Adieu "all-you-can-eat-mains" at the Crown Grill

[USN59-79]

You should eat it even if you don't like it,after all somewhere, somebody is hungry.

I am trying to decide if this is the dumbest statement I have heard this month or if you are trying to make a joke.

[donaldsc]

The new change to charging additional $ for a second entree seems like a fair policy to me. Although it's a financial issue for the cruise company, hopefully it will encourage people to consume more healthfull portions and quantity in a single meal. There is always the buffet for those who need unlimited quantities of food.

 

You sound like my wife - telling me what to eat and how much. She has a right to do so. You don't.

 

DON

[floridalover5623]

The new change to charging additional $ for a second entree seems like a fair policy to me. Although it's a financial issue for the cruise company, hopefully it will encourage people to consume more healthfull portions and quantity in a single meal. There is always the buffet for those who need unlimited quantities of food.

That's so kind of you to consider the health of other cruisers. LOL :D:D

[floridalover5623]

I wholeheartedly agree with Potstech. I thought I was the only one that felt like I was paying more than the cover charge for a specialty meal when all other posters would state that $XX (price of cover charge) is a real bargain compared to a land based restaurant.

To some people just being on a vacation means over the top spending no matter what the cost. Now that they're charging for the extra portions it will eliminate many of the previous enthusiasts, I'm sure. (but it will take a while before they all find out about it)

[flamomo]

Who's going to pay $29 for a 4 oz lobster tail as a main??

 

I have dined in the Grown Grill numerous times, always order the lobster as my "main", and have never been served just one lobster tail. It's always been 4 to 6, depending on the size, which is actually more than I can eat. The portions are not stingy, so IMO, well worth the $29.

[PrincessLuver]

Great that Princess has stopped encouraging gluttony!

 

LOL.....I agree....how much food can people eat? One main with everything else is more then enough for us....way to much food to begin with!!! :halo:

[Iamcruzin]

I never order two entrées in the Specialty restaurants. However, if you are going to use the better price than a restaurant at home argument, then Surf and Turf should be offered on the menu like it is at a restaurant at home.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I never order two entrées in the Specialty restaurants. However, if you are going to use the better price than a restaurant at home argument, then Surf and Turf should be offered on the menu like it is at a restaurant at home.

 

It is on the new menu, just notes that it's an additional $10 charge.

[Mud_Shark]

We received a complimentary Crown Grill meal on one of our first cruises, and when the waiter suggested adding lobster tails to our steaks, that sold us! From then on, while we are not big spenders, we would choose one night per cruise to go to the crown grill for the surf and turf.

 

I understand many have no problem with this pricing change, but it will dim the allure of the Crown Grill for us. We are budget travellers who don't have the funds some of you have, so we do consider costs before committing to expenses. We will likely simply drop the extra expense of the Crown Grill from our trip plans for now. This is not a cruise show stopper for us, but it will likely be a Crown Grill show stopper for us.

 

Don

[floridalover5623]

We received a complimentary Crown Grill meal on one of our first cruises, and when the waiter suggested adding lobster tails to our steaks, that sold us! From then on, while we are not big spenders, we would choose one night per cruise to go to the crown grill for the surf and turf.

 

I understand many have no problem with this pricing change, but it will dim the allure of the Crown Grill for us. We are budget travellers who don't have the funds some of you have, so we do consider costs before committing to expenses. We will likely simply drop the extra expense of the Crown Grill from our trip plans for now. This is not a cruise show stopper for us, but it will likely be a Crown Grill show stopper for us.

 

Don

Especially in light of the not so glowing reports I've been reading about the Crown Grill lately.

[Iamcruzin]

It is on the new menu, just notes that it's an additional $10 charge.

 

 

 

Does it matter if you are paying the additional $10 out of your left pocket or right pocket. Either way you are being charged for 2 meals. In which case I would order the lamb chops instead of the lobster tail.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[MixerDave]

Who's going to pay $29 for a 4 oz lobster tail as a main??[/quote

According to the menu - it a 6-7 oz. tail - not sure where you come up with 4 ounce.

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/Onboard_Experience/Crown-Grill-Menu-Sample.pdf

[Photofinish4]

Who's going to pay $29 for a 4 oz lobster tail as a main??

on my Hawaii cruise in Feb. I got 2 tiny lobster in the crown grill the size of jumbo shrimp. T he lobster in the MDR was larger and t I did not pay extra 29 dollars. Not sure I will ever use Crown Grill again.

