Princess Unveils "The Catch" by Rudi New Signature Seafood Restaurant

[fpsphil]

1 hour ago, dides said:

Why would Harmony be going? Majestic was the first Royal class ship to have Bistro Sur La Mer so would have thought it would be the one replaced.

Unless on the Majestic BSLM becomes CBR. Moving Harmony would be a bit weird

[capriccio]

7 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

Didn't realize it was taking the Sur La Mer which I didn't care for and apparently enough people didn't hence the change.  The location of the restaurant is awkward in what should be a public space. There is no sense of privacy in this venue, it's open and passengers walk right in front of you. 

I agree.  As I read the announcement I told my DH that no matter how good the food (and we liked Bistro Sur la Mer’s food) the lousy ambiance will kill off The Catch.  When I got to the end of the announcement it was evident that Princess is trying to kill off Sabatinis.  Such a shame.

[Jeter02]

Guess the rumors of the sky adding crooners where Sur La Mer  is no longer the plan. 

[LACruiser88]

1 hour ago, dides said:

Why would Harmony be going? Majestic was the first Royal class ship to have Bistro Sur La Mer so would have thought it would be the one replaced.

Based on the below statement from the press release they want to make Deck 7 an Italian "town square."  That might mean they would place a Sabatini's (which the Majestic does not currently have) where Ser Le Mer is currently and The Catch would go into the Harmony location??? 

 

The below statement did not specify that it was just for the Enchanted.

 

More Enhancements Around the Piazza – Including Settimo Cielo
The iconic Princess Piazza will now extend beyond stunning Italian architecture to deliver the aromas and experiences that are the hallmarks of a traditional Italian "town square." Deck Seven becomes Settimo Cielo, or seventh heaven, where guests will find an array of Italian eats including the Princess favorite Sabatini's Trattoria one of the most popular Princess specialty restaurants, Bellini's Venice-inspired cocktail bar and Gigi's Pizzeria by Alfredo.

[nimiq]

Will have to see all those new changes with pics and videos on the coming weeks.

[Astro Flyer]

4 hours ago, capriccio said:

When I got to the end of the announcement it was evident that Princess is trying to kill off Sabatinis.  Such a shame.

Like when they replaced Sabatini’s with Share which also flopped like Bistro Sur La Mer.

[dides]

6 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

Based on the below statement from the press release they want to make Deck 7 an Italian "town square."  That might mean they would place a Sabatini's (which the Majestic does not currently have) where Ser Le Mer is currently and The Catch would go into the Harmony location??? 

 

Ahh, understood. Just didn't think they would leave a lone Sur La Mer limping on for one ship. 

[caribill]

16 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

 The café's epic, branded merchandise featuring the restaurant's iconic mascot will also be available for purchase.

 

My guess is available in the boutiques, not at the dining area.

[JimmyVWine]

3 hours ago, caribill said:

 

My guess is available in the boutiques, not at the dining area.

I envision more like a couple of t-shirts on hangers hung by wherever the food will be.  Either way, I am puzzled by their "all in" approach to this brand when the existing venues are all but shuttered from underuse.  And even more so when they move the venue up to the deck where all the "free" food is.  I can pay $12 and wait for a burger to be cooked for me, or walk 30 more feet and have all the free food I want, already for plating. 

 

    

Edited April 11, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[fpsphil]

2 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I envision more like a couple of t-shirts on hangers hung by wherever the food will be.  Either way, I am puzzled by their "all in" approach to this brand when the existing venues are all but shuttered from underuse.  And even more so when they move the venue up to the deck where all the "free" food is.  I can pay $12 and wait for a burger to be cooked for me, or walk 30 more feet and have all the free food I want, already for plating. 

 

    

Don’t question Padgett’s amazing marketing prowess. He probably thinks they are the top burger stand in the world and will cause millennials to flock to Princess. Just like the graffiti he put on the side of the Enchanted…

 

If the cover charge was like $5-10 it would make sense but $12+ is out or range for that kind for food on the ship. Maybe if the line was super long at the grill I would run to this but still.

Edited April 11, 2023 by fpsphil

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, fpsphil said:

Don’t question Padgett’s amazing marketing prowess. He probably thinks they are the top burger stand in the world and will cause millennials to flock to Princess. Just like the graffiti he put on the side of the Enchanted…

 

If the cover charge was like $5-10 it would make sense but $12+ is out or range for that kind for food on the ship. Maybe if the line was super long at the grill I would run to this but still.

We'll all be surprised at the number of people willing to pay the extra.....just because they're on a cruise. 😄

[caribill]

52 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

We'll all be surprised at the number of people willing to pay the extra.....just because they're on a cruise. 😄

 

Witness all the people who book specialty dining even though they have already paid for dinner in the main dining room.

[VibeGuy]

Bistro SLM and the Salty Dog Gastropub both had licensing deals with name chefs.  Rudi is an employee.  My cynical side says they don’t want to pay to renew the licenses with French Dude and Ernesto Whatshisname, same as dropping Curtis Stone when the agreement ran out. 
 

Further into my cynical side, even with the less-than-ideal circulation of the SLM space (speaking for Discovery), I suspect they can jam it every night with the popularity of Sabatini’s, regardless of location.  I actually like the idea of creating a unified offer between Gigi’s, Bellinis and Sabatini’s.  
 

