How do menus change in AUS cruises?

[Jose Zalfadilla]

First time visiting Australia, or for that matter, first time crossing the line into the Southern Hemisphere.  I enjoy food from all over the world, but, having never been to Australia before, I was wondering how Princess menus change in the MDRs and specialty restaurants when sailing anywhere "Down Under." What is added, removed, emphasized, etc. when compared to cruising out of the USA, European, Asian ports?  I will be taking an 11-day Queensland cruise in March, so what are likely to be the region's "crowd pleasers?"  And, no, never been to an Australian restaurant anywhere in the world so not remotely familiar with cuisine from Oz.

[arxcards]

A few minor specifics aside, Princess menus are very familiar here as well. Coral Princess departed recently after a couple of years cruising here, and the Bayou Cafe reverted to a Crown Grill menu to suit a perceived local preference for that style of menu. Apart from that, it has been much of a muchness for us.

 

Most specialty menus are verbatim. The bars will have Aussie beers & wines mixed in.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I didn't notice much difference when we did a Mediterranean cruise some years ago, comparing against the Australian menus.

 

There were some differences in the menus when we cruised out of Japan last year - a whole section of Japanese "favourites" plus one or two Asian dishes each night. 

[MMDown Under]

You might find less sweet food and more salty food on Australian ships.  For example, less sweet teas and more traditional tea.  Less sweet breakfast food, no grits.

[lyndarra]

You will also find Chicken Salt is prevalent on shore but maybe not on board. Have it on fries, fish and chips, even on fried chicken. You may want to take some home.😁

[colourbird]

When we were on a Princess cruise around Australia in 2023, we had a tour of the galley. They claimed that most of the food was flown in from America (including pretty much all the meat). We did have pies available though.

[buchhalm]

2 hours ago, lyndarra said:

You will also find Chicken Salt is prevalent on shore but maybe not on board. Have it on fries, fish and chips, even on fried chicken. You may want to take some home.😁

Note, that it doesn't contain any chicken. It's meant to go ON or WITH chicken. 🧂🍗🐔

[valantine80]

You might find that lobster is not as readily available on an Australian cruise.

[cruiser3775]

The menus are skewed towards an American style. eg. there is a salad course at the start, and the sald dressing options are very American. In Australia, you get the salad as an optionaccompaniment to the main course. Which reminds me of another difference. In Australia, an Entrée is called a starter, and it's the smaller first course. The bigger second course is called the Main Course.

Edited yesterday at 12:14 AM by cruiser3775

[arxcards]

Yes, Princess is an American brand, and the menus remain that way  - as typical Princess menus. Lots of basic things like ketchup is still used instead of our tomato sauce and it is typical American yellow mustard.

 

You will see Vegemite sachets in the dining room to put on your toast, but also among all the Smuckers grape jelly which is not native here. A local tip if you haven't tried Vegemite with toast yet. If it tastes strange, it just hasn't been spread thick enough. Two sachets per slice is a good ratio.

 

If you are expecting kangaroo, emu & crocodile steaks, you will be disappointed. Beef, pork, chicken and lamb. We aren't that different to the US here. US foods are familiar to us when we travel, and I doubt our foods will offend anyone from the US.

 

The one thing I would note is that our food additives are mostly derived from wheat instead of corn, and we are still using sucrose to sweeten instead of high fructose corn syrup.

[colourbird]

3 minutes ago, arxcards said:

You will see Vegemite sachets in the dining room to put on your toast, but also among all the Smuckers grape jelly which is not native here. A local tip if you haven't tried Vegemite with toast yet. If it tastes strange, it just hasn't been spread thick enough. Two sachets per slice is a good ratio.

 

I find Americans always seem to underestimate how much is needed. Two sachets per slice is the bare minimum. I always have to tell them to pile it on!

[OzKiwiJJ]

17 minutes ago, arxcards said:

You will see Vegemite sachets in the dining room to put on your toast, but also among all the Smuckers grape jelly which is not native here. A local tip if you haven't tried Vegemite with toast yet. If it tastes strange, it just hasn't been spread thick enough. Two sachets per slice is a good ratio.

 

 

6 minutes ago, colourbird said:

 

I find Americans always seem to underestimate how much is needed. Two sachets per slice is the bare minimum. I always have to tell them to pile it on!

 

Be nice, you two! 🤣

 

Ignore them. Vegemite is very much an acquired taste. It's savoury, not sweet.  If you like umami things like miso soup you'll probably like Vegemite once you get used to it. Start with lots of butter and a small amount of Vegemite. 

