Disappointed on Westerdam

[cbr663]

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Let's face it. MDR food is banquet food tarted up with a few decorations to impress people and to make them feel that they are getting something other than mediocre banquet food. Once in a while you get great food but you are just a likely to get poor food on a bad day or a bad cruise. It happens...and it happens on HAL just like it does on other cruise lines.

 

 

I couldn't agree more. Mediocre sums it up nicely. We have had some wonderful dining experiences in the Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind, yet I am also keenly aware that these 2 venues never make the list of top 10 speciality restaurants at sea.

[DaveOKC]

We were on the Westerdam in January and found it to be "fine". The food quality was average IMO, better than some cruises we have been on, but not as good as others.

 

By comparison, we were also on the Zuiderdam about 4 months prior and we liked it (Z) better. Each had its pluses and minus, but the Z's crew was definitely superior to W's. I also loved the Z's theater (great lounge style seats) but missed the W's chocolate shop!

 

In short, even though some ships are sisters to others in the fleet, they all vary and one should fine the ship that suits them the best.

[summer slope]

I guess DH and I are less than fancy diners. We very rarely eat out at home and if we do we are happy with fast food or the local diner. I've not had, what I would consider, a bad meal in 40+ days at sea. I enjoy the fact that I'm not cooking or cleaning up and food is the last reason I cruise. I want the ports and the fact I'm at sea to make up my enjoyment. But, then, that is why there are many cruise lines out there.

[crusinpsychRN]

First....they had very good food on most cruise ships. Then, they started cutting back on food, eliminated daily midnight buffets, took large shrimp off the lunch buffets, reduced the size of portions, did away with sides being served by waiters from platters and bowls, etc. And then they started some alternative restaurants that were either free or had a very small charge (such as $5). After a time they kept cutting the quantity and quality in the MDR and Lido, and started increasing the prices in alternative restaurants. Soon, the food and service in the alternative restaurants was what we used to experience in the MDR at nearly every meal. Then, they kept raising the price of those alternative restaurants. And finally, they started putting on extra fees on top of the extra fees in the alternative restaurants for food you used to get in the MDR!

 

One wonders what is next in cruising. There are already some line who are charging for certain items in their MDR! I am thinking that eventually some line will convert their Lido into something akin to an old Horn and Hardart Automat where you have to use your cruise card to retrieve certain items (at an extra charge). Perhaps they will even serve real coffee in the Lido from machines that accept your cruise card (or credit cards). Oh My!

 

Hank

 

That has been my experience as well, starting with the Queen Elizabeth in 1964. Cruising used to mean superior dining experience.

[crusinpsychRN]

Many times it's the chef. I sailed many times on the Carnival Legend and thought the food awful even lasagna. On the boards people raved about it (on other ships). Then I went and decided it must be me being picky and tried the same dishes again and they were wonderful.

 

The chef was new! The previous Indian chef couldn't make lasagna, the new Italian chef did!

[iancal]

We too are just fine with 'mediocre' cruise food as long as the price is right. Would we pay double or triple fare to truly have gourmet or five star food in the MDR. No. We would rather do that at home.

 

We spend many more days on land trips than we do on cruises. We find most of the cruise food antiseptic for lack of a better word and the desserts very ho hum.

 

We would much rather have a good meal in a small family run trattoria or taverna with all their ambiance than a meal in the MDR-fancy place settings, linen serviettes and all. The food tastes real and the local wine is typically just fine with us. I guess it is each to his own.

Edited May 22, 2015 by iancal

[sevenseasnomad]

I am thinking that eventually some line will convert their Lido into something akin to an old Horn and Hardart Automat where you have to use your cruise card to retrieve certain items (at an extra charge). Perhaps they will even serve real coffee in the Lido from machines that accept your cruise card (or credit cards). Oh My!

 

Hank

 

Celebrity already charges extra for OJ & other drinks that are still complimentary on HAL. Room service breakfast menu choices on Celebrity also changes based on your cabin category. If in a suite, you get the full breakfast menu. For lower categories, bare bones such as eggs & bacon without any other extras.

 

I agree with the rest of your post. We started cruising in 1975. Fabulous food, gorgeous spreads at midnight EVERY night, and service in MDR was impeccable. Sadly, we've seen a steady decrease in food quality & service. We've learned to adjust our expectations lower & lower and cruise today for the ports and the calmness of being at sea.

 

To OP, you had a lovely cabin and wonderful service: two areas in which HAL excels IMO. If you truly don't want to cruise with HAL again, try Regent or Seven Seas. Either one should satisfy your dining expectations.

[iancal]

Apart from asking your server, there can also be a bit of deciphering when it comes to the MDR menu.