[Host CJSKIDS]

Does it matter if you are paying the additional $10 out of your left pocket or right pocket. Either way you are being charged for 2 meals. In which case I would order the lamb chops instead of the lobster tail.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

No, just posted the comment to your comment of "I never order two entrées in the Specialty restaurants. However, if you are going to use the better price than a restaurant at home argument, then Surf and Turf should be offered on the menu like it is at a restaurant at home."

 

 

It is on the menu like it is at a restaurant at home, but they noted additional $10 next to it!

[Iamcruzin]

No, just posted the comment to your comment of "I never order two entrées in the Specialty restaurants. However, if you are going to use the better price than a restaurant at home argument, then Surf and Turf should be offered on the menu like it is at a restaurant at home."

 

 

It is on the menu like it is at a restaurant at home, but they noted additional $10 next to it!

 

The restaurants at home have one price for the combination. At one time many years ago surf and turf was offered in the MDR on formal night. I would expect that it would be offered in the Crown grill as an entree for $29 even if it was the smaller lobster tail or prawns and the 8oz fillet. If I'm paying the extra $10 I may as well order the 22oz porterhouse steak and the lobster or another main. Of course I won't be able to finish all of that but hey I paid for it so all is good.

[Mr. Gumphere]

I agree that having to be limited to quantity and pay more to complete surf and turf is like gouging. 39.00 is unreasonable. I'll stay with main dining room or eat ashore.

[Thrak]

One reason I don't like to eat at CG is that I can't eat that much! I end up getting the filet (which is NOT what I want) because it's small. Even then I can barely manage to eat the entire dinner. I want to order the rib eye but would end up leaving a ton of food on the plate. I don't like to order food and then just leave it to go to the garbage so we really tend to not eat at CG. There's just too much food. That's one of the big reasons we like MDR. The portions are small and we can eat the various courses without getting stuffed or having to leave a bunch of uneaten food.

[Skai]

I would be tough to invite friends for their first foray into cruising onto a Princess ship these days. I would be hard-pressed to keep shut with the: "Well, it used to be like this (or that) only a few short years ago....."

[SantaFeFan]

.... At one time many years ago surf and turf was offered in the MDR on formal night......

 

They had surf and turf in the MDR on the last formal night on Grand Princess two weeks ago. I had already had enough seafood at various meals during the cruise, including lobster tails the night before in Crown Grill, and prawns and lobster a few days before in the MDR, so I ordered turf and turf. :D Instead of filet and lobster, I had two filets. I have no doubt that there are some reading this who have now categorized me as a glutton. But you know what, I don't give a darn what they think. I am 5'10 and weigh 182 lbs, and I will eat what I want to eat, and they can mind their own business. :evilsmile:

[martin jenkins]

how many actually pay out there own pocket or use OBC.

[Iamcruzin]

how many actually pay out there own pocket or use OBC.

I'm probably the only one since I'm not a veteran, or a share holder and I don't book through a TA so I never have OBC. However, even those who come on board loaded with OBC can use that extra $10 towards the rubbish sale that they always have on the ship.

[Coral]

I want to order the rib eye but would end up leaving a ton of food on the plate..

 

Just order the ribeye. It is a cheaper piece of meat for the ship to order so it is costing the ship less. Think of it that way. Besides, you will enjoy it more :)

[Oh2B@C]

Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood OP here... I guess I shoudn't be surprised at the overwhelming number of counter-productive comments, for example:

 

"I never order two entrees so the change doesn't bother me" - See below for changes that MIGHT bother you

"They made the change in March" - gee thanks Cap'n Obvious...

"They stopped encouraging gluttony" - What's it to you Commander McJudgy?

"Compared to a land-based restaurant, $29 is a bargain" - Idiotic or moronic, I cannot decide. Did you pay $3,500 to walk inside the door of the land-based restaurant?

 

The reason I posted this, other than I was bored and there was nothing on TV, is to point out how disappointed I was to lose another nice little perk, and how exasperating it is that the slow removal of those types of little perks seem to be the norm rather than the exception lately. If I cannot decide between the lamb chops and the filet mignon, well I can have both if I am hungry enough. What's it to you? Maybe I don't do dessert - you don't know... And believe me, I don't leave a SINGLE bite behind on the plate, so no starving children in Africa need be insulted. I am quite sure in fact that by shelling out the $29 I am helping feed hungry children in the Phillipines, Serbia, Thailand or wherever else my waiter is from.

 

For the unfortunate masses who commented that they are not bothered by this change because they are not affected, how long do you think it will be before your favorite cruiseline makes a change that does affect you, for example:

 

- You like to watch the shows from the first few rows of the theater? Well now those seats costs $5 each

- Do you enjoy dancing in the Wheelhouse Bar in the evening to the sounds of a live band? Well, sorry, we cannot afford a band anymore so from this point on the music will come from a boom box sitting on top of a stool. It will be the same CD every night, playing on a loop.

