No more MTG luncheon, only cocktail party

[TRLD]

39 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

 

The cruise line didn't pre order special provisions for the MTG luncheon.  The galley uses the provisions that have been loaded on the ship.  According to a F&B Manage I spoke to, they really can't order what they want.  Their options for provisions are preloaded into a system and they just check boxes and input quantities.  They might "borrow" lobster tails or langostinos from The Catch or Crown Grill, but that's about it.  As for Prime beef, I really doubt it.  The beef served onboard has a unique flavor, not in a a good way (as in it doesn't taste like beef I've tasted on land), which has made be avoid steaks on Princess in general.  They chef might tweak a recipe to make it seem different, but the basic recipe is already in the ship's recipe repertoire. 

 

As a restaurant partner, we can take more care in prepping a meal for a smaller crowd and prepare items a la minute as compared to cooking for a large crowd where we have no choice but to cook in large batches and leave them in hotel pans on steam tables.  The same can be applied to ships.

 

People can rave about cruise ship food all they want but there's a reason why no cruise line has ever received an award from a gastronomical body.

Considering that what the 3 holding companies average across all of their lines is between $15 -18 per passenger per day including the food for the crew they certainly have to be frugal in their choice of suppliers. 

 

Considering the price of ingredients, the number of meals prepared, i think that the Chefs on the cruise line do a pretty good job.

Edited August 26 by TRLD

[SCX22]

2 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Considering that what the 3 holding companies average across all of their lines is between $15 -18 per passenger per day including the food for the crew they certainly have to be frugal in their choice of suppliers. 

 

Considering the price of ingredients, the number of meals prepared, i think that the Chefs on the cruise line do a pretty good job.

 

They have to.  They don't have any other choice.  It's all about maximizing the budget and giving bang for the passengers' buck.  At best, cruise ship food can be compared to hotel/banquet food on land.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Sea Hag said:

We might have! We were on the sailing of 8/7, which was nice since I got to visit Hubbard Glacier for my birthday. At the lunch we were seated with Yolandi, and she was very nice. The captain was really nice too. 

Yes we were #2 most traveled and at the captains table. Yes he is super nice. He got us really close to Hubbard

[TRLD]

8 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

They have to.  They don't have any other choice.  It's all about maximizing the budget and giving bang for the passengers' buck.  At best, cruise ship food can be compared to hotel/banquet food on land.

I have said in the past that one can best think of MDR food as hotel banquet food with more choice.

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

It's only illness or mortality that will end their loyalty with Princess.

I hate to be the exception to every one of your rules, but…. 😆

100-150 days a year on Princess for ten years. Now I cruise maybe 20 or 30 days, and recently even less (and only because my spouse is still a fan). Not ill, not dead. Just over them for the most part. And I have several friends who have called it quits altogether. My point is:  it does happen, absent illness or death. The recent changes have taken a toll. 

[memoak]

19 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I hate to be the exception to every one of your rules, but…. 😆

100-150 days a year on Princess for ten years. Now I cruise maybe 20 or 30 days, and recently even less (and only because my spouse is still a fan). Not ill, not dead. Just over them for the most part. And I have several friends who have called it quits altogether. My point is:  it does happen, absent illness or death. The recent changes have taken a toll. 

We must make up for you we have from 30-40 days to 60-90 days now

[PescadoAmarillo]

Just now, memoak said:

We must make up for you we have from 30-40 days to 60-90 days now

You go!  And if you’re booking suites you’re more than making up for us. 

[SCX22]

19 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

100-150 days a year on Princess for ten years. Now I cruise maybe 20 or 30 days, and recently even less (and only because my spouse is still a fan). Not ill, not dead. Just over them for the most part. And I have several friends who have called it quits altogether. My point is:  it does happen, absent illness or death. The recent changes have taken a toll. 

 

Right, but we're talking about the "Most Travelled."  If these people wanted to switch allegiances, they would have done so a long time ago.  They have multiple hundred or thousands of days with Princess.  They are going anywhere unless, like I said, illness or mortality gets the best of them.  Given the sheer number of days alone, many times reaching into the thousands, Princess has this base wrapped around their fingers.  This group is worried about losing their mini bars and how the loyalty accelerator will dilute their status.  As the saying goes, "it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks."

[memoak]

7 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

You go!  And if you’re booking suites you’re more than making up for us. 

Yeah but our suites are really complimentary insides or balconies upgraded to sites. 

[reedprincess]

5 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

Right, but we're talking about the "Most Travelled."  If these people wanted to switch allegiances, they would have done so a long time ago.  They have multiple hundred or thousands of days with Princess.  They are going anywhere unless, like I said, illness or mortality gets the best of them.  Given the sheer number of days alone, many times reaching into the thousands, Princess has this base wrapped around their fingers.  This group is worried about losing their mini bars and how the loyalty accelerator will dilute their status.  As the saying goes, "it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks."

I've been invited to MTP luncheon and cocktail party 4 times in the last 2 years..

