Is the food in the buffet the same as what is served in the dining rooms?

[2206]

We have been on several Princess cruises, but have always eaten dinner in the dining rooms.  We are going to Alaska soon, and I think it might be fun to sit by the window and have dinner in the buffet.  It will be light outside, and I just don’t feel like dressing up for this cruise!  I will be wearing sweaters and pants.  I’d love to know if the quality is the same in the buffet. Is lobster served in the buffet on lobster night?

[travelin.sisters]

on our last cruise it was not the same food in the buffet, & much more limited, it may depend on the ship though, the newer ships have bigger buffets...you could go to the MRR in sweaters & pants

[sirclean]

I have not seen lobster on a buffet.

However, last cruise (Spring Break on the Ruby out of Galveston) there was a seafood day with Langastino shrimp (which I can not spell, but look like little lobsters). 

The buffet quality is good.  The selection is also good, but main courses are often large roasts or fish.  For instance, there are large pork loins, or full racks of ribs, or full pork belly, large fish, etc.

There are often several selections, lots of choices for veggies, usually 2 types of soup, salad choices, fresh fruit, many deserts to select.

 

One of the good things about the buffet is that it does not take as long, so if you are in a hurry, you can come and not wait for everyone to finish each course. 

[d9704011]

8 minutes ago, 2206 said:

We have been on several Princess cruises, but have always eaten dinner in the dining rooms.  We are going to Alaska soon, and I think it might be fun to sit by the window and have dinner in the buffet.  It will be light outside, and I just don’t feel like dressing up for this cruise!  I will be wearing sweaters and pants.  I’d love to know if the quality is the same in the buffet. Is lobster served in the buffet on lobster night?

I like the buffet but won't comment on the quality of the food there compared to the dining room; in my view, that's pretty subjective.  I can say with 100% certainty that you will not see a lobster in the buffet.... ever!!

[memoak]

The food will not be even close to what you would get in the MDR. Sweater and pants are fine for the dining room

[Kay S]

Buffet food is designed to be served at all hours.  A pan of something sitting out in a steam tray will tend to get dry.  MDR serves you the food as it is plated in the galley, so it will probably be fresher looking.  That said, there is no telling what will turn up at the buffet.  The soup from the MDR one night might repeat at the buffet the next, and so forth.  I did once see lobster tails on the buffet, but that was years ago and they were dinky, dried up things.  The only thing you can't wear in the buffet is a swimsuit.

[BamaVol]

The food in the buffet is okay.  Presentation, atmosphere and service are quite a bit less impressive.  With pants and a sweater, you will look better dressed than some others in the MDR.  We are doing Alaska in September and this time, I am not bringing a suit. 

[patrickmoran]

Generally, the buffet will have the same soup of the day as the MDR. Otherwise, the menu is different. Sometimes the food theme (Italian, etc) maybe be the same.

Post-covid, the buffet desserts have been poor. Sometimes I'll go later to the MDR just for dessert.

Edited April 25, 2023 by patrickmoran

[sammyjoanne]

I do like the buffet but I also like it with a mixture of MDR as well. We enjoyed the pasta dishes that they offered and vegetables. The desserts were pretty impressive too. We did MDR's on sea days, and buffet on excursion days.

[Paula_MacFan]

Many times in the past we've seen the same menu items in the buffet as listed on the daily MDR menu.  A few years ago I started a thread after one of our Caribbean cruises where I kept track of what was posted outside the MDR and what we saw in the buffet.  However, that was pre-covid so I can't attest to what the current standards are.*  Having said that, we like the buffet for convenience and doing things on our own schedule.  The buffet always seems busy so others must like it too 🙂 

 

*We have cruised post-pandemic, just not yet on Princess.  We'll be back onboard in September.  

 

 

[runner15km]

My last cruise was on the Sky Princess and I ate in the buffet 6 out of 7 nights. I found the food to be delicious and hot and I always had a window  seat with views of the ocean. I like starting with a large salad and not the small plate in the MDR and you can't beat all you can eat jumbo shimp and mussels. The buffet does have limited service , they will bring refreshments to your table and bread if you ask. The downside was the desserts. 

