Menu changes

[shofer]

We were on the Coral in 2007 and just got off the Grand on 2/9/08 and the menus were identical but for some small tweaks. The anytime Salmon dinner entree was no longer with butter sauce but some herbed topping. It was ok, but not in the knock-out way it used to be.

 

And the lobster, what a laugh that was! It was so tiny and they served it with 2 prawns. It was barely 4-oz. I hear if you pay the premium for the Ultimate Balcony dinner, then you get a large lobster tail.

 

DH & I did the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and changed from the smoked salmon to Eggs Benedict which were just ok. We wouldn't do it again. The cost was $32 plus the 15% gratuity. We could have just ordered coffee & tea (which they forgot) and run up to the buffet for a better meal.

 

The dessert souffles are still to die for, but we missed the chocolate one on the first formal night. Forget about trying to order a special dessert the night before, I was just handed the dessert menu for the next night.

 

Cruising is not the premium experience it once was when something extra was no problem and you weren't paying extra for every little item.

[Tintown]

Do you still have the menus to hand? If so, are you able to post them for us all to see? We have our first cruise coming up, so we are very keen to see just what will be served! Thanks.

[shofer]

This says it's for the Caribbean Princess but it is identical to what we had on the Coral Princess last time and on the Grand this time.

 

Here is the link.

 

http://www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com/wmenusAws.html

[bdjam]

Cruising is not the premium experience it once was when something extra was no problem and you weren't paying extra for every little item.

Mile for mile, cruising also costs less today than it did 10 years ago. You get what you pay for.

[bhopal21]

Mile for mile, cruising also costs less today than it did 10 years ago. You get what you pay for.

 

Absolutely.

 

I even got more than I paid for last week while in the casino. Every evening while playing the slots a casino host came by and asked if they could buy me a drink. That has never happened to me before on a cruise ship. . .land yes, cruise ship no.

 

Of course, I conceded and took the free drink.

:D :D

 

Mike:)

[pris993]

We were on the Coral in 2007 and just got off the Grand on 2/9/08 and the menus were identical but for some small tweaks. The anytime Salmon dinner entree was no longer with butter sauce but some herbed topping. It was ok, but not in the knock-out way it used to be.

 

And the lobster, what a laugh that was! It was so tiny and they served it with 2 prawns. It was barely 4-oz. I hear if you pay the premium for the Ultimate Balcony dinner, then you get a large lobster tail.

 

DH & I did the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and changed from the smoked salmon to Eggs Benedict which were just ok. We wouldn't do it again. The cost was $32 plus the 15% gratuity. We could have just ordered coffee & tea (which they forgot) and run up to the buffet for a better meal.

 

The dessert souffles are still to die for, but we missed the chocolate one on the first formal night. Forget about trying to order a special dessert the night before, I was just handed the dessert menu for the next night.

 

Cruising is not the premium experience it once was when something extra was no problem and you weren't paying extra for every little item.

 

Appreciate your honest assessment. It has changed a lot. We generally don't even bother with the menu, we find out what fish they have on board and special order the fish we like, plus vegetables. The Ultimate... are simply another money maker -- as you say not worth it.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

The lobster was small. The prawns were almost as big as the lobster. To alleviate the problem I just ordered 2 of them.:D

 

Bill

[cruzinchris]

Mile for mile, cruising also costs less today than it did 10 years ago. You get what you pay for.

 

But for our single dinner in Crown Grill for which we paid the $25 per person surcharge, DH and I found the food onboard Emerald Princess 2/4 -2/14 to be the best we've had on a Princess ship to date.

 

Neither DH nor I are fans of lobster, and we surely wouldn't judge a cruise on how large the "tails" were or how many we were served ;)

 

That said, Princess rack of lamb is to die for! :D

 

Bon Appetit!

Chris

[bdjam]

That said, Princess rack of lamb is to die for! :D

 

Bon Appetit!

Chris

You betcha.

Appreciate your honest assessment. It has changed a lot. We generally don't even bother with the menu, we find out what fish they have on board and special order the fish we like, plus vegetables. The Ultimate... are simply another money maker -- as you say not worth it

So the original poster could have gotten something special - as you do - without paying for it? Hmmm... You've also indicated you complain if you don't get the special orders you want...maybe that's the ticket? I have heard from those who have purchased the Ultimate Balcony breakfast or dinner that it was well worth it. And sounds like it would be well worth it to me. Not everyone is happy with a week of fish and vegetables.

[BigTimeCruiser]

Two changes I have noticed over the past couple of months. On the Golden Princess, between Nov 07 and Jan 08, have seen the shrimp cocktail go from 6 shrimp to 4 and the lobster continue to get much smaller. Also, the tiger prawns that come with the lobster now, have indeed gotten much smaller.

