Does anyone find the food in the dining rooms too fancy or too gourmetish?

[blackbird71]

the fact that there is no prices on the menu allow one to be a little more adventurous.

 

One friend does not do chicken or fish and had no problems on Princess.

[bdjam]

I think this is one of the reasons there are complaints about Princess food and the time one spends in the dining room. Five course meals don't appeal to everyone. I personally like to take two hours over dinner and have nice conversation, nice wine and eat a leisurely meal - but that's not the American way anymore.

The small plate/large plate menus which are being rolled out to the fleet should make a difference - and as mentioned, the Always Available menus are a fallback.

[we2cruze]

Some of the selections are 'different' to the meat and potato crowd, but a lot of the dishes are familiar items with a fancy presentation. As stated by others, they have a section of the menu that is always available and includes items such as steak, chicken, and fettecine alfredo. Also you can ask for things like a garden salad instead of the fancy salads on the menus. My two favorite items on the Princess cruises are the soups and dessert souffles. Be sure to give these a try. :)

[fathercop]

Haven't been on a cruise yet, but was wondering if people find the food too fancy or gourmetish in the main dining room? I looked online at some of the menus and started wondering about this. My husband is a meat & potato guy and doesn't care too much for spices (except salt & pepper). I'm a little bit more adventureous. Any thoughts?

 

I am not sure if they would accomodate your husband to this degree, but my one picky-eater daughter tried a dinner entree and did not care for it. She actually did not like the alternatives on the menu either, at the suggestion of our waiter, he asked if he could bring her a cheeseburger. She enjoyed that. The rest of the cruise she ate at the buffet with her friends. On a positive, maturing note, three years later, on another cruise, she is enjoying the dining room menus and some of the more gourmet meals. I think your husband will find something. There is so much to choose from!

[emileg]

I think this is one of the reasons there are complaints about Princess food and the time one spends in the dining room. Five course meals don't appeal to everyone. I personally like to take two hours over dinner and have nice conversation, nice wine and eat a leisurely meal - but that's not the American way anymore.

 

The small plate/large plate menus which are being rolled out to the fleet should make a difference - and as mentioned, the Always Available menus are a fallback.

We also enjoy the two hour dinners that give us a chance to unwind and really get to know our table mates. If one likes the people at the table, two hours should not be a problem. If you don't, even an hour might seem like a long time while one waits for the courses to appear.

 

Also, if you have traditional sitting at 6:00 and get done early, say at 7:00, there is not much to do until the show at 8:30. So, one might as well enjoy the two hour dinners.

 

We usually take breakfast and lunch in the Horizon Court buffet restaurants because there is so much else we would rather be doing during the day than taking a long meal. Figure about an hour for breakfast and lunch in the main dining room and a half hour to 45 minutes at the buffet.

 

I agree with many of the other writers that the ship's dining rooms are great places to try new foods. On one cruise, one of our table mates was a chef. He encouraged me to try foods I would never have thought of trying as a temptation. They were delicious. If he never encouraged me to try new foods, I would never have known what delights I would have been missing. Here's to trying anything once :D

[cjnky]

If I don't make it to the dining room the night they have something such as escargot on the menu, can I order it the next night?? And in the Horizon Court, are the dishes identified so we'd know what we're eating??:o

[silverfoxcruiser]

You can order any item on the menu as an appetizer version. That way, if you don't like it, you're not wasting a lot of food. You may find you want to order the item again. Silver:cool:

[Fuzzzy]

Cooked steer meat is available every night in the dining room.

[iancal]

We have only been on two Princess cruises so far. Our experience is that Princess dining room food is good but they clearly place more emphasis on presentation and 'naming' conventions than they do on gourmet. You won't have to worry too much about gourmet once you get behind the menu and determine what the plate really is.

[TallTwosome]

Of course this is only my opinion, but thank goodness it is way better than McD.

 

BLASPHEMY!

 

I like the food in the dining room, too, but it's no Quarter Pounder with Cheese... ;)

[chefim]

As a professional chef I always find these discussions so amusing. After all, the food thing is so subjective.

 

There are those who consider cruise line food to be "gourmet", when I and others see it as glorified banquet food. However, the truth is that it all depends on what you like. In most cases the wait staff and kitchen will bend over backwards to please even the picky eater, and as others have already stated, nobody goes away hungry.

 

The OP reminds me of the first client I took on as a Private Chef after I left an oceanfront hotel property. These people lived in a 3 million dollar home, so I pulled out my most upscale menus. After meeting with the wife for about an hour, she says to me:

 

"Chef, do you think you can make the description of your food a little less fancy, as I don't think my husband will eat any of it". :D

 

So, guess what? The Boeuf Bouguignonne became Beef Stew, and Pomme Du Potage became Potato Soup.

