I miss the old Princess

[Eric from San Diego]

I never find the food on cruise ships good or bad, just weird.   It is so different from what I eat at home that I don't know how to judge it. 

 

At home:

1. We don't have buffets.  If I type "buffets near me" in Google, I get 5 Asian buffets.  In my mind, I associate buffets with hospitals.

2.  We eat pizza for dinner.  I don't mean take out.   I mean sit down table service restaurants that serve primarily pizza.  

3.  50% of my meals out are Mexican.

4.  We eat outdoors a lot. Some restaurants don't have any indoor seating.   

5. We don't have many steakhouses.   The steakhouses we have are mostly full of businessmen on expense accounts and old people. 

6.  We eat a lot of Asian food.  Korean BBQ is really hot right now.  

7.  I can't remember the last time I saw a tablecloth.  Or a sports jacket.  

 

When I eat in the MDR on a cruise ship, I imagine that this is what it must have been like to eat in a high class restaurant in New York in the 1950s.  Gimlet anyone?

[memoak]

8 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This was one of the menus we had on our Diamond cruise.

 

 

 

I had no complaints about the dishes I chose over the whole nine night cruise - and that is actually unusual for me.

 

No, I lie, I chose the lobster/steak combo on one of the formal nights and the lobster wasn't worth eating. It was tough, tasteless and tiny. The steak was lovely though.

I think that is a very good menu I see several options that looks good to me

[cruisinsince75]

I miss the old Princess.  I think this can be said for most cruise lines these days, post Covid.  We love Seabourn, but even they are not the same as they used to be.  Pay more but get less seems to be the new rule.     

[Cruise Raider]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

I am guessing you are retired? And you seem to live near a port. I am no where near a port and am not retired, so going monthly is not an option as it takes me all day to fly to a port.

 

I do not cruise for the ship experience. I cruise for the ports and am no longer interested in Caribbean, Mexico, etc... Though there are things on the ship experience that do affect my cruising and when those are decreased, I desire to be on the ship even less.

I am retired and do live close to the Port of San Francisco, so yes, that makes it not only much easier for me to get to the ship but can be very flexible with my dates, as well.  Covid and being in lockdowns here in the area taught me that if I don’t live my life now, someone (or something) is right around the corner trying to try to take that away.  But, retirement is great but I foresee being priced out of their target demographic soon enough.  

We do cruise for the ship experience and rarely go into the ports of call.  I think our biggest joy of all is getting to know the crew.  We are not foodies by any means.  We love great wine, though .. and all the activities, entertainment and events on the ship.  
I do like the on demand service on the TV, although we rarely turn it on .. maybe just for the wake show.   Because we really don’t like to fly, that limits our choices on what cruises we will do.  Anything from the west coast is ok .. further than that, we really don’t go.  

[Ombud]

13 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Did they not offer the Japanese "Always Available" MDR menu items on your cruise, as well as one or two Asian dishes in the main section of the menu?

 

We cruised on Diamond around Japan last November and I was in foodie heaven with all the Japanese/Asian selections in both the MDR and the buffet. 

 

But it very much depends on what your personal tastes are. I love Asian food, especially Japanese, so it suited me perfectly.  

 

However I have heard there are noticeable cutbacks on the ships sailing out of Australia this season nonot what I want to hear with a 110 night world cruise starting in a month's time!

 

 It would be interesting to hear if many people have noticed menu/buffet cutbacks on US-based cruises.

Did they have the make your own sushi, udon miso, and Ramen station in the buffet?? Love that menu in post#6!! (Just booked Singapore  -> Tokyo [Yokohama] February 2026)

Edited March 30 by Ombud

[Astro Flyer]

4 hours ago, msmoger said:

 

I'm curious.  Looking at the Deck 14 plan Both Sterling Steakhouse and Churrascaria Grill (Brazilian) are listed.  It also seems to show the Churrascaria Grill in a rear corner on the starboard side of the ship.  Is it possible both options are being offered, perhaps on alternating nights?

