Room Service Menus.....

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wonder if cuts in labor costs (how much has help in the galley which pax don't normally see been slashed?) and a lowering of ingredient quality over the past few years are responsible for the recent reviews posted here of Room Service food and service. If just the posts here re the Club Sandwich are any indication there has been a drastic decline in quality of that item alone and other RS menu favorites and in the service itself.

 

It can't be a coincidence that even the Club Sandwich, so highly praised for years and years and mentioned so often on CC as a favorite of all who ordered it, is now getting bad reviews. We never had anything but ripe tomatoes, fresh lettuce, perfectly cooked toast, crispy bacon and it was a GREAT sandwich on every one of the many HAL ships we sailed. We never failed to order it several times on every HAL cruise we ever took.

 

Quality of food is going down hill.

We have noticed that the tomatoes at the salad bar are not as ripe as they used to be.

And at a couple of our suite luncheons, DH ordered the tomato and cheese tower that was offered -- again -- non-ripe tomatoes. We noticed a couple of other tables left their tomatoes on the plates. They half green / half light orange.

[COLLEYBERRY]

I have a very fond memory of a couple of Club Sandwiches in Alaska..bacon crisp, tomatoes ripe, turkey happy,company swell...it was a lazy day we spent on board....sunny balcony lunch with mountain views makes me smile every time I think about it...oh I forgot the best part...I didn't have to make them.

[luvcruisn']

To Hflors: I have had bread pudding for dessert in the MDR but it isn't served with vanilla sauce, and is very different from the one served in the Lido.

 

Re: room service club sandwich - I tried one once on the Prinsendam in 2009. For me there was too much mayonnaise on it - I don't remember about the quality of the tomatoes then.

 

When I had room service breakfasts on the Eurodam, the eggs were done nicely, but the toast was cold. The poached eggs always came on top of an English muffin, which I didn't ask for. I just stopped asking for the toast, and ate the eggs.

[mtnmommy]

Well, I'm sailing from Barcelona in less than two weeks (and why am I on CC instead of packing?!) so I'll report back on the room service. I know we'll order it almost every morning and probably several evenings since the Med itinerary is pretty brutal.

 

Hadn't thought of the ketchup club as being a special order--that must have been it. I ate part of it anyway; it was after we toured Ephesus, and I was so tired that it would have taken an Act of God to pry me out of that verandah chair!

[rkacruiser]

If you don't mind paying for your popcorn:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do not ever recall seeing that menu on any HAL ship and certainly not on the Amsterdam. Something new? (I would hope not!)

 

No, I won't pay for room service popcorn when I can snitch a bag before the regular movie starts!

[roadbeagle]

I would love to see them add a grilled cheese sandwich and some breakfast items like cereal for a late night snack. I love the club sandwich.

[mamaofami]

 

I know there are a few very popular items CC'ers would be unhappy to see discontinued such as the club sandwich and chocolate cake. :)

 

 

I had my first club sandwich on my last cruise in April. I skipped lunch one day and while looking over the room service menu, spotted the famous CC club sandwich. It really lived up to the good things everyone has said about it.

[Typhoon1]

Hope the steak sandwich doesn't go. It's always a popular choice.

[scopewest]

We tried room service once, on the Veendam when we had the PH. We figured we had a table big enough to eat at :)

[Jean1946]

I love having RS for breakfast! We have always gotten exactly what we've ordered and mostly in a timely manner. Hot when it's supposed to be and cold the same way.

[Modern_Viking]

I loved the flan (caramel custard) that was on a previous HAL room service dinner menu, but removed. I would love to see that return.

 

Minestrone soup would be good.

 

Chicken cordon blue (I think it was previously served in the MDR with a creamy mustard sauce).

 

Maybe a cobb salad.

 

Shepard's pie (especially if made with lamb instead of beef).

 

Rigatoni with sausage, onions, and peppers. (I currently like the pasta premvera -- or however it is spelled).

 

I am a fan of room service breakfast, and I am glad to see the new menu has more choices instead of fewer. I rarely eat room service lunch or dinner, but would be tempted with more additions.

[RuthC]

I do not ever recall seeing that menu on any HAL ship and certainly not on the Amsterdam. Something new? (I would hope not!)

 

No, I won't pay for room service popcorn when I can snitch a bag before the regular movie starts!

It's not a new option, as popcorn has been in the Ship's Flicks book for the last few years. I haven't looked at the room service menu in a very long time, so don't know if it's new there.

[sail7seas]

I'm still pleading for whole wheat pasta..... any shape, any size.

 

I'd love to see whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce in Lido, on the always available side of the menu in MDR and on Room Service menu. It's not costly, it's popular and healthy. Add some steamed/sauteed vegetables and it would make me a very happy cruiser. :) Seems a natural to me. Certainly easy enough.

 

While I love good cobb salad and would enjoy seeing that on room service menu, I do not think it belongs on MDR menu for dinner. That's is for ladies lunch. IMO

 

[Katie333]

We love the option of room service. Maybe this is because we frequently cruise in the Caribbean and it's lovely to have a meal or snack on the verandah.

 

I have to go in the camp that hates the club sandwich. Why why do they put ham and cheese on it? In my mind, a club is turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo if you like it. That ham and cheese is unnecessary. We MUCH prefer the clubs on Princess.

 

With that said, we did enjoy other room service options, like the steak sandwich.

 

I'll further vote for items that are more snack based, like veggies and dips, maybe a plate of mixed nuts, chips, popcorn etc. This would be great with some afternoon beverages.

[startwin]

I'm still pleading for whole wheat pasta..... any shape, any size.

