Favorite foods

[Kay S]

22 minutes ago, tillys mom said:

Don’t forget the scones at tea or usually available at the buffet in the afternoons.

As well as the fixings for the sandwiches.

[rbtan]

6 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

But… Are they better than Costco???  😂😂😂

I will have to give the hotdog a try my next cruise.

I'd say no. Costco dogs are pretty damn good & really decent sized, too.

[Glaciers]

Agree that the French onion soup was delicious. I’m not a big veggie guy but the grilled asparagus was very good, as far as asparagus goes which usually isn’t very far.

[pris993]

Sea Bass Crown Grill

[Lucky TGO]

On 8/14/2021 at 2:39 PM, macaroni said:

It has been a long time since I have been on a Princess ship……going on the Enchanted in November…….any favorite foods I should look for and try?

thanks…just something to look forward to…

The one thing I love to have on every Princess cruise. See photo It’s a Volcano 😁

The Captain of The Rowboat,

Tony

 

[rbtan]

6 hours ago, pris993 said:

Sea Bass Crown Grill

Yes' That was always excellent.

[rbtan]

12 hours ago, geoherb said:

 

Most things are made from scratch. The pies and cakes are not brought in ready to bake. Sysco and US Foods also deliver 50-pound sacks of flour and sugar. I've toured the galley and watched the pastry chefs at work. They're not just baking already prepared items. They're mixing huge quantities of cake batter, rolling out pastry dough, and making bread from scratch. 

 

The same for the soups--made in huge vats that do the stirring for the cooks. We watched cooks break down whole chickens on our Ultimate Ship's Tour while others were trimming and cutting up whole beef tenderloins. All of the scraps from both were being saved to turn into broths. In the cold storage areas, we saw the crates of fresh vegetables and fruits. They did have cans of tomato sauce and paste, but I did not see any other canned vegetables. 

How long was your galley tour? I knew one of the chefs. Mine was 4 hours long. Just the 2 of us. It was not easy getting me down there. This was on Cunard & not Princess. Most of the dough is brought on board, yeast is added & away you go. Most of the soups start with a prepared base & on board ingredients are added. Yes, stocks are made & added, but you need to understand that much semi prepared food arrives & is combined with on board ingredients. You can NOT just make from scratch for 3000+ on a daily basis. Take this from someone who works in this environment. I make pastries from scratch, as I'm a professional pastry chef as well as chef. If I'm making for a large group, I have to use some prepared ingredients like it or not. A cruiseline's budget determines the quality. That along with the chef's quality, Don't expect gourmet food from a line like Carnival. It's not in the budget.

[geoherb]

47 minutes ago, rbtan said:

How long was your galley tour? I knew one of the chefs. Mine was 4 hours long. Just the 2 of us. It was not easy getting me down there. This was on Cunard & not Princess. Most of the dough is brought on board, yeast is added & away you go. Most of the soups start with a prepared base & on board ingredients are added. Yes, stocks are made & added, but you need to understand that much semi prepared food arrives & is combined with on board ingredients. You can NOT just make from scratch for 3000+ on a daily basis. Take this from someone who works in this environment. I make pastries from scratch, as I'm a professional pastry chef as well as chef. If I'm making for a large group, I have to use some prepared ingredients like it or not. A cruiseline's budget determines the quality. That along with the chef's quality, Don't expect gourmet food from a line like Carnival. It's not in the budget.

 

I've been on several galley tours. The perfunctory ones after the cooking demos last maybe 10 minutes. They just herd the passengers along through a small portion of a galley. If you're lucky, there's some cooking going on when you're there. On one Holland America galley tour, I did see more prepared items than I've seen on Princess. The package that sticks in my mind was frozen coconut shrimp.

My longest galley tour was 90 minutes. That was on the Island Princess when the Chef's Table participants could not have hors d'oeuvres in the galley due to rough seas. The food and beverage manager gave us a tour of the galley and stores later during the cruise to make up for it. The galley portion of the Ultimate Ship's Tour lasted 45 minutes or so. In addition to the cooks we saw preparing the chicken and beef, we saw cooks using huge dough mixers to make the dough for bread and rolls. The machine that fascinated me the most was one that sliced the dough into pieces and then rolled them into rolls. Here's a link to a similar machine: Bakemax BMBD036 Semi Automatic Bun Divider/Rounder, Divides & Rounds 36 Dough Balls (katom.com). We also saw other cooks preparing sweet potatoes that afternoon, peeling them and slicing them up.

 

I have a friend who's a cook on a Royal Caribbean ship now. I'll ask them to weigh in.

 

[Kay S]

On 8/15/2021 at 5:15 PM, tillys mom said:

Don’t forget the scones at tea or usually available at the buffet in the afternoons.

As well as the fixings for the sandwiches.

[Kay S]

To honor rdsqrl's point, I will say that I have never been on a galley tour, so I'll comment instead on the food.  I forgot to mention the meatloaf.  In the dining room.  It used to be on the last night, American Night, and I really liked it.  I hope it comes back on the menu.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Kay S
yum yum

[rbtan]

22 hours ago, geoherb said:

 

I've been on several galley tours. The perfunctory ones after the cooking demos last maybe 10 minutes. They just herd the passengers along through a small portion of a galley. If you're lucky, there's some cooking going on when you're there. On one Holland America galley tour, I did see more prepared items than I've seen on Princess. The package that sticks in my mind was frozen coconut shrimp.

