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The new lobster night

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cpcanuck

cpcanuck

Posted
Posted

*scratching my head* :confused: Not sure what the rationale is to only have lobster in the buffet??

 

Sure hope this is not a permanent plan and just something they are trying out with new menus - (one can only hope!)

 

Doesn't make sense to me. But what do I know?

 

What they were serving in the MDR as so called "lobster tails" were not very good - so that is not a loss. I just don't want to have to fight lines at the buffet just to get a decent taste of lobster.

 

Good thing there are lots of other choices to make me happy! :D

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Checkmate1955

Checkmate1955

Posted
Posted (edited)

We were on the Jewel March31 to April 6, 2014..... We went to the MDR on the first night as they were serving lobster and filet beef.... That was the last meal we had in the MDR for the rest of the cruise... The lobster was very small (3 bites) and chewy... The filet was terrible and tough... It was a flat cut of beef like a strip steak and it was tough... not filet at all... very thin... We eat every meal after that in the buffet and enjoyed each item served... even steaks in the buffet were better that what was served in the MDR...

Edited by Checkmate1955
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mitsugirly Great Review Rare

mitsugirly

Posted
Posted
That lobster definitely looked better than what we had on the Getaway. The lobster tails they had on the seafood buffet night were small, grilled, and cut in half. They were a bit dry and chewy. Didn't have the meat outside on top of the shell like that. Wonder if this new preparation is fleet wide.

 

 

Since you mentioned "Getaway", we will be on the Getaway next month. They have initiated this buffet lobster night on here as well I assume? Was it also the 2nd night of sailing (meaning not the sailaway night, but the first full day of sailing night?)

 

 

I'm excited that they are doing this now. Whenever we did lobster night in the MDR, I always felt like they tried to push you into getting something else (whatever their "special" was for that night). They don't highly publicize this lobster night in the MDR in the first place and the first time I ever tried to find it, I couldn't. (Later on finding that it was listed as "surf and turf"...kinda like it was in disguise.) I find it now hard to believe that it's in the buffet and you can help yourself to as many as you'd like. I'm definitely NOT complaining. :D

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gooch47

gooch47

Posted
Posted
Come on, Gooch. You could slum it for a few minutes. It wouldn't kill ya.

 

Not a question of slumming. We just don't care for the buffet food. Simply a personal preference

 

And we also feel that you have a better chance of picking up germs or a virus with all the people handling utensils at the buffet.

 

 

Yes ... I know about washy, washy.

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

Posted
Posted
... And we also feel that you have a better chance of picking up germs or a virus with all the people handling utensils at the buffet.

I understand about the utensils. For that reason, I always think it's interesting when people talk about washing hands as they enter the buffet... I always tell my son to wash his hands when we go in to protect others, but after we get our food and sit our tray down, in order to protect ourselves, we go back again and wash our hands again before we touch our food with the hands that just touched the serving utensils. Most do it in a backwards order. :)

 

Sorry to sidetrack.

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DevCruise

DevCruise

Posted
Posted
My son has nut and shellfish allergies and we had no issues finding him food in the buffet. You just have to ask lots of questions. And if there was anything with nuts, we avoided the surrounding foods as well.

 

I think the concern is more of people who will do things like spread jelly on their toast directly from a serving bowl fully of jelly. Or people who unintentionally drop pasta into the corn bin. People just don't care....

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EBONI325

EBONI325

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When I was on the BA in Dec, they had the lobster police, they gave you 2 very small tails, you could always go back on line for more, but the lines were very long.

 

I don't know if it was because the buffet was closing soon and they were running out? :):D

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mattR

mattR

Posted
Posted
HI all!

 

Thanks for the video & info. Was there melted butter to put on the lobster, please? They did look very big & yummy.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

 

Also interested in this VERY important question!

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punkincc

punkincc

Posted
Posted (edited)
Do they have these nights on Pride of America around Hawaii?