 

 

The most recent dining options list show Sterling’s on Sapphire and Churrascaria on Diamond so it appears that the Diamond’s deck plans correctly show the Churrascaria‘s location & they forgot to remove Sterling’s from the list.

 

https://www.princess.com/content/dam/princess/corporate/pdfs/restaurants-dining-venues-on-board.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf

 

On their Specialty Dining webpage Sterling’s is not listed & for Churrascaria it states this:

 

“Available on Diamond Princess® and coming soon to Sapphire Princess®”

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/food-and-dining/specialty-restaurants

 

 

[mtnesterz]

36 minutes ago, landnsea said:

Damn post a comment make a statement or voice your opinion up in here... 😂 I miss the old Princess. 

Many of us miss the old Princess too.

This is your thread and while thread drift will happen, if you feel it has gone too far astray, someone is unkind or don't want to get an email 7 years from now, notifying some newbie quoted your original post, you can click the three dots in the upper right and have the thread closed.

I understood that your discontent centered around the food. That is why I responded on the food aspect.

I will tell you we have one more cruise booked with Princess and we are overdue for a winner. The last, in August '23 was full of disappointments, mostly nature's work, and one selfish person, which were all out of Princess control. So, one more chance. Thinking of trying HAL, but even the HAL board posters say there are cutbacks.

So, you say you have two cruises booked on other lines. Which cruise line(s) are you going to try?

Edited March 30 by mtnesterz

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, landnsea said:

Damn post a comment make a statement or voice your opinion up in here. Some of You People…..

... 19 years 38 Princess sailings this cruise line has changed greatly and not for the good. It is really going down hill from what it once was.  I miss the old Princess 

 

landnse 

John 

Seattle, Wa.

That's subjective.  I prefer the new Princess. It was getting stagnant (just as long as were mentioning our totals on PCL only .... it's 55 for me with 4 booked on PCL / fewer on other lines as they're upping their game maybe on the new sphere class  / we're RCCL when family going / cannot get my early 40s son to book anything without an amusement park 😅🤣😂). But it's great that you found a cruise line that doesn't feel like a downgrade for you. Me: I actually like not having to pack a suitcase for a 3 hr formal night 3-4 times on a cruise. I prefer just one 22" case and slumming in jeans, flats, and shirts. Will upgrade to 'fancy top / pants' for that formalish night. Just give me a good beer or glass of wine, guitarist or horns, and some lecture of some sort (cruise next week is all about pirates). Will miss SD Gastropub for dinner (that tomato soup & grilled cheese is so good) but at least they're keeping the Irish Pub 

🍿

Edited March 30 by Ombud

[antsp]

7 hours ago, 555 said:

Princess has morphed into a cruise line that is nothing like when we started cruising. Every time you turn around there's an additional charge from the moment you book a cruise to the last day you depart the ship. 

We're among the cruisers who are shopping around for better value since their loyalty benefits have eroded to practically nil lately. 

Interesting, let us know who you come up with as a solution 

[555]

55 minutes ago, antsp said:

Interesting, let us know who you come up with as a solution 

There probably isn't a viable solution as all the other cruise lines have had their cutbacks as well.

The only upside for people like us is that we get to experience new cruise lines in the process, and revisit some we haven't been on in 25 years.

In the mean time Princess doesn't seem to care about losing people who shop around. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

3 minutes ago, 555 said:

There probably isn't a viable solution as all the other cruise lines have had their cutbacks as well.

The only upside for people like us is that we get to experience new cruise lines in the process, and revisit some we haven't been on in 25 years.

In the mean time Princess doesn't seem to care about losing people who shop around. 

Princess doesn't seem to care about people... period!!!

[mamafun]

3 hours ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Pay more but get less seems to be the new rule.     

 

Well try be fair, it's the new rule with everything. I can say the same about my groceries and the Chinese take-out I had last night. 

[Ombud]

3 hours ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Pay more but get less seems to be the new rule.     

13 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Princess doesn't seem to care about people... period!!!

Help me understand what the change is:

> Less dressy / stagnant 👍

> Have to purchase Plus or Premier to have gratuities, wifi, drinks rolled into fare. Ok. Really confused here as I ALWAYS paid gratuities & drinks (so no real change).

