On board coral Princess now

[OzKiwiJJ]

25 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

It is sad really how the food in the MDR is no longer seen as the highlight of cruising, as it used to be.  Now one is meant to pay extra for special occasions at  cover charge restaurants.  I think passengers have lost the plot when they pay these extra charges, which are no longer token charges!

It's not so much the food as the ambience as far as we're concerned. The MDRs are large and a little impersonal - the service is good but the waiters have many tables to serve. Whereas some of the speciality restaurants have a nicer ambience and the pace is more relaxed. The MDR food is good but it's mass-prepared, and always has been, and at busy times the waiters may have to line up to get some of their various orders whereas the speciality restaurants cook to order.

 

Note - apparently Club Class waiters get to "queue jump" to collect their orders.

 

On past cruises we've mostly gone to speciality restaurants for special occasions, or sometimes just for a change of scene on longer cruises, or once or twice when the MDR menu didn't appeal to us.

 

I do think the charges are too high now on Princess, especially the steak restaurants where I've never had a steak as good as the ones I get from my butcher and cook myself. But Bayou is serving Maine lobster so that's a temptation. 

[Jean C]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

It is sad really how the food in the MDR is no longer seen as the highlight of cruising, as it used to be.  Now one is meant to pay extra for special occasions at  cover charge restaurants.  I think passengers have lost the plot when they pay these extra charges, which are no longer token charges!

But the MDR is fantastic, wonderfully cooked and presented food, we don't go anywhere else. Did try Sabatini's once for a special occasion but didn't find it any more special or nicer than the MDR food. Would only go to a pay restaurant if it was included in package as a freebie.

[MMDown Under]

43 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It's not so much the food as the ambience as far as we're concerned. The MDRs are large and a little impersonal - the service is good but the waiters have many tables to serve. Whereas some of the speciality restaurants have a nicer ambience and the pace is more relaxed. The MDR food is good but it's mass-prepared, and always has been, and at busy times the waiters may have to line up to get some of their various orders whereas the speciality restaurants cook to order.

 

Note - apparently Club Class waiters get to "queue jump" to collect their orders.

 

On past cruises we've mostly gone to speciality restaurants for special occasions, or sometimes just for a change of scene on longer cruises, or once or twice when the MDR menu didn't appeal to us.

 

I do think the charges are too high now on Princess, especially the steak restaurants where I've never had a steak as good as the ones I get from my butcher and cook myself. But Bayou is serving Maine lobster so that's a temptation. 

Just checked my cruises,, and it was 2010 when I last cruised on a big ship.  It had 3,000 passengers and I vowed I wouldn't cruise on a big ship again.  So my more recent experience of excellent food in the MDR is on small ships.  As a solo passengers I enjoy the company of fellow cruisers in the MDR. 

[arxcards]

39 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It's not so much the food as the ambience as far as we're concerned. The MDRs are large and a little impersonal - the service is good but the waiters have many tables to serve. Whereas some of the speciality restaurants have a nicer ambience and the pace is more relaxed. The MDR food is good but it's mass-prepared, and always has been, and at busy times the waiters may have to line up to get some of their various orders whereas the speciality restaurants cook to order.

 

Note - apparently Club Class waiters get to "queue jump" to collect their orders.

 

On past cruises we've mostly gone to speciality restaurants for special occasions, or sometimes just for a change of scene on longer cruises, or once or twice when the MDR menu didn't appeal to us.

 

I do think the charges are too high now on Princess, especially the steak restaurants where I've never had a steak as good as the ones I get from my butcher and cook myself. But Bayou is serving Maine lobster so that's a temptation. 

A $40 Princess steak is better than a $100 Royal steak, and not just on price. The best steak I have eaten was in Crown Grill on Golden. 

 

These days, $40 is token price, and still reasonable. Sterling was $20 fifteen years ago, but everywhere else has at least doubled in price since then. 

 

They are more expensive on P&O because the MDR fare gives much more incentive to pay for a specialty restaurant.

[cruiser3775]

15 hours ago, Cbtours said:

17 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

$40 for the Bayou restaurant, $35 for Sabatinis.

It’s obviously increased as it was $29 and $35 when we were in.

