Small Cutbacks Noticed

[Nebr.cruiser]

Just now, atexsix said:

I had lobster once on HAL and it was laughably small, so I didn't even bother ordering it on surf/turf night. And I don't mean that in an ungrateful way, it was in the MDR and not like we were paying for it at a specialty restaurant.  The portions in general were just funny, at breakfast one morning I received (no joke) a thimble sized portion of cottage cheese.  Why do I bring this up?  Because HAL and Princess, being sister lines, seem to be incorporating similar changes to their menus and portions. 

We have had small lobsters before, but this one took the cake!  About the size of a large shrimp and dry and tasteless as well.  At least it was included!  Quite a few food cutbacks on this cruise.

[atexsix]

20 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We have had small lobsters before, but this one took the cake!  About the size of a large shrimp and dry and tasteless as well.  At least it was included!  Quite a few food cutbacks on this cruise.

I couldn't resist taking a picture; not a very nice presentation overall

Edited April 6, 2022 by atexsix

[Nebr.cruiser]

Oh gosh!  Kind of ridiculous. Kind of like having to ask for a decent amount of butter.   But the fruit looks nice! 

[atexsix]

4 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Oh gosh!  Kind of ridiculous. Kind of like having to ask for a decent amount of butter.   But the fruit looks nice! 

It would have been fine if the menu listed it as "fruit w/ cottage cheese" but it was clearly "cottage cheese w/ fruit" and the only reason I ordered it, I had no interest in 20 pieces of watermelon for crying out loud.

 

Maybe it was a misprint on their part.  

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by atexsix

[Doug R.]

4 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

They used to give welcome cookies in the staterooms , too, on embarkation day.  

How long ago was that? I don't remember that in my years of cruising with Princess since the early 2000's,

[LACruiser88]

10 minutes ago, Doug R. said:

How long ago was that? I don't remember that in my years of cruising with Princess since the early 2000's,

We do not remember that either?  We started with Princess in the early 90's.  Now, the Doubletree Hotel had that tradition.

Edited April 6, 2022 by LACruiser88

[stoneharborlady]

1 hour ago, Doug R. said:

How long ago was that? I don't remember that in my years of cruising with Princess since the early 2000's,

We had a very nice plate of cookies in our mini suite on embarkation day of our first cruise on the Caribbean Princess in 2004.  And a gorgeous all you could eat seafood buffet  for dinner.  

Edited April 6, 2022 by stoneharborlady

[Doug R.]

1 minute ago, stoneharborlady said:

We had a very nice plate of cookies in our mini suite on embarkation day of our first cruise on the Caribbean Princess in 2004.  And a gorgeous all you could eat seafood buffet  for dinner.  

I guess us humble pesants on balconys and lower did get any cookies 🤪. I do remember the seafood buffet I overdosed on shrimp.

[stoneharborlady]

15 minutes ago, Doug R. said:

I guess us humble pesants on balconys and lower did get any cookies 🤪. I do remember the seafood buffet I overdosed on shrimp.

While the cookies were nice, the seafood buffet was lots nicer!

[waltd]

5 hours ago, richstowe said:

Why do you prefer to go with  Window Suites ? Do you dislike balconies ?

(I'm assuming this is a suite without a balcony .)

First the space.   Great layout. Great location.  Suite perks. probably half the price of a suite.  Two large picture windows.   We are not much for a balcony.   Only a short walk up 1 deck to the promenade deck if we want to go outside.   And of course Club Class and Crown Grille breakfast.

[donaldsc]

7 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

They used to give welcome cookies in the staterooms , too, on embarkation day.  

 

How much can a few cookies be worth.  I can bring a whole bag of them w me for a total cost of maybe $4.  A couple of cookies would be as much as 25 cents.

 

DON

[coo359a2]

2 hours ago, Doug R. said:

How long ago was that? I don't remember that in my years of cruising with Princess since the early 2000's,

I only go back to 2004 but no one ever had cookies in my cabin

[stoneharborlady]

5 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

How much can a few cookies be worth.  I can bring a whole bag of them w me for a total cost of maybe $4.  A couple of cookies would be as much as 25 cents.

 

DON

Actually, they were Italian baked cookies, and they were pretty darned good.  Definitely worth more than 25 cents.

[stoneharborlady]

15 minutes ago, coo359a2 said:

I only go back to 2004 but no one ever had cookies in my cabin

Perhaps it was a perk of the mini suite.  Possible

[coo359a2]

1 minute ago, stoneharborlady said:

Perhaps it was a perk of the mini suite.  Possible

Probably is but not for the one time I stayed in a mini suite.

