Are you limited to 3 meals a day on HAL ?

[Stpatsirish]

Don’t be sorry. The only stupid questions are the ones not asked. You will enjoy your cruise and love all the places you can eat! 

[Mary229]

I have met people on cruises who thought they had to pay for every meal.  No question is trivial.  
 

I will only add that if the restaurants and buffet are closed pick up the phone and call room service. On HAL the service is free though they do offer a few specialty items for a charge. 

[maraena]

20 minutes ago, RileyFox said:

I am the original poster.   I have never been on a cruise and was confused because some folks said they paid $29 for dinner,.  I now understand that they went to the fine dining room and that is extra. 

 

We are going on a HAL cruise next MAY.  I have never been on a cruise and put down Viking and Greece as my favorite because that is a dream.   

 

I promised i was not meaning to cause disruption.  I tried to search this subject before I posted and i kept see where people had paid to eat.

 

I am truly sorry. 

It sounds as if they went to Canaletto which is a specialty dining option that's at night in the Lido Buffet area. It's often cordoned off from the rest of the Lido buffet dining area depending on the ship.

 

My guess is that you'll fine the main dining rooms quite nice and they may feel like fine dining. They're included. 

[David_S29]

28 minutes ago, RileyFox said:

I am the original poster.   I have never been on a cruise and was confused because some folks said they paid $29 for dinner,.  I now understand that they went to the fine dining room and that is extra. 

 

We are going on a HAL cruise next MAY.  I have never been on a cruise and put down Viking and Greece as my favorite because that is a dream.   

 

I promised i was not meaning to cause disruption.  I tried to search this subject before I posted and i kept see where people had paid to eat.

 

I am truly sorry. 

Did you get the "have it all" (HIA) bonus? If so, you may be eligible for at least one free dinner at a specialty restaurant. This is dependent on the package and the length of the cruise. For instance, for my upcoming 13 day cruise on the Noordam, I was given two free dining nights: one at Canaletto, and one at Pinnacle Grill.

[cbr663]

HAL, like most cruise lines, have included dining and optional, paid dining known as speciality dining.  

 

You are sailing on the Rotterdam, so the following dining options are included in your fare:

1.  The Lido Market (otherwise known as the buffet),

2.  The Main Dining Room,

3.  Dive In (Burger Joint),

4.  New York Pizza, and 

5.  Room Service.

 

Some of these venues will have additional charge items on their menus and it will be clearly shown.  For instance, the Room Service menu allows you to order an All American Breakfast as complimentary yet Steak and Eggs is $15.  You can order a Dive In Burger via the app and go and pick it up when ready or you can order a Dive In Burger via room service and the charge is $5 per item.  

 

These dining options are also available for an additional charge:

1.  The Pinnacle Grill (the Steakhouse),

2.  Morimoto By the Sea (a Pop-up),

3.  Gelato,

4.  Nami Sushi,

5.  Rudi's Sel de Mer

6.  Tamarind, and 

7.  Canaletto

8.  The Grand Dutch Cafe (food is complimentary, drinks are not).

 

There is a basic charge for some of the speciality restaurants and if you view the menus you will see that there are some items that have an additional charge.  HAL has introduced lots of ways to get you to spend more on their ships.

 

I'm sure if I have missed something another kind poster will point it out.  

[Dismomx5]

48 minutes ago, RileyFox said:

I am the original poster.   I have never been on a cruise and was confused because some folks said they paid $29 for dinner,.  I now understand that they went to the fine dining room and that is extra. 

 

We are going on a HAL cruise next MAY.  I have never been on a cruise and put down Viking and Greece as my favorite because that is a dream.   

 

I promised i was not meaning to cause disruption.  I tried to search this subject before I posted and i kept see where people had paid to eat.

 

I am truly sorry. 

You absolutely do not have to apologize! Leave your dream trip in your profile. There are many places to eat on the ship, and, depending on the ship, even more! You have the main dining room (MDR) and the buffet (Lido). The Dive In for burgers, dogs and fries (best fries ever). If on a Pinnacle ship you add New York Pizza and Dutch Café. Room service on all ships are great-try the club sandwich. These are all included. Add in the specialty dining-Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Rudi's and you should never go hungry. You are going to have the best time of your life! 

