Food on Holland America

[little buddy71]

Twenty years ago we went on a Holland American Cruise. Our problem with it was that all the food had some type of seasoning in it. Mashed potatoes, vegetables, and meat had that taste. After two days of it, we didn't want it anymore! We are thinking of Holland America again. How is the food?

[OlsSalt]

The food today on HAL shows far more creativity, freshness, range of tastes and national origins. Over all the food is good to very good. It used to be more standard "meat and potatoes" when we started with HAL about 8 years ago. Not today.

 

Now it is responsive to changing tastes with intentional expansions of tastes beyond its former more stogy, traditional offerings. Yet it has kept its fresh baked breads among the best at sea. Some traditional greats shouldn't be tampered with.

 

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It is still hotel banquet style food since they put out multiple thousands of meals every day. If you want more personal refinement, you would need to go to a smaller, less mass market cruise line. Even Crystal is still "banquet" food under the circumstances, but with a fussier delivery and presentation.

Edited September 3, 2016 by OlsSalt

[DarkCrystal]

I've been on three HAL cruises and the food has been very good to excellent. I'm very fussy about my food, i don't like it to have any 'taste' other than what is expected. We may just have been lucky but we never found our food over- salted either. Other people will have different experiences I'm sure but we really enjoyed the food on our cruises.

[OlsSalt]

I've been on three HAL cruises and the food has been very good to excellent. I'm very fussy about my food, i don't like it to have any 'taste' other than what is expected. We may just have been lucky but we never found our food over- salted either. Other people will have different experiences I'm sure but we really enjoyed the food on our cruises.

 

If anything, they use a very light hand with the salt now. In fact I found just the tiniest dusting of salt from the table salt shaker will make many of the offerings just "pop" in flavor, after their first initial sense of blandness. Which obviously is the reason to have salt and pepper shakers on the tables in the first place - so the individual can control the amounts, not the kitchen.

Edited September 3, 2016 by OlsSalt

[kazu]

Twenty years ago we went on a Holland American Cruise. Our problem with it was that all the food had some type of seasoning in it. Mashed potatoes, vegetables, and meat had that taste. After two days of it, we didn't want it anymore! We are thinking of Holland America again. How is the food?

 

20 years ago is a long time. I tried to think back as I have been on HAL for nearly 30 years. (It will be 30 years next year).

 

It seems to me that back in the early days of cruising the food had a salt type seasoning.

 

While there might be the odd item with too much salt, most items are much lower in salt than in the old days. You can also avoid some seasonings by eliminating gravies/sauces or asking for them on the side.

 

I don't find the same "taste"on all the food at all by any means in the current HAL dining venues.

 

Hope this helps :)

[little buddy71]

Thank you for the info. It will make it easier to book this cruise.:)

[navybankerteacher]

Sailing on HAL every two or three years I noted some cutbacks in cuts of meat, fresh fruit juice, etc. but for the most part quality has been maintained - with a noticeable lessening of salt in most dishes. I have never noticed a distinctive "taste" as commented upon by OP.

[ski ww]

We have never had a reason to complain about the food on HAL. But we've heard other people complain about this or that. Can't keep everybody happy all the time. Enjoy your cruise.

Allan

[OlsSalt]

We have never had a reason to complain about the food on HAL. But we've heard other people complain about this or that. Can't keep everybody happy all the time. Enjoy your cruise.

Allan

 

Agree, HAL occasionally errs in the execution of individual dishes but not in over all choices and quality. There is always something to enjoy instead.

 

No more fresh squeezed orange juice in the Lido? We just asked the cabin steward to keep our fruit bowl full of whole oranges so peeling one became part of our new daily ritual.

[Lady Arwen]

HAL food is really about the same quality as that of Celebrity, Princess and Oceana and, in my opinion, a step above Carnival and NCL.

 

We do however, think that presentation is important and HAL usually shines. Occasionally, well, not so much. We did a family re-union cruise 2 years ago on Eurodam, consisting of people from all around the globe and from teens to seniors. Everyone was very impressed with the food offerings in the MDR and even in the Lido.

