Gala Night Dining

[atexsix]

Just now, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Try stopping by the jewelry shop and spending your OBC there.  I have two nice pieces purchased with OBC on Seabourn.  

 

Dinner at 7 pm never bothered us since we eat main (late) dining on HAL.

That's when we eat which is 8 or later on most HAL ships.  We eat at 7 at home, so it wasn't just be different while on vacation.  For cruises past, which seems like ages ago now, early dining was way too crowded and rushed for us.  We found the late seating to be more relaxed and with the exception of our most recent cruise, never felt rushed about ordering, etc.

[atexsix]

4 minutes ago, kazu said:

Gee, now I’m getting nervous about our upcoming cruises.

We didn’t have any loud music on our last few cruises but they were on the Prinsendam  and Rotterdam.  Soft music at the sea view pool (or Retreat on the Rotterdam) and soft  barely discernible at the Lido.  Don’t remember hearing music throughout the majority of the rest of the ship.

You might be okay, and if you're not, don't be shy about asking them to turn it down, I overheard that request a couple of times around the Lido.  Not sure where to accomplish that on the lower decks.  

[AV8rix]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

They sure are, and have been for the last several years. The only places I have found where I can get away from it during the daytime is on the promenade, or my cabin. Once in a while it is soft enough by the Lido pool that it fades into the din normally present. 
Even the promenade (on the ships that have seating out there) can be invaded. When the Walk for the Cure is held there is usually music BLASTING, I suppose to get the walkers to try to finish faster to get away from it. 

 

33 minutes ago, kazu said:

Gee, now I’m getting nervous about our upcoming cruises.

We didn’t have any loud music on our last few cruises but they were on the Prinsendam  and Rotterdam.  Soft music at the sea view pool (or Retreat on the Rotterdam) and soft  barely discernible at the Lido.  Don’t remember hearing music throughout the majority of the rest of the ship.

@RuthC, you are one whose posts I would NEVER question or dispute.  However, my pre-covid remembrances (latest  being Aug-Sept 2019 on Amsterdam  and Sept-Oct 2019 on Volendam)  are more in line with the comment of @kazu.  If indeed there was music playing in the public spaces it was unobtrusive and nothing like Bruno's description.  Perhaps the larger classes (enormodams and humungoudams) are different?  I guess I'll find out soon enough.  Koningsdam and Rotterdam VII coming up very shortly.

 

And apologies for hijacking this thread, which was originally about gala night in the MDR.

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, atexsix said:

  Wasn't it the King's Room on the smaller ships we were able to dine in?  

 

No, not on a regular basis.  The Room was used for special dinners or for private parties.  

 

Regarding the comments about the background music:  I have never found any that I have heard to be of any concern for me.  Could there be less?  OK with me.  In the MDR, how about a return of a live string group for 30 minutes or so to provide music during dinner?

 

The music option that I have complained about to the Greenhouse Spa Managers is the appropriate music that is supposed to be available in the Thermal Suite.  Often nothing is heard.  Only once, the channel selector for guests to use worked.  And that was on ONE day during the same cruise.  

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

No, not on a regular basis.  The Room was used for special dinners or for private parties.  

 

Kings Room was used on the Rotterdam when we were upsold to what our TA told us was “a bigger stateroom”. I didn’t realize it was a Neptune or what went with it until I got a call inviting me to the Neptune Lounge (any question why I don’t use that TA now?  LOL)
 

It was a 20+ day cruise and breakfast as in the King’s Room every day.  Fabulous as we had sea views.  So, I can guarantee at one stage it was used to replace the PG breakfast.  The PG staff served us.  It was just a different locale with much better views (there are none on the S & R ships in the PG) and we really got spoiled there.

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

Kings Room was used on the Rotterdam when we were upsold to what our TA told us was “a bigger stateroom”. I didn’t realize it was a Neptune or what went with it until I got a call inviting me to the Neptune Lounge (any question why I don’t use that TA now?  LOL)
 

It was a 20+ day cruise and breakfast as in the King’s Room every day.  Fabulous as we had sea views.  So, I can guarantee at one stage it was used to replace the PG breakfast.  The PG staff served us.  It was just a different locale with much better views (there are none on the S & R ships in the PG) and we really got spoiled there.

 

Thanks.  I was unaware of that.  

[atexsix]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

No, not on a regular basis.  The Room was used for special dinners or for private parties.  