Haven't gone at all, not my cup of tea - so to speak -  particularly not a large lunch at noon, when I only generally wake around 11. And the cocktail party is usually around my get ready for the evening time, not all that convenient for me. And I honestly don't care either way. Meeting the officers, "hob nobbing" with others in the top count,  whatever- not my vibe aboard at all.  All 4 times, they were happy to pass my invite to the next person down... No worries.. 

 

And I have nowhere near thousands of days, I'm in the hundreds.   And I cruise multiple lines for different reasons.    I'm also on the lower end of the age bracket. If it were a bell curve, I'd be dropped off the end, lol..

Could care less about the current double credit.promo potentially diluting my "status"; more power to those it's benefiting - more loyal passengers, better for Princess. 

Not all us  MTPs are there till death do they part, or unable to adjust or appreciate changes, etc.  Lots of us enjoy a variety of cruise line experiences..  go figure..

[CruzinNoony]

I'm happy to read that the Grand is still having luncheons.  We will be sailing on her next January and again next August, so hopefully, we will still be able to enjoy this experience. One of my favorite things about going on a Princess cruise is seeing that little invitation on the bed inviting us to the MTG luncheon.  While the cocktail party is very nice, the ones I have been to have been just 45 minutes.  One barely has time to sit down, wait for a cocktail server to come and take your order and then you have to stand in line for some appitizers and then it is over.  Plus, it conflicts with dinner.  It is very rush, rush, whereas the luncheon is a lovely relaxed affair.  

[PescadoAmarillo]

14 minutes ago, memoak said:

Yeah but our suites are really complimentary insides or balconies upgraded to sites. 

Best kind. Enjoy!

[SCX22]

6 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

And I have nowhere near thousands of days, I'm in the hundreds.   And I cruise multiple lines for different reasons.    I'm also on the lower end of the age bracket. If it were a bell curve, I'd be dropped off the end, lol..

Could care less about the current double credit.promo potentially diluting my "status"; more power to those it's benefiting - more loyal passengers, better for Princess. 

Not all us  MTPs are there till death do they part, or unable to adjust or appreciate changes, etc.  Lots of us enjoy a variety of cruise line experiences..  go figure..

 

Again, business's have to operate based on trends and statistics.  Those in the thousands of days aren't going anywhere.  I can say the same of the those who are part of RC's Crown & Anchor Society and are at the Pinnacle Club level.  I'm in your boat.  I been invited to MTG luncheons a few times and am only the the hundreds.  The only reason I got into the hundreds was because I started young when I didn't have a choice when my grandparents took me on cruises with them.  Went once, and never again--not because of the food but because of the crowd.

 

I'm part of a younger generation that isn't a majority on Princess, and my generation realizes that loyalty means nothing.  Anyone can basically buy their way up a loyalty program.  Most travel loyalty programs award points based on the amount.  Airlines, for example, now award points based on the price paid rather than actual miles flown.  Princess is going this way with the loyalty accelerator.  If you spend more on Plus/Premier fares, you get more days even though you didn't actually sail them.  As has been mentioned before, the regular Captain's Circle Party most times is so swamped with people, that attaining Platinum or Elite doesn't really mean anything, except that it changes the color of your cruise card/Medallion.

[asctony]

1 hour ago, TRLD said:

That is not what i said. What i said is that the ingredients used in the luncheon are from ship stores.

 

They do not bring on special cuta just for the Luncheon.  To be specific they pull from the cuts used in the specialty restaurants. The cuts in the specialty restaurants tend to be a bit better than the MDR. 

 

Much of the food in the buffet is the same recipes and ingedients as the MDR. The main difference is the individual plating vs buffet.

 

When it comes to veggies you xan make vastly different quality meals based upon prep and receipes.

 

 

 

Ok, my fault. Case closed. When I attend MTG on Sun in Nov I will ask. 

Happy cruising!

[cruzsnooze]

I can confirm that on my June cruise the most traveled lunch was replaced by a cocktail party since I was invited as a most traveled. It was limited to 40 passengers. I prefer the lunch and won't bother going to the cocktail if invited.

[Desert Cruisers]

Sent a text to friends who have a lot of days and are very well-informed - frequently in the top 3 MTP.  They are currently on a Princess ship and were told by senior managers that this policy change came from Corporate. Any MTP luncheons happening now were likely to have already been planned and announced. Some passengers just got lucky.

[Iamcruzin]

6 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Unless I miss my guess, the point that is being made is that in the past, Princess had to go out of pocket in order to hold these events.  The food and alcohol was provided gratis, which meant that Princess ate the cost.  By moving away from a luncheon to a cocktail party, they no longer have to foot the bill for the food.  Only the drinks.  But now, with packages, if most of the guests have already pre-paid for drinks, Princess is not going out of pocket for the alcohol as that cost has already been absorbed into the fare.  In other words, the servers are passing out drinks that the guests, not Princess, has already paid for. The old saying: "Give the people what they want" has been transformed into "Give the people things that they have already paid for, but make it look like a gift."

