2nd Order of Steak/Lobster is an up-charge now!

[Islander58]

On 7/5/2023 at 11:47 AM, KarmaCruisers said:

Didn’t believe my eyes…tonight, in the MDR (Concerto on Regal Princess) it was Gala night..so I was looking forward to ordering the Steak&Lobster tail...to my shock; if I wanted a second order of it, I’d have to pay $10.

Now, as many of you know; if you like Lobster; the ONE they give you; is very small. LUCKILY my wife doesn’t eat seafood so she ordered the Steak&Lobster and gave me her lobster tail.

I know, before they did cut it back to; if you wanted a THIRD order, you’d have to pay..but a SECOND!?

 

Anyone else see this recently?

We were on Sapphire in April/May in Savoy and we sat with an older gentleman who got 5 or 6 lobster tails! He kept asking and he kept getting them! No extra charge! We were blown away!

[Gwendy]

Just now, Islander58 said:

We were on Sapphire in April/May in Savoy and we sat with an older gentleman who got 5 or 6 lobster tails! He kept asking and he kept getting them! No extra charge! We were blown away!

This is the reason most ships now charge for extra servings.  Greed.

[Islander58]

1 minute ago, Gwendy said:

This is the reason most ships now charge for extra servings.  Greed.

I think his wife was embarrassed!

[MissP22]

8 hours ago, Gwendy said:

This is the reason most ships now charge for extra servings.  Greed.

I can accept that some people are a little greedy but considering the size of the lobster tail they serve, 1 or 2 extra tails is far from being greedy. 

[Roberto256]

8 hours ago, Gwendy said:

This is the reason most ships now charge for extra servings.  Greed.

Financially, by the cruiselines?

or

Gluttonously, by the passengers?

 

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I can accept that some people are a little greedy but considering the size of the lobster tail they serve, 1 or 2 extra tails is far from being greedy. 

The lobster we’ve had onboard recently is a lot bigger than before … and now, so very delicious!  One should be plenty for anyone now.  And if not, pony up the extra dollars or go to the buffet or order a couple of appetizers or an additional main.  
Shortly after the post pandemic restart, they would offer extra lobsters because they were small but they also weren’t very good .. maybe hit or miss is a better way of explaining it.  And that was even at the same table.  
Anyway, keeping costs down is the name of the game now.  I recently read an article about cruiseline food.  They have a much more accurate way of determining quantities needed if they can predict how much food people will consume.  By putting the extra expense on passengers, they are able to predict how much lobster or steak will be consumed much more easily than in the past.  
I even read that they can sometimes predict the amount of food needed within 1 meal.  Human nature and all … 

 

[kywildcatfanone]

It's been that way for quite a while now.

[MissP22]

5 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

The lobster we’ve had onboard recently is a lot bigger than before … and now, so very delicious!

I have yet to experience those larger tails. 

[Cruise Raider]

5 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I have yet to experience those larger tails. 

I believe they started getting better a few months ago, at least they were good on the Royal, the Diamond and the Emerald.  
they were big and fluffy white, not gray and salty like the little ones were last year.  
they serve them with a ramekin of drawn butter now, too.  
they actually tried to offer me a second one but seriously, one was plenty!  

 

[startedwithamouse]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I have yet to experience those larger tails. 

Have you cruised on the west coast this year?  

[MissP22]

23 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Have you cruised on the west coast this year?  

No. Last cruise was in March, Caribbean.

[lucas34]

On 7/15/2023 at 5:24 AM, Islander58 said:

We were on Sapphire in April/May in Savoy and we sat with an older gentleman who got 5 or 6 lobster tails! He kept asking and he kept getting them! No extra charge! We were blown away!

On my Sky Princess cruise, my waiter tells me about a passenger who ate 21 lobsters. The waiter had to make several trips to the kitchen just for one person.

[charliedalrymple]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:42 AM, startedwithamouse said:

But you can have unlimited appetizers, sides and desserts. 