[cruiser3775]

While the food on the ship will be mostly familiar, once you get on land here, you will be able to try eating kangaroo, emu and crocodile while visiting Queensland ports, if you want.

Just remember you don't have to tip in Australia, and we would encourage you not to bring the US tipping culture here.  Also the price you see on the menu is what you pay, no added taxes at the check out.  There may be a surcharge for weekends and public holidays, where, by law, hospitality staff have to be paid more, but this has to be stated on the menu.

[Bubbeh]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

A local tip if you haven't tried Vegemite with toast yet. If it tastes strange, it just hasn't been spread thick enough. Two sachets per slice is a good ratio

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

[Bubbeh]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Start with lots of butter and a small amount of Vegemite.

Make sure that it is actually butter not margarine or other spread.  There's nothing like vegemite with butter - oh yum!  Also, vegemite and avocado with a couple of flakes of parmesan and freshly ground black pepper, not that's a brekkie to die for.

[Bubbeh]

56 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

Just remember you don't have to tip in Australia, and we would encourage you not to bring the US tipping culture here. 

Yes, @Jose Zalfadilla please respect our culture and don't tip.  Thank you.

[mr walker]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

 

 

Be nice, you two! 🤣

 

Ignore them. Vegemite is very much an acquired taste. It's savoury, not sweet.  If you like umami things like miso soup you'll probably like Vegemite once you get used to it. Start with lots of butter and a small amount of Vegemite. 

Spoilsport Julie 😀 That said, those 2 guys are evil 😀

[buchhalm]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Yes, Princess is an American brand, and the menus remain that way  - as typical Princess menus. Lots of basic things like ketchup is still used instead of our tomato sauce and it is typical American yellow mustard.

 

You will see Vegemite sachets in the dining room to put on your toast, but also among all the Smuckers grape jelly which is not native here. A local tip if you haven't tried Vegemite with toast yet. If it tastes strange, it just hasn't been spread thick enough. Two sachets per slice is a good ratio.

 

If you are expecting kangaroo, emu & crocodile steaks, you will be disappointed. Beef, pork, chicken and lamb. We aren't that different to the US here. US foods are familiar to us when we travel, and I doubt our foods will offend anyone from the US.

 

The one thing I would note is that our food additives are mostly derived from wheat instead of corn, and we are still using sucrose to sweeten instead of high fructose corn syrup.

Paragraph 2.

You evil genius 

[buchhalm]

1 hour ago, cruiser3775 said:

While the food on the ship will be mostly familiar, once you get on land here, you will be able to try eating kangaroo, emu and crocodile while visiting Queensland ports, if you want.

Just remember you don't have to tip in Australia, and we would encourage you not to bring the US tipping culture here.  Also the price you see on the menu is what you pay, no added taxes at the check out.  There may be a surcharge for weekends and public holidays, where, by law, hospitality staff have to be paid more, but this has to be stated on the menu.

Kangaroo: delicious. Don't have it above "medium " cooked at the most.

Emu: meh. Take it or leave it.

Crocodile: vile.

[Port Power]

2 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

While the food on the ship will be mostly familiar, once you get on land here, you will be able to try eating kangaroo, emu and crocodile while visiting Queensland ports, if you want.

Just remember you don't have to tip in Australia, and we would encourage you not to bring the US tipping culture here.  Also the price you see on the menu is what you pay, no added taxes at the check out.  There may be a surcharge for weekends and public holidays, where, by law, hospitality staff have to be paid more, but this has to be stated on the menu.

 

Yuck!  Butter?  I agree to start with only a smear of Vegemite, but butter is not required as a second spread.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Port Power said:

 

Yuck!  Butter?  I agree to start with only a smear of Vegemite, but butter is not required as a second spread.

It makes the Vegemite more palatable for first-timers. The creaminess of the butter balances out the saltiness of the Vegemite. It's especially important to use butter with "cardboard" cruise ship bread otherwise it would be completely inedible!

[possum52]

5 hours ago, Port Power said:

 

Yuck!  Butter?  I agree to start with only a smear of Vegemite, but butter is not required as a second spread.

Always need butter with vegemite! Yum yum! Toast with just vegemite is too dry for me. 

[Kristelle]

I like vegemite and cheese sandwiches.

[lyndarra]

4 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

I like vegemite and cheese sandwiches.

I like same as toasties. Had one yesterday.😋

[Bubbeh]

18 hours ago, Port Power said:

Yuck!  Butter?  I agree to start with only a smear of Vegemite, but butter is not required as a second spread.

Vegemite without butter?  Oy vay, sacrilege!