Deeper still into my cynical side, I don’t think the deal with Salty Dog of Hilton Head is purely coincidental.  I think they have a solid brand that has an appeal with about a 50 mile radius and among east coast golf vacationers and that’s about it.  Either Princess went looking for them, so as not to have to spend much on a rebrand, or someone went looking for the intellectual property counsel at Princess and said “Uh, ‘scuse us’.     
 

Isn’t the former Trident Grill already branded as Salty Dog on some ships, leading to some confusion between the gastropub paid venue and the topside burger stand?

[LACruiser88]

18 hours ago, dides said:

Ahh, understood. Just didn't think they would leave a lone Sur La Mer limping on for one ship. 

And eliminating Harmony will put all of the same restaurants on the Royal class ships.

[cruisecrow12]

So If I understand the article correctly "Priced at just $39 per person and available as a specialty dining option within the Princess Premier premium add-on package", then only passengers with the Princess Premier package will be able to use Rudi's. Doesn't seem like a good business decision to me.

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, cruisecrow12 said:

So If I understand the article correctly "Priced at just $39 per person and available as a specialty dining option within the Princess Premier premium add-on package", then only passengers with the Princess Premier package will be able to use Rudi's. Doesn't seem like a good business decision to me.

Nope - not what they are saying.  The new restaurant will have the same cover charge as the CG and Sur La Mer before it.  As you may know, guests who book the top Cruise Fare Package (Premier) receive two free SD covers per person during their voyage.  Naturally, the new restaurant will be eligible for a free dinner in that situation.

 

[capriccio]

4 minutes ago, cruisecrow12 said:

So If I understand the article correctly "Priced at just $39 per person and available as a specialty dining option within the Princess Premier premium add-on package", then only passengers with the Princess Premier package will be able to use Rudi's. Doesn't seem like a good business decision to me.

The Premier package includes 2 specialty dining meals.  Those with the Plus package or no package will be charged $39 per person.  Of course, depending on the popularity of the Premier package, it is likely to be more difficult for those without the Premier package to make reservations.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

And eliminating Harmony will put all of the same restaurants on the Royal class ships.

It probably all depends if Princess ever expects the Majestic to return to the Chinese market.  If they do then Harmony probably remains, if they do not then it will probably go away.

[VibeGuy]

6 hours ago, ldtr said:

It probably all depends if Princess ever expects the Majestic to return to the Chinese market.  If they do then Harmony probably remains, if they do not then it will probably go away.

I would be shocked if Carnival Corp operates anything with any of their existing brands for the Chinese market before there’s a snow-cone stand in Hades.  They pulled the old Costa ships, didn’t send the intended new builds, and are building the Adora brand as part of the JV with the state-owned enterprises.  China as a growth opportunity of meaningful impact/scale for Carnival Corp is as dead as the midnight gala buffet. 
 

With the promised reductions in newbuild velocity, to pay off the massive debt run up during the shutdown, Princess is going to need Majestic in the fleet for years to come, and they’re almost assuredly going to homeport her in one of their traditional markets.  

[dides]

On 4/10/2023 at 2:53 PM, LACruiser88 said:

New Irish Pub also launching on Enchanted Princess Also coming to Enchanted Princess starting April 15 is O'Malley's, a contemporary Irish pub featuring traditional Irish music, interactive entertainment and extraordinary food including the new O'Malley's ribeye burger. Located on Deck 5 in the piazza where the Salty Dog Gastropub Experience previously operated, the O'Malley's menu also includes Scotch eggs, fried pickles, pan-fried Guinness chicken, along with favorite Irish beers, ales and whiskeys. The new pub will also offer tasting experiences that include an introduction to the history of Irish Whiskey along with a tasting flight, as well as Guinness cocktail classes. Offering more than just a great menu, O'Malley's will overflow with the exuberance, banter, and vivacity synonymous with the vintage Irish pub experience.

 

Princess have released a picture of O'Malley's:

 

[roadster08]

Gelato is great but if Princess really wanted to up their game they would add a true Italian pastry shop in the Piazza. 

[JimmyVWine]

2 hours ago, dides said:

 

Princess have released a picture of O'Malley's:

 

Looks like they could have called it O'Vines.

[dides]

32 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Looks like they could have called it O'Vines.

 

😁 They could have put pints of Guinness on the tables at least!

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by dides

[Guest ldtr]

5 hours ago, VibeGuy said:

I would be shocked if Carnival Corp operates anything with any of their existing brands for the Chinese market before there’s a snow-cone stand in Hades.  They pulled the old Costa ships, didn’t send the intended new builds, and are building the Adora brand as part of the JV with the state-owned enterprises.  China as a growth opportunity of meaningful impact/scale for Carnival Corp is as dead as the midnight gala buffet. 
 

With the promised reductions in newbuild velocity, to pay off the massive debt run up during the shutdown, Princess is going to need Majestic in the fleet for years to come, and they’re almost assuredly going to homeport her in one of their traditional markets.  

Even for ships not sailing from China itself, the Chinese did provide a large number of cruisers.  Especially on cruises out of locations like Singapore.  So even with the JV having a ship built for that market would still be attractive home ported out of Singapore. Noticed cruise lines are having more cruises starting in or ending in Hong Kong as well.

[MissP22]

22 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Witness all the people who book specialty dining even though they have already paid for dinner in the main dining room.

And in addition to that, many people chose to eat in a Specialty restaurant on formal nights when they miss out on Princess's better selections.

Unless it's a special occasion I could never understand why.