sstepson Posted January 14, 2015 #1 Share Posted January 14, 2015 My wife and I just got off of the Caribbean Princess on the 4 day trip to Grand Cayman. It was our first time on Princess (we've both sailed between 12-15 times on other lines.) and we absolutely loved it! Our room steward was top-notch, the dining room food and service was the best we've ever had at sea, and we loved the ship. Here's the weird thing, though...the mixed drinks were awful! And not just one drink...all of them! We tried Piña Coladas, Banana Daquiris, Bloody Marys, and a Mudslide. Every single one was horrible. The Daquiris were sour, the Bloody Mary was very watered down, and the Mudslide was tasteless. And they weren't all from one bar, we had drinks from multiple pool bars, the casino bar and from the theater. (Ordered from a waiter). It almost seemed like the drink mixes that Princess uses are not quite right...either that or their training program for the bar staff is sorely lacking. Please don't take this thread the wrong way...like I said, we had a wonderful time, and we will be most definitely sailing on Princess in the future. Just wondering if others have similar experiences regarding the mixed drinks onboard. We eventually gave up and stuck to wine and beer! Any thoughts? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julia’s Journey’s Posted January 14, 2015 #2 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Did you have a beverage package? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sstepson Posted January 14, 2015 Author #3 Share Posted January 14, 2015 No, we did not. We don't drink enough to justify a package... I will add this...my Mother-in-law was drinking Martinis, and she said all of those were very good. So, it seems like the issue was just with drinks that required some kind of mix. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar1950 Posted January 14, 2015 #4 Share Posted January 14, 2015 In our experience the Princess mixed drinks, depending on what you order, can be a little "uneven".:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Woobstr112G Posted January 14, 2015 #5 Share Posted January 14, 2015 In our experience the Princess mixed drinks, depending on what you order, can be a little "uneven".:cool: I've experienced the same on a couple of cruises...... Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted January 14, 2015 #6 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I've found that some bartenders are a lot better than others. If I was served drinks I didn't like, I'd send it back. Or, I'd order from another bar the next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefall Posted January 14, 2015 #7 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Same opinion as yours. We stick with martinis (from Crooners), beer and wine only! Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishywood Posted January 14, 2015 #8 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Agree as well. I could taste virtually no difference between my Dirty Monkey and my companion's Chocolate Banana mocktail. A Manhattan or Cuba Libre--even at 2-for-1 happy hour--seemed like straight alcohol by comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubfan63 Posted January 14, 2015 #9 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Except for the ice, the Manhattan's ingredients are all alcohol: whiskey and sweet vermouth. So it should taste like alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare geoherb Posted January 14, 2015 #10 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I learned not to order any drinks that are based on a mix. My favorite is the Beverly Hills iced tea. It's almost pure liquor.When we were on two weeks ago, "El Mejor Margaritas" weren't bad. I only ordered them when they were the drink of the day at the Skywalker's event. The other drinks I had included mojitos and a gimlet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoyosma Posted January 14, 2015 #11 Share Posted January 14, 2015 We don't drink a lot but we do love Mojitos and the ones we have ordered from Princess have all been good. We tend to get them at the elite lounge. And I have always had good martinis in crooners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted January 14, 2015 #12 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Yes inconsistency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matj2000 Posted January 14, 2015 #13 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Maybe they changed mixes. From what I remember, most cruiselines use the "Island Oasis" mix. Which is pretty good stuff. Not sure if Princess does or not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormynow Posted January 14, 2015 #14 Share Posted January 14, 2015 OP, don't think u would get flamed if u posted this on any cruise line thread. Hard to get a good pina colada on any ship IMHO. Looks like a lot of posters agree with u, and we do as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partybarbie Posted January 14, 2015 #15 Share Posted January 14, 2015 DH and I used to love the Mojitos, but many of the bars are using a mix now, rather than making the drinks from a recipe. They're okay, but not as good as they used to be. We usually stick to beer or wine, or the martini's. Most of the drinks made with the new mixes are not very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeii Posted January 14, 2015 #16 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I don't drink alcohol, but I ordered a sunshine daiquiri at one bar and it was to die for; the bartender muddled the lime with something else (can't remember) and it