Best and Worst food lately?

[Dena]

We were on Sapphire in February and will be there again in a few months. We did notice the food was not quite as good as we remember from earlier Princess cruises, but still OK. However, the more recent Sapphire reviews have been pretty tepid with regard to food. The consensus seems to be: nothing to write home about and nothing memorable, but you won't go hungry.

 

Still there must be some best and worst choices. Food is subjective, of course, but I would like to here what you think. I will start.

 

Best:

Sorbets, especially grapefruit sorbet

Ice creams

Smoked salmon at breakfast

The MDR lunches, in general

The little yeast donuts at breakfast

The chop which is the Savoy's special

The osso buco from Vivaldi

any seafood dish

 

Worst:

 

Always available steak, tough and over cooked

Any beef dish except maybe Beef Wellington, but even that seemed not as good as before

 

Worst

[arewethereyet]

Hmmmm....the pork chop in the Savoy was the toughest pork chop I have ever laid knife and fork to. Maybe it was just a bad night, but it was tough, tough, tough.

[Dena]

The pork chop was nice and juicy in February. I hope it was just an off night.

[retiredldo]

We were on Sapphire in February and will be there again in a few months. We did notice the food was not quite as good as we remember from earlier Princess cruises, but still OK. However, the more recent Sapphire reviews have been pretty tepid with regard to food. The consensus seems to be: nothing to write home about and nothing memorable, but you won't go hungry.

 

Still there must be some best and worst choices. Food is subjective, of course, but I would like to here what you think. I will start.

 

Best:

Sorbets, especially grapefruit sorbet

Ice creams

Smoked salmon at breakfast

The MDR lunches, in general

The little yeast donuts at breakfast

The chop which is the Savoy's special

The osso buco from Vivaldi

any seafood dish

 

Worst:

 

Always available steak, tough and over cooked

Any beef dish except maybe Beef Wellington, but even that seemed not as good as before

 

Worst

 

Dena interesting on the beef and steak, we were on Celebrity last Jan and at a table for 10 the consensus of all the various meals, the beef was far and away the worst as far as flavor and style interesting trend

 

Pete

[LaCal]

I also noticed that compared with our first few cruises on Princess some years back that the food quality has seemd to go down....

 

But theres always something to eat, lol, :D

 

If I get something Now in the Main Dining Room and its Over-Cooked, Under-Cooked or just Plain Nasty I just send it back and get something else...:D

[retiredldo]

I also noticed that compared with our first few cruises on Princess some years back that the food quality has seemd to go down....

 

But theres always something to eat, lol, :D

 

If I get something Now in the Main Dining Room and its Over-Cooked, Under-Cooked or just Plain Nasty I just send it back and get something else...:D

 

La Cal a very fair assessment, and I agree on all accounts, always plenty to eat that is for sure We actually had eggs undercooked and had to send them back hmmm lets see that was bordering on just plain nasty

 

Pete

[Pam in CA]

Food is very subjective. For instance, I would list anything with tomatoes or mushrooms as disgusting. :) The Head Chef can make a big difference in how the food is prepared and presented. We were on a two-week cruise and the first week, meat cuts, food prep and taste were awful. The Chef came back from vacation and the difference was like night and day. Same ship, same cruise, different food.

 

One of the things I often order is the Always Available tournedos of beef. It's always been very good. I ask for Béarnaise sauce and a baked potato, and I'm in heaven. :)

 

I love almost all Princess soups (except tomato or mushroom soup) and often have either ice cream or sorbet for dessert.

[janina]

Hmmmm....the pork chop in the Savoy was the toughest pork chop I have ever laid knife and fork to. Maybe it was just a bad night, but it was tough, tough, tough.

I loved those Savoy chops on the Diamond.:D

[Sapphire723]

Best:

Fetticini Alfredo (in the parmesan bowl)

Escargot

French Onion Soup

Bangers and Mash (at Pub Lunch)

Mediterranean Salad (at the International Cafe)

Onion Quiche (also at the IC)

 

Worst:

Lobster (it's been a while since I've had lobster on Princess that was good, save the lobster risotto at the Chef's Table)

[gargoyle999]

I didn't like the cheeseburgers on the Sapphire! But that was 3 years ago and my only Princess cruise. :p

[Woobstr112G]

Best: Pretty much anything served in the MDR is great as long as it's hot enough. Also a fav for me is the trident grill and the pizza.

 

Worst: Horizon Court food is usually not hot enough. Variety, imho, is also usually lacking. This past February the HC food on the Golden was truely terrible. My observations only.

