Menu changes coming?

[kywildcatfanone]

Has anyone else heard this? We were on the Crown a couple of weeks ago. One morning on the Wake Show, my wife saw Ron Goodman interview someone from Princess Corporate who was on board for the week. Apparently this was a Executive Chef and he was going from ship to ship to meet with the onboard Executive Chef's and their staff's to discuss an upcoming menu change.

During the interview, he said the Princess had been using the same menu for about 3 years and they like to change them about every 3 years. He said this would be a complete makeover including all dining options (MDR, buffet, specialty restaurants, etc). He didn't talk about specifics of what some of the changes might be at the time.

He also mentioned that Princess was one of only two cruise lines that make basically everything from scratch including sauces.

He also said when he disembarked at the end of the week, he would be flying to meet another ship and have the conversations all over again.

 

Anyway, I didn't see this, but my wife did. Anyone have any more info about possible menu changes?

 

 

Mike

[Toto2Kansas]

That's kind of amazing, as the last menus were in place for (if memory serves me correctly) well over 5+ years. But this last menu change did not seem to be met with rounds of applause from a lot of passengers. It will be interesting to see what they come up with this time. Thanks for the news, hadn't heard about this anywhere else!

[kywildcatfanone]

That's kind of amazing, as the last menus were in place for (if memory serves me correctly) well over 5+ years. But this last menu change did not seem to be met with rounds of applause from a lot of passengers. It will be interesting to see what they come up with this time. Thanks for the news, hadn't heard about this anywhere else!

 

Toto, We took our first cruise Thanksgiving of 2006 on the Caribbean Princess, and one of the things I remember was they offered the New York Strip steak on the anytime menu in the MDR each night. I seem to remember that being the case on the two cruises we took in 2007, but on our first cruise of 2008 it was only offered on Friday night (these were all Caribbean 7 day cruises).

So to me, there was some kind of menu change around that time, but in past menu changes by Princess I don't know how much really changed, just an item or two or the entire menu.

Anyway, with that said, if I'm remembering right, 2008 - 2011 would be about 3 years by my thinking, so it kind of made sense to me when my wife told me what she saw on the wake show.

He also mentioned the time involved in preparing the new menus and the training that each ship's culinary team would have to endure to get it working like clock work as they do with the current menus.

Anyway, I just thought about it and decided to ask if anyone else is hearing about this...

 

Mike

[Toto2Kansas]

If memory serves me correctly, the new and improved (?) menus came out in the spring of 2007. That is when the always available New York Strip Steak turned into Beef Madallions, along with lots of other changes in the ones that had been used for years and years. But then, I could be remembering incorrectly, hopefully someone else can chime in here and correct me if I am wrong on this one. ;)

[Pam in CA]

The new menus were introduced two years ago in March. I remember because I was on the Sapphire right after the menu change and people were discussing the old menus, which Princess didnt have any more. That's when they introduced the "Home style" entree on the menu and changed the look of the menu.

 

It'll be interesting to know whether they change dining options. Something isn't working with the long lines for Anytime compared to other cruise lines with a similar option. It would also be interesting to see if they have plans in the future to revise the room service menu to make it more comprehensive. Of course, that could only be done during a dry dock so we'll see.

[Toto2Kansas]

The new menus were introduced two years ago in March. I remember because I was on the Sapphire right after the menu change and people were discussing the old menus, which Princess didnt have any more. That's when they introduced the "Home style" entree on the menu and changed the look of the menu.

 

It'll be interesting to know whether they change dining options. Something isn't working with the long lines for Anytime compared to other cruise lines with a similar option. It would also be interesting to see if they have plans in the future to revise the room service menu to make it more comprehensive. Of course, that could only be done during a dry dock so we'll see.

 

Pam, but wasn't there another change of some kind back in 2007 before the homestyle offerings were introduced? I swear I remember that date when it comes to the Princess dinner menus. That the homesyle offerings were added to an already changed menu from back then. I remember that they hadn't made a change in menus in a very long time, but there were two changes within only a few years I think.

[chrysalis]

Pam, but wasn't there another change of some kind back in 2007 before the homestyle offerings were introduced? I swear I remember that date when it comes to the Princess dinner menus. That the homesyle offerings were added to an already changed menu from back then. I remember that they hadn't made a change in menus in a very long time, but there were two changes within only a few years I think.

 

There was a change when they did that "Large Plate/Small Plate" menu, and then again when they went back to the standard menu format that included the homestyle choices.

 

There have been lots of fish dishes disappear...Zander, Kingklip, and Crab Legs to name a few.

[Astro Flyer]

When Head Executive Chef Alfredo Marzi was on our October 2009 sailing from Sydney to LA on the Star, he told us we were one on the 1st ships to have new menus. It appears that he might have been the chef the OP referred to on the Wake Show & it will be interesting to see if there will be any noticeable changes.

[Toto2Kansas]

There was a change when they did that "Large Plate/Small Plate" menu, and then again when they went back to the standard menu format that included the homestyle choices.

