Did you like the food on the Grand?

[motherchic]

Hi,

I was already to book my first Princess cruise on the Grand when I mentioned it to my girlfriend. She has a friend who hated the food on the Grand

( but loves the Princess cruise line ). Now I am hesitant. We have been loyal Celebrity cruisers and liked their food very much. But, we have been wanting to try Princess and the Grand had the itinerary we wanted.

I realize food-good or bad is very personal.

But still would love your opinions-negative or positive.

Many thanks

Nadine

[BJS]

Hi,

I was already to book my first Princess cruise on the Grand when I mentioned it to my girlfriend. She has a friend who hated the food on the Grand

( but loves the Princess cruise line ). Now I am hesitant. We have been loyal Celebrity cruisers and liked their food very much. But, we have been wanting to try Princess and the Grand had the itinerary we wanted.

I realize food-good or bad is very personal.

But still would love your opinions-negative or positive.

Many thanks

Nadine

Yes, we liked the food on the Grand Princess.

FYI the menus are the same on all of the Princess ships, except right now where they are introducing the "new" menus ship by ship, and it is just the Chef who can use his own "flare" to prepare them. Other than the doneness of the beef I can't say we've ever been able to say the food was better on one ship than the other. Chefs can change ships so one cruise may not be the same as another on the same ship.

[MRS TIGGYWINKLE]

WE JUST GOT OFF OF THE GRAND LAST WEEK AND HAVE TO SAY THAT IT IS THE FIRST PRINCESS CRUISE WE HAVE DONE THAT HAS DISAPPOINTED US. THE FOOD WAS NOTHING SPECIAL AT ALL AND AT TIMES THE SERVICE WAS DREADFUL. FOR THE FIRST 3 DAYS IT SEEMED THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF DINING ROOM STAFF. WE COLLECTED SOME MORE IN BOSTON APPARENTLY. ON ONE AFTERNOON WE WENT FOR AFTERNOON TEA AND WAITED THE ENTIRE HOUR FOR SCONES. IN THE END THE MAITRE D MADE THEM BAKE SOME SPECIALLY FOR THE TABLE WE WERE ON (10 OF US FROM ALL NATIONALITIES). iF THIS CRUISE HAD BEEN OUR FIRST WITH PRINCESS WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DOING ANY MORE. THANKFULLY WE KNOW PRINCESS IS NORMALLY EXCELLENT AND HAVE 2 MORE BOOKED. I GUESS ITS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE....YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY IT.

GOOD LUCK.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

WE JUST GOT OFF OF THE GRAND LAST WEEK AND HAVE TO SAY THAT IT IS THE FIRST PRINCESS CRUISE WE HAVE DONE THAT HAS DISAPPOINTED US. THE FOOD WAS NOTHING SPECIAL AT ALL AND AT TIMES THE SERVICE WAS DREADFUL. FOR THE FIRST 3 DAYS IT SEEMED THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF DINING ROOM STAFF. WE COLLECTED SOME MORE IN BOSTON APPARENTLY. ON ONE AFTERNOON WE WENT FOR AFTERNOON TEA AND WAITED THE ENTIRE HOUR FOR SCONES. IN THE END THE MAITRE D MADE THEM BAKE SOME SPECIALLY FOR THE TABLE WE WERE ON (10 OF US FROM ALL NATIONALITIES). iF THIS CRUISE HAD BEEN OUR FIRST WITH PRINCESS WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DOING ANY MORE. THANKFULLY WE KNOW PRINCESS IS NORMALLY EXCELLENT AND HAVE 2 MORE BOOKED. I GUESS ITS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE....YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY IT.

GOOD LUCK.

 

Thanks for yelling at all of us...

[ggprincess2004]

Generally food on Princess is very good to excellent. We have noticed that sometimes the "current" staff in the kitchen might contribute to the food being only good, or exceedingly excellent. Depends upon who is in the kitchen on what ship when.

And it can change from week to week, if one or two of the lead chefs depart and others come on board whilst you are on a b2b or b3b.

So, a report from a month ago may no longer apply.:)

[NAS-KARR]

In 06 we found nothing wrong with it.

 

 

CIAO,

[Spikesgirl]

We were on the Grand in July/August and found the food fine. The food in the Horizon court wasn't as good as it has been on other ships, but we tend to go with the smaller vessels and that makes a difference in food quality. There wasn't a single dish that we would have sent back as being poorly executed or unflavorful - our friends, travelling with us, agreed and he's a master chef. That's good enough for me.

