Generic Fresh Market Seafood listed on MDR menu

[MisterBill99]

I've noticed that the new HAL menus (at least the ones in the Navigator app) list a generic "fresh market seafood" on several dishes, and I don't really understand why they're doing it. At land restaurants, market fish is put on the menu because they will prepare a different type depending on what they get from the market on a given day (and also do not print new menus every day). Holland isn't doing that (even at Rudi's Sel de Mer, they didn't get local fish on our Koningsdam Norway cruise a few years ago, which I was told they WOULD do and bothers me to this day). So why are they confusing passengers by not listing the actual fish on the menu? I know that my wife and I are not interested in ordering generic fish, and want to know what it is before deciding on an entrée and I can't imagine we are the only ones. Listing it generically means you need to wait for the server to come over and ask them what it is (and hopefully they know and don't have to go ask). They print menus fresh every day, so I do not know why they can't just put what they are serving that night. 

 

Can anyone who has been on a ship since they started doing this provide insight?

[12cruise2]

We were on the NA in Alaska and Panama Canal.  All I can say is that the waiters knew what the fish was each evening and told us at the moment we were seated at the dining table.  My husband and the lady at the table next to us had the fish almost every night.

Edited October 31, 2021 by 12cruise2

[Red Haired Lady]

When I asked on the Eurodam recently it was almost always either cod or sea bass. 

Edited October 31, 2021 by Red Haired Lady

[aliaschief]

In Alaska they were purchasing fresh fish when in port. Hence, they get what’s available but they tell you what the catch of the day is when ordering.

[DE Solo]

On my September Alaska cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, the waiters informed us each night what the market fish option was. In one week there were about four different fish offered, including rockfish and cod. My assumption is that the choice of what to serve was dependent on what they were able to source at the various ports. 

[Florida_gal_50]

9 minutes ago, DE Solo said:

On my September Alaska cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, the waiters informed us each night what the market fish option was. In one week there were about four different fish offered, including rockfish and cod. My assumption is that the choice of what to serve was dependent on what they were able to source at the various ports. 

I agree.  Also it may depend on what is ordered and what arrives.  Seems very simple to get an answer on the fish.  

[Florida_gal_50]

I'm also wondering if on a given night they might have a mix of fish.  Let's say they have 100 pieces if sole and 50 of cod.  The first 100 people get sole the rest get cod.  There has to be a reason for it.

 

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I'm also wondering if on a given night they might have a mix of fish.  Let's say they have 100 pieces if sole and 50 of cod.  The first 100 people get sole the rest get cod.  There has to be a reason for it.

 

 

Yours is a good explanation for why a "generic fish" entree might be listed.  I had not thought of that.  

 

I wonder how many cruise guests appreciate that "fresh fish" is being bought and served as opposed to some who think that all "fresh fish" is really a frozen product?  

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Yours is a good explanation for why a "generic fish" entree might be listed.  I had not thought of that.  

 

I wonder how many cruise guests appreciate that "fresh fish" is being bought and served as opposed to some who think that all "fresh fish" is really a frozen product?  

I’m not sure it would be fresh.  Seems to me I’ve heard that fish has to be frozen but I wouldn’t swear to that.  That said, I do think they bring fresh fish on for Sel de mer at times.  I couldn’t decide one night between lobster and the fresh fish in the sel de mer stand alone and he said whatever fish it was, was fresh.  The lobster was frozen.

[GeezerCouple]

28 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m not sure it would be fresh.  Seems to me I’ve heard that fish has to be frozen but I wouldn’t swear to that.  That said, I do think they bring fresh fish on for Sel de mer at times.  I couldn’t decide one night between lobster and the fresh fish in the sel de mer stand alone and he said whatever fish it was, was fresh.  The lobster was frozen.

 

I think fish is supposed to be frozen (for some period of time?) if it is to be used for sushi... that is, eaten raw.  That apparently kills possible parasites. [If this isn't the reason, I'd like to get better info.]

However, when we were in Japan, we asked about this practice, and if we understood and if we were given correct information, this doesn't seem to necessarily be done there.

I'm not sure if there is a specific reason, such as the fish being different due to where they are caught, or how long they are held before brought to market, or...?

 

GC

 

[MisterBill99]

8 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I'm also wondering if on a given night they might have a mix of fish.  Let's say they have 100 pieces if sole and 50 of cod.  The first 100 people get sole the rest get cod.  There has to be a reason for it.

 

Seems like that would be very unworkable, since people could be told one fish and get a different one.

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

I wonder how many cruise guests appreciate that "fresh fish" is being bought and served as opposed to some who think that all "fresh fish" is really a frozen product?  

 

That would be great if it were actually true. I still do not believe that they bring fresh fish on in ports except in very special cases, like salmon or halibut in Alaska or lobsters in Maine. They need to use approved providers, and it's easier to just bring it all on at once.

 

And like I alluded to early, tried to eat at Sel de Mer on the day we had docked in Bergen, Norway, which had a HUGE fish market. When I asked what the fresh on the menu was (because one of the restaurant managers on the ship had told me to eat there that night), I was told that it was dorado, which is what they were offering the first night in Amsterdam and which I was later told wasn't even a fish that they have in Norway. We walked out. And they had the same display of allegedly fresh fish outside the restaurant every day. My wife and I did get a good laugh every time we walked past and saw the display.

Edited November 1, 2021 by MisterBill99

[Florida_gal_50]

25 minutes ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

Seems like that would be very unworkable, since people could be told one fish and get a different one.

Nope.  It would be easy enough to tell the wait staff they is no more sole etc.  They would have a good idea when they were getting shot.  What is your theory for not saying what the fish is?  I’m a 5 star Mariner and on every pre pandemic cruise I’ve been on they have always identified the fish on the menu?  Why not now?

