Lobster tail in the MDR?

[Marlster]

On 7/19/2022 at 4:04 PM, DrSea said:

Since the restart, is there lobster tail in the MDR at no extra charge? If they do offer it at no extra charge, I assume you can order multiple lobster tails? I am on a 20+ day cruise, so there will be at least one formal night.

 

I don't eat seafood, but my guests go crazy over lobster. I've been on a Princess cruise since the restart, but I didn't pay attention to things like lobster on the MDR.

 

Thanks.

We had lobster on our 2020 Asia cruise and it was served in a pile of mucky risotto, tasted so bad couldnt; eat it.  Some of our friends got a lobster the size of a large prawn, so small they took a picture of it.  I saw a lot of plates being sent back.  Hoping on my Alaska cruise in Sept. it will be better.

 

Marlster

[MissP22]

16 hours ago, Marlster said:

We had lobster on our 2020 Asia cruise and it was served in a pile of mucky risotto, tasted so bad couldnt; eat it.  Some of our friends got a lobster the size of a large prawn, so small they took a picture of it.  I saw a lot of plates being sent back.  Hoping on my Alaska cruise in Sept. it will be better.

 

Marlster

People would be better off holding the lobster & getting extra shrimp instead. 😉

[Last Lion]

Does a six day cruise also have a lobster night?

[NavyVeteran]

On 7/20/2022 at 7:12 PM, Over from NZ said:

Interesting. Our 21-night cruise has 6. 

Is your cruise also available as three separate 7-night cruises? if so, each 7-night cruise would have 2 formal nights.

[pamps2801]

Things change. Now it's $10 for a 2nd lobster tail.

 

[Iamcruzin]

On 7/20/2022 at 10:54 AM, Cruise Raider said:

Not trying to be a negative Nellie here but, the lobster in the main dining room is not nearly as good as it used to be.  I’ve had many great dishes in the MDR since the restart, this is just not one of them.  I think all cruiselines have been hit hard, not only with raised costs for everything from fuel to food, but all the supply chain issues. So, I get it and will give them this, they have been very creative with the menus, many of which I really do love.  
I even have had the lobster in the Crown Grill since the restart.  It’s much better than the ones served in the MDR but, even there, it’s not as good as it used to be.  I much prefer their fish there and it has never been disappointing.  


 

I'll be the negative Nellie. MDR Lobster on any cruise line that I have been on hasn't been good since the turn of the century. 

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

I'll be the negative Nellie. MDR Lobster on any cruise line that I have been on hasn't been good since the turn of the century. 

It was absolutely delish earlier this year and in the MDR, to boot!  
The escargot was top notch!  

[Kabuki12]

Every lobster tail I have had on Princess has been horrible. Many times it's over cooked and rubbery.  The tails are small.   However, I have had some great cuts of beef on formal night that were cooked to perfection.

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, Kabuki12 said:

Every lobster tail I have had on Princess has been horrible. Many times it's over cooked and rubbery.  The tails are small.   However, I have had some great cuts of beef on formal night that were cooked to perfection.

 

I "sort of" disagree. I have had a couple that were, while not fabulous, "acceptable in the context". Others have been, as you said, overcooked and rubbery but I have also has a couple that were "translucent" from being undercooked. They were far worse. When they were "good" I was very pleased. Of course they are in the "small to tiny" range which is a disappointment.

 

I once attended a special Christmas dinner thrown by my employer at the time. He booked the back room of one of the best places in town and engaged their top chef (who was not normally scheduled to work that day) and served a wonderful dinner including the absolutely biggest lobster tails I have ever seen that were flown in for the dinner. Oh! So that is what lobster is supposed to taste like! I was spoiled forever and have never again had anything even vaguely close to what was served that night.

 

I keep hope alive that one day I will sail a New England cruise and find lobster that can match that life changing meal. I really do mean life changing as it defined to me what lobster should be and has set a bar I don't know if I will ever be able to meet let alone surpass.

[AZjohn]

9 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

I keep hope alive that one day I will sail a New England cruise and find lobster that can match that life changing meal.

Oh I’m sure you can while in port. Don’t expect it on the ship though.

 

I have several friends that live in the Boston area now and it’s always a special occasion when I’m there to go for a real lobster dinner with them. They speak a special language with the waiter/waitress about the exact specific type of lobsters they have that night and specific location they were caught at.

 

I have no clue what/where they are talking about but man, had some meals exactly what you were describing.

 

Don't loose the faith!
Cheers

[Kabuki12]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

 

I "sort of" disagree. I have had a couple that were, while not fabulous, "acceptable in the context". Others have been, as you said, overcooked and rubbery but I have also has a couple that were "translucent" from being undercooked. They were far worse. When they were "good" I was very pleased. Of course they are in the "small to tiny" range which is a disappointment.

 

I once attended a special Christmas dinner thrown by my employer at the time. He booked the back room of one of the best places in town and engaged their top chef (who was not normally scheduled to work that day) and served a wonderful dinner including the absolutely biggest lobster tails I have ever seen that were flown in for the dinner. Oh! So that is what lobster is supposed to taste like! I was spoiled forever and have never again had anything even vaguely close to what was served that night.