 

After cooking for the family for 2 years, the wife tells me one day in conversation that it did not matter what sauce I made for any of the food, her husband would scrape it off and bring out his giant sized bottle of Chinese Duck Sauce.:eek:

 

After all, when it is all said and done, do you know what the difference is between Pomme Du Potage and Potato Soup?

 

About $5 a bowl.

 

Bon Appetit,

 

Chef

[Roxilla]

OK, I'll be the lone ranger here. Personally, I do not find the food to be too fancy as I have cruised enough to know what it all is. I do enjoy the food and can always find something. I LOVE the fettuccine alfredo. However, I have a couple of friends who ended up taking almost all their meals at the buffet because they didn't like the "fancy" food and my parents found out on their first cruise (just got off the Coral) that they also do not care for the dining room food. I never could get my mom to understand about the always available menu. I don't believe my parents enjoyed any of the meals they had there.

[sailingkiwi]

Can you download the menus ahead of time? Is this on the Princess website. My husband and I love trying new foods, and if the menu is seafood based my husband will love it (me, I'm allergic to fish, but unluckily for the lobster, not shellfish).

 

Oh one other question, you don't have to eat 5 courses do you?

[happyscot]

Princess should get a Franchise for McD. There would be an extra charge to eat there like Sterling or Sabatini. Bet it would be profit making for Princess. /Sultan

 

 

I'm sorry, this is a thread about food.

 

:o

[spongerob]

Princess should get a Franchise for McD. There would be an extra charge to eat there like Sterling or Sabatini. Bet it would be profit making for Princess. /Sultan

 

How 'bout a Hooters restaurant?

[mrdood]

...waiting to cruise Princess, but I think other lines do a great job of balancing the basic with the gourmet. Even with the basic items, they do an excellent job of presentation to enhance!

[cynbar]

I agree with all the above posters, there are enough choices between the nightly menus and the always available choices that all diners should be able to find something to their liking. But in addition, I have found that the waiters are anxious to please you. If there is something you want, such as plain mashed potatoes or corn or whatever, ask and they quite likely will bring some out --- or offer to arrange it for you the next night (you can always reserve with them for the next evening if you have anytime dining.) Also, adults sometimes order off the children's menu, which includes such basics as spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fingers or chicken noodle soup. PLease don't be intimidated, Princess wants everyone to enjoy their cruise!

[cruisemom42]

[quote name='sailingkiwi']Can you download the menus ahead of time? Is this on the Princess website. My husband and I love trying new foods, and if the menu is seafood based my husband will love it (me, I'm allergic to fish, but unluckily for the lobster, not shellfish).

Oh one other question, you don't have to eat 5 courses do you?[/quote]


If you do a search on this board, you'll find that others have posted the menus from certain Princess ships.

People often say the Princess menus are heavy on seafood -- I think they're pretty balanced. (Perhaps just seems that way to people who don't like seafood...:rolleyes: )

You absolutely don't have to eat 5 courses.....but you may want to! On past cruises I have been known to order several appetizers and no entree, or an entree served as an appetizer then a second entree. Basically, you can "have it your way" within reason!

[sultan_sfo]

McD v/s Haggis? /Sultan

[quote name='happyscot']I'm sorry, this is a thread about food.

:o[/quote]

[happyscot]

[quote name='sultan_sfo']McD v/s Haggis? /Sultan[/quote]


The one occasion when haggis would win. In the UK, McD and KFC are regarded as niche outlets for schoolchildren and the unusually challenged. Few adults who can tie their own shoelace without falling over, or talk without drooling, are likely to venture inside either. Over here at least, the only people more brainless than the customers are the staff. They appear to serve something tasting of warm cardboard smeared with lard, but I have had no first hand evidence since the last time, some years ago, when I allowed my own ankle-biters to blackmail me into entering some cholesterol-ridden sh*thole under an arch full of spotty teenagers eating their own life expectancy with something called "fries".

Though I'm sure it's very different in the states, where McD, I'm sure, is the epitome of fine dining, and not a cow fat recycling centre as it is here. An entirely different concept I'm sure, no offence intended.

Incidentally you can write these things in the UK ever since McD was involved in a huge libel case here over accusations that it served crap to idiots. It lost. It does.

:)

[sultan_sfo]

Have you been inside the huge multi-storied McD near Regent Street (I forget the exact street) in London, England? Check it out. You will find most eating there are British not tourist. Base your opinions on facts please not just your unusually challenged mind! Remember Wimpy's -- they got wiped out! How many McDs are in UK? You must have a lot of mentally challenged (say 50% of the population) there? /Sultan

[quote name='happyscot']
...
McD and KFC are regarded as niche outlets for schoolchildren and the unusually challenged. Few adults who can tie their own shoelace without falling over, or talk without drooling, are likely to venture inside either.

