Always Available Items with new Curtis Stone Dishes

[Cruiserkenn]

LOL. :D As for onion soup--we had it a couple of times recently on different ships. I don't think it's gone for good. The parm basket, OTOH, I haven't seen that in months.

BTW, here's the lobster with EF dish Stone is bringing to Princess:

Guess he should have locked his cat out of the kitchen. ;)

 

Seriously, how did anyone decide that this would be a good thing to serve?

 

I wonder if the dining room captains and the head waiters get ulcers, thinking about having to serve this, and then defend it. Poor guys (and gals).

 

I now know I won't order anything that has endive foam, I had no idea that it looks this bad.

 

Thanks for the picture. A picture tells a thousand words. Is this an old time truth, or what?

[GUT2407]

The Curtis Stone, always available currently seems to vary a great deal ship to ship.

 

Wonder if they're trying to get a snapshot of what's popular and what's not?

[FritzG]

What is the deal with "foam"? I've seen it on other dishes, mainly appetizers, and I can't understand what the appeal is. Anyone who has a cat would agree that it looks familiar, and we don't want to see it on our food--we've seen too much of it on our carpets!

[nukesubsailor]

Would it be safe to say, you wouldn't want endive foam on your biscuits?

 

LOL. Yes it would be safe to say that. However, I would accept a foam on my beer-----as long as it comes from pouring the beer and not added afterwards.

[nukesubsailor]

Princess should get with the times & present a tablet to each passenger with a picture & description of each item. It would at least eliminate a lot of disappointed people receiving a meal like that.

 

It might also eliminate a lot of food going into the garbage.

[stoneharborlady]

To me it looks like the end of the soapy bubbles after you have washed a sink full of dishes.

[IECalCruiser]

Princess should get with the times & present a tablet to each passenger with a picture & description of each item. It would at least eliminate a lot of disappointed people receiving a meal like that.

On the Regal last year the was a segment on the Wake Show each morning that showed photos of all of the entrees in the MDR that evening. I wish the did that on all ships. They could also add a section to the Princess app that would show each evenings menu with photos.

[RocketMan275]

LOL. Yes it would be safe to say that. However, I would accept a foam on my beer-----as long as it comes from pouring the beer and not added afterwards.

 

How about some endive foam on your pumpkin beer?

[RocketMan275]

On the Regal last year the was a segment on the Wake Show each morning that showed photos of all of the entrees in the MDR that evening. I wish the did that on all ships. They could also add a section to the Princess app that would show each evenings menu with photos.

 

People would demand compensation if their entree didn't match the photograph.

[shredie]

How about some endive foam on your pumpkin beer?

 

LOL! I think this "foam" fad has to do with cost. It's much cheaper to serve bubbles. :D It's also a silly pretentious stunt.

[floridalover5623]

On the Regal last year the was a segment on the Wake Show each morning that showed photos of all of the entrees in the MDR that evening. I wish the did that on all ships. They could also add a section to the Princess app that would show each evenings menu with photos.

We don't like to waste time on the morning show watching 30 minutes of commercials. That's probably why we missed it.

As you say, they could at least have the menu for each day on their web site. It would eliminate running down stairs each evening to check out the menu before dinner.

[rob2102]

Seriously' date=' how did anyone decide that this would be a good thing to serve?

 

I wonder if the dining room captains and the head waiters get ulcers, thinking about having to serve this, and then defend it. Poor guys (and gals).

 

I now know I won't order anything that has endive foam, I had no idea that it looks this bad.

 

Thanks for the picture. A picture tells a thousand words. Is this an old time truth, or what?[/quote']

 

I am not sure that cruise critics make good food critic. All of the reviews of Curtis stones restaurants in the states and over seas are excellent. Its really hard for me to believe that princess would stake its brand reputation on CS with out some serious research.

Their is definitely some disconnect between his style of gourmet cooking and some princess passengers. May be some adjustments will be made along the line, but I don't think the food or its presentation can be really that bad, certainly not as bad as a lot of poster have made it.

Sorry I am not a true believer in what is post on this site.. Many have make the emerald out to be a ship of horror and not enjoying their cruise or the ship at all. Ill approach like all other princess changes or additions. They generally work out for the better.

[shredie]

I am not sure that cruise critics make good food critic. All of the reviews of Curtis stones restaurants in the states and over seas are excellent. Its really hard for me to believe that princess would stake its brand reputation on CS with out some serious research.

Their is definitely some disconnect between his style of gourmet cooking and some princess passengers. May be some adjustments will be made along the line, but I don't think the food or its presentation can be really that bad, certainly not as bad as a lot of poster have made it.

