One Main Course

[cruisemom42]

7 minutes ago, boards said:

Is the price for a solo cruise double the price of a cabin?   I thought the solo would be higher, but not double?  I truthfully hope I never have to find out, but God Bless those of you who do it.

 

For the most part, yes.

 

Sometimes on lower category cabins you may "only" pay 175% or 180% rather than 200% -- but that almost never happens for any category from veranda upward.

 

As a long-time solo cruiser, it's less maddening to look at the overall cost per day rather than the supplement. Thus, I tend to look for cruises that are being discounted for one reason or another rather than looking for a reduction in the solo supplement.

Edited February 27, 2019 by cruisemom42

[rkacruiser]

Several posters have referred to HAL's need to provide "premium food items" as a possible reason to justify an additional charge.  (I assume that the word "premium" that they use refers more to quality than truly "premium" foods.)  Just as one example:  I consider offering Caviar as a first course a "premium" dining choice.  It has been several years since a nice serving of Caviar was available in the MDR.  (Once in awhile, there might be an appetizer that has the barest amount of caviar.)  Even in the PG, caviar is not an inexpensive option for those who wish to order it.  There are other "premium" food items that were once frequently available on the dinner menu that have disappeared.

 

During my most recent cruise on Nieuw Statendam, I enjoyed my meals in the MDR.  However, some of the menu selections and the food served lacked the "quality" that I had experienced on my previous HAL cruise:  Zaandam, December, 2017-January, 2018.  And, since my cruise was a b2b, my experience of having the exact menus repeated during the second cruise was not, in my opinion, providing a "premium dining experience".  I have done other 7 day b2b cruises on HAL; this was my first experience with such a situation.  I chalked it up to the fact that the Nieuw Statendam was still being "broken in".  But, another poster who is on the Nieuw Amsterdam is posting dinner menus and they are exactly the same as what I had on Nieuw Statendam.  

 

There is a new Vice-President of Food and Beverage for HAL.  I wonder if he has a degree in the culinary arts or a business degree.

 

[rkacruiser]

21 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

As a long-time solo cruiser, it's less maddening to look at the overall cost per day rather than the supplement.

 

Absolutely!  The cost per day often is the determining factor whether I book a cruise or not.

 

I wanted to join some friends on the Pride of America this Summer.  I knew I would enjoy a return visit to our 50th State.  But, the cost of the category of stateroom that I wanted was double the cost per day of what I paid for my world cruise.

[sail7seas]

33 minutes ago, boards said:

Is the price for a solo cruise double the price of a cabin?   I thought the solo would be higher, but not double?  I truthfully hope I never have to find out, but God Bless those of you who do it.

'Worth it'  is so relative and personal.  The  choice is pay it or don't sail OR  don't sail in the cabin category you might  want.  I want a veranda for every cruise.    Some people don't care about verandas and  that surely saves them money.

 

 

[OlsSalt]

Prior post figured out food costs might be 5% of the cruise ticket price. Consequently when having to pay double for solo use of a cabin, one could realistically expect a 5% reduction due to one phantom cabin mate not eating during that cruise.

 

But not a 25% or 50% reduction using just the food formula. Though one less bed to be made, less cabin water usage. Only one piece of chocolate on the pillow ...etc. etc

 

A 5% reduction would at least take some of the sting away. 

[sail7seas]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Considering HAL is based in Seattle a big part of the "green" movement is to reduce food waste - there are some appalling statistics out there about how much food gets thrown out in the US alone every day.

 

The cruise industry in general is taking a lot of "environmental" hits as  well - fossil fuel, air pollution, marine life disturbance and waste disposals (legal or illegal). Perhap HAL was trying to polish its "green" credentials demonstrating what it was doing to mitigate food waste. If you live on the West Coast of the US  one hears a lot about these issues.

 

As also from an occasional port city on Coastal repositioning cruises, believe me we hear plenty of local howls about letting these "traveling petri dishes" discharging contagious diseases on to our local shores while pandering to first world over-consumption demands, when they even enter our local waters.  If you want to start class warfare in our fair city, just mention cruise ships. 

 

In that climate, would a cruise line want to brag about what they are doing to be "environmentally conscious" at every level of operations?   Just one more layer of Seattle management consideration to start charging for the consumption of "extra food". 

 

 

I

 

  I nteresting post, however,  IMO  It is still another  grab.   🙂

Edited February 27, 2019 by sail7seas

[rkacruiser]

6 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Only one piece of chocolate on the pillow

 

As a solo, I still get two pieces of chocolate.  Like I need more on which to nibble!

[3rdGenCunarder]

42 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

As a solo, I still get two pieces of chocolate.  Like I need more on which to nibble!

