Room Service Quality?

[Sailkeywest]

Fann1sh, my email is "mycruisecritic.email@gmail.com." If you are ever bored or inclined to write to me, I would love further details about your "course by course" dining. Things like how many people were invited and regarding tipping as I have no clue really about tipping other than restaurants and Vegas BJ dealers :P

[Krazy Kruizers]

SC -- you should get the dinner menus delivered to your cabin each morning. Thus if you want to order dinner -- you can look it over and give the concierge your order and tell him/her the time you want it delivered.

Chocolate cookies -- they are available every day in the Neptune Lounge -- you don't have to oder them through room service.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Available 24 hours:

 

Smoked Atlantic Salmon - pickled red onion, capers & cream cheese

 

Mesclun Garden Greens - tomato, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts & blue cheese crumbles

 

Triple Decker Club Sandwich - sliced turkey, ham, bacon, tomato & lettuce served on toasted bread of your choice

 

All American Hamburger - broiled 1/4 pound beef patty on a sesame bun with dill pickle & coleslaw - add cheddar or Swiss cheese

 

Open faced Omelet - ham & cheese or vegetables

 

Selection of assorted cheese with crackers

 

Apple tart with whipped cream

 

Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce

 

A plate of chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk

 

Fruit salad - selected fruits in season

 

Available from 12 noon until 10 PM:

 

Appetizers & Soups:

Bay shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce

Smoked Atlantic Salmon

French onion soup baked with Gruyere cheese

Soup of the day

 

Salads:

Mesclun Garden Greens

Chef salad - mixed greens, ham, salami, swiss cheese, turkey, hard boiled egg - choice of Italian or blue cheese dressing

Caesar salad - tossed with Caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan - add bay shrimp or grilled chicken breast

 

Sandwiches & Burgers:

All are served with a choice of potato salad or potato chips

 

Triple decker club sandwich

Broiled California chicken breast sandwich on multi=grain bread with avocado & honey mustard sauce

Grilled tuna melt - tuna salad & Swiss cheese on rye bread with pickle spears

Thai Vegetarian wrap - eggplant, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts & cilantro rolled with rice & green curry sauce in a tomato tortilla

Steak sandwich - sirloin steak on sourdough bread sauteed with onion & bell pepper

All American Hamburger

 

Entrees:

Seared salmon steak - dill-lime fusion, broccoli florets, carrot batonnet & country mashed potatoes

Penne Primavera - tossed in marinara sauce with Italian roasted vegetables - add grilled chicken breast

Pizza:

margarita (tomato sauce & cheese)

Pepperoni

Vegetarian (mushroom & bell pepper)

 

Desserts:

Apple tart

Chocolate cake

Creme caramel surrounded in berry compote

Fruit jello

fruit salad

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce

Selection of assorted cheese with crackers

[travelmatron]

We've used room service for breakfast, tea, and dinner. It's been great for us. I especially like being able to order breakfast items that aren't on the menu, like Eggs Benedict.

Since you'll be in a suite you can use the Neptune Lounge to order your dinner. They will be sure you have a copy of the menu, and you don't need to watch the time to place your order, they will do it for you. We just had the whole meal delivered at once and the waiter did a nice job of setting up the table on the verandah with a table cloth and flowers, but didn't stay to serve the meal.

I think you can tell by the number of responses you've gotten that most of us think this is an area where HAL shines.

[mexico5]

Wow, I can't believe the options of room service on HAL verses Princess and NCL! The room service menu that was posted...is that for all cabins or just the deluxe and penthouse suites?

 

Besides this menu is there actually a menu that you can order food from the MDR too? Or do you have to go down and look at the menus posted on the doors and then call in your order?

 

HAL newbie

[PennyAgain]

We order the smoked salmon every chance we get. The quality is way above what we can get in Texas.

 

You can order a plain omlet which goes very nicely with the salmon.

[kazu]

Wow, I can't believe the options of room service on HAL verses Princess and NCL! The room service menu that was posted...is that for all cabins or just the deluxe and penthouse suites?

 

Besides this menu is there actually a menu that you can order food from the MDR too? Or do you have to go down and look at the menus posted on the doors and then call in your order?