 

Charlie

[pascalburns]

food is very good.

 

 

 

grand princess 2/2006

 

carnival holiday 9/2006

 

grand princess 11/3/2007:cool:

[zaandam_2]

i just got off the grand a month ago. i thought the food was quite good, and i'm picky. i only sent back one thing in 16 days (and gained 5 pounds).

 

i do know the executive chef was moving to the QM2 at the end of our cruise and then onto the queen victoria when she is finished.

[RickT]

Was also on the Grand in July/August and as Spikesgirl says, other than so-so food in the Horizon Court buffet area we had absolutely no complaints. Don't recall having a bad meal. We were lucky in that our waiter (Hermias sp?) would sometimes suggest we avoid an item or two on the menu.

 

It was our first Princess cruise and we thought the meals were on par with Celebrity (in some cases better) and above that of RCCL.

 

One suggestion. We picked the assigned seating and perhaps that helps. We did eat anytime dining one night and weren't that trilled. Meal was good but the overal service wasn't what we were getting with out assigned table.

 

Besides... I'd rather be on a cruise with bad food than at work! :D

[Eric95403]

Thanks for yelling at all of us...

 

 

THANKS for point that out.... Yelling is fine...some people are older on this board, they can't hear as well.

 

I too am interested on the Grand food. So far it sounds iffy...

[shipm8]

I find you will always find food that is poor, Good, Great, and the best you have ever had on any cruise. If you try something you don't like.... don't eat it... get something else. Part of the experience is trying new things... :o

[spongerob]

I have found that it's never quite the same from cruise to cruise. The difference to me seems to be who the chef is, and the quality of supplies (and staff) he has to work with. So if I say it was great in August, it might be different today, and the same goes if someone finds it iffy. It's entirely subjective anyway. Mostly I'd say it's been good to very good, occasionally excellent, and occasionally disappointing. And that's just on the Grand (7 cruises for us on that one ship).

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

THANKS for point that out.... Yelling is fine...some people are older on this board, they can't hear as well.

 

I too am interested on the Grand food. So far it sounds iffy...

 

 

Bold letters are much easier on the eyes than caps, as well as easier to read. I am on the Grand in 2 months, so I am also interested. Sorry if I offended you.

 

In any event, I have been on Princess on a few occasions and the food has been consistantly good.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We were a little disappointed on the food on the Grand last Dec., compared to other cruises we've been on. There were many excellent dishes, but some that were just so-so. It wasn't bad food, just not the best cruise cuisine we've experienced. It seemed to be a step down in quality from other Princess ships.

 

I have to agree that the Horizon Court buffet was really not very good; not that many selections, food either strange or dull, especially desserts, and poorly organized. The Carnival buffet on the Triumph was much better.

 

The lobsters and breads are great, though!

[MRS TIGGYWINKLE]

Sorry for yelling!

Didn't mean to upset anyone :)

[twka90]

Don't recall having a bad meal. We were lucky in that our waiter (Hermias sp?) would sometimes suggest we avoid an item or two on the menu.

 

This guy rocks. His recommendations were generally spot-on. Ah... The things he did with cheesecakes...

[donaldsc]

Bold letters are much easier on the eyes than caps, as well as easier to read. I am on the Grand in 2 months, so I am also interested. Sorry if I offended you.

 

In any event, I have been on Princess on a few occasions and the food has been consistantly good.

 

But you did use caps, not bold.. If I use REALLY BIG letters, can you read it even better?

 

DON

[UpgradeMan]

Was also on the Grand in July/August and as Spikesgirl says, other than so-so food in the Horizon Court buffet area we had absolutely no complaints. Don't recall having a bad meal. We were lucky in that our waiter (Hermias sp?) would sometimes suggest we avoid an item or two on the menu.

 

It was our first Princess cruise and we thought the meals were on par with Celebrity (in some cases better) and above that of RCCL.

 

One suggestion. We picked the assigned seating and perhaps that helps. We did eat anytime dining one night and weren't that trilled. Meal was good but the overal service wasn't what we were getting with out assigned table.

 

Besides... I'd rather be on a cruise with bad food than at work! :D

 

I have to agree with you about Hermias (South African) as his Polish girlfriend was assigned to me as my waitress in the Da Vinci dining room over the summer and fall when I returned. I love his sense of humour (dry and black).

