Suggestion for HAL: swap Tamarind and Club Orange

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

It was offered in the Pinnacle dining room and it was a full house - pricey too. 

 

It's a shame it didn't turn out as well as anticipated. I hope they keep trying.

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

All these claims that Tamarind is a 'winner'.  On our cruise on NAM last Oct, there might have been three tables including ours when we dinned in Tamarind.  And, we weren't impressed with the food.  We did find the Tamarind Bar to be very nice.  All in all, an underused facility that would make a very nice suites dining and bar area.  

So, you personally didn't like Tamarind, so HAL should get rid of it and give the space to the suites? 

 

If you go back to the beginning of this thread and count all the "likes" for posts supporting retention of Tamarind as is, and then count the "likes" for posts supporting getting rid of it, there is absolutely no question that you are so far in the minority that you don't even register. 

[ithaca gal]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

All these claims that Tamarind is a 'winner'.  On our cruise on NAM last Oct, there might have been three tables including ours when we dinned in Tamarind.  And, we weren't impressed with the food.  We did find the Tamarind Bar to be very nice.  All in all, an underused facility that would make a very nice suites dining and bar area.  

Your experience may or may not have been the norm for the Tamarind.  We have dined there more than once a week on our dozen or so cruises on the NA, Eurodam and Koningsdam.  We never saw the restaurant underutilized, in fact sometimes had to settle for a different time than we had originally requested.  You might have hit an off night for whatever reason.  As for the food, there are different tastes for different people but I've never heard many complaints about the food … quite the opposite, actually.

[OlsSalt]

We have always gone at later hour dining at Tarmaind and the restaurant has been nearly empty after 8pm - more officers dining there than anyone else at that time. We were surprised there was so much empty space since this dining room filled both sides of that space on the NA.  Only one side was getting used every time we have been there.

 

Agree, we like Tamarind too and assumed it was filled to capacity at the earlier dining hours. Love to see Canaletto on the smaller ships get replaced with a modified Tamarind menu.  However, we like it more for the variety of the menu, than any dining  refinement. I even liked the tofu stir fry entree which was all I had room for after filling up on the appetizers and sushi. Knowing I still had to leave room for dessert. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by OlsSalt

[*Miss G*]

They had changed the Tamarind menu on our last visit in December.  I did not enjoy it as much as I had on previous visits.  The flavors just weren’t there.

[Overhead Fred]

Put us in the "DO NOT MESS WITH THE TAMARIND" camp - it is our favourite HAL specialty restaurant! 

 

How about this for a compromise if HAL insists on continuing with the Club Orange idea: 

 

Use the current CO space as a private breakfast, and maybe lunch, spot for the folks paying the CO upcharge. Let the Neptune folks go back to the Pinnacle for breakfast (or to CO if they like). Use the CO space in the evening as a specialty restaurant open to all willing to pay the upcharge. I would like to see the space used as a tapas/gastropub venue, but the international theme restaurant idea has merit too. Everyone would be on their own for dinner. The CO pricing might need to be adjusted since there would not be a dedicated dining spot (unless they set aside a portion of the MDR) or they could compensate by including some type of specialty dining package.  It would require staffing an additional restaurant at breakfast and, possibly, lunch which HAL might not be keen to do.

 

Would this make everyone happy or just tick everybody off? 😉

 

Fire Away!

 

[*Miss G*]

24 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

Use the CO space in the evening as a specialty restaurant open to all willing to pay the upcharge.

 

That’s just what they moved away from.

[Overhead Fred]

5 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

That’s just what they moved away from.

 

Yes I know. We experienced that on the Koningsdam last year and enjoyed it very much!

[Copper10-8]

On 2/22/2019 at 9:49 AM, RocketMan275 said:

I think it is a great idea.  HAL needs to provide more suites-level perks similar to those provided by X and RCCI (some ships).

Of course, those who dislike any changes will surely disagree.

 

Please don't call us Shirley....... There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?