 

I think you would have very little to complain about on any HAL ship.

[RuthC]

Twenty years ago we went on a Holland American Cruise. Our problem with it was that all the food had some type of seasoning in it. Mashed potatoes, vegetables, and meat had that taste. After two days of it, we didn't want it anymore! We are thinking of Holland America again. How is the food?

I've found that over the last decade or two, the quality of the food at dinner in the dining room has gone downhill tremendously. The beef is tough, has no flavor, and is generally unappetizing. The chilled soups aren't the delicious "faux desserts" they used to be, made with lots of cream, sherbet, and tapioca as a thickener. Many nights I am left resorting to the "always available" menu, as there is nothing that appeals.

Even Gala night, especially the first Gala night, has a terrible menu. Last cruise my friends and I changed our minds and made a mad dash for the Lido a few minutes before it shut down.

Desserts aren't nearly as yummy as they used to be.

[kazu]

Desserts on the last few cruises we have been on have improved immensely IMO. MInd you a couple of those cruises were on the Prinsendam, but the same goes for the Westerdam.

 

A few years prior DH and I rarely ate dessert. Now, if they say it is good, we order one and two forks and share :)

 

Everything is subjective and cruises change week to week but from our experience the desserts have greatly imroved.

 

YMVV :)

[navybankerteacher]

I've found that over the last decade or two, the quality of the food at dinner in the dining room has gone downhill tremendously. The beef is tough, has no flavor, and is generally unappetizing. The chilled soups aren't the delicious "faux desserts" they used to be, made with lots of cream, sherbet, and tapioca as a thickener. Many nights I am left resorting to the "always available" menu, as there is nothing that appeals.

Even Gala night, especially the first Gala night, has a terrible menu. Last cruise my friends and I changed our minds and made a mad dash for the Lido a few minutes before it shut down.

Desserts aren't nearly as yummy as they used to be.

 

I believe you are correct - of course, the passenger mix has changed as well.

Making cruising available to many more is a good thing - but when it was largely restricted to the wealthier , most passengers had upscale shore based restaurants as a benchmark for comparison. With the wider demographic, a much larger proportion of passengers have fast food restaurants as benchmarks for comparison. The lines are pressed to hold down costs to fill ships - and that has to translate to lowered MDR quality - and those passengers who want better are now required to,pay extra.

[take us away]

Do agree that the quality of the food has declined a bit in recent years as has the quantity per serving - thankfully. HAL still does excellent fish and have noticed that the fresh ingredients and 'lighter' selections seem to be increasing. I stay away from most soups as often very salty but there seems to be less salt in the rest of the food.

[fatcat04]

Some of the best food we have had on HAL has been vegetarian fare in the MDR. We had a pumpkin ravioli one cruise... it was amazing. My husband always gets their risotto when it is offered. Always good. :)

[casper106]

I agree with the other poster about the vegetarian food. We've never been disappointed. We rarely eat beef anyways and for sure not on a cruise except for the prime rib in the MDR. In the specialty restos, the beef quality is better but I would only order a filet if they have it.

[EbayCruiser]

Just returned from 14 days on the Maasdam. We were tired of the food after a few days. They seem to serve a variation of the same thing night after night. Lots of Lamb (which we do not like) and Pork Belly?? Never a decent steak in the Lido or a baked potato like they used to have. We did not eat in the dining room (not a fan of 1-2 hour dinners).

 

The mashed potatoes had a weird taste (that may be what you are talking about). I fix made from scratch mashed potatoes at home and just add milk, butter, salt & pepper. I think they use some kind of beef or chicken broth which makes the potatoes taste weird (did not like them).

 

I basically lived on the Asian dishes and my DH ate a lot of pasta, pizza & hamburgers.

 

The desserts were far better on this cruise than our last few cruises.

[RuthC]

The desserts were far better on this cruise than our last few cruises.

I find the Lido desserts far superior to those served in the dining room.

I especially like the sugar-free, and no sugar added, desserts there at lunchtime.

