No fresh squeezed OJ in N.A. Lido?

[navybankerteacher]

For the 10 years I lived in California I bought 5 lb bags of Valencias at the farmers' market each week and squeezed my own. Can't get Valencias here in the mid-Atlantic, so I buy "not from concentrate" juice. Not as good, but better than concentrated.

 

On the NA last fall the juice I got in the Lido (not from the dispenser, but from the counter) was fresh squeezed - again, not as good as my own fresh-squeezed was, but better than the stuff in the dispenser, by far.

 

We've found that regular supermarket "not from concentrate" juice varies widely in price and flavor - but that our local Trader Joe's has consistently good flavor at surprisingly lower prices for their "not from concentrate".

[Hlitner]

For the 10 years I lived in California I bought 5 lb bags of Valencias at the farmers' market each week and squeezed my own. Can't get Valencias here in the mid-Atlantic, so I buy "not from concentrate" juice. Not as good, but better than concentrated.

 

On the NA last fall the juice I got in the Lido (not from the dispenser, but from the counter) was fresh squeezed - again, not as good as my own fresh-squeezed was, but better than the stuff in the dispenser, by far.

 

The problem with your post is "last fall" which is about 1 year ago. Things have changed (and not for the better). We could post how we we used to get fresh squeezed OJ on Celebrity about 5 years ago, or about all the midnight buffets we attended 25 years ago. But its not relevant to the current situation. Bottom line is that HAL has been cutting-back on various items...and the great OJ issue is just one more small nail in the cut-back coffin.

 

Hank

[happy77]

Off the Rotterdam's 2016 VOV: Since the Lido Restaurant's change to the Market Place concept, the machine used to make fresh squeezed OJ is out of sight. The OJ was, however, fresh squeezed both in my opinion and other guests whom I asked what they thought. The taste did vary somewhat some days, but I assumed this is because not all orange varieties have the exact same flavor.

 

We are on the Rotterdam this coming Sat. the 10th from Boston, wondering what you meant by the Lido change to Market Place. I'm not familiar with Market Place. Can you tell me more? Thanks, Nan

[Hlitner]

We are on the Rotterdam this coming Sat. the 10th from Boston, wondering what you meant by the Lido change to Market Place. I'm not familiar with Market Place. Can you tell me more? Thanks, Nan

 

The "Market Place" is a new concept (and design) used in HAL's Lidos for the past few months. I believe it has now been phased in to most (if not all) of the ships. For those that remember the old HAL "Code Orange".....they have now made the Lido into a permanent modified Code Orange. Just about everything in the Lido (with some exceptions) is now served by the staff...with passengers having very little access to directly touching food...or the serving utensils. For example, the old salad bar is now a staffed area where a staff member makes your salad to your specifications. The old custom sandwich bar is gone...replaced by a small selection (usually 5 or 6) pre made sandwiches that are in paper bags. Other items like fresh fruit are generally pre-plated...so if you want cantaloupe you will usually have to take a plate that might have the lope paired with watermelon and orange slices, etc. On the Zuiderdam they still have the usual old pizza....which still rates as the worst pizza at sea....and the pasta bar still exists. At breakfast we noticed that the old Eggs Benedict station, where you used to be able to choose from over half a dozen options now only has basic eggs benedict plus a single daily special.

 

One could certainly debate whether the new Market Place concept is an improvement...or not. We thought some things were improved...and other things were not as good or convenient. But we do see the wisdom of designing the buffet in a way to minimize the risk of Norovirus or other germs/viruses that tend to be spead at buffets.

 

Hank:confused:

[serendipity1499]

serendipity1499, we spend part of the winter in SW Florida, and have a small, cheap, but VERY good Black&Decker juicer via Amazon.

 

Get Minneolas/"honey bells" from FleaMasters in Fort Myers every weekend in season. Once you've tasted hand squeezed Minneolas, there's no going back, LOL!

 

We'll be in downtown Vancouver pre-cruise, without a nearby Publix - another thing I miss when we head back north.

 

Hmm..Didn't realize you are crusing out of Vancouver.sorry keep thinking everyone leaves from FTL..Have been living here too long..LOL But re the squeezer..Black & Decker is fine at home but you can't pack it..The juicer I pointed out is very small & packable if you can get the fresh oranges..

 

In case you do return to this thread, perhaps you might let us know what you drink at home: it is as possible for someone to not be able to tell the difference between certain packaged OJ's and fresh squeezed as for so many others to be misinformed.

