Dining/ food quality, Princess Cruises

Many people do like the food on Princess Cruise. But I found the overall quality of food has declined. At the best it is just cafeteria quality. That is the reason they created "specialty restaurant " to get our money. Question is why they make such difference?

The answer is obvious.

Any thoughts?

I would suggest the reason most businesses are created is to get our money. Princess is no different...

Food is subjective.........

Cafeteria quality? Pfffft.........hardly.

Food is subjective.........

Cafeteria quality? Pfffft.........hardly.

You can rate lots of things about cruise lines , but food is too subjective .

Just look at all cruise ship reviews and comments here on CC.

Hard to believe that some guests are on the same sailing when it comes to food opinions.

We've always found something we've enjoyed eating on Princess ships. :D

Cafeteria quality?! Clearly you should be cruising on a luxury line if you think the food is that bad on Princess. I've eaten in a military chow hall and I think I know what cafeteria quality is and Princess is NOT that!!

I agree that food is subjective. Never had bad food on Princess.

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Hmm....... three posts by the OP and all are complaints about food. :confused:

Have to agree that food is subjective. Would never compare any cruise line to a 5 star restaurant but always able to find something for a reasonable meal. Over years of cruising with Princess and 19 cruises I would say that total food experience has declined but I understand that it is one of the few places where lines can do budget control. Princess also throws in a variety of options that many of us opt for, Alfredo's, the IC as examples. Others both here as well as friends indicate that similar changes have occurred with most mass market lines. When you compare the cost of many cruise vacations with hotel and dining costs on land, especially in major urban markets the price is quite favorable. Especially if you factor in transportation and entertainment as well.

One thing that is becoming more apparent as I read these boards is the expectations that people have for a cruise are very related to where they are living. If you live in NYC, for example your food quality is much more varied and of a wider array of quality from food carts (many delicious) to high end steak houses. Someone from Sioux Falls, IA just doesn't have that range of food options.

I have eaten at both Morton and Ruth's Chris on several occasions - I personally don't notice a difference though I have heard more than one person state they prefer Mortons. So even there, you see a difference of opinion. And to make matters more complicated, Princess is feeding 3000 people - to expect that quality is absurd. THAT'S why I think they offer specialty restaurants - people want that quality and individual attention and are willing to pay for it.

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Hmm....... three posts by the OP and all are complaints about food. :confused:

You beat me to the punch! I don't intend to add anything further to this thread which clearly is just intended to stir up a pot!

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I've told this story before...

Anytime dining - table of 8. 6 of us ordered the same entree (chicken dish I don't recall). Same server, same kitchen, one would assume same batch.

Two people said it was great.

One thought it was ok.

One thought it was too spicy

Two thought it had too much salt

One added salt

One thought it was bland

etc (there are more than 6 because people had multiple comments).

If that is not a textbook example of food being subjective I don't know what is...

I happen to like Princess' european centric menu over say RCCL which seems more Asian and Indian based, but that's just personal preference.

All I know is, after each cruise that we took since 2003, I've always returned home a bit heavier. :rolleyes:

Food is subjective.........

Cafeteria quality? Pfffft.........hardly.

I don't know, "cafeteria" varies considerably, from the chow they shovel at new recruits, prisoners, and high school students on one end, all the way up to the gourmet food that Silicon Valley tech companies provide as a way to subtly keep their workers at their desks.

My husband thinks the food on Princess is fantastic. Loved the buffet and the regular dining. he said better than Royal and even Celebrity.

Yes it's subjective - on our last cruise we didn't have any meal where we couldn't find something that we were reasonably happy with, but we also didn't have anything that was truly outstanding. For what it's worth, you see the same comments about declining food quality on the Celebrity and even on Oceania boards. All cruise lines are trying to cut costs and people do notice the difference. It may not be so noticeable from one cruise to the next, but if you compare today's meals to 4 or 5 years back, there's a real decline.

Feel free to upgrade if you find Princess's 'cafeteria food' unacceptable to you. Problem solved.

Hmm....... three posts by the OP and all are complaints about food. :confused:

Good detective work !

I think it is reasonable to compare the dining room fare on Pricess (heck, any of them) to banquet food. For what they have to do--efficiently feed hundreds, if not thousands of passengers--they do a good job.

