Grand class ships - limited free food

[cusematt4]

Hi all,

 

We were looking mg to book a cruise on a grand class ship after not having sailed with princess for awhile.

 

We are now concerned about the new dining changes.  We don’t want to pay an extra $80 a day for premier for sailings that are priced in line with other cruise lines at the standard fares.

 

I’m pretty surprised that princess won’t even have the ability to get a mere slice of pizza for a snack during the day without a charge, with those on the plus package at $60 a day limited to two visits to Alfredo’s for a snack (with only the 3 course option to be available twice to those at this level).

 

Will there be anywhere except the buffet to grab a snack and/or meal for those at the standard fare (and even for those at plus outside of the 2 per cruise Alfredo’s or vines visits) outside of the 3 meal times for the dining room rooms?  Every cruise line has multiple free snack venues throughout the days and nights, and I’m wondering if there will be even a mere one free snack/food venue aside from the buffet.

 

Thank you.

Edited July 31, 2023 by cusematt4

[Doug R.]

8 minutes ago, cusematt4 said:

Hi all,

 

We were looking mg to book a cruise on a grand class ship after not having sailed with princess for awhile.

 

We are now concerned about the new dining changes.  We don’t want to pay an extra $80 a day for premier for sailings that are priced in line with other cruise lines at the standard fares.

 

I’m pretty surprised that princess won’t even have the ability to get a mere slice of pizza for a snack during the day without a charge, with those on the plus package at $60 a day limited to two visits to Alfredo’s for a snack (with only the 3 course option to be available twice to those at this level).

 

Will there be anywhere except the buffet to grab a snack and/or meal for those at the standard fare (and even for those at plus outside of the 2 per cruise Alfredo’s or vines visits) outside of the 3 meal times for the dining room rooms?  Every cruise line has multiple free snack venues throughout the days and nights, and I’m wondering if there will be even a mere one free snack/food venue aside from the buffet.

 

Thank you.

First of all, Grand class ships do not have an Alfredos/Gigis. Even the ships that do have a pizza place on the lido deck where you can

[erber]

There are multiple complimentary options in grand class ships, including International Cafe usually on deck 5, Salty Dog Grill usually on the Lido deck ( formerly called Trident Grill) for hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken sandwiches, and Slice pizza on the Lido deck for 2 to 3 types of pizza by the slice. 

[PacnGoNow]

8 minutes ago, cusematt4 said:

Hi all,

 

We were looking mg to book a cruise on a grand class ship after not having sailed with princess for awhile.

 

We are now concerned about the new dining changes.  We don’t want to pay an extra $80 a day for premier for sailings that are priced in line with other cruise lines at the standard fares.

 

I’m pretty surprised that princess won’t even have the ability to get a mere slice of pizza for a snack during the day without a charge, with those on the plus package at $60 a day limited to two visits to Alfredo’s for a snack (with only the 3 course option to be available twice to those at this level).

 

Will there be anywhere except the buffet to grab a snack and/or meal for those at the standard fare (and even for those at plus outside of the 2 per cruise Alfredo’s or vines visits) outside of the 3 meal times for the dining room rooms?  Every cruise line has multiple free snack venues throughout the days and nights, and I’m wondering if there will be even a mere one free snack/food venue aside from the buffet.

 

Thank you.

You don’t say what ship, but don’t forget about the Slice pizza and the grill onbthe Lido deck near the pool.  Aldo, IC International Cafe is s great place to pick up s snack or light meal 24 hours a day.

[cusematt4]

Thanks so much this is good to know and a little reassuring that we won’t have to spend money every time we want a snack (aside from the buffet which we typically try to avoid).

 

We are looking at the sapphire princess.

 

Is the pizza at slice comparable to that at Alfredo’s (brick oven)?  Usually buffet pizza is substantially worse than pizza venues on ships - wondering if slice compares more to Alfredo’s vs the buffet.

 

Thanks for the info.

[stoneharborlady]

31 minutes ago, cusematt4 said:

Thanks so much this is good to know and a little reassuring that we won’t have to spend money every time we want a snack (aside from the buffet which we typically try to avoid).

 

We are looking at the sapphire princess.

 

Is the pizza at slice comparable to that at Alfredo’s (brick oven)?  Usually buffet pizza is substantially worse than pizza venues on ships - wondering if slice compares more to Alfredo’s vs the buffet.

 

Thanks for the info.

Slice on the Lido deck serves wonderful pizza, and has a very good reputation with many Princess cruisers.

[PacnGoNow]

38 minutes ago, cusematt4 said:

Thanks so much this is good to know and a little reassuring that we won’t have to spend money every time we want a snack (aside from the buffet which we typically try to avoid).

 

We are looking at the sapphire princess.

 

Is the pizza at slice comparable to that at Alfredo’s (brick oven)?  Usually buffet pizza is substantially worse than pizza venues on ships - wondering if slice compares more to Alfredo’s vs the buffet.