 

Can't imagine not being able to taste the difference between fresh squeezed vs commercially packaged OJ's.. But think "Simply orange" is passable.. We've been living in Fla 22 years & I could never eat grapefruit until we moved here & ate those from our trees.. Even now I can't buy good grapefruit..

 

Wish we knew the people who now own our old house! The person who purchased it from us, actually bought it & 2 more housed in the neighborhood & flipped them after a few improvements.. We used to leave oranges, lemons & grapefruit out on the curb for neighbors because we had so many.. I really miss that!

[Barrheadlass]

The problem with your post is "last fall" which is aboutx 1 year ago. Things have changed (and not for the better). We could post how we we used to get fresh squeezed OJ on Celebrity about 5 years ago, or about all the midnight buffets we attended 25 years ago. But its not relevant to the current situation. Bottom line is that HAL has been cutting-back on various items...and the great OJ issue is just one more small nail in the cut-back coffin.

 

Hank

 

This cruiser was on the Rotterdam less than 2 weeks ago not just a year ago. I was on the same cruise. I thought the o.j. Was fresh squeezed but am not an expert .

Edited September 6, 2016 by Barrheadlass

[casper106]

There are many articles to read on the internet on the topic of fresh orange juice. Unless you squeeze it yourself,there's no way the juice on any cruise ship will be freshly squeezed.

 

As another poster mentioned,you can get fresh oranges daily. It's far more nutritious that way.

[dakrewser]

There are many articles to read on the internet on the topic of fresh orange juice. Unless you squeeze it yourself,there's no way the juice on any cruise ship will be freshly squeezed.

 

As another poster mentioned,you can get fresh oranges daily. It's far more nutritious that way.

 

So, in the time before the Lido Marketplace, that machine we saw squeezing oranges was... a mirage?

[kazu]

<snip>

Can't imagine not being able to taste the difference between fresh squeezed vs commercially packaged OJ's.. But think "Simply orange" is passable.. We've been living in Fla 22 years & I could never eat grapefruit until we moved here & ate those from our trees.. Even now I can't buy good grapefruit..

 

Wish we knew the people who now own our old house! The person who purchased it from us, actually bought it & 2 more housed in the neighborhood & flipped them after a few improvements.. We used to leave oranges, lemons & grapefruit out on the curb for neighbors because we had so many.. I really miss that!

 

I so agree with this. We get "simply orange" or other OJ's not from concentrate and I definitely knowthe difference. :)

[kazu]

So, in the time before the Lido Marketplace, that machine we saw squeezing oranges was... a mirage?

 

I guess so;). Guess they just squeezed them and never served them even though I saw them take the juice from the machine :rolleyes::p:D

[kazu]

There are many articles to read on the internet on the topic of fresh orange juice. Unless you squeeze it yourself,there's no way the juice on any cruise ship will be freshly squeezed.

 

As another poster mentioned,you can get fresh oranges daily. It's far more nutritious that way.

 

 

Sorry, reading articles on the internet is irrelevant. We've had it, we've seen it made and we do know the difference !

[ellieanne]

My grandfather was a taster for one of the big Florida orange co-operatives. His job was to taste the concentrate for the juice to ensure it had a consistent taste. That's partly why companies use concentrate, so they can ensure a consistent taste from batch to batch despite the oranges having natural taste, texture, and sugar content variations.

 

I know fresh squeezed orange juice when I see it, and I know it separates if if sits for a while. But the truth of the matter is, I prefer the consistency of the concentrate. Maybe I inherited my grandfather's "tongue." I find some fresh squeezed too bitter to too bland to enjoy. I appreciate fresh squeezed, and it has been available on all my cruises, though I do not partake. I drink guava juice on the ship. I can get orange juice at home, guava is my vacation indulgence. (And yes, I know the guava is a blend from a carton -- it's not sold where I live, so even as a carton juice, it's a special treat.)

[pompoms40]

Im heading off to Alaska on NA and have a spa room and on there room service menus they have fresh orange juice and fruit smoothies :)

Edited September 7, 2016 by pompoms40

[whogo]

It would be interesting to do some blind taste tests. I would not bet the ranch that I could taste the difference.

 

Back when I was squeezing my own orange juice regularly I noticed considerable variation in taste depending on the oranges and the condition of my taste buds. Some oranges just don't taste very good.

[cbr663]

There are many articles to read on the internet on the topic of fresh orange juice. Unless you squeeze it yourself,there's no way the juice on any cruise ship will be freshly squeezed.

 

As another poster mentioned,you can get fresh oranges daily. It's far more nutritious that way.

