No more fresh OJ

[debjo]

Having just returned from our 10/15 WESTERDAM Caribbean cruise...here's my "report" on the Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice:

 

On the very first morning of our cruise (Monday), when we had breakfast in the main dining room, we were shocked as our table of eight placed their beverage orders! Remember this was the first breakfast of the cruise! When we ordered PINEAPPLE JUICE, our waiter said with great apology that they were "out" of Pineapple Juice. Since we were eating breakfast at 8:30 am, I thought this "odd", but figured perhaps that many passengers before us had ordered Pineapple Juice. Then we decided we'd have ORANGE JUICE...guess what...they were "out" of that too. This was becoming comical, so say the least...how could they be "out" of two breakfast beverages on the first full day of the cruise???? Finally, when some of us ordered GRAPE JUICE, we were glad to hear that we could actually get it. One member of our group tried to order V-8 JUICE (after not being able to get Orange Juice)...guess what...they were "out" of V-8 Juice as well! He finally ended up getting Apple Juice!

 

I thought that maybe, just maybe, the ship hadn't received a shipment of breakfast beverages before we sailed...but the next morning when my DH and I ordered ROOM SERVICE breakfast, we were able to receive our much desired ORANGE JUICE...go figure?!?!?!?

 

Later on during the cruise, our group ate breakfast at the LIDO BUFFET...there was no problem getting "any" juice that we wanted there...even the FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE. (Although, being our first time on a HAL ship, we were a bit confused when we went to the DRINK SECTION of the Lido (across from the CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST SECTION) and only found coffee, tea, & water being served! We wondered where there JUICES were...and thought there was no juice to be had on the ship! Fortunately, after wandering around and looking at all the FOOD STATIONS, we discovered the JUICE COUNTER and all the glasses of Fresh Squeezed OJ waiting for us! :-)

 

We never did find our why BREAKFAST JUICES were so hard to obtain in the MAIN DINING ROOM that first day, and consequently, we chose not to "enjoy" another breakfast there during the rest of our cruise. We never had trouble getting our Breakfast Beverage Choice in the Lido, for Room Service, or in the Neptune Lounge. I guess this will be one of a few "unsolved mysteries" of our week-long WESTERDAM cruise. The only other explanation I could come up with...is that there were many "new" staff & crew members onboard for this first WESTERDAM Caribbean trip...apparently there was a big change-over between the WESTERDAM's Alaskan itinerary and the Caribbean one. Could it be that no one in the Dining Room knew where to find the Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, and V-8 Juice???

 

Hey...if anyone has the answers...inquirying minds here would like to know!

 

Debjo

[gizmo]

bdmarine and debjo,

 

Where you both on the same cruise ? Debjo says they had the fresh OJ on her cruise.

 

Bdmarine,

Were you told they no longer have fresh OJ ?

[ger_77]

Just my 2 cents worth: We were on the Rotterdam, Oct 10 - 23 and had fresh squeezed orange juice in both the Lido and Dining room every morning. We only ate breakfast twice in the dining room , but both times ordered and received fresh-squeezed. We would certainly have known the difference if they had tried to substitute the other kind.

 

And, in the Lido they were wonderful about making my soft boiled egg every morning. Normally I don't eat eggs, but decided the 2nd morning onboard that I'd try a soft-boiled with toast ... well I started a new tradition while cruising! I still don't eat eggs at home, but am looking forward to our next cruise so I can enjoy them in the mornings.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[Himself]

I was on the Westerdam from the 15th to 22nd of October and had freshly squeezed orange juice in the Lido each morning--I might add it was really good

[sail7seas]

Debjo......

 

It's possible the 'juice fiasco' was because a huge shipment may have loaded on your embarkation day. They have to sort, unbox, store all those provisions and it takes time.

 

Possibly, the shelves were empty at the end of last cruise and it took them a little while to get the new stock all sorted and stored and ready for use.

 

[fcorey]

I never order omelets in a restaurant since they are almost always way too dry. I do much better cooking them at home so I always have fun ordering something like eggs over easy, which I still have to master, and a side of sausage or bacon and hash browns.

 

Valerie:)

 

Valerie, my mother attended a competing institution in Hyde Park, she's always said egg cookery is one of those simple things that is so easy to screwup. I'm very much of the same attitude as yourself, I like making them at home with the ingredient done to my liking as I've rarely had one in a restaurant that was decent. However the Lido guys are cooking up a storm for hoards of people and sometimes quality is sacrificed for speed

[bobpatj]

The best way we've found to get fresh squeezed OJ, in the dining room, is to take it there, ourselves, from the Lido! Just be careful that there's not too much "motion in the ocean." :D

[Preacher's Kid]

I was on the Zaandam with Valerie. Yes, we could get fresh-squeezed every morning in the Lido.

 

It was NOT available in the dining room, and room service only provided us with the unpalatable concentrated version.

