Food Quality on Princess

[TorontoTL]

I saw this posted on the Celebrity board and wanted to know what people thought of the food onboard Princess. I have always enjoyed the food in both the dining rooms and the buffets. When you're voting, just consider the food and not service as that is not the purpose of this poll.

[cactusrose]

I voted Fine Restuarant. However, I only think that actually applies in the Traditional Dinning Room. I know all the food comes out of the same kitchen, but part of the Fine Restuarant experience to me is the service. I did not experience the same quality of service in anytime dinning.

[ghgeckos]

I think fine dining aplies to the food in the dinning room too. In addition it is the food your server suggests for the evening. They seem to know which dishes aren't the best choice for each particular evening.

[coiran]

Where are all the folks who were calling the food barely edible???

[chefajax]

Hi to All.....

AS most would consider this fine dining, I feel that the bar has been lowered over the years with fast food making up the daily diet. The dishes on Princess are very good, but to say it is at that level that of the premium lines or a true fine dining place like English's Olives or Puck's Spago is a stretch. That is why I voted for casual sit down.

As to the food quality, it is alright, which as feel is an educated opinion as a certified executive chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, with graduates like Emeril, Todd English, and many of the Food Channel chefs. Please understand, I am not being snobby, but rather set a standard that I expect of myself or those in my field.........Dennis

[spongerob]

I agree that the service component figures greatly in the overall opinion. And, as Chefajax ably noted, our personal experience will skew what we consider gourment, fine, and higher-quality chain offerings. Even then, the comparisons really aren't fair, since I don't think Todd English or Wolfgang Puck routinely serve upwards of two thousand people three times a day.

[pamwinn]

What is a high quality chain restaurant? I'm not sure I've ever been to one. I don't get to the city much :)

[BILLP1]

Well for a chain restaurant ,I like Mortons or Ruth Chris. I guess Emeril's is a chain of restaurants seeing as there are more then a few around the country.

[boco5]

Its hard to classify the food and service on any of the mass marketed cruise lines as "fine dining." The food is good, but I would hardly call it fine dining. When you are feeding 3100 people, as you do on many of the ships, its hard to get what one would call "fine dining." If ou want to experience fine dining on a cruise ship, you need to go on one of the 6 star ships such as Crystal or Seabourne.

[vacationhappy]

Chefajax - I just went to Todd English's original Olives last weekend and it was just OK. I haven't been in about six months but this time it was significantly "off" the last two times. I paid $37 for the boullabaise special and I was very disappointed. In fact, the food on my last Princess cruise was far better than my meal last weekend....it is too bad, because I use to live in the same neighborhood as his original Olives (before it became Figs) and it was unrivaled when it first opened. Over the years, the quality has been inconsistent and the last few times it just hasn't been memorable - the food has been just OK, the prices have been high, and the attitude is still there.

[pcumberl]

I voted Fine Restaurant, ony becuase I believe it's somwhere in between that and high quality chain restaurant. I've had good waite service in the Dining Room and so-so ones. Service is what makes the difference and I believe after reading this board that if I get the service most have gotten on Princes, it would put in in the class of Fine restuarant.

 

~Paul

[flowy]

I was always astounded that the presentation of the various dishes in the dining room was so spectacular given the number of people there at each seating. Whenever (seldom) that I did not like something, they were very fast to exchange it for something else. They get high marks in my book!

[KKB]

I'd say it's between a higher end chain and fine dining.

You cannot compare feeding several thousand to an intimate restaurant--unfair!

I've eaten at Spago--and have never been back. Were NOT impressed. Yet I return to chain restaurants....consistency.

Steaks were as good as any Nebraska steak here at home. (I don't mean Omaha steaks--they are OK, but not the really good stuff!)

As with any restaurant, there were things I didn't care for, but the beauty of the cruise is that I can simply exchange for another, or try several, if I choose.