 

HAL has offered freshly squeezed OJ in the past. It was okay, certainly nothing to write home about, imo. The challenge is that you need to have premium, sweet oranges to produce great tasting juice and HAL does not stock these.

 

I agree that there is a lot of information out there on how OJ is produced. Some may want to visit:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/orange-juice-is-premium-juice-actually-more-natural-1.2902004

 

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2014-2015/orange-juice-juicy-secrets

 

It may cause you to rethink your decision to purchase not from concentrate OJ. It is practices like those noted above that have many health professionals declaring that you should eat your fruit, not drink it.

[Hlitner]

It would be interesting to do some blind taste tests. I would not bet the ranch that I could taste the difference.

 

Back when I was squeezing my own orange juice regularly I noticed considerable variation in taste depending on the oranges and the condition of my taste buds. Some oranges just don't taste very good.

 

We suspect that the "discerning taste" of cruisers has encourage HAL to cut-back on fresh products :(. You are correct that fresh juices are only as good as the fruit...and will vary from batch to batch. It is kind of like making a red pasta sauce from canned tomatoes..or even canned sauce....in that it always tastes the same. On the other hand, if we went to a good restaurant that used canned sauces, powdered hollandaise sauce (now used by HAL), pasteurized eggs in a container (used by HAL for omelets and scrambled eggs). tasteless farmed fish, etc...we might be looking for another restaurant.

 

As to OJ, Holland America used to have both fresh squeezed and canned OJ in the Lido. So those that preferred the lousy canned stuff (and it was not the good stuff "not made from concentrate") could have their canned stuff, and those of us who preferred to take our chances with that "awful" fresh squeezed stuff..could get our fill. Kind of like in the Pinnacle where we could order wonderful Wagyu burgers for lunch (no longer available), or a pretty decent Sterling Beef Steak at dinner (no longer available). But we are sure some folks did not like the higher quality beef and are now happier with the lesser quality stuff being offered. And the there were those of us who loved the 4 Piece Rosario Quartets.....but now have to convince ourselves that the duos are as entertaining (the recent duo on the Zuiderdam were very good). And of course some of us liked when the main production shows used a live orchestra....but we are sure some folks loved the pre-recorded "canned" music used at the shows.

 

Sorry to rant....and we accept that time are changing.

 

Hank

Edited September 7, 2016 by Hlitner

[navybankerteacher]

It isn't a cost issue, it's a supplier issue.

 

Fresh oranges are hard to obtain, so the number in HAL stores are much less than before due to the shortage.

 

The fact that it is a "supplier issue" in fact translates to a cost issue. We are able to find several varieties of very good oranges at local stores - local supermarkets as well as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's --!you just have to be willing to pay the price - which, it would seem, HAL is not willing to do.

[OlsSalt]

We suspect that the "discerning taste" of cruisers has encourage HAL to cut-back on fresh products :(. You are correct that fresh juices are only as good as the fruit...and will vary from batch to batch. It is kind of like making a red pasta sauce from canned tomatoes..or even canned sauce....in that it always tastes the same. On the other hand, if we went to a good restaurant that used canned sauces, powdered hollandaise sauce (now used by HAL), pasteurized eggs in a container (used by HAL for omelets and scrambled eggs). tasteless farmed fish, etc...we might be looking for another restaurant.

 

As to OJ, Holland America used to have both fresh squeezed and canned OJ in the Lido. So those that preferred the lousy canned stuff (and it was not the good stuff "not made from concentrate") could have their canned stuff, and those of us who preferred to take our chances with that "awful" fresh squeezed stuff..could get our fill. Kind of like in the Pinnacle where we could order wonderful Wagyu burgers for lunch (no longer available), or a pretty decent Sterling Beef Steak at dinner (no longer available). But we are sure some folks did not like the higher quality beef and are now happier with the lesser quality stuff being offered. And the there were those of us who loved the 4 Piece Rosario Quartets.....but now have to convince ourselves that the duos are as entertaining (the recent duo on the Zuiderdam were very good). And of course some of us liked when the main production shows used a live orchestra....but we are sure some folks loved the pre-recorded "canned" music used at the shows.

 

Sorry to rant....and we accept that time are changing.

 

Hank

 

What do you think has happened to the costs of HAL labor now that feeder countries Indonesia and the Philipines have increasing employment opportunities which no longer need to send so many people "to sea" as in the past.

 

I don't know but I suspect there is greater competition in both countries now in the labor pool, particularly for those with bi-lingual or multi-lingual skills like we expect from HAL crew members.