 

Is is my understanding that the best night for lobster on the POA is on the night you leave Kona where they pick up live "Kona" lobster. ( from reading several POA revues ). Not sure if this is just for specialty restaurants, but we intend to find out in August;).

 

As far as the "lobster buffet" being done as a cost saving measure, the talk at the time was that it was being done to relieve the very long lines on the first night in the MDR when everyone showed up at the same time for the traditional first cruise night, lobster night, dinner. Now that there is no lobster on first night, many people tend to disperse elsewhere, relieving the crowding in the big MDR. I don't know that they use any more or less lobster with the buffet. You were always free to eat as many as you wished, even in the MDR. In fact, they even brought you more without you even asking.

 

On the Getaway, that night we had an early dinner in Taste or Savor followed by a show, and then made our way to the buffet for a lobster "dessert". No lines or crowding and the lobster and grilled shrimp skewers were excellent.

 

For those who would not be caught dead in the buffet, I have to say based on our Getaway experience, you don't know what you are missing. Never crowded, always clean, and the selections were wonderful. Some of the same dishes being served in the MDRs. Other than Cagney's, probably our best meals were there.

Edited by punkincc
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Medtech2

Medtech2

Posted
Posted (edited)
Well they certainly look better than the tails we had on the ba in december.

 

Hope they look this good on 4-27 when i return to the ba.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed:)

On the BA they were halves, and small ones at that. The server was reluctant to give me another. I had to be insistent. Tasted good but I was queasy later. Maybe it was the seasoning. They had something sprinkled on them. They were moist though, and not dry...

Edited by Medtech2
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negc

negc

Posted
Posted

I, personally, don't care for lobster but my DW certainly does. However, regardless of my personal preferences, the news that lobster is apparently only available in the buffet restaurant on NCL ships evoked a negative reaction in me and a bit of disbelief. I neither understand why they would adopt such a policy, money-saving or not, nor why someone in the regular dining room should be denied the pleasure of having a lobster tail or two served to him by the wait staff. Is the rest of the fare in the buffet so unappealing that NCl felt that restricting lobster to that venue was an essential element in attracting passengers to dine there?

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blackwing Great Review Rare

blackwing

Posted
Posted
I, personally, don't care for lobster but my DW certainly does. However, regardless of my personal preferences, the news that lobster is apparently only available in the buffet restaurant on NCL ships evoked a negative reaction in me and a bit of disbelief. I neither understand why they would adopt such a policy, money-saving or not, nor why someone in the regular dining room should be denied the pleasure of having a lobster tail or two served to him by the wait staff. Is the rest of the fare in the buffet so unappealing that NCl felt that restricting lobster to that venue was an essential element in attracting passengers to dine there?
My feeling is that it's done to reduce wait times in the main dining rooms. People would sit at dinner a lot longer if they kept on getting multiple rounds of lobster. A meal that typically takes 2 hours could end up taking 2 and a half or 3. And with Freestyle Dining and lots of people eating at the prime times of between 7 and 8, it would make the wait times pretty long.
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pyrogy

pyrogy

Posted
Posted
I thought I read somewhere on the boards that Haven guests can request the lobster tails for dinner while still dining in the Haven restaurant. Can anyone confirm this? I am not a big fan of dinner in the buffet, but I do love lobster!

Thanks!

Jacy

 

I can confirm for you first hand that the Haven Restaurant had lobster available for Haven guests that night. No need to go to buffet. As many as you want either on their own as an entree or brought on the side of any other entree.

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carolmacey

carolmacey

Posted
Posted
I understand about the utensils. For that reason, I always think it's interesting when people talk about washing hands as they enter the buffet... I always tell my son to wash his hands when we go in to protect others, but after we get our food and sit our tray down, in order to protect ourselves, we go back again and wash our hands again before we touch our food with the hands that just touched the serving utensils. Most do it in a backwards order. :)

 

Sorry to sidetrack.

I totally agree with your method!!!

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