Sea Princess sold to new Chinese cruise start up

[Aus Traveller]

5 hours ago, Gwendy said:

The pantry style of “buffet” beats hands down the traditional buffet.  People sampling food, then putting it back, dropping serving utensils on floor and placing them back in the food, taking food with fingers rather than use the serving utensils etc.  People can be such grots.

I'm glad I haven't seen any of that happening. On one cruise many years ago a child in the buffet line picked up a plate and rubbed it for a while before changing his mind and putting it back on the stack. I quietly mentioned it to a steward close by who quickly removed the plate.

[By The Bay]

The worst I saw was when a woman, in her 60's, loaded her plate up with a prawns in a sauce offering and proceeded to place her hand over the prawns and drain the fluid into the serving tray. Needless to say I informed the steward.

[NSWP]

I have seen pax at the buffet on both Princess and P&O UK ships, going along the line, picking up a couple of chips with their fingers from the bain marie, then eating the chips as they proceeded to sample a couple of other items from the buffet with their fingers, then eat those. Gross.

[Aus Traveller]

 

52 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I have seen pax at the buffet on both Princess and P&O UK ships, going along the line, picking up a couple of chips with their fingers from the bain marie, then eating the chips as they proceeded to sample a couple of other items from the buffet with their fingers, then eat those. Gross.

It's no wonder Noro spread on cruiseships when people behave like that. I think that HAL have a policy that staff serve the food in the buffet for the first two days of a cruise. They have found that it reduces the incidence of noro.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

 

It's no wonder Noro spread on cruiseships when people behave like that. I think that HAL have a policy that staff serve the food in the buffet for the first two days of a cruise. They have found that it reduces the incidence of noro.

We did our one and only HAL cruise on Noordam lst year, staff were serving most of the food items at the buffet, likewise in mdr no big basket of bread rolls on table a la Princess. The waiters offered you a breadroll served with tongs, no hands in to the basket.

[Thorpe]

I started sailing on Princess and since then have sailed on 4 of the P&O ships between Princess cruises. 
I am a fan of The Pantry , I like the Mexican the best. Probably because I travel solo I find ease of seating alone (at the benches) and quick service a plus. 
Of course sometimes the food could be hotter but that happens on all ships and in all dining areas on occasion. 

[windsor26]

On 11/14/2020 at 4:27 PM, Aus Traveller said:

We haven't been on the Pacific Explorer. A few times we went on the 7-day Island Hopper cruise on the Pacific Dawn when we got the cruise at a great price. A cruise out of Brisbane is better for us without the cost and inconvenience of flying to Sydney. The Pacific Dawn didn't have Angelo's restaurant or Dragon Lady.

 

We have booked a couple of P&O cruises on the Pacific Explorer and the Pacific Encounter. Once again, great prices and leaving from Brisbane. It will be interesting to see these different P&O ships. We will definitely try the alternate dining rooms.

Warning  both Angelos and Dragon lady only have 2 menus  The first 4 days they have one and the second 3/4 days they have the other so if you want to try all 4 menus you need to book one restaurant each end of the cruise when you first arrive.   You go to either of those restaurants and can book your eating for the whole cruise at one time this includes the main  dining room tables If you are used to Princess and etc they have a strange mixture of meals but still edible

[Aus Traveller]

29 minutes ago, windsor26 said:

Warning  both Angelos and Dragon lady only have 2 menus  The first 4 days they have one and the second 3/4 days they have the other so if you want to try all 4 menus you need to book one restaurant each end of the cruise when you first arrive.   You go to either of those restaurants and can book your eating for the whole cruise at one time this includes the main  dining room tables If you are used to Princess and etc they have a strange mixture of meals but still edible

Thanks for your comments. In recent years we have been on the Pacific Dawn that didn't have Angelo's or Dragon Lady so we had our evening meals in the Waterfront Restaurant. Most were OK. Last year they had one superb dish that wasn't available on our cruise early this year - barramundi in filo pastry. It was gorgeous.

 

We aren't terribly fond of Asian food so might book Angelo's to try it out, but otherwise stick with the Waterfront.

