No more embarkation day lunch in the MDR fleetwide!

[Cat J]

11 minutes ago, daisy-mae said:

During the Q & A at the captain's talk on the Niew Statendam recently, a passenger prefaced his rant by quoting his 4* status, then went on to complain about an issue relating to guest services. The captain very diplomatically responded that he would meet with him later to try to sort things out. Shortly thereafter another guest started his comment by stating that was NOT a 4* and was met with applause. I think that demonstrates the general sentiment as it relates to status boasting.

You must have been on the same cruise as me 🙂  Was this in Feb.?  I thought the guy said he was a 5 star but maybe I mis-heard him - he complained about an individual issue that shouldn't have been brought up at the Meet the Captain event.  I thought that the captain did an amazing job with his response!!  And I loved it (and applauded and laughed) when the other guest started out by saying he was "not a 4/5 star" - lol.  I'm trying to work my way up to a 4 star for the free laundry - lol.  I love HAL and think they do an amazing job.  The crew and staff has always exceeded my expectations and they are so friendly and helpful all the time.  I will miss the MDR for lunch on embarkation day because I did enjoy going to it for lunch on my 1st day just as part of the routine for my 1st day on board.  However, I love the food in the Lido and the pizza place so it will be just fine.  Have a great day!

[daisy-mae]

10 minutes ago, Cat J said:

You must have been on the same cruise as me 🙂  Was this in Feb.?  I thought the guy said he was a 5 star but maybe I mis-heard him - 

Yup - same cruise. He may have said 5 star (I lose track after 4). I agree - the captain was very tactful.

[happytotravel]

Hello Miss G and Others,

NCL also never let on that the MDR was open on embarkation day.  Probably other cruise lines do the same.

Have a great day!   happytotravel   

[shadow 123]

On 3/13/2024 at 12:37 PM, Real NHDOC said:

When we were on Eurodam just last month we had over 500 B2B guests on one turnover day and the dining room was pretty busy for both breakfast and lunch. As others have stated the main reason more people didn’t take advantage of the lunch in the MDR is it was a “well kept secret”. For whatever reason HAL never wanted people to know it was available.
 

I always assumed they did this intentionally to keep the burden on the dining room staff low but to say now that they’re discontinuing it because it wasn’t well attended seems to be disingenuous. Had they actually invited embarking guests to it I suspect it would have been very well attended. 

I agree. It was a well kept secret. I've been traveling with Holland America since 2017 and never knew lunch was being served in the main dining room until last year. the only reason I knew it then was because another passenger mentioned it. I really enjoyed it because I don't much care for the Iido at all. Oh well

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@Miss G I think you missed my point. There is already a special "Mariner's Lunch" those who are invited enjoy if you choose to attend. If a person has a point of view or personal knowledge they want to share, then share it. No need to quote your "Mariner Status" to validate it. I think the MDR being open for lunch for a reasonable period say until 1430 hrs. on embarkation day would help set a tone for passengers new and returning who would enjoy a sit down lunch; as well as take part of the surge from the Lido. Unfortunately many people thought it was for "Mariners" only and since they weren't they didn't even try. Conversely some "Mariners" where upset that it was no longer exclusive.

 

There wasn't a "mariner's lunch" on my recent cruise. 

[Blackduck59]

7 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

There wasn't a "mariner's lunch" on my recent cruise. 

I'm sorry to hear that, it seems to be hit and miss. There have been reports of invite only "Mariner's Lunch" with presentations and special menu by a number of members on different cruises. There have also been some members expecting to have the "Mariner's Lunch" in the MDR on embarkation day. That assumption is usually from people who haven't cruised on HAL in some time. Now there will be no lunch in the MDR on embarkation day and hopefully those who enjoy the invitation only Mariner's Lunch will find it offered more consistently on cruises going forward.

[kazu]

25 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

There wasn't a "mariner's lunch" on my recent cruise. 

 

That’s a shame.  😞 There certainly was on our TA and the menu is very much improved.  It was quite good.
 

