Sky Princess April 1st Cruise - random jottings.

[jeromep]

On 4/6/2023 at 1:23 AM, villauk said:

Bangers and mash for formal night 😮!
 

May I ask if you can get Malbec anywhere on the ship? If it’s still not available, like last year on Enchanted, then we’ll bring our own.

Yeah, that was my reaction, bangers and mash on a formal night?  That's pub lunch fare on sea days.  would I eat it?  I'd sure consider it, but only if there was nothing else on the menu that really struck me.

 

On 4/5/2023 at 2:56 PM, wowzz said:

My wife had the New York strip, which was basically a lot of gristle.

That's terrible to hear.  Both for her meal enjoyment, but indicates that the cuts of meat are not very good grade.  NY strip should never be full of gristle, especially if the grade of beef is reasonably decent.  If this beef were provisioned in the U.S., if it were USDA Prime or Choice that wouldn't be the case.  Sounds like they are going low cost on some of their meat suppliers.

[jeromep]

On 4/6/2023 at 5:31 AM, wowzz said:

Even on normal nights the choice can be odd !

For example, one of the main courses tonight is Bubble & Squeak. How is that refined dining? 

Again, an odd thing to have in the MDR on a formal night.  I think Bubble & Squeak is great.  We have an "Irish" pub in town, really more of a townie bar (at least it isn't a pick-up bar), and they have dinner hours, and Bubble & Squeak with a side of soda bread and a side salad on the menu.  It is my favorite dish of theirs.  I have no idea how authentic it is, but its creamy and tastes great.  It doesn't look like much on the plate, and that is why I wouldn't think it to be MDR food.

 

Cruise food has to taste good.  It is nice when something comes out of the kitchen and looks like a piece of modern art sculpture, however if it has no flavor, or doesn't taste right, who cares what it looks like.

 

Really enjoying this thread.  Sure seems like this is a good cruise, overall.

[mrmarklin]

Bubble and squeak is analogous to French ratatouille. Definitely not a main course. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by mrmarklin

[Essex_uk]

Sailing on 3rd June cant wait for Pie & Mash but never eaten it dressed in formal attire.😀

Should I wear jeans with DJ & bow tie, im sure it would raise the odd eyebrow😀

[GonzoWCS]

18 minutes ago, Essex_uk said:

Sailing on 3rd June cant wait for Pie & Mash but never eaten it dressed in formal attire.😀

Should I wear jeans with DJ & bow tie, im sure it would raise the odd eyebrow😀

and no shirt... 😇

 

Cheers

[wowzz]

41 minutes ago, Essex_uk said:

Sailing on 3rd June cant wait for Pie & Mash but never eaten it dressed in formal attire.😀

Should I wear jeans with DJ & bow tie, im sure it would raise the odd eyebrow😀

Have you got a nice Pearly King type jacket you could wear ? 

[CarolRoy]

How are the ports?  Are you doing any excursions (Princess or independent)?

[sunviking90]

12 hours ago, jeromep said:

Yeah, that was my reaction, bangers and mash on a formal night?  That's pub lunch fare on sea days.  would I eat it?  I'd sure consider it, but only if there was nothing else on the menu that really struck me.

 

That's terrible to hear.  Both for her meal enjoyment, but indicates that the cuts of meat are not very good grade.  NY strip should never be full of gristle, especially if the grade of beef is reasonably decent.  If this beef were provisioned in the U.S., if it were USDA Prime or Choice that wouldn't be the case.  Sounds like they are going low cost on some of their meat suppliers.

I had a NY strip on the Royal Princess in January out of SFO and it was also gristle. Probably the worst steak I’ve ever been served. Pretty much inedible and that certainly was provisioned out of the US. 

[jeromep]

3 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

I had a NY strip on the Royal Princess in January out of SFO and it was also gristle. Probably the worst steak I’ve ever been served. Pretty much inedible and that certainly was provisioned out of the US. 

I'm disappointed to hear that.  If this plays out on more than a handful of ships in the fleet, it probably indicates that they are buying really low grade cuts.  If my memory servers from an Ultimate Ship Tour I took many years ago, at least out of the U.S., they buy boxed beef.  Similar to how a grocery store that has a meat department with meat cutters will buy boxes of Cryovaecd beef cuts and then butcher them on site.  A steak is only as good as the side of beef that it comes from.  If the beef quarters or boxed pieces are not good quality, very few, or possibly none, of the steaks that are cut from that piece will be any good.

[Essex_uk]

14 hours ago, wowzz said:

Have you got a nice Pearly King type jacket you could wear ? 

It just so happens!