 

Two or so years ago we noticed that the portion size in the Waterfront meals was very small. For instance, icecream was one scoop, not much larger than a teaspoon size. I am glad that that didn't persist for long.🙂

[NSWP]

5 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Thanks for your comments. In recent years we have been on the Pacific Dawn that didn't have Angelo's or Dragon Lady so we had our evening meals in the Waterfront Restaurant. Most were OK. Last year they had one superb dish that wasn't available on our cruise early this year - barramundi in filo pastry. It was gorgeous.

 

We aren't terribly fond of Asian food so might book Angelo's to try it out, but otherwise stick with the Waterfront.

 

Two or so years ago we noticed that the portion size in the Waterfront meals was very small. For instance, icecream was one scoop, not much larger than a teaspoon size. I am glad that that didn't persist for long.🙂

One scoop of ice cream would not do me, I ask for 3 on Princess and extra butter, oh no, not the one pat of butter per person thread re emerging on CC.

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

One scoop of ice cream would not do me, I ask for 3 on Princess and extra butter, oh no, not the one pat of butter per person thread re emerging on CC.

 

My husband also loves his icecream. He usually asks for three. In the past he used to get five scoops, but I am glad he has down-sized. 🙂 I prefer when they have the butter on the table and didn't like the way they did it for a while of serving the butter to each diner. We always had to wait too long for the butter and it would only come just before the entree was served. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

32 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

My husband also loves his icecream. He usually asks for three. In the past he used to get five scoops, but I am glad he has down-sized. 🙂 I prefer when they have the butter on the table and didn't like the way they did it for a while of serving the butter to each diner. We always had to wait too long for the butter and it would only come just before the entree was served. 

I imagine it will always be served to you, along with the rolls, from now on, to be Covid-safe.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I imagine it will always be served to you, along with the rolls, from now on, to be Covid-safe.

Yes. I imagine so.

[Chiliburn]

I found a article on the old sun princess,doesn’t look good.
 

http://crew-center.com/chief-engineer-describes-dire-conditions-pacific-world-former-sun-princess-i-cant-return-home-due?fbclid=IwAR2yAwzbP02ThxLGwiiELFlSPsUBM8UuN3qSewokCjGGxDjR4sE2DJLJMLo

[Porky55]

This article has just turned up as well, which four ships will Carnival still dispose of?
I can think of a couple of oldies from HAL and Pacific Princess perhaps as there has been no talk of her going to Medallions. 
What do you think?

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24180-four-more-cruise-ships-expected-to-leave-carnival-corp-fleet.html

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Porky55

[Porky55]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

I found a article on the old sun princess,doesn’t look good.
 

http://crew-center.com/chief-engineer-describes-dire-conditions-pacific-world-former-sun-princess-i-cant-return-home-due?fbclid=IwAR2yAwzbP02ThxLGwiiELFlSPsUBM8UuN3qSewokCjGGxDjR4sE2DJLJMLo

This sounds so very tragic 🥺 No one should be expected to endure these conditions and China have a lot to answer IMHO 🧐 

[Chiliburn]

51 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

This sounds so very tragic 🥺 No one should be expected to endure these conditions and China have a lot to answer IMHO 🧐 

If they try to leave the ship they will be arrested.

The ship will probably deteriorate and get towed to a scrap yard.

 

I think all of the older ships will become such a liability they won’t be able to give them away.    All the scrap yards are full.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I think the article may reflect just the tip of the iceberg as far as maintenance on all the laid up ships is concerned .

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

I think the article may reflect just the tip of the iceberg as far as maintenance on all the laid up ships is concerned .

Yep ,the tip of the iceberg.

Next will be they become a environmental hazard.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Yes ,could be . 
I shudder at the thought   of them going back into service with everything checked over of course , and then 2,000 toilets get flushed and the piping which hasn’t been used for a year or so , bursts.😱

[Gwendy]

14 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Yes ,could be . 
I shudder at the thought   of them going back into service with everything checked over of course , and then 2,000 toilets get flushed and the piping which hasn’t been used for a year or so , bursts.😱

That’s a vision that you can’t unsee,  might keep me awake tonight. Lol