Food Improvement

[RMMariner]

I enjoy trying new things, and I certainly have enjoyed many of Princess' offerings, but I have noticed that the food quality does seem to be declining. I concur with the people who mentioned the saltiness of the food.

 

I have also noticed that there is no consistency. Some cruises have been much better than others. The head chef for that cruise may have a lot to do with it.

 

I do think that Princess has held the line on cruise fares for a long time. Their costs have definitely gone up, so quality would go down. We went on Oceania and the food was much better. Paid twice as much for the cruise though. 

 

[stoneharborlady]

7 hours ago, Dani24 said:

 

 

 But a table of 8 is hardly an indictment on the whole menu. Plus, who is to say the poster isn't exaggerating how his table mates felt about the food because of his own feelings about the menu? I'll wait until a lot more people have reported back, OR I have been able to try it myself hopefully later this year.

Dont know how long you have been reading posts here, but members have been discussing the decline of MDR food for quite a while now,  and reports of lukewarm food, and very slow service.  So this is not one poster, or one table of eight.

[cheezenip]

1 hour ago, Astro Flyer said:

 

 

1 hour ago, Astro Flyer said:

To me any drop in quality is less about the chef who’s creating the menus & is more about having reduced funds with possibly less experienced cooks.

 

I’ve read posts that on other mass market cruise lines there are similar complaints about food.  It’s impossible to have a consensus but I’ll soon be able to formulate my own opinions about the current state of Princess food with or without the new menus they’re touting.

 

Nailed it with reduced funds for quality ingredients and less experienced cooks.

 

I've started trying the newer ships from NCL and RCL the past few years and sadly I find their MDR food overall better (not everything but in general) which is frustrating. If other cruise lines can cut cost and provide decent food, so can Princess but the bean counters at Princess (and CCL HQ) is destroying the brand with extreme / foolish cost cutting - food operations management cannot execute a quality product with non specialty dining.

Edited January 26, 2019 by cheezenip
formatting

[hllwdcruiser]

Speaking of.... I received an e-mail today inviting me to "Discover delectable main dining room menus."

In case you didn't receive it yet it included the following (please excuse sloppy format)

 

A mastered menu Our newly improved menu was reimagined by Chef Pierre-Marie Leprince, named Master Chef of France. Chef Leprince worked alongside our prestigious culinary team, in addition to our celebrity partner Chefs Curtis Stone and Ernesto Uchimura. Sail with us to new sights — and taste the sensational flavors along the way.   Curtis Stone Beef Tenderloin Tips and Mushroom Cobbler — Packed with delicious flavors of beef tenderloin, umami mushroom and topped with a gruyere biscuit.   Bleu Burger — Taste creativity in each bite of modern comfort. Chef Ernesto Uchimura, founding chef of Umami Burger, has taken burgers to a whole new level on board.   Cuisine from places we visit: Sautéed Sea Scallops and Shrimp — Seafood is always prevalent in Mediterranean cooking and this recipe offers a refreshing choice.   Appetizers from every region: Lime and Salt-Cured Salmon Featuring a popular seafood mix heightened by hints of citrus and sweet chili that blend for perfect flavor.   Experience new and enhanced dishes: Indulge in all the newest offerings on board including beef wellington, seafood stuffed trout, cannellini bean & vegetable stew, prosciutto crudo con melone and more.

[cheezenip]

43 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Speaking of.... I received an e-mail today inviting me to "Discover delectable main dining room menus."

In case you didn't receive it yet it included the following (please excuse sloppy format)

 

A mastered menu Our newly improved menu was reimagined by Chef Pierre-Marie Leprince, named Master Chef of France. Chef Leprince worked alongside our prestigious culinary team, in addition to our celebrity partner Chefs Curtis Stone and Ernesto Uchimura. Sail with us to new sights — and taste the sensational flavors along the way.   Curtis Stone Beef Tenderloin Tips and Mushroom Cobbler — Packed with delicious flavors of beef tenderloin, umami mushroom and topped with a gruyere biscuit.   Bleu Burger — Taste creativity in each bite of modern comfort. Chef Ernesto Uchimura, founding chef of Umami Burger, has taken burgers to a whole new level on board.   Cuisine from places we visit: Sautéed Sea Scallops and Shrimp — Seafood is always prevalent in Mediterranean cooking and this recipe offers a refreshing choice.   Appetizers from every region: Lime and Salt-Cured Salmon Featuring a popular seafood mix heightened by hints of citrus and sweet chili that blend for perfect flavor.   Experience new and enhanced dishes: Indulge in all the newest offerings on board including beef wellington, seafood stuffed trout, cannellini bean & vegetable stew, prosciutto crudo con melone and more.