[theloo]

2 minutes ago, runner15km said:

you can't beat all you can eat jumbo shimp and mussels

I have never seen that.  I will have to be on the lookout!  👀

[pink845]

Another vote from me for eating at the buffet.  No more waiting half a hour for an appetizer only to be served cold, or not the one we ordered.  No more anxiously eating quickly to be able to catch the show as the service is always so very slow.  Buffet, so quick and easy.  And I have yet to come across anything that is not tasty.  Also, always a window seat available.    

[Buckeye10640]

You will not necessarily see the same options in the buffet as the dining room, but thats not to say there will not be good options. We usually go to the dining room only if there is something specific on the menu we want that night. Sometimes we prefer the simplicity of Marketplace buffet, and we like the salad bar. We get a table by the window and eat at our own pace.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Buckeye10640

[MissP22]

16 hours ago, patrickmoran said:

Generally, the buffet will have the same soup of the day as the MDR. Otherwise, the menu is different. Sometimes the food theme (Italian, etc) maybe be the same.

Post-covid, the buffet desserts have been poor. Sometimes I'll go later to the MDR just for dessert.

You do the same as us, returning to the DR after the main show for dessert. There's never a crowd but you have to get there before 9 PM.

Occasionally, you'll have cold lobster at the buffet at lunch the day after it's served in the DR, but don't count on it. It's not really very good. 

[Senga]

If you're going on the Grand Princess the buffet does not compare to the MDR and we found it VERY cold (May) with servers and guests wearing coats.

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, Senga said:

If you're going on the Grand Princess the buffet does not compare to the MDR and we found it VERY cold (May) with servers and guests wearing coats.

Well you were in Alaska, correct?

[doxiegal]

23 hours ago, d9704011 said:

I like the buffet but won't comment on the quality of the food there compared to the dining room; in my view, that's pretty subjective.  I can say with 100% certainty that you will not see a lobster in the buffet.... ever!!

 

lol

back I’m the day, about 10 years ago on the Caribbean Princess, they did have lobsters in the buffet on formal night. Nice, good size ones. Repeated the same cruise about a year later and low and behold, no lobster 😞

 

Someone caught on that people were taking 4 or 5 at a time. I myself, took 2. They were mighty tasty! 

[Kay S]

40 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Well you were in Alaska, correct?

🤣🤣

Grand class ship buffets are MUCH smaller than the ones on the Royal class ships.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Kay S
laughing harder

[MissP22]

11 hours ago, Kay S said:

🤣🤣

Grand class ship buffets are MUCH smaller than the ones on the Royal class ships.

Oh, I know and it's one of the reasons we won't sail on the Grand any longer besides the fact that the ship is getting real old.

[kywildcatfanone]

There are some items that are available in both, but prepared a little differently.  We haven't been to a DR in 15 cruises now.  We just don't see the need.  It used to take upwards of 2 hours to have the dinner, and we just saw it as a waste of time.  We have pretty much always found plenty of what we like in the buffet and can be in and out in 30 minutes.  That's our preference.  We used to go to Crown Grill twice a week, but haven't done that either in a long time.  And the recent cost increase will keep it that way.

[wowzz]

16 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

It used to take upwards of 2 hours to have the dinner, and we just saw it as a waste of time.  We have pretty much always found plenty of what we like in the buffet and can be in and out in 30 minutes

Just shows how we are all different. We enjoy a leisurely two hour meal, with drinks and chat. Eating dinner in less than 30 minutes is no different to eating at home.

[kywildcatfanone]

45 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Just shows how we are all different. We enjoy a leisurely two hour meal, with drinks and chat. Eating dinner in less than 30 minutes is no different to eating at home.

I agree, to each his own on that.  Whatever works for each couple is what they should do. 

[nini]

We often see the same food in the buffet that is on the dining room menu; not everything but many items.

[brisalta]

On 4/26/2023 at 12:08 PM, Senga said:

If you're going on the Grand Princess the buffet does not compare to the MDR and we found it VERY cold (May) with servers and guests wearing coats.

 

It all depends on who the executive chef is. The food on the Grand Princes in the MDR and buffet used to be really good. Then the award winning executive chef who had been a long time member of the crew left to start a dining establishment in his home town. Under the next executive chef the quality of the food declined. I have no idea who is the executive chef on the Grand these days.