Lunch in the Dining Room on Embarkation Day

[SilvertoGold]

6 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

On June 2, there were about 50 Mariners in the MDR for lunch if I remember correctly. 

 

June 16 - in Vancouver about 75 showed up for the embarkation lunch.

In Seward on June 23 the MDR was open, to our surprise.  With so many pax arriving late on the trains and buses, we expected a closed MDR.  A nice treat after all.

[rkacruiser]

I enjoy having lunch in the MDR on Embarkation Day and dining with others.  I enjoy and am infected with the enthusiasm for their cruise that compliments my expectations for another wonderful travel adventure.  The lunch has always been very good/excellent, the service satisfactory/very good, but there never seem to be sufficient wine stewards assigned to the MDR during that time.  Wine/cocktail service is s-l-o-w more often than not.

[mamaofami]

DH and I prefer the main dining room for lunch. I prefer the quiet to the hustle and bustle in the Lido.

[sail7seas]

I like the excietment and joy of newly embarked   guests, before they get  all grumbly and  complaing.    I t is fun to guess who are  first -timers    .  🙂

 

 

It's    all  l good as long as   each of us can find a place for lunch that pleases us.

 

 

[DaveOKC]

On 7/7/2019 at 3:25 PM, Crew News said:

 

As requested menu for Embarktion Day (scroll down):

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/KD-Embarkation-Day.pdf

 

This was the same Embarkation Day MDR Mariner-only lunch menu served on the Westerdam last month.

Just to be clear - that menu is for the Lido buffet.  The MDR menu is normally very limited the first day, but the food and presentation were very good.  We almost always do this, as it is a nice way to relax and unwind after the boarding process.

[Moriah]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Just to be clear - that menu is for the Lido buffet.  The MDR menu is normally very limited the first day, but the food and presentation were very good.  We almost always do this, as it is a nice way to relax and unwind after the boarding process.

 

the MDR menu was also in that post - I scrolled down past the Lido menu and found it.

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Just to be clear - that menu is for the Lido buffet.  The MDR menu is normally very limited the first day, but the food and presentation were very good.  We almost always do this, as it is a nice way to relax and unwind after the boarding process.

 

See above post.

Edited July 10, 2019 by Crew News

[Sharon in AZ]

This was the MDR menu from the Oosterdam June 2, 2019.  Not too different from Crew News menu.  Sorry if it is blurry. 

 

We love eating in the MDR breakfast, lunch, dinner.  That is just us and I know it isn't for everyone, just as the Lido isn't for everyone.

 

[Moriah]

8 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

This was the MDR menu from the Oosterdam June 2, 2019.  Not too different from Crew News menu.  Sorry if it is blurry. 

 

We love eating in the MDR breakfast, lunch, dinner.  That is just us and I know it isn't for everyone, just as the Lido isn't for everyone.

 

 

Thanks for this!  I'm hoping the Amsterdam MDR lunch menu will include one great burger. The one above differs in the name of the burger and type of cheese :)  You are so right about different strokes for different folks.  Except for embarkation day lunch, when I love the MDR, I am usually too impatient to sit through the long meals there-- they always seem to take forever (just my perception I'm sure), so I prefer room service or the Lido (including the Dive In)  I am a grab and go sort of person, and others like a leisurely meal with full service. So great that HAL has options that suit all of us! Some cruises I don't see the inside of the MDR the whole cruise, which is a little strange... since years ago we had fixed dining and loved meeting up with our tables for 6 or 8 at the end of the day.  Things change.. interesting.  I still love the Pinnacle Grill and will have a couple of dinners there.  Somehow it doesn't seem as poky as in the MDR - I guess they want to turn over the tables more quickly, which is fine with me!

[sail7seas]

4 hours ago, Moriah said:

 

Thanks for this!  I'm hoping the Amsterdam MDR lunch menu will include one great burger. The one above differs in the name of the burger and type of cheese 🙂 You are so right about different strokes for different folks.  Except for embarkation day lunch, when I love the MDR, I am usually too impatient to sit through the long meals there-- they always seem to take forever (just my perception I'm sure), so I prefer room service or the Lido (including the Dive In)  I am a grab and go sort of person, and others like a leisurely meal with full service. So great that HAL has options that suit all of us! Some cruises I don't see the inside of the MDR the whole cruise, which is a little strange... since years ago we had fixed dining and loved meeting up with our tables for 6 or 8 at the end of the day.  Things change.. interesting.  I still love the Pinnacle Grill and will have a couple of dinners there.  Somehow it doesn't seem as poky as in the MDR - I guess they want to turn over the tables more quickly, which is fine with me!

Pinnacle Grrill is not usually open for lunch on embarktfion day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

sail.noordasm@g mail.com

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by sail7seas

[grest]

On our Alaska cruise in June, the embarcation lunch in the dining room was limited to Mariners.

[Moriah]

28 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

Pinnacle Grrill is not usually open for lunch on embarktfion day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

sail.noordasm@g mail.com

 

 

I don't ever remember it being open for embarkation lunch.  That would be a very welcome change.

[Moriah]

9 minutes ago, grest said:

On our Alaska cruise in June, the embarcation lunch in the dining room was limited to Mariners.

 

Interesting!  Maybe they are reverting back to that policy.  My last few cruises the lunch has been open to all (not that very many people took advantage of it).

[sail7seas]

 

 

Did you see or  hear  non-mari ers turned away?

 

how did you learn it was limited to Marriners?

 

Sorry for the questions  but I do wonder about  it.

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

[sail7seas]

12 minutes ago, Moriah said:

 

I don't ever remember it being open for embarkation lunch.  That would be a very welcome change.

 

 

 

Don't count on it,  especially with this new  Club Orange   business   🙂

 

 

Stewards from Pinncle grill aid in pushing wheelchairs and are needed to help embatrking guests.

 

 

 

[grest]

On 7/11/2019 at 9:53 AM, sail7seas said:

 

 

Did you see or  hear  non-mari ers turned away?

 

how did you learn it was limited to Marriners?

 

Sorry for the questions  but I do wonder about  it.

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 Hi.   We were traveling with four other couples.  We brought one couple with us (non-Mariners) and they were allowed in.   Another non Mariner couple tried to come in a little later and were turned away after being told it was a private event for Mariners.

 

[awhcruiser]

Can someone explain to me what a Mariner is?  I've only been on one HAL cruise.

[kazu]

1 minute ago, awhcruiser said:

Can someone explain to me what a Mariner is?  I've only been on one HAL cruise.

 

If you have been on one HAL cruise - you are a Mariner. 😉 

 

Mariners are normally past guests on HAL or other CCL lines.  (1* with no cruise day credits if they have sailed on other CCL lines).

[awhcruiser]

Thank you!