 

HAL newbie

 

Yes, kk has kindly posted the most recent room service menu (she is so good). It is available to everyone :D Deluxe and penthouse suites also have the neputune lounge.

 

You can order from the MDR for dinner during dining hours. Unfortunately i am a suite person, so I get my menus, but, if you're not, you could look at the posting at the MDR or, I would like to think that the front desk could help.

 

Or as the light bulb comes on, you have to call to order room service, they could probably also tell you what is on the MDR menu.

 

hope this helps and yes, there are definite reasons to sail HAL:):):)

[RuthC]

The room service menu that was posted...is that for all cabins or just the deluxe and penthouse suites?

Everybody. :D

Besides this menu is there actually a menu that you can order food from the MDR too? Or do you have to go down and look at the menus posted on the doors and then call in your order?

Usually by lunchtime, the dinner menu is posted outside the dining room. It's also available in the lounges. Just ask the bartender for it. You can peruse the menu and decide what you want that night. I find it helpful in deciding how much I want for lunch!

[BuddyP]

We used room service regularly on our recent Eurodam cruise and found it to be quite good. The turkey club sandwich is excellent. Breakfast always arrived on time. I would not hesitate to take advantage of room service.

[pizzadog]

Hi again, I am making this forum because Hubby and I have booked an SC suite for next year and intend to order a good deal of room service to just kick back and enjoy all the amazing views. We have less than a month away to book our flights, after that, everything is written in stone, so to speak :P

 

Yes, we will get out of the cabin, but I am thinking high tea one day, possibly lunch in the room the next, Glacier Bay day - more than likely most of the day (and most definitely for dinner).

 

What I would like to know is other's experiences with room service. Food cold? Have read that a good deal for breakfast, wouldn't want to order and entire meal and have it turn out cold.

 

Most importantly, who delivers the food, your room attendent? Do any of the delivery persons act annoyed when delivering room service? I ask this because this happened every time we ordered something on our last (and only cruise -- Carnival). We will tip for the service, I just don't want to be worried about such things on vacation. We are going to be on the very back of the boat, so this might pose a problem as well as far as cold food goes.

 

(P.S. I tried to do a thread search on this topic, but couldn't find a thread like this)

 

Thank you for any input, Safe Travels :)

 

We always have breakfast in our room. Since we really enjoy our coffee we always make sure we order 2 pots - I actually write that on the bottom of the door tag. Also, the pastries are small so order more than you want - we are not big eaters but I like my croissants - and I order 4 because they are so small.:)

[COLLEYBERRY]

Yes, kk has kindly posted the most recent room service menu (she is so good). It is available to everyone :D Deluxe and penthouse suites also have the neputune lounge.

 

You can order from the MDR for dinner during dining hours. Unfortunately i am a suite person, so I get my menus, but, if you're not, you could look at the posting at the MDR or, I would like to think that the front desk could help.

 

Or as the light bulb comes on, you have to call to order room service, they could probably also tell you what is on the MDR menu.

 

hope this helps and yes, there are definite reasons to sail HAL:):):)

 

 

Speaking from experience I do know they are most hesitant to read the entire MDR menu to you when using Room Service (InRoomDining).

 

Understandably it would be very time consuming for staff...luckily we were able to remember some items from a prior look at the menu posted outside the MDR.

 

So wish all menus could be posted on cabin TVs....making it so much easier for us all to plan our grazing for the day;).

[Sailkeywest]

TY KK for that amazing menu! I know how hard it is to remember and take the time to get the menu from various restaurants for review later, let alone while on vacation.

 

That is an amazing pic of all the food laid out on white linens with flowers, no less! (cuortesy of travelmatron) My hubby would be so impressed, he likes stuff like that as much as I do (though he might not admit it).

 

To tell the truth, I was really tempted to take the bb cabin c752 on Princess because it is less costly. But when comparing side by side, I feel HAL is the choice for us because we want a fabulous itinerary, spacious cabin, comfy bed, and HAL's level of service. I know we are getting an SC suite so we could order room service, but in the Princess c752, we would not be able to (or from an extremely limited menu/cold sandwiches and such). Oki, confession time is done :P (I am quite sure Princess is wonderful as well, but for different reasons, I have been comparing the two for eons :P)\

 

Adding to my list so I can check back when the time comes: can also check the bar for menus for the day and order 2 pots of coffee, croissants are small (order 4)

[Krazy Kruizers]

You don't have to worry about going to a bar to see the dinner menu -- it should be delivered to your cabin in the morning.

If not -- there is always one in the Neptune Lounge.

[Sailkeywest]

One last question, do they automatically set up white linen service, or do you have to request it beforehand? I wouldn't expect this for every meal, but would be nice for dinner if we choose to dine-in one night.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For dinner they automatically set up the white linen service.

[Sailkeywest]

You should go ahead and write a guide book, KK :P You are like Encyclopedia HAL. TY again :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you.

[High Flyer]

.......and don't forget that "fresh squeezed" orange juice. I don't know how HAL's room service could be improved. And room service is available on the last morning of the cruise!

[Sailkeywest]

Fresh squeezed OJ and REAL COFFEE, big marketing points, imo. With the high prices other cruiselines charge, I can't believe they are so chincy on the coffee thing! mussssst havvvve cofffffeeeee! I guess they can't do full room service on other lines because of the numbers of passengers or something? Who knows, glad we will have it :)

[navybankerteacher]

HAL room service has been regularly great. Orders are delivered hot, exactly as requested, and on time by friendly personnel. We always have morning coffee and juice delivered - and occasionally snacks or meals. Room stewards do not deliver - I believe it is done by other members of staff who volunteeer, as it is a sort of extra duty with difficult-to-predict dmand.

 

I always have $2 ready for tip for morning coffee (I'm not good at fumbling about immediately after I wake up), $5 for a snack or light lunch, or $5 to $10 for a full dinner.

[Sailkeywest]

Ty navybankerteacher for posting what you usually tip, I wanted to ask before but didn't want to be "nosy" about the tipping habits of others. It is helpful info :)

[kazu]

ok, I don't want to get off topic, but there is a lot more to service than room service. I just got a call from HAL. when I got home we didnn't have the dh's headphones and my beautiful Spanish pouch they were in.:eek: I knew I had left them somehow in the penthouse even though both DH and I check high and low before we go. They must have fallen or something and gotten buried under a bedspread.

 

Anyways I emailed HAL, they told me it takes three weeks, and then i got an email that they were not to be seen :eek: So, headphones gone I accept that I must be really dumb and not know what I did.

 

Today I got a call from HAL to insure what they had was mine :) It was originally identified as an MP3 player (no sorry, just headphones). we both described and agree it is mine. so they are shipping it TODAY by Fed EX to Canada at their expense because they told me it was lost and feel so bad that they kept me waiting all this time.

 

We have never ever left anything behind and I was sure this was gone. I am so delighted and pleased that a) they found it b) they are taking ownership and c) they found it.

 

Now that's service and that's the type of service you will get on HAL. I know it's not room service, but it's an example and it goes from ship to shore and why I am a HAL fan (and now a bigger one). sorry to go off topic, but i think it symbolizes what they are trying to do.

[FurryPetMom]

We ordered room service several times on the Amsterdam just recently. We never got breakfast room service so cannot tell you how good breakfast is. We never had a problem with the service, food was always hot, it was not our room steward who brought it, it was someone else. We always tipped but had our tip ready because they leave very quickly after delivering your food.

 

I thought we would have used it more often but we always wanted to be out on deck scoping for whales so several times we just grabbed something quick from the Lido. Once or twice we just got stuff from the Lido to quickly eat in our room before heading out for the evening.

[Sailkeywest]

That is amazing, Kazu, way above and beyond of them! It is that sort of service that makes people want to be so loyal to HAL, I am glad to hear of it.

[kazu]

That is amazing, Kazu, way above and beyond of them! It is that sort of service that makes people want to be so loyal to HAL, I am glad to hear of it.

 

I apologize. :o I know it was a bit off topic, but this is service, and I thought the op might want to see what type of level they offer. and yes, I was just floored today when I got the call. and such a nice one and they were apologizing. why I sail HAL.:p The pouch that the headphones were in was very special so it meant a lot to me and especially DH:):)