Crown Grill: $10 for an additional main dish on top of $29 fee

[Lynzchat]

I just noticed on a sample Crown Grill menu on the Regal that they now charge $10 for additional main dish items...for instance adding lobster to a steak.

 

Is this a new policy?

[trinaM]

Fairly new. I thought.

 

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[jennybenny]

I just noticed on a sample Crown Grill menu on the Regal that they now charge $10 for additional main dish items...for instance adding lobster to a steak.

 

Is this a new policy?

 

Yes, people have started to report this is happening.

We usually leave so full we can barely walk. I think you can still request multiple sides or appetizers, it's just the main entree that will cost you more. I am not too worried about it. I know many people are disappointed regarding no surf and turf, but I was never a fan of the lobster anyway.

[wheezedr]

It's been around for a few months and discussed widely here.

[Colo Cruiser]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2505486&highlight=crown+grill+cost

[easyboy]

Experienced it on the Crown last March.

 

 

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[Lucky TGO]

I just noticed on a sample Crown Grill menu on the Regal that they now charge $10 for additional main dish items...for instance adding lobster to a steak.

 

Is this a new policy?

Yes! IMHO the lobster is terrible and not worth the $10. up-charge.

Tony

[hansi]

Yes! IMHO the lobster is terrible and not worth the $10. up-charge.

Tony

 

Agreed! Hi Tony:D

[Thrak]

The last time I ate at CG and added on lobster it turned out that the lobster tails were about the size of the average... Umm... " male member" if you get my drift. Not what I would call large for a lobster tail. I asked for lobster to be added on and they asked my wife if she wanted some as well and she said, "No thank you". They proceeded to bring out EIGHT of the tiny little things and they were rubbery and tasteless. It was truly sad. I ate two of them just because I had, after all, asked for it but they were not at all good.

 

I love good lobster. I have, even though I live in California, eaten some amazingly good lobster. What Princess is serving is definitely not in that category. It's kind of like comparing trout that has just come from a cold and clear mountain stream with frozen fish sticks (fish fingers for some of our cruisers).

 

We embark on October 8 for a 28 day cruise and may well not even bother eating at CG. The last few times we have done so have been very disappointing.

[Skai]

The last time I ate at CG and added on lobster it turned out that the lobster tails were about the size of the average... Umm... " male member" if you get my drift.

 

Thanks. I'm not sure I'll be able to erase that image from my brain if I ever decide to order lobster tails in the CG ever again.:fever:

[Lucky TGO]

Thanks. I'm not sure I'll be able to erase that image from my brain if I ever decide to order lobster tails in the CG ever again.:fever:

 

Sakai,

Thrak did you a big favor. Save your money and stay out of the CG. The CG has come a long way in the last year or two. Unfortunately it has been all down hill. To all the CG lovers that's my opinion. Sorry if you don't like it.

Tony

[majortom10]

We dined in Crown Grill on Crown in June and had a superb meal and very good service but even though having a good appetite came out "stuffed" after eating only one portion of every course and cannot understand why anyone would want to eat or manage more.

[jym626]

Yup- saw that a few weeks ago. $10 upcharge for surf and turf, and we were missing lobster night in the MDR that night! And yes, only could have one main course. Bit it was plenty. No worries.

 

 

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[AF-1]

Hello, I sailed on Emerald Princess in July. We ate in Crown Grill first night complimentary dinner for suites. We had surf and turf(lobster tails); for the $10 extra. It was well worth the price. I disagree with members stating about the size and taste. My grandkids and wife had filet plus two lobster tails. They loved their meals and all was good.

[Mud_Shark]

I am not certain I would know the difference between fresh or frozen lobster - I get it so infrequently and have always enjoyed it. While my wife would agree that one main dish is plenty, I loved the crown grill for the surf and turf. We are not prepared to face the additional $10 charge and so will leave the venue to those who still feel it is of good value. Might begin to be less crowded if there are more like us around - which will good thing for others.

 

Don

[jym626]

Sorry for all the erroneous autocorrects above. We sailed on the Emerald princess a few weeks ago and ate in the Crown Grill (party of 12). Did note the $10 upcharge for surf and turf and the notation that you could have only one main course. We all had the complimentary upgrade to the restaurant and had plenty to eat. Enjoy!

Edited August 8, 2017 by jym626

[USNUZULOOSE]

Not a fan of lobster. To bad they don't serve crab , if cooked right I may do that.

[Cruise Raider]

We dined in Crown Grill on Crown in June and had a superb meal and very good service but even though having a good appetite came out "stuffed" after eating only one portion of every course and cannot understand why anyone would want to eat or manage more.

 

We sailed on Princess, ahhh ... almost a year ago, though. We went to the Crown Grill for my SIL's 50th birthday on the last night of the cruise. Not only was the service top notch, but so was the food ... all except for the rib eye that my DH ordered. The waitress recommended the filet mignon but he didn't listed. My brother and SIL did and they said it was the best piece of filet they've ever had. I had the lobster and although they were definitely not Maine lobster tails, she brought out plenty and they were so wonderful. Between the main entrees and all the sides we ordered, there was no room left for dessert. I was really impressed by the entire meal ... it was superb ... at least for the 3 of us. I will be sad if it has gone downhill but at least my expectations won't be set really high. I'm fine with the $10 charge for extra entrees vs just raising the price for everyone to $39 pp.

[jasbo49]

We're generally too ... er, umm ... thrifty to patronize the upcharge restaurants, so maybe my vote doesn't count, but:

 

I'd rather see them get an extra 10 bucks from those who really feel like they need to eat that much than increase the charge for everyone, even by a buck or two, to make up for the added costs.

 

Jim

[Skai]

Sakai,

Thrak did you a big favor. Save your money and stay out of the CG. The CG has come a long way in the last year or two. Unfortunately it has been all down hill. To all the CG lovers that's my opinion. Sorry if you don't like it.

Tony

 

That's really unfortunate. We have had some good meals there in the past.

 

Our best 'steakhouse' experience on a Princess ship was actually at the Sterling Steakhouse on the R-class Royal Princess(small-ship). It ranked up there with some of the better intimate dining service that we've experienced anywhere. It was top-notch.

 

It contributed to, along with other pleasant experiences on board during that cruise, really selling us on the idea that cruising was for us.

 

We tried a Sterling Steakhouse again later on a Grand-class ship, and lets say that it was almost like night-and-day in comparison. Being in a closed off section of the Horizon Court (vs. a dedicated space), I'm sure also hindered the ambiance as well.

 

It's been harder for us to consider another cruise with Princess again, having known what it was like only a handful of years ago...to how it has changed with the multiple increases in fares & prices on board -- in conjunction with so many cutbacks of late.

 

We obviously feel that we don't want to spend our cruise thinking: "Hey, remember when it used to be like this or that on Princess?" "Remember when the Crown Grill used to be pretty good".

[JF - retired RRT]

I have an idea for those who desire Surf n' Turf... one member of the couple or party orders the lobster, the other member(s) order steak or fish or whatever.

Even the filet mignon is big enough to share.

Half the steak and half the lobster on each plate. ;p Problem solved and no upcharge.

[huskerdan25]

Sakai,

Thrak did you a big favor. Save your money and stay out of the CG. The CG has come a long way in the last year or two. Unfortunately it has been all down hill. To all the CG lovers that's my opinion. Sorry if you don't like it.

Tony

 

Yes, this is one person's opinion. We ate in the CG on the Regal this past January and got the Porterhouse. Was cooked perfectly and one of the best I have ever had. Did not get the lobster and I didn't need to get another main dish as I walked out stuff just from the sides and the Porterhouse.

 

I have not experienced any problems with the quality of the steaks in the CG on any of my cruises and will continue to go and enjoy it.

[Skai]

I have an idea for those who desire Surf n' Turf... one member of the couple or party orders the lobster, the other member(s) order steak or fish or whatever.

Even the filet mignon is big enough to share.