 

Regarding the comments about the background music:  I have never found any that I have heard to be of any concern for me.  Could there be less?  OK with me.  In the MDR, how about a return of a live string group for 30 minutes or so to provide music during dinner?

 

The music option that I have complained about to the Greenhouse Spa Managers is the appropriate music that is supposed to be available in the Thermal Suite.  Often nothing is heard.  Only once, the channel selector for guests to use worked.  And that was on ONE day during the same cruise.  

I was told years ago on the Westerdam that the thermal suite guests wanted one kind of music and the salon/treatment guests another and it was a constant battle; not sure if it's wired the same way on the N.A. but perhaps they threw in the towel and went with no music at all.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On 10/16/2021 at 1:56 PM, ccmo said:

My husband and I will be on our first HAL cruise this February on the Rotterdam. Was looking to book our Gala Night restaurant. That would be the first sea day, correct? Was looking to reserve Pinnacle Grill that night. Do most prefer MDR or specialty restaurant on Gala Night?

I prefer the MDR over the Pinnacle for Gala night.    The MDR on a gala night always has a special menu that we enjoy.      The pinnacle has the same outstanding menu every night, nothing special for a gala, so if you forgo the MDR on a gala night, you will miss out on the MDR special dinner.   

 

I always go to the MDR on gala night.  

[atexsix]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I prefer the MDR over the Pinnacle for Gala night.    The MDR on a gala night always has a special menu that we enjoy.      The pinnacle has the same outstanding menu every night, nothing special for a gala, so if you forgo the MDR on a gala night, you will miss out on the MDR special dinner.   

 

I always go to the MDR on gala night.  

That's true assuming there's something special about the MDR gala menu, lately that hasn't been the case with HAL.  Jumbo shrimp cocktail and surf/turf should have been reserved for gala nights, not upsell items, they could have gone with some far more interesting dishes to upsell, the type of stuff you rarely see. 

 

On this year's Alaska sailings, HAL seemed to think their passenger base was one giant "where's the beef" commercial.  We couldn't locate white meat anywhere, no chicken, no turkey.  I prefer beef so it was fine for me, but Dad doesn't care for red meat and I felt awful every time I'd read the day's menus to him.  Even the Lido, where you'd expect a little more in the way of comfort food, had few things to offer.  Not even a batch of southern fried chicken.  

[Evilmuffin]

23 hours ago, Roz said:

 

Then that is a big change from previous HAL cruises I've taken.  I apologize if I gave wrong or misleading information.

Well, apparently I was wrong…. Or right…  basically I don’t know.   According the my booking online, there is only one.   But according to the boarding passes and documents I just printed, there is two.   

 

So, now do I pack one or two dresses?   Certainly wearing the same dress twice on one cruise is a major faux pas.  (Heavy on the sarcasm).  🙂.  

 

 

 

 

[Roz]

6 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

So, now do I pack one or two dresses?   Certainly wearing the same dress twice on one cruise is a major faux pas.  (Heavy on the sarcasm).  🙂.  

 

 

 

 

 

I wear the same outfit twice all the time (shhh...don't tell the gala night fashion police).

[atexsix]

On 10/17/2021 at 2:07 PM, Av8rix said:

 

@RuthC, you are one whose posts I would NEVER question or dispute.  However, my pre-covid remembrances (latest  being Aug-Sept 2019 on Amsterdam  and Sept-Oct 2019 on Volendam)  are more in line with the comment of @kazu.  If indeed there was music playing in the public spaces it was unobtrusive and nothing like Bruno's description.  Perhaps the larger classes (enormodams and humungoudams) are different?  I guess I'll find out soon enough.  Koningsdam and Rotterdam VII coming up very shortly.

 

And apologies for hijacking this thread, which was originally about gala night in the MDR.

Not your fault Susan, it kind of went in that direction.  I sure hope they wouldn't have that tacky music playing on gala night, talk about spoiling the mood!

 

We were able to tune it out in the MDR, probably because the general din forced it into the background; in the Ocean Bar however it was difficult to ignore and perhaps that was why nobody was ever in there.  And it was certainly noticeable throughout the major corridors, dining room to ocean bar, etc. 

 

I do remember music playing in the Eurodam's MDR, but it was quieter and more conducive to dining, classical or maybe elevator music.  But it stayed in the MDR.  It could be different now, but I don't recall hearing around hallways and elevator lobbies.  