Sorry I am not a true believer in what is post on this site.. Many have make the emerald out to be a ship of horror and not enjoying their cruise or the ship at all. Ill approach like all other princess changes or additions. They generally work out for the better.

 

Time will tell what happens with Stone and his food. Have you had it yet? If so, let us know how you liked the foam. (That picture, BTW, is an official one taken by Powers That Be to advertise the dish. If you think it looks appetizing, then I guess that's what you'll be ordering at SHARE. If you like it, you'll have to pay another $39 to get a second helping.)

[floridalover5623]

I am not sure that cruise critics make good food critic. All of the reviews of Curtis stones restaurants in the states and over seas are excellent. Its really hard for me to believe that princess would stake its brand reputation on CS with out some serious research.

Their is definitely some disconnect between his style of gourmet cooking and some princess passengers. May be some adjustments will be made along the line, but I don't think the food or its presentation can be really that bad, certainly not as bad as a lot of poster have made it.

Sorry I am not a true believer in what is post on this site.. Many have make the emerald out to be a ship of horror and not enjoying their cruise or the ship at all. Ill approach like all other princess changes or additions. They generally work out for the better.

 

You can have the opportunity to try 3 Curtis Stone dishes on your next cruise. They're on the menu every night. I had 2 of the 3 and would never order any of them again no less pay to have one of his creations. I don't recall a single dish that Princess has ever done where I can say that.

Since food really is a personal choice I hope you'll get a chance to try a few of them in the future.

[RocketMan275]

I am not sure that cruise critics make good food critic. All of the reviews of Curtis stones restaurants in the states and over seas are excellent. Its really hard for me to believe that princess would stake its brand reputation on CS with out some serious research.

Their is definitely some disconnect between his style of gourmet cooking and some princess passengers. May be some adjustments will be made along the line, but I don't think the food or its presentation can be really that bad, certainly not as bad as a lot of poster have made it.

Sorry I am not a true believer in what is post on this site.. Many have make the emerald out to be a ship of horror and not enjoying their cruise or the ship at all. Ill approach like all other princess changes or additions. They generally work out for the better.

 

You are certainly correct when you say that 'cruise critics might not make good food critics'. I am not sure that is really a relevant point though. Food critics write for other food critics and many of the things that impress them, while certainly great culinary achievements, are not necessarily the kinds of things most cruise critics would find attractive.

 

Of course, that brings us to a certain question. Why would Princess hire a chef who can place dishes on the table that impress the legions of food critics but leave their passengers cold? Is Princess out to impress the great culinary minds of the western world or put butts in seats in their specialty restaurants?

[rob2102]

Time will tell what happens with Stone and his food. Have you had it yet? If so, let us know how you liked the foam. (That picture, BTW, is an official one taken by Powers That Be to advertise the dish. If you think it looks appetizing, then I guess that's what you'll be ordering at SHARE. If you like it, you'll have to pay another $39 to get a second helping.)[/quote

 

We will be sailing on the emerald in February. I definitely plan to dine at the SHARE. Like I said his California restaurant continues to get mostly good and excellent reviews. I think we will enjoy his food on board as well.

 

I have learned from my travels just because food doesn't always look or have familiar names it doesn't equates to being bad. Red Lobster and CS might have different looking lobster dishes but how it tastes, is the bottom line.

 

Like I said before princess must have spent their due diligence researching the CS brand and his concepts in cooking. They didn't partner up with colonel sanders , but a world renown chief. All companies protect their brands.

 

CS an d PCL have deep California roots. Gourmet food may not be for every one. But the critics need to back off a bit. I am thinking many of the CS haters didn't go to sabitinni's ( excuse the spelling) either lol. So give it some time to settle in, make adjustments if needed before slamming the door shut on the idea. Life will go on with .

[Colo Cruiser]

I think I would actually rather try the dishes in the actual venue and not in the DR.

[RocketMan275]

 

We will be sailing on the emerald in February. I definitely plan to dine at the SHARE. Like I said his California restaurant continues to get mostly good and excellent reviews. I think we will enjoy his food on board as well.

 

Like I said before princess must have spent their due diligence researching the CS brand and his concepts in cooking. They didn't partner up with colonel sanders , but a world renown chief. All companies protect their brands.

 

CS and PCL have deep California roots. Gourmet food may not be for every one. But the critics need to back off a bit. I am thinking many of the CS haters didn't go to sabitinni's ( excuse the spelling) either lol. So give it some time to settle in, make adjustments if needed before slamming the door shut on the idea. Life will go on with .