You can argue the same about the food. The same people have already paid for meals in their cruise fare. They are going to eat lunch some where on the ship. If they go to the buffet and fill their plate too high and can't finish they are wasting food.  Having a few officers attend a luncheon costs nothing as they are already being paid for being on the ship. At the end of the day the passenger pays one way or the other and these professional one line cruisers need to be stroked so that they will continue come back. How many threads have been started over the years about adding another loyalty level? They need constant reinforcement.

Edited August 27 by Iamcruzin

[Coral]

1 hour ago, CruzinNoony said:

I'm happy to read that the Grand is still having luncheons.  We will be sailing on her next January and again next August, so hopefully, we will still be able to enjoy this experience. One of my favorite things about going on a Princess cruise is seeing that little invitation on the bed inviting us to the MTG luncheon.  While the cocktail party is very nice, the ones I have been to have been just 45 minutes.  One barely has time to sit down, wait for a cocktail server to come and take your order and then you have to stand in line for some appitizers and then it is over.  Plus, it conflicts with dinner.  It is very rush, rush, whereas the luncheon is a lovely relaxed affair.  

It will go away in a few weeks if it hasn't already.

[azbirdmom]

9 hours ago, dweeb said:

We were on the Discovery Princess last month and were told by head of customer service that the luncheons were going away.  This was at the MTG cocktail party.  He said that they are phasing out the luncheons.

 

However, we just got off of the Majestic Princess and they held a MTG luncheon.  No officer said anything about it going away, but I didn't ask about it either.  

What sailing were you on?  We disembarked the Discovery Princess on July 21st and attended the MTG luncheon the day before.  That's when I asked the Captain if the rumor that the luncheons would be eliminated and got an emphatic no.  I'm beginning to wonder if the Captain's Circle contractor host / hostess or other officers tell people that the luncheon has been eliminated when folks ask during an MTG cocktail party?  We all know anything is possible with Princess but it's just interesting that folks have been told this for many months and yet luncheons keep on happening.

[dweeb]

37 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

What sailing were you on?  We disembarked the Discovery Princess on July 21st and attended the MTG luncheon the day before.  That's when I asked the Captain if the rumor that the luncheons would be eliminated and got an emphatic no.  I'm beginning to wonder if the Captain's Circle contractor host / hostess or other officers tell people that the luncheon has been eliminated when folks ask during an MTG cocktail party?  We all know anything is possible with Princess but it's just interesting that folks have been told this for many months and yet luncheons keep on happening.

I misspoke,  we were on the Discovery from August 3-10, then on Majestic August 18-25.  Your reasoning about what is being told during the MTG cocktail party makes sense to me.   I'll be happy if they continue the luncheons.  I enjoy them.

[Cruisemeister2002]

12 hours ago, TRLD said:

To put things in perspective cruiselines on average pay $15 -18 per passenger per day on food, including for the crew. The actual cost of putting on the luncheon is not that much. A cocktail party might cost them more than the luncheon. 

 

 

Don't know what the cocktail parties are like on Princess compared to P&O. For cocktail parties on P&O getting food and drink is really hit and miss. It's like being on a carousel and someone selling candy floss and you trying to grab one as you whoosh by. If you are not standing or seated where the servers are or you are not lucky enough that your table waiter from the MDR is present forget it. Luncheons on the other hand you are seated at a table with a ships company employee, food and drink is served. So not hit and miss.

[555]

7 hours ago, asctony said:

Ok, my fault. Case closed. When I attend MTG on Sun in Nov I will ask. 

Happy cruising!

As will I, in November. 😉

[esad9556]

On 8/25/2024 at 4:41 PM, memoak said:

I am not sure where you heard that.  I was on the Grand for 2 weeks earlier this month and we had lovely luncheons. Both the captain  so called cruise consultant assured us that it was up to the captain which to do we have seen both over our 35 years of cruising. In fact our most memorable was a champagne and snacks on the bridge while next to Hubbard glacier 

Alcohol on the bridge, would like to see a picture of that.

[geoherb]

4 hours ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Don't know what the cocktail parties are like on Princess compared to P&O. For cocktail parties on P&O getting food and drink is really hit and miss. It's like being on a carousel and someone selling candy floss and you trying to grab one as you whoosh by. If you are not standing or seated where the servers are or you are not lucky enough that your table waiter from the MDR is present forget it. Luncheons on the other hand you are seated at a table with a ships company employee, food and drink is served. So not hit and miss.

 

The cocktails were readily available the time I was invited to a Top 40 cocktail party on the Island Princess. They had plenty of bar servers circulating with trays of cocktails and glasses of wine. They would take special requests as well, but that took more time.

 

The cocktails are also readily available at the Captain's Circle parties with a lot more passengers. I usually will have two or three, keeping the last glass of wine to take with me to dinner.

 

[geoherb]

2 hours ago, esad9556 said:

Alcohol on the bridge, would like to see a picture of that.

 

We had champagne on the bridge when we took the Ultimate Ship's Tour. The officers did not join us in drinking it. And photos weren't allowed during the tour.