 

Valerie - how could you sit next to me for 9 out of 10 nights and not tell me you were a Cordon Bleu-trained cook? I'm crushed. OTOH, that could explain your astute dinner commentaries...

 

Miss you!

Karenlynne (without Marsha)

[mister exec]

When we were on the Noordam this spring out of NYC, they had the fresh orange juice, but only on one side of the Lido and only in one place. At other stations it was not freshly squeezed.

 

As far as the omelets, which I have every day, I always tell them how I want it made - first cook the ingredients, then add eggs, and just before folding it, then add the cheese. Depending on the cook, they remember me by the second time I go through the sequence and I don't need to remind them for the rest of the cruise. Since they have omelets on both sides, I watch the cooks on both sides before deciding who I am going to "train". I think that it helps that I always greet them and thank them in Filipino (we always practice several phrases in both Filipino and Indonesian before each cruise). I also learn their names and then they greet me by name as well.

 

Still waiting to get one of my "trained" cooks on a future cruise to see if they remember me! I'll find out on the Amsterdam on 12/9.

[bdmarine]

There was no fresh squeezed OJ in the Lido on the 10/29 cruise. The OJ had a processed taste, but it was aerated to give it some oomph. I was there every morning at 8:15 to have a scoop of scrambled eggs or a dry cheese omelet with a partially toasted English muffin.

 

BTW, lunch was great!

[gizmo]

BDmarine,

 

Did you look for the fresh squeezed OJ ? Many times it is not in the area with the other juices. The OJ that is with the other juices is usually processed.

[debjo]

For gizmo...

If you haven't already discovered...I was on the 10/15 WESTERDAM cruise and bdmarine was on a 10/29 cruise. I find it funny that things can vary so much between cruises!

 

For sail7seas...

Thanks for popping in with your explanation...I thought it might be something along those lines, although DH swears that after we "couldn't" get our OJ (fresh squeezed or concentrate) in the VISTA DINING ROOM-he saw other tables being served OJ long after our denial came. That is why he found the situation so odd. Nevertheless, it didn't spoil our trip in any way and I share this tidbit as a "sighting" of something we found quite odd.

 

Debjo

[bdmarine]

Gizmo,

 

This was my 14th HAL cruise, so I know where to look for OJ. The OJ I found was not in the juice display behind plexiglass doors, but on a constantly refreshed tray next to the display.

 

Debjo,

 

I guess things do change that fast. I am hoping this is only temporary. Maybe someone on the current Westerdam cruise can chime in.

[Tinknock50]

If you are going on the Oosterdam anytime soon.....not to worry.

There are plans in the works to adapt the broken pod to a giant orange squeezer.

Should be plenty of fresh squeezed juice!

[SDHALFAN]

I was on the Zaandam with Valerie. Yes' date=' we could get fresh-squeezed every morning in the Lido.

 

It was NOT available in the dining room, and room service only provided us with the unpalatable concentrated version.

 

Valerie - how could you sit next to me for 9 out of 10 nights and not tell me you were a Cordon Bleu-trained cook? I'm crushed. OTOH, that could explain your astute dinner commentaries...

 

Miss you!

Karenlynne (without Marsha)[/quote']

 

 

Hi Karen (or Karenlynne if you insist, although Marsha says that the Lynne part is not really necessary :D ). I also miss you - lots! Why would I even think of announcing that I went to a particular school? Heck, I was just having a ton of fun being with you and Marsha, Joan and Al, And Rosemary and Sue. Oh, that was a great cruise thanks to all of you and thanks so much for the fun we had together. I miss all of you so much. It truly was one of my best cruises ever because of all of you.

 

The photos are actually in the mail, as of yesterday, and I hope that you get them soon and enjoy them remembering our cruise together.

 

Please keep in touch, okay?

 

Valerie:)

[AAAAmerican]

You do say things so nice and well.

 

:cool:

 

^!^!^!^

 

Hi Karen (or Karenlynne if you insist, although Marsha says that the Lynne part is not really necessary :D ). I also miss you - lots! Why would I even think of announcing that I went to a particular school? Heck, I was just having a ton of fun being with you and Marsha, Joan and Al, And Rosemary and Sue. Oh, that was a great cruise thanks to all of you and thanks so much for the fun we had together. I miss all of you so much. It truly was one of my best cruises ever because of all of you.

 

The photos are actually in the mail, as of yesterday, and I hope that you get them soon and enjoy them remembering our cruise together.

 

Please keep in touch, okay?

 

Valerie:)

[FRANKIEDNYC]

been on several hal cruises and the fresh squeezed oj was always in the same place on trays by the place where ice cream is served

[AAAAmerican]

They squeezed ours in front of me .:eek:

 

been on several hal cruises and the fresh squeezed oj was always in the same place on trays by the place where ice cream is served