- A special seating section for evening movies: Introducing the new Odeon Class of Cabins, which give you access to a special section of the Lido Deck from where you can watch the movie in state of the art vibrating massage chairs, enjoy complimentary upgraded popcorn and two free drinks (I can actually hear people saying "gee that one sounds great, I'd pay for that")

- If you so much dare to have a quick look at your photos in the photo gallery, your cruise card (or medallion:rolleyes:) will automatically be charged 35 cents per second - see page 34 of the passage contract that you didn't bother to read

- Want to play trivia? Not before you pay a $10 deposit for each pencil you take out of the box. You'll get back $5 of that deposit when you return the pencil in good working order. Hope you have lots of OBC... All carry on and checked luggage will be scanned for writing instruments and each pen or pencil will be charged a BIC (blotting instrument charge) fee - get it? BIC... wah hahahahahahahahaha:')

 

Darn... Game of Thrones cannot start soon enough...;)

[floridalover5623]

how many actually pay out there own pocket or use OBC.

Same difference or do you feel obligated to spend every dime aboard the ship?

[richsea]

Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood OP here... I guess I shoudn't be surprised at the overwhelming number of counter-productive comments, for example:

 

"I never order two entrees so the change doesn't bother me" - See below for changes that MIGHT bother you

"They made the change in March" - gee thanks Cap'n Obvious...

"They stopped encouraging gluttony" - What's it to you Commander McJudgy?

"Compared to a land-based restaurant, $29 is a bargain" - Idiotic or moronic, I cannot decide. Did you pay $3,500 to walk inside the door of the land-based restaurant?

 

The reason I posted this, other than I was bored and there was nothing on TV, is to point out how disappointed I was to lose another nice little perk, and how exasperating it is that the slow removal of those types of little perks seem to be the norm rather than the exception lately. If I cannot decide between the lamb chops and the filet mignon, well I can have both if I am hungry enough. What's it to you? Maybe I don't do dessert - you don't know... And believe me, I don't leave a SINGLE bite behind on the plate, so no starving children in Africa need be insulted. I am quite sure in fact that by shelling out the $29 I am helping feed hungry children in the Phillipines, Serbia, Thailand or wherever else my waiter is from.

 

For the unfortunate masses who commented that they are not bothered by this change because they are not affected, how long do you think it will be before your favorite cruiseline makes a change that does affect you, for example:

 

- You like to watch the shows from the first few rows of the theater? Well now those seats costs $5 each

- Do you enjoy dancing in the Wheelhouse Bar in the evening to the sounds of a live band? Well, sorry, we cannot afford a band anymore so from this point on the music will come from a boom box sitting on top of a stool. It will be the same CD every night, playing on a loop.

- A special seating section for evening movies: Introducing the new Odeon Class of Cabins, which give you access to a special section of the Lido Deck from where you can watch the movie in state of the art vibrating massage chairs, enjoy complimentary upgraded popcorn and two free drinks (I can actually hear people saying "gee that one sounds great, I'd pay for that")

- If you so much dare to have a quick look at your photos in the photo gallery, your cruise card (or medallion:rolleyes:) will automatically be charged 35 cents per second - see page 34 of the passage contract that you didn't bother to read

- Want to play trivia? Not before you pay a $10 deposit for each pencil you take out of the box. You'll get back $5 of that deposit when you return the pencil in good working order. Hope you have lots of OBC... All carry on and checked luggage will be scanned for writing instruments and each pen or pencil will be charged a BIC (blotting instrument charge) fee - get it? BIC... wah hahahahahahahahaha:')

 

Darn... Game of Thrones cannot start soon enough...;)

 

I hear you and agree (except try as I might, I cannot get into Game of Thrones!).

 

Princess is not alone when it comes to cutbacks. I spend much of my time on the Celebrity boards and they are filled with laments of cutbacks, along with the same "I don't care, this cutback doesn't affect me" crowd that is here. It's just a matter of time until a cutback hits them.

 

Ironically, I came to the Princess boards because as a long time Celebrity cruiser, I noticed the death by a thousand cuts going on at Celebrity, & really enjoyed our last Princess cruise, so thought perhaps we found a new cruise hone. So here we are; same old, same old. Fortunately, we haven't noticed the Princess cuts because we don't know any better.

 

I would venture to say that you will find the same going on at all the cruiselines. They will chip and chip away until people just refuse to put up with it and find other ways to spend their vacation dollars.