 

Bob

[4cats4me]

Nothing on princess can even come close to the specialty meal we had on the Celebrity ship where we paid $20 pp --

 

We used to love the always available beef medallions, but now they are not so great anymore. Last year on the Sapphrie we liked them, but this year on the Sapphire we noticed a decline in quality. This year on the Golden they were not-so-good at all, sadly.

 

I usually like Princess pastas, but this year the Potato gnocchi on the Golden was just awful. However, I've always enjoyed all their other pastas.

 

I do like their sorbets and ice creams in the dining room.

[Dena]

Best: Pretty much anything served in the MDR is great as long as it's hot enough. Also a fav for me is the trident grill and the pizza.

 

Worst: Horizon Court food is usually not hot enough. Variety, imho, is also usually lacking. This past February the HC food on the Golden was truely terrible. My observations only.

 

Bob

 

I agree about Horizon Court. Now Princess is trying to force everyone who stays on the ship on port days to eat there. This will be a hardship for anyone with food allergies or mobility issues. I guess the very limited room service is an option. The International Cafe could be an option too, but again probably not for those with food allergies. I will be forced to leave Princess before I am forced to eat at a buffet.

[robgvic]

Enjoy your new cruise line,Dena

[Woobstr112G]

I agree about Horizon Court. Now Princess is trying to force everyone who stays on the ship on port days to eat there. This will be a hardship for anyone with food allergies or mobility issues. I guess the very limited room service is an option. The International Cafe could be an option too, but again probably not for those with food allergies. I will be forced to leave Princess before I am forced to eat at a buffet.

 

No dining room option for lunch while in port? I hadn't heard this.....:eek:

 

Bob

[jrzebird]

I agree about Horizon Court. Now Princess is trying to force everyone who stays on the ship on port days to eat there. This will be a hardship for anyone with food allergies or mobility issues. I guess the very limited room service is an option. The International Cafe could be an option too, but again probably not for those with food allergies. I will be forced to leave Princess before I am forced to eat at a buffet.

 

I actually enjoyed breakfast and lunch at the HC. I had a little bit of a lot of things and left satisfied physically and emotionally.

 

The worst thing I had on my recent CB cruise was the veal. It was like shoe leather, but tasty shoe leather. I didn't send it back. The absolutely best thing I had, and didn't want it to end, was the lamb. I did have a very good lobster tail and shrimp on surf and surf night. The soups were great.

 

There are so many options for eating and, IMHO, the majority of food is very good. And if you don't like what you get, there is no problem sending it back and getting something else.

 

I don't know what the issue is with allergies, as I don't have them, and I hope it doesn't mean that you have to leave Princess.

[Dena]

Princess pizza is fantastic. It is even worth enduring to nearby smoke to get a slice.

[4x4bob]

Best: I never had a Cold Soup that I did not like.

 

Worst: A piece of steak that was the bottom of a shoe in a previous life. My wife asked me what I doing and I said watch this, and I tried to stab it with a fork and the fork bounced.

 

Bob

[PescadoAmarillo]

I must first say that I never order anything that I suspect I won't like. I've never ordered pork or veal, for example, because I know I usually don't like them. For me, seafood reigns supreme, and Princess generally does seafood very well. However, only one time on Princess have I sent a meal back because it was just yuckky...barramundi with curry sauce. They've since renamed it to some other kind of fish with curry sauce, but I still stay clear.

 

Lots of good things: the yogurt tamarind soup, twice baked goat cheese soufflé and cioppino immediately come to mind.

 

I think the food on Princess has actually improved. Lots of shrimp and seafood, and great cheese plates. I miss the mixed berries though. But I remember cruises on the Sun Princess where the food in the HC was truly pathetic. All four cruises we did on the ship, we found the food disappointing. The newer, bigger ships do it much better.

[jrzebird]

I must first say that I never order anything that I suspect I won't like. I've never ordered pork or veal, for example, because I know I usually don't like them. For me, seafood reigns supreme, and Princess generally does seafood very well. However, only one time on Princess have I sent a meal back because it was just yuckky...barramundi with curry sauce. They've since renamed it to some other kind of fish with curry sauce, but I still stay clear.

 

Lots of good things: the yogurt tamarind soup, twice baked goat cheese soufflé and cioppino immediately come to mind.

 

I think the food on Princess has actually improved. Lots of shrimp and seafood, and great cheese plates. I miss the mixed berries though. But I remember cruises on the Sun Princess where the food in the HC was truly pathetic. All four cruises we did on the ship, we found the food disappointing. The newer, bigger ships do it much better.

