How often do you eat lobster at home?

[Mangrove Snapper]

Enough times that it's not a priority to eat on a cruise. 

[Hlitner]

Now you are talking my language, lobster and crab!  Ever since I had my first Maine lobster, about 60 years ago, I have been hooked!  But not on "lobster" but rather on certain types of lobster.  Depending on what expert you use, there are at least 16 types (species) of lobster and they really vary in terms of size, taste, parts, etc.  Having cruised on 17 different cruise lines, we have generally found that what cruise lines call "lobster" is an inferior type, which would generally fall into a few different warm water species that many call tails.  This stuff is not even close to cold water tails (found in the North Atlantic, off of South Africa, etc.  While the actual species does vary, cold water tails tend to have a much better flavor from their warm water cousins.

 

As to the best lobster, that is easy.  Nothing matches the taste of a decent Maine (our Canadian friends might prefer a different name) Lobster.  If you prefer the actual species, it is called "Homarus Americanus" and IMHO it is the best tasting lobster and in a class of its own.  This lobster turns red (when cooked) and is notable for its two large claws (arguably the best tasting part).  In the decent sea food restaurants, these "bugs" are kept alive (in a tank) until the very moment that they are to be cooked (boiled, broiled, or steamed).  It is also possible to freeze these "bugs" but very few cruise lines ever purchase this expensive lobster.  We were surprised to recently have some Maine Lobster on the Oceania Vista.  

 

While some places do try to con folks, when you are served the claws (or claw meat) it is hard to disguise the truth :).

 

I will toss in a suggestion for cruisers who happen to be spending a pre cruise evening in the Ft Lauderdale area.  If you want to enjoy a true Maine Lobster, perfectly prepared, simply take yourself to "Kellys Landing"  which is located off 17th Street (less then 2 blocks from the Embassy Suites).  That restaurant has the real thing (and also fantastic New England Clam Chowder) at prices that are not much more than we see in our favorite lobster places in the Boston area.  And, if you happen to have a port day in Boston (where you will dock at the old Black Falcon terminal) you are within a reasonable walking distance to at least two excellent lobster restaurants ( James Hook and Company; and Yankee Lobster).  We are happy with the lobsters in both these restaurants, although our personal gold medal goes to James Hook (where one might find themselves eating at a picnic table adjacent to the parking lot).

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

While “homarus americanus”  is the formal name, “Atlantic lobster” is probably the most useful — not being nationalistic as in “Canadian” and “Maine” - and most appropriate, as they come from the Atlantic coast of Canada and the US as far south (rarely now) as New Jersey.  
 

Sadly, the waters of Long Island Sound have become too warm, with the result that the local low cost “lobster pounds” in coastal Connecticut towns have vanished over the past ten years.

 

The spiny (Caribbean) lobsters, whose tails are most often served on cruise ships,  are poor substitutes for the real things.

Edited June 14 by navybankerteacher

[MacMadame]

My husband doesn't like seafood at all and he does all the cooking so I never have lobster unless I'm willing to order it at a restaurant. And since it's expensive, I never do. So I've only had lobster once. On my first cruise! 🤣

 

ETA if I'm ordering seafood at a restaurant, I usually get shrimp and once in a while, salmon.

Edited June 14 by MacMadame

[clo]

14 hours ago, mom says said:

The trick is to take all the waste: shells, newspaper, etc, put them in a plastic bag. Tie it tightly. Then throw it in the deep freezer until trash day.

Actually all of that, except for the plastic bag is compostable, so once  garbage day comes around the food and paper go into the food/yard waste and the plastic bag will have to go in the regular trash 😞

[cruisegal40]

Live in northern MA here. Right on the mighty Merrimack River.   Relatives get them straight from their traps.  I will take lobster all day any day. 

[clo]

1 hour ago, cruisegal40 said:

Live in northern MA here. Right on the mighty Merrimack River.   Relatives get them straight from their traps.  I will take lobster all day any day. 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[George C]

Just returned from a seafood restaurant I had lobster roll , wife had trout , they had a happy hour special on old fashions so had two then shared a good bottle of Chardonnay, I saw them pulling a couple of whole lobsters from there tank . 

[clo]

36 minutes ago, George C said:

Just returned from a seafood restaurant I had lobster roll , wife had trout , they had a happy hour special on old fashions so had two then shared a good bottle of Chardonnay, I saw them pulling a couple of whole lobsters from there tank . 