 

I have no doubt that meatloaf, a splash of gravy, a dollop of instant mashed potatoes, a tablespoon of frozen peas and one or baby onions as garnish will be described on the menu in a far different way. But the blue plate special is still the blue plate special no matter how it is described on the menu sheet. Same with something like prepared frozen cordon blue or a pot roast. Desserts are the same.

 

Some of these descriptions in themselves cause the expectation gap once the plate is put in front of you and subjected to your final test of taste.

Edited May 22, 2015 by iancal

[albingirl]

I'm not one for ordering meatloaf for dinner on a cruise, but I think the food is just fine in the MDR. We feel the meals are better on the longer cruises, however. Service is definitely better, as well.

[Debz62]

We just came off the Westerdam on May 16th. It was our first time with HAL. On CC someone posted the daily menus from their sailing to Alaska on the Westerdam just one year ago. The menu from their cruise was very different from what we were offered. I remember this because there were a couple of things we were looking forward to having while on this cruise. Crab legs and beef wellington weren't offered when we cruised, but were just last year on the Westerdam to Alaska. Perhaps they are cutting back each year and the quality isn't what it used to be. I did have to chuckle when the waiter in the MDR recommended the "chicken cobbler" one night. I ordered it and it turned out to be a chicken pot pie without the bottom crust! I should have chose something else, anything else on the menu. He said it was the best dish that evening. What a disappointment.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Debz62

[UPNYGuy]

Celebrity already charges extra for OJ & other drinks that are still complimentary on HAL. Room service breakfast menu choices on Celebrity also changes based on your cabin category. If in a suite, you get the full breakfast menu. For lower categories, bare bones such as eggs & bacon without any other extras.

 

 

 

I agree with the rest of your post. We started cruising in 1975. Fabulous food, gorgeous spreads at midnight EVERY night, and service in MDR was impeccable. Sadly, we've seen a steady decrease in food quality & service. We've learned to adjust our expectations lower & lower and cruise today for the ports and the calmness of being at sea.

 

 

 

To OP, you had a lovely cabin and wonderful service: two areas in which HAL excels IMO. If you truly don't want to cruise with HAL again, try Regent or Seven Seas. Either one should satisfy your dining expectations.

 

 

Regent Seven Seas is the name of the cruise line.

[Boytjie]

Whoever goes on a mass market line and raves about the food doesn't know good cuisine.

 

 

I take exception to that. I live in New York City and my SO writes about food and so have been exposed to great food and I have had very good experiences with food on cruise ships. And some not so great experiences at "top" restaurants.

 

You can't realistically expect the same standard of food on a cruise ship that had to feed thousands compared to the Four Seasons doing a couple of hundred at best. Still, we have had some very good meals on cruise ships. And most of those have been on HAL

[iancal]

And I bet that chicken cobbler pot pie was written up like fresh grain fed organic spring chicken in white wine sauce with spring vegetables in filo pastry or some such layered topping with a garnish of something or other exotic that you may or may not have heard referred to in that manner.

Edited May 23, 2015 by iancal

[albingirl]

I take exception to that. I live in New York City and my SO writes about food and so have been exposed to great food and I have had very good experiences with food on cruise ships. And some not so great experiences at "top" restaurants.

 

You can't realistically expect the same standard of food on a cruise ship that had to feed thousands compared to the Four Seasons doing a couple of hundred at best. Still, we have had some very good meals on cruise ships. And most of those have been on HAL

 

100% in agreement. Not sure what all the fuss is about. We've been very pleased with our dining on cruise ships. Holland America in particular.

[Boytjie]

100% in agreement. Not sure what all the fuss is about. We've been very pleased with our dining on cruise ships. Holland America in particular.

 

 

With cruises on four other cruise lines (including Cunard) HAL wins with best food on a ship.

[summersigh]

I enjoy the fact that I'm not cooking or cleaning up and food is the last reason I cruise. I want the ports and the fact I'm at sea to make up my enjoyment.

 

I totally agree with that :D

 

That said ... for me it's the soups, salads, apps and deserts that grab my attention. I really enjoy the variety of these on the HAL menus. I always seem to be able to find an entrée that rounds it out.

 

At home we eat pretty simply - a meat (often on the grill), a veggie (peas, beans or corn) and a simple salad - thus the draw for me to the courses other than the entree:D

 

If we go out it's for a good filet or lobster but that's fairly infrequent. We may not be the "galloping gourmets" but we know what tastes good to us and have not ever gone away from a cruise ship meal still hungry. Looking around us it doesn't look like many others are either.:D

[hunt182644]

Cruised to the wonderful state of Alaska in a suite with family sounds like a great vacation. Then comes the food not up to satisfaction, Ill never cruise Hal again sorry you were unhappy. Makes me wonder now many people in this world would be thrilled with the garbage that was produced on that one cruise. We all have our expectations it is just sometimes we tend to set the bar to high.