 

You just made my mouth water! The yogurt tamarind soup was so good that I could have had it for every meal. I've never had anything quite like it. And the twice bake goat cheese - yum. The did have the barramundi on my cruise, but since I didn't know what it was, I didn't have it. Normally I try unusual things but something told me to 'just say no' this time. One night I had all appetizers!

[Dena]

I had the barramundi in February, it was good but there was no curry sauce on it.

[Sea Day Cruiser]

The worst I've experienced recently was a meal that used to be my favorite. That was always the rack of lamb on the Chefs Menu near the end of the cruise (not Chefs Table). That and the goat cheese souffle. In June we were on the Grand and the menu had been changed. There was no rack of lamb. The replacement was a trilogy of meats. They included one lamb chop (not cooked well at all), some chicken on a stick which looked like it belonged in a McDonald's happy meal, and I have no idea what the third meat was. It looked like the intestines of some animal. I'm allergic to sea food so I really looked forward to the chefs menu; it was my replacement for the lobster so many others love. I'm very disappointed that Princess has cheapened this menu. If I find the same situation on the Emerald in a few weeks, I will start looking at alternative cruise lines.

[snrlnd]

I agree that food is subjective and I always find posts regarding food, especially the quality of the food somewhat humorous. With the relatively low cost of cruising with Princess, where can you go on vacation and have numerous options for food, have a room to stay in and be offered a a vast array of options of things to do on the ship for a comparable amount of money.

 

Granted I agree that things have changed over the years. But really folks, cruising is a great value. If I want to eat 5 star dining I can. I'm just not going to be able to do it on a seven day cruise that cost 500 or 600 dollars. If I want 5 star dining I'll have to pay more than I care to.

 

I think for the most part Princess does a pretty good job serving the masses. Is the food as good as it was on my first cruise, no. But I paid a whole lot more for my very first cruise than I have for the past ten or fifteen. I'd much prefer to keep the low cost cruises and enjoy good food and normally excellent service.

[Iamcruzin]

I agree that food is subjective and I always find posts regarding food, especially the quality of the food somewhat humorous. With the relatively low cost of cruising with Princess, where can you go on vacation and have numerous options for food, have a room to stay in and be offered a a vast array of options of things to do on the ship for a comparable amount of money.

 

Granted I agree that things have changed over the years. But really folks, cruising is a great value. If I want to eat 5 star dining I can. I'm just not going to be able to do it on a seven day cruise that cost 500 or 600 dollars. If I want 5 star dining I'll have to pay more than I care to.

 

I think for the most part Princess does a pretty good job serving the masses. Is the food as good as it was on my first cruise, no. But I paid a whole lot more for my very first cruise than I have for the past ten or fifteen. I'd much prefer to keep the low cost cruises and enjoy good food and normally excellent service.

I couldn't agree more. To add, jumping cruise lines is not going to solve the problem. I read the same complaints on RCL, Carnival and Celebrity boards. The threads are so similar that sometimes I have to check to see what cruise line board I am reading. Food is so subjective even at home. I don't think there is one night that all four of us can agree on the same meal.... and just in case anyone is wondering it has nothing to do with the chef. ;)

 

Now to reply to the topic:

· I prefer a burger or pizza by the pool over the MDR for lunch. It’s not that the food is bad in the MDR I just don’t like the choices or atmosphere for that time of the day. I do sympathize with passengers who have mobility issues and allergies having a problem eating in the buffet.

· Veal is a problem even in the restaurants at home but Sabatini’s has the best veal chop.

· Love the spring rolls, twice baked goat cheese soufflé, and all the pasta dishes.

· Depending on the season the fresh fruit is not always good but that is the case at home as well

[Lostinthe50s]

I agree that food is subjective and I always find posts regarding food, especially the quality of the food somewhat humorous. With the relatively low cost of cruising with Princess, where can you go on vacation and have numerous options for food, have a room to stay in and be offered a a vast array of options of things to do on the ship for a comparable amount of money.

 

Granted I agree that things have changed over the years. But really folks, cruising is a great value. If I want to eat 5 star dining I can. I'm just not going to be able to do it on a seven day cruise that cost 500 or 600 dollars. If I want 5 star dining I'll have to pay more than I care to.

 

I think for the most part Princess does a pretty good job serving the masses. Is the food as good as it was on my first cruise, no. But I paid a whole lot more for my very first cruise than I have for the past ten or fifteen. I'd much prefer to keep the low cost cruises and enjoy good food and normally excellent service.

I have never been on or seen a princess cruise for 500 or 600 dollars. For that matter I have never even seen a carnival cruise for that.