[atexsix]

32 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

I wear the same outfit twice all the time (shhh...don't tell the gala night fashion police).

So do we 😁  But we encounter so few people that we know at late dining I doubt it's noticed.  But it's not even an issue now that we are going to opt out unless it's Cunard or something.

[Florida_gal_50]

9 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I prefer the MDR over the Pinnacle for Gala night.    The MDR on a gala night always has a special menu that we enjoy.      The pinnacle has the same outstanding menu every night, nothing special for a gala, so if you forgo the MDR on a gala night, you will miss out on the MDR special dinner.   

 

I always go to the MDR on gala night.  

Would love to hear your idea of special.  Would that be the $30 upsell to the steak and lobster that used to be free? A piece of fish or steak and shrimp?  Any specialty restaurant is better than that.  I’m not eating in the mdr on gala night.  I’m making a point not to.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, atexsix said:

I was told years ago on the Westerdam that the thermal suite guests wanted one kind of music and the salon/treatment guests another and it was a constant battle; 

 

That explanation makes no sense to me.  So, thermal suite guests don't want relaxing music?   While salon/treatment guests want a different type of music?   Or vice versa.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

7 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Would love to hear your idea of special.  Would that be the $30 upsell to the steak and lobster that used to be free? A piece of fish or steak and shrimp?  Any specialty restaurant is better than that.  I’m not eating in the mdr on gala night.  I’m making a point not to.

 

 

The MDR usually has a better menu on Gala nights than normal nights, while the Pinnacle has the same menu every night.    If you forgo the MDR on gala nights then you miss the upgraded MDR menu.   

 

Here are a couple of MDR menus from gala nights on my 2020 cruise.    This was my idea of special.  I hope you love it!

26-Jan-MDR-Gala.pdf 8-Feb-MDR-Gala.pdf

[atexsix]

16 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That explanation makes no sense to me.  So, thermal suite guests don't want relaxing music?   While salon/treatment guests want a different type of music?   Or vice versa.  

The thermal suite guests wanted Asian style and the salon area wanted some type of pop rock, strangely. 

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

 

The MDR usually has a better menu on Gala nights than normal nights, while the Pinnacle has the same menu every night.    If you forgo the MDR on gala nights then you miss the upgraded MDR menu.   

 

Here are a couple of MDR menus from gala nights on my 2020 cruise.    This was my idea of special.  I hope you love it!

26-Jan-MDR-Gala.pdf 512.56 kB · 1 download 8-Feb-MDR-Gala.pdf 518.29 kB · 1 download

This is from a world cruise right? I haven’t seen anything like this on my cruises in a very long time.  I’m not a newbie, I’m a 5 star. Have you seen the gala menus from 2021?  Not even close.  I don’t like to give people false hope.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Florida_gal_50

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Just now, Florida_gal_50 said:

This is from a world cruise right? I haven’t seen anything like this on my cruises.  Have you seen the gala menus from 2021?  Not even close.  I don’t like to give people false hope.

That was from the world cruise.   I did look up the one from the Koningsdam last week just now and it did look identical to the normal evening MDR menu, which is disappointing to see.    If they don't even print a special menu for the MDR on gala nights, then I sadly agree that there is little reason to continue calling it a gala night.   Hopefully this will be a COVID related service issue and not a sign of things to come.

 

If the only thing HAL does on gala nights is print the words "gala night" into the Navigator app - no more special seat covers?  No more decorations?  Wait staff not dressing up?   I am on my first post COVID cruise in 2 weeks on the Koningsdam.    I hope its better than what it appears at the moment.  

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

That was from the world cruise.   I did look up the one from the Koningsdam last week just now and it did look identical to the normal evening MDR menu, which is disappointing to see.    If they don't even print a special menu for the MDR on gala nights, then I sadly agree that there is little reason to continue calling it a gala night.   Hopefully this will be a COVID related service issue and not a sign of things to come.

 

If the only thing HAL does on gala nights is print the words "gala night" into the Navigator app - no more special seat covers?  No more decorations?  Wait staff not dressing up?   I am on my first post COVID cruise in 2 weeks on the Koningsdam.    I hope its better than what it appears at the moment.  

I think it’s going to be a shock for you, I feel.  World cruise menus have always been a step above from what I’ve seen posted.  The gala menus are disappointing.  I feel the “everyday” are better. 