 

The SHARE concept has been implemented in a variety of restaurants in many different locations. As you say, it has been popular. I'm not sure exactly what that popularity really means.

 

By most reports I've read, the sharing restaurant concept has been most popular with young urban professionals who likes sharing tables and plates even with strangers. The typical share restaurant is designed for high noise levels that creates a sense of excitement. Does this sound like something appealing to the typical Princess cruiser?

 

And, yes, we usually have dinner in Sabatini's twice on seven day cruise. We like the food and we like the quieter more romantic environment. We are not that fond of the steakhouse. We will not stop cruising Princess if SHARE replaces Sabatini's but we will not book SHARE. Just not our thing. As the wife says, "If I want to share a plate with 12 strangers, I can do that it in Horizon Court and save $39."

[Astro Flyer]

You are certainly correct when you say that 'cruise critics might not make good food critics'. I am not sure that is really a relevant point though. Food critics write for other food critics and many of the things that impress them, while certainly great culinary achievements, are not necessarily the kinds of things most cruise critics would find attractive.

 

Of course, that brings us to a certain question. Why would Princess hire a chef who can place dishes on the table that impress the legions of food critics but leave their passengers cold? Is Princess out to impress the great culinary minds of the western world or put butts in seats in their specialty restaurants?

To me this is the crux of this change...replacing cruise food with that of a landbased "celebrity" chef appears to be a bad idea to me.

 

I have not been on a ship with Share nor the MDR always available options. However based on the menu & the $39 fee for Share these changes are not an improvement to me. Princess continues to promote the communal sharing of food in their modern renovation of the Sabatini's space including chairs that have been reported as uncomfortable.

 

Curtis Stone may have successful restaurants & is a nice guy however producing banquet quality meals for thousands of passengers prepared by shipboard chefs is a much different procedure. Princess' Alfredo Marzi & his staff do an excellent job at producing well prepared & presented food that appeals to the majority of Princess passengers. When dining options change, I think that Alfredo does a great job & I don't understand why Princess felt it was necessary to pay a "celebrity" chef who doesn't know what the majority of cruise ship passengers enjoy. :(

 

I thought that there would be a CS entrée available in the MDR but not a complete change of the always available options with his less desirable ones. As I recall several years ago the always available beef option was removed but customer dissatisfaction resulted in the current beef medallions.

 

As far as Princess doing their research before getting a landbased "celebrity" chef to create cruise ship meals, it doesn't appear to be a well received change. Change can be good but it's not always an improvement & things like paying $19 for 3 small plates of food at the Salty Dog gastropub is another attempt to generate more income. However to me it's just another overpriced new option like Share that doesn't improve the Princess experience.

 

I don't plan to try either option due to the menu & price and instead pay the same price for another great Crown Grill dinner & even a bottle of wine for the same $78 price of Share.

 

As a frequent Princess passenger to me things such as Norman Love's desserts & the expanded Alfredo's Pizzeria are hits...things like Share & CS always available items are a miss.

Edited January 1, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[RocketMan275]

To me this is the crux of this change...replacing cruise food with that of a landbased "celebrity" chef appears to be a bad idea to me.

 

I have not been on a ship with Share nor the MDR always available options. However based on the menu & the $39 fee for Share these changes are not an improvement to me. Princess continues to promote the communal sharing of food in their modern renovation of the Sabatini's space including chairs that have been reported as uncomfortable.

 

As a frequent Princess passenger to me things such as Norman Love's desserts & the expanded Alfredo's Pizzeria are hits...things like Share & CS always available items are a miss.

 

I'm fairly sure I understand why Princess has done this. I believe all the cruise lines are attempting to expand their client base and bring a younger demographic onboard. SHARE may make sense in that context.

[Cruiserkenn]

Time will tell what happens with Stone and his food. Have you had it yet? If so, let us know how you liked the foam. (That picture, BTW, is an official one taken by Powers That Be to advertise the dish. If you think it looks appetizing, then I guess that's what you'll be ordering at SHARE. If you like it, you'll have to pay another $39 to get a second helping.)[/quote

 

We will be sailing on the emerald in February. I definitely plan to dine at the SHARE. Like I said his California restaurant continues to get mostly good and excellent reviews. I think we will enjoy his food on board as well.

 

I have learned from my travels just because food doesn't always look or have familiar names it doesn't equates to being bad. Red Lobster and CS might have different looking lobster dishes but how it tastes, is the bottom line.