 

I still like HAL value price cruising and do not choose this cruise line for these smaller item issues constantly debated here. Rising labor costs are the real bottom line killer when trying to contain costs, not always the "nickel-riming" passenger annoyances inflicted by evil corporate management whose goal is solely to make passengers miserable, which seems all to frequently to be the standard fall-back complaint one hears here. (Hyperbole, I know.)

 

As I have said before, if you want fresh, ask for fresh oranges in your cabin fruit basket. Coming from a citrus ranching background in the heart of the "Citrus Capital of the World" - the Santa Paula Heritage" Valley, even when they had "fresh squeeze" it was never very good. http://heritagevalley.net

Edited September 8, 2016 by OlsSalt

[Hlitner]

What do you think has happened to the costs of HAL labor now that feeder countries Indonesia and the Philipines have increasing employment opportunities which no longer need to send so many people "to sea" as in the past.

 

I don't know but I suspect there is greater competition in both countries now in the labor pool, particularly for those with bi-lingual or multi-lingual skills like we expect from HAL crew members.

 

I still like HAL value price cruising and do not choose this cruise line for these smaller item issues constantly debated here. Rising labor costs are the real bottom line killer when trying to contain costs, not always the "nickel-riming" passenger annoyances inflicted by evil corporate management whose goal is solely to make passengers miserable, which seems all to frequently to be the standard fall-back complaint one hears here. (Hyperbole, I know.)

 

As I have said before, if you want fresh, ask for fresh oranges in your cabin fruit basket. Coming from a citrus ranching background in the heart of the "Citrus Capital of the World" - the Santa Paula Heritage" Valley, even when they had "fresh squeeze" it was never very good. http://heritagevalley.net

 

You have made my point :). As long as enough folks are willing to settle for less, there are executives who will oblige. And by your own reckoning, we can now call HAL a "Value" line.

 

Hank

Edited September 8, 2016 by Hlitner

[navybankerteacher]

You have made my point :). As long as enough folks are willing to settle for less, there are executives who will oblige. And by your own reckoning, we can now call HAL a "Value" line.

 

Hank

 

A similar "evolution" has taken place across the entire span of mainstream cruise lines. Where, until just a few years ago, the majority of passengers were among the more affluent small percentage in our society - for whom quality was as important, if not more so, than price; now, with the democratization of cruising, an ever-increasing proportion of passengers see price as the primary factor, and are willing to see the passing of many of the small "frills" which used to be part of the standard expected.

 

The ever-growing list of fee-based "extras" - alternative dining, quasi-first class accommodations restricted to those paying premium fares, concierges and butlers to replace the services once offered across the board - all represent the lines' efforts (not uniformly successful) to retain the interest of those cruisers who still see "quality" as important as price.

[OlsSalt]

You have made my point :). As long as enough folks are willing to settle for less, there are executives who will oblige. And by your own reckoning, we can now call HAL a "Value" line.

 

Hank

 

HAL is a value cruise line - or even better, a value vacation experience. Room, board, transportation and entertainment - all very good value.

[navybankerteacher]

HAL is a value cruise line - or even better, a value vacation experience. Room, board, transportation and entertainment - all very good value.

 

There is a difference between "value" and "inexpensive" (or "cheap").

 

Dollar cost is not the only gauge of value. It is entirely possible to spend $200 on quality goods at Neiman Marcus and get better value than one might get by spending $25 at Walmart and picking up something cheesy.

 

Many cruise passengers seem unable to differentiate between "cheap" and "good value".

[SeaBands]

is one of the best reasons to book a trip. We were told it was now only for Neptune suites but our room service steward always brought it to us. I guess my tips didn't hurt.

[OlsSalt]

is one of the best reasons to book a trip. We were told it was now only for Neptune suites but our room service steward always brought it to us. I guess my tips didn't hurt.

 

This troubles me - essentially bribing crew members to bend established "rules" for their own quick cash. Ruins it for everyone. Does this make this thread now get filed under "tipping" or "dealing with difficult topics".

[kazu]

is one of the best reasons to book a trip. We were told it was now only for Neptune suites but our room service steward always brought it to us. I guess my tips didn't hurt.

 

Now this is news I hadn't heard. I am sure everyone on our cruise just a few short months ago (but seem so far away now ;) ) was able to get the fresh squeezed on their room service orders.

 

It hasn't been listed as a suite amenity yet so, I suspect it is still available to everyone :). Perhaps someone had it confused with the mimosas? LOL.