 

A few observations:

(1) Bleu Burger - Give me a break . Another name for a hamburger at dinner. Bean counting dining at its finest!!

 

(2) Sauteed Sea Scallops and Shrimp - On the Grand, we had this. Scallops were good but the shrimp was over-cooked. Similar comments from the 6 of us at the table (everyone that evening ordered this).

 

(3) Beef Wellington - nothing new as Princess has had this on its menu for a long time. On my cruise, it was ok but the beef was tough (I believe last year Princess had changed meat suppliers but will not come to the conclusion this will be occurring on a regular basis since I had beef only twice on the cruise).

 

(4) Cannellini bean and vegetable stew - Another bean counter (no pun intended) favorite as this is a cheap dish to make. High profit margin. Can't comment on the execution.

 

(5) Beef tenderloin tips and Mushroom Cobbler - Sounds like a marketing gimmick and another slick way to cut costs by the bean counters. Why don't you just offer a decent piece size of tenderloin instead of cut scraps off it. Mushroom cobbler means adding breading to mushrooms and top it off with...again more bread with some cheese. From my POV, more cost cutting gimmicks!!

 

Menu appears underwhelming but will try new offerings on future cruises.

Edited January 27, 2019 by cheezenip

[Geoffa30]

We have never had a bad experience with the food on Princess. Yes sometimes it doesn’t quite hit the mark but it’s not as bad as people here are saying but then some people do like to embellish stories. I live by the motto ‘you get what you pay for’ and unfortunately many people on here want Bentley Bentayga cruises for Ford Explorer prices. We recently sailed with Viking and the food was amazing. The actual cruise price was higher but, at least in the U.K., it was effectively all inclusive as it included flights, gratuities, basic excursions and drinks at meal times. Once all of these additional elements are factored in, a Princess cruise would have been around the same price. Perhaps those that complain about the Princess product and how it has deteriorated due to Bean Counters should splash the cash and go higher end?

 

Another thing is how some people comment about how they always eat in the Crown Grill and the Crown Grill is always packed every night. Personally I cannot understand the appeal. The menu is super limited and needs a complete overhaul. It’s just basic steakhouse fayre and not particularly high quality.

[L454S]

Have not sailed with Princess since 2013. Been with RCI mainly, but going on the Pacific in Nov. and been trying to see what going on over here.

 

I had to recheck which button I had clicked on, RCI or Princess. You really could copy and paste a lot of this over there.

 

I do agree that MDR offerings may have declined some, but we do still mostly enjoy the MDR overall. Some have started eating dinner in the buffet siting more and better options. 

 

Hope to have an enjoyable dining room experience on the Pacific Princess, will try to keep up with changes posted here.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Just off the Royal, in general food very good but of course some hits and misses! The Horizon Court was excellent as usual, variety, service and quality just great.  I don’t remember them ever having hand cut tuna sashimi before, we thoroughly enjoyed it!  

 

Two of our our table mates tried the new Curtis Stone “beef tips and mushroom” dish at dinner, and both of them said there was not one bite of beef in it, just mushrooms! After I got the Princess email talking about this item I sent them an email saying perhaps the chefs on the Royal need a lesson in how to prepare it!!  One of my best dinners was spaghetti and meatballs which is on the children’s menu.  Perfectly al dente pasta tossed in a light tasty tomato sauce with five small flavorful homemade meatballs.  I have no idea why Princess doesn’t put this on the always available menu.  iMHO this was a much better pasta dish than the fettuccine Alfredo, which was neither rich or particularly flavorful. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by sunsetbeachgal

[RMMariner]

3 hours ago, sunsetbeachgal said:

 

Two of our our table mates tried the new Curtis Stone “beef tips and mushroom” dish at dinner, and both of them said there was not one bite of beef in it, just mushrooms! After I got the Princess email talking about this item I sent them an email saying perhaps the chefs on the Royal need a lesson in how to prepare it!!  One of my best dinners was spaghetti and meatballs which is on the children’s menu.  Perfectly al dente pasta tossed in a light tasty tomato sauce with five small flavorful homemade meatballs.  I have no idea why Princess doesn’t put this on the always available menu.  iMHO this was a much better pasta dish than the fettuccine Alfredo, which was neither rich or particularly flavorful. 

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head.

 

Princess would be much better off aiming at quality ingredients and cooking practices for perhaps more comfort type food in at least part of their order. These dishes could probably be amongst the items that are offered daily.

