Meals on PRINCESS ..(ROYAL)

[daka]

We are just off the ROYAL, this morning...and the food in the Main Dining Room, has been INCREDIBLE, the meats are 5 star quality...(Beef Wellington, Fillets, Veal Medallions, Surf and Turf) 

Items in the HORIZON BUFFET at lunch have been super selections, and every one that I tried was GREAT...

We have not been on Princess since earlier this year and have noticed a huge improvement... (Skip the Curtis Stone stuff, it was sub par)

All the BAKERY ITEMS, Breads, Croissants and dinner rolls are excellent....

At lunch in the buffet, be sure to "make the rounds" before choosing....so many good choices... (gained 5 pounds)

And NO, I do not have any affiliation with Princess....and have not received any compensation for this post. 

(Oh, and we still don't know what happened as far as the Suicide/Murder?)

 

 

[geocruiser]

39 minutes ago, daka said:

We are just off the ROYAL, this morning...and the food in the Main Dining Room, has been INCREDIBLE, the meats are 5 star quality...(Beef Wellington, Fillets, Veal Medallions, Surf and Turf) 

Items in the HORIZON BUFFET at lunch have been super selections, and every one that I tried was GREAT...

We have not been on Princess since earlier this year and have noticed a huge improvement... (Skip the Curtis Stone stuff, it was sub par)

All the BAKERY ITEMS, Breads, Croissants and dinner rolls are excellent....

At lunch in the buffet, be sure to "make the rounds" before choosing....so many good choices... (gained 5 pounds)

And NO, I do not have any affiliation with Princess....and have not received any compensation for this post. 

(Oh, and we still don't know what happened as far as the Suicide/Murder?)

 

 

Do you know who were the chefs at the buffet?

[susancruzs]

I was on the Royal for the 2 week Quebec to Ft. L cruise, and thought the same, my meals in the dining room were great.  Steaks, prime rib, beef Wellington, surf & turf, excellent quality.  No one at my table, 8 of us had any complaints about the food, very good.

 

Of course, reading reviews of my recent cruise, they are quite the opposite.  I didn't experience what people were saying about the food, not at all.  I'm not a buffet person, don't go there but the sandwiches and salads I had for lunch in the IC were fine.  The desserts in the dining room were good, too.  Menus weren't much different than my 30 day Emerald cruise in March.   

 

Food is always a hot button topic because people have expectations and in their eyes maybe they aren't met.  I tend to take a big picture look at food on cruise ships.  If you want perfect to exceptional, maybe main dining room where they are serving hundreds isn't the place.

Edited November 17, 2018 by susancruzs

[rkacruiser]

OP:  As a cruiser booked on the 12/29 Royal Princess cruise, your report of excellent cuisine in the MDR and Lido Restaurant is very welcome news.  Did you try any of the specialty restaurants?  If so, what is your opinion of your experience.

[daka]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

OP:  As a cruiser booked on the 12/29 Royal Princess cruise, your report of excellent cuisine in the MDR and Lido Restaurant is very welcome news.  Did you try any of the specialty restaurants?  If so, what is your opinion of your experience.

We did not find it necessary to use the specialty restaurants, the food in the Dining room was that good....especially the meats, caesar salad was excellent, an everyday choice as was the Fettucini Alfredo and the shrimp/fish/ceviche's

My only "complaint" was the "everyday" chicken I chose one night as a break from the steak, was good but a bit dry...and as I noted the Curtis Stone chicken pot pie was not a good choice....(sent back)  Vegetable sides were done well, cooked but not overcooked...firm...some excellent french fries (ask for crisp) were good too....The deserts were also very good....

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, daka said:

We did not find it necessary to use the specialty restaurants, the food in the Dining room was that good....especially the meats, caesar salad was excellent, an everyday choice as was the Fettucini Alfredo and the shrimp/fish/ceviche's

My only "complaint" was the "everyday" chicken I chose one night as a break from the steak, was good but a bit dry...and as I noted the Curtis Stone chicken pot pie was not a good choice....(sent back)  Vegetable sides were done well, cooked but not overcooked...firm...some excellent french fries (ask for crisp) were good too....The deserts were also very good....