[PescadoAmarillo]

And the lobster, what a laugh that was! It was so tiny and they served it with 2 prawns. It was barely 4-oz.

I think the lobster was the only big food disappointment for me on our recent Golden cruises (B2B). While my husband thought the beef improved on the second cruise, the lobster stayed that same small, discolored little bit of meat. I don't think I'll be ordering it again (but the fish was truly excellent). However, the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail is so small and so few, I took to ordering two of the appetizers some nights.

[bhopal21]

Two changes I have noticed over the past couple of months. On the Golden Princess, between Nov 07 and Jan 08, have seen the shrimp cocktail go from 6 shrimp to 4 and the lobster continue to get much smaller. Also, the tiger prawns that come with the lobster now, have indeed gotten much smaller.

 

We made the same observation last week on The Golden. Four tiny little shrimp in a shrimp cocktail . . .

 

Mike:)

[shofer]

DH ordered the shrimp cocktail the first night and was searching for the shrimp. If we hadn't just been on Princess exactly one year previously, we may not have remembered the menu so well. If you cruise once a year or more often, then the changes are more apparent than if it is several years between cruises.

 

Our first cruise was in 1993 and there have been many, many changes in the industry, a lot of them for the better. Balcony cabins, alternative dining, specialty dining are just a few, but then to see the frugality of how some basic items are downgraded seems to cheapen the whole cruise experience.

 

Will we stop cruising, most likely not, as dollar for dollar it is still the best bang for your vacation buck you can get. We are not in the category of people who can afford the luxury lines so we do the best with what we have. It just makes us nostalgic for something that was available in the past without extra fees.

[cruiserjanet]

DH had ordered two lobster tails instead of one and the waiter was happy to bring it. He also brought melted butter to us that isn't normally served with the new menus. As far as special dessert, we had casually mentioned to our head waiter about chocolate pecan pie not being on the menu and were wondering if Sterlings was the only place to get it. A few minutes later, he brings chocolate pecan pie for everyone at our table. Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast and it was so much better on the CB than on the Island. I had waited two years for the souffles and I was not disappointed. They were smaller in size but oh so yummy!! I feel bad that the OP had such a bad experience with the food but I also understand everyone's experience will be different even if you are on the same cruise.

[pris993]

You betcha. So the original poster could have gotten something special - as you do - without paying for it? Hmmm... You've also indicated you complain if you don't get the special orders you want...maybe that's the ticket? I have heard from those who have purchased the Ultimate Balcony breakfast or dinner that it was well worth it. And sounds like it would be well worth it to me. Not everyone is happy with a week of fish and vegetables.

 

You and disagree obviously. We have been cruising for many years and don't expect to pay extra for the food we enjoy. We would rather tip extra for the service which we do.

[kruisey]

I was last on Princess January 2007.Had to have anytime dining I ordered Lobster.Well I must say it is a favorite dish of mine.So when I had finished my 2 lobster tails I just ordered another two...as simple as that.Oh and I got them.....They are sooooo Yummy.:)

If ,like Oliver Twist' you don't ask for more you won't get it.;)

[househunter]

 

 

 

Cruising is not the premium experience it once was when something extra was no problem and you weren't paying extra for every little item.

 

 

However it is much much cheaper than it used to be too. Even if you add in specialty restaurants and other add ons it comes out much less than what we used to pay 10 years ago. Now it is up to us as to how much we want to spend and what extras we want. We can cruise without any frills for the new low base prices or add up a lot of extras and still get a great deal!:)

[jlp20]

Provisions are ordered months in advance. The prices for basics like flour and sugar are fairly constant. Fresh items such as beef and seafood have varying market prices.

 

Items like the seafood are ordered with maximums in place for things such as lobster. They could have a straight order for 3000 1/2 pound tails with say a $15.00 a pound maximum. If the market price were to climb to $20, the order could not be filled. If however, ¼ pound tails were available for the original asking price of $15, pax have lobster available.

 

The same goes for items that are just not available. Menus are changed when items are not delivered or available. A few years ago, I was given a menu from the previous week by accident in the steakhouse. I ordered the pork chops, which could not be served since there were none on board. For those asking to see the week’s menus in advance, you will have noted they are put into a three ring binder so sheets can be changed easily.

 

The bottom line is the menus have to be created with the knowledge that it has to be created under a certain dollar amount.

[BJS]

We were on the Coral in 2007 and just got off the Grand on 2/9/08 and the menus were identical but for some small tweaks. The anytime Salmon dinner entree was no longer with butter sauce but some herbed topping. It was ok, but not in the knock-out way it used to be.