[RuthC]

3 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

If they don't even print a special menu for the MDR on gala nights, then I sadly agree that there is little reason to continue calling it a gala night.   Hopefully this will be a COVID related service issue and not a sign of things to come.

The poor Gala night menus have been making an appearance for the last few years. I would never attribute the current menus as covid related. 
I agree, they are a great night to go to the Pinnacle. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

5 minutes ago, RuthC said:

The poor Gala night menus have been making an appearance for the last few years. I would never attribute the current menus as covid related. 
I agree, they are a great night to go to the Pinnacle. 

My last Holland America Cruise - that wasn't a world - was in 2019 - It was OK then......so.....resetting my expectations for my two upcoming california coastal cruises next month.  

[atexsix]

24 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

That was from the world cruise.   I did look up the one from the Koningsdam last week just now and it did look identical to the normal evening MDR menu, which is disappointing to see.    If they don't even print a special menu for the MDR on gala nights, then I sadly agree that there is little reason to continue calling it a gala night.   Hopefully this will be a COVID related service issue and not a sign of things to come.

 

If the only thing HAL does on gala nights is print the words "gala night" into the Navigator app - no more special seat covers?  No more decorations?  Wait staff not dressing up?   I am on my first post COVID cruise in 2 weeks on the Koningsdam.    I hope its better than what it appears at the moment.  

Perfect description, the printing of the words seems to be about the extent of it now.  The N.A. at least has those little lamps on the tables, so it's something.  But I miss when they lowered the window shades, dimmed the lights, and the white seat covers. I was never much for baked Alaska and twirling my napkin, but there was something special about it and the MDR was packed, not a seat to be had.  

 

BTW, on one of our gala nights, even the Lido menu looked more interesting.  And we would have gone there, but had a schedule conflict with one of the shows. 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by atexsix

[atexsix]

45 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

 

The MDR usually has a better menu on Gala nights than normal nights, while the Pinnacle has the same menu every night.    If you forgo the MDR on gala nights then you miss the upgraded MDR menu.   

 

Here are a couple of MDR menus from gala nights on my 2020 cruise.    This was my idea of special.  I hope you love it!

26-Jan-MDR-Gala.pdf 512.56 kB · 7 downloads 8-Feb-MDR-Gala.pdf 518.29 kB · 6 downloads

First of all, way more dessert choices, soups, and salad choices on these menus.  For mains, some might argue that the jumbo shrimp, filet mignon, and lobster are available every day now, but at a price of course. 

 

A lot of the other stuff: duck, scallops, and ravioli were on our menu's, albeit less fancy preparation and ingredients I'm sure.  In fact duck was on the menu often enough if you factored in the whole ship that I couldn't understand why white meat chicken and turkey couldn't be offered too.  I work with supply chains on my job and understand if something is not available, then it's not.  Turkey is having a well known shortage, but chicken breasts? Please!

[prescottbob]

Goodness, as usual, I’m late to the prom / original query.

Gala nights, pre-2001 I suppose (we had an abrupt departure in Fremantle during the ‘20 WC ) we’re always enjoyed special nights, now termed Gala’s, with individual fashion ‘statements’ and better menus.

Looks like things have changed. I just recall the “ old time” menus to be a step above regular dining menus without, I guess, the current extra costs for surf and turf, so-called jumbo shrimp and other special items. 
BTW, does that include the wonderful regular dining roast beef ( depending on the menu rotation schedule)?

We’d often have a couple appetizers, salad and some bread if the regular menu would not be to enticing.

Then again, it seems there was a standard regular, daily dinner menu choices that included a beef strip steak, chicken breast & fish alternative( s) plus a vegetarian option (often very good).

Too bad, if I understand, that such choices are no longer available.

BTW, we’ve never yearned for more variety at the time(s) nor do I recall complaining about the rotating menus.

And, we always signed up for all the specialty dinners at the PG (e.g. Cellar Master/ Sommelier, Visiting Chef’s, Mystery lunches and dinners, etc.) when boarding during embarkation for the longer cruises.

If you have particular nights for the PG, Rudi dinners , etc do so on the internet, if possible (you’ll be credited on your OBC once aboard with any discounts Mariner, etc. & be sure to take paperwork confirmations.

We’ll be doing a 9 + 71 on the Zaandam next Fall, 2022. If time permits, I’ll report back then. 
We’ve never lost weight, or worried to much about the fiddles, on a cruise. Just us.

No worries…

 

Be well.

Bob