We were thrilled w/ the head waiter coming to our table, always sharing his fav of the day--sending it over for us to try.

Loved the food, loved the service.

Can't wait to go again!

Kristin

PS Also loved the fact that cruise ship portions are small--if I'm going to eat several courses, I don't need things supersized!!!

[CruiseFever]

We've always had really good luck with the food on Princess and found to be consistently good and sometimes very good. Not excellent or gourmet fare but good.

 

There have been times when we've been served hot items so hot we'd have to let them cool down some to eat them which is no small accomplishment when serving so many people at once.

 

I do think it varies some from ship to ship though.

 

So far the best (out of just three ships mind you), most consistent food we've had was on the Golden, followed the Caribbean Princess in second place and the Star Princess. All were good, some were better.

 

I think one element of the dining options that pulls down the overall rating, for me, is the Horizon Court buffet. In terms of organization and food quality while pretty good, it has been our experience that it's not as good as in the dining room. Quicker yes. Great place for a casual quick meal, yes. But they could do better here.

 

In fact, they have shown that they DO know how to do better with what they do in the Caribbean Princess' Cafe Caribe when in Bistro mode. This cross between a table service restaurant and buffet turns the whole experience up a couple knotches.

 

In comparison to the only other cruise line I've sailed with, Carnival, they do on a nightly basis what Carnival does on an exceptional night. I've had as good or better on Carnival but it was rare.

 

Again though, that's just one persons opinion on a highly subjective topic. An entree that I found excellent, someone else might think is garbage, or the other way around.

 

Interesting poll results, just about what I thought they'd be

[coiran]

We have had consistently good food and sevice on the Sun Class ships as compared to the Golden - although nothing was wrong with the food on the Golden.

 

For those of you who have only experienced the Grand Class ships give the Sun Class a try and vote again.

[cruiserforlife]

Food is just too subjective to even begin to have an serious conversation about it.

What one thinks is fantastic the other will think is horrid.

 

While I know fine dining (not being snobby) having worked in Pebble Beach and having had the honor of dining at some great restaurants on this planet,Princess has NEVER dissapointed us with the quality of their food or their presentation and that is something I cannot say about RCCL.

 

While I don't claim it to be gourmet,It should be good enough to satisfy most palates and they are serving 2000+ meals a day.

[geoherb]

I voted for High Quality Chain Restuarant before reading the other replies. I meant along the lines of the Bamboo Club or Outback, not Ruth's Chris or Morton's.

 

What I like best about dining on cruises is the ability to try lots of different things.

[Sunrise]

I was unimpressed with most of the food. While the experience was "fine dining" most of the food was TGI Fridays quality with a few exceptions -- pork loin was great, loved the crab quiche, love boat dream was great as well! On HAL our food every night in the diningroom was the same quality as that served in Sabatinis on the Grand. Also, most of the butter was rancid/freezer burned -- a big no-no for me! Lots of the food was bland -- needed better spicing. So I give it a "Fine dining" for the service, but only a little better than chain for food quality.

[kruisey]

Found the Princess food to be good....there was only one nite on my last cruise with a 'loin steak' that I had a problem with. The dining room is fine dining.

Sunrise regarding your remark about not enough spicing.....alot of folks don't like highly spiced,I myself prefer natural herbs and no salt.

Princess has over 2000 customers to please so it must go the way of the 'happy medium'.

I myself am pleased with the dining room food,which I usually use also for luncheon on sea days....the reason below............

I find the Horizon Court very difficult to get around with no trays and the one large plate...plus seem to be disorganised in the arrangement of foods e.g salads in different areas of the room...plus the crowds of people.Its a wonder there are no accidents.. How is one supposed to handle a large plate plus a cup or glass through a large crowd...then try to find a free seat to dump them down on??

