Crown Grill comes to MDR

[Hlitner]

Perhaps its just me...but we find this trend very sad. What is happening is that cruise lines (like Princess) have downgraded the quality of all their MDR cuisine) and now are offering to sell stuff (that used to be on the regular menu) for an extra price. To us, this sounds like a very slippery slope. I can envision the future of the Ocean Medallion (*****) where nearly everything will have an extra charge...but the cruisers will need to do nothing as it will be automatically added to their onboard account. For Princess fans that have gotten excited about the ***** roll out (which to date has been a total disaster) we have kept warning that the ***** will benefit Princess....but not so much the cruiser. We (cruisers) will get a device that will unlock our door..and the cruise lines will get a device that will give them the ability to nickel and dime without a cruiser even showing a cruise card.

 

Do folks really think that spending 10s of millions of dollars to install the ***** technology..is being done to open cabin doors?

 

Hank

[pris993]

I will pay extra and go to the Crown Grill, otherwise I do the buffet or room service... work out very well.

[AZJerry]

If you look at https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/

there is a blog about a recent 15 day Hawaiian cruise on the Ruby. There are pictures of the Crown Grill Selects on the mail menu. For $19 you have a choice of 14oz ribeye, 8oz filler mignon or 6-7oz lobster. For $29 you can get the surf and turf

 

Also on our Mar 4 Hawaii cruise on the Star. I thought about getting the steak a couple of times but was happy enough with one of the regular MDR choices. And we don't do the Crowne Grill anymore because of the selections.

[ksm77]

I've never read that or heard that, and every RCI cruise I am on they push Chops in the MDR. Once they started w Chops in MDR it wasn't long before Chops menu got dumbed down and then also now carries items at extra charge, and food that USED to be in the MDR vanished.

 

The "nominal" fee for a steak or other items is likely going to be 70% in the MDR compared to just going to the restaurant; you aren't getting the special appetizers, sides, or desserts, the atmosphere, or service.

 

This absolutely leads to downgrades in baseline offerings and opens the door to further upcharge items. I don't like it on RCI, Carnival, NCL, and now it has moved to MSC. Princess is next.

 

Anyone want to take bets when new ships will be launched without MDR's at all, or significantly smaller ones that come with a package? Base = buffet dining; midlevel package = dining room; uplevel package = individual themed restaurants.

 

2023???

 

 

I believe you are right. The new NCL ship has 13 upcharge restaurants with only 3 venues where you can get food at no extra charge. They are moving away from a MDR. This is where mainstream cruising is headed. For myself & DH we will soon have to make a decision to keep cruising Princess or upgrade to a different more all included style cruiseline. We have loved cruising, to us it is the best vacation you can have. Just as everything does cruising is changing. I am kinda sad but it is the way it is. We are very blessed to be able to cruise 2-3 times a year. With all the changes coming we will have to decide if we can except the changes or move to a different cruise style where we only get to cruise once a year or possibly every other year or leave cruising altogether. Once the experience becomes something you do not enjoy it may be time for a change.

[PEMCO007]

Royal Caribbean have been doing this for a few years now. If I can remember rightly it started off relatively reasonable at around $10-$12 but on our recent trip was $16 for mignon. I have also noticed the choice and quality in the MDR slipping, we ate n the speciality restaurant more this time than ever before which I feel is their intention. Like a few have said I think the MDR will disappear very shortly and the emphasis on the "pay for venues". It saddens me :(

Edited September 14, 2018 by PEMCO007

[Colo Cruiser]

I have not seen it anymore on our last 2 cruises.

Anyone seen it lately?

[antsp]

I have not seen it anymore on our last 2 cruises.

Anyone seen it lately?

Let’s hope it’s a fail, bit like upselling deserts in the international cafe and even horizon court on the Regal.

[capriccio]

I have not seen it anymore on our last 2 cruises.

Anyone seen it lately?

 

They had it on the Ruby Princess in July. None of our 6 adult passengers ever ordered off of it - there were plenty of other selections on the regular menus. See https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2639827

[pris993]

We love the CG... go several times a cruise, for me, I would rather eat in CG then MDR... but am sure Princess is trying to make more money... so bet it.. I will stick to the CG... for a few dollars more I get the whole deal.

[SmedonSeas]

I think there are some serious problems with this idea. If you order a Crown Grill filet when dining in the main dining room, will that steak really be prepared in the Crown Grill kitchen? If so, how hot will it be by the time it arrives at your main dining room table? Also, what about the timing required so everyone at your table receives their main courses at the same time when those courses come from two different kitchens located on two different decks.

Agreed, logistics not well thought out

[flamomo]

Another reason why the CG menu items should stay in the CG is that the quiet, relaxed atmosphere in the CG can be so much more pleasant than the MDR, which can be quite noisy. I appreciate the quiet as well as the higher quality of service in the CG … but at the same time not implying that service in the MDR is bad. It's just that the wait staff in the ATD MDR seems so much busier with so many tables to manage but with less help. I know they are doing their best, but sometimes it's obvious that they are struggling. especially when they are practically running from table to table.