 

Like I said before princess must have spent their due diligence researching the CS brand and his concepts in cooking. They didn't partner up with colonel sanders , but a world renown chief. All companies protect their brands.

 

CS an d PCL have deep California roots. Gourmet food may not be for every

 

one. But the critics need to back off a bit. I am thinking many of the CS haters didn't go to sabitinni's ( excuse the spelling) either lol. So give it some time to settle in, make adjustments if needed before slamming the door shut on the idea. Life will go on with .

 

I nave dined at Sabatini's on the Diamond, Emerald, Golden, Grand, Sapphire,

and Star. I will miss it.

[Astro Flyer]

I'm fairly sure I understand why Princess has done this. I believe all the cruise lines are attempting to expand their client base and bring a younger demographic onboard. SHARE may make sense in that context.

True & hopefully it's successful resulting in a new generation of cruise passengers for Princess. :)

 

Although such food options are not enjoyed by all younger passengers who like the food Princess offers including my kids. When I began cruising my mid-30s it wasn't trendy food that attracted me but a quality classic style of food. I'm skeptical if things like CS food & the gastropub will attract a sizable number of younger passengers away from more trendy & active cruise lines such as RCCL but hopefully for Princess' sake they will sail with them. :)

Edited January 1, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Colo Cruiser]

To me this is the crux of this change...replacing cruise food with that of a landbased "celebrity" chef appears to be a bad idea to me.

 

I have not been on a ship with Share nor the MDR always available options. However based on the menu & the $39 fee for Share these changes are not an improvement to me. Princess continues to promote the communal sharing of food in their modern renovation of the Sabatini's space including chairs that have been reported as uncomfortable.

 

Curtis Stone may have successful restaurants & is a nice guy however producing banquet quality meals for thousands of passengers prepared by shipboard chefs is a much different procedure. Princess' Alfredo Marzi & his staff do an excellent job at producing well prepared & presented food that appeals to the majority of Princess passengers. When dining options change, I think that Alfredo does a great job & I don't understand why Princess felt it was necessary to pay a "celebrity" chef who doesn't know what the majority of cruise ship passengers enjoy. :(

 

I thought that there would be a CS entrée available in the MDR but not a complete change of the always available options with his less desirable ones. As I recall several years ago the always available beef option was removed but customer dissatisfaction resulted in the current beef medallions.

 

As far as Princess doing their research before getting a landbased "celebrity" chef to create cruise ship meals, it doesn't appear to be a well received change. Change can be good but it's not always an improvement & things like paying $19 for 3 small plates of food at the Salty Dog gastropub is another attempt to generate more income. However to me it's just another overpriced new option like Share that doesn't improve the Princess experience.

 

I don't plan to try either option due to the menu & price and instead pay the same price for another great Crown Grill dinner & even a bottle of wine for the same $78 price of Share.

 

As a frequent Princess passenger to me things such as Norman Love's desserts & the expanded Alfredo's Pizzeria are hits...things like Share & CS always available items are a miss.

 

 

I agree..

 

Apparently from posts from those who have experienced it or saw as they looked in.... its pretty empty and its not going over well.

Edited January 1, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[suzyed]

The SHARE concept has been implemented in a variety of restaurants in many different locations. As you say, it has been popular. I'm not sure exactly what that popularity really means.

 

By most reports I've read, the sharing restaurant concept has been most popular with young urban professionals who likes sharing tables and plates even with strangers. The typical share restaurant is designed for high noise levels that creates a sense of excitement. Does this sound like something appealing to the typical Princess cruiser?

 

And, yes, we usually have dinner in Sabatini's twice on seven day cruise. We like the food and we like the quieter more romantic environment. We are not that fond of the steakhouse. We will not stop cruising Princess if SHARE replaces Sabatini's but we will not book SHARE. Just not our thing. As the wife says, "If I want to share a plate with 12 strangers, I can do that it in Horizon Court and save $39."

 

We loved the atmosphere in Sabatini's....it's just a beautiful venue. The food was very good and a nice change of pace especially on a long cruise (our last was 29 days). We enjoyed Crown Grill as well. We would probably try Share, although $39 is a bit pricey...hoping they don't stay with that price point.

[nukesubsailor]

LOL! I think this "foam" fad has to do with cost. It's much cheaper to serve bubbles. :D It's also a silly pretentious stunt.

 

That reminds me of when I was a kid and saw commercials on tv promoting bars of Ivory Soap because it would float in the bath tub. They didn't point out that it floated because is was full of air rather than soap.