Prima MDR Menu update :(

[vacation44]

10 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

But the added Cagney's steak options have an upcharge. I can see that the Wellington would be more labor intensive to prepare, but they could have replaced it with a non-upcharge item.

 

 

Or perhaps just put the filet on the menu (no upcharge) without the wellington?

 

[stefmaia]

2 hours ago, rxlowry said:

Yet reviews of Prima are not good.  I’ve been cruising since the 80s but and I’ve seen the changes.  Some good, some not.  It’s the big picture of the cutbacks.  So many happening since my last NCL cruise which was only November.  I’ve always been able to roll with the cuts NCL has made as they’ve been spread out but this might be too much.  I’ll see in about two weeks.  

are you on the Feb 5th sailing out of Port Canaveral?

[sailorusvi]

30 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

I guess I started the "fuss".  I don't really care if Mac and Cheese is or isn't on the menu.  I was commenting on Bird's position that the Mac and Cheese was cut because no one was ordering it.   I find that hard to believe.  The cut also contradicts Bird's earlier position that NCL was " catering to the desires of the contemporary cruiser".   As others have pointed out, Mac and Cheese is very popular, at the moment, in the US.

So my comments were a response to Bird, not so much about Mac and Cheese.

 

I don't get taking off the mac-n-cheese either, but sometimes something seems like it should be a winner doesn't sell like one would think.     Or they just changed for the sake of changing or based on product availability or of course, costs.

 

I've seen current menus floating around, but only use them as a guide. I'm not under any impression they keep the same menu until my trip.  Some items will come and go. Normal in my world.

 

At my work we change the menu DAILY!  It's such a PITA. Some items stay. (i.e. burgers), but we might have filet this week, then prime rib next week (which we charge $58 for 😳 - maybe that is why I don't think twice over a $10 upgrade? 🤷‍♀️)

Edited January 25, 2023 by sailorusvi

[The Traveling Man]

On 1/24/2023 at 11:43 AM, Karaboudjan said:

 

I doubt there is enough consistency for that to work well.  It's probably like you serve 75 Beef Wellington some nights and 125 other nights.  Unfortunately they probably could not come up with a Sustainable cocktail based on leftover Wellingtons...  😉

 

 

When we sailed on the Pr1ma in September we attended the "Sustainability Cocktail" event with other Diamond and Ambassador Latitudes members.  I doubt that we'll do that again, as some of the concoctions that Clarence "The Chocolate Cowboy" served us were just simply noxious.  And yes, I do seem to recall that the ingredients of one of them included pureed leftover beef !

[The Traveling Man]

6 hours ago, PATRLR said:

I'm curious Bird, do you think these executive chefs that you speak with would tell you if they removed something due to cost?  

Bird:  "Why did you remove the Beef Wellington"
ExecChef: "Filet Mignon has gotten to be too expensive so we had to take it off the menu"

Do you really think they would ever tell you that?  I doubt it.

I had a conversation years ago with NCL General Manager Manny.  Actually it was so long ago that the title was still Hotel Director.  I asked him "Why did NCL eliminate 'Lobster Night' at the MDR?  It was always so popular."  "Because lobster became too expensive" was his reply.

[sailorusvi]

1 minute ago, The Traveling Man said:

I had a conversation years ago with NCL General Manager Manny.  Actually it was so long ago that the title was still Hotel Director.  I asked him "Why did NCL eliminate 'Lobster Night' at the MDR?  It was always so popular."  "Because lobster became too expensive" was his reply.

 

I believe it, we were charging $32 for a lobster roll this summer and not making money.  It was insane.   We had some functions already booked with lobster on the menu and we lost a lot money as a result.  Stopped offering this year as we do not know what the cost is going to be and the meeting planners didn't want to pay the increased price. 

[oteixeira]

This has been an interesting thread for me.  For those of you thinking this is isolated to NCL, you should go check out the Celebrity forum right now and the full on pictures of each night in the buffet where they have cut out tons of fan favorites to save money.  And that is supposed to be an "upscale" line.  It is happening everywhere

I am disappointed the the Wellington did not make it to a cruise I might have been on, I really wanted to try it.  As for mac and cheese....I can get that from a food truck around my house most days, and that is not what I consider fine dining.  People go on cruises for different things.  I tend to try to eat upscale, I know others love comfort foods.  To each our own.

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

This has been an interesting thread for me.  For those of you thinking this is isolated to NCL, you should go check out the Celebrity forum right now and the full on pictures of each night in the buffet where they have cut out tons of fan favorites to save money.  And that is supposed to be an "upscale" line.  It is happening everywhere

I am disappointed the the Wellington did not make it to a cruise I might have been on, I really wanted to try it.  As for mac and cheese....I can get that from a food truck around my house most days, and that is not what I consider fine dining.  People go on cruises for different things.  I tend to try to eat upscale, I know others love comfort foods.  To each our own.