Medallion ceremony was prior and well attended - many more people than in the past.  👍 

[*Miss G*]

There hasn’t been a Mariner’s lunch on any of the cruises I have been on since the restart.  I did receive a medallion (well, it was left on my sister’s bed back in 2022) but there was no ceremony then, either.  Hopefully I will get to experience one in the future.  If I live that long.

[Haljo1935]

There were so many "Stars" onboard K'dam Christmas New Years cruise that there were 3 Mariners luncheons. Senior officers attended, greeted and ate w/passengers. Captain gave a very nice welcome toast thanking passengers for their loyalty. 

The menu was very nice - the one I went to was well attended. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Haljo1935]

14 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

There hasn’t been a Mariner’s lunch on any of the cruises I have been on since the restart.  I did receive a medallion (well, it was left on my sister’s bed back in 2022) but there was no ceremony then, either.  Hopefully I will get to experience one in the future.  If I live that long.

That's unfortunate as they're lovely. I have no excuse for not going, but the one on my last cruise was so nice, I will be sure to attend every time I get an invite. 

[Blackduck59]

@Haljo1935 Thank you for the photos, it looks a lovely meal. I have no problem with Mariner Society special events and perks. Loyalty deserves rewards. 

[Real NHDOC]

18 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@Miss G I think you missed my point. There is already a special "Mariner's Lunch" those who are invited enjoy if you choose to attend. If a person has a point of view or personal knowledge they want to share, then share it. No need to quote your "Mariner Status" to validate it. I think the MDR being open for lunch for a reasonable period say until 1430 hrs. on embarkation day would help set a tone for passengers new and returning who would enjoy a sit down lunch; as well as take part of the surge from the Lido. Unfortunately many people thought it was for "Mariners" only and since they weren't they didn't even try. Conversely some "Mariners" where upset that it was no longer exclusive.

There hasn’t been a Mariner’s lunch since Covid. I have been on at least a dozen cruises on HAL since then and none have been offered. I don’t think they will bring it back either. Maybe the crew on K-dam didn’t get that memo when they held one in December. Heads will probably roll if someone at the home office finds out, LOL. 

Edited March 17 by Real NHDOC

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said:

There hasn’t been a Mariner’s lunch since Covid. I have been on at least a dozen cruises on HAL since then and none have been offered. I don’t think they will bring it back either. Maybe the crew on K-dam didn’t get that memo when they held one in December. Heads will probably roll if someone at the home office finds out, LOL. 

 

Sorry, but the mariner’s lunch is back - at least on some ships.  We had it last year on the Rotterdam and there have been similar reports on LIVE threads as I reported on mine.

 

the menu was very improved from the past and the food was very good.

[Woofbite]

All I remember getting lately has been a card good for a free drink.

[Real NHDOC]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

Sorry, but the mariner’s lunch is back - at least on some ships.  We had it last year on the Rotterdam and there have been similar reports on LIVE threads as I reported on mine.

 

the menu was very improved from the past and the food was very good.

Good to hear, however we were on Zaandam in December, Eurodam in January and February and now Nieuw Statendam and despite being invited to every Mariner award ceremony there hasn’t been a single special Mariner’s lunch offered. I will ask our hotel manager at our next reception and see what he says. 

[dfish]

28 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said:

Good to hear, however we were on Zaandam in December, Eurodam in January and February and now Nieuw Statendam and despite being invited to every Mariner award ceremony there hasn’t been a single special Mariner’s lunch offered. I will ask our hotel manager at our next reception and see what he says. 

We had one on Zaandam last August when we were on board and also on Koningsdam in February.  As @kazu said, the menu is much improved and really quite good!

[SilvertoGold]

Since the ships began sailing since Coivd we've been to 10 Mariner Lunches, Konignsdam and Noordam.  Some cruises had 2, some 3. Pretty much a full house for all.

[Infi]

I will definitely miss the MDR lunch on embarkation day. For me, it was the first moment I could truly relax and feel that the cruise had begun. 