 

I didn't get two. HAL is getting so cheap, on Gala Night I expected the box to have only one candy in it. But there were two. I guess nobody was allowed to break the seal on the box.

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by 3rdGenCunarder

[3rdGenCunarder]

48 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Prior post figured out food costs might be 5% of the cruise ticket price. Consequently when having to pay double for solo use of a cabin, one could realistically expect a 5% reduction due to one phantom cabin mate not eating during that cruise.

 

But not a 25% or 50% reduction using just the food formula. Though one less bed to be made, less cabin water usage. Only one piece of chocolate on the pillow ...etc. etc

 

A 5% reduction would at least take some of the sting away. 

 

None of the singles posting here has asked for a 50% reduction. Those days are gone, except for special offers on some of the luxury lines. One poster thought it was a 50% supplement, and a few of us responded to correct that.

 

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Despegue said:

Not only that, but a cruisemisma perfect opportunitymto try something new without risk.

with an extra charge, people will not be inclined to try the beef cheeks or liver, but will choose the known familiar dish, being afraid to not like it and having to order another main course and charged 10 $ for being adventurous.

 

On Royal Princess, their celebrity chef's, Curtis Stone, recommended entree was Roasted Pork Belly.  I have never had Pork Belly; let's try it.  When the Steward served it, its appearance did not appeal.  I tried 3 bites:  if I ate that, I would have need to use the services of the ship's doctor later in the evening.  Grease!!!!!!!  I have never sent a dinner back.  I then ordered their standard Fettuccine Alfredo and even it was not well prepared!  Surely, I would not be charged for ordering a second entree when entree #1 was not to my taste.  

[DrSea]

2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

On Royal Princess, their celebrity chef's, Curtis Stone, recommended entree was Roasted Pork Belly.  I have never had Pork Belly; let's try it.  When the Steward served it, its appearance did not appeal.  I tried 3 bites:  if I ate that, I would have need to use the services of the ship's doctor later in the evening.  Grease!!!!!!!  I have never sent a dinner back.  I then ordered their standard Fettuccine Alfredo and even it was not well prepared!  Surely, I would not be charged for ordering a second entree when entree #1 was not to my taste.  

You bring up a really good point. What happens if you don't like your first entree? I am not sure how it worked on my cruise if you had to order something else because it didn't taste good. 

 

I will say, I ordered a rare steak, and got med well done. I sent it back w/o getting charged 10. But this is a clear cut scenario as they didn't cook the steak "correctly"

[kazu]

As @rkacruiser pointed out, my concern would be if there was an issue with a meal.  I haven’t had many but I would certainly hope that if my food was not cooked as ordered (if there’s a choice) or was disappointing  that I could substitute and not be charged $10 because the food didn’t measure up.

 

It’s not a worry I have right now..  I’ll just sail and don’t expect to encounter it and if I do, I’ll deal with it and I’m pretty sure I won’t be paying 😉 

[Ricktan]

On 2/26/2019 at 11:33 AM, racnwdow said:

 

I would have a very hard time getting full on one trip through a buffet.  Not because I am a glutton or over eat.  But because I am one of the people who can't stand their food to touch.  I am 56 and haven't outgrown it yet, so I am not changing now.  

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🤣

[Crusinsusan2]

Oh come on! Anyone that can not find something desirable to their individual or dietary needs and the needed quantity of it they require on a HAL cruise 24/7 regardless of venue is most likely eating way too often or WAY too much or taking advantage because they feel they can. Over the years we have observed more than some folks at the early Lido buffet dinner for "pre-game" dinner then on on to MDR for "real dinner", then back to Lido for "post" before it closes and back again to the 10:30 buffet. I for one would welcome an additional charge for this gluttony that in most cases unless just doing small tastings is disgusting. This behavior diminishes the quality Hal can afford to provide for what they charge and hurts the average loyal consumer that desires HAL 's quality much less than quantity. Can you order another entree or two or three at any land based restaurant at the same meal without paying for it?  Makes one wonder how much the grocery bills are at home for these people. Do they actually provision and cook? Can they abuse the local restaurants they frequent and demand more food  if they feel short changed?  Maybe cheaper to cruise. Sorry for the vent but our last two cruises we saw it all and it scarred me for life on the overeating and over ordering 🙂 

,  

 

         

[fatcat04]

2 hours ago, Crusinsusan2 said:

 Makes one wonder how much the grocery bills are at home for these people.

        

No, no it really doesn't. I don't dwell on others eating habits nor do I judge people and find them "disgusting" for enjoying some happy indulgence on their vacation, generally hard earned. And I certainly wouldn't be "scarred for life" over a rank stranger's eating.

Did it ever occur to you that those same people you malign as gluttons may produce far more revenue for the cruise line than you do? Maybe they gamble or buy various cruise line services? 