[TAD2005]

3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

The pop-up with local cuisine sounds great. It would be something innovative, instead of HAL's incessant copy-cat moves that  leaves them chasing other lines.

 

I used to believe in getting a cheap cabin and enjoying the rest of the ship with everyone else. But as they have packed more and more people onto ships (not just HAL), I have become tired of the chair hogs and all the books and towels enjoying their time in the sun. I book a cabin with a balcony so that I know there will be some place where I can sit and have fresh air and a view of the ocean. 

 

I agree about the chair (and table) hogs.   There's nothing more frustrating than holding a tray of Dive-In burgers and wandering around the Lido Pool area and seeing table after table totally tied up by a single person reading a book, right at noon lunch time, on a sea day.   They have their feet propped up on one chair, and the other 2 chairs have books, towels, bags occupying the rest.   They have been camped out there all morning, which is fine at other hours.  But at lunch time, when available table space is limited,  made worse by the extra tariff cabanas on the Lido deck pool area on some ships,  these people should allow others to use the table and chairs to eat their Dive-In lunch.   But when asked to use the space, they sometimes say that they are waiting for friends.  (that never actually show up, even hours later).   I have no problem with people tying up a whole table for reading, but especially at lunch time on sea days, have a little compassion for your fellow passengers who simply want a place to sit and eat their lunch.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Overhead Fred said:

I would like to see the space used as a tapas/gastropub venue, but the international theme restaurant idea has merit too. 

 

Fred, I like your suggestion.  Just make the space's dining concept understandable for the average cruiser to use.  I still think moving Canaletto into that space makes sense.  It's a simple move to make with the only decor change for Club Orange (that I saw) was to replace those colors with the colors of Italy.

[*Miss G*]

I guess I’ll be the lone wolf.  I liked Club Orange.  A lot.  I do not like Canaletto.  I also don’t like the Lido Market.  I think Canaletto and the Market go hand in hand so they are perfectly situated right next to each other.

[Copper10-8]

6 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

I guess I’ll be the lone wolf.  I liked Club Orange.  A lot.  I do not like Canaletto.  I also don’t like the Lido Market.  I think Canaletto and the Market go hand in hand so they are perfectly situated right next to each other.

 

You are correct of course! Canaletto, from the day it was first created on Eurodam in July 2008 (followed by Oosterdam, Veendam, Noordam and Amsterdam after their dry docks in the Spring of 2009, followed by the remaining ships) has always been a part of the Lido operation with which it shares a galley, as well as staff

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

I think Canaletto and the Market go hand in hand so they are perfectly situated right next to each other.

 

And, that is the exact reason that I think Canaletto ought to be liberated from the Lido Restaurant venue and placed in a separate venue.  The Club Orange space is that ideal space, I think.

[Tampa Girl]

It seems from reading this threat that some think that Club Orange is only available to suite (NS) passengers.  This is not my understand nor what the HAL rep told me, so please correct me if I am wrong.  While Club Orange is a free perk for the NS passengers, it is also available to a limited number of other cabins for, what I consider to be the overpriced sum of $50/pp.  The advent of this new program does not eliminate, per the HAL rep, any of the other NS perks. Having traveled mostly in NS suites, I am quite content to dine where the rest of ship dines.  The Club Orange dining room does not appear to come close to Cunard's Grille's dining rooms.  This opinion, admittedly, comes from one who has never seen a Club Orange dining room but who has traveled in a Princess Grille.

[Fouremco]

5 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

it is also available to a limited number of other cabins for, what I consider to be the overpriced sum of $50/pp.

Minor clarification: $50/pp per day. Definitely overpriced!

[freestyling]

8 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

The advent of this new program does not eliminate, per the HAL rep, any of the other NS perks.

With the exception of breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. Understand at this time it is only on the NS and Koningsdam but “could” move fleet wide. I feel this does eliminate a NS perk.

[Tampa Girl]

2 hours ago, freestyling said:

With the exception of breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. Understand at this time it is only on the NS and Koningsdam but “could” move fleet wide. I feel this does eliminate a NS perk.