 

I'd love to see whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce in Lido, on the always available side of the menu in MDR and on Room Service menu. It's not costly, it's popular and healthy. Add some steamed/sauteed vegetables and it would make me a very happy cruiser. :) Seems a natural to me. Certainly easy enough.

 

While I love good cobb salad and would enjoy seeing that on room service menu, I do not think it belongs on MDR menu for dinner. That's is for ladies lunch. IMO

 

 

Totally agree on the pasta - once you've switched to whole wheat it's so hard to go back to the white stuff!

[peaches from georgia]

.........

I have to go in the camp that hates the club sandwich. Why why do they put ham and cheese on it? In my mind, a club is turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo if you like it. That ham and cheese is unnecessary. We MUCH prefer the clubs on Princess.

 

....

It is NOT a classic Club Sandwich if there is ham and cheese on it and should be renamed something else. We have only had the classic turkey, bacon, tomato and lettuce Club on all the ships we have been on.

 

Is including the ham and cheese something new, on all ships, on the room service menu as a club, or is it just the whim of a chef on one ship? How the heck can they screw up a Club Sandwich??? :eek:

[rkacruiser]

Katie333's suggestion of adding veggies/dip and a plate of mixed nuts, chips, and popcorn is a great suggestion, I think. I would also add that a greatly improved cheese plate would be a welcome addition/improvement.

 

One of the things I appreciated on my Celebrity Eclipse cruise was during "Tea Time" in their Oceanview Cafe (their Lido Restaurant), a very nice and plentiful selection of cheeses, crackers, and breads were available. One could make a plate, take it to their stateroom and put it in the refrigerator until Happy Hour time on the verandah. On HAL ships, I have never been able to find--maybe I keep overlooking it--much in the way of cheese selections once the Lido closes for Lunch. That is why I am suggesting an improved and larger cheese plate than what I have received in the past.

[Typhoon1]

Full breakfast in a Deluxe Suite on the verandah is great.

In anything smaller, we only do a quick sandwich or a snack.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Katie333's suggestion of adding veggies/dip and a plate of mixed nuts, chips, and popcorn is a great suggestion, I think. I would also add that a greatly improved cheese plate would be a welcome addition/improvement.

 

One of the things I appreciated on my Celebrity Eclipse cruise was during "Tea Time" in their Oceanview Cafe (their Lido Restaurant), a very nice and plentiful selection of cheeses, crackers, and breads were available. One could make a plate, take it to their stateroom and put it in the refrigerator until Happy Hour time on the verandah. On HAL ships, I have never been able to find--maybe I keep overlooking it--much in the way of cheese selections once the Lido closes for Lunch. That is why I am suggesting an improved and larger cheese plate than what I have received in the past.

 

We also would like to see a better cheese plate for room service.

A number of years ago we ordered the cheese plate -- came with 4 tiny, tiny bites of cheese one set of crackers and a couple of grapes.

Not impressed.

When we want to have cheese for cocktails on the verandah -- we now make ou own plate at lunch time (or partially from the Neptune Lounge at breakfast) and select crackers and or bread of our choosing.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We tried room service once, on the Veendam when we had the PH. We figured we had a table big enough to eat at :)

 

So -- what did you order and how was the food?

We often book the PS.

[sail7seas]

We also would like to see a better cheese plate for room service.

 

A number of years ago we ordered the cheese plate -- came with 4 tiny, tiny bites of cheese one set of crackers and a couple of grapes.

 

Not impressed.

 

When we want to have cheese for cocktails on the verandah -- we now make ou own plate at lunch time (or partially from the Neptune Lounge at breakfast) and select crackers and or bread of our choosing.

 

On our November/December Westerdam cruise, they eliminated service of cheese at lunch during Code Orange. Seeing we were on b-to-b, that meant four days out of fourteen, they set out none of the cheese and I had to hunt all over Lido to get a packet or two of crackers. That annoyed us.

 

If they don't want people helping themselves to cheese during Code Orange, have someone serve it. Don't just fail to offer it IMO

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm still pleading for whole wheat pasta..... any shape, any size.

 

I'd love to see whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce in Lido, on the always available side of the menu in MDR and on Room Service menu. It's not costly, it's popular and healthy. Add some steamed/sauteed vegetables and it would make me a very happy cruiser. :) Seems a natural to me. Certainly easy enough.

 

While I love good cobb salad and would enjoy seeing that on room service menu, I do not think it belongs on MDR menu for dinner. That's is for ladies lunch. IMO

 

 

DH loves Cobb Salad -- and when he sees it on the dinner menu -- he often orders it. It is not just for ladies lunch.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our November/December Westerdam cruise, they eliminated service of cheese at lunch during Code Orange. Seeing we were on b-to-b, that meant four days out of fourteen, they set out none of the cheese and I had to hunt all over Lido to get a packet or two of crackers. That annoyed us.

 

If they don't want people helping themselves to cheese during Code Orange, have someone serve it. Don't just fail to offer it IMO

 

 

On our recent Westerdam cruise, we were able to get cheeses and crackers at lunch -- even during the first 2 days of Code Orange.

[Boytjie]

Totally agree on the pasta - once you've switched to whole wheat it's so hard to go back to the white stuff!

 

I have tried whole wheat numerous times and I know it's healthier but for me it is not better tasting.

[sail7seas]

On our recent Westerdam cruise, we were able to get cheeses and crackers at lunch -- even during the first 2 days of Code Orange.

 

DH loves Cobb Salad -- and when he sees it on the dinner menu -- he often orders it. It is not just for ladies lunch.

 

Good to hear they might have listened to our complaint about removing the cheese for four days. Happy you had it offered.

 

Also very happy your DH enjoys cobb salad for dinner. I think it belongs on a luncheon menu and not a MDR dinner menu.

 

JMO.....

The grass is green.