MDR Lunch - Day 1 I had the tenderloin; I was surprised to see this on the lunch menu. However, it was in roast form instead filet form. I came across this for other meals, except for the last formal night when I got the real thing. I do prefer the thicker filet. The potatoes had a good flavor. Travis had the chickpea soup from the appetizer list as a main. I wanted this menu again to try others things, but I only saw it one other time. Most days had the menu with the Calamari.
MDR Dinner - Day 1
Appetizer
- Ceviche
- Goat cheese with vegetable antipasto
Main - Pork with rice and black beans
Desserts
-
Chocolate souffle - after they poured the cream sauce over it, I decided that I might have liked it better without the sauce. The person beside us was also not impressed.
-
Lychee Raspberry Rose Mousse - we saw lychee, when I had never heard of it before, included in several dishes, so they must have gotten a bulk deal. It was good but available many nights.
MDR Dinner - Day 2 - Italian night
Appetizer
- Beef Carpaccio
- Eggplant Parmesan - this was much bigger than he expected. Not pictured: Cold Raspberry Soup in a drink glass with a soup or straw.
Main
- Veal Polpettini, Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce - pretty good, but not the best veal that I have had.
- Seafood with garlic cream potatoes - good
Dessert
-
Amaretto Crème Brûlée - good
-
Chocolate Panna cotta
MDR Lunch - Day 3
I was excited for this version of the lunch menu for the Calamari and Monte Cristo. However, they both disappointed, so I wanted to see the day 1 lunch menu more often.
Appetizer
- Calamari - it was just too thick, so hard to eat. The sauce options were nice.
- Thai Spring Roll
Main
- Monte Cristo - this was not fried in batter like Monte Cristos normally are and did not have a good flavor. Going back, it was just described as a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I should have paid more attention.
- Quinoa Salmon Poke Bowl
Dessert - Double Chocolate Tart - not pictured - good
MDR Dinner - Day 3 - Formal Night
I'm not sure how I missed so many pictures this day.
Appetizer
- Caesar salad - not pictured
- Crab cake - not pictured
- Gnocchi - almost eaten; Travis tried the pasta. Princess offers one or two pasta dishes each day.
Main
- Beef Tenderloin - not pictured. This was also roast style but was tastier than the lunch version.
- Red Snapper with black beans
Dessert
-
Chocolate sundae
-
Crepe Suzette
Buffet Breakfast - Day 4
I discovered the Beef Tapa and rice in the buffet for breakfast yesterday. It seemed out of place for breakfast, but I thought when in Rome. I learned after getting home that it is Filipino dish and commonly served with fried eggs too. It was very good, and I found it on other mornings too. Salmon, bagel, and cream cheese was also available in the buffet, not just in the MDR. Another buffet note for breakfast, there is no hot chocolate packets; you have to buy hot chocolate from the bar for $4. You can get included hot chocolate in the MDR.
MDR Dinner - Day 4
Appetizer
- Hot Smoked Salmon with potatoes, sour cream, and dill - not pictured. I was not a big fan of this, but I was trying something new.
- Pea soup, which was actually blackeye peas - not pictured - good.
Main
- Smoked pork - it tasted more like ham, but was good, and good with the slice of bacon it was served with, and had mashed potatoes.
- Fish
Dessert
-
Carrot cake - good
-
Chocolate Banana
Buffet Breakfast - Day 5
It was chocolate morning today on the buffet; the pastries all included chocolate. Though many mornings there was no chocolate, and sometimes nothing that I liked. I would have preferred one chocolate choice each day. The chocolate display was pretty, but only so many one can eat for one breakfast. Here is what I got.
MDR Dinner - Day 5
Appetizer
- French onion soup - good, but very hot.
- Shrimp in puffed pastry with lobster bisque
Main
- Beef Wellington - very good, a highlight
- Lamb - okay
Dessert
-
Chocolate Cheesecake - could have had more chocolate, but good
-
Chocolate dessert - good
MDR Dinner - Day 6
Appetizer
- Calamari - this was good; better than the lunch version. A different sauce, but it was good.