 

The Executive Chef Antonio Cerreda is an EXCELLENT Chef that was on the Golden Princess for over 3.5 years and now is assigned to the Grand Princess. IMHO the food on the Grand this summer and fall was very good and the choices in the Horizon Court a.k.a "the throft" was very extensive compared to most other ships I have been on previously.

 

The Maitre'd Giorgio Pisano is one of the Best in the Fleet and did have a very difficult time and his hands full this summer and fall as the ship was constantly short of waiters and assistant waiters signing off during the British Isles cruises and Canada New England cruises (due to high amount of tip cancellations from paxs). I do remember they had to close some sections of the Dinning rooms in Da Vinci sometimes due to staff shortages. Not an easy task for any Maitre'd to handle under these circumstances.

 

P.S Giuseppe Franchina is the current Maitre'd on the Grand Princess and was the Maitre'd for 3 years on the Pacific Princess and is an EXCELLENT and Professional Maitre'd in the Princess Fleet as well.

[Northshorecruisers]

We were on the Grand in November and the food wasn't bad. I did expect better though. IMO I thought the Ceaser salad had too much of a vinegar taste - but there are plenty of other things to order to make up for it. A couple times I had the tenderloin off the always available menu and it was pretty good (had our waiter add one to my prawns & lobster tail dinner - yummy)

I'm not much of a breakfast eater because I'm allergic to eggs, but I found plenty of variety in the buffet. We did breakfast in the diningroom once and lunch twice and I will definately do that more often on the next cruise. Food is hotter, fresher, and of course presented so much nicer than I can pile it on my plate.

We ate one night in the Painted Desert and the food and service was excellent.

Friends that travelled with us have been on Celebrity, HAL, and now Princess. They thought Celebrity food was 1st, then HAL. We have only been on HAL and I thought all their meals were excellent.

[1125Pincessbride]

We just got off the grand and the food was OK...nothing to write home that you had the BEST meal ever, but no one in our group had a bad thing to say.

We tried something new and different than we normally would, and found a few items that we really enjoyed. Some items I felt I made better, yet most all compared to average or above for most of us.

As always, food is subject to what you are used to... ( For the record, we didn't have a bad meal...)

[Boomer1]

We were on the Grand in June of 07 for 15 days and thought the food was excellent many days and good some nights but never "bad". Plus the service was better than we've had on previous Princess cruises.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

After reading many posts on this subject on this board, it is obvious that food quality is very subjective. Just go to the member review section and read reviews by different people from the same cruise. It is really amazing. My DW doesn't like fish so has a tougher time with Princess food. I love fish and am not a picky eater. I usually follow the recommendation of the waiter and am not disappointed. It's been a couple of years since we were on the Grand, but found the food to be very good.

 

I agree with the poster who said if you don't like something send it back and try something else.

[shofer]

We are off the Grand in February and the menu was identical to the Coral Princess the year before. There were some changes though. The anytime salmon was served with a herb-crust rather than the yummy butter sauce which was (I thought) rather dry.

 

The Lobster tail in 2007 was now a puny replica w/2 prawns. Did I go hungry? Not at all but I would skip Caribbean night in a heartbeat. We had gone to Sabatini's in 2007 for that night so did not realize what the menu was like. The only good thing on the regular menu that night was the pork.

 

IMHO, the food on Celebrity is far and away better in execution, quality & presentation. I do give Princess points for when you order off the anytime menu, you have a choice of your starch, instead of getting whatever is on the plate. The dessert souffles on Princess were very good. I should know, I ate one every night! And I only gained 1/2 lb for the whole cruise.

[jean s]

We were on the Grand in February and overall thought the food was good to very good. We had anytime dining and ate dinner in the dining room five nights and 2 nights in the Horizon buffet. We did not do the formal nights. We ate some breakfasts in the dining room and some on our balcony with room service. For lunch we ate some in the dining room and sometimes grabbed a burger or some pizza from the grill. I really enjoyed all the lamb dishes and my dh enjoyed all the fish dishes and loved the crab legs (all three dishes). Interestingly I thougt the best meals were the lunches in the dining room. The lunches seemed a little more creative and there was a very very nice variety of choices. I truly had one of the best chef's salads I have ever eaten for lunch in the dining room. I also enjoyed the apple pie and ice cream for dessert at lunch. Food likes are so personal but my dh and I did not leave the ship hungry.