Salads

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have reading quite a few reviews lately and have noticed people talking about their disappointment in HAL's salads - both at lunch and dinner.

We have also noticed on recent cruises that at dinner every night the ceasar salad is always offered along with 1 other salad - not much of choice. There was a time when we had at 3 choices of salads. Would like to see HAL offer more salad choices at dinner?

And there was a time at lunch when we had a choice of good old ice ber lettuce some days, spinach other days, and the gourmet greens once in awhile. Would like to see more choices at lunch as well?

[elmorejj]

I would really like to see more choices at Dinner, it gets very boring. In the lido, if I want a decent salad, I go to the salad bar, where there are a few more choices. On the main lido bar, there used to be so many salads to choose from............jean:cool:

[Krazy Kruizers]

Things are really changing - too many cut backs.

 

I can remember when we made our own salads at lunch in the Lido there were lots of choices of vegetables, eggs, bacon, cheeses, olives, baby corn, etc. Now we see maybe on 4 or 5 choices.

[TriGirl]

We were on the Zuiderdam in October last year and I was disappointed that they were using bottled blue cheese dressing, and it wasn't even very good. I mentioned it to the Maitre 'D and he laughed and said 'yes it's bottled' but that was all. I can't be the only person who likes blue cheese dressing!

[Pincus]

I can only surmise that keeping salad greens fresh is costly. Over the years, I've seen the quality and number of salad offerings decrease.

 

And the nightly Caesar Salad with the bottled dressing should be abolished.

 

One way around this is to ask for oil and vinegar cruets at the table, and make my own vinaigrette. That's what I do.

 

Pincus

[WindyCity]

I would prefer to see an iceberg lettuce salad offered instead of, or in addition to, the Caesar Salad. Not all of us are gourmands - some of us prefer plain fare.

[lka1012]

I wish HAL would offer salads (as well as other dishes) from the ports/areas we visit on cruise. I would love to try more local cusine.

[saltydog28]

You want to talk about salads!!!! My husband and I were on a 14 day cruise and had a table for 2. The second night at dinner we had a different waiter and I noticed 2 large tables were empty. And it was this way for the rest of the cruise. They moved our waiter and the waiter from the next station over had to pick us up. And I don't think he was happy about it. Anyway, back to the salad.

I asked for my salad to be served after my entree'. This has never been a problem before. Neither on HAL or on any other cruise line. But this waiter told me that the Maiter'D yelled at him for leaving a salad on the counter-that it took up space where they put the dinner plates down-it was inconvenient. I refused to order salad at dinner for the rest of the cruise.

And you know how fellow cruisers say "I had a great waiter, my iced tea was waiting for me when I arrived at the table." not this guy-no special requests-no extras of anything. He'd put the food down and wouldn't come back until he served the next course.

No I wouldn't ask to change tables, we were at a table for 2. And I was on holiday. That man had to work.

Take care,

Pat.

[bookworm0911]

We like to have a few choices for salad at dinner and definetely like to try salads which we wouldn't be making at home- different greens and different dressings to try, not the usual French or 1000 Island all the time. Can do that ourselves at home and we like to try something new on vacation.

[bepsf]

Yep - Salads haven't been that great on HAL

Worst case was our last dinner aboard Amsterdam - the avocado in the salad came out BROWN! Sent it back and received another salad w/ the same problem. Told the steward to just remove it...

Seems that there could be some hydroponic garden someplace to keep us happily fed (like the tomatoes and boston lettuce that they sell in the grocery stores w/ the roots on...)

[sail7seas]

 

 

And there was a time at lunch when we had a choice of good old ice ber lettuce some days, spinach other days, and the gourmet greens once in awhile. Would like to see more choices at lunch as well?

 

I LOVE salads and eat a very large one for lunch. The last thing I ever want to see on any salad bar is iceberg lettuce. It is almost all water with little to no nutrition or (IMO) flavor. I much prefer to find baby spinach or romaine or best of all mixed greens. The bigger the salad bar the better I like it. I agree that they have shrunk on the ships as they redid them during the SOE upgrades. Most of the time, it's okay and I find enough but never an over abundance anymore IMO

 

The difference in the salad bar on VODM from October when we were there and then when we returned in January following her SOE was VERY noticeable and somewhat disappointing to me.

 

As to dinner salads, I almost never have one on the ships. Seeing as I have had a very large one at lunch, that is enough for me. If I have a salad course at dinner, it's too much food for me.

[Odd Ball]

I would prefer to see an iceberg lettuce salad offered instead of, or in addition to, the Caesar Salad. Not all of us are gourmands - some of us prefer plain fare.