> Is this just re-upping the b?!?hing about those 250 minutes at daily up speed? 😂 You LIKED dial up speed? The entire world moved on. 

> different entertainment / activities? 👍

> focus on vegan & vegetarian dishes? 👍

 

PCL isn't my parents cruise line anymore & Princess just wants / needs to attract a different / younger clientele.

 

I wish all of you who long for 'the good old days' to find whatever you feel is the best value for your $€£¥. There's no going back

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

2 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Help me understand what the change is:

> Less dressy / stagnant 👍

> Have to purchase Plus or Premier to have gratuities, wifi, drinks rolled into fare. Ok. Really confused here as I ALWAYS paid gratuities & drinks (so no real change).

> Is this just re-upping the b?!?hing about those 250 minutes at daily up speed? 😂 You LIKED dial up speed? The entire world moved on. 

> different entertainment / activities? 👍

> focus on vegan & vegetarian dishes? 👍

 

PCL isn't my parents cruise line anymore & Princess just wants / needs to attract a different / younger clientele.

 

I wish all of you who long for 'the good old days' to find whatever you feel is the best value for your $€£¥. There's no going back

 

Thinking about it... it isn't the format of the "old Princess" I miss. Yes, it is now more modern, younger, more techie, Wi-Fi is better... but instead it is the attitude of "old Princess" towards its customers that I miss. The attitude where the customer comes first in their minds instead of the bottom line and the customer is there as an after-thought. It is the nickel and diming that is entering into everything. They seem to give very little thought nowadays into what the customer experience is going to be when they make changes. I do accept that change is inevitable... that is life... but it doesn't have to become worse and worse for the customer IMO.

 

Now, I am realistic (or like to think I am) so I recognise that times are hard for everyone and Princess is no exception so we see similar behaviour by all the cruise lines but I genuinely believe that in business what is good for the customer is also good for the company if it is done right and the way that Princess is going is not doing it right IMO. Instead of forcing people down the package route by restricting choice IMO they should be offering more choice with more tailored packages making the cruise experience better for everyone as it will meet more people's needs. This whole concept of making everything so expensive individually so that taking a package is a no-brainer is a bad technique and disrespectful of the customer IMO.

 

Cruising is not alone. We are seeing the decline of customer focus and good customer service everywhere. 

[Ombud]

4 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

It is the nickel and diming that is entering into everything

This is where you lose me. PLEASE EXPLAIN! I always paid for gratuities, drinks, and learned how to avoid wifi fees as 250 minutes was never enough. I still pay for gratuities, drinks, and wifi in port. The wifi change was instituted by a change in technology not a money grab by any of the cruise corporations. So, in effect, no change. 

 

Is it because if I want those awful over-the-top ice creams I can only have them for free in MDR after lunch & dinner? Is it that I have to get to the theater early to get the seat I want just like before? Or is it the constant advertising for the add-on packages? Yes that is irritating but so easy to ignore

 

A big change (actually huge) is that I no longer get a warmed block of tofu when wanting protein? I appreciate the vegan menu. 

 

But to get back to OPs issue: The cruise lines have evolved. Suggesting Azamara or Viking 

[cruisinsince75]

41 minutes ago, mamafun said:

 

Well try be fair, it's the new rule with everything. I can say the same about my groceries and the Chinese take-out I had last night. 

Agree 100%.  It's everything.  I just retired after 30years working for a national homebuilder as Senior Market Manager.  A glorified name for sales.  The prices were going up so dramatically that we had to start stripping amenities out of homes and build smaller ones on smaller homesites, just to keep them somewhat affordable.  Then got the double whammy of rising interest rates.      

[Rex1965]

Maybe things will improve when the profits increase.

[Sea Hag]

13 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This was one of the menus we had on our Diamond cruise.

 

 

 

I had no complaints about the dishes I chose over the whole nine night cruise - and that is actually unusual for me.