I do not romanticize the "old days" of cruising. My very first cruise was in 1976 and, frankly, the dining room offerings by day five of a seven-day cruise were pretty pedestrian. I tried to convince myself that the cut up hotdogs in my soup were some sort of exquisite sausages, but the fact is that they were hotdogs.

Personally, I love all the various dining options that are available on today's cruise lines. I get to choose. At the risk of sounding nationalistic, that seems totally American to me.

There has not been a single report that any passenger has had a gun pointed at them while they were being told that they had to eat at an extra charge venue.

• If I want to spend $60-$80 for my wife and I to eat in an extra-charge restaurant. I am happy to do so. I cannot imagine why this bothers people who choose not to.
  
• If I want to eat at the buffet, nobody should care.
  
• If I want to have a tuna salad sandwich in my cabin for dinner, nobody should care.
  
• If I decline on the Pub Lunch, why should anybody care?
  
• If I decide to have dinner in a port, why should anybody care?
  
• If I do have a giant lunch in a port and just have a slice of pizza for dinner, why should anybody care?
  
• If I don't have a cocktail or a beer on a cruise, why should anybody care?
  

Extra-charge restaurants on cruise ships do not forecast the end of civilization.

I don't know, "cafeteria" varies considerably, from the chow they shovel at new recruits, prisoners, and high school students on one end, all the way up to the gourmet food that Silicon Valley tech companies provide as a way to subtly keep their workers at their desks.

You got that right! I ate at the Apple food court once for a business meeting, and it was amazing.

Extra-charge restaurants on cruise ships do not forecast the end of civilization.

In fact, they help float the boat and probably allow those of who don't use them to pay lower fares.

Jim

Many people do like the food on Princess Cruise. But I found the overall quality of food has declined. At the best it is just cafeteria quality. That is the reason they created "specialty restaurant " to get our money. Question is why they make such difference?

The answer is obvious.

Any thoughts?

To say the food is "cafeteria quality" is just throwing grouchy bombs (see what I did there?). The food on all mass market lines seems to have had a general decline in the last 15-20 years, but I am always amazed at how the price I pay today (in inflated dollars) isn't really any more than it was then!

Food is subjective.........

Cafeteria quality? Pfffft.........hardly.

As you've said: Subjective. I've seen cafeterias that are truly as awful as you're implying. I've also seen some that are fantastic. The buffets in Las Vegas for example. When you get down to it, they're cafeterias.

I think it is reasonable to compare the dining room fare on Pricess (heck, any of them) to banquet food. For what they have to do--efficiently feed hundreds, if not thousands of passengers--they do a good job.

 

I do not romanticize the "old days" of cruising. My very first cruise was in 1976 and, frankly, the dining room offerings by day five of a seven-day cruise were pretty pedestrian. I tried to convince myself that the cut up hotdogs in my soup were some sort of exquisite sausages, but the fact is that they were hotdogs.

 

Personally, I love all the various dining options that are available on today's cruise lines. I get to choose. At the risk of sounding nationalistic, that seems totally American to me.

 

There has not been a single report that any passenger has had a gun pointed at them while they were being told that they had to eat at an extra charge venue.

 

• If I want to spend $60-$80 for my wife and I to eat in an extra-charge restaurant. I am happy to do so. I cannot imagine why this bothers people who choose not to.
  
• If I want to eat at the buffet, nobody should care.
  
• If I want to have a tuna salad sandwich in my cabin for dinner, nobody should care.
  
• If I decline on the Pub Lunch, why should anybody care?
  
• If I decide to have dinner in a port, why should anybody care?
  
• If I do have a giant lunch in a port and just have a slice of pizza for dinner, why should anybody care?
  
• If I don't have a cocktail or a beer on a cruise, why should anybody care?
  

Extra-charge restaurants on cruise ships do not forecast the end of civilization.

I think you hit this thread pretty much spot on. We found the steaks in the Crown Grill & Sabatini's rather bland. The seafood, however was outstanding. The ambience for an extra $25(or so )is well worth the expense. Overall Princess does a damn good job(most lines do, actually)in feeding at times over 3000+ pax at any one time. Pretty amazing when you get down to it.

I think the food is OK. The only thing that has happened is there are a lot less choices in the MDR.

Tony