Too MUCH SALT FOR ME!

[geocruiser]

Just would like to know what my CC friends this about the amount of salt in Princess's food. We just got off of Caribbean Princess and I thought there was way too much salt in most of the food I ate. What do you think? I want to taste the food just not the salt.

[GweninTX]

I agree - my ankles were swollen every night on our cruise last week. I do not use a lot of salt at home, but the chefs on board really seem to!

[Pam in CA]

Just would like to know what my CC friends this about the amount of salt in Princess's food. We just got off of Caribbean Princess and I thought there was way too much salt in most of the food I ate. What do you think? I want to taste the food just not the salt.

I think it depends on the head chef. If food is too salty for my taste, I ask for entrees without sauces and they're much better. I think a lot of the salt is in the sauces. Or, I pre-order something like a chef's salad with dressing on the side. You can always request low sodium dishes.

[Seafoam Green]

I think it depends on the head chef. If food is too salty for my taste, I ask for entrees without sauces and they're much better. I think a lot of the salt is in the sauces. Or, I pre-order something like a chef's salad with dressing on the side. You can always request low sodium dishes.

 

+1

 

Always request sauces and dressings on the side - it puts portion and sodium control more in your hands.

[geocruiser]

I don't really understand why so much salt. Food has taste with little or no salt. I cook with mostly no salt. I also watch my dinner guest (who cook with salt) eat dinner at my house. I put the shaker on the table and no one picks it up to use it. They don't know it is missing if the food has flavor. A little salt is OK. When a chef put too much in I think that he/she is covering up lack of taste in the food.

[amazinglife]

Most chefs (especially on Princess) believe salt gives more flavour to food.

[Putterdude]

On the Ruby earlier this month even the mashed potatoes were like a salt lick. I had the same problem with ankles swelling and have made a resolution to ask for a sodium reduced menu in the future. I never have this problem at home or when we go out for meals it is only on Princess ships.

[Pam in CA]

Most chefs (especially on Princess) believe salt gives more flavour to food.

I'm always surprised when I see some people add salt to their food without even tasting it first. When asked why so much salt, whichever head waiter I ask always says that's the way most passengers prefer their food. Which might be true.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Have never added salt to any meal, prefer salad in its raw state, not into all the dressings,

 

have tasted salt in a few meals while on board a ship, but not to the point

 

that I have returned anything.

 

Often wonder how others food must taste with salt and pepper added

 

yours Shogun

[Commodore]

I'm always surprised when I see some people add salt to their food without even tasting it first. When asked why so much salt, whichever head waiter I ask always says that's the way most passengers prefer their food. Which might be true.

I had the same answer when I order unsalted soup in MD on every cruise

[Ethel5]

I'm always surprised when I see some people add salt to their food without even tasting it first. When asked why so much salt, whichever head waiter I ask always says that's the way most passengers prefer their food. Which might be true.

 

It might be true because, as we get older, our taste buds aren't as sharp as they once were. So, many folks add more salt/pepper than usual.

[Musky Ike]

I'm always surprised when I see some people add salt to their food without even tasting it first. When asked why so much salt, whichever head waiter I ask always says that's the way most passengers prefer their food. Which might be true.

 

Unfortunately, that probably is true, there are a lot of saltaholics. However, it is much easier for them to add salt at the table than to subtract it from a prepared dish:rolleyes: I wondered why I tend to drink so much more water with dinner on ships compared to home, maybe this is part of it.

[Tom O.]

Everybody has their own idea what tastes good. The chef can never make everybody happy.

Some Like Hot,

Some Like it Cold,

Some Like it in the Pot Nine Days Old.

[geocruiser]

May those of us who don't want so much salt might want write to Princess and let them know how we feel. I did try salt free on Tahitian Princess and it was awful. The soup tasted like dish water (no, I never tasted dirty dish water but in my mouth I felt that is what is tasted like) Food can be flavored with other things than lots of salt. Some salt is fine for me, but too much is not good. My DH had fish the last night on board that he could not eat because of the salt. I think the balance is for Princess to use less salt in food and those who want more can add it at the tables.

[DrivesLikeMario]

So is that why I get so "puffy" on cruises? :confused: My ankles swell up a lot. I have to drink a lot of water and sweat it out in the gym to get back to normal! :mad: Never really thought about it being the salt, but it makes sense since I never add it at home.

 

The upside of this is if we gain weight, we can use the excuse that it's all the salt... :D

[yseone]

THIS issue is the biggest for us when we cruise as my mother is limited to 1500 mg a day (and of course everyone is recommended to use under 2300mb sodium).

 

If you have ever looked at how much salt there really is in all the food we eat you would be shocked at how much you are consuming in a single day---bread, dressings, sauces, packaged foods etc are ALl high in sodium and the average person does not think about what they are eating--until it is too late and they have damage to their bodies.