Yes, that's what I got charged when I booked last week.  Doesn't seem like much to me compared with what you pay at a restaurant in Australia, so I'm willing to try each of them at least once.

[getting older slowly]

MDR   the food is good.... but any thing i do not prepare or cook is great....

 

Club Class has a better vibe and a more personal touch...

 

Generally we go the steak restaurant twice on a cruise.....

 

I think it come down to ones expectations... I just find the whole thing relaxing...

 

Cheers Don 

[yes!yes!yes!]

Almost at the end of my 22 night cruise and haven't been hungry once. Probably gained about 5kgs.

Haven't  tried the bayou , but might try it tonight or Tomorrow  night if the dining room has the more boring  menus.

All the food has been good.

This is my first Princess cruise so I have been trying most dishes.

Don't trust the menus on the tv in your room. They are nearly always wrong.

 

[Jean C]

1 hour ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

Almost at the end of my 22 night cruise and haven't been hungry once. Probably gained about 5kgs.

Haven't  tried the bayou , but might try it tonight or Tomorrow  night if the dining room has the more boring  menus.

All the food has been good.

This is my first Princess cruise so I have been trying most dishes.

Don't trust the menus on the tv in your room. They are nearly always wrong.

 

Hi there, if you get a moment, are you able to give me an approx figure of the cost for a beer, and a Jack Daniels and coke, in the bars on board? Cheers 🍻 

[Cbtours]

1 hour ago, getting older slowly said:

MDR   the food is good.... but any thing i do not prepare or cook is great....

 

Club Class has a better vibe and a more personal touch...

 

Generally we go the steak restaurant twice on a cruise.....

 

I think it come down to ones expectations... I just find the whole thing relaxing...

 

Cheers Don 

Thats me! If I dont cook it and clean up its tastes twice as good.

[Cbtours]

1 hour ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

Almost at the end of my 22 night cruise and haven't been hungry once. Probably gained about 5kgs.

Haven't  tried the bayou , but might try it tonight or Tomorrow  night if the dining room has the more boring  menus.

All the food has been good.

This is my first Princess cruise so I have been trying most dishes.

Don't trust the menus on the tv in your room. They are nearly always wrong.

 

Ive just lost the 2kg I gained from June. and am trying to lose another 3 before October round aus so I can afford to put some back on hahahah

[arxcards]

55 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Hi there, if you get a moment, are you able to give me an approx figure of the cost for a beer, and a Jack Daniels and coke, in the bars on board? Cheers 🍻 

I know the second part, as I spent an afternoon/evening drinking just about every option for bourbon & coke (Bullit, Buffalo Trace, Gentleman Jack, JD and a few others - most were in the $12 - 13 range.

[yes!yes!yes!]

59 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Hi there, if you get a moment, are you able to give me an approx figure of the cost for a beer, and a Jack Daniels and coke, in the bars on board? Cheers 🍻 

I will ask to look at a drinks menu later and take photos. Im on the drinks package for the last two cruises. I remember  gin and tonic are $11 each. Cheapest white wine is $12.

Australian dollars. I think the huge margarita is $15

[yes!yes!yes!]

I've noticed quite a few of my posts don't appear on here

[yes!yes!yes!]

I turned ruby sometime during  this cruise. The colour changed on my door plate

[yes!yes!yes!]

Last night they started a thirty sale at 8pm.

I went to the shop to have a look and there were a lot of staff there picking out their size.

$3.70 Australian  each. They stocked more this morning. I got 6 for my son.

They all have south American  logo on them. But nice.

I have been quite surprised at how cheap the logo stuff is compared to royal Caribbean.

[yes!yes!yes!]

Just now, yes!yes!yes! said:

Last night they started a thirty sale at 8pm.

I went to the shop to have a look and there were a lot of staff there picking out their size.

$3.70 Australian  each. They stocked more this morning. I got 6 for my son.

They all have south American  logo on them. But nice.

I have been quite surprised at how cheap the logo stuff is compared to royal Caribbean.

T shirt sale 

[Jean C]

21 minutes ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

I will ask to look at a drinks menu later and take photos. Im on the drinks package for the last two cruises. I remember  gin and tonic are $11 each. Cheapest white wine is $12.

