby, I frequently saw crewmembers eating at Cafe Caribe late at night, as well as entertainers and other staff. I follow one of the bands that plays on various Princess ships (East Coast Connection) on Facebook, and I'd see them occasionally posting about their weekly lobster night while they were on their last stint on the Ruby, so it appears that at least for the "guest" entertainers that might be an option as well.

[Loonbeam]

It occurs to me that as with so many things Princess related, specific policies on crew meals may vary ship to ship...

[RickEk]

In general, officers, spa staff, CD staff and entertainers can eat with the passengers.

[simbasmom]

Hi All

 

As one of very few pasengers every to be invited into visit the crew mess

 

they eat well, they eat the type of food they want Princess goes to great lengths to ensure they get the food they are used to

 

From my point of view it would appear most of the crew eat about a ton rice a week.

 

The officers have a different selection, but you can find them sitting with the crew as well.

 

From my vists the area was very neat and tidy, spottless like any kitchen on a Princess ship,

 

but what was nice was the crew all smiled and waved on seeing a passenger in their area.

 

yours Shogun

 

Maybe that's why our son, who's a crew member, isn't fond of eating in the crew mess-it's not the kind of food he's used to because he's one of about a dozen Americans among the crew. When his ship recently was on red level, the crew wasn't allowed with passengers except when they were working, so they had to eat in the crew mess. He complained about the over-abundance of rice, and absence of fresh fruit. He couldn't wait to make a bee-line back to the Horizon Court when the red level was lifted.

[Shoalwater]

In general, officers, spa staff, CD staff and entertainers can eat with the passengers.

 

There are two types of employees (entertainers excluded), crew and staff. Crew can eat at HC while staff may not. Staff eat in the staff quarters.

[itzmered]

2 different times on our cruise a few weeks ago we watched the same crew member getting 4 slices of pizza and a hamburger from the grill/pizza area. He sat at the table next to us both times and chowed down :) We also saw crew members eating in Horizon court several times and this was not during the middle of the night but usual after about 8pm when we would go in to get dessert

[simbasmom]

There are two types of employees (entertainers excluded), crew and staff. Crew can eat at HC while staff may not. Staff eat in the staff quarters.

 

That's interesting. I didn't know there was a distinction with eating. And although I call them all "crew", I think as a member of entertainment, he's considered staff. Maybe I'm wrong on that, though.

[billet]

I think Shoalwater got it bassacwards. The staff (officers, youth and spa staff) are normally allowed to eat in the HC, but it is up to the Staff Captain who can do what. Entertainers are basically passengers and play by most of the same rules as passengers. The crew (stewards, cooks, engineers, seamen etc) eat in the crew mess with their own galley and have no access to the passenger galleys. The staff have the officers mess to eat in and the menu is the fundamentally the same as the MDR (although you have to beg and bribe to get the lobster).

[Shoalwater]

I think Shoalwater got it bassacwards. The staff (officers, youth and spa staff) are normally allowed to eat in the HC, but it is up to the Staff Captain who can do what. Entertainers are basically passengers and play by most of the same rules as passengers. The crew (stewards, cooks, engineers, seamen etc) eat in the crew mess with their own galley and have no access to the passenger galleys. The staff have the officers mess to eat in and the menu is the fundamentally the same as the MDR (although you have to beg and bribe to get the lobster).

 

Yes, I got it reversed, but its probably because I am in Washington, DC on business and this whole town is FUBAR :rolleyes:!

[NSWP]

One time our waiters told me the crew also have specific cooks for crew nationality, i.e. Indian cooks cooking up for the many Indian crew, likewise Phillipinos and Thai crew. That way they can get the food they are used to and like.

 

The waiters also told me a lot of the leftover food from the passenger galleys at night goes to the crew mess as the MDR/HC staff don't eat until around 11pm post passenger feeding.

[Loonbeam]

The exec chef must have some say as it was he who told us on the Coral that that staff were allowed to request MDR items to be consumed in the crew mess subject to availability. Or maybe he was just nice and told his kitchen crew not to say no...

 

 

 

I think Shoalwater got it bassacwards. The staff (officers, youth and spa staff) are normally allowed to eat in the HC, but it is up to the Staff Captain who can do what. Entertainers are basically passengers and play by most of the same rules as passengers. The crew (stewards, cooks, engineers, seamen etc) eat in the crew mess with their own galley and have no access to the passenger galleys. The staff have the officers mess to eat in and the menu is the fundamentally the same as the MDR (although you have to beg and bribe to get the lobster).