- Caprese salad
Main
- Jamaican shrimp
- Grilled double pork chop - very good
Dessert
-
Grandma's apple strudel
-
Chocolate sundae
Buffet Dinner - Day 7
The theme tonight was Indian. This was very good for Travis, but I do not like Indian so had pizza from right outside.
MDR Dinner - Day 8 - Formal Night
Appetizer
- Watermelon and Lychee Salad
- Prosciutto and Ricotta
Main
- Duck
- Beef tenderloin - again in just the roast format. Good and the potato croquettes were very good.
Dessert - we both had the cappuccino and chocolate dessert, which was very good.
MDR Dinner - Day 9
The MDR was super fast and empty with people still on shore. It filled up some when we left.
Appetizer
- Split pea soup
- Beef Satay
Main
- Lemon Salmon with thin fried onions - very good
- Red snapper
Dessert
-
Chocolate cookie with ice cream - was not as good as it looked.
-
Key lime pie
Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner - Day 10
Halloween breakfast donut and lunch Halloween dessert.
We had popcorn (included), pizza, and ice cream while watching a Movie Under the Stars. I liked the pepperoni pizza, but tried the four cheese tonight. It did not have tomato sauce. I liked the tomato sauce, so including it is my preference. Travis had the vegetable pizza. Princess has good included pizza. I heard that their paid pizza was very good, but we did not try it.
MDR Dinner - Day 11
Appetizer
- Caesar salad
- Soup
Main
- Cassoulet with polenta
- Fajitas - very good. I now know why they are served with an extra plate. These were hard to eat with lack of assembly space.
Dessert
-
Cherries Jubilee
-
French Vanilla Crème Brûlée
MDR Dinner - Day 12
Appetizer
- French onion soup
- Asian Soup
Main
- Tri-tip Beef
- Indian Vegetarian
Dessert
-
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar - very good
-
Tamarin sorbet
MDR Dinner - Day 13
Appetizer
- Asian salad
- Sauted Pork Potstickers - very good
Main
- Fish and chips - very good
- Spaghetti Bolognese
Dessert
-
Chocolate sundae
-
Princess Love Boat - Travis finally got it. It is on the menu everyday, and I said that he had to try it before we left.
MDR Dinner - Day 14 - Italian
Appetizer
- Caesar salad
- Frisée salad - not pictured.
Main
- Veal Scallopini
- Shrimp and Scallop Pontine
Dessert
- Amaretto Crème Brûlée
- Tiramisu
Also, Italian night at the buffet. I tried the Sicilian balls and the cheese and pepperoni pockets, even better with the Sicilian ball's marinara sauce added inside - very good.
MDR Dinner - Day 15 - Formal
Best quality and tasting food of any night. This is what I expected of Princess food for a premium cruise line. But, this is our first Princess cruise, so maybe I have incorrect expectations. Everything was excellent and was by far the most special feeling Formal night.
Appetizer
- Escargot
- Wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon
Main
- Land & Sea - tenderloin filet - so good. I do not eat lobster, so Travis enjoyed it. They came around with an extra plate to remove the non-edible part of the tail and with butter. I forgot the pictures of the mains because we started talking to the people at the table next to us right before our mains arrived. I got this picture from our facebook roll call group.
- Duck - not pictured. We both thought this was very good.
Dessert
-
Chocolate Pistachio
-
Chantilly Swan
MDR Dinner - Day 16
Main
- Beef, Yorkshire pudding, baked potato - the Yorkshire pudding was disappointing; the rest was good
- Chana Masala Indian
Dessert - Baked Alaska - They did a Baked Alaska parade with the dining team saying goodbye; we both had to get it.
MDR Breakfast - Day 16
Since we were not in a rush to disembark, we went to the MDR for breakfast. Hot chocolate is included in the MDR but normally comes in a small tea kettle with a cup. I was served this instead; so pretty. Maybe this is the $4 on in the buffet version.