I have to ask (and I'm truly not trying to be flip), where have you found upscale food on NCL? 

 

Also...the Celebrity forum is an absolute train wreck right now. I've enjoyed lurking the last couple weeks! 

[oteixeira]

1 minute ago, cruiseny4life said:

I have to ask (and I'm truly not trying to be flip), where have you found upscale food on NCL? 

 

Also...the Celebrity forum is an absolute train wreck right now. I've enjoyed lurking the last couple weeks! 

The Haven restaurant.  Also, maybe what I consider upscale is not super upscale.  I dunno, so I will say upscale to me.  :)  

[Team Bean]

I love posts like this.  You run the full gauntlet here:. Passengers convinced NCL is really screwing them by removing higher end options, other passengers going the other way and making assumptions about why, who, where menu items are removed or altered.   Here's the fact: NCL is a for profit business.  If a cost is higher, of course it runs the risk if being removed.  If something is labor intensive (like beef Wellington), it runs the risk if being removed.   Prima menu is unique at NCL since it doesn't change daily.   Regardless of what anyone may want different, this has been the plan for Prima since it first touched the water. I never expected the menu to remain unchanged.  It is an ongoing evolution.  So stating that NCL is nickel and diming us,, or going the other way and listing all the reasons NCL has to cut items is an exercise in futility.  NCL is trying to improve it's stock price so that it can continue to improve it's financial position and yes, even survive during difficult financial times.   If it can cut costs and still offer good value (and like most Cruise lines, it still does with or without Beef Wellington!), It will gladly continue taking deposits for sailings.  Which, by the way, are at a record pace.  

[rxlowry]

2 hours ago, stefmaia said:

are you on the Feb 5th sailing out of Port Canaveral?

No, I’m on Encore in February 

[rxlowry]

38 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

When we sailed on the Pr1ma in September we attended the "Sustainability Cocktail" event with other Diamond and Ambassador Latitudes members.  I doubt that we'll do that again, as some of the concoctions that Clarence "The Chocolate Cowboy" served us were just simply noxious.  And yes, I do seem to recall that the ingredients of one of them included pureed leftover beef !

Beef??  It wasn’t just the ones served at the sail and sustain bar?

[cruiseny4life]

6 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

The Haven restaurant.  Also, maybe what I consider upscale is not super upscale.  I dunno, so I will say upscale to me.  🙂

Sorry...I really wasn't trying to be a jerk (hard to believe, I know). Was curious if you knew of a restaurant I didn't. Because I'd totally be there! 🙂 

 

Thank you! You're right that the Haven food is absolutely yummy! I'm still remembering the wonderful tomahawk pork chop I had three weeks ago. Mmmmm

[ontheweb]

Funny, our first NCL cruise was from NY City to Bermuda on the former Norwegian Crown in 2006, and there was someone complaining constantly on these boards that he did not pay a premium price to eat macaroni and cheese!

[gkbiiii]

5 hours ago, Team Bean said:

I love posts like this.  You run the full gauntlet here:. Passengers convinced NCL is really screwing them by removing higher end options, other passengers going the other way and making assumptions about why, who, where menu items are removed or altered.   Here's the fact: NCL is a for profit business.  If a cost is higher, of course it runs the risk if being removed.  If something is labor intensive (like beef Wellington), it runs the risk if being removed.   Prima menu is unique at NCL since it doesn't change daily.   Regardless of what anyone may want different, this has been the plan for Prima since it first touched the water. I never expected the menu to remain unchanged.  It is an ongoing evolution.  So stating that NCL is nickel and diming us,, or going the other way and listing all the reasons NCL has to cut items is an exercise in futility.  NCL is trying to improve it's stock price so that it can continue to improve it's financial position and yes, even survive during difficult financial times.   If it can cut costs and still offer good value (and like most Cruise lines, it still does with or without Beef Wellington!), It will gladly continue taking deposits for sailings.  Which, by the way, are at a record pace.  

I'm calling BS here: NCL is owed by Private Equity, ie. a Private Company.  There is no "stock price" involved here.  This is the same "crap" they tried with me, on the Southampton, Maiden Voyage on the Epic.  "garbage in, garbage out," NCL just can't wait to "Nickel & Dime" you to death, while reducing staffing, salaries, and crew deck privilege's.  How about reducing top executive pay and Private Equities earnings?

[CruizinSusan70]

On 1/24/2023 at 9:23 AM, rxlowry said:

So the Beef Wellington is gone already?

🤬🤬🤬🤬

Enjoyed it multiple times on our 11 night repo from Galveston.  Was looking forward to it on our B2B at the end of February.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 1/24/2023 at 10:42 AM, FLAHAM said:

All you need is a Time Machine back to 1965.

But they might then be in their mother's womb while she was smoking and drinking.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 1/24/2023 at 2:57 PM, BirdTravels said:

Nope. Why provision and cook something that sells a few orders a night. This has always been NCL philosophy. Even with the old MDR menus (which are on every other ship). If something isn't selling, they 86 it from the menu. Very Smart Business. 

