Cafe Caribe

[jima53]

Would someone give an opinion of the Cafe Caribe on the Caribbean Princess. The type of food available, your opinion of it's quality as to taste, presentation, whether it was hot or not... that sort of thing.

 

Thanks

Jim

[Frugalist]

Would someone give an opinion of the Cafe Caribe on the Caribbean Princess. The type of food available, your opinion of it's quality as to taste, presentation, whether it was hot or not... that sort of thing.

 

Thanks

Jim

 

Absolutely awesome! We were on the Caribbean in March and it seemed not many passengers knew the place even existed. It is set up as a buffet, with different themes every night. Both hot and cold entrees and sides.

 

I posted a live thread that week with lots of details about the Caribe Cafe. Do a search on my user name and check it out.

 

We're leaving in 3 hours for another week on the Caribbean Princess. I'm sure I'll be checking the boards during the week.

[GloriaF]

The Cafe Caribe was excellent! The best part of the CB, IMO. In the evening, the tables are set with linens and there is a waitstaff to serve drinks. The fare is presented nicer than the average buffet, but is self-serve buffet. During the day, the fare is also sometimes different. Several times we found sushi during lunch hours. The Cafe Caribe has a seafood extravaganza the day of embarkation as I recall. I think of the Cafe Caribe as a step above the buffet and not as fine as the dining rooms. It meets a much-needed niche in ship dining.

 

I did not care for the extra crowds on the CB, but must admit the Cafe Caribe was well done.

 

Also, don't miss the ice cream sundae station on all ships in the buffet between about 3:30 and 4:30 each afternoon.

[2theship]

I have to chime in on the other side of the discussion. I just did not find Cafe Caribe that great. The one time we went there for dinner, I thought that perhaps we'd be shown to a table that would be ours for the evening. We were not. Since it was busy, the only way to get a table was for one of us to sit while the other went to the buffet then the first one started dinner alone while the second went to the buffet. A server came and asked for a drink order. I ordered mine but said I wasn't sure what my husband wanted, please come back when he returned. The waiter brought my drink and never showed his face again. I thought the buffet was disorganized - there are different foods on each end so you have to walk the whole length to see everything. Since people start from both sides, at some point you wind up going against the crowd. And, after all of that, I wasn't that impressed by the food.

 

Lunches were a little better, there were often some interesting options but I wouldn't go there for dinner again.

 

There were lots of things I loved about our Caribbean Princess cruise but the Cafe Caribe was not one of them.

[98Charlie]

Sailed the Caribbean Princess on the 11/26 sailing and have to say DH & I were disappointed with Cafe Caribe following all the hype we had read about the venue on these boards.

 

The buffet line does have two beginnings and seemingly one end which means pax have to pass each other in the middle of the line to see the other side of the buffet line.

 

We had early seating at traditional dining in the Island Dining Room, which was exceptional (IMHO) each night of the cruise. First night we opted to pop into the Caribe for a taste and view of that venue following the high praise we had heard here about the seafood buffet. To our taste the crab legs had been held too long after cooking, squishy and some way too salty to us, however others may like it that way. Lobster claws had almost no flavor at all (to us) and the shrimp was o.k. but nothing to write home about.

 

To our own thinking (DH has been in the restaurant business for 32 years), the seafood buffet at Cafe Caribe and Horizon Court the first night is an opportunity to draw as many pax away from the other dining rooms as a way to give the staff of the regular dining rooms a brief rest from heavy traffic.

 

Perhaps we hit the Cafe at the wrong time that night. Many, many people have raved about it on these threads.

 

Dianne

[KAJOKG]

The Cafe Caribe is okay, but don't expect anything spectacular. The seafood buffet there was quite good. On the German night's menu were items I enjoyed having been brought up with that type of cuisine, but the kids had a difficult choice. Most of them just had fries on their plates. It is located at the rear of the Horizon Court and you do get diners with their trays dining at the Cafe Caribe tables also. Not a problem...I just mention that so you realize that it's not a private type dining room. If you choose a night, make sure it's the seafood buffet. That was the best.

[mafig]

Aren't there two seafood buffet nights? Which one are you referring to as "the best?"

[KAJOKG]

Aren't there two seafood buffet nights? Which one are you referring to as "the best?"

 

 

As I remember, there was only one. That was last Feb. It was the night the buffet was heaped high with Caribbean lobster tails...YUM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as I rem

[Dreamer333]

One of the nice things about the Cafe Carib is that it has a late night menu... You can actually sit down and chose meals from a menu (I think I ordered steak one night at about 2am), and it will be served to you restaurant style.

[cwtravel]

In Cafe Caribe, there were three "seafood" nights. First night was/is cold seafood with cold lobster, crab legs (Snow Crab, not King Crab) and on both formal nights there is/was hot seafood with grilled i/2 lobsters, crab legs, fried shrimp, etc. There are also meat dishes each night, salad, etc.

 

Chris

[GloriaF]

Just to clarify my statement above - Cafe Caribe in no way replaces the formal dining rooms, but if you are just not in the mood to dress for dinner the Cafe Caribe is a nice free alternative.

[carabou1]

I'm a little confused.

 

Is the cafe Caribe open 24 hours?

 

If you dine in the Horizin Court, say for lunch, you wouldn't go the the Cafe?

 

In orther words they are two different areas but close to each other.

 

Thank you.

[KAJOKG]

I'm a little confused.

 

Is the cafe Caribe open 24 hours?

 

If you dine in the Horizin Court, say for lunch, you wouldn't go the the Cafe?

 

In orther words they are two different areas but close to each other.

 

Thank you.

1. I don't believe it is open 24 hours.

2. It is not open for lunch.

3. Yes, close to each other and both are self serve buffets with different menu items. Overflow from the Horizon Court do go into the Cafe Caribe area for tables. No restrictions there.

It's a nice concept especially for the Caribbean Princess which has 500 more passengers than the other Grand Class ships.

[cwtravel]

* They do serve lunch in the Cafe Caribe. The items were different than those served in the Horizon Court. Sushi was also served at lunch/in the afternoon in the Cafe Caribe.

* Dinner is served from 5 or 5:30pm until 11pm. Afetr, a "bistro" menu was available from 11:00 until late, possibly 4am. I saw items like Nacho's, made to order sandwiches, cakes & pastries and I believe Eggs available after 11pm.

* Continental Breakfast is served every day from 6 or 6:30am.

 

I was on the Caribbean Princess 11/26-12/3.

 

Chris