[kazu]

With cruises on four other cruise lines (including Cunard) HAL wins with best food on a ship.

 

I'll second that - same number on other cruise lines :)

 

We'll see what happens on Oceania, but keep in mind there IS a price difference ;)

[Donny-Joe]

I've always been surprised at the wildly varying reactions to food on cruises by people who eat out regularly and presumably know what good food is. For the most part we've been very happy with the food we've gotten on cruises, and we eat out regularly at expensive restaurants and have pretty high expectations.

 

It strikes me that cruises have a very different environment and economic model to deal with than restaurants on land, so some dishes are much more likely to be successful than others. Most importantly, land-based restaurants have to balance food costs and labor costs, so for them a complicated dish may be just as expensive as a simple dish made with expensive ingredients. On a cruise, labor is cheap but ingredients are just as expensive as they are on land.

 

Because cruises have to deliver a lot of a smallish number of options to a lot of people, they have no real choice but to pre-plate a lot of servings assembly-line style and set them up in the kitchen. So in that sense it's more like a fancy banquet or catered event. Anything that has to be served immediately is not a good choice on a cruise, because they really have to keep things warm for at least a few minutes (maybe longer) because of the logistics.

 

In addition, most cruise lines have a food budget that precludes serving very expensive ingredients. They have very low labor costs, so they can serve complicated dishes, make their own stocks, prep tons of garnishes and sauces, etc. But the basic ingredients need to be pretty mainstream and not too costly.

 

So ceviche on a cruise might be very good, because it can be made with inexpensive mild fish or bay scallops, plus fresh-squeezed citrus and freshly chopped shallots and peppers and so forth.

 

A steak, on the other hand, is all about the quality of the meat, and they can't be serving prime steak in the MDR; they don't have the budget. Same for other simple cuts and chops; they aren't going to be the very best quality.

 

So if you order a steak in a cruise ship MDR, unless your tastes lean toward Sizzler and Outback you're not going to be too pleased. But if you order a salade Nicoise, that's just inexpensive fresh ingredients artfully arranged and dressed, and that has a decent chance of being excellent.

 

I think my advice to new cruisers would be to scan the menu looking for dishes that are mostly about the technique rather than the ingredients, and not to order simple food like steaks and chops; the quality of the underlying ingredients are going to dominate, and it's highly likely to be basically like ordinary supermarket meat. The more complicated the dish, strangely enough, the more likely it is to impress.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Donny-Joe

[summer slope]

Like

[I_r_a]

Hey Babbs,

 

Look at it this way -

you had a great visit to AK, the service was very good, the food was not so good.

 

"Two out of three's not bad".

 

You're batting 667!

 

Ira

[albingirl]

It's all in the eye of the beholder. Really, the way people in Florida are clamoring for Trader Joe's right now, you'd think it's the second coming. I think it's all junky processed food, for the most part, and the veggies are horrible but people are begging for that chain to open more doors here. Opinions vary, of course. I think HAL food is fine.

[Debz62]

And I bet that chicken cobbler pot pie was written up like fresh grain fed organic spring chicken in white wine sauce with spring vegetables in filo pastry or some such layered topping with a garnish of something or other exotic that you may or may not have heard referred to in that manner.

 

LOL...you must have been reading the same menu!

[Hlitner]

LOL...you must have been reading the same menu!

 

So, a few years ago we were on a HAL cruise when they had a menu item called "Crispy Duck." Now I really love duck and if its made in a crispy style it is even better. So when the duck comes it is just a few slices of duck breast (with no skin) covered with a so-so sauce. Later I spoke to the Maitre 'd and complained that the crispy duck could never be crispy without skin. The Maitre 'd explained that Seattle determines what they write on the menu and the recipes. He also figured that Seattle uses some experienced Fiction writers to develop menu descriptions.

 

Hank

[Boatdrill]

A friend of mine is a professional athlete and is very careful about what he eats. He chooses healthy foods that help him stay fit and able to perform his chosen sport.

 

He has been on two cruises, both on HAL. I have been with him on these cruises and have seen what he chooses to eat.

 

Just yesterday he was describing his cruise experiences to someone who was considering cruising. My athlete friend said that one of the many things he likes about HAL, is that he can eat exactly as he does at home because there's a wide selection and the quality is so good. He said it was a nice surprise.

 

And yes, he's booked on a 3rd HAL cruise for next year.

 

To each his own. :)

Edited May 24, 2015 by Boatdrill