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No Escargot on Voyager Last Week

bigbillfromchicago

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bigbillfromchicago

bigbillfromchicago

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Was I bummed! Escargot is my favorite RCI appetizer. It has always been on the first formal night menue for our past 21 cruises. Not this time. Instead they had tiny scallops and they skimped on the garlic, breadcrumb, butter sauce as well.

 

Is this another cost cutting move or hopefully just limited to this ship or sailing?

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beachnative

beachnative

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Was I bummed! Escargot is my favorite RCI appetizer. It has always been on the first formal night menue for our past 21 cruises. Not this time. Instead they had tiny scallops and they skimped on the garlic, breadcrumb, butter sauce as well.

 

Is this another cost cutting move or hopefully just limited to this ship or sailing?

 

Interesting.

It certainly would save me from the calories because I wouldn't bother ordering tiny scallops.

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praline3001

praline3001

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The French are having problems getting their snails, let alone the cruises.

 

Most of the snails used in dishes are from Eastern European "snail farms". This line of work has been frowned upon for some time and the snail farmers are looking for other lines of work.

 

Huge news in France.

 

Hopefully this trend discontinues. I love escargot! I have a dear friend who holds dual citizenship in France and Germany. Her hubby works in the US so she lives here. She makes it for me whenever I go to her house. She has been complaining about this shortage.

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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Oh no...although I understand there is nothing they can do about a worldwide shortage, I look forward to having two orders of escargot at dinner that night, and I'll be sad and disappointed if it cant be on the menu.

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praline3001

praline3001

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dang! I too will be disappointed if this is industry wide :o one of the dishes I look forward to!

 

I know :(

 

It is no fault of RC or any cruise line. The way the market is for them right now... supply and demand... the prices have been going up a lot.

My friend explained it to me but all I heard was "I couldn't make your escargot sweety!" .... kind of tuned everything else out after that :eek:

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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Just heard this today from a friend who is a TA. He just returned from Celebrity and they had stuffed mushrooms with crab for a substitute. My Grandson is going to be extremely disappointed :(.

At least that is a better substitute than the scallop pretending to be a snail.

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big al

big al

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I am Diamond on RCI, but for sure, BEST escargots on any main-stream ships are on NCL in their French restaurant, Le Bistro. I had them first in 2001 on the NCL Sun, and then again on the NCL Sky & Pearl. They are DRENCHED in butter & garlic...you should have a MEDIC standing by, and I will take NO responsibilitiy for what happens to you when you taste them.

 

On the Sun, the waiter saw how much ( and quickly) I ate them, so he brought me ANOTHER portion...BTW, the dessert in Le Bistro is a fruit bowl, carved out of the bottom of a pineapple, then filled with several different kinds of fruit, with a CHOCOLATE FONDUE bowl to dip the fruit in!! Yes, the chocolate was hot and dipping a chunk of pineapple in hot chocolate after my escargots, caesar salad, filet mignon,veggies,hash browns with a table for 2 by a window over-looking the sea all for $15 pp was a steal...don't forget the soft music ( Sinatra, Elton,Ronstadt, Rod Stewart,etc..) and candle light dining didn't hurt....

 

BTW- ALL the NCL ships have escargot available in their specialty venues and even the MDR often has it...now you guys got me drooling for escargots and the Fruit Fondue- Thanks alot!

 

Big Al

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praline3001

praline3001

Posted
Posted
I am Diamond on RCI, but for sure, BEST escargots on any main-stream ships are on NCL in their French restaurant, Le Bistro. I had them first in 2001 on the NCL Sun, and then again on the NCL Sky & Pearl. They are DRENCHED in butter & garlic...you should have a MEDIC standing by, and I will take NO responsibilitiy for what happens to you when you taste them.

 

On the Sun, the waiter saw how much ( and quickly) I ate them, so he brought me ANOTHER portion...BTW, the dessert in Le Bistro is a fruit bowl, carved out of the bottom of a pineapple, then filled with several different kinds of fruit, with a CHOCOLATE FONDUE bowl to dip the fruit in!! Yes, the chocolate was hot and dipping a chunk of pineapple in hot chocolate after my escargots, caesar salad, filet mignon,veggies,hash browns with a table for 2 by a window over-looking the sea all for $15 pp was a steal...don't forget the soft music ( Sinatra, Elton,Ronstadt, Rod Stewart,etc..) and candle light dining didn't hurt....

 

BTW- ALL the NCL ships have escargot available in their specialty venues and even the MDR often has it...now you guys got me drooling for escargots and the Fruit Fondue- Thanks alot!

 

Big Al

 

I am sure they are going to take it off the menu soon as well if they haven't already done so this week. RC just started this and I am sure the others will follow.

There are just not enough to go around. Even the French are worried.

 

The snail farmers that are still farming can't handle the demands of cruise lines. "Yes, this is Royal Caribbean. I need 30,000 snails this week per ship. Ok? Thanks!"

 

Many French doomsday types think this is the end of escargot.

The more optimistic French think once the price is set at a point where farmers can't refuse as the profit will be too great. Supply/demand/high profit margin.

 

You can look up all of the "World is ending because we don't have snails in France" news articles. I was reading through a few of them last night.

 

It has nothing to do with cruise lines, ships or Carnival vs RC vs NCL

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rubrrick

rubrrick

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We just got off of the Navigator of the Seas, and can confirm that the escargot was replaced by scallops on our cruise of 3/16.

 

However, on the Majesty cruise of 3/12, we had escargot, so feel very lucky to have some of the last of the "good stuff". Sad that there is a shortage and price hike, but have to feel that once the price stabilizes, we will once again see escargot on the formal night menu.:)

 

Rick

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FLSteve11

FLSteve11

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Well my DD would be disappointed, though most of the time she just wants the sauce to dip bread in (ok with me, I get extra snails for myself then with my order!)

 

I was just on the CCL Destiny on 3/10 and we did have escargot on there. I assume they will be losing it at some point.

 

They may keep them in the specialty restaurants and temporarily keep them from the MDR due to the shortage, as they won't need nearly as many (and gives more reason to pay the charge for them)

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OGCFreddie

OGCFreddie

Posted
Posted
Bummmer........ I can't eat iodine products so no lobster, shrimp, scallops or crab for me. I was looking forward to the escargot. Thanks for the heads up about the substitution. Sure don't want to have a reaction to something.
It may be a shellfish allergy rather than an allergy to iodine as Escargot (snails) contain a high amount of iodine also.
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