 

Then Princess chefs could focus on a smaller number of more exotic dishes to keep the menu from becoming boring. 

 

Going high end is fine, but then buying lower quality ingredients and not having the time to properly cook them is I believe Princess' major problem.

 

[Potstech]

Princess needs to get rid of Curtis Stone and the other so called "gourmet" chefs and go back to the basics in the MDR.  Many do not like them and will avoid those "gourmet" foods like the plague.  Hopefully Princess will learn they are probably losing more money from these meals that are prepared and go uneaten. Waste of food and money.

[Kingofcool1947]

1 hour ago, Potstech said:

Princess needs to get rid of Curtis Stone and the other so called "gourmet" chefs and go back to the basics in the MDR.  Many do not like them and will avoid those "gourmet" foods like the plague.  Hopefully Princess will learn they are probably losing more money from these meals that are prepared and go uneaten. Waste of food and money.

When you say “many’ do not like gourmet chefs, how do you know?

So, are you suggesting Princess ditch their new menu, their new chefs, and go back to the old menu? 

Are you just a “meat and potatoes” guy?  What are your favorites from the old menu?

King

Edited January 27, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Potstech]

13 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

When you say “many’ do not like gourmet chefs, how do you know?

So, are you suggesting Princess ditch their new menu, their new chefs, and go back to the old menu? 

Are you just a “meat and potatoes” guy?  What are your favorites from the old menu?

King

Could it be because the many I know do not like it?  Could it be that of the 5 of us on pur last cruise, all over 60, did not like it. Or could it be of the 5 there were people from 3 different countries?

I also eat from various styles of food ranging from " meat and potatoes" to oriental to European and I still do not like the Curtis Stone line of food.  I enjoy eating on cruises to try different items and most are acceptable.  

[DrJay]

Anyone know the status of Food/Menu on the Royal Princess....I am scheduled for a cruise in 2 weeks.....

[sunsetbeachgal]

7 minutes ago, DrJay said:

Anyone know the status of Food/Menu on the Royal Princess....I am scheduled for a cruise in 2 weeks.....

I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “status of food/menu”?  

[Potstech]

They will have food and some of it will be on a menu.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Potstech

[Astro Flyer]

7 hours ago, sunsetbeachgal said:

Just off the Royal, in general food very good but of course some hits and misses! The Horizon Court was excellent as usual, variety, service and quality just great.  I don’t remember them ever having hand cut tuna sashimi before, we thoroughly enjoyed it!  

 

Two of our our table mates tried the new Curtis Stone “beef tips and mushroom” dish at dinner, and both of them said there was not one bite of beef in it, just mushrooms! After I got the Princess email talking about this item I sent them an email saying perhaps the chefs on the Royal need a lesson in how to prepare it!!  One of my best dinners was spaghetti and meatballs which is on the children’s menu.  Perfectly al dente pasta tossed in a light tasty tomato sauce with five small flavorful homemade meatballs.  I have no idea why Princess doesn’t put this on the always available menu.  iMHO this was a much better pasta dish than the fettuccine Alfredo, which was neither rich or particularly flavorful. 

Thanks...we sail on the Royal in the Spring.

 

Did your menu appear to be the new one?  Our experience with the CS chicken pot pie was similar...lots of crust with thickened broth but nearly impossible to find any chicken.  While that might be good in his restaurants it’s not great on a cruise ship.  Did the buffet have a seafood themed lunch on one day?  We greatly enjoyed it on our 2017 TA cruise on the Royal.

 

I don’t know if Princess had a nightly pasta course before merging with the amazing Sitmar cruise line but have enjoyed it on every Princess cruise in the past 30 years.  On most nights that’s my appetizer course & would be upset if they eliminate their wonderful nightly pasta option.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Astro Flyer

[cheezenip]

4 hours ago, RMMariner said:

Princess would be much better off aiming at quality ingredients and cooking practices

 

For myself and others, this is all we are asking. Personally, I don't care about celebrity chefs. Save the $ on hiring these people and reinvest back into the fundamentals (quality ingredients, strong cooking practices). That way, bean counters are happy, cruise passengers are happy (most of the time), and management is happy with repeat customers and decent profits.

 

[cheezenip]

23 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Two of our our table mates tried the new Curtis Stone “beef tips and mushroom” dish at dinner, and both of them said there was not one bite of beef in it, just mushrooms!

 

23 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Our experience with the CS chicken pot pie was similar...lots of crust with thickened broth but nearly impossible to find any chicken.