[Sunrise]

I'll refine my statement from saying the food needed more "spicing" to needing more FLAVORING! To me fine dining quality food makes a bold statement. It doesn't have to be "spicy" in the traditional sense -- it just needs to have good bold flavor. I think they were too safe with their choices which made the food bland. There was always the chichen supreme and the steak for the less adventerous. I actualy ordered the steak one night b/c none of the other options appealed to me and it was great!

[critterchick]

I voted high quality chain, but have only been on Grand Class ships and never had traditional dining. That is going to change in May, with traditional on both Diamond & Sun, so we'll see!

 

I can't remember the name of the Southwestern restaurant on the Star, but that compared favorably to El Cholo, a classic Mexican restaurant (stand-alone) in LA. Far better than the Acapulco chain, IMHO. I thought the Sabatini's experience qualified as fine dining (and I've done the high-end establishments here, too). The steaks in Sterling on the Diamond was nowhere near as good as the Outback, and the service bit. So it's going to vary from ship to ship.

 

As somebody said, what constitutes "fine dining" is going to vary based on your personal experiences.

[nschurr]

This question is like asking what is your favorite color or who is your favorite sports team. Everyone has different likes and dislikes for the poll to come to any valid conclusion. Oh, btw I voted for high quality chain.

[dutchess43]

This is my opinion on this question. On Dec 31 of 03 we were on the Sun Princess for 10 days. I voted fine restaurant one of the reasons was the classy attention we received from our waite staff. Dh & our traveling companions always have second seating traditional dining. On the first night I asked if they had any loose tea instead of tea bags, well they presented my loose tea everynight in a martini glass. The head waiter came over to our table on the second night & wanted to know what was in the glass? When I told him what it was he said he had been on this ship for 10 years & never had seen anything like this before. The table of 8 next to us was ordering appertizer's off the menu every night(pre-ordering). Our waiter asked us would we want the same we said yes, & we also were served the appetizer's. The head waiter also came over to us & one night made us special appetizer's. Dessert's I am embrassed to say we were pigs even though we would only order one a piece our waiter would bring over to our table ones that we did not order & we ate them. Food was great, we were always pleased with it, & we eat out in N.Y.City quite a bit. We also enjoyed the horizon court we liked that every day for lunch they presented a different theme. We never found the food boring & presentation was wonderful. My traveling group will be on the Grand this summer & hope we receive the same service this will be our 3rd Princess cruise. One last thing not to knock another cruise line but we have been on 9 RCCL cruises & we must admit that the sevice & food as of late has been steadily declining.

[chefajax]

vacation happy...

Sorry that Olive's has gone down in your opinion, BUT I can't say that about someone I went to chef school with.

 

Hi to All....

Subjective as this topic is, I love to hear how everyone defines fine dining. In my childhood, my mother served what some considered to be fine dining, coming from a Northern European background, formality was the norm. I found that dining at a friend's house was more relaxed and exciting. I even remember one mother who served me non-gourmet, non-fine dining Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Campbell's Tomato Soup.......to this day, one of my favorite meals on a cold day. I consider an excellant meal is any meal that I am with the people I love and like, just enjoying the whole experience.....like when I am on a beautiful cruiseship with my one and only :)........Dennis

[kryos]

I saw this posted on the Celebrity board and wanted to know what people thought of the food onboard Princess. I have always enjoyed the food in both the dining rooms and the buffets. When you're voting, just consider the food and not service as that is not the purpose of this poll.

I wasn't too crazy about Horizon Court ... probably because when I am on vacation, I like to be served. I don't even like buffets at home, though I will go to them on occasion, but on a vacation ... I like to sit on my fat a*s and be served. :)

 

Now, the dining room ... there I found the service to be excellent, and the food to range between very good and excellent. No, I wouldn't categorize it as a gourmet dining experience, but then for what I pay for my cruises, I don't expect that.

 

Frankly, I found the food on my recent Sun Princess cruise to be the best I've ever had on any of my cruises to date. This was my first Princess cruise, while all of my previous ones have been HAL.

 

I think I've found "where I belong."

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita