HA Pizza (YUCK)

[JamesEM]

This past year I have been on the Oosterdam and the Noordam, and the pizza tasted like cheap reheated frozen pizza from the grocery store.

[RevNeal]

People have different tastes in pizza, but I think most people would agree that HAL's pizza is B-A-D! HAL should send their pizza chefs to Princess to learn how to make a pizza that most people like.

 

Frankly, I don't think it's at all bad. Indeed, the Pizza I had on the Eurodam on her Inaugural cruise was quite good. I'll be eating Pizza on the Noordam in just a few days ... I'll let you know.

[Bearnaise]

You're on a Dutch ship that's staffed by Indonesians and Filipinos, and expecting great PIZZA?

:confused:

I should hope so. Otherwise, it's not like they serve much Dutch, Indonesian, or Filipino food, so you could make your same claim about just about all the meals.

[DizzyDallasDi]

I haven't been even remotely tempted by any of the pizza I've seen on cruise ships. We have a local restaurant, Campisi's, that serves up the best pizza I've found in the DFW area. I don't expect any pizza on a cruise ship can come close to their's so I don't look twice at it. Pizza is the least of my desires when I'm on a cruise. In fact, food is really way down on the scale of what makes or breaks my cruise. YMMV. ;)

[scamper]

I don't recall ever having had the pizza on HAL, but having been in Chicago and had "their" pizza many times, and now living in New York where pizza is worshipped like a false idol, I can say that pizza is a matter of personal taste and thus has its supporters and detractors everywhere.

[GeriatricNurse]

You're on a Dutch ship that's staffed by Indonesians and Filipinos, and expecting great PIZZA?

:confused:

 

 

Yes, but the Filipinos make great pizza at the dedicated pizza station onboard the X ships!

[GeriatricNurse]

We've seen worse on CCL.

 

Seen or tasted? :confused:

[terrydtx]

I should hope so. Otherwise, it's not like they serve much Dutch, Indonesian, or Filipino food, so you could make your same claim about just about all the meals.

 

Good thing they do not cook their native dishes or we would starve. Do you remember the terrible food on "Dutch" nights in the MDR?:eek:

[RevNeal]

I should hope so. Otherwise, it's not like they serve much Dutch, Indonesian, or Filipino food, so you could make your same claim about just about all the meals.

 

Sure they do.

Oh, well ... perhaps not "much" as in volume, however I've enjoyed several rijsttafels aboard HAL ships -- on longer cruises, particularly -- with good Indonesian food. And, there's not been a single cruise that I've been on in 17 years where one couldn't get either Nasi or Bami Goreng; I prefer the rice instead of the noodles, however, so give me the Nasi. And, while "Dutch Night" is officially gone on all but the Grand Voyages and other cruises of significant length, many of the items are still on the menu, written in English and somewhat improved.

 

Perhaps it would be prudent for all of us to remember, and repeat as a mantra:

 

"Food is subjective.

Food is subjective.

What I might like,

other call rejected."

[johnmik1]

None of them are as good as Lou Malnattis', Uno's or Due's

 

I think Malnatis has the best deep dish I have ever had.Unfortunately,they have no locations close to us on the south side of Chicago.

[Bearnaise]

Sure they do.

Oh, well ... perhaps not "much" as in volume, however I've enjoyed several rijsttafels aboard HAL ships -- on longer cruises, particularly -- with good Indonesian food. And, there's not been a single cruise that I've been on in 17 years where one couldn't get either Nasi or Bami Goreng; I prefer the rice instead of the noodles, however, so give me the Nasi. And, while "Dutch Night" is officially gone on all but the Grand Voyages and other cruises of significant length, many of the items are still on the menu, written in English and somewhat improved.

 

OK, call me corrected. I didn't realize you could get nasi or mie goreng, but I'll look for it in November on the Oosterdam. I usually prefer the noodles, but if I can get nasi goreng with a couple eggs for breakfast I'll be in heaven.

 

Still, most of the food served on the ship (at least to passengers) is decidely not Indonesian, Filipino, or even Dutch. Canaletto, for instance, is even more Italian than the pizza pretends to be, and if it makes sense that someone should be able to expect good food at Canaletto, they should also be able to expect good pizza at the Lido. (I enjoyed the Dutch-Indonesian taco bar on our last cruise and am also looking forward to that again as much as I'm looking forward to the Filipino Le Cirque dinner.)

 

Perhaps it would be prudent for all of us to remember, and repeat as a mantra:

 

"Food is subjective.

Food is subjective.

What I might like,

other call rejected."

Exactly.

 

And besides, everyone knows Sal's in New Haven makes the best pizza :p

[ariawoman]

A pizza-related thread on another board made me think about this topic. We cruise on quite a few different cruise lines (12 to date) and love them all. HA is currently our line of choice (Celebrity would be in 2nd place) and we typically take pretty long HA cruises (generally on the Prinsendam). One thing that is consistently awful on HA is their Pizza! On the Prinsendam (we love the ship and most of its cuisine) the Pizza is usually so bad that it is rumored that the fish even go swimming away from the ship screaming about the bad pizza. When we cruise on Princess (the best pizza at sea) or Celebrity we love to have pizza at lunch as a change of pace. On HA we just scowl at the pizza chef and walk towards other options (such as the very good sandwich bar). So, if any HA staff is monitoring this board and sees this post, please please please send your chefs over to Princess for some Pizza 101 training :)

 

Hank

 

100000000000% agreed. I hated the pizza on HAL. Pizza on Celebrity last week was decent - though what they call Pepperoni was certainly NOT pepperoni 95% of the time, not sure what that was about lol. I too missed the sandwich bar though on Celeb that I had on HAL on the NA.

 

If only we could hand pick options from each and create an uberline. :-)

[Bippie]

As I heard elsewhere, pizza is like sex. When it is good, it's very good. When it is bad, it's usually not all that bad.... :)

[SwissMyst]

Rule of thumb: the longer the cruise, the more important the pizza be really bad. :p (Oink)

 

*(With all due respect to the prior poster bippie and his own pizza house rules)

[Hlitner]

As I heard elsewhere, pizza is like sex. When it is good, it's very good. When it is bad, it's usually not all that bad.... :)

 

You say this because you have never tried the Pizza on the Prinsendam. Yes, It is that BAD!

 

Hank

[m steve]

the pizza will be so so. Nothing compares to New York city or Jersey pizza. I don't think the Philppines is known for pizza.

[elycelynne]

I think Malnatis has the best deep dish I have ever had.Unfortunately,they have no locations close to us on the south side of Chicago.

 

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool North Sider myself, but you've just given me a definite reason never to move to the south Side! (Deep dish pepperoni with butter crust -- yummmmm!)

[johnmik1]

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool North Sider myself, but you've just given me a definite reason never to move to the south Side! (Deep dish pepperoni with butter crust -- yummmmm!)

 

I like the Chicago Style with the butter crust and I call ahead and they make them at their pick up location in the southwest suburbs.I can only hope that they see the damand on the southwest side and open at least a carryout location!

[keep on cruising]

If you are in the South Side suburbs and love the "real" Chicago pizza, I hope you try Sanfrettello's. My favorite thin crust pizza. They have locations in the suburbs and across the border in Indiana.

 

In less than a week, I can try the pizza on the Zaandam but somehow, I don't think it will compare. :rolleyes:

[bet410]

I think Malnatis has the best deep dish I have ever had.Unfortunately,they have no locations close to us on the south side of Chicago.

 

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool North Sider myself, but you've just given me a definite reason never to move to the south Side! (Deep dish pepperoni with butter crust -- yummmmm!)

 

There is a Malnatis in Tinley Park. Maybe that's too far south for you?

[dr.dawg]

sailing on a premium cruise line and making an issue about pizza? sail on carnival; pizza is the best thing they serve in any of their venues. and, believe me, i tried it once and it is tasteless. what more can i say?

[johnmik1]

There is a Malnatis in Tinley Park. Maybe that's too far south for you?

 

The Tinley location is where I go and we cook them at home in Beverly.

[bet410]

The Tinley location is where I go and we cook them at home in Beverly.

We seem to be hijacking this talking about great Chicago pizza! ;) SW Tinley Park is quite a jaunt from Beverly - you must really love that pizza!

[tcook052]

I recalled this thread while munching on Ryndam pizza from Terrace Grill and wanted to add my update that I thought the pizza they were serving was half decent. Okay, maybe not some of the best pizza pie I've ever had but definately above the worst. It was usually warm to hot and a good selection so often would opt for it rather than the 10 minute wait for fresh cooked burgers or hot dogs.

[George C]

Princess does have excellent pizza, pizza on Zuiderdam and Westerdam was good. Need to visit NYC for the best ( maybe Chicago for the deep dish fans)