Food: What's best and worst of Princess food?

[jbrambach]

Oooooh, how could I forget about the creme brulee and the pesto pasta, just delish:)

[ggprincess2004]

Ugly Betty Fan,

 

Love your screen name! Glad you started this thread as I am trying Princess for the first time in a few months, Grand / Caribbean. Can anybody tell me:

 

1. Might the Grand have the seafood buffet on the first night, or any other night? Haven't seen one on the Grand.

2. Are the speciality resturants open for lunch?

Sometimes - most likely to be on a sea day. Check the Princess Patter or inquire with the dine line (dining reservatons).

 

3. Are the main dining rooms open for breadfast and lunch?

One formal dining room will be open for breakfast and lunch. Usually the traditional seating dining room, but check the info in your stateroom when you embark to find out which one for sure.

4. What is the room service menu like for non-suites?

There is a limited room service menu for all but the full suites. In addition, there is a continental breakfast available daily except for the disembarkation day. We enjoy having our morning tea and coffee delivered so we can relax first thing in the morning. If you try writing in a hot item, as long as it is simple, such a scrambled eggs, it is likely to appear. Also, preprinted delivery times begin at 7:30. You can write in an earlier time, and it will appear as requested.

 

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! 4 months to go. We usually book cruises last minute, I have never had to wait this long!!

 

have a great cruise!

[Ugly Betty Fan]

Thanks to everyone who is responding! This is great information you're sharing!

[MaryPoppinz]

IF I had to pick just one, it would be the risotto.

 

Other faves: Fettucine Alfredo, Grilled Veggie Salad (I could eat five plates of that...), lamb, cold soup and ice cream (is there a difference? :) ), and the sandwiches on hearty bread and the pizza hit my spot when I need food instead of a meal.

[boatlover]

have a great cruise!

 

Thanks!!

[palolake]

We love all of the above. My breakfast favorite is the James Beard French toast. It has Corn Flakes on it. It didn't taste quite as good on our January cruise. I'm hoping it was just the chef and not a change in the recipe. I also really like their spring rolls served on the first night.

[crusinpeg]

How about the fried calamari (lunch buffet one afternoon)

[Jen_BC]

Boatlover - I was on the Grand this past January and never saw a seafood buffet. I may have missed it, but not sure how that could have happened! I don't know about the specialty restaurants, never tried them (to me it isn't worth the cost as the regular dining room meals are so great). The dining room is open breakfast / lunch (I don't know the times).

 

Betty Fan - I actually enjoyed the Caribbean night menu, it had some interesting items on it. The only meal I did not like was on the American themed night the last night of our cruise. To me, there was nothing particularly exciting on that menu, and what I ordered was bland and boring. After reading all these posts, I have an idea of a few things I need to try on my next cruise.

 

Have a great time planning,

Jen

[Waimea'sMom]

Mmm, favorites include the fettucini alfredo in the parmesan cheese bowl (divine on the Dawn) - I have to limit myself to no more than twice per cruise or I'd eat it every night. :rolleyes: I adore the pina colada cold soup on the Sailaway dinner - my mother in law once requested it for dessert! Chicken Kiev is also yummy. I had a divine apple dumpling with vanilla sauce on the Sapphire Princess but it was almost inedible on the Dawn Princess. Souffles on the Grand were terrible but they were quite passable on the Dawn. So even when you like something, you may not like that ship's chef's interpretation of it.

[KLLund]

I always enjoy the food on Princess .. I haven't been on the Carribean Princess yet ( next cruise ) .. But I would go anywhere the Sapphire goes just for the Osso Bucco !!!

 

We also enjoy the hamburgers and hot dogs on the lido deck .. but the fries are outstanding !!

 

The omelette stations are great too for breakfast .. but you have to look for them .. they aren't in the actual buffet .. usually by the windows in the seating area !!

[NightShayde]

I love French night. Escargots (two servings), French Onion Soup, and Caesar Salad. YUM!!! We had delicious steaks at Sterling Steak House on the Sapphire -- haven't tried the steak houses on other ships yet. Love Boat Dream is a good dessert, but I prefer either the "William Pear Tart with Vanilla Sauce" (pears are baked inside puff pastry, then topped with a very tasty vanilla sauce), or the "Symphony of Mousses" (1/2 dark chocolate mousse & 1/2 white chocolate mousse -- to die for). All of the soups, hot or cold, are quite good.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

food tastes are very subjective. for me i can't handle spicy foods, things with a weird texture. i think it is best to try something for yourself to decide. one man's pleasure is another's displeasure. sorry to put a damper on this one, but i really think it can't be answered for you.

[barbarah33]

In the main dining room at dinner: any soufflé and the fettuccine alfredo. I also like the spinach dip in Sterling’s and the potatoes au gratin in the Crown Grille – depending on what ship you are on.

Caribbean night is my least favorite because nothing stands out to me on the menu. Of course I am not a seafood eater so if you enjoy seafood you may really like that night in the dining room. For me that is definitely an alternative dining night.