 

Thanks for the info.

Prego is good and a welcome change after you want something a little different.
 

My fave is still Alfredo’s/Gigi’s though.  You do have one on deck 5.  We usually split the pizza, as it’s plenty.  I think the a la carte is $12 for a pizza starting in August if you’re on standard fare.

 

Try the IC International Cafe has a lot of nice options for breakfasts, lunch or snacks.  

 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

1 hour ago, Doug R. said:

First of all, Grand class ships do not have an Alfredos/Gigis. Even the ships that do have a pizza place on the lido deck where you can

The Grand Princess and Sapphire Princess are two grand class ships that have Alfredo’s on deck 5. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

1 hour ago, cusematt4 said:

Thanks so much this is good to know and a little reassuring that we won’t have to spend money every time we want a snack (aside from the buffet which we typically try to avoid).

 

We are looking at the sapphire princess.

 

Is the pizza at slice comparable to that at Alfredo’s (brick oven)?  Usually buffet pizza is substantially worse than pizza venues on ships - wondering if slice compares more to Alfredo’s vs the buffet.

 

Thanks for the info.

The Sapphire is an excellent choice for any sailing. My favorite princess ship. She has an Alfredo’s and her pizza on the upper decks is quite good. As are the burgers, hotdogs (really so good) and chicken tacos at the grill up there. You will not go hungry on a grand class ship.  I most recently sailed her in April this year. The nice bit about Alfredo’s is that it’s an indoor sit down venue so a bit nicer unless you’re in the pools and what not on the upper decks. The pizzas will be $12 each and they are definitely big enough for two (well unless you’re a 17 year old boy who’s still growing lol). 
 

I was a never buffet girl too until this last Sapphire sailing. I really enjoyed getting fresh salads, fruits and boy the proteins were amazingly good!  I liked how fast it all was and how I could get exactly what and how much I wanted of each thing. I avoided the most crowded times (our ship sailed full) and found it to be quiet with great views!  Always got a window seat!  Can’t say that about MDR lol. 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, cusematt4 said:

I’m pretty surprised that princess won’t even have the ability to get a mere slice of pizza for a snack during the day without a charge

Where are you getting this from?  Not true.

[skynight]

On Grand Class ships the DR's, buffet, lido deck grill, slice pizza, International Cafe are as they always were, no charge for food. Some Grand Class ships have a Salty Dog Gastropub. There has always been a charge there. The Grand and Sapphire have Alfredo's which up until now only served pizza. No reports if they will be changing to the 3 course meal with a charge. Those ships with Vines will probably add a new menu. Fairly certain the wine bar will still operate, but without the sushi/tapas provided with the wine.

Look for other casual locations to open on Grand Class ships. Some will succeed, some will fail.  It is the new model. 

[memoak]

For most Grand class ships except for the two mentioned these changes do not mean much. The only casual restaurant is Salty Dog at the Wheelhouse bar and it has always had a charge. There are no free sit down casual restaurants on most ships

[voljeep]

we kept PLUS50 on the CB - we upgraded to Premier on the SUN P in 2024

[dides]

5 hours ago, skynight said:

On Grand Class ships the DR's, buffet, lido deck grill, slice pizza, International Cafe are as they always were, no charge for food. Some Grand Class ships have a Salty Dog Gastropub. There has always been a charge there. The Grand and Sapphire have Alfredo's which up until now only served pizza. No reports if they will be changing to the 3 course meal with a charge.

 

Those ships with Vines will probably add a new menu. Fairly certain the wine bar will still operate, but without the sushi/tapas provided with the wine.

 

 Actually the new Alfredo's menu (for Grand/Sapphire/Island/Coral) released to TAs as part of the changes this week HAS been changed to a 3 course meal.

Alfredos 1.pdf

 

One appetizer and one dessert has magically appeared to ensure they can provide a fixed priced menu!

 

 

 

Sapphire has Vines and the new fixed price menu is also available

Vines.pdf

 

[arizonaperson]

@cusematt4

snacks at International cafe ( 24 hrs)and Trident Grill. 11 am to 9:30 pm approximately. ( menu posted) complimentary at the moment and there is a Alfredo’s onboard. (Sapphire Princess)True when the changes happen Alfredos will have a $12 charge for a whole pizza, if on standard fare. There is also a Prego pizzeria.(11am to 9:30 pm approximately) currently complimentary sliced pizza.

Edited July 31, 2023 by arizonaperson

[icat2000]

Plenty of free food to eat on the Grand Princess. Dining rooms, buffet, pizza place, burger place, International cafe. There probably other places.

 

[arizonaperson]

3 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

Plenty of free food to eat on the Grand Princess. Dining rooms, buffet, pizza place, burger place, International cafe. There probably other places.