Goodness, some folks must have  a great deal of spare time on their hands for hand wringing and pearl clutching over what and how much other people eat.

Edited February 28, 2019 by fatcat04

[ArtsyCraftsy]

9 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

My experience:  it depends upon the cruise and the accommodation booked.  Sometimes, particularly several years ago, there was a 50% supplement, but not always.  Sometimes, it was a 75% supplement.  Most recently, I pay the per person price times 2.  This is particularly true if I book a veranda stateroom

 

I agree with you:  I suspect that the % supplement may depend on the stateroom category in some cases.  I've done 2 cruises on HAL so far (14-day cruise to Alaska, 38-day Voyage of the Vikings), and I have two booked for this year, the first coming up in just over a week (28-days to Hawaii/Tahiti/Marquesas), all in Neptune Suites.  I've never paid less than double the "per person double occupancy" price.

 

On the other hand, I've taken one cruise on Regent Seven Seas and have 3 more booked in 2020 (including the 131-day World Cruise), and the "single supplement" has been running 40%-50% for a "Concierge Suite" (smaller than a Neptune, but similar perks).  Regent is also all-inclusive, so for some longer cruises, it ends of costing less overall than a comparable HAL itinerary due the "extras" one has to pay extra for (excursions, wine, specialty dining, etc.).

 

The bottom line for me is this:  I have to determine if the expected overall experience for that particular trip is worth the expense, given the givens.  I view it much like a hotel room:  Most US hotels charge a certain amount per day, regardless of whether 1 or 2 guests are occupying the room.  They don't "discount" the room for just one occupant.  The room costs what it costs.  I tend to view cruise ship cabins the same way:  the room costs what it costs, so if I'm the sole occupant, I should expect to pay the full cost of the room.  Granted, a cruise involves more than just a room, but I suspect that food is not a major expense from the cruise ship's standpoint, so I wouldn't expect much (if any) type of reduction based on that.  

 

As to surcharges for ordering additional entrees, I definitely have mixed feelings.  I've never ordered more than one entree myself, and the only situation that I can think of where I might is if the entree I ordered was not prepared properly.  I HAVE ordered more than one dessert, however. 😉  If they started charging extra for THAT, I might register a complaint.  

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

[Roz]

9 hours ago, Crusinsusan2 said:

Oh come on! Anyone that can not find something desirable to their individual or dietary needs and the needed quantity of it they require on a HAL cruise 24/7 regardless of venue is most likely eating way too often or WAY too much or taking advantage because they feel they can. Over the years we have observed more than some folks at the early Lido buffet dinner for "pre-game" dinner then on on to MDR for "real dinner", then back to Lido for "post" before it closes and back again to the 10:30 buffet. I for one would welcome an additional charge for this gluttony that in most cases unless just doing small tastings is disgusting. This behavior diminishes the quality Hal can afford to provide for what they charge and hurts the average loyal consumer that desires HAL 's quality much less than quantity. Can you order another entree or two or three at any land based restaurant at the same meal without paying for it?  Makes one wonder how much the grocery bills are at home for these people. Do they actually provision and cook? Can they abuse the local restaurants they frequent and demand more food  if they feel short changed?  Maybe cheaper to cruise. Sorry for the vent but our last two cruises we saw it all and it scarred me for life on the overeating and over ordering 🙂 

,  

 

         

Why do you care what other people spend on groceries and what business is it of yours?  The judgement on this thread is astounding.  Eating on a cruise is not the same as eating in land-based restaurants.

 

Roz

[DrSea]

7 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

 

Goodness, some folks must have  a great deal of spare time on their hands for hand wringing and pearl clutching over what and how much other people eat.

Agreed

 

 

 

It shouldn't matter what other's grocery bills are. Very judgey. Geez. 

 

It's my job to tell others not to eat less. I would love for people to come and tell my patients not to eat so much since it seems like it is a passion of some here. 😔

 

 

[Lido deck main]

29 minutes ago, Roz said:

Why do you care what other people spend on groceries and what business is it of yours?  The judgement on this thread is astounding.  Eating on a cruise is not the same as eating in land-based restaurants.

 

Roz

Hi Roz,

Just wondering about the comment, that eating on a cruise is not the same as in eating in land-based restaurants.  Why wouldn’t it be, it really should be the same  as eating at home, sure we are offered different foods that we would not normally eat at home, but why wouldn’t quantities of food, and not wasting of food be any different. If you don’t eat a lot or waste food at home or in a land based restaurant, why would someone think they can do that on a cruise ship.  