[ellbelle]

Be sure to try Dive In which is the burger, hot dog place on the Lido deck by the pool. You order and you’ll be given a beeper to pick up. Sometimes they’ll put our premade burgers for self serve but unless they were just put out, the quality may not be the best.

 

Check the Navigator app daily! Main Dining room menus are posted daily (MDR lunch does not change), Lido Marketplace selections are divided by sections (can be confusing to find though), the Asian area is pretty decent and the sushi is surprisingly good. There’s a great salad bar area, if you’d like a larger portion, just tell the server you’d like more. Peak times in the Lido will have lines but just be patient and if you’re not sure where the end of the line is, just ask another passenger.

 

There are some up charges for certain proteins in the dining room but are clearly marked. 
 

Hope you enjoy your first cruise to Alaska and welcome to HAL

Edited August 15 by ellbelle
Duplicity

[SilvertoGold]

On our last two cruises this year the Dining Room lunch menu did change every day it was open. Things vary, so best to check the Navigator App in the morning

 

Edited August 16 by SilvertoGold

[Overhead Fred]

There is also a "late night" buffet in the Lido from (I think) 10 to 11 pm. It is only one station in the Lido so the selection is a bit limited. It is primarily for staff, especially the performers, but is open to everyone. 

 

The NY Deli and Pizza also usually have late night snacks such as chicken wings, nachos, pizza, and sliders. I don't recall the exact hours but it might be open until around midnight.

 

@RileyFox - Enjoy your first cruise! I guarantee you will not go hungry!

[jlawrence01]

We had one of the guys in our circle of friends won a free trip on our last HAL cruise.  He ate most of his meals using room service as he thought that MDR meals were not included as part of the fare.  There are a lot of people with misperceptions especially among new cruisers.

 

As for me, seldom does a day go by where I don't have two MDR meals with three or four stops at the buffet.  I just wish HAL had some place where you could get free coffee other than the Lido.

[Petronillus]

11 hours ago, EatonDoolittle said:

I've chuckled at some of the rookie questions, but have enjoyed reading this poster's obvious excitement about a first cruise. 

On one of the "chat with" sessions in the World Stage that oftentimes punctuate sea days, the cruise director shared a bunch of "awkward" questions that pax sometimes ask. Only two come to mind off hand:

* Does the ship generate it's own electricity?

* Do the crew stay onboard overnight?

[Will_Dieterich]

When eating at main dining room (MDR) and even the specialty restaurants you can also order multiple items if you want.  I sometimes do multiple appetizers and skip the main.  Some cruise lines are now charging you if you order multiple entries but don't eat them.

Most specialty restaurants will allow multiple appetizers but not multiple main dishes others will.

Don't worry about food there is plenty around most time of the day and if very late or early there is room service which is free in some cases or very cheap otherwise.

 

Also for the lido buffet in the evening they search most of the food that the MDR is serving so if you don't want the formal seating or want to make a plate up to match all the things you want to try that is a good option

[syesmar]

2 hours ago, Will_Dieterich said:

…Also for the lido buffet in the evening they search most of the food that the MDR is serving so if you don't want the formal seating or want to make a plate up to match all the things you want to try that is a good option

@RileyFox

And if the Lido doesn’t have something that the MDR has that I want but I am dining in the Lido that evening (although they match most dishes and actually offer more variety), I will call Room Service and get the dish brought to my cabin, even if it’s a soup or dessert (although you can get an entire MDR meal brought, too). It’s nice to be able to order MDR options to the room.

One thing that took us a couple cruises to try (because we had done room service in the mornings) and we never looked back: Breakfast in the Lido. There’s a ton of options, check out the various stations for a bountiful buffet of breakfast favorites. 

Also, often during pre-dinner hours the lounges may have hot appetizers upon request. I got to where I just asked instead of waiting for them to be brought as in former days.

Also, try the Tea Times in the afternoons. (They have various names that have been changing, but if it says something like Royal Dutch High Tea it will have more food).

Enjoy your first cruise!

Edited August 16 by syesmar

[Will_Dieterich]

I use to do the MDR for breakfast for the aloo masala plate.  Then I found out they have them at the lido, so now I go there get aloo masala, some bangers, and a veggy omelet.