[Kmkub]

My personal opinion is that these changes can help reduce waste. That’s all it’s about for me.

 

Some miss the cookies, most don’t. With peanuts and gluten allergies, plus people who just don’t like sugar, it’s a lot of money to please a small percentage.

 

Same with pens. Most don’t care. Those who want one just need ask. Much less waste that way.

 

with so many people trying to consume less food, why not hand out normal portions for a 3-4 course dinner, and let those needing more, ask.

 

These small cutbacks not only save billions, but they also, far more importantly, reduce waste, thereby reducing the landfill additions.

[insidecabin]

I don't get the portions are small moan.

Just ask for more.

Bulking out with a side from another main can work if you like veg.

Often have 2 starters as they can be tiny sometime different ones if there are two that sound tasty.

 

[caribill]

17 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

 we usually always book Club Class and this time it was unavailable

 

Are you saying that full suites and the top min-suite category which usually have Club Class dining did not have it at all?

[caribill]

11 hours ago, Doug R. said:

How long ago was that? I don't remember that in my years of cruising with Princess since the early 2000's,

 

It has been quite a while. And they were in the cabin when you boarded, including inside cabins and up.

 

Also they used to service fresh made crepes during the Champagne fountain celebration.

[STCKcruises]

10 hours ago, stoneharborlady said:

We had a very nice plate of cookies in our mini suite on embarkation day of our first cruise on the Caribbean Princess in 2004.  And a gorgeous all you could eat seafood buffet  for dinner.  

Our first cruises was on Caribbean in 2006. No cookies in the cabin but do fondly remember said seafood buffet. As for cookies there was someone going round the open decks offering cookies and milk in the afternoon as I recall.

Edited April 7, 2022 by STCKcruises
clarity re location of cookies

[STCKcruises]

5 hours ago, Kmkub said:

My personal opinion is that these changes can help reduce waste. That’s all it’s about for me.

 

Some miss the cookies, most don’t. With peanuts and gluten allergies, plus people who just don’t like sugar, it’s a lot of money to please a small percentage.

 

Same with pens. Most don’t care. Those who want one just need ask. Much less waste that way.

 

with so many people trying to consume less food, why not hand out normal portions for a 3-4 course dinner, and let those needing more, ask.

 

These small cutbacks not only save billions, but they also, far more importantly, reduce waste, thereby reducing the landfill additions.

Absolutely agree with the above and the reduction of waste/landfill. However, I don't think that is Princess's prime motivation - it's just a handy veneer for a cost-cutting/profit-increasing tactic IMHO.

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, Kmkub said:

My personal opinion is that these changes can help reduce waste. That’s all it’s about for me.

 

Some miss the cookies, most don’t. With peanuts and gluten allergies, plus people who just don’t like sugar, it’s a lot of money to please a small percentage.

 

Same with pens. Most don’t care. Those who want one just need ask. Much less waste that way.

 

with so many people trying to consume less food, why not hand out normal portions for a 3-4 course dinner, and let those needing more, ask.

 

These small cutbacks not only save billions, but they also, far more importantly, reduce waste, thereby reducing the landfill additions.

There really is a difference between cookies and pens. If you need to write down say what you want delivered for breakfast or what you are sending to the laundry are you supposed to ***** your finger and write it in blood? 

[JF - retired RRT]

14 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

We do not remember that either?  We started with Princess in the early 90's.  Now, the Doubletree Hotel had that tradition.

Still does...🤞

[Roberto256]

14 hours ago, stoneharborlady said:

Perhaps it was a perk of the mini suite.  Possible

Cookies were in every category.

 

The welcome glass of champaign was mini-suite only.

 

[PrincessLuver]

14 hours ago, Kmkub said:

My personal opinion is that these changes can help reduce waste. That’s all it’s about for me.

 

Some miss the cookies, most don’t. With peanuts and gluten allergies, plus people who just don’t like sugar, it’s a lot of money to please a small percentage.

 

Same with pens. Most don’t care. Those who want one just need ask. Much less waste that way.

 

with so many people trying to consume less food, why not hand out normal portions for a 3-4 course dinner, and let those needing more, ask.

 

These small cutbacks not only save billions, but they also, far more importantly, reduce waste, thereby reducing the landfill additions.

Nice sentiments….but it is simply about corporate greed I am sure…. One thing I miss is the tumbler they just recently use to give with The Soda Package but now nada….think how much waste a reusable tumbler with a fixed plastic straw saved in waste…. It is always about follow the money…even some of the crew we have met is complaining about cuts….Princess seems to be going for being the Spirit Airlines of the cruise world…..new management may be forced to increase profits while decreasing service….