You honestly think that the most expensive item on the menu isn't selling?  It was the only dish that really differentiated itself from the rest of the fleet.   You might get it once on a typical 7 day cruise.  On the Prima, you could have had it every night if you wanted.  It was the one entree that gave those sailing in steerage what it was like to get a top of the line entree each night similar to what they serve in the Haven.  And now, poof, it's gone. 

Quit drinking the NCL Kool Aid.  Bottom line, it's a cost saving to swap out Beef Wellington for strip steak.

[Zippeedee]

4 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

I'm calling BS here: NCL is owed by Private Equity, ie. a Private Company.  There is no "stock price" involved here.  This is the same "crap" they tried with me, on the Southampton, Maiden Voyage on the Epic.  "garbage in, garbage out," NCL just can't wait to "Nickel & Dime" you to death, while reducing staffing, salaries, and crew deck privilege's.  How about reducing top executive pay and Private Equities earnings?

As an NCLH stockholder, granted just the basic 100 shares to get OBC variety, all I can say is huh? Explanation please.

[gkbiiii]

1 hour ago, Zippeedee said:

As an NCLH stockholder, granted just the basic 100 shares to get OBC variety, all I can say is huh? Explanation please.

Well NCL used to be private, when did they become public?

[saltsandknit]

3 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

Well NCL used to be private, when did they become public?

2013

[awinte2]

Lol well this certainly is an interesting thread.  I will be on the Prima Feb 5th sailing and we are dissappointed that the Beef Wellington is gone, as well as Noise Boys but will judge this cruise as I have any other after it is over.  

We have cruised with Princess many times and last year on a 16 day cruise we had Lobster Tails, Beef Wellington  on 2 dress up nights during the cruise.  Have cruised many times with NCL without these features.  

All cruise lines are in the same situation as a lot of other business in the hospitality industry.  We seasoned cruisers will miss what we use to have but new cruisers will not know the difference. 

I believe every business has to be concerned about their bottom line or they will not stay in business and we the people have the choice to stay with them or explore other avenues.  

That is the great to have people . The Choice is yours.

Just a note to Bird Travels.  I so love the time you take to do live reviews.  They are so helpful.

[stefmaia]

59 minutes ago, awinte2 said:

Lol well this certainly is an interesting thread.  I will be on the Prima Feb 5th sailing and we are dissappointed that the Beef Wellington is gone, as well as Noise Boys but will judge this cruise as I have any other after it is over.  

We have cruised with Princess many times and last year on a 16 day cruise we had Lobster Tails, Beef Wellington  on 2 dress up nights during the cruise.  Have cruised many times with NCL without these features.  

All cruise lines are in the same situation as a lot of other business in the hospitality industry.  We seasoned cruisers will miss what we use to have but new cruisers will not know the difference. 

I believe every business has to be concerned about their bottom line or they will not stay in business and we the people have the choice to stay with them or explore other avenues.  

That is the great to have people . The Choice is yours.

Just a note to Bird Travels.  I so love the time you take to do live reviews.  They are so helpful.

See you on board, I feel as you do. Go with the flow, be amenable to change and new things. We cant afford to be set in our ways , the world will leave us behind.....

[BirdTravels]

13 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You honestly think that the most expensive item on the menu isn't selling?  It was the only dish that really differentiated itself from the rest of the fleet.   You might get it once on a typical 7 day cruise.  On the Prima, you could have had it every night if you wanted.  It was the one entree that gave those sailing in steerage what it was like to get a top of the line entree each night similar to what they serve in the Haven.  And now, poof, it's gone. 

Quit drinking the NCL Kool Aid.  Bottom line, it's a cost saving to swap out Beef Wellington for strip steak.

Maybe read my earlier post on the wellington. You're taking a post responding to cream spinach and mac & cheese and applying it to the wellington. Like the main stream media who takes things totally out of context and spins it... Fake news. 

 

BTW: The strip steak was always on the Prima menu. Again, fake news. 

Edited January 26, 2023 by BirdTravels

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Maybe read my earlier post on the wellington. You're taking a post responding to cream spinach and mac & cheese and applying it to the wellington. Like the main stream media who takes things totally out of context and spins it... Fake news. 

 

BTW: The strip steak was always on the Prima menu. Again, fake news. 

Bottom line is the removal of the beef wellington is a cost saving measure and no saluting of the NCL flag will change that.  

On the boards of NCL, RCI, Carnival and MSC there are loyalists that will defend their cruise line of choice and any attempt to discredit anything that their favorite line does is met with distain and the loyalists will deflect the criticism all of the time.

Don't care about Mac n cheese, creamed spinach or the addition of fish n chips, but the elimination of beef wellington will just be adjusted by attending Indulge an additional night.