 

Cruise earlier this year I hung out at the mid-ship fancier bar before supper and they never had any type of appetizer besides nuts.

Edited August 16 by Will_Dieterich

[syesmar]

23 minutes ago, Will_Dieterich said:

…Cruise earlier this year I hung out at the mid-ship fancier bar before supper and they never had any type of appetizer besides nuts.

@Will_Dieterich

I’m going to have to try that aloo masala plate! So many good breakfast options!

 

Did you ask them about the appetizers? It got to where I almost always had to ask. And then on some ships was limited to one or two lounges only. Others lately have said they were successful requesting them, but others not, so it seems a bit inconsistent at the moment among the fleet. Which ship were you on? 

 

Thanks!

[Kaibyrd]

I’m so glad to find questions and threads full ofanswers like this! Our first cruise is just over a year away so I have lots of questions and learned a lot on this thread. 

[steve4031]

I travel extensively on Amtrak, where the employees can be inconsistent in rule enforcement or draconian. On my first cruise, I read that I could eat as much as I wanted, but I was unsure if I could have breakfast twice in the main dining room.  I got up early to eat breakfast, and then my GF, sleeping in, decided to eat.  I joined her and made sure to go up to a different employee for the second dining room visit.  No hassle.  All smiles.  Great service.  That was when I knew I would cruise again.  

[vicd1969]

On their very first cruise, my cousin and his wife only ate in the lido because they thought the main dining room was an extra charge place. Granted, this was on the king of nickel and dime cruiseline that is also named after an European country, so not a dumb assumption.

[Dismomx5]

12 hours ago, syesmar said:

@Will_Dieterich

Did you ask them about the appetizers? It got to where I almost always had to ask. And then on some ships was limited to one or two lounges only. Others lately have said they were successful requesting them, but others not, so it seems a bit inconsistent at the moment among the fleet. Which ship were you on? 

 

Thanks!

Have you had them recently? I haven't seen the appetizers since COVID on any of the ships/itineraries that I have been on.

[jlawrence01]

I do the MDR for breakfast on HAL as I really like all the different ethnic dishes available, especially the congee, the broiled salmon, and the full English breakfast.  HAL and Carnival are the only lines where I head to the MDR for breakfast.  I prefer the buffet on Princess for breakfast, esp the breakfast tapioca.

[Will_Dieterich]

Did not ask about the appetizers because did not know or ever see anyone with them.  Have a cruise next year so will ask then.

[Will_Dieterich]

Like they said the average weight gain of passengers on a seven-day cruise is 5 pounds (2.26kg).

[travelbug2225]

4 hours ago, jlawrence01 said:

I do the MDR for breakfast on HAL as I really like all the different ethnic dishes available, especially the congee, the broiled salmon, and the full English breakfast.  HAL and Carnival are the only lines where I head to the MDR for breakfast.  I prefer the buffet on Princess for breakfast, esp the breakfast tapioca.

Good to know they have congee. Do they have congee everyday? 
 

[syesmar]

8 hours ago, Dismomx5 said:

Have you had them recently? I haven't seen the appetizers since COVID on any of the ships/itineraries that I have been on.

 

5 hours ago, Will_Dieterich said:

Did not ask about the appetizers because did not know or ever see anyone with them.  Have a cruise next year so will ask then.

While it’s been a while since I cruised, even pre-pandemic it had gotten to where I usually had to ask for appetizers, and sometimes they were only available in 1 or 2 lounges upon request.

The current Know Before You Go has this under “Shipboard Meals,” so “hot hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hours” is something they still advertise to prospective guests:

”In addition to breakfast, lunch and a multi-course dinner, you can enjoy afternoon tea, hearty salads, comfort classics, global cuisine, an ice cream bar, hot hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hours, and the traditional late-night snack….”

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/get-ready-for-your-cruise/faq/know-before-you-go

Edited August 17 by syesmar

[Overhead Fred]

4 hours ago, travelbug2225 said:

Good to know they have congee. Do they have congee everyday? 
 

 

It is always on the MDR breakfast menu as far as I know. They also have it everyday in the Lido; the station may vary from ship to ship.