The new lunch menu

[memoak]

We just got off a short 20 day on the Crown.  Have to agree the lunch menu on sea days is boring. Also the grill items were not good at all. We ended up using 2 casual dining credits at Vines for lunch

[MustangGT]

53 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

OMG! Really? A monte cristo? Almost worth dumping my favorite chicken korma. And I do like their cobb salad

Don’t get too excited about the “Monte Cristo”

Photo credit to @Bimmer09 - this is his Monte Cristo on the Ruby earlier this year.

Doesn’t look quite right! 

[startedwithamouse]

4 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

We just completed a 7-day cruise and were totally not impressed with the new lunch menu.

We were so not impressed that we're cancelling a 54-day cruise. Can't imaging going on a cruise for 54 days with the same thing for lunch every day.

There are 2 items that rotate on and off the menu, but the majority is the same every...single...day. Of the always available items, half were things that neither of us would eat. 

On 2 days we gave up and went to the buffet. That was not much help. On both days, the carving station had baked chicken and pork roast. 

What has happened to variety? It used to be hard to decide what to eat...not anymore.

Sadly disappointed in this new menu.

There's plenty of variety on the menu, we had the same one on Discovery Princess. 

 

The only items we wouldn't eat are the burger, hot dog and mac and cheese. 

 

We miss the korma, but not a deal breaker. 

 

You can order multiple lunch bites too, they are a good size, not the usual appetizer for dinner size.

[memoak]

12 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

Don’t get too excited about the “Monte Cristo”

Photo credit to @Bimmer09 - this is his Monte Cristo on the Ruby earlier this year.

Doesn’t look quite right! 

Monte Christo in name only. Kind of like the one on Amtrak

[tjcletzgo]

34 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

Don’t get too excited about the “Monte Cristo”

Photo credit to @Bimmer09 - this is his Monte Cristo on the Ruby earlier this year.

Doesn’t look quite right! 

No powered sugar and strawberry jam?????

[MustangGT]

Just now, tjcletzgo said:

No powered sugar and strawberry jam?????

Looks like a basic grilled cheese and ham 😟

[startedwithamouse]

35 minutes ago, memoak said:

Monte Christo in name only. Kind of like the one on Amtrak

We take Amtrak often and bring our own takeaway gourmet boxed lunch.  People always ask where we got it from!

[Pickels]

5 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

We just completed a 7-day cruise and were totally not impressed with the new lunch menu.

We were so not impressed that we're cancelling a 54-day cruise. Can't imaging going on a cruise for 54 days with the same thing for lunch every day.

There are 2 items that rotate on and off the menu, but the majority is the same every...single...day. Of the always available items, half were things that neither of us would eat. 

On 2 days we gave up and went to the buffet. That was not much help. On both days, the carving station had baked chicken and pork roast. 

What has happened to variety? It used to be hard to decide what to eat...not anymore.

Sadly disappointed in this new menu.

If you’re looking for fine dining, you should head for a high quality restaurant not a cruise.

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, Pickels said:

If you’re looking for fine dining, you should head for a high quality restaurant not a cruise.

The interesting thing is that at one time, Princess did have great food. Well, it was a long time ago. Sadly. 

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, Coral said:

The interesting thing is that at one time, Princess did have great food. Well, it was a long time ago. Sadly. 

Lunch had never been really good before. However at least there was a daily changing menu not the boring choices the have today. We only go to MDR for lunch when they have pub lunch

[dickinson]

Has the embarkation lunch changed?

[victory2020]

40 minutes ago, tjcletzgo said:

No powered sugar and strawberry jam?????

Exactly!

[victory2020]

Have the desserts been downgraded also?

[Coral]

13 minutes ago, memoak said:

Lunch had never been really good before. However at least there was a daily changing menu not the boring choices the have today. We only go to MDR for lunch when they have pub lunch

They had great lunch at one time! Maybe I have been cruising for too long. I remember some amazing short ribs, there was a great lasagna (that doesn't mimic any other lasagna I have had on Princess since) and they often had a carbonara pasta in the dining room for lunch. Outstanding dishes.

 

I don't bother going for pub lunch. Not worthy IMO.

Edited February 4 by Coral

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, dickinson said:

Has the embarkation lunch changed?