 

Op/ author was looking at a grand class ship ,not the grand princess and then said he or she was looking at the sapphire princess to go on a cruise.

[icat2000]

4 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

Op/ author was looking at a grand class ship ,not the grand princess and then said he or she was looking at the sapphire princess to go on a cruise.

Ok. They should ask the question in  Pescado Amarillo thread as she is cruising on that ship at the moment. That way they can get real time information.

Edited August 1, 2023 by icat2000

[arizonaperson]

16 hours ago, icat2000 said:

Ok. They should ask the question in  Pescado Amarillo thread as she is cruising on that ship at the moment. That way they can get real time information.

Agree, she has a great blog. Actually the pictures( menus) I posted are straight from her blog -so they’re very current for Sapphire Princess 

[rj59]

I think the International Cafe beats similar lines like HAL and Celebrity for variety of free, 24-hour food. I'm an early riser, so would get a coffee and a breakfast of fruit cup, egg muffin, and pastry and find a nice window in the atrium with a sea view. Slice pizza still is the best at sea, with daily specials--I wait until I see a new pizza coming out of the oven, whereas Alfredo's has more inconsistent quality, often with little choose or burnt crust with bulges. If you go on Majestic, they also have a great noodle bar, also with daily specials. On some ships I remember a free pub lunch on sea days if there's a Salty Dog pub, and a free pizza/pasta lunch in Sabatini's, but that may have changed. The hours of the buffet are also quite extensive, and overlap quite a bit, so there always seems to be at least one section open at all times from early in the morning until late at night. I believe it's the only line with 24-hour food through the International Cafe, except for maybe stale pizza or cookies on Royal C. I also find it convenient to keep some food in my cabin, such as cereal boxes and milk, bananas, and I use a plastic tray to bring back my own room service, like a cheese/fruit plate for a late-night snack, or I bring back some popcorn from Swirls when there's an evening movie (if they haven't yet started charging for outdoor movie tickets for non-Plus people). 

[cruisingrob21]

On 7/30/2023 at 5:18 PM, cusematt4 said:

Hi all,

 

We were looking mg to book a cruise on a grand class ship after not having sailed with princess for awhile.

 

If you haven't sailed on Princess in a while and want to just get "princess standard", all things being equal it will look and feel much the same as it did when you last sailed, especially on a grand class ship (Sapphire being one).  Alfredos was only added to certain ships within the last 5 or 6 years so beyond that, most everything will be the same.  Dining rooms (5 on the sapphire) are still included, intl cafe is included, Lido deck pizza and burger grill are still included.   Crown Grill, Sterling Steakhouse, and Alfredos Pizza will be extra.

[cruisequeen4ever]

On 7/30/2023 at 4:34 PM, cusematt4 said:

Thanks so much this is good to know and a little reassuring that we won’t have to spend money every time we want a snack (aside from the buffet which we typically try to avoid).

 

We are looking at the sapphire princess.

 

Is the pizza at slice comparable to that at Alfredo’s (brick oven)?  Usually buffet pizza is substantially worse than pizza venues on ships - wondering if slice compares more to Alfredo’s vs the buffet.

 

Thanks for the info.

The free slices of pizza at Slice/Prego by the pool are not buffet pizza. They’re baked in a pizza oven, and they’re delicious. 

[chubbypiggy]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:43 AM, skynight said:

On Grand Class ships the DR's, buffet, lido deck grill, slice pizza, International Cafe are as they always were, no charge for food. Some Grand Class ships have a Salty Dog Gastropub. There has always been a charge there. The Grand and Sapphire have Alfredo's which up until now only served pizza. No reports if they will be changing to the 3 course meal with a charge. Those ships with Vines will probably add a new menu. Fairly certain the wine bar will still operate, but without the sushi/tapas provided with the wine.

Look for other casual locations to open on Grand Class ships. Some will succeed, some will fail.  It is the new model. 

International Cafe is on all Grand Class ships? We will be cruising on the Diamond next month.  Just look at the deck plan (on Princess website) for the Diamond, and don't see any International Cafe.

[KillerSnake]

On 7/30/2023 at 7:29 PM, Doug R. said:

First of all, Grand class ships do not have an Alfredos/Gigis. Even the ships that do have a pizza place on the lido deck where you can

disregard....................I missed a sentance in the OP.

Edited August 2, 2023 by KillerSnake
Correction

[UT-Volsfan]

1 hour ago, chubbypiggy said:

International Cafe is on all Grand Class ships? We will be cruising on the Diamond next month.  Just look at the deck plan (on Princess website) for the Diamond, and don't see any International Cafe.

Take a look at this article on Cruise Critic describing the International Cafe and the ships it is currently on. Afraid you are correct, it is not on the Diamond.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/international-cafe-on-princess-cruises-a-simple-yet-satisfying-cruise-cafe-concept