 

And the lobster, what a laugh that was! It was so tiny and they served it with 2 prawns. It was barely 4-oz. I hear if you pay the premium for the Ultimate Balcony dinner, then you get a large lobster tail.

 

DH & I did the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and changed from the smoked salmon to Eggs Benedict which were just ok. We wouldn't do it again. The cost was $32 plus the 15% gratuity. We could have just ordered coffee & tea (which they forgot) and run up to the buffet for a better meal.

 

The dessert souffles are still to die for, but we missed the chocolate one on the first formal night. Forget about trying to order a special dessert the night before, I was just handed the dessert menu for the next night.

 

Cruising is not the premium experience it once was when something extra was no problem and you weren't paying extra for every little item.

 

 

Our waiter on the Star in December automatically brought a plate with more lobster tails to each table and we were told they were small so order as many as you wish.

 

The nice thing about Princess is that they encourage you to request items which make your dining experience a good one. They don't charge extra to make a special dish just for your table even if it is just two of you. Melted butter, fresh strawberries on your cheese cake, more than one of any course on the menu, etc. are no more than a "please" away.

 

Last cruise we were given the following nights menu by the head waiter and asked if everything was OK on it. We were continually urged to request something that we would like them to prepare. I'm wondering when they handed you the next nights menu if they refused to make a special dessert for you or if you just assumed they were telling you that your only choice was what was printed on that menu?

 

Cruising is much more reasonable than it was years ago and the meal courses and size of the portions have been severly reduced but we see much less food being thrown out. It is nice to be able to cruise at a lower rate and pay for the extras if we desire them. Just reading posts on the amounts of some shipboard accounts points out that not everyone feels they need certain things to have a wonderful cruise.

 

Things like the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and dinners were added for those that want to experience something different. I'm sure there are others that have tried it and won't try it again because the experience did not live up to their expectations.

 

I'm sorry you no longer feel cruising is a premium experience but maybe you need to look at one of the "luxury" cruise lines to find that experience.

 

.

[M&MCruisin]

Anything that I dont have to cook...cant be all that bad. I look forward to all the tastey food on the Crown in just 52 more days!!!! Maybe its because Im new to cruising, but my expectations arent very high. Im just thankful to be away from work and not having to cook, clean and listen to my dog bark!:D

[taxatty]

I have noticed both appetizer and main course portions shrinking over the last few years on cruises--with prime rib, for example, now covering only 1/3 of the plate instead of 1/2. A smaller amount of crab legs. This absolutely doesn't bother me one bit. I have never been refused seconds (or, on lobster tails or crab legs, just keep going up in number) on anything, and if less food is wasted this way, that's OK too.

I'm still waiting to see someone go hungry on a cruise despite all the whining you see here about how terrible cruise food is. The closest I ever saw was a woman at the purser's desk on RCI who had her coffee pot confiscated from her carry on bag (RCI, at least on that ship, didn't allow them in cabins as an alleged fire hazard) upon boarding---she said that if she couldn't brew her own special blend of coffee for herself, she wouldn't be able to take her pills, which meant that she wouldn't be able to eat anything. She was screaming at the poor junior purser to call the captain to have him fix things, but somehow the captain failed to make an appearance, and she and her husband left the purser's desk in a huff. That might have been the hardest time I've ever had not to burst out laughing.

Les

[CrusinAgain]

I have read most of the cruise ships have changed their menus in the last 4-6 months and lobster is being taken off as a lobster tail and being cut up and a couple chunks being put into a seafood plate instead. This is the way it was on our Pearl trip in Nov. but on the same cruiseline on a different ship they were still having full lobster tail. Could have been how many they had in the freezer is all I can think of. They were alternating routes so no 2 ships could get much closer than that. I have also read the same on the other cruiselines. Lobster tails are becoming an included dinner of the past but it was available in the fee restaurants.

 

Just wanted to tell you this to let you know it isn't just Princess.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I stay away from seafood (allergic to shellfish, but don't like the taste of fish anyway) so all I care is that there are choices on the menu. I have had waiters who offered to get me something else if they see me picking at my food. So I imagine if there's something on the menu that you really like, it shouldn't be hard to get extras.

[PescadoAmarillo]

With the lobster and the shrimp...I don't mind the portions shrinking (can always order 2), but the lobster frankly looked discolored and disgusting.

[cheflauraleh]

I have a question about ordering off the menu. I really love French Onion Soup and I have noticed that it is no longer on the menus for the CB. Has anyone ordered this and had any luck getting it?

 

Any other things people have ordered that are not on the menu that they really enjoyed?