Lemonade in the MDR?

[dbsb3233]

Many cruiselines offer lemonade without an upcharge in the MDR at dinner and lunch. Does anyone know if it's consistently available in the MDR on the Noordam?

[cruz chic]

To be honest I've never seen it in the MDR but I've never asked for it either.

[sail7seas]

I've never seen lemonade served in MDR nor heard anyone ask for it.

Nothing to lose by asking your steward.

 

[Typhoon1]

Ask your waiter.

 

He'll run up to the lido if time permits. If not, he'll politely decline.

 

I once asked for a sliced orange at breakfast, the waiter told me there weren't any left. I told him there were plenty in the Lido. In a matter of minutes, he delivered one to me.

[POA1]

Ask your waiter. There was a family with children seated near us once, and I thought the kids had lemonade. It's been a few years though. Maybe one of the CC posters who travels with children would know if it's still offered.

[dbsb3233]

I've never seen lemonade served in MDR nor heard anyone ask for it.

Nothing to lose by asking your steward.

 

Oh I'll definitely ask, but I was just curious if anyone knew offhand. Helps to plan out whether to purchase a drink package beforehand or not. If they do (like many cruise lines), then we won't feel the need to purchase a soda pkg.

 

Although from what I understand, HAL doesn't even offer an unlimited soda pkg like most cruiselines do, so I guess there's not a lot to plan ahead for. I was quite surprised to see they don't offer that.

 

We might need to bring along some Mio flavor packs too, just in case.

[RuthC]

Although from what I understand, HAL doesn't even offer an unlimited soda pkg like most cruiselines do, so I guess there's not a lot to plan ahead for. I was quite surprised to see they don't offer that.

There was a time when HAL had an unlimited soda card. It was supposed to be one card for the use of one person.

 

People were gaming the system, though, passing it around letting everyone in the family use it. So, HAL discontinued the unlimited card and substituted one with some "bonus" soda over what's been paid for. That card can be passed around.

[dbsb3233]

There was a time when HAL had an unlimited soda card. It was supposed to be one card for the use of one person.

 

People were gaming the system, though, passing it around letting everyone in the family use it. So, HAL discontinued the unlimited card and substituted one with some "bonus" soda over what's been paid for. That card can be passed around.

We'd love the $50 for $25 deal if it were cans, but "fountain soda" on a ship often really means "bar gun", and those are often flat and not mixed right. Bar gun soda often tastes terrible.

 

For years we always got the soda pkg on ships before we realized most offered lemonade for free. So now we get that with meals and just buy a few sodas at other times (out of the minibar, or even carry a 12-pack on if convenient to do so).

 

The beverage card (no discount) seems almost pointless. Although I guess not having to sign the slip it a slight convenience.

[oofroggie]

Never seen lemonade on menu but you might want to bring some 1 serving size crystal light lemonade mix. I bring with me the raspberry ice flavor and just mix in a 9oz container.

[Alberta Quilter]

Last year, on my Amsterdam Alaska cruise, there was a woman at our table who had lemonade every evening with dinner in the MDR. I believe she requested it the first night and every night after that, it was waiting for her. However, there was a charge for it because the waiters had to go to a nearby bar to get it.

[take us away]

Never seen lemonade on menu but you might want to bring some 1 serving size crystal light lemonade mix. I bring with me the raspberry ice flavor and just mix in a 9oz container.

 

There is/was a non-alcoholic lemonade-like drink on the bar menu but pricey. Have sailed long enough I remember the days when the deck staff would walk the decks with glasses of lemonade in the afternoons (sighhhh).

 

Also bring the Crystal Light 1-serving lemonade packets. If you ask for a big glass of club soda at a bar (which they will do if you ask nicely even with a soda card) and add the lemonade packet - it is the most refreshing drink! Do not add the packet to a can - turns into a volcano!

[1of4]

We'd love the $50 for $25 deal if it were cans, but "fountain soda" on a ship often really means "bar gun", and those are often flat and not mixed right. Bar gun soda often tastes terrible.

 

For years we always got the soda pkg on ships before we realized most offered lemonade for free. So now we get that with meals and just buy a few sodas at other times (out of the minibar, or even carry a 12-pack on if convenient to do so).

 

The beverage card (no discount) seems almost pointless. Although I guess not having to sign the slip it a slight convenience.

 

You can request cans of soft drinks instead of bar gun soft drink. I think the charge is slightly higher. You just have to tell them you want yours in the can. They will bring you the can and a glass with ice. You can also get cans at happy hour and request they not be opened. That way you get the second can for $1.

 

Edited to add: in all our days on on a HAL ship with2 children we have never had a bad "bar gun" mixed soft drink.

Edited July 17, 2015 by 1of4

[boulders]

On my first HAL cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2012, I pre purchased several of the $50 for $25 soda cards for our 21 day cruise. The bar gun soda tasted awful. It wasn't mixed properly and was half flat. I stopped using the cards after a few days and started ordering cans. It's about $2 for a can and you get the same amount of soda that you would get for $3 from a bar gun. They charge $1.50 per glass for the bar gun and you get half the amount of soda you would get from a can. You can't use the soda card for cans though. The extra can for $1 at happy hour is a very good deal.