 

There have been lots of fish dishes disappear...Zander, Kingklip, and Crab Legs to name a few.

That must be what I am thinking of! Thanks.

[ChrisB123]

What the heck does Homestyle mean? :confused: I didn't see that on our 2008 cruise?

[Toto2Kansas]

What the heck does Homestyle mean? :confused: I didn't see that on our 2008 cruise?

Things on a seperate section of the menu like chili, pot roast.............foods that many would actually eat at home. There was a call for foods a little more like 'what passengers were used to' so Princess responded.

[ChrisB123]

Good HEAVENS, If I wanted Pot Roast or Chili I'd stay home. :eek:

I like the interesting dishes on a cruise that I don't have time to make. :(

What were they THINKING? :confused:

[Hlitner]

We cruise many different cruise lines (12 to date) and have noticed that just about every line has done menu changes over the past few years. Unfortunately, the most obvious similarity is that the changes seem to stress cost cutting on the part of the food budget. For example, what used to be two large lobster tails is now often 1 smaller tail paired with less costly shrimp or scallops. Princess used to offer Escargot on their alternate menu (always available) but this disappeared on several of our recent Princess cruises (we could still arrange to get escargot by pre-arrangments with the maitre d). We also have noticed huge changes at lunch buffets. Where it used to be common to find large trays of fresh large shrimp they now usually have a shrimp salad (which uses much less costly tiny shrimp). The high quality beef that used to be served in the MDR seems to have been replaced with less costly cuts (the high quality stuff is now in alternative restaurants for additonal cost). The one thing that Princess seems to always keep is their wonderful Pizza (the best at sea). And then there is my pet peeve about almost every cruise line.....the coffee. After lots of passengers complained about lousy cruise ship coffee most of the lines made "real coffee" available for a fee..rather then just upgrading their normal product. Holland America offers a great example of this since they used to make a bid deal out of serving Seattle Best coffee but that has now disappeared. Of course they still offer very good coffee, but only for a price. It is similar on Princess.

 

Hank

[jonikal]

Hmmmm. One has to wonder whether this menu change is really nothing more than another way to cut costs? That seems to be the end result, at least from the last time they changed when certain beef options (e.g. New York strip) no longer appeared on the menu. Thoughts?

[Toto2Kansas]

Good HEAVENS, If I wanted Pot Roast or Chili I'd stay home. :eek:

I like the interesting dishes on a cruise that I don't have time to make. :(

What were they THINKING? :confused:

From what I have read, there were many passengers complaining that the food was 'too fancy' for them and they wanted more 'homestyle' food.

 

I agree with you though, if I wanted the same old same old, I would probably just stay home. Food is one of the reasons we cruise, it ranks right up there in the top 5 reasons at least.

[Toto2Kansas]

Hmmmm. One has to wonder whether this menu change is really nothing more than another way to cut costs? That seems to be the end result, at least from the last time they changed when certain beef options (e.g. New York strip) no longer appeared on the menu. Thoughts?

 

You typed my thoughts! It would not surprise me a bit if changes are made, it will be for cost cutting reasons mainly.

[Hlitner]

What the heck does Homestyle mean? :confused: I didn't see that on our 2008 cruise?

 

Always found this "term" silly and it normally means "we serve cheaper stuff just like at home." Replacing Filet Mignon with "homestyle meatloaf" would be a typcial move.

 

Hank

[ChrisB123]

Too FANCY? Really? :eek:

 

I can understand that on a 3 day during Spring Break on Carnival, but Princess? :confused::eek::eek:

[johnmik1]

I hope they do something as we have decided,after 32 cruises on Princess,to try HAL because of the menu options.

[waltd]

I for one don't make pot roast and chili at home so for me it's not the same old same old. After 2 or 3 weeks on a cruise their menu does get a bit boring and I do look forward to something more homestyle.

[Woobstr112G]

While on the Golden this past February, one of the Ship's officers told me she had heard that the menu for Sabatinis would be changing.....

 

Bob

[Working 2 Cruise]

I am wondering when this is going to start happening... We'll see if the new menus will be rolled out by November... Escargots and frog legs... I hope Princess does not get rid of them!

[Carolyn R]

I would like to think that the Princess corporate office does read these boards and is responding to requests for a menu change by their frequent cruisers.

[KansasCityGuys]

When I eat in the MDR, I don't want the home style types of food I can fix at home. To me that is one reason I cruise is to try and eat food I have never even heard of. My suggestion is to put the home style menu items in the buffet that way for the boring people who are afraid to try anything new they can have their meatloaf, pot roast, or fried chicken.

[cherylandtk]

We asked this question of the maitre' d onboard the Sapphire last month during our Chef's Table. He told us that fleet wide menus change about every five years, and that the current menu is approaching halfway through it's life cycle. He also told us it takes an entire year to plan out the new menus and implement them throughout the fleet. I was left with the distinct impression that there are no imminent changes in the works.