Half the steak and half the lobster on each plate. ;p Problem solved and no upcharge.

 

I think the issue here for me is that for what used to be included for a $20 cover charge only a few short years ago, one now has to pay $39 for the same.

 

Now I'm not so old to be able to state that I was around to remember when a kid could buy a candy bar for a five cents or a hamburger for fifteen cents, but I do remember when one could buy a pick-up truck for $5999. I recognize the rate of inflation and how the avg. prices for goods and services seemingly double every few decades.

 

The problem here is that within the span of just a few years the price for the Crown Grill has essentially doubled.

 

Now I get that one entree(in addition to apps) is plenty for some, especially for those that eat like birds, but I'm not your average sized bear. I'm a big guy, not necessarily that round in the middle -- think defensive tackle big. I like to eat. For me, a $20 cover charge represented a fair value for the Crown Grill. At $29? Perhaps, as long as the quality of the meal and what is included in the dining experience stays consistent.

 

We've actually paid higher base cover charges(+ additional entree charges) for steakhouses on other Carnival Corp.(umbrella) vessels, and have left underwhelmed thinking: "That experience wasn't even as good as those that we've had on Princess -- also for a fraction of the cost at the Crown Grill.

 

My thinking is that Princess is moving away from the model of having a potential loss-leader(or break-even) with their specialty restaurants in favor of trying to squeeze it into a revenue creator. What may have once been subsidized by alcohol sales, casino earnings, photo packages etc. is now a venue to try and generate additional profit.

 

I get that Princess is a business. They have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders.

 

However, as a savvy consumer, while I'm content to pay 'less for less' or even 'more for more', I have a hard time justifying paying more for less. Perhaps I've graduated to the thinking that if I want a bare-bones budget-style cruise, I'll look to the lines that offer a value-based cruising experience. If looking for a finer experience, I'll look at paying a little more(and when one adds in the included extras it really is only a little more) for the semi-luxury lines like Oceania, Azamara etc. for a potentially more intimate and better quality all-inclusive cruising experience.

 

Princess used to fit in the mold of being what is to referred to as a 'Premium' cruise line (along with HAL and Celebrity). I'm not sure that I could continue to rate them as such any more. Princess filled a niche in between luxury cruising and budget cruising. Of late, it seems as if Princess is moving more towards the Carnival/NCL model and further away from the Seabourn/Regent route.

 

Why continue to pay premium prices for a budget and/or a la carte experience when there are lines that are doing it more competitively? We originally chose Princess as our preferred line for them being in that perceived niche of paying a little more for what could be perceived as receiving a little better. Having now sailed with a handful of other lines and having been able to compare, I'm not sure that longtime Princess loyalists realize that they're not really receiving that much more by paying a little more.

 

Aside from the targeted demographic and variances in ship layout/design, there really is not much of a difference between the mainstream lines when considering the total value of what is offered. Some do certain things better than others of course, but I'll give my honest opinion here...Sailing on a ship with 3000+ fellow pax, the concept of intimacy sort of goes out the door...Longer lines for everything from embarkation to debarkation and in-between.

 

I'm the type to trade off fountains that take up valuable Lido deck space, sky-walks to nowhere and big-brother tracking medallion systems for the more relaxed and intimate experience that I might find sailing on a lower pax-count HAL vessel for example. If I'm desiring 'bells and whistles' amid a sea of fellow passengers, I'll look to the line that probably does it best...RCL. If I want the lowest fares but one that still gets me to sea, I'll look to Carnival, NCL or perhaps MSC. If I'm looking for that 'premium' level of cruising, Celebrity will likely get a look.

[huskerdan25]

If I'm looking for that 'premium' level of cruising, Celebrity will likely get a look.