 

I have read on these boards in the past about getting the menu the night before and letting them know which items you would like prepared without salt and I would love to be able to partake in this. On out last 14 day cruise to Hawaii on the Golden Princess I did not find that our waiter was at all receptive of this happening. All he said was "no the chef never cooks with too much salt". Yea right.

 

Has anyone had success with the night before menu deal and who did you speak to if you were eating in anytime dining? This is a medical issue for my mom and a choice to be supportive for me so I would love to be able to make this happen for our next Hawaiian cruise in April.

 

Thanks bunches!

Yasmine :)

[Ethel5]

Let's also remember that even though the water is desalinated, it still contains a good amount of saline.

[geocruiser]

THIS issue is the biggest for us when we cruise as my mother is limited to 1500 mg a day (and of course everyone is recommended to use under 2300mb sodium).

 

If you have ever looked at how much salt there really is in all the food we eat you would be shocked at how much you are consuming in a single day---bread, dressings, sauces, packaged foods etc are ALl high in sodium and the average person does not think about what they are eating--until it is too late and they have damage to their bodies.

 

I have read on these boards in the past about getting the menu the night before and letting them know which items you would like prepared without salt and I would love to be able to partake in this. On out last 14 day cruise to Hawaii on the Golden Princess I did not find that our waiter was at all receptive of this happening. All he said was "no the chef never cooks with too much salt". Yea right.

 

Has anyone had success with the night before menu deal and who did you speak to if you were eating in anytime dining? This is a medical issue for my mom and a choice to be supportive for me so I would love to be able to make this happen for our next Hawaiian cruise in April.

 

Thanks bunches!

Yasmine :)

 

 

I had to do this because of shellfish. Can not eat them. My TA called Princess for me to let them know. On the first night when seated I told the head waiter about it. He went a got a list and checked my name and cabin. Then I was asked if I could make dinner at a certain time each night at MY Time dinning. We said "yes". We were seated at the same table every night. The head waiter told me it was safer for them to do it this way. He all so said when I eat in the HC to get the head chef (he said look for man in the big hat) and he will tell me what I can not eat. Some times shell fish is hidden in the dish. It worked out fine.

[riclop]

Its simple the more salt they add the better it taste.

[mr green]

Jest off Coral, no salt problems for me, although some persons were using extra salt.

I noticed that the dishes seemed to be less spiced than in the past, making most meals very palatable.

I am not saying that some foodstuffs were not oversalted, since I avoid items that tend to be salted.

I have to add however that the nuts offered at the Captain's reception might give anyone sodium poisoning!:eek:

 

john

[OCruisers]

In general we've never found the food on Princess ships to be over salted.

The salad dressings often were BUT some things were actually under salted.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Pam in CA]

I have read on these boards in the past about getting the menu the night before and letting them know which items you would like prepared without salt and I would love to be able to partake in this. On out last 14 day cruise to Hawaii on the Golden Princess I did not find that our waiter was at all receptive of this happening. All he said was "no the chef never cooks with too much salt". Yea right.

Just tell them you're on a salt-restricted diet and would like to see the next night's menus. The waiter doesn't get the menus, the Table Captain does. If your waitstaff is unwilling to get the Table Captain, go and talk to him and ask for the menus. You shouldn't have to and if you do, I'd say something.

 

When ordering, I just ask for things without the sauces or put them on the side. Don't have to get the menu to ask for modifications like that. You can pre-order steamed vegetables which won't have salt in them. That's something else that seems to have a lot of salt.

[geocruiser]

Its simple the more salt they add the better it taste.

 

Not for me. After a certain amount it all taste like salt. I don't taste the food only the salt.

[Sunviking]

We too have experienced swollen ankles and legs on cruises and attribute it to the salt in the food onboard. However, I don't think that this is only a cruise ship problem. We have noticed if we go on land trips we have the same experience. We use little salt at home and virtually no prepared foods. We use a lot of herbs and spices to add flavor to our home-cooking. I don't think restaurants, whether on land or at sea, can do that as easily. People have lots of personal preferences about herbs or spices they like or dislike or are even allergic to. So, to add flavor to food chefs use salt. We do as others have mentioned here. We attempt to select foods with no sauce and avoid dressings. Unfortunately, we still swell up. I have found that elevating my feet as much as possible helps some. I guess I have learned to consider it to be one of the costs of cruising.

[Musky Ike]

Let's also remember that even though the water is desalinated, it still contains a good amount of saline.

 

As does the sea air, it coats the hand rails so likely our lungs too. Plus the occasional mouthful of sea water while snorkeling :eek: Some might get a daily allowance without the food source :D