 

I will say that since HAL shifted to the static MDR lunch menu, the embarkation lunch has held a little less allure because I know I will see the same menu again and again throughout the trip. I like to board as early as I can, and will still go anyway to have that cruise tradition moment, even if the menu is not exciting. On the Zaandam in December, I was pleasantly surprised that the menu was different and stylized as a "Mariner's Lunch". It was very seafood-focused and one of the best MDR lunches I have ever had. Needless to say, I was extremely glad I went, and moreso now that I know it was probably the last embarkation lunch I'll have. 

 

We did not have an official Mariner's lunch later in the cruise, which staff told me was due to the holiday cruise itinerary (not enough sea days) and all the other specialty brunches/meals offered. Fine by me. I would rather eat glass than participate in the typical running of the bulls entrance to the lunch for "sparkling wine" and a tile. Most of the people I have met at the lunch have also been status-obsessed and some have even questioned my presence at the lunch due to my age. Mariner's lunch day is always my Pinnacle lunch day, and it's a lovely, calm experience. 

Edited March 17 by Infi

[TiogaCruiser]

 

23 hours ago, daisy-mae said:

That would be a great opportunity for a manager or the maître d to show a little flexibility, rather than embarrass a passenger. A little kindness can go a long way in cementing loyalty.

One cruise pre-Covid my Lanai neighbor, on her very first cruise, told me she had just gone to the MDR for lunch accidentally and found out it was invitation only. The MRM told her not to worry, there was room, and invited her in. She was so amazed and thrilled with her tile. I think HAL solidified a customer for life.

3 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Sorry, but the mariner’s lunch is back - at least on some ships.  We had it last year on the Rotterdam and there have been similar reports on LIVE threads as I reported on mine.

 

the menu was very improved from the past and the food was very good.

We had at least one also on Volendam last year towards the beginning of a 17 day cruise. It included 2 star mariners. We did not get any invitation and my medallion was delivered to my DH by our steward. 

[Real NHDOC]

54 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Since the ships began sailing since Coivd we've been to 10 Mariner Lunches, Konignsdam and Noordam.  Some cruises had 2, some 3. Pretty much a full house for all.

Sounds like all things HAL, inconsistency is the only thing that can be counted upon. We have not been on either of those two ships since Covid. Hopefully the lunch will be restored fleet-wide. 
 

We have noticed also on some ships, like the Nieuw Statendam, every sea day the MDR is open for lunch there is always an additional “daily special” small and large plate option. For those who complain that the static menu gets too boring there are some options. Also we have been pleasantly surprised by having a special Caribbean brunch on one of the sea days on each cruise this season with a completely different menu from the normal lunch. 

Edited March 17 by Real NHDOC

[Haljo1935]

6 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

There hasn’t been a Mariner’s lunch since Covid. I have been on at least a dozen cruises on HAL since then and none have been offered. I don’t think they will bring it back either. Maybe the crew on K-dam didn’t get that memo when they held one in December. Heads will probably roll if someone at the home office finds out, LOL. 

There was also one Oct/Nov on Ns and Nov/Dec on NS, I got invited but didn't go so I don't have pictures. 

I think there was also one April/May on Eurodam. 

I've read reports of others having it during their cruises as well, so I do believe it's back. Maybe limited to select ships & sailings, but seems fairly common.

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

...We have noticed also on some ships, like the Nieuw Statendam, every sea day the MDR is open for lunch there is always an additional “daily special” small and large plate option. For those who complain that the static menu gets too boring there are some options....

Yes - also a "Daily Special" on the breakfast menu. They're a welcome addition.

[Vict0riann]

We have not been invited to one since Covid.  We have occasionally learned (after the fact) that one was held, but we did not receive any notification.  I guess we are off the guest list.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

We have not been invited to one since Covid.  We have occasionally learned (after the fact) that one was held, but we did not receive any notification.  I guess we are off the guest list.

 

A 5* Mariner off the guest list?  I would hope NOT.

[shipfriend_max]

And how about mariners lunch in MDR, is this still available?