 

19 minutes ago, cheezenip said:

  4 hours ago, RMMariner said:

Princess would be much better off aiming at quality ingredients and cooking practices

 

11 hours ago, Geoffa30 said:

Perhaps those that complain about the Princess product and how it has deteriorated due to Bean Counters should splash the cash and go higher end?

 

Many of us are either leaving Princess or have reduced the amount of cruises we are taking with Princess. We still voice our displeasure in hopes of influential Princess (and Carnival) representatives reading and striving to change the cost cutting ways in the future. In the past, Princess did have a quality food product. It's up to them what they want to do in the future but the changes needed to remain competitive in the Food Department are NOT monumental nor unreasonable!!

Edited January 27, 2019 by cheezenip

[Astro Flyer]

5 minutes ago, cheezenip said:

 

For myself and others, this is all we are asking. Personally, I don't care about celebrity chefs. Save the $ on hiring these people and reinvest back into the fundamentals (quality ingredients, strong cooking practices). That way, bean counters are happy, cruise passengers are happy (most of the time), and management is happy with repeat customers and decent profits.

 

Agree and to instead give the money they’re paying celebrity chefs to their Master Chef Alfredo Marzi to create better meals.

 

Markeing must have convinced upper management that hiring celebrity chefs would increase revenue by attracting more passengers.  But based on my experiences, I feel that’s a factor in having lower quality ingredients particularly for beef.

 

Serving thousands of shipboard meals is much different than at restaurants.  On a ship it’s more like banquet dining only with having many more choices onboard.  It’s been commented that the onboard executive chef can greatly affect the meals.  Spend their celebrity chefs budget on getting well trained quality onboard executive chefs & a budget for better ingredients.  Celebrity chefs who lack experience at sea doesn’t necessarily result in better meals.

 

With today’s cruise fares I don’t expect exceptional food like years ago & overall I still enjoy my dining experience.  Friends who have also cruised with us on Princess try to convince us to sail with them on Oceania.  However those are much more expensive & we instead prefer to spend our cruise budget to sail many more days on Princess.  Overall they still provide my best cruise experience when compared to similarly priced other mass market cruise lines.

[Wishing on a star]

That Curtis Stone dish was just one of several MDR entrees that left our table uneaten.

The taste itself was just BAD.  (okay, I know taste is subjective,  but sometimes bad is just bad.)

[sunsetbeachgal]

2 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Thanks...we sail on the Royal in the Spring.

 

Did your menu appear to be the new one?  Our experience with the CS chicken pot pie was similar...lots of crust with thickened broth but nearly impossible to find any chicken.  While that might be good in his restaurants it’s not great on a cruise ship.  Did the buffet have a seafood themed lunch on one day?  We greatly enjoyed it on our 2017 TA cruise on the Royal.

 

I don’t know if Princess had a nightly pasta course before merging with the amazing Sitmar cruise line but have enjoyed it on every Princess cruise in the past 30 years.  On most nights that’s my appetizer course & would be upset if they eliminate their wonderful nightly pasta option.

Yes nightly pasta and Yes seafood buffet in Horizon Court which was excellent!  We had the new menu, I noticed as the cheeseburger (which used to be beef Medallions 😟) is now the Ernesto burger. Many of the old items are on it with a few new ones. I like to do appetizer portion of pasta too!!  

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Markeing must have convinced upper management that hiring celebrity chefs would increase revenue by attracting more passengers.  But based on my experiences, I feel that’s a factor in having lower quality ingredients particularly for beef.

 

 

They did it to keep up with other cruise lines, except Curtis Stone isn't up to the standard of other celebrity chefs. Neither is the French chef that designed the menu for La Mer on Majestic, IMHO. I don't know what style of so-called French food that was supposed to be but it wasn't anything like what I've had and loved in France on various trips there (with the exception of the Iles Flottante dessert which was wonderful).

Edited January 27, 2019 by OzKiwiJJ

[cruzsnooze]

I dislike Curtis Stone's style of cooking and hated the Share restaurant. I am hoping the new menu has more appealing options like everyone else.

[oskidunker]

When you keep decreasing the quality of the ingredients of the food assigning a so called famous name to awful dishes does not impress anyone. 

 

Put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig. 

[rdsqrl]

I tried the Curtis Stone chicken pot pie.  Once.  It was like clear soup with a mealy bread crust on top.  Curtis Stone isn't a chef; he's a jumped-up line cook who sells kitchen gadgets and has bamboozled Princess execs into thinking they've hired a young Julia Child or Paul Bocuse.  One could pity and mock their error if one weren't being victimized by seeing more and more Stone dishes encroach upon the menu.  The madness must end!