Was your lobster roll made with butter or mayo? (Correct me if I'm wrong, NE'ster) I believe CT is butter  and the rest of New England is mayo.

[navybankerteacher]

39 minutes ago, clo said:

Was your lobster roll made with butter or mayo? (Correct me if I'm wrong, NE'ster) I believe CT is butter  and the rest of New England is mayo.

Only butter.   I suppose if you had a bit of left-over rubbery, overcooked lobster you might drench it in mayonnaise in an attempt to salvage it, otherwise…….

[clo]

1 minute ago, navybankerteacher said:

Only butter.   I suppose if you had a bit of left-over rubbery, overcooked lobster you might drench it in mayonnaise in an attempt to salvage it, otherwise…….

So you're from CT!

[George C]

54 minutes ago, clo said:

Was your lobster roll made with butter or mayo? (Correct me if I'm wrong, NE'ster) I believe CT is butter  and the rest of New England is mayo.

Mine was Mayo , but this restaurant offers both . 

[navybankerteacher]

33 minutes ago, clo said:

So you're from CT!

Originally New York, but Connecticut since the 1970’s.

 

[clo]

33 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Originally New York, but Connecticut since the 1970’s.

 

Then definitely butter. I've had and like both but prefer mayo.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Never ....

[cruisegal40]

Most restaurants in northern MA will do either. 

[Lois R]

Hank, thanks for the lobster lesson. I did not know there are so many species of them.

I do like lobster though but I am in the "never eat it at home" category.

[clo]

3 hours ago, cruisegal40 said:

Most restaurants in northern MA will do either. 

Thanks. I've actually had it both ways. Love them both.

[Shmoo here]

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

I am in the "never eat it at home" category.

I'm in the "never eat it... period" category.

[XBGuy]

On reprovisioning runs to Costco i will usually check out the seafood section.  Occasionally, no more than once a year, I will grab a package of 3 or 4 lobster tails.  I have no idea what species they are.  My main interest is to have something a little different.  I just throw them on the backyard grill for a very easy preparation.

 

Ease of preparation notwithstanding, my lobster tails are better than the ones I have had on Princess cruises.  I have only ordered lobster tails once on a cruise.  More than once I have finished up the lobster tails that Mrs. XBGuy ordered.  They are always “chewy”—presumably, overcooked.  I once made the mistake of going to the dining room and ordering Alaska King Crab.  Same result—chewy.  Tragically, this was after our stop in Juneau.  

[clo]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

I'm in the "never eat it... period" category.

I guess that means you tried it and didn't like it.

[9tee2Sea]

Give me LARGE shrimp, cooked in butter and garlic, over Lobster any day.  I dont see the oohs and ahh over a lobster .

[Donald]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

On reprovisioning runs to Costco i will usually check out the seafood section.  Occasionally, no more than once a year, I will grab a package of 3 or 4 lobster tails.  I have no idea what species they are.  My main interest is to have something a little different.  I just throw them on the backyard grill for a very easy preparation.

 

Ease of preparation notwithstanding, my lobster tails are better than the ones I have had on Princess cruises.  I have only ordered lobster tails once on a cruise.  More than once I have finished up the lobster tails that Mrs. XBGuy ordered.  They are always “chewy”—presumably, overcooked.  I once made the mistake of going to the dining room and ordering Alaska King Crab.  Same result—chewy.  Tragically, this was after our stop in Juneau.  

You need to understand that the most expensive place in the World to buy Alaska King Crab is in Alaska.

The cruise lines will not buy it there.

The King Crab season is the off season for cruising Alaska, so most of the King Crab catch is frozen and shipped to L.A. for distribution.

Cruise lines buy it frozen (how long was it signing in a freezer?)and transport it back to Alaska to serve to you.

[Shmoo here]

2 hours ago, clo said:

I guess that means you tried it and didn't like it.

Yep.

[XBGuy]

 

6 minutes ago, Donald said:

You need to understand that the most expensive place in the World to buy Alaska King Crab is in Alaska.

The cruise lines will not buy it there.

The King Crab season is the off season for cruising Alaska, so most of the King Crab catch is frozen and shipped to L.A. for distribution.

Cruise lines buy it frozen (how long was it signing in a freezer?)and transport it back to Alaska to serve to you.

 

I'm not sure I understand why you quoted my post as a preamble to your statements.  I never made any comment about cost or previous storage.