 

Fettucuini Alfredo is the most memorable dish on which I have dined on Princess.  I have a complimentary specialty restaurant dinner that will be assigned and I have booked the Crown Grill.  I do want to try Sabatini's as well.  Very good reviews of Alfredo's as well.  Did you try Alfredo's?

 

Too short of a cruise to try all of the dining options! 

[XBGuy]

OP, it is great to hear that you enjoyed your meals.  Thanks for posting.  Being a foodie kinda guy, I love hearing that news.

 

I might quibble with you, a bit, on the importance of the chef.  I personally find a lot of inconsistency in the various Princess venues.  I might enjoy multiple meals in the Crown Grill on a cruise.  Then, on the next cruise on the very same ship I may find the Crown Grill meals to be disappointing.  I put this on the chef--and, specifically, the ship's Executive Chef.  He is the person who sets the standard.  If he has high expectations, then he will demand that of all the room chefs, sous chefs and line chefs.  If he does not demand that out of his staff, well, you know which way that attitude trickles.

 

Now, that being said, I've never sought to identify the chef in, say, the buffet or in any of the specialty restaurants.

 

I have the same opinion regarding servers.  If the Maitre d' and the headwaiters demand the highest service, that attitude is apparent in the performance of the servers and the runners.  If not, well, you know.

 

I have my first cruise on the Royal Princess booked for next September.  I truly hope that I enjoy it as much as you did.

[LeeW]

All the way up to the final day people were asking in the elevator where DW got her donuts.  The IC has them in the morning, although the custard filled are only every other day.

 

Still missing beef on several menus, unless you want to eat a burger.  Instead they allow you to get steaks and/or lobster from the Crown Grill at extra cost.  

[mcrcruiser]

Love to hear his about great  tasty food 

[paul929207]

Glad you enjoyed the food. We are looking forward to it starting February 2, 2019

[PoohUnderstands]

Yes, food is a delicate topic.  I, too, was on the Quebec 14 day Royal cruise and ate all my meals except for one in the MDR.  So I can't comment on the Buffet as I avoid it as a personal preference.

The first night I had the pork dish and had to send it back and get something else.  This is the first time I have ever had to do that on a Princess cruise.  The pork was not up to par on this cruise over all the nights really.  The beef wellington was the best of the whole trip and our waiter knew what my DH loved by then and his piece was cut extra thick(like 2 inches or so) and he said it was fantastic.  I liked the pot pie, but then again, my waiter knew it was lacking veggies, so brought me peas and carrots to add into it and it was good.  

 

Then remember, the night they have fillet mignon on the menu you do not get it as a single piece!!  They decide to cut up a decent size fillet (small but decent size) in 4 pieces and put it on a stick and serve it with underdone sweet potato chunks!  But the meat is very good, just very surprised at how it is served.  If you like a big serving order two portions of meat.

 

Breakfasts and lunches were very good also.  It was just dinner that at times could be hit and miss.  One night I even ordered the hamburger(which was fine) and one night I ordered all the veggies with all the main meat offerings and had a vegetarian meal!

 

So just go prepared to be realistic.  Did the first night's pork situation ruin anything for us? NO!!!!  Just ordered something else.  But to say the food was fantastic to me is going a little too far.  But you definitely won't starve!  

 

Pooh

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by PoohUnderstands

[nukesubsailor]

My wife and I have taken dozens of Princess cruises.  Like others who have posted about the food, we found that it can vary in quality from one cruise to the next.  But, according to my wife, there are two important things about the meals that never varies.

She doesn't have to cook it and doesn't have to clean up after the meal.  That makes it all worthwhile and keeps her happy.

[rkacruiser]

XBGuy,

 

Replying to your post:  In my experience, it is the top management of the "property"--be it ship, restaurant, or hotel-- that helps determine a guest's satisfaction.  The Executive Chef, the Maitre d' and Head Waiters, the Head Housekeeper, and I would include the active, daily visibility in the guest areas of a ship's Captain and Hotel Director greatly influence the crew/staff that serve the guests.

 

From what I have learned during several Behind the Scenes Tours, Executive Chefs have the ability to "tweak" the standardized recipes out of the ship's Home Office.  I conclude that some are better "tweakers" than others.

[XBGuy]

rka, I think that you and I are, pretty much, on the same page.  It's the only conclusion I can draw that explains the inconsistency of the Princess dining venues.

 

My big disappointment is any lack of attention to detail.  Here is one example from our cruise last spring on the Emerald Princess.  We will, generally, dine in the Crown Grill two or three evenings per cruise.  I like red meat as much as the next guy, and my wife absolutely loves the Mussel Pot.  Now, in all honesty, I don't think there is anything particularly special about the Crown Grill steaks.  I know that I can buy a steak at the local grocery store, grill it in my back yard, and it is better than anything I have ever had in the Crown Grill.  I have also learned that I'd better be very clear on how I want my steak prepared.  I like my steaks rare.  It took a while of accepting "pink" steaks before I learned that when the server asks me how I want my steak prepared, I'd better look him in the eye to make sure that he is really listening, and state very seriously, "Rare, and by rare, I mean blood rare." 

 

So that is what I did when I ordered a Porterhouse on the Emerald Princess.  The meal progressed very nicely.  Here come our entrees.  After placing the steak in front of me the server asked me to check the preparation.  I sliced it and was, frankly, disappointed to see pink, not red. 

 

The chef had followed the server out to the dining room and was standing behind him.  Apparently, the look on my face was easy for him to read, and, so, he jumped in.

 

"If this is not acceptable, we will prepare another steak for you, sir."

 

"Thank you, I would appreciate that, very much."

 

The second attempt was excellent.

 

Continuing on I did, in fact, take the Ultimate Ship's Tour towards the end of that cruise.  Guess who made the galley presentation:  the Crown Grill Chef.  I was very pleased to see him and was able to shake his hand at the end of his presentation and thank him for my excellent experience in his room.

[rkacruiser]

XBGuy:  We are on the "same page"!

 

Thank you for your reply.

[Kingofcool1947]

On 11/17/2018 at 12:30 PM, daka said:

We are just off the ROYAL, this morning...and the food in the Main Dining Room, has been INCREDIBLE, the meats are 5 star quality...(Beef Wellington, Fillets, Veal Medallions, Surf and Turf) 

Items in the HORIZON BUFFET at lunch have been super selections, and every one that I tried was GREAT...

We have not been on Princess since earlier this year and have noticed a huge improvement... (Skip the Curtis Stone stuff, it was sub par)

All the BAKERY ITEMS, Breads, Croissants and dinner rolls are excellent....

At lunch in the buffet, be sure to "make the rounds" before choosing....so many good choices... (gained 5 pounds)

And NO, I do not have any affiliation with Princess....and have not received any compensation for this post. 

(Oh, and we still don't know what happened as far as the Suicide/Murder?)

 

 

Will be sailing on Royal next year.

It sounds like you enjoyed your food on Royal.,  

How was the beef filet steak? 

Tender and juicy?  

Do you recommend the beef filet steak?

Did the have Prime Rib of beef on the menu?

What degree of doneness is your preference?  

Do you think it would be possible to get the steak double thick, prepared Pittsburg Black and Blue style? 

I am a big beef eater.  

Thanks.

King

Edited November 19, 2018 by Kingofcool1947

[daka]

13 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

Will be sailing on Royal next year.

It sounds like you enjoyed your food on Royal.,  

How was the beef filet steak? 

Tender and juicy?  

Do you recommend the beef filet steak?

Did the have Prime Rib of beef on the menu?

What degree of doneness is your preference?  

Do you think it would be possible to get the steak double thick, prepared Pittsburg Black and Blue style? 

I am a big beef eater.  

Thanks.

King

Yes RARE Steak, Beef wellington, and Prime rib...(Just about .."knocked on the head" and served

I have no Idea what Pittsburg black and blue is ?? I like rare inside and crust outside...that is what I got.

Entree's were also very good...excellent dressing on Caesar, (always available) as I noted the only items I did not care for were Curtis Stone (crap), and the "everyday Chicken ...just dry, but the vegi's and baked potato were all I really needed (plus about 5 lb. at that point and we stopped ordering deserts, all were..."just have a taste"...nah, ate it all...)

Enjoy your cruise....

[FLCruise7]

4 hours ago, daka said:

Yes RARE Steak, Beef wellington, and Prime rib...(Just about .."knocked on the head" and served

I have no Idea what Pittsburg black and blue is ?? I like rare inside and crust outside...that is what I got.

Entree's were also very good...excellent dressing on Caesar, (always available) as I noted the only items I did not care for were Curtis Stone (crap), and the "everyday Chicken ...just dry, but the vegi's and baked potato were all I really needed (plus about 5 lb. at that point and we stopped ordering deserts, all were..."just have a taste"...nah, ate it all...)

Enjoy your cruise....

 

We were on this same cruise & all of our MDR meals were very tasty.  However, just to show that tastes are subjective, I loved the Curtis Stone Chicken & Leek pie -- I even had it twice!!

[san diego sue]

Also on for the Quebec to Ft. Lauderdale and the caribbean following. Food was really good. I had requested salt free and they were very creative in some of the preparations. Went out of their way to please. My husband had the regular food and I did taste his. There were items on menu that was just for the caribbean so wouldn't be on menu if not in those ports.

We did go to the Wine makers dinner($40.00 each in a special section of dining room) and also a special Tuscan Wine dinner($60.00, held in Sabatinis). For wine lovers the $60.00 dinner had some wines that were over $200 a bottle). Me, could see they tasted good but don't know if I would be able to denote which was the best ones.

Only ate in the buffet some breakfasts , so can't comment on lunch and dinner there. Alfredos had the varied menu with other items besides Pizza and I really enjoyed our meals there .

So looking forward to the Royal coming to the West Coast.

[san diego sue]

Forgot to mention the Tuscan wine dinner had some very exotic foods. Octopus being one. One taste and passed it to a friend.

Rest of meal very good.

The Wine makers dinner had the best fillet I had ever tasted. Much better than the Crown Grill.

 

[daka]

1 hour ago, FLCruise7 said:

 

We were on this same cruise & all of our MDR meals were very tasty.  However, just to show that tastes are subjective, I loved the Curtis Stone Chicken & Leek pie -- I even had it twice!!

Different tastes, I found it bland and there seemed to be nothing to it...I did enjoy the crust!

The meats were so good we (I) i overdid it.....

Hopefully Princess will get the message and continue with the great meals....(to me the food is more important than the stateroom) 

[greenie082756]

2 hours ago, FLCruise7 said:

 

We were on this same cruise & all of our MDR meals were very tasty.  However, just to show that tastes are subjective, I loved the Curtis Stone Chicken & Leek pie -- I even had it twice!!

We will be sailing on Royal next September. Probably by then there will be a new chef. Hope its one the menu!

I too have become a fan of the chicken & leek pot pie. I have had it 4 times and 3 times it was very good and 1 time it was bland.

[geoherb]

On ‎11‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 6:18 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Fettucuini Alfredo is the most memorable dish on which I have dined on Princess.  I have a complimentary specialty restaurant dinner that will be assigned and I have booked the Crown Grill.  I do want to try Sabatini's as well.  Very good reviews of Alfredo's as well.  Did you try Alfredo's?

 

Too short of a cruise to try all of the dining options! 

 

We tried almost all the dining options on a four-night cruise: Crown Grill, Crab Shack, Sabatini's, Ultimate Balcony Dinner, International Café, pizza, buffet, and main dining room.

 

Alfredo's is terrific. I love the vegetarian antipasto and the veal agnolotti. The pizzas are also very good. It's my go-to place to eat lunch on port days if we're on the ship.

[LeeW]

But did you know that you can get donuts in the International Cafe in the morning?  Problem is getting them up to the buffet in the elevator - people want them!

[MissP22]

We've sailed the Royal many times until our recent CB trip and in comparison the Royal buffet beats them all.

From here on it'll defitnely be Royal class or nothing at all. 

Why the other ships can't seem to learn from a proven winner is puzzling.