Mary

[Jareds_mommytoo]

11 hours ago, Crusinsusan2 said:

Makes one wonder how much the grocery bills are at home

Well with 2 teens, one that plays highschool football, rugby, basketball ( whos  pediatrician had recommend a 3900-4200 calorie diet with 20% coming from protien ) the other who plays volleyball basketball as well as any other sport she finds interesting, both on high protein low carb diets, and we host many of their team mates for dinner, our local butcher knows us very well. 

The meal requirements and portions for active teens and that of say a 70 year old are vastly different and we generally will pick vacations that offer all inclusive venues, or land base restaurants we know will have portions that will satisfy their hunger. Do to busy lives I personally look forward to family meals on vacation i am not looking forward to having to go to multiple venus on the ship so my kids feel full. We also encourage our children to try different food when traveling all inclusive venues are a great way for them to explore new things. Often they would order something they never heard of to try.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Jareds_mommytoo

[Cruzaholic41]

11 hours ago, Crusinsusan2 said:

Over the years we have observed more than some folks at the early Lido buffet dinner for "pre-game" dinner then on on to MDR for "real dinner", then back to Lido for "post" before it closes and back again to the 10:30 buffet. 

 

How would you observe this unless you were in each of those venues at the same time?

[Roz]

1 hour ago, Lido deck main said:

Hi Roz,

Just wondering about the comment, that eating on a cruise is not the same as in eating in land-based restaurants.  Why wouldn’t it be, it really should be the same  as eating at home, sure we are offered different foods that we would not normally eat at home, but why wouldn’t quantities of food, and not wasting of food be any different. If you don’t eat a lot or waste food at home or in a land based restaurant, why would someone think they can do that on a cruise ship.  

Mary

Mary, I think you misunderstood my comment.  On a cruise ship, you're not paying for each meal or item as you consume it; it's built into the cruise fare unless you're doing specialty dining. 

 

At home I don't have multiple courses at dinner, but it's fun on a cruise to do that and be able to try new foods.  Same with desserts.  If that's overeating or wasting food, please accept my apologies.  I also eat more in restaurants than I do at home.  It's a balancing act.  What you consider overeating or wasting food I consider enjoying myself on vacation and loosening up a bit.

 

Roz

[killsport]

2 hours ago, Lido deck main said:

Just wondering about the comment, that eating on a cruise is not the same as in eating in land-based restaurants.  Why wouldn’t it be, it really should be the same  as eating at home, sure we are offered different foods that we would not normally eat at home, but why wouldn’t quantities of food, and not wasting of food be any different.

I agree on the wasting of food.

However, I disagree with most of the rest of the sentence / idea.

Vacation is not home. I clean the dishes at home. I clean the room at home. I do neither of these on vacation (including a cruise). I sometimes cook multiple entrees at home. People sometimes have multiple servings. I do not judge or ask them to discuss their caloric intake. If I pay at an all-you-can eat restaurant, I can eat however much I want. (Understandably, many have a charge-for-waste policy, but NOT a charge per order). I find it very petty that HAL wants to take the luxury and experience of trying new cuisines / dishes away from their cruises. And I also find it quite perplexing that people have an over-interest in the food consumption of other travelers.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, killsport said:

I find it very petty that HAL wants to take the luxury and experience of trying new cuisines / dishes away from their cruises. And I also find it quite perplexing that people have an over-interest in the food consumption of other travelers.

 

Some apparently wish everyone to move along in a joyless shuffle on vacation, without doing anything different than they do in their daily lives at home. How dare we get enjoyment out of staying up later than usual to listen to good music or watch a show?  We are shamefully overindulgent if we have a second glass of wine with dinner, since we don't have to drive home afterwards. Spending money in the casino shows a lack of impulse control.  And heaven forbid we should order a second entree of our favorite dish served on that particular line, which we only get to savor maybe once every year or two. We are clearly headed to hell in a handbasket (or an overlarge dinner plate).

 

Personally I have not seen all that much of the ballyhooed food wastage. But then, I don't eat in the buffet much and I also don't go looking for it.

 

Maybe HAL should change their tagline to "Savor the journey -- but not TOO much." 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Some apparently wish everyone to move along in a joyless shuffle on vacation, without doing anything different than they do in their daily lives at home. How dare we get enjoyment out of staying up later than usual to listen to good music or watch a show?  We are shamefully overindulgent if we have a second glass of wine with dinner, since we don't have to drive home afterwards. Spending money in the casino shows a lack of impulse control.  And heaven forbid we should order a second entree of our favorite dish served on that particular line, which we only get to savor maybe once every year or two. We are clearly headed to hell in a handbasket (or an overlarge dinner plate).

 

Personally I have not seen all that much of the ballyhooed food wastage. But then, I don't eat in the buffet much and I also don't go looking for it.

 

Maybe HAL should change their tagline to "Savor the journey -- but not TOO much." 

 

(bold is mine) Best comment on this thread.