Australian dollars. I think the huge margarita is $15

Thanks so much, you're very helpful. Don't worry about wine, we don't drink cheap wine and don't confidently know our way around Aussie wines. Will bring our own on board and pay corkage fee. Actually, both the kids (the adult ones) and us like the Squealing Pig wine that's sold here but I think is made in Aussie 🥂 🥳

[Jean C]

1 hour ago, Cbtours said:

Ive just lost the 2kg I gained from June. and am trying to lose another 3 before October round aus so I can afford to put some back on hahahah

 Best of luck with your goal 👏 

[cruiser3775]

56 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Actually, both the kids (the adult ones) and us like the Squealing Pig wine that's sold here but I think is made in Aussie

No, it is from New Zealand, not Australia.  Don't let the Australian wines they are selling onboard Coral Princess give you the wrong impression of Australian wines in general. There is a very poor selection of our wines available, mostly from second quality hotter climate areas. And the prices are a complete rip off - wine you can buy for $12 a bottle in a retail shop being sold onboard for $60 plus, in one case.

[possum52]

4 hours ago, arxcards said:

A $40 Princess steak is better than a $100 Royal steak, and not just on price. The best steak I have eaten was in Crown Grill on Golden. 

 

These days, $40 is token price, and still reasonable. Sterling was $20 fifteen years ago, but everywhere else has at least doubled in price since then. 

 

They are more expensive on P&O because the MDR fare gives much more incentive to pay for a specialty restaurant.

We have had great steaks in both Crown Grill (Golden) and Sterling Steakhouse (Diamond), the one we had on Voyager at Chops Grille was nice but much more expensive than the Princess steakhouses. As we are not big drinkers,  spending a few dollars on a nice steak is fine as we enjoy it. We usually eat in the MDR but have been known to just go to Horizon Court after a busy shore day if we are tired and can't be bothered dressing up or even have room service.

[resordanis]

I think it has been posted previously but I am unable to locate, I am interested in the White Wine (bottle) prices please. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio preferably.  I think someone said they start at $60, but anything under that price? Thanks

[MMDown Under]

5 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Yes, that's what I got charged when I booked last week.  Doesn't seem like much to me compared with what you pay at a restaurant in Australia, so I'm willing to try each of them at least once.

But you have already paid for your meals in your cruise fare.  So to compare the cost, you need to add the surcharge to what you'd pay in a restaurant in Australia.  

[Jean C]

41 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

No, it is from New Zealand, not Australia.  Don't let the Australian wines they are selling onboard Coral Princess give you the wrong impression of Australian wines in general. There is a very poor selection of our wines available, mostly from second quality hotter climate areas. And the prices are a complete rip off - wine you can buy for $12 a bottle in a retail shop being sold onboard for $60 plus, in one case.

Thanks for that 🙂 I understand what you say about cheap wines giving a wrong impression to tourists of the local wine industry, sadly some outfits do the same here, offering tourists cheap junk thinking they won't know the difference 😧

[OzKiwiJJ]

@Jean Cthe beers are $8.50, Jack Daniels is $11 and coke comes free with it if it's fountain coke - you pay extra for cans.

 

There are a few fairly decent Australian wines by the glass that we liked. Both Masterpeace label wines - a rosè and a merlot - which are on the Plus list. Also the Pirie Vintage sparkling, Devils Corner Resolution Pinot Noir, and Henschke 'Henry's Seven' GSM on the Premium list. Most of the other Australian wines by the glass are rubbish.

 

Some of their bottle prices aren't much dearer than you'd pay in a half-way decent restaurant. Similar mark-up, 2-3 times bottle store prices. We didn't mind paying that in 2019 as the wine list then had some lovely European wines that aren't cheap here - I even found a Barolo that was $1 cheaper than at Dan Murphys. But most of the Plus wines are just bottled versions of the De Bortoli cask wines so the prices on those are outrageous IMHO.

[Aussieflyer]

30 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

But you have already paid for your meals in your cruise fare.  So to compare the cost, you need to add the surcharge to what you'd pay in a restaurant in Australia.  

Yes, but $40pp additional for a 3 course meal is still within the ball park for what we pay here. People like different things and are prepared to pay or not for some things. I for one would never consider spending money in the casino or paying for photos whereas lots of others see these as fun things.

Edited September 1, 2022 by Aussieflyer