[rkacruiser]

Recently off the Voyage of the Vikings aboard the Rotterdam: Menu choices were varied and different in many cases from past HAL cruises with a variety of vegetables offered (and not green beans and carrots every evening), other than dining room steaks(they are not prime, to be sure), no complaints from me about food quality, and dinner plate presentation was artful.

 

In my opinion, whoever the ship's Executive Chef is can make a major difference. Our Executive Chef is a HAL veteran: Franz Schaunig. I've had the pleasure of sailing with Chef Schaunig on other cruises and he helps to produce a very high quality product from his Galley.

 

I have not been a fan of Canaletto, but on the Rotterdam, the two dinners I had there were quite good, and one was a steak entree that the Steward recommended. The steak was better than what I was served in the MDR.

 

Rotterdam's Pinnacle Grill also provided excellent dinners three times. There, the steak was better than the MDR, but the Sterling Silver Beef once offered is missed. At least by this guest.

 

Some people like to talk about taking their Cabin Steward home in their suitcase. I'd take the baker who makes the croissants and breads! Every evening in the dining room, an interesting and delicious bread basket was offered.

[I_r_a]

Last year (August to AK) on the Oosterdam the food was quite good.

 

The service was even better.

 

Ira

The pizza wasn't all that good though.

[Kansas Gal]

I was on the Noordam last month and like Ruth, I didn't think the food in the MDR was as good. What I really didn't like was the change in the Lido so there is no more self service or some of the food is already plated, i.e. in the mornings, there were plates with a slice of pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon and 1/2 a strawberry. So if you only want some pineapple, you had to take several plates and waste the rest. Them making your salad was really terrible, no matter how little you said you wanted of a particular ingredient, it always seemed they put a big bunch in the bowl (which even the small bowls are large).

[RuthC]

I couldn't agree more on the fruit. At breakfast I want either 3 small pieces of pineapple, or 3 pieces of cantaloupe, and nothing else from that food group. It used to be nice to pick out what I wanted from the larger bin. Now I just leave it all, as I don't want to waste food.

 

I liked the salads well enough (although I would prefer they had iceberg lettuce as a choice), but I hate those bowls that slope. I can't rest my knife & fork on them if I want a bite of roll, or to take a sip of water. What a dumb design for salad bowls!

I haven't found small cubes of cheese like they used to have, either. Again, I just want a couple, maybe with one olive and a grape or two. They all used to be in the same area, in larger serving containers.

[rkacruiser]

I couldn't agree more on the fruit. At breakfast I want either 3 small pieces of pineapple, or 3 pieces of cantaloupe, and nothing else from that food group. It used to be nice to pick out what I wanted from the larger bin. Now I just leave it all, as I don't want to waste food.

 

I liked the salads well enough (although I would prefer they had iceberg lettuce as a choice), but I hate those bowls that slope. I can't rest my knife & fork on them if I want a bite of roll, or to take a sip of water. What a dumb design for salad bowls!

I haven't found small cubes of cheese like they used to have, either. Again, I just want a couple, maybe with one olive and a grape or two. They all used to be in the same area, in larger serving containers.

 

The small cubes of cheese were available near where the pre-made sandwiches were located. 3-4 varities were available, as I recall.

 

I agree about the size of the salad bowls as well as the servers giving one really more than one wants. I ended up not being able to eat---nor wanting---some of the salads that were prepared for me. Like the pre-made sandwiches not eaten, more waste.

 

The explanation given to me by a Food & Beverage Supervisor as to why such big salad bowls was: "So the salad can be properly mixed with the dressing reqeusted." My first salad had so little dressing, I would have thought the crew member did not put any on if I had not witnessed the salad's creation. From that point on, I made it a point to say lots of dressing and watch carefully if I thought enough was being used.

Edited September 5, 2016 by rkacruiser

[Herfnerd]

We've only sailed Carnival until and thought the food was usually pretty good. Booked our first Alaskan on HAL - just wondered how they compare these days?

 

 

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[seagarsmoker]

I find the Lido desserts far superior to those served in the dining room.

I especially like the sugar-free, and no sugar added, desserts there at lunchtime.

 

Agree 100% on deserts.

Actually find most food in Lido better than MDR. More variety, quicker service, larger portions if you want.