General Immersion Thread (merged)

[newcastle.uk]

the only thing that will be really different from the us sailings will probably be the lack of froot loops at breakfast time :eek: which would be enough for me to cancel my cruise :D don't worry about our food or sense of humour (humor) and enjoy your cruise the kids will have a blast anyway

[nikkicattrell]

Scouse

Blind scouse

 

 

Nothing wrong with a bit of scouse. :D

[spirite]

The mention of Fruit Loops (surely there is no Fruit involved in the manufacture of these dayglo horrors?) makes me think.

 

What American things would you replace with British things to make the cruise better for everyone?

 

How about...

 

Rice Crispies instead of Fruit Loops

HP sauce instead of A1 Steak Sauce

Heinz baked beans instead of grits

 

 

Any more?

[newcastle.uk]

The mention of Fruit Loops (surely there is no Fruit involved in the manufacture of these dayglo horrors?) makes me think.

 

What American things would you replace with British things to make the cruise better for everyone?

 

How about...

 

Rice Crispies instead of Fruit Loops

HP sauce instead of A1 Steak Sauce

Heinz baked beans instead of grits

 

 

Any more?

 

bacon instead of (bacon) ;)

[Goldryder]

If you look on the RCI UK website and check the Indy cruises they all say...

 

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.

 

Every cruise itinerary page has that on it...not just one cruise. For example, this is the Aug 23 mini cruise...

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cruiseDetails/itineraryAndPricing.do;jsessionid=0000BHcWnuWTIhOa5aJp6bOumkI:12hbiodf7?packageCode=ID04Q008&sailDate=1080823&date=20083&selectedCurrencyCode=&promoType=&hasSenior=&hasMilitary=&state=

 

Sept 20 cruise...

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cruiseDetails/itineraryAndPricing.do;jsessionid=0000BHcWnuWTIhOa5aJp6bOumkI:12hbiodf7?packageCode=ID14Q006&sailDate=1080920&date=20083&selectedCurrencyCode=&promoType=&hasSenior=&hasMilitary=&state=

 

All UK sailings for Indy have this note.

[newcastle.uk]

Ingredients

 

SUGAR; CORN FLOUR; WHEAT FLOUR; OAT FLOUR; PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (ONE OR MORE OF: COCONUT, COTTONSEED, AND SOYBEAN); SALT; SODIUM ASCORBATE AND ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C); NIACINAMIDE; REDUCED IRON; NATURAL ORANGE, LEMON, CHERRY, RASPBERRY, BLUEBERRY, LIME, AND OTHER NATURAL FLAVORS; RED #40; BLUE #2; ZINC OXIDE; YELLOW #6; TURMERIC COLOR; PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6); BLUE #1; RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2); THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1); ANNATTO COLOR; VITAMIN A PALMITATE; BHT (PRESERVATIVE); FOLIC ACID; VITAMIN B12; VITAMIN D.

[marci22]

I can't imagine your daughter would not be able to find any food to her liking; the staff bends over backward to make everyone happy.

[suvicki]

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!

 

 

Hi, sounds like you are in my neck of the woods.

I can see IKEA from my house!!! lol

 

But please dont make me eat that list of food it sounds truely vile!!!:eek:

[nikkicattrell]

Hi, sounds like you are in my neck of the woods.

I can see IKEA from my house!!! lol

 

But please dont make me eat that list of food it sounds truely vile!!!:eek:

 

Oooh aren't we all from the same square! I can pretty much see the Thelwall Viaduct from mine!

 

What's wrong with steak and kidney pudding! :eek: :eek:

[nikkicattrell]

bacon instead of (bacon) ;)

 

Chips with real chips not the skinny floppy things that masquerade as them.. :)

[Mark_K]

hello:

 

we have been booked on this cruise for a very long time. all of a sudden, we got a phone call from rccl informing us that our cruise, which leaves out of southhampton on aug 8 on indy will be a british immersion cruise, i.e., all food, entertainment and staff will be british.

 

we have a daughter who eats pizza, plain pastas, rice, steamed veggies. when i called rccl and asked about the pizza, i got an "i'm not sure" and the pasta was a "don't count on it." our daughter does not eat meat, turkey or chicken.

 

we are a international family who enjoy eating around the world. however, we have always been able to find something along the lines of carb/veggie heavy meal for our daughter to eat.

 

can anyone lend any insight into what exactly is british food and how this may affect our daughter. and please. i do not need anyone counseling me on my daughter's nutrition and how i am feeding her. (sorry i had to say that!)

 

i am looking for responses that specifically address how other families that have young american kids have reacted to british food specifically.

 

thanks, thanks and more thanks!

I doubt it will be a problem, but if you're really worried about your daughter finding food to eat, put in a special request for a vegetarian diet for her. Given enough notice (45 days I think), they will accommodate pretty much any special diet. Check the website for details.

[suvicki]

Oooh aren't we all from the same square! I can pretty much see the Thelwall Viaduct from mine!

 

What's wrong with steak and kidney pudding! :eek: :eek:

 

 

Well the pudding sounds ok