[daldog]

I personally like Caribbean nite too ... I like seafood and there's more than one seafood entree choice, plus I like the tropical flavors. They have some things you're not likely to find just anywhere - which to me is more fun than something I can make at home. Just guessing, but perhaps Caribbean nite comes across as not as popular because it is kind of "different" - you know ... unfamiliar flavors or menu items? I'd rather give up Italian nite, but my husband likes it. So after reading this thread I am thinking I'm going to try the eggplant. :-)

[TexEm]

If you find something you really love (like the escargot or creme brulee) you can ask your waiter or headwaiter if they have any left for the next night (or even after that). If they do, they'll make it for you. On the Sun Princess in May, our headwaiter wanted to serve it to me every night!

 

Also, for breakfast or lunch you can ask to be seated in a different section than where most of the people are already seated. Sometimes that's a long walk, and I always asked for a close table on the Sun when I was traveling with my 89 year old mother. The headwaiter always obliged.

 

Favorite foods? Cold soups, escargots, French onion soup, fettucine Alfredo, Beef Wellington, Prime Rib (and I'm really not a big meat eater). Oh, and their tray of dessert goodies--petit fours, small cookies (can't think of what they call them). Even if it's not listed, you can ask the waiter to bring you a tray. They'll usually bring enough for everyone.

[Casshew]

The fettucini alfredo was delicious, the breads & rolls, morning pastries - excellent.

 

I didn't really care for any of the desserts I tried (except cookies on the buffet) I found them tasteless for the most part.

[SusieQusie]

Maybe this was said earlier, but what is a "parmesan cheese bowl" as in "fettucini alfredo in a parmesan cheese bowl?"

[Casshew]

Yes, it's a bowl, made out of baked/melted parmesan... it's delicious too

[FishyFam]

My daughter and I sailed Grand Princess (first time experience with Princess) over spring break. The Love Boat dessert is fabulous! Also, my daughter thought the cheesecake was amazing. I have to say it was the closest thing to my mother-in-law's cheesecake I've ever tasted. Yummy. Everything in the dining room was quite good except the fish. After trying 3 times and each time the fish getting worse, I gave up. It was so bad and I just couldn't stand waiting for a replacement. Chicken was generally good and pasta as well. I'm not a shellfish eater, but my daughter thought the lobster was quite good.

 

I thought the food in Horizon Court was pretty good for buffet style. It was certainly a small selection compared to other ships I've sailed on, but it was always replenished, warm, and fresh tasting. Pretty good selection of vegetarian options as well. Fruit was always fresh and plentiful.

 

Enjoy!

[Pam in CA]

Food is very subjective but I've found the pastas delicious, including the fettucini, lamb (particularly crusted with Dijon mustard), pork chops, the soups (particularly French onion), and the petit mignon. My least favorite was the lobster -- I avoid that like the plague now as I find it tough and the melted butter isn't really butter.

[cruzerfornow]

Princess souffles are awesome...mmmmm, I'll have 2 please!:D

[Ebonybombshell]

I asked this on another thread and recieved no response.....

 

There was talk of a Baked Alaska parade and that it was in traditional and not anytime dining.

 

Can someone explain what they mean by Parade ect.

 

Thanks

[Cruise Gypsy]

In general I have found the food on Princess is pretty good and a lot of my favorites have already been mentioned. But............

 

I have been pretty disappointed by the soups. I really like a good soup but I have found many of the soups on Princess to be pretty bland.

 

Is it just me?:confused:

[kenexx]

We thought the food on our recent Sydney to LA on Sapphire was the most disappointing part of the cruise. We found most of the food very bland but realise when catering to a lot of people this is what you will probably get.

 

The fettucine and the souffles were really nice but we didnt find anything outstanding. The crab legs were vile but they may be because I must have an allergy to them. The only other time I'd had them was at a restaurant in Anaheim in 1979 and I projectile vomited around the car park immediately after :eek: :eek: Ok I know thats TMI :p

 

I had them on Sapphire thinking after almost 30 years maybe I had just got a bad lot:D I had them and then didnt eat another thing for the next 24 hours. I wasnt actually sick this time but came awful close. It's really odd because I can just about live on mud crabs that we have here in Oz

 

I'm not an experienced cruiser by any means but a previous cruise out of Singapore on Superstar Virgo had truly wonderful food. Much more Asian influenced and full of flavor.

 

One more thing. Does anyone else think Princess needs to replace their dinnerware wiith something less "flowery"? Maybe just plain white with the Princess logo in gold or something like that. Anyway it hasnt put us off c ruising with Princess. We will test the food again next year! At least I didnt put any weight on while on Sapphire so that's always a good thing :)

 

Maurice

[palolake]

In the traditional dining room the waiters will "parade" with the baked Alaska. After dinner they turn down the lights and all of the servers that do the cleaning up walk around the room holding the baked Alaska. It used to have a real flame in it but now it's just a candle. All of the diners clap and swing their napkins in the air. Then your waiter brings his back to your area and they serve it to you. On our last cruise in January, nothing but the baked Alaska was offered to us for desert. I'm sure we could have gotten something different if we had asked.

 

This is not done at anytime dining. They can't do it there because everyone isn't ready for desert at the same time.