Okay, so what's the best thing you've eaten in a HA cruise... and the worst?

[GoldieJ]

Just off the Amsterdam. I loved the filet in the Pinnacle Grill. The Lido's pasta station's meat sauce over homemade noodles and their salad station were delicious. If you see the almond cake (only appeared once in 17 days) grab a piece. So good. Giant shrimp cocktails, great. Also the crepes at the waffle station were delicious. And while you're at their station, they provide you with eggs, bacon, fruit and whatever else you'd like for breakfast. I found the Lido much improved and more efficient than on previous cruises.

[JimAOk1945]

We were on the Maasdam last August. My wife and I both agree that everything we ate was fantastic!

Edited January 2, 2017 by JimAOk1945

[POA1]

Was it duck breast? That is best served medium-rare (same as rack of lamb). I also like my salmon cooked that way, and from a few "worsts" here it seems like HAL cooks it that way, at least at times. I almost never order salmon on a cruise ship because I figure it's going to be overcooked but maybe I should give it a try on HAL!

 

Related question: when they serve tuna as an entree, is it actually possible to get it served rare?

 

Duck breast can be had mid rare. This is the duck from De Librije, but you can order your MDR duck similarly prepared.

 

 

Medium rare salmon and tuna are available. As for true rare tuna, ask your server. We had tuna tartare, beef tartare, and a rare salmon dish. Make sure to explain what you want to your waiter - exactly. I had precisely one dish that was off temp. It was veal chop and it was a good two stops past mid rare. All in all, that's a good performance.

Edited January 2, 2017 by POA1

[oliver1821]

My favorite on the December Kdam was the beef wellington, in the main dining room, outstanding. Lamb chops in dining room. King crab in PG. Pasta and beef carparcio in Cantanello. Wasabe filet in Tamarind. Bread pudding in Lido. Anything from Dive In. Pizza at New York Deli.

[MisterBill99]

Medium rare salmon and tuna are available. As for true rare tuna, ask your server. We had tuna tartare, beef tartare, and a rare salmon dish. Make sure to explain what you want to your waiter - exactly. I had precisely one dish that was off temp. It was veal chop and it was a good two stops past mid rare. All in all, that's a good performance.

Thanks.. tuna tartare is raw, not rare :). I wouldn't expect those to come out any other way (although I recently watched a movie about a fancy French restaurant in Philly and some woman asked for her beef tartare medium-rare (i.e., a hamburger)). I will certainly try to get salmon and tuna cooked the way I want on Eurodam and hope the server doesn't tell me that they can't do it that way (typical response I get for salmon, they expect people to order tuna undercooked).

 

On a recent Anthem of the Seas cruise, I had problems getting lamb chops and duck breast done medium-rare, they always came out overcooked. I had discussions with the Food & Beverage Manager and executive chef at the (free) Asian restaurant we were eating at the last night. The result was double orders of both lamb chops and duck breast being brought to my table, cooked properly. Fortunately we were eating with other people that night so I was able to share the extras since even I could not eat 2 duck breasts and 6 lamb chops!

Edited January 3, 2017 by MisterBill99

[mek]

Was it duck breast? That is best served medium-rare (same as rack of lamb). I also like my salmon cooked that way, and from a few "worsts" here it seems like HAL cooks it that way, at least at times. I almost never order salmon on a cruise ship because I figure it's going to be overcooked but maybe I should give it a try on HAL!

 

Related question: when they serve tuna as an entree, is it actually possible to get it served rare?

 

On Celebrity in the Blu dining room (for Aqua Class cabins), I could not get them to do the duck breast properly, it was always fully cooked (and terrible). The maitre'd kept telling me they could not cook it that way, yet the menu listing had an asterisk warning against eating under-cooked food, so clearly it was intended to be served medium-rare.

 

Someone on this board who is posting photos of his Eurodam cruise just posted a photo of the menu screen outside of Tamarind, and it appears that the duck dish in "Wood" is now duck breast (although I haven't seen an updated print menu online). I'm really looking forward to trying that when we're on board in a couple of months.

 

Medium rare and raw,(which is what he was served), are two different things and not everyone enjoys undercooked poultry - my husband being one of them. My lamb was so tough and overcooked, I couldn't cut it, so I chewed it off the bone.

[slidergirl]

Unless I know that the tuna is fresh (NOT frozen) and is sashimi grade, I will not order it as tartare or even rare. I'll ask for med-rare. If I am assured it is fresh, but not sashimi grade, I will ask for it seared rare.

Sad that lamb and duck is so overcooked as a norm. I don't do lamb (a red meat), but I do love a well-prepared duck breast. Some just are squeamish when they see any semblance of pink/red in their meat. I know some people who believe pork must still be cooked beyond recognition to be "safe"...

[OlsSalt]

Best: fresh baked breads, croissants, powder-sugar donuts, liver and onions.

 

Worst: some very bad pork on the past several cruises, no matter how they later tried to bring it back masked with heavy, exotic seasonings

[CruiseMGM]

Best ever - they used to serve a Steak Diane in the Pinnacle Grill and it was to die for. They also had some kind of creamy/spicy Thai Chicken Soup that was so good that I ordered it as my dessert, too (and waddled out of the restaurant). Their filets are fantastic, but I do miss the Steak Diane.

 

Worst - I don't think I've ever had anything onboard a HAL ship that I hated. Some things I liked more than others, but I don't recall anything of which I tried one bite and refused to eat.

 

Fun thread!

[Sir PMP]

Best: Indonesian food

Worst: Indian food

[innlady1]

Best: lamb chops in the PG. Runner up: petite filet in PG.