[dbsb3233]

You can request cans of soft drinks instead of bar gun soft drink. I think the charge is slightly higher. You just have to tell them you want yours in the can. They will bring you the can and a glass with ice. You can also get cans at happy hour and request they not be opened. That way you get the second can for $1.

 

Edited to add: in all our days on on a HAL ship with2 children we have never had a bad "bar gun" mixed soft drink.

Good to hear. Seems like every cruise line is different in how they handle soda. I find if they have a real fountain dispenser, it usually tastes fine. Those seem to be fine-tuned for just the right mix of water, syrup, and CO2. But the bar guns vary wildly. On RCCL it comes mostly out of the bar gun, and about half the time I take a sip and it's "blech!". The safest bet is just to get it out of the can, where available.

[dbsb3233]

On my first HAL cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2012, I pre purchased several of the $50 for $25 soda cards for our 21 day cruise. The bar gun soda tasted awful. It wasn't mixed properly and was half flat. I stopped using the cards after a few days and started ordering cans. It's about $2 for a can and you get the same amount of soda that you would get for $3 from a bar gun. They charge $1.50 per glass for the bar gun and you get half the amount of soda you would get from a can. You can't use the soda card for cans though. The extra can for $1 at happy hour is a very good deal.

That's what I read in another thread too - that because it's a fairly small glass with ice that you only get maybe 6 oz anyway, pretty much negating the value of the discounted $50 for $25 deal.

 

Do they open the cans when you buy them at happy hour? Might be nice just to take the 2nd one back to the room and throw it in the fridge for later use.

[POA1]

Do they open the cans when you buy them at happy hour? Might be nice just to take the 2nd one back to the room and throw it in the fridge for later use.

 

Just ask for them unopened. You can get both unopened if you want.

 

Just make sure to ask when you order, not when the server returns with an open can. (Don't wanna be that person. :)

Edited July 17, 2015 by POA1

[1of4]

On my first HAL cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2012, I pre purchased several of the $50 for $25 soda cards for our 21 day cruise. The bar gun soda tasted awful. It wasn't mixed properly and was half flat. I stopped using the cards after a few days and started ordering cans. It's about $2 for a can and you get the same amount of soda that you would get for $3 from a bar gun. They charge $1.50 per glass for the bar gun and you get half the amount of soda you would get from a can. You can't use the soda card for cans though. The extra can for $1 at happy hour is a very good deal.

 

We always use the cards for every drink purchase, including cans of soft drink to go back to the cabin. If you can also ask for no ice for the fountain drinks. But that doesn't help if you don't like the fountain mix.

 

For lemonade, if you really want it, you can brink a bottle and fill it up and bring it with you to the dining room. Everyone told me I couldn't get it in the morning but the middle drink station always had one lemonade spigot working in the morning. We found that bringing lemonade on excursions in hot climates was better than water. So I would fill up one of our 2 water bottles with ice and lemonade before leaving the ship.

[Katie333]

For breakfast there will be lots of additional options, for dinner .... hmm. In the Lido they often have fruit punch, grape juice and lemonade (or some version thereof) for all hours they are open including dinner. They have machines producing this and not sure if those same machines are consistently operating near the dining room.

 

From reading this thread, clearly this is not something you can count on consistently. Good news if you take meals in Lido you will have options.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can always stop by the Lido, select the lemonade if it is available and take it to the dining room yourself.

[dbsb3233]

For breakfast there will be lots of additional options, for dinner .... hmm. In the Lido they often have fruit punch, grape juice and lemonade (or some version thereof) for all hours they are open including dinner. They have machines producing this and not sure if those same machines are consistently operating near the dining room.

 

From reading this thread, clearly this is not something you can count on consistently. Good news if you take meals in Lido you will have options.

I figured the buffet would be fine. Every cruiseline we've been on had lemonade and/or fruit punch at the buffet drink stations for lunch/dinner, and orange juice in the monring. We try to eat at the buffet as little as possible (maybe breakfast and a few lunches). I do commonly go up and grab a couple of orange juices and carry them back to the room each morning.

 

But I don't really want to do that for the MDR. Just seems a little awkward carrying buffet drinks into the nicer, full service venue for dinner (especially cheap plastic buffet cups). Plus we always enter there as a group (anytime dining) and running off to the buffet first just wouldn't work very well.

 

Sounds like the best backup plan if they don't serve it in the MDR is to bring Mio or Crystal Light. We usually pack some of those anyway. The little Crystal Light single-serving tubes are great for turning a bottle of water (or glass in this case) into something with flavor. We'll just have to throw a few in our pockets before heading to the MDR.

 

Thanks to everyone for the info.

[stacyh270]

We just got back from the Oosterdam and honestly, we were VERY disappointed in HAL's lack of lemonade and tea in the MDR and the randomness of even having lemonade in the Lido bar area. Sometimes it would be there, but often it wasn't. There was no rhyme or reason. If it ran out, they never refilled it that day either. Being from the South and thoroughly enjoying our sweet tea, we have always been accustom to mixing the plain tea with lemonade to make an Arnold Palmer with every meal.

 

Honestly, this one little thing was a major annoyance to us because we assumed, prior to boarding, that HAL would AT LEAST be as gracious as NCL and Carnival in their beverage offerings. Otherwise, we would have brought our own aboard :rolleyes: