General Immersion Thread (merged)

[truffles2]

Traditional British Foods...

Pies

Pizza

Roast Dinners with Yorkshire puddings

English Breakfast

Boiled eggs and soldiers :confused:

Spaghetti Bolognese, Tagliatelli Carbonara, Ravoli, Tortellini

Sweet & Sour Chicken, Crispy Duck and Pancakes, or any chinese dish

Anything Indian - from mild curries to daal.

Chilli con carne

Fajita's

Lasagna

Fish and Chips - from a "proper" chippy only

Thai curry

Lamb shanks with beans or mash

Pudding and custard

 

All of these you will find in a standard English pub, along with salads, baked potatoes, panini's and sandwiches. There is VERY little BRITISH food whatsoever - and this is what would be thought of as standard fare, with vegetarian options always available. It depends on whether an American is setting out what he THINKS a British menu should be, or whether someone British is doing it. :)

 

I thought I was a pretty good Anglophile but I never heard of boiled eggs and soldiers! Might I ask what the soldiers are?:eek:

[emdia43]

Soldiers- a slice of white bread,buttered and cut into slices, then dipped into the yolk of a boiled egg.

 

British diet phobia- I would be more afraid of seeing a 'California menu' listed- after all doesn't everyone live on Tofu and bean sprouts there?

[truffles2]

Thanks for the info. I assume the boiled egg is NOT hard-boiled which is what I envisioned from your list. Kind of hard to "dip" into that:p

[dathy]

to the person in indiana who talked about a british diet phobia:

 

where in the world did your comment about a "california" menu come from? everyone eating tofu? that's okay though since tofu happens to be quite healthy. :)

 

royal caribbean told me that they don't know if the pizzaria will be open.

they don't know if johnny rockets will be open.

they told me to not count on any type of pasta.

forget chicken nuggets.

they doubt that the italian restaurant will be open.

the food service will be changed and altered exclusively to traditional british fare.

the entertainment will be changed and altered to cater to british tourists only.

 

to put it another way, i did not spend thousands of dollars on airfare to go to england for a themed british food and entertainment cruise for 14 days. if as a family that's what we wanted, then we would have booked that. when i booked the cruise royal told me it would be no different than taking a cruise out of florida or texas or anywhere else in the u.s. clearly this is not the case.

 

we are trying very hard to figure all of this out. we booked one cruise and would definitely be getting something else.

 

this has absolutely, positively nothing to do with having a "british diet phobia." i wanted to get perspectives from people familiar with british tastes in food to decide whether or not this type of food would appeal to my daughter who has special eating needs.

 

in any case, thanks so much for everyone's input.

[coopster1974]

dathy - according to the website this cruise leaves on the 9th!! Dont get to the port too early :D

[I LOVE SUITES]

just got off the phone with them. rccl has no menu. the response i got was it is for the aug 8 sailing only as of today. all food will be geared to the british customs and tastes exclusively.

 

the person at the c&a desk could not tell me if the italian restaurant will be open. whatever traditional british food means is what they are serving for the entire cruise. i've spoken to two people. no one can define what this means???

 

i have 10 days to cancel this cruise.

 

the person on the phone felt sorry for me but told me that "royal caribbean can change any itinerary at any time." i told her send me to anywhere. my daughter has been begging to go on this ship. we booked this at least a year ago. she told me she was very, very sorry.

 

any more help is certainly appreciated. i'm so upset.

 

 

Hello,

I am truly concerned, Im sailing on the 9th August from Southampton on the Independence, I see you are sailing on the 8th, does that mean that our friends across the pond, get an extra day sailing than us brits?:D

 

I wouldnt worry about the food being british as from previous threads, theres Johnny rockets, Sorrentos for Pizzas etc etc. Have a good cruise on the 8th, make sure Independence is parked up at the dock ready for us to board on the 9th. :)

[dathy]

sorry, but yes the cruise does leave on the 9th.

 

my phone call today gave me the following information:

 

no one at rccl can tell me if johnny rockets will be open. i was told that sorrento's probably won't be open. no one can tell me if they will serve pasta. the only thing that every person i spoke to did tell me is that the ship will be entirely British themed - British food, entertainment, merchandise for sale, (whatever in the world that means) and activities. i asked if the ship will have plain pasta and was told, "do not expect pasta. expect British food." what in the world this means i have no idea, but i cannot risk spending thousands of dollars and not being able to have my daughter eat.

 

this cruise has now changed to a themed, i.e., special itinerary cruise. i got a phone call from rccl explaining this to me.

 

bottom line: i have a kid who has special needs regarding her diet. the ship cannot confirm what in the world they are serving for food. 14 days is a long time to not know what in the world the ship will be serving.

 

when i booked the cruise i asked if it would be like any other royal ship out of the states and was told absolutely, positively, yes.

 

call the reservation department and ask them what kind of food they are going to serve. pls post your answer below.

 

thanks.

[Elaine0138]

I would think all the alternative eateries will be open as on every other cruise why should they be closed on this one cruise on the Independant.

 

This cruise is peak holiday time for families in theUK, hate to think how many children will be onboard for this cruise. As pasta etc is the staple food for lot of children I would think that there will be oodles of the stuff onboard

[I LOVE SUITES]

sorry, but yes the cruise does leave on the 9th.

 

my phone call today gave me the following information:

 

no one at rccl can tell me if johnny rockets will be open. i was told that sorrento's probably won't be open. no one can tell me if they will serve pasta. the only thing that every person i spoke to did tell me is that the ship will be entirely British themed - British food, entertainment, merchandise for sale, (whatever in the world that means) and activities. i asked if the ship will have plain pasta and was told, "do not expect pasta. expect British food." what in the world this means i have no idea, but i cannot risk spending thousands of dollars and not being able to have my daughter eat.

 

this cruise has now changed to a themed, i.e., special itinerary cruise. i got a phone call from rccl explaining this to me.

 

bottom line: i have a kid who has special needs regarding her diet. the ship cannot confirm what in the world they are serving for food. 14 days is a long time to not know what in the world the ship will be serving.

 

when i booked the cruise i asked if it would be like any other royal ship out of the states and was told absolutely, positively, yes.

 

call the reservation department and ask them what kind of food they are going to serve. pls post your answer below.

 

thanks.

 

Hello, Just asked brunswick (just off the independence any questions thread) if johnny rockets was open and Sorrentos on his cruise to the canaries he confirmed they were open.

 

As we are going peak season cruising on the 9th, and the Independence is nearly all booked up, I would speculate that all the food restaurants will be open as well as the dog and badger british pub on the promenade, so mines a pint of lager and a slice of pizza if you please:D

[critterchick]

Honestly, I wouldn't worry so much about it. The food on an RCI ship isn't all that fabulous anyway, for the most part, so Anglicizing it can't hurt.:)

 

Seriously, you can always ask your waiter for help - it's not as if they'll be offloading every strand of spaghetti on the ship. you could also contact RCI's special needs department to let them know that your daughter is a vegetarian and they'll accomodate her needs.

 

Go have a great time!

[dathy]

once again, rccl told me that this is for the august 9 sailing ONLY. they told me that they are unsure whether any of the specialty restaurants, pizzeria or johnny rockets will be open.

 

the AUGUST 9 sailing ONLY of the independence is a British Immersion Cruise and is considered a SPECIAL SAILING. The ENTIRE SHIP will have strictly traditional BRITISH FOOD ONLY. this is what rccl's reservation department (at least three people) have told me.

 

if anyone has any valid info re this situation, pls post below.

 

thanks, thanks and more thanks.

[dathy]

i received a personal phone call from rccl telling me that the AUGUST 9 sailing ONLY is a British Immersion Cruise. they could not elaborate. when i asked them what this means, their answer was that the ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP will be catered strictly for BRITISH PASSENGERS ONLY.

 

The AUGUST 9 sailing ONLY has now been CHANGED and is considered a SPECIAL CRUISE SAILING.

 

i specifically asked all the people i spoke to if pasta will be available. i was told, "WE HAVE NO IDEA, BUT IF IT IS NOT TRADITIONAL BRITISH FARE, THEN NO."

 

i can only go by what rccl is telling me.

 

is there anyone out there that has been on a SPECIAL SAILING where the ENTIRE SHIP was changed to accomodate a certain population that required a different type of food than what rccl normally offers? if so, what type of AMERICAN KID FRIENDLY FOOD was offered?

 

thanks again.

[nikkicattrell]

 

this has absolutely, positively nothing to do with having a "british diet phobia." i wanted to get perspectives from people familiar with british tastes in food to decide whether or not this type of food would appeal to my daughter who has special eating needs.

 

 

Dathy - as you can see you have a lot of British perspectives on what the British diet consists of - which is not what RCCL (assuming in the US?) have told you. It sounds like the person who you have been talking to has been told the ship is to be Anglicised and is just assuming stuff without really knowing - like they can really close down half the eateries on a ship full of kids, and really does not have clue in reality what this means. Given that the ship is going from the UK in peak school holiday season, it will be expected from everyone on board that all the options will be option and I'm sure they're will be considerable complaints if its not. Maybe try RCCL in the UK for a more balanced view?

 

Yes your daughter has a diet she wishes to stick to, however this pretty much equates to the diet of every vegetarian teenager in the UK, I have family worse than that (one will only eat pizza and fries and very little else) and I'm sure she will be catered to without too much of a problem.

[nikkicattrell]

Yes, that's what I said , they are a close second:D .

A Scouser, just around the corner ? Did you move ?:D .

 

Tee hee, yes, but it is only Cheshire so not a full Manc yet.. though I seem to have left my accent behind. :D

[Table 6 UK]

Hi Dathy

 

I am thinking about this from another angle -

 

You have booked a cruise on the Independance of the Seas - a ship so megga that has two speciallity dining resturants, at least six different places to eat, a rock climbing wall, a surf machine and even a cobbled street running through the middle of it !

You bought into all these things when you booked your cruise. If these features were not made availible to me, I would be taking action against RCI under misrepresentation !

 

With the greatest of respect to all Americans - RCI`s American idea of what is British, is just an amalgamation of British and American, which comes out rather mid-atlantic I would say. (we were on the 4 day maiden voyage 3 weeks ago)

 

I cant imagine the food would be all that bad for you (your daughters needs could be something else though) and I am sure that RCI could not replace the hundreds of eastern european and indonesion crew members just for this cruise alone.

 

Best of luck

 

Kev

[Foody]

I think this is appalling that they can change the theme of a cruise AFTER they have taken bookings from people who are expecting to experience RCL in a normal way.

I am on the ship for the two weeks prior to this cruise going and i would be very unhappy with this happening to me. This is going to be our first cruise and I want to experience a "regular" holiday, quite why they think that british people want to indulge in everything "british" when they are going AWAY from britain is very odd......:o

[PaulandSueUK]

Hi,

 

Dont worry about the food , our tastes are broadly similar (except for Bacon and sausages).

 

Be more worried about the Brits complaining about EVERYTHING, getting leathered (very drunk) every night, queuing for everything for the sake of it and not tipping properly (if at all).....

 

LOL..just kidding. I'm on the 26/07/08 sailing. you'll be fine don't worry too much.

[nikkicattrell]

Hi,

 

Dont worry about the food , our tastes are broadly similar (except for Bacon and sausages).

 

Be more worried about the Brits complaining about EVERYTHING, getting leathered (very drunk) every night, queuing for everything for the sake of it and not tipping properly (if at all).....

 

LOL..just kidding. I'm on the 26/07/08 sailing. you'll be fine don't worry too much.

 

Brit's don't complain - they TUT and say everything's fine through gritted teeth! :D

[G.M.T.]

As this is a cruise from Southampton and now with a British theme has anyone thought of or actually contacted RCCI - UK for any information. As the local representatives / agents they must know what has to be ordered in the way of stores for this sailing (i.e. food, drinks, merchandise, entertainers).

 

Go straight to the horse's mouth.

 

Ron

[spirite]

According to the RCCL website

 

"Please note: this product has been sold almost exclusively to guests from the United Kingdom; therefore the services and product have been tailored to their cultural preferences in food and beverage, entertainment and retail."

 

It does not say that half the food outlets will be closed, or that no pizza, pasta or other international food will be available. UK passengers would not appreciate this. It does not say that all the staff will be British (where will they suddenly find thousands of British waiters, stateroom attendants etc. Most English bartenders are Aussies!)

 

I might hope that the cheese would be Stilton, the sausages Lincolnshire and the apples Coxs. The comedian might be British and tell topical British jokes.

 

The normal situation for UK cruisers would be a notice saying "this product has been sold almost exclusively to guests from the USA; therefore the services and product have been tailored to their cultural preferences in food and beverage, entertainment and retail."

 

We don't go hungry, we get (most of) the jokes, we have fun and enjoy the cultural differences.

[warringtonian]

Shame on you, fellow Brits, you've forgotten:

 

Tripe and onions

Cow heels

Pig's trotters

Brawn

Head cheese (don't ask!)

Pressed tongue

Stargazy pie

Pigeon pie

Jellied eels

Steak and kidney pudding

Liver and onions

Pease pudding

Stuffed heart

Black pudding

Rissoles

Bubble and squeak

Dripping butty

Scouse

Blind scouse

 

Thank goodness I'm not on that voyage!

[TRacanoUK]

Like another poster mentioned, it may be a kind of "Epcot" take on England. It just depends on what they consider "Traditional British Fare". While pizza and curries are popular here, are they really British?

 

Regardless, I think that citizens of the UK are ecclectic eaters, and if the cruise is truly geared to the Brit, the variety will be boundless! I just hope the the OP sake that they don't just have Fish & Chips and Bangers & Mashed, etc.

[datamood]

Maybe the menu will look like this - http://www.eelhouse.co.uk/

[hertsfamily]

It looks as though you've been told two different things by them. If the cruise is really "geared to British cultural tastes and preferences" you will be fine. Pizza and pasta will definately be on the menu, together with plenty of veggies. If, on the other hand, they really mean to serve exclusively "traditional" British food, then it depends what they mean by that - could be predominantly roasts, pies and fish and chips. They would probably have a riot on their hands, though, if most of the passengers are British, as there would be a lot of families with kids they couldn't feed!

[nikkicattrell]

Like another poster mentioned, it may be a kind of "Epcot" take on England. It just depends on what they consider "Traditional British Fare". While pizza and curries are popular here, are they really British?

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala Britain's most popular dish!