We think alike. I don't care for all different things on a salad. I prefer a wedge of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing. Caeasar is aslo a favorite.

[thomasale]

Hard to please everyone and there are just a dozen or so checking in here. Imagine with 1400 pax. I come from a big family. I have always eaten what was put in front of me. The salad is the last of my worries. JMHO

[saltydog28]

thomasale-Good for you. I have a large family and when one of the children would tell me they didn't like something, I would say 'sure you do, you just forgot, eat it anyway.That doesn't work today.

Take care,

Pat.

[sail7seas]

Hard to please everyone and there are just a dozen or so checking in here. Imagine with 1400 pax. I come from a big family. I have always eaten what was put in front of me. The salad is the last of my worries. JMHO

 

:) Of course, you're right. Can't please all the people all the time.

 

My interest in the salad bar has lots to do with nutrition/calorie control. I don't want to eat all the high fat, high calorie, empty calorie foods so a good salad bar is necessary for me. I'll have the occassional hamburg or piece of pizza but 90% of my eating is fresh veggies/low fat proteins.

 

It isn't a case of....Oh what the heck; you're on vacation! I literally feel ill if I eat that kind of food. I have eaten so little of it for so long now that my system can't handle it. ;) Not to mention, I really want to be able to wear some of those long gowns on the last formal night, same as I wore them on the first formal night. ;)

 

So....salad bar really is important to some of us.

[bruceh4]

We think alike. I don't care for all different things on a salad. I prefer a wedge of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing. Caeasar is aslo a favorite.

If this is what you want then place a standing order with your dinning room steward. Many people who like a certain thing every night do that and have what they want. It does not have to be on the menu. Give the DR stewart a chance to please you, he is only to happy to do so.:)

[Odd Ball]

Bruce, Thank you. I just might give it try.

[BasenjiMom]

Not to mention, I really want to be able to wear some of those long gowns on the last formal night, same as I wore them on the first formal night. ;)

 

So....salad bar really is important to some of us.

 

 

 

To insure my gown fits on the last formal night, the last 3 mos I've worked extra hard and have lost 12 lbs. I figure I can gain it back and still wear my gown, get home, and all my clothes will still fit!

I'm like you, salad is a major portion of my diet. Hopefully I'll be able to find enough greens to keep my body in tune.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I love iceberg lettuce - but don't want it every night for dinner. I love to have it once in awhile for lunch.

 

Both of love spinach but we don't even see it offered at lunch anymore - just a couple of time at dinner on longer cruises.

 

Seeing what eveyone is saying, I think HAL needs to rethink their salad offerings.

 

Not everyone - especially at lunch - wants all those three bean - German potato, etc salads.

[shonuf]

I agree there has been a decline in the quality/quantity of the salad offerings. When I first started cruising in '98, HAL offered a delightful vinaigrette that I haven't found on the last few cruises. I love a good salad, in fact no matter how many fresh salads/fruits I eat while on vacation, when I get home I always am craving salad. (Count me in as an iceberg lover too but I like almost everything green.)

 

bepsf, whenever I think about avocados, I remember this story about my late MIL. We were preparing a (fancy) family dinner and she asked me to prepare the avocado salad. She handed me 7 plates and ONE avocado! After I carefully divided that lone avocado, she told me she had mis-counted and there were really 8 of us. I had to re-divide the avocado into 8 servings!

[Krazy Kruizers]

shonuf

 

One Avocado for eight people!!!???

 

DH wouldn't want to have a salad at her house.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For those of us who wish to see better salads at lunch and dinner, maybe we should indicate this on our comment cards.

[dakrewser]

That's sad. When I did my comparison of HAL & Celebrity last fall, salads were one area I though HAL was clearly better. I'll know for sure after our upcoming Prinsendam cruise, but I'd hate to have to apply the same description to HAL's salad offerings as to X's:

Less successful were salads (although the dressings were great) which were uniformly bland and similar night to night (we tried to guess each night what word would be used for the chopped and tossed greens - "micture", "melange", and even "panache" showed up on the menu).

[sail7seas]

shonuf

 

One Avocado for eight people!!!???

 

DH wouldn't want to have a salad at her house.

 

I'm with your DH, KK.

 

I cut half an avocado almost every night into our salad. Because it's a bit calorie dense, I only use half each night but we want to have the great nutrition from it.

[sail7seas]

For those of us who wish to see better salads at lunch and dinner, maybe we should indicate this on our comment cards.

 

 

I will absolutely do that!!!