Kay S

HAL lobster is better, IMO, than Princess lobster.

I will find out in two weeks. Do you remember if it was open for breakfast and lunch on port days?

I hope you can still get it with a chicken breast or shrimp.

I was on a cruise where a lady insisted it was ham and not beef. From the processed taste and texture of my cut, I thought she had a point. It was not a fresh cut of meat. I quit ordering it after that.

This thread is an oldie but goodie. Pam in CA? Blast from the past.

And that's a very good thing!🙂

I hope so. Our experience on the Majestic (when all of this was new) was a nightmare of long lines, missing reservations and harried staff. A lady collapsed waiting in line for such a long time. The staff brought her a chair. After some decades of a seamless dining experience, I was not happy about the fiasco. Maybe Princess will eventually get the kinks worked out. They have another chance with me in the summer when we burn through the last of the FCC. BTW, you are more expert than "so-called expert" around here, and yours is an opinion I respect.

Carnival does tend to get a bad rap. In my experience, there are two Carnivals: the short trips and the longer ones. It's those 3-day booze cruises that get the most attention. I have seen my fair share of those sailing out of Long Beach. That's where you would more likely see the fabled fist fights and vomit in the elevator. The longer cruises (7-10 days) tend to be more civilized. There will be fewer families with kids and more old folks like me. I actually prefer the food on Carnival over Princess. The decor will be more colorful, but decor isn't my number one concern. Princess is not really "stuffy." The decor is more Versailles than Vegas, but the etiquette police are not following you around issuing sneers. If it's just the two of you looking for romance, Princess is probably the better bet. (I would choose HAL, but that's not the question you asked.) 🙂

These are the best balconies on Princess. The covered part is good if you have iffy weather. They are large enough to spread out and invite friends over (take the chair inside out to the deck). They provide some privacy from the decks above, so you can do whatever unseen. 😉 The Royal class ships have no balconies that compare (as far as I know.)

All of this uncertainty is why we're in Club Class next month. It seems a shame that what used to be the Princess experience, no lines, same wait staff, "better" food, now costs extra. I really do feel "forced" into it. However, since it's all FCC (good-will credit) we're doing it on Princess' dime. (Doubtless some local "expert" will chime in and tell me I'm all wrong about this. 🤣)

Call me cheesy, but I always watched the egg drop. Then again, I was a fan of elevator roulette, too. I guess I'm easy to entertain. 😜

The TBGCS (haha) is not like the dessert souffles (which are pretty blah.) It is moist throughout and incredibly rich. I can't eat a whole one, so I split it with DH. One thing it is not is tasteless. Very cheesy.

Formal night isn't non-smoking anymore? I seldom visit the casino, so I guess I didn't notice.

Eyesight problems and arthritic fingers make using tiny phone screens a challenge.

I had a friend who ordered it every single night. I like the spaghetti and meatballs. They used to be available every night from the kids' menu, but now it's only on Italian night. I also get the shrimp cocktail most nights.

Gratitude?

I think they called it American night only on Princess. Other lines will have different names.

I haven't done Princess on Thanksgiving, but on HAL there was holiday food available in the buffet. My friend who did Princess last year said the special food was in the MDR at dinner. At home, we do the big lunch, too.

Yes. 😉 Maybe I changed my mind since the last thread. 😁

They do a lobster tail one night. Very small. It comes with risotto, which is not very good, IMO.

On the Coral, through the old locks, we spent part of the time in the Piazza Bar at the window. We wanted to get a close up look at the "walls." It was fascinating.

Me too. I love Loreto. It's historic and not touristic. But it can be brutally hot sometimes.

My experience on the Majestic in the spring. Loooong lines waiting to be seated. Maybe they have improved since then.

Yes, they look fake. I guess in the olden days they did use real ones. It has been a very long time since I was served a "wedge" rather than a "slice."

No, I'm sure that was a Princess thing. They used to have themes like Italian Night and French Night, etc. The wait staff had silly little uniforms for each. Anyone remember the red or green stiped T shirts and the red bandanas?