[MisterBill99]

17 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Nope.  It would be easy enough to tell the wait staff they is no more sole etc.  They would have a good idea when they were getting shot.  What is your theory for not saying what the fish is?  I’m a 5 star Mariner and on every pre pandemic cruise I’ve been on they have always identified the fish on the menu?  Why not now?

 

I'm not sure the reason, that is why I am asking. The only thing I can think of is that they do not want to have to change the menu from sailing to sailing (or ship to ship) if they get different fish. Seems like it would be easy enough to do, but maybe it allowed them to get rid of a position, or part of someone's job.

[kazu]

17 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

That would be great if it were actually true. I still do not believe that they bring fresh fish on in ports except in very special cases, like salmon or halibut in Alaska or lobsters in Maine. They need to use approved providers, and it's easier to just bring it all on at once.

 

I can tell you when we did our South Pacific Cruise (Hawaii, Tahiti, Marquesas) there was a LOT of fresh fish brought on board.  The tuna was delicious 👍. So was the mahi mahi, etc.  We were lucky enough that there were still bbq’s on the Lido and the fish was offered at lunch hour as well as in the MDR.  It was really good and I’m fussy 😉 

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

I can tell you when we did our South Pacific Cruise (Hawaii, Tahiti, Marquesas) there was a LOT of fresh fish brought on board.

 

That has been my experience as well.  I have seen the Executive Chef and the Culinary Operations Manager on the dock inspecting the food, including the seafood/fish, that will be brought aboard and then learning that my dinner menu includes fresh fish from that locality, I believe it.  Have not been disappointed in ordering such an item.  

[kapitch]

While on the NA, Panama Canal cruise recently, the few times I ordered the fresh market seafood, it tasted like salmon no matter what fish the waiter said.  Twice I was fooled with trout being the market seafood, but it tasted like salmon and was as red as salmon.    It was very disappointing!

[tjcox9]

1 hour ago, kapitch said:

While on the NA, Panama Canal cruise recently, the few times I ordered the fresh market seafood, it tasted like salmon no matter what fish the waiter said.  Twice I was fooled with trout being the market seafood, but it tasted like salmon and was as red as salmon.    It was very disappointing!

Trout and salmon are very much the same fish, one being pink and the other off white, kinda depends on from where they come. I'm ready to be corrected as I expect I will quite readily! 😄

[MisterBill99]

29 minutes ago, tjcox9 said:

Trout and salmon are very much the same fish, one being pink and the other off white, kinda depends on from where they come. I'm ready to be corrected as I expect I will quite readily! 😄

 

Well, since you said that you expected to be corrected 🙂 ...

 

There is a type of fish called Arctic Char which is also known as red trout and looks similar to salmon. I have only had one preparation of it that I enjoyed, and that was at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Normal trout is white.

 

Red trout | Inland Seafood

Edited November 2, 2021 by MisterBill99

[sansterre]

I am on the Rotterdam Transatlantic Crossing and on our 7th sea day so I know we don't have fresh fish on board.  

Tonight, as always, I asked what the fish choice was since the menu only had "market seafood".  It was Sea Bass, I ordered it, and liked it very much.

It seems that it would make sense to put "Sea Bass" (or whatever the choice) right on the menu. The only thing I thought of is what Florida Gal said above - if they run out of Sea Bass they can serve a second type of fish by simply notifying the waiters.

If I get a chance, I will ask the maitre d.

[shanni-shanni]

15 hours ago, tjcox9 said:

Trout and salmon are very much the same fish, one being pink and the other off white, kinda depends on from where they come. I'm ready to be corrected as I expect I will quite readily! 😄

There are five kinds of wild Pacific salmon and they vary from pink colour ( pink salmon) to deep red (sockeye). Hatchery Atlantic salmon varies in deepness of red depending on the amount of food colouring they use in their feed.

 

Wild rainbow trout are red fleshed, amount depends on the amount of fresh water shrimp is in their diet. Again, hatchery trout are pale fleshed.

 

Tom

[shanni-shanni]

15 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

Well, since you said that you expected to be corrected 🙂 ...

 

There is a type of fish called Arctic Char which is also known as red trout and looks similar to salmon. I have only had one preparation of it that I enjoyed, and that was at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Normal trout is white.

 

Red trout | Inland Seafood

Normal wild rainbow trout varies from light red to deep red depending on the fresh water shrimp they eat. Only hatchery trout is white.

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/3EOTxAO.jpg[/img]

 

Tom

Edited November 2, 2021 by shanni-shanni

[tjcox9]

15 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

Well, since you said that you expected to be corrected 🙂 ...

 

There is a type of fish called Arctic Char which is also known as red trout and looks similar to salmon. I have only had one preparation of it that I enjoyed, and that was at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Normal trout is white.

 

Red trout | Inland Seafood

I knew you wouldn't let me down! 😄

[tjcox9]

36 minutes ago, shanni-shanni said:

Normal wild rainbow trout varies from light red to deep red depending on the fresh water shrimp they eat. Only hatchery trout is white.

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/3EOTxAO.jpg[/img]

 

Tom

I knew this board would not let me down with further clarifications and corrections!😁

[shanni-shanni]

2 hours ago, shanni-shanni said:

There are five kinds of wild Pacific salmon and they vary from pink colour ( pink salmon) to deep red (sockeye). Hatchery Atlantic salmon varies in deepness of red depending on the amount of food colouring they use in their feed.

 

Wild rainbow trout are red fleshed, amount depends on the amount of fresh water shrimp is in their diet. Again, hatchery trout are pale fleshed.

 

Tom

I correct myself.

 

There is a white Spring ( Chinook) that the flesh is white.

 

Tom