My longest galley tour was 90 minutes. That was on the Island Princess when the Chef's Table participants could not have hors d'oeuvres in the galley due to rough seas. The food and beverage manager gave us a tour of the galley and stores later during the cruise to make up for it. The galley portion of the Ultimate Ship's Tour lasted 45 minutes or so. In addition to the cooks we saw preparing the chicken and beef, we saw cooks using huge dough mixers to make the dough for bread and rolls. The machine that fascinated me the most was one that sliced the dough into pieces and then rolled them into rolls. Here's a link to a similar machine: Bakemax BMBD036 Semi Automatic Bun Divider/Rounder, Divides & Rounds 36 Dough Balls (katom.com). We also saw other cooks preparing sweet potatoes that afternoon, peeling them and slicing them up.

 

I have a friend who's a cook on a Royal Caribbean ship now. I'll ask them to weigh in.

 

This was when there were no galley tours. The chef did it as a favor.

[AZ Ocean Lover]

I love the Bretons in the IC.  Also love the regular dinner rolls.  Think I like my carbs?

[geoherb]

4 minutes ago, AZ Ocean Lover said:

I love the Bretons in the IC.  Also love the regular dinner rolls.  Think I like my carbs?

 

The chocolate Bretons are wonderful. It's a good thing they weren't available every day on our Crown Princess cruise.

[AZ Ocean Lover]

Thanks Geoherb.  Love those little cakes with a cup of good coffee.  We are on board on 8/29 to Alaska and I believe you are as well.  I’ll try to leave you some if we get there first.

[Kay S]

Oh!  Speaking of the IC.  The cream-filled doughnuts are the best.

[brisalta]

On 8/15/2021 at 8:17 AM, rbtan said:

"Cause they're from Sysco. Pax need to understand very little is actually "made" from scratch. No matter what the brochures tell you. Nearly all pies/cakes are brought in ready to bake. Most of the desserts are the same. The Norman Love desserts have more customized features. After all, his name is associated, so he demands better quality. Coe to the docks very early & watch the Sysco/US Foods etc. trucks on the docks ready to load supplies.

 

Not a Sysco/US Foods truck on the dock ready to load supplies in San Francisco when the Grand Princess was in port. They use a dedicated Logistic Services company that services ships. I used to watch them offloading the cargo from the trucks and then load it on to the Grand. Other then soft drinks and alcoholic beverages it was all basic products. Flour, sugar, butter, meat, fish, poultry, fruit, vegetables, butter, oats, cereals, rice, butter, various vegetable oils, butter, cream, milk, etc,. Did I forget butter? Other than cereals nothing prepared.

[geoherb]

7 hours ago, AZ Ocean Lover said:

Thanks Geoherb.  Love those little cakes with a cup of good coffee.  We are on board on 8/29 to Alaska and I believe you are as well.  I’ll try to leave you some if we get there first.

 

No. I'm on the week before. 

[jwattle]

On 8/16/2021 at 3:19 AM, rbtan said:

How long was your galley tour? I knew one of the chefs. Mine was 4 hours long. Just the 2 of us. It was not easy getting me down there. This was on Cunard & not Princess. Most of the dough is brought on board, yeast is added & away you go. Most of the soups start with a prepared base & on board ingredients are added. Yes, stocks are made & added, but you need to understand that much semi prepared food arrives & is combined with on board ingredients. You can NOT just make from scratch for 3000+ on a daily basis. Take this from someone who works in this environment. I make pastries from scratch, as I'm a professional pastry chef as well as chef. If I'm making for a large group, I have to use some prepared ingredients like it or not. A cruiseline's budget determines the quality. That along with the chef's quality, Don't expect gourmet food from a line like Carnival. It's not in the budget.

 

On 8/17/2021 at 3:01 AM, rbtan said:

This was when there were no galley tours. The chef did it as a favor.

We have been on the Ulitmate Ship Tour on Princess. We have also spoken extensively with a fleet Food and Beverage Director and gone with him on a lengthy tour, as he wanted to show us his pride and joy. They DO make their dough, their breads, their desserts and their soups onboard, not bought from Sysco. Not sure how Celebrity does it, just sure how Princess does it (this IS a Princess board after all). 

[Kay S]

AND the shrimp salad at IC.  Oh, and those little custard fruit tarts.  My other half says Princess does the best broccoli around.  That and the cream of broccoli soup.  Favorite foods! 

[Host CJSKIDS]

One of my all time favorites is the black and blue onion soup in The Crown Grill. 

 

Of course my ultimate favorite food is anything served while sitting in the Sanctuary with a cocktail in hand, relaxation to the max.  

[Blackduck59]

Remember the original post??? What was your favourite food on Princess cruise. Nowhere was there anything about anyone's personal knowledge of the inner workings of the Galley, or anyone's personal ability as a chef. I only say this because my wife and I are also looking forward to our first Princess Cruise and look forward to recommendations.

[Timbles]

1) Chicken Cashew salad at the IC

2) Spring Roll appetizer in the MDR

3) Tiger Prawn appetizer at Crown Grill

 

i have had cruises where one or two of the above were not necessarily outstanding, but usually very yummy. I am sad if for some reason I miss the day when they were available.

[Kay S]

Yes, those spring rolls.  No one has mentioned the Fettucine Alfredo.  I once sailed with a lady who ate it every night for her main dish.  You can ask for a chicken breast or shrimp with it and it's delicious.

Edited August 19, 2021 by Kay S
space

[MsSoCalCruiser]

On my February 2020 cruise I was solo and went to the Buffet for formal night dinner. I had the best Ramen bowl ever. They had a special station set up and they had a paper where you could choose what you wanted in your Ramen. It was great!

[MsSoCalCruiser]

5 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

On my February 2020 cruise I was solo and went to the Buffet for formal night dinner. I had the best Ramen bowl ever. They had a special station set up and they had a paper where you could choose what you wanted in your Ramen. It was great!

I found my photos…