 

This is just my opinion as I have taken two Celebrity cruises on the beautiful Reflection but I would not consider Celebrity as a "premium" level of cruising and even many Celebrity loyalist would agree with me. I love Celebrity (not quite as much as Princess) and I find them to be on the same level and in some cases below Princess. Though the more expensive restaurants on Celebrity have better food, you pay for it in much higher fees ($45-$50 last time I cruised with them). But overall, I think the food is better on Princess. Since I have cruised both Celebrity and Princess, I read both boards and there are plenty of complaints about the food on Celebrity. It may have been true at one time that Celebrity was more at the "premium" level of cruising but don't believe that to be the case now. I will sail Celebrity again for the right price and itinerary but not because I would expect a more premium or luxury cruise experience over Princess.

[majortom10]

I think the issue here for me is that for what used to be included for a $20 cover charge only a few short years ago, one now has to pay $39 for the same.

 

Now I'm not so old to be able to state that I was around to remember when a kid could buy a candy bar for a five cents or a hamburger for fifteen cents, but I do remember when one could buy a pick-up truck for $5999. I recognize the rate of inflation and how the avg. prices for goods and services seemingly double every few decades.

 

The problem here is that within the span of just a few years the price for the Crown Grill has essentially doubled.

 

Now I get that one entree(in addition to apps) is plenty for some, especially for those that eat like birds, but I'm not your average sized bear. I'm a big guy, not necessarily that round in the middle -- think defensive tackle big. I like to eat. For me, a $20 cover charge represented a fair value for the Crown Grill. At $29? Perhaps, as long as the quality of the meal and what is included in the dining experience stays consistent.

 

We've actually paid higher base cover charges(+ additional entree charges) for steakhouses on other Carnival Corp.(umbrella) vessels, and have left underwhelmed thinking: "That experience wasn't even as good as those that we've had on Princess -- also for a fraction of the cost at the Crown Grill.

 

My thinking is that Princess is moving away from the model of having a potential loss-leader(or break-even) with their specialty restaurants in favor of trying to squeeze it into a revenue creator. What may have once been subsidized by alcohol sales, casino earnings, photo packages etc. is now a venue to try and generate additional profit.

 

I get that Princess is a business. They have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders.

 

However, as a savvy consumer, while I'm content to pay 'less for less' or even 'more for more', I have a hard time justifying paying more for less. Perhaps I've graduated to the thinking that if I want a bare-bones budget-style cruise, I'll look to the lines that offer a value-based cruising experience. If looking for a finer experience, I'll look at paying a little more(and when one adds in the included extras it really is only a little more) for the semi-luxury lines like Oceania, Azamara etc. for a potentially more intimate and better quality all-inclusive cruising experience.

 

Princess used to fit in the mold of being what is to referred to as a 'Premium' cruise line (along with HAL and Celebrity). I'm not sure that I could continue to rate them as such any more. Princess filled a niche in between luxury cruising and budget cruising. Of late, it seems as if Princess is moving more towards the Carnival/NCL model and further away from the Seabourn/Regent route.

 

Why continue to pay premium prices for a budget and/or a la carte experience when there are lines that are doing it more competitively? We originally chose Princess as our preferred line for them being in that perceived niche of paying a little more for what could be perceived as receiving a little better. Having now sailed with a handful of other lines and having been able to compare, I'm not sure that longtime Princess loyalists realize that they're not really receiving that much more by paying a little more.

 

Aside from the targeted demographic and variances in ship layout/design, there really is not much of a difference between the mainstream lines when considering the total value of what is offered. Some do certain things better than others of course, but I'll give my honest opinion here...Sailing on a ship with 3000+ fellow pax, the concept of intimacy sort of goes out the door...Longer lines for everything from embarkation to debarkation and in-between.

 

I'm the type to trade off fountains that take up valuable Lido deck space, sky-walks to nowhere and big-brother tracking medallion systems for the more relaxed and intimate experience that I might find sailing on a lower pax-count HAL vessel for example. If I'm desiring 'bells and whistles' amid a sea of fellow passengers, I'll look to the line that probably does it best...RCL. If I want the lowest fares but one that still gets me to sea, I'll look to Carnival, NCL or perhaps MSC. If I'm looking for that 'premium' level of cruising, Celebrity will likely get a look.

 

zzzZZZZZzzzzz most of you rant has nothing to do with Crown Grill.