Worst: some of the pork entrees.

 

 

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[Herfnerd]

Wow - this will be our first HAL cruise but it certainly sounds like the desserts are a disappointment. That sucks because I'm a dessert-a-holic.......

[OlsSalt]

Wow - this will be our first HAL cruise but it certainly sounds like the desserts are a disappointment. That sucks because I'm a dessert-a-holic.......

 

Some of the desserts are pretty good, and the ice-cream sundae each night or what you want to custom order for a sundae will help you drown some of your sorrows. For a change of pace, the cheese plate or the fruit plate can help ease any calorie pangs you might have added up some place else ...like the Lido cookie trays or the bread pudding with warm custard sauce.

 

Plus the moist chocolate cake with raspberry sauce from room service has always been a 100% winner. Lots of fans for the fruit crisps they offer every night at dinner, and every night is also something chocolate. Some of the sleepers like their date nut pudding cake have become one of my own favorites.

Edited January 3, 2017 by OlsSalt

[whogo]

Wow - this will be our first HAL cruise but it certainly sounds like the desserts are a disappointment. That sucks because I'm a dessert-a-holic.......

As OlsSalt said, go for the ice cream or ice cream sundaes. HAL's ice cream is pretty good, not the best ever, but pretty good. They have always been willing to provide a chocolate sundae.

[MisterBill99]

Medium rare and raw,(which is what he was served), are two different things and not everyone enjoys undercooked poultry - my husband being one of them. My lamb was so tough and overcooked, I couldn't cut it, so I chewed it off the bone.

Poultry such as chicken should not be served anything other than fully cooked due to safety concerns. Duck breast is different in that it can be safely eaten without being fully cooked. Still, raw is not good. I remember many years ago I was served a very rare duck breast in a fancy restaurant and did not enjoy it. But medium-rare it's excellent.

 

Sorry to hear about your overcooked lamb. I had that on Anthem in August (twice) although not as bad as yours sounded. In one dining room I went thru 3 batches before they got it more or less right (medium). I was going to stop after the second but the waiter insisted on trying again.

[akenned]

One of the most memorable meals I've had was an evening at Le Cirque in the Pinnacle Grill. I had a lobster salad, butternut squash soup, rack of lamb and chocolate souffle. For breakfast, I really enjoyed the various eggs benedict selections at the Lido. Chocolate croissants, banana pudding.. The Pinnacle Grill has an amazing bone in ribeye. I could go on and on! :D

 

I can't honestly think of anything bad. I must have made some great choices.

Edited January 4, 2017 by akenned

[debut]

Our first cruise on Holland is coming up soon, Maasdam in Feb. we always eat in the Lido on all our cruises, hoping the lido has cookies and ice cream and chips at lunch with sandwiches. Am I going to be lucky?

Thanks

Debbie

[cruiseapril]

We have been on four other cruises lines and have found HAL to have the best cuisine so far. We especially like HAL's chicken and shrimp entrees.

[OlsSalt]

Our first cruise on Holland is coming up soon, Maasdam in Feb. we always eat in the Lido on all our cruises, hoping the lido has cookies and ice cream and chips at lunch with sandwiches. Am I going to be lucky?

Thanks

Debbie

 

Certainly plenty of ice cream and cookies at the Lido or room service - at extended hours.

 

Chips (crisps) often come in small bags, but not always available or else someone gets ahead of me and takes them all first. Ask one of the serving stewards behind the Lido counter if they have more. Once saw a guy with a huge salad bowl full of chips get off the elevator taking these to his room - back when they were self-serve open items.

 

Tortilla chips are also available at the poolside service buffet bar near the DiveInn where you can fashion your own nachos or just plain or add salsa and guacamole dips.

 

Additionally, room service sandwiches can come with potato chips too. Both their steak and club sandwiches are great room service choices.

Edited January 5, 2017 by OlsSalt

[mek]

Poultry such as chicken should not be served anything other than fully cooked due to safety concerns. Duck breast is different in that it can be safely eaten without being fully cooked. Still, raw is not good. I remember many years ago I was served a very rare duck breast in a fancy restaurant and did not enjoy it. But medium-rare it's excellent.

 

Sorry to hear about your overcooked lamb. I had that on Anthem in August (twice) although not as bad as yours sounded. In one dining room I went thru 3 batches before they got it more or less right (medium). I was going to stop after the second but the waiter insisted on trying again.

 

The service was really slow - the few times we requested something it took forever, so we just passed on this meal. As I've mentioned on several other posts, overall we just wern't happy with the MDR for dinner.

[PAHORNER]

Best - can't go wrong with the soups, lobster bisque

Worst - lido coffee

[summersigh]

On the Zuiderdam in December there were small brown bags of chips by the sandwich station if you got there in the first hour or so the Lido was open for lunch.... I can't speak to other ships.:)

[mamaofami]

 

Best....cold soups

 

Worst...chocolate volcano overcooked in PG

Edited January 8, 2017 by mamaofami

[JPH814]

Worst: ii had the lobster bisque in the Pinnacle Grille (Oosterdam) that was obviously scorched. I complained to the waiter and was told it was not - that was the way it was supposed to taste.

 

Had one of the best slices of Prime Rib ever on the Zuiderdam in the MDR. And I've had Rib in some pretty good places.

 

 

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Edited January 8, 2017 by JPH814

[JPH814]

Wow - this will be our first HAL cruise but it certainly sounds like the desserts are a disappointment. That sucks because I'm a dessert-a-holic.......

 

 

Everyone has their opinions. I am not saying that every dessert is wonderful, but there are more than enough good choices that will feed your addiction.

 

 

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