 

I keep hope alive that one day I will sail a New England cruise and find lobster that can match that life changing meal. I really do mean life changing as it defined to me what lobster should be and has set a bar I don't know if I will ever be able to meet let alone surpass.

A New England cruise is on my bucket list for that very reason.  I have not had a Maine lobster tail in years.  

[Iamcruzin]

13 hours ago, Kabuki12 said:

Every lobster tail I have had on Princess has been horrible. Many times it's over cooked and rubbery.  The tails are small.   However, I have had some great cuts of beef on formal night that were cooked to perfection.

My experience on Princess and Celebrity. Dry as a bone on Royal. It was basically a vehicle to push melted butter into my mouth.

[Colorado Coasty]

13 hours ago, Kabuki12 said:

Every lobster tail I have had on Princess has been horrible. Many times it's over cooked and rubbery.  The tails are small.   However, I have had some great cuts of beef on formal night that were cooked to perfection.

Until you have had a lobster just out of the water off the coast of Maine you will never fully understand what crap Princess serves. Anything else on the menu will be better.

[MissP22]

32 minutes ago, Colorado Coasty said:

Until you have had a lobster just out of the water off the coast of Maine you will never fully understand what crap Princess serves. Anything else on the menu will be better.

If it's served with the large shrimp, they're a better choice to ask for more.

[Crystaltipps67]

Also not wanting to put a downer on this but on our recent Sky cruise the lobster in the MDR was tiny, tough and tasteless. And the menu is crystal clear that if you want any additional lobster tails beyond the one 'free' one that came as part of the surf and turf, then there was an additional charge (I think it was $10 if you wanted extra surf or turf). Now of course that doesn't mean that our waiter wouldn't have brought me a second one for free if I had asked, but I didn't. I wasn't impressed by either part of this dish. Had some other lovely meals in the MDR so not just being picky about this.

[Colorado Coasty]

1 hour ago, Crystaltipps67 said:

Also not wanting to put a downer on this but on our recent Sky cruise the lobster in the MDR was tiny, tough and tasteless. And the menu is crystal clear that if you want any additional lobster tails beyond the one 'free' one that came as part of the surf and turf, then there was an additional charge (I think it was $10 if you wanted extra surf or turf). Now of course that doesn't mean that our waiter wouldn't have brought me a second one for free if I had asked, but I didn't. I wasn't impressed by either part of this dish. Had some other lovely meals in the MDR so not just being picky about this.

They should pay you to eat it.

[Oxo]

Some lines don't serve lobster in MDR 

Some charge extra for it in MDR.

Some charge extra for 2nd tail.

Personally it is not worth it regardless.

Not true Maine lobster.

Very small tail 2 bites 

 

 

[coo359a2]

Stopped at Bar Harbor while on a NE cruise.  Restaurants and cafes were standing room only with passengers wanting a lobster roll plate at $40/$45.  

[startedwithamouse]

19 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

It was absolutely delish earlier this year and in the MDR, to boot!  
The escargot was top notch!  

Agree. When ships returned in 2021 it was meh.  Late 2022 and 2023, lobster has been really, really good.  Also escargot is delicious too.

[EDVM96]

MDR Lobster Tail on current Regal Princess UK Cruise (the 19$ upcharge version)

It was pretty good.

[startedwithamouse]

16 minutes ago, coo359a2 said:

Stopped at Bar Harbor while on a NE cruise.  Restaurants and cafes were standing room only with passengers wanting a lobster roll plate at $40/$45.  

We grabbed a roll at West Street Lobster in Bar Harbor last month, delicious. Pricey, but worth it.  The lobster plates I recall were even more than $40. Around $65, when you add tax and tip.

[coo359a2]

57 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

We grabbed a roll at West Street Lobster in Bar Harbor last month, delicious. Pricey, but worth it.  The lobster plates I recall were even more than $40. Around $65, when you add tax and tip.

Wow.  That's a big price increase from summer 2022.  Maybe it was just the lobster roll and nothing else.  I don't eat it but was looking at the menus to see what  so many people were eating.

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, coo359a2 said:

Wow.  That's a big price increase from summer 2022.  Maybe it was just the lobster roll and nothing else.  I don't eat it but was looking at the menus to see what  so many people were eating.

Prices weren't listed, so maybe you were looking at something else?  All the lobster items were listed as market price. We inquired when ordering our rolls. 

[Iamcruzin]

On 8/29/2023 at 7:37 PM, Cruise Raider said:

It was absolutely delish earlier this year and in the MDR, to boot!  
The escargot was top notch!  

I'm glad to hear that and considering that you are from SFB I would imagine that you would know good lobster.

[Hlitner]

On 8/30/2023 at 3:51 PM, startedwithamouse said:

We grabbed a roll at West Street Lobster in Bar Harbor last month, delicious. Pricey, but worth it.  The lobster plates I recall were even more than $40. Around $65, when you add tax and tip.

A lobster roll, in one of our favorite Boston places, is currently $38!  That does not include sides, tip, tax.