...
:)[/quote]

[Cindy]

[quote name='sultan_sfo']Have you been inside the huge multi-storied McD near Regent Street (I forget the exact street) in London, England? Check it out. You will find most eating there are British not tourist. Base your opinions on facts please not just your unusually challenged mind! Remember Wimpy's -- they got wiped out! How many McDs are in UK? You must have a lot of mentally challenged (say 50% of the population) there? /Sultan[/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=royalblue]A little off topic, but...[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1]We lived in London for four years when I was growing up...I was in Junior High and High School. The first McDonald's in London opened while we were there, and although we didn't go frequently it was great for a little taste of home every so often. Our favorite places for a good old hamburger were Hard Rock Cafe and the Great American Disaster in Knightsbridge.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1]I clearly remember my first meal in London after my family moved. My parents thought the safest thing was to take us out for burgers because we were 12, 9, and 7 at the time. Where did we go? Wimpy's, of course! Needless to say it was quite an interesting experience for our American palates!:rolleyes: [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1]Sorry to get off track, but thanks for allowing me to take a little walk down memory lane.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#4169e1]By the way, we do enjoy the food on Princess. My husband is a bit more adventurous than I am, and he likes to try things he doesn't often have at home, like the chilled soups. I tend to order things I know I will like, although I have sent things back on a couple occasions. The wait staff usually doesn't steer us in the wrong direction. I think many of the pastas on Princess are outstanding. We usually eat lunch in the dining room in part so I can get my daily pasta fix!:) [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Julia’s Journey’s]

[quote name='cynbar']I agree with all the above posters, there are enough choices between the nightly menus and the always available choices that all diners should be able to find something to their liking. But in addition, I have found that the waiters are anxious to please you. If there is something you want, such as plain mashed potatoes or corn or whatever, ask and they quite likely will bring some out --- or offer to arrange it for you the next night (you can always reserve with them for the next evening if you have anytime dining.) Also, adults sometimes order off the children's menu, which includes such basics as spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fingers or chicken noodle soup. PLease don't be intimidated, Princess wants everyone to enjoy their cruise![/quote]

I heard the spagetti and meatballs are good and plan on trying some next cruise.
I'm sure my DD will be enjoying that along with a good ceasar salad which are her 2 new likes:D

[Stevesan]

[quote name='happyscot']The one occasion when haggis would win. In the UK, McD and KFC are regarded as niche outlets for schoolchildren and the unusually challenged. Few adults who can tie their own shoelace without falling over, or talk without drooling, are likely to venture inside either. Over here at least, [B]the only people more brainless than the customers are the staff.[/B] They appear to serve something tasting of warm cardboard smeared with lard, but I have had no first hand evidence since the last time, some years ago, when I allowed my own ankle-biters to blackmail me into entering some cholesterol-ridden sh*thole under an arch full of spotty teenagers eating their own life expectancy with something called "fries".

Though I'm sure it's very different in the states, where McD, I'm sure, is the epitome of fine dining, and not a cow fat recycling centre as it is here. An entirely different concept I'm sure, no offence intended.

Incidentally you can write these things in the UK ever since McD was involved in a huge libel case here over accusations that it served crap to idiots. It lost. It does.

:)[/quote]


Well lah dee dah. Aren't we feeling superior today!?

[happyscot]

[quote name='sultan_sfo']Have you been inside the huge multi-storied McD near Regent Street (I forget the exact street) in London, England? Check it out. You will find most eating there are British not tourist. Base your opinions on facts please not just your unusually challenged mind! Remember Wimpy's -- they got wiped out! How many McDs are in UK? You must have a lot of mentally challenged (say 50% of the population) there? /Sultan[/quote]


Recent government surveys estimate the figure at just 47.6%, actually, so there. Oh, wait, 47.7%, some American golf fans have arrived.

By the way, we know where London is, without the "England" after it, being fairly unlikely to confuse it with a small village in Whereami County, Wyoming of the same name. It does cause the odd giggle over here that you feel the need to differentiate between the ancient European London's, Edinburgh's, Berlin's, Paris' etc from the obviously much more well known American ones built by a McD construction subsidiary in 1972.............. It's very sweet.

But seriously, whilst obviously I exaggerate for comic effect, it's not food. I wouldn't feed it to my cats. It kills an awful, awful lot of people. Not for cruise ships, surely.

Wimpy's failed (became Burger King didn't it?) because, almost impossibly, it tasted even worse than McD. Hurrah for McD - it won the war of the killer food.

I like arguing with you - you're good.

:D