 

No, I lie, I chose the lobster/steak combo on one of the formal nights and the lobster wasn't worth eating. It was tough, tasteless and tiny. The steak was lovely though.

That menu would work for me!

[Mike07]

54 minutes ago, Rex1965 said:

Maybe things will improve when the profits increase.

 

 

I wouldn't hold my breath.... If profits continue to increase and they're selling out the itineraries, there's no reason to improve.

 

[90scruzer]

7 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Return to normal?  Do you think things will return to the way they were precovid?  Time always marches forward except using the Professor's Way Back Machine in Back to the Future.

look - one can hope.   but frankly, the ryanair-ification of the American airlines (while still charging like they are 1st rate airlines + nickle-and-dimeing every little thing) is what I fear will be inevitable.     Ryan Air is great when you know what you are getting, aren't flying far, and don't need everything.  But to charge 4x and up the price of Ryan air and then charge all the individual al la carte fees, and squeezing more and more people into smaller seats -- yeah, let's hope we don't go that way.

[OzKiwiJJ]

10 hours ago, memoak said:

I think that is a very good menu I see several options that looks good to me

All the menus on that cruise were good. Plus we had a waiter team that actually understood wine service and, since we were buying wines by the bottle as the Plus wines didn't suit us, they sourced Riedel glasses for us every night. It was an exceptionally good Princess cruise. 

 

Unfortunately I suspect we will be brought down to earth with a thud, foodwise, when we embark on the Australian world cruise next month. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 hours ago, Ombud said:

Did they have the make your own sushi, udon miso, and Ramen station in the buffet?? Love that menu in post#6!! (Just booked Singapore  -> Tokyo [Yokohama] February 2026)

I think there was a ramen station in the buffet.There was also a miso soup station where you could add various things to the soup but I can't recall if that included udon. I don't recall anywhere to make your own sushi either. 

[Cruising since 1976]

Just took Crown Princess to Mexico from SF for 10 days.  Took a Princess cruise to  Alaska in 2014.  I felt standards had really slipped over the decade and was reminded of the 3 (sloppy) Carnival cruises I took in 1979-1981.  Surly service at the main guest desk, some strange crew member regularly blowing a train whistle in the buffet, obviously untrained and insufficient busser & server support staff in MDR.  Two alternative, quasi popup, dining venues seemed haphazard & slow.  I'm guessing parent Carnival is focusing on the cheap side and milking what's left of the Princess brand.  (Time to just rename the ships, tack on flammable funnels and a theme park ride, and be done with it?)

 

I'm off to other lines — and probably smaller ships.  Not quite to Holland America yet, but the "Fun Ship" mentality may ruin HA before I get there.

[memoak]

If all you people hate the “New” Princess so much why do you still sail with the line ?  It sounds like you are expecting a lousy cruise but still book them. 

 

[Cruisintimer]

On 3/30/2024 at 6:23 AM, NewPennCruiser said:

I think the one constant since covid is that all mainstream cruise lines have changed. As someone else mentioned, if you go to some of the other boards for Celebrity, RC and NCL you'll read the same thing; complaints of food choices, more nickel and diming, less services, etc. We have cruised twice recently and those trips were with Celebrity and NCL. While some of the changes were noticeable we still had a great time. We will be cruising with Princess in June for the first time in 6 years so for us there will be a lot of noticeable differences because we've never cruised with medallions, Princess Plus, "casual dining" options, etc. Our biggest decision in the past was whether we wanted to trade in our mini bar setup for coffee cards, lol. We realize times have changed and are looking forward to stepping on a Princess ship again, as for us cruising with Princess always felt like we were returning home even though we enjoy cruising with other lines. Our last cruise was on Celebrity and we had many conversations with people who were going to be trying Princess, so I really think it is up to each individual to figure out which cruise line best suits them and I guess it always was that way. Happy sailing everyone no matter who you choose to cruise with; it's still a great way to travel.    Dave

The coffee card trade for mini bar is gone.  There have been many changes but that applies to nearly every corporation since Covid.  In spite of the cutbacks we are loyal Princess cruisers.  Hope you enjoy your next cruise, happy sailing!