[wowzz]

15 hours ago, CarolRoy said:

How are the ports?  Are you doing any excursions (Princess or independent)?

So far, all the ports we have visited before, so mainly we just stroll around the town. And today, in Gib, we are just  staying on board. 

We are going on a tour with Spain Day Tours in Bilbao.

[wowzz]

For those of you interested,  talking to our steward,  he told me he is responsible for 18 cabins, a mixture of minisuites,  balcony cabins and interior cabins, some with four berths.

He has no other work, so no helping out in restaurants, bars etc.

No turn down service,  but we have not asked for it. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

 talking to our steward,  he told me he is responsible for 18 cabins, a mixture of minisuites,  balcony cabins and interior cabins, some with four berths.

 

I've seen several past threads where various people wondered about this... Of course, *if* he had other duties his "cabin load" might be less.

[bunny76]

I was wondering what the buffet is like on Sky? Can you self-serve tea and coffee? Is there cutlery( silverware) already on the tables ?  

(We were not allowed to self-serve tea or coffee on Regal in Nov 2022 so hoping perhaps with the easing of covid rules, that has now changed on this class of ship?) 

[david63]

34 minutes ago, wowzz said:

he is responsible for 18 cabins,

That is about right for Carnival brands - depending on the layout of the ship.

 

From my observations a cabin steward has between 18 and 22 cabins.

[nunyabidness]

28 minutes ago, david63 said:

That is about right for Carnival brands - depending on the layout of the ship.

 

From my observations a cabin steward has between 18 and 22 cabins.

Not Carnival itself.  When they stopped offering twice daily service the stewards had their number of assigned rooms almost (if not actually) double.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, bunny76 said:

I was wondering what the buffet is like on Sky? Can you self-serve tea and coffee? Is there cutlery( silverware) already on the tables ?  

(We were not allowed to self-serve tea or coffee on Regal in Nov 2022 so hoping perhaps with the easing of covid rules, that has now changed on this class of ship?) 

Yes you can self serve, but plenty of staff available if you want your drinks delivered. Cutlery is available on every table, wrapped in a napkin.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, bunny76 said:

I was wondering what the buffet is like on Sky? Can you self-serve tea and coffee? Is there cutlery( silverware) already on the tables ?  

(We were not allowed to self-serve tea or coffee on Regal in Nov 2022 so hoping perhaps with the easing of covid rules, that has now changed on this class of ship?) 

Yes you can self serve, but plenty of staff available if you want your drinks delivered. Cutlery is available on every table, wrapped in a napkin.

[wowzz]

Crown Grill tonight.

Food was excellent. Our Filet Mignon steaks were superb.

Obviously, not being American, we have no point of reference for US comparison purposes. 

Personally I couldn't care what grade of meat it was, which seems to be of significance to Americans, but it would be good to know if the cattle were grass reared, free of antibiotics, and also how long the beef was hung. 

Anyway, we had a good  meal with reasonable service.

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by wowzz

[lucas34]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Yes you can self serve, but plenty of staff available if you want your drinks delivered. Cutlery is available on every table, wrapped in a napkin.

Great and the food is also selfservice or by plates?

[lucas34]

On 4/8/2023 at 6:52 PM, Essex_uk said:

Sailing on 3rd June cant wait for Pie & Mash but never eaten it dressed in formal attire.😀

Should I wear jeans with DJ & bow tie, im sure it would raise the odd eyebrow😀

Sorry but is that ture that Sky Princess' gala dinner is now pie and mash? In 1992 we had at Star Princess caviar beef wellington lobster and pheasant.

[wowzz]

12 hours ago, lucas34 said:

Great and the food is also selfservice or by plates?

Food is self serve.

[wowzz]

13 hours ago, lucas34 said:

Sorry but is that ture that Sky Princess' gala dinner is now pie and mash? In 1992 we had at Star Princess caviar beef wellington lobster and pheasant.

Well, sausage and mash anyway !

Things have moved on since 1992, and prices are much,  much cheaper, in real terms.

[sujay]

On 4/1/2023 at 11:11 PM, wowzz said:

Just an observation. Ordered about six rounds of drinks today for Mrs W and I. No problem.

But interestingly enough, all the bar staff just asked for our cabin number.  Absolutely no one scanned my Medallion. 

Probably be .because it picks it up automatically,they jyst check your pic to confirm it's you.

[sujay]

14 hours ago, lucas34 said:

Sorry but is that ture that Sky Princess' gala dinner is now pie and mash? In 1992 we had at Star Princess caviar beef wellington lobster and pheasant.

Seen menu for gala dinner and it includes tenderloin steak & lobster. Dont remrmber pie & mash!!