Princess Food has Declined Over the Years

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yes, food opinions are subjective. Yes, I agree Princess has made cutbacks, even in the four years I've been cruising. BUT, it can also depend on who the Executive Chef is onboard. We've done six Princess cruises so far: Sun, Dawn, Golden, Sun, Royal and Diamond. The food on our second cruise, on Dawn, was the worst we have experienced on Princess but luckily it didn't stop us cruising with Princess. The quality was very good on our most recent cruise, on Diamond in March this year.

[winncruiser]

Actually i am reading this as an EXTREMELY positive review of Princess. I cannot wait to do this trip!

 

 

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[Lucky TGO]

I don’t think the food has declined. I think the selections have!!! for instance you can’t order a steak in the MDR. (It was on the everyday part of the menu.) It was replaced with a Hamburger :rolleyes:

Tony

[neverbeenhere]

I don’t think the food has declined. I think the selections have!!! for instance you can’t order a steak in the MDR. (It was on the everyday part of the menu.) It was replaced with a Hamburger :rolleyes:

Tony

 

 

Chopped steak? Or Chopped ??

[Lucky TGO]

Chopped steak? Or Chopped ??

 

Chopped steak? Hamburger steak, Some people in Boston call it a Salisbury steak? :rolleyes:.

Fugheddaboudit it’s a Hamburger. :(

Tony

[Hlitner]

We would agree that Princess food has indeed declined (quality and quantity) over the years. And this statement also would apply to the 13 other cruise lines upon which we have cruised over the years.

 

That being said, we are currently on the Regal for which we paid about half of what we paid for cruises 35 years ago.

 

One can get some pretty outstanding food on a few ultra luxury lines where you might pay over $600 per passenger day. Or perhaps book a cheap cabin on Celebrity and eat all your meals in Murano....which is excellent for about $50 per person.

 

Hank

[Diver2014]

I love Princess food. Period. Can't wait for my next 3 Princess cruises.

[c-boy]

Hey o p ! welcome to Cruise critic.

[Haboob]

We would agree that Princess food has indeed declined (quality and quantity) over the years. And this statement also would apply to the 13 other cruise lines upon which we have cruised over the years.

 

That being said, we are currently on the Regal for which we paid about half of what we paid for cruises 35 years ago.

 

One can get some pretty outstanding food on a few ultra luxury lines where you might pay over $600 per passenger day. Or perhaps book a cheap cabin on Celebrity and eat all your meals in Murano....which is excellent for about $50 per person.

 

Hank

 

Good point. Apples-to-apples per day will get you the "old-style food" and then some.

 

Well, except that International Café at midnight isn't a Midnight Buffet spread. :')

[Bill B]

There is no question the entire MDR experience: service, quality and available selection of food has declined over the last 18 years (when I first started cruising).

 

What's different? Eighteen years ago, there were no specialty (extra charge) restaurants. Also, eighteen years ago my Sun Princess 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers, Cat. ID Inside room (with one-way air Anchorage to Vancouver) was over $1,200 pp. I recently booked the Sapphire Princess 10-day South East Asia, Cat. BC Balcony room for $749 pp.

[majortom10]

If you go on any cruise line forum you will find complaints of deterioration of food standards and quality compared to what was offered 5,10,15,20+ years ago but so has the price you cannot have it both ways. If you want to compare the quality of food years ago to today you also have to take into account the price of the cruise and taking into consideration of inflation on food prices and fuel so cruising today is extremely good value and cheaper than what it was in real terms than 20+ years ago.

[1965]

We can ALWAYS find something tasty on a Princess cruise ship. Sometimes nothing on the MDR menu sounds good so we go to buffet or grill or IC or pizza counter. Sometimes everything on the menu sounds wonderful & we're hard pressed to choose. And when our food arrives it is almost always very good. Once in a great while it disappoints, but that is really rare. And I didn't have to plan, shop, prepare, or clean up after the meal. It's incredible to me that a diner would have a wait staff member stand at the table while said diner went over the menu items explaining the fault in each one. So glad he/she will no longer cruise with Princess.

 

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[rbt001]

We can ALWAYS find something tasty on a Princess cruise ship. Sometimes nothing on the MDR menu sounds good so we go to buffet or grill or IC or pizza counter. Sometimes everything on the menu sounds wonderful & we're hard pressed to choose. And when our food arrives it is almost always very good. Once in a great while it disappoints, but that is really rare. And I didn't have to plan, shop, prepare, or clean up after the meal. It's incredible to me that a diner would have a wait staff member stand at the table while said diner went over the menu items explaining the fault in each one. So glad he/she will no longer cruise with Princess.

 

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Incredible? No.

 

Just a little higher expectations that at the "pizza counter" you frequent.

[rbt001]

If you go on any cruise line forum you will find complaints of deterioration of food standards and quality compared to what was offered 5,10,15,20+ years ago but so has the price you cannot have it both ways. If you want to compare the quality of food years ago to today you also have to take into account the price of the cruise and taking into consideration of inflation on food prices and fuel so cruising today is extremely good value and cheaper than what it was in real terms than 20+ years ago.

 

You do make a very good point.

 

And I'm sure it's a tough decision for any line to bite the bullet and raise fares commiserate with the rise in costs for fuel, food, beverage and labor.

 

It seems most lines are more concerned about market share.

 

Personally, I do blame the deterioration at Princess on what I refer to as "The Carnivalization of Princess." Cut where ever you can, and squeeze the most for the sake of profit while maintaining near 100% occupancy.

 

I'd wager that Jan Schwartz and her executive team participate in an incentive bonus from Carnival Corp that is tied to increased profitability year over year. Every cut to food, beverage, entertainment, labor that passengers endure is money in their pocket.