Rumors are it is still the same.

[PacnGoNow]

11 minutes ago, dickinson said:

Has the embarkation lunch changed?

Still the same.

[dickinson]

Great!

 

[TrixieBel]

6 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

We just completed a 7-day cruise and were totally not impressed with the new lunch menu.

We were so not impressed that we're cancelling a 54-day cruise. Can't imaging going on a cruise for 54 days with the same thing for lunch every day.

There are 2 items that rotate on and off the menu, but the majority is the same every...single...day. Of the always available items, half were things that neither of us would eat. 

On 2 days we gave up and went to the buffet. That was not much help. On both days, the carving station had baked chicken and pork roast. 

What has happened to variety? It used to be hard to decide what to eat...not anymore.

Sadly disappointed in this new menu.

I work in an office in a city. There’s the same choice of places to get my lunch from every single work day and I tend to get similar things to eat each day. How is that any different? For breakfast at home I have 3 standard breakfasts. I don’t really expect anything more when on a cruise ship. And looking at the lunch menu now shared  on this thread, it looks like it would provide enough choice for me. 
 

it’s sad to see someone cancel a whole cruise based on this. But variety (in people) is the spice of our world.

[cruising.mark.uk]

8 minutes ago, TrixieBel said:

I work in an office in a city. There’s the same choice of places to get my lunch from every single work day and I tend to get similar things to eat each day. How is that any different? For breakfast at home I have 3 standard breakfasts. I don’t really expect anything more when on a cruise ship. And looking at the lunch menu now shared  on this thread, it looks like it would provide enough choice for me. 
 

it’s sad to see someone cancel a whole cruise based on this. But variety (in people) is the spice of our world.

Exactly.  When I initially read the first post on this thread, I thought that it must be a wind up. 

I'm pretty sure that between the MDR menu, casual dining, the buffet, room service and the IC, it would be entirely possible to have something different for lunch on every day of a 54 day cruise.  Far, far more choice than most people have in their non-cruising lives.  How many people on here change their work / home lunch menu every day ad infinitum? 

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, dickinson said:

Has the embarkation lunch changed?

On paper, no. 

 

 

[lahlah57]

2 hours ago, MustangGT said:

Don’t get too excited about the “Monte Cristo”

Photo credit to @Bimmer09 - this is his Monte Cristo on the Ruby earlier this year.

Doesn’t look quite right! 

That is NOT A MONTE CRISTO!!

[lahlah57]

I could only go to dining room for lunch twice tops! Buffet maybe twice! 

Get off the ship and have a nice lunch when we dock! That is much more fun!

There is also the grill and the noodle bar! 

Get away from that boring dining room lunch!  It's your fault if you can't be a little more creative!

[helenb]

I thought that the 'monte cristo' was dry. However, the mac & cheese was excellent, although more of a side dish. I paired it with the chicken from the chicken and waffles and it was a great lunch.

 

My husband enjoyed the 'spring' and 'summer' rolls, and the chocolate tart for dessert was good too.

 

This being said, there are lots of lunch choices, including the pizza and grill on deck, the buffet, the IC, and also Alfredo's (if you have Premier).

[J13C85]

We sailed in a full suite on Sky over Christmas/NY. Lunch was served in the Reserve Class Dining Room on both Embarkation days and all 4 sea days. I agree w/OP that lunch menu left a lot to be desired.

First, the tacos and burger were better from the grill at poolside (Salty Dig) than the RCDR. The menu was kind if boring, had no real theme and was the same each day. We were told on first embarkation day that concept of menu was to replicate the variety of the buffet. Two of our lunches, I wound up paying extra to get a lobster roll or tenderloin. Honestly, we enjoyed our lunches in Alfredo's more than in the RCDR. While, their menu also didn't change daily, we found more options for items we liked and I didn't need to pay extra (was on Premier Package).

[Sea Hag]

When I commented on this thread before, something hadn't occurred to me. We sailed on the HAL Westerdam last September, and this lunch menu is either identical or very similar to what we had then. One sea day, I tried the chicken and waffles, which I'd never had before. The waffle sucked, but the chicken was really good. 

 

It is! Editing to add a link to the HAL lunch menu on that board. Go to page 15.

 

Edited February 5 by Sea Hag