was very fresh and flavorful. Delicious! I was very disappointed when I ordered another one at another venue, and it tasted like juice and maybe grenadine with nothing else. I also noticed that the blended coffee drinks on the Ruby in November had so much ice put in the blender that there was not much coffee flavor. In the past, I remembered them being good and strong; not so much the last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partybarbie Posted January 14, 2015 #17 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Yes, with the Mojitos they used to muddle the mint and the lime together with the sugar syrup. Now they just throw a couple of limes in the glass, add a mint sprig and the mix. Not nearly as good.:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted January 14, 2015 #18 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Yes, with the Mojitos they used to muddle the mint and the lime together with the sugar syrup. Now they just throw a couple of limes in the glass, add a mint sprig and the mix. Not nearly as good.:( Thats terrible, you can't omit the mint leaves. :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partybarbie Posted January 14, 2015 #19 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thats terrible, you can't omit the mint leaves. :eek: I know! What's up with that? The waiter was really nice though. He brought me the mix carton and said he was sorry that they didn't have the simple syrup to make it the old way. Now I will only drink Mojitos at the Elite lounge, when they are $5.00. Will not pay $8.95 for them (regular price). It was this way on both the Star and the Island. So sad..At least the margaritas are still pretty good.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmckm Posted January 14, 2015 #20 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Did you have a beverage package? What would having the package have to do with bad tasting drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharonfire Posted January 14, 2015 #21 Share Posted January 14, 2015 My wife and I just got off of the Caribbean Princess on the 4 day trip to Grand Cayman. It was our first time on Princess (we've both sailed between 12-15 times on other lines.) and we absolutely loved it! Our room steward was top-notch, the dining room food and service was the best we've ever had at sea, and we loved the ship. Here's the weird thing, though...the mixed drinks were awful! And not just one drink...all of them! We tried Piña Coladas, Banana Daquiris, Bloody Marys, and a Mudslide. Every single one was horrible. The Daquiris were sour, the Bloody Mary was very watered down, and the Mudslide was tasteless. And they weren't all from one bar, we had drinks from multiple pool bars, the casino bar and from the theater. (Ordered from a waiter). It almost seemed like the drink mixes that Princess uses are not quite right...either that or their training program for the bar staff is sorely lacking. Please don't take this thread the wrong way...like I said, we had a wonderful time, and we will be most definitely sailing on Princess in the future. Just wondering if others have similar experiences regarding the mixed drinks onboard. We eventually gave up and stuck to wine and beer! Any thoughts? Sent from my iPhone using Forums I am taking my first cruise in just a few days on Caribbean Princess and we are planning to get the drink package so I am not happy reading this post. Not at all! I want lots of fruity alcoholic drinks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedward Posted January 14, 2015 #22 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Maybe they changed mixes. From what I remember, most cruiselines use the "Island Oasis" mix. Which is pretty good stuff. Not sure if Princess does or not... For margaritas and other drinks requiring a mix, they are using Sunsation mixes, which are the worst crap, totally loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup, and practically nothing in the way of fruit juice. They could have had monkeys mixing the drinks, which required no talent to prepare. If I were a real bartender, I would be ashamed by the poor quality product that I was forced to mix/serve by upper management. However, cocktails that do not involve the packaged mix were very tasty. Just another sign that cruising has been horribly dumbed down by the mass market lines. Regards, Ned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ymi17 Posted January 14, 2015 #23 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I also found that the waitstaff/barstaff is receptive to feedback and really does want to make you happy. And befriending barstaff is very nice on a cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedward Posted January 14, 2015 #24 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I also found that the waitstaff/barstaff is receptive to feedback and really does want to make you happy. And befriending barstaff is very nice on a cruise. I would agree -- we did find a bartender who made us Margies using fresh lime juice and a wee bit of simple syrup, and they were dee-lish! Regards, Ned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sstepson Posted January 14, 2015 Author #25 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Glad to hear I'm not the only one who's noticed this... I meant to peek over the bar to see what brand the mixes were, but I forgot. It was just a bit disappointing considering how great the rest of the cruise was. It just seemed odd that the mixed drinks were so much better on Carnival... Thanks for your feedback, guys! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now