 

If you're training/ athletic, you would need more protein/calories per day.  If you're in this category, head to the buffet for unlimited mains. 

 

 

 

My observations of fellow cruisers suggest there are very few who fit this description.

[MissP22]

4 hours ago, lucas34 said:

On my Sky Princess cruise, my waiter tells me about a passenger who ate 21 lobsters. The waiter had to make several trips to the kitchen just for one person.

I'll bet he cleaned up on the betting pool for that cruise. 

[mevs904]

I agree with the posters who commented that the lobster tails in the MDR have improved.  On our recent Enchanted cruise they were much better than on previous Caribbean cruises.  Definitely from a different, better quality source.  While sympathetic to the passengers who are pescatarians, we have no problem with the extra charge for second servings.  It must be very challenging to make decisions to keep cruise fares under control.

[Cruise Raider]

12 hours ago, lucas34 said:

On my Sky Princess cruise, my waiter tells me about a passenger who ate 21 lobsters. The waiter had to make several trips to the kitchen just for one person.

 
That’s just gluttony and the reason for starting to charge for a second serving of this delicacy.  
 

[Purplsmurf]

Assume that lobster is on a formal night? If we have 3 formal nights is there one it particular it usually falls on? We aren’t Princess cruisers, but going on Princess in October 

[SCX22]

12 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

Assume that lobster is on a formal night? If we have 3 formal nights is there one it particular it usually falls on? We aren’t Princess cruisers, but going on Princess in October 

 

It's usually the last formal night that the lobster makes it to the MDR dinner menu.  On Royal class ships, the MDR Dinner Menu is usually posted in the morning outside the starboard aft entrance of the World Fresh Marketplace/Horizon Court.  

[SCX22]

Not sure what range of the size spectrum this lobster tail was, but it was more than satisfactory when paired with the beef and other courses.  This was on the Sky this April.

[icat2000]

Lobster overrated. I don't know why people go ga ga over it.

[SCX22]

3 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

Lobster overrated. I don't know why people go ga ga over it.

 

Probably because of the price.  They're maximizing their cruise fare.

 

Wouldn't completely knock lobster until you've tried cold water lobsters from New England.  They are meaty and the flesh tastes amazing, especially the ones caught in the summer.

[icat2000]

2 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

Probably because of the price.  They're maximizing their cruise fare.

 

Wouldn't completely knock lobster until you've tried cold water lobsters from New England.  They are meaty and the flesh tastes amazing, especially the ones caught in the summer.

I live in Australia. Born in New Zealand I've tasted decent lobster. However, the stuff they serve on the ship is nothing to rave about.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

Not sure what range of the size spectrum this lobster tail was, but it was more than satisfactory when paired with the beef and other courses.  This was on the Sky this April.

 

IMO, a seafood eater ought to be able to get a second tail in lieu of the steak.  I see the next plate over looks like a single tail only and not larger than the one in foreground.

 

Do you know if a larger steak if served if guest orders only that and no lobster?

[SCX22]

17 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

IMO, a seafood eater ought to be able to get a second tail in lieu of the steak.  I see the next plate over looks like a single tail only and not larger than the one in foreground.

 

Do you know if a larger steak if served if guest orders only that and no lobster?

 

On the Sky in April, there were no up charges for extra servings.  On the Majestic in June, our server was aware that our shipmate was a pescatarian, so the server automatically brought out 2 lobster tails, instead of the beef with no mention of an upcharge nor was she ever charged.

 

Little details like this that give me hope in Princess, but can't really answer the question definitively.

[Steelers36]

38 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

On the Sky in April, there were no up charges for extra servings.  On the Majestic in June, our server was aware that our shipmate was a pescatarian, so the server automatically brought out 2 lobster tails, instead of the beef with no mention of an upcharge nor was she ever charged.

 

Little details like this that give me hope in Princess, but can't really answer the question definitively.

That sounds great to me.  One of our friends is also pescatarian and my wife always goes for the tails over the steak that night.