 

If that is the case, which is not what the rep said, it certainly does eliminate a NS perk.  A big one, in my view.  But where is that stated?

[3rdGenCunarder]

9 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

It seems from reading this threat that some think that Club Orange is only available to suite (NS) passengers.  This is not my understand nor what the HAL rep told me, so please correct me if I am wrong.  While Club Orange is a free perk for the NS passengers, it is also available to a limited number of other cabins for, what I consider to be the overpriced sum of $50/pp.  The advent of this new program does not eliminate, per the HAL rep, any of the other NS perks. Having traveled mostly in NS suites, I am quite content to dine where the rest of ship dines.  The Club Orange dining room does not appear to come close to Cunard's Grille's dining rooms.  This opinion, admittedly, comes from one who has never seen a Club Orange dining room but who has traveled in a Princess Grille.

 

You are correct. No NS perk is eliminated, just downgraded from the ambiance of the Pinnacle for breakfast to the glass box. On the plus side, the food at breakfast was better, at least the items that were cooked right there. And I was allowed to go back to my original MDR reservation, so I got the best of both worlds. I wonder if that choice will be available in the future. 

 

But as good as that French toast was, no way would I pay $50 pppd for the "orange pass," which is what they call the buy-in program.

 

And you're absolutely right that CO isn't close to Cunard's grills.

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

On 2/22/2019 at 10:17 AM, JennysUncle said:

We are recently back from the Koningsdam, where we ate at Tamarind and walked past Club Orange.  As many have already commented, Club Orange in the former Culinary Center looks sort of like a cafeteria, and many (most?) of the tables are right up against the clear glass wall that everyone traversing deck 2 walks past, checking out your meal.

Would it solve the issue if HAL just put up curtains in the old culinary center and put table clothes on the tables? Seems like an easy fix.

[*Miss G*]

7 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Would it solve the issue if HAL just put up curtains in the old culinary center and put table clothes on the tables? Seems like an easy fix.

 

There were tablecloths on my sailing.  And curtains would cut off the view to the sea.

 

I am honestly mystified at these complaints; especially from those who have never experienced it.  We are on a ship and people can see each other; just like real life!  The only people walking by are those who are going to/coming from the MDR.  I imagine those are also the people who are “checking out your meal” when they walk past you in the MDR.  Or Rudi’s.  Or the Pinnacle Grill.  I had paid nothing extra for a pleasant dining experience in a quiet space with a view.  What is there to complain about?  

[Tampa Girl]

9 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

You are correct. No NS perk is eliminated, just downgraded from the ambiance of the Pinnacle for breakfast to the glass box. On the plus side, the food at breakfast was better, at least the items that were cooked right there. And I was allowed to go back to my original MDR reservation, so I got the best of both worlds. I wonder if that choice will be available in the future. 

 

But as good as that French toast was, no way would I pay $50 pppd for the "orange pass," which is what they call the buy-in program.

 

And you're absolutely right that CO isn't close to Cunard's grills.

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  I guess I can do without the ambiance of the Pinnacle breakfast.  Was the service as good in the "glass box?"

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Thanks for the clarification.  I guess I can do without the ambiance of the Pinnacle breakfast.  Was the service as good in the "glass box?"

 

It was like Pinnacle breakfast, with the parade of waiters with different jobs--one for pastries, one for juice/mimosa, one for coffee... Business was so slow that everyone and his brother had time to come to the table and ask if everything was all right, which got to be annoying.

 

To clarify tablecloths. Not at breakfast, but yes at dinner.

 

[Rumloco]

We really like the Tamarind in its current location. I really don’t see the value for CO but about 12 people did on our last cruise.

[Crusinsusan2]

Looking forward to trying Club O on our upcoming K cruise. For the most part when we can swing it we sail in Neptune's and didn't enjoy the Pinnacle breakfast's nearly as much as some other folks seem to so for us this may be a very welcome change and added perk. Can't pass judgement on this until we get to experience for ourselves.

We too love the Tamarind menu, decor and space as is.