10 day Mexico cruise question...

[tlovesdis]

Hi all,

 

For those of you that have been on the 10 day to Mexico, do they have any kind of Mexican food in the MDR during the cruise?  Taco night or something like that?  My cousin is a huge mexican food fan and she is really hoping they have some type of mexican on the cruise!

 

If anyone has menus from 10 day on the Grand that would be awesome!

 

Thanks,

Tina

[jondfk]

I'm not sure which 10 day you're looking at (San Francisco or Los Angeles) but it doesn't matter for this question as I've done both.  The simple answer is:  None.  Nada.  Nope.  The MDR makes no effort to do this aside from the chimichanga appetizer on one lunch menu (a favorite of mine btw).  Another night there is something 'fajita style', I assure you your cousin will be greatly disappointed.

 

One day on a recent cruise they had a 'taco action station' for lunch in Horizon Court.  My expectations were low, but the carnitas were actually pretty good.  This was served on the action station at the end of the (Grand Princess) buffet.  Also, Salty Dog (also on Grand post her dry dock) has chicken taco on the menu and these too were not bad.  Really though all of these pale compared to good Mexican at home or while in port.  

 

If it's variety your after though, sorry to say, you'll need to get that while in port.

 

[Thrak]

Princess has absolutely no idea about Mexican food. Several times in the P/E/S lounge they have offered "authentic Mexican salsa and chips". What we found was basically diced tomatoes and the chips were some sort of baked wheat thing. Not even vaguely tortilla chips. It's weird since they do have tortilla chips in the buffet in the afternoon. Ships that have updated the lido deck grill to Salty Dog Grill offer street tacos but they aren't like any street tacos I've seen anywhere else.

[pris993]

I have done the cruise to Mexico many times, no.  No sure why Princess does not offer something... have found  some taco's on Holland America Cruises... but not to Mexico.. 

[waltd]

To be fair Princess does have a Mexican Buffet but it is not like any Mexican food I have ever tasted. And Los Angeles has some pretty good Mexican food.    You will be very disappointed with the ships Mexican food.    Better to try some food off the ship at some nicer  restaurants.    Now if you liked Indian food I can say they have in the past had some really good Indian food.   As good as some of our Indian restaurants here in Los Angeles.

[Cruise Raider]

The Grand usually serves the same menus whether it sails to Alaska, Pacific Coastal, Hawaii or Mexico.  You may get some type of small burrito type dish and some guac and chips in the buffet and they may still have a taco bar out on deck one afternoon (expect very long lines) and maybe some Mexican style appetizers if they have a deck party at night, they don't really have any authentic Mexican themed dishes available.  Sometimes, they have alternative goodies at the Trident Grill in the evenings ... I never checked while we were in Mexico, but in Alaska, they served crab cakes there ... so maybe something related to the Mexico itinerary for those sailings??  

Although we love this itinerary, we were disappointed that they didn't even play any Mexican music onboard, except for the band that came onboard and played in the Piazza while in port.  It would be nice if it was a little more themed based on the itinerary.  

 

However, I just did a Mexico itinerary on the Royal and the fajitas in the buffet were outstanding ... all the food was just outstanding!!  Again, not a huge theme presence but, what they did have was fabulous!  

 

 

 

[KCsealegs]

I just got back from 7 day Mexico on the Royal Princess. They had Mexican food section in the buffet every day at lunch and dinner.  She is also doing a 10 day Mexico itinerary in October. 

[Mike45LC]

On the seven day Mex Riv out of L.A., there were tortilla chips and salsa at the buffet every day (mid-afternoon, I think).  The grill had "street tacos" as well.  No "good" Mexican food in the Main Dining Room for dinner that I recall.

 

There was a folkloric dance show in the theater one day, and some pretty decent mariachi music throughout the cruise.

 

[jasbo49]

As you can tell from the above responses, Princess offers occasional attempts at Mexican fare, chips and salsa, taco bar, and so on.

 

But there is really no effort at all to provide an actual Mexican dinner as you would find in any California town. We live in an Oregon town of 2,000 and there are two Mexican restaurants who could cook circles around anything Princess does.

 

Jim

[oskidunker]

My advice is to go have a nice Mexican lunch in town and forget about Princess. 

[chinita415]

2 hours ago, oskidunker said:

My advice is to go have a nice Mexican lunch in town and forget about Princess. 

 Exactly. We too were on the Royal recently and the Mexican food was not authentic. Hard yellow shell tacos and fajitas which are TexMex.

[joeyancho]

Any cruise Mexican food I have had is atrocious.  But there is plenty of Mexican food in Mexico.  Ask any local or cab driver. 

[jondfk]

So, it looks like this is one point where CC contributors agree.  Who'd of thunk it? 😂

 

I'm not sure this comes down to kitchen knowledge though.  I've had Philippine (Indian, etc) waitstaff complain that the crew cuisine is nothing like home, despite the fact that the kitchen staff surely know what 'mom' used to make.  Crew inevitably say their own food is underspvced and bland for a mass audience.  

[skynight]

When we were on the Royal Princess they had a taco bar every day during lunch time in the Horizon Bistro section of the buffet. I assume they still have this feature. A few months ago on the Emerald's Mexican Riviera cruise they had a Mexican themed day. It was also in the buffet with tacos, burritos, refried beans, etc.. In both cases tasty, but not Mexican fine dining. We do not remember anything in the MDR.

[Blondilu]

This:  "My advice is to go have a nice Mexican lunch in town and forget about Princess."

 

As I recall, what little Mexican food they served was more like Mexican-style food.   

[san diego sue]

First meal we have after a Princess cruise is head to our favorite Mexican Restaurant.

I will say though, I did like the Fajitas on the Royal Princess buffet.

[Thrak]

11 hours ago, chinita415 said:

 Exactly. We too were on the Royal recently and the Mexican food was not authentic. Hard yellow shell tacos and fajitas which are TexMex.

 

I grew up eating tacos but I was a teen before I ever saw one of those pre-formed taco shells. It was when Taco Bell came to town. I was appalled and amazed. Of course, as a teen, I was happy to have Taco Bell hit town. I used to order a regular taco without lettuce. They would fill the shell half full of meat and then to the top with cheese. (Of course today that would get you a shell about one quarter full of stuff.) A taco was $0.19 so even a teen could afford them - although 19 cents was a lot more then than it sounds like now. 😏

[Cruise Raider]

4 hours ago, san diego sue said:

First meal we have after a Princess cruise is head to our favorite Mexican Restaurant.

I will say though, I did like the Fajitas on the Royal Princess buffet.

 

Those are really good, aren't they?  Maybe not 100% authentic Mexican food but yummy, nonetheless.  

My DH and I actually make delicious authentic Mexican food so I always have a tray of homemade enchiladas in the freezer for when we return from a cruise.  It takes the better part of a day to make them (from scratch) so we make huge batches of them and dole them out to family and friends ... but always keep that one tray in the freezer for a post cruise dinner.  We are actually having these for Cinco De Mayo tomorrow.   

 

 

 

[Hobbes67]

We were on the Ruby this year and they had different tacos every day in Horizon Court and tacos at the outside grill.  Also had other Mexican items in the Horizon Court most days, never in the dining room.