Special requests at dinner

[blum74]

Another thread was explaining how "ask and you shall receive" is pretty much the case with dinner. If we ask for sushi can we get it in the main dining room?

[Loonbeam]

Depends on if they have the ingredients, and it probably wouldn't be same night. Also, Princess sushi is meh at best. That said, its certainly possible.

[MTJSR]

Interesting question, my guess is that Sushi requested the day before, just like you would for Escargot, would be accommodated without issue. Unless this is a trial to test the limits of their bending over backwards for you:D

[MichCook]

I would think it depends on the wait staff and the kitchen.

 

On our last cruise, one of our tablemates asked to have an extra lobster tail instead of the prawns. She was told that they would have to bring her two dinners and she didn't have to eat the prawns. (The prawns did NOT go to waste. :)) We thought that was odd, but didn't bother questioning it.

 

But, that said, I've never tried to order something that was not on the menu.

[Roses2]

Sushi usually is served at least one night in the Caribe on larger ships. Sushi is a rice dish combined with other elements such as fish. While sashimi generally requires fresh, not frozen ingredients -- usually fish.

 

Since most of the fish aboard cruises is frozen, it probably is not a great idea to expect top quality fish sashimi.

 

You probably could order sushi rolls for the following night through your head waiter. It is very doubtful that the galley would make up sashimi. However, you could ask.

[Loonbeam]

In those circumstances, the plates are usually pre-set and off the setup rotation, so they can just take a pre-prepped one. The servers are not allowed to handle the plate contents...

 

 

On our last cruise, one of our tablemates asked to have an extra lobster tail instead of the prawns. She was told that they would have to bring her two dinners and she didn't have to eat the prawns. (The prawns did NOT go to waste. :)) We thought that was odd, but didn't bother questioning it.

[cb at sea]

If they have it, they will give it to you....if they don't, they won't go out of their way to "make" it.

[FawnRiver]

In those circumstances, the plates are usually pre-set and off the setup rotation, so they can just take a pre-prepped one. The servers are not allowed to handle the plate contents...

We do late traditional dining and they'll add the extra item to your plate, instead of bringing you an entire set up. I think it has more to do with how busy they are in the kitchen, considering how popular early dining is it isn't surprising that they'll just send out an extra plate.

[RumbLine]

High quality sushi uses a special type of rice and is, at least, seasoned with rice vinegar. Other ingredients used in rolls or on individual pieces vary from pickled or raw vegetables and/or various types of seafood, cooked or raw. Sushi rolls and cone sushi are wrapped in nori (flat seaweed sheets). Sushi is not synonomous with "raw fish."

 

Sashimi is sliced raw seafood, most often Ahi (yellow fin tuna), and most oftem served with wasabi & soy - rice is not a part of sashimi. Sashimi is synonomous with raw fish.

 

While on the Coral on a Panama canal cruise, they made a big deal out of announcing in the patter that Sushi would be served in the HC that afternoon (a sea day). Unfortunately the rice was unseasoned, mushy, and not sushi rice. If one knew any better, you would of had the urge to spit in out (on plate or napkin, of course). Truely horrible. We wondered (sadly) if this was some passenger's first experience with sushi and what their impressions were - it was being snatched and loaded up on people's plates like it mad.

[Loonbeam]

That's what I meant. Peak periods the plates are pre-set and there's no capacity to modify them so its easier to just grab 2. Once it quiets down the kitchen staff can modify the platings..

 

We do late traditional dining and they'll add the extra item to your plate, instead of bringing you an entire set up. I think it has more to do with how busy they are in the kitchen, considering how popular early dining is it isn't surprising that they'll just send out an extra plate.

[Pam in CA]

Princess has menus for probably up to 30 days, or more. Usually, these menus are a combination of ingredients ordered months in advance and loaded on the ship at embarkation, sometimes refreshing produce in certain ports. Ordering something off the menu for which the ingredients are possibly not on the ship means you'll either get substitute ingredients or they won't be able to fulfill a request. If you want short ribs one night, for instance, and they're not on the menu, the meat is in the locker and they can prepare it. If you want coconut-crusted shrimp as an appetizer, they can do that as well.

 

When ordering off-menu, keep the ingredients in mind. They can't produce what they don't have stored on the ship.

[caribill]

I think it has more to do with how busy they are in the kitchen, considering how popular early dining is it isn't surprising that they'll just send out an extra plate.

 

I think it has more to do with your waiter not wanting to wait around for a special plating. It is easier and quicker for him/her to grab what is already set up.

[Whimsy]

If you ask them to prepare something special for you that is not offered is it typical to offer a gratuity for this special service? If so, to who?

[Pam in CA]

If you ask them to prepare something special for you that is not offered is it typical to offer a gratuity for this special service? If so, to who?

If I do make special requests, I always tip my waitstaff extra. That's harder in Anytime and if I had Anytime, I'd tip them extra that night.

[MichCook]

In those circumstances, the plates are usually pre-set and off the setup rotation, so they can just take a pre-prepped one. The servers are not allowed to handle the plate contents...

 

Thanks, that does make sense.

[Loonbeam]

Most definitely the waiter team who handled the request. If the headwaiter is involved, something extra at end of trip.

 

If it was a complicated request I'll also send a thank you note to the Exec Chef on behalf of their team. (unless I see them at Chef's table, I will thank them personally then if timing appropriate)

 

If you ask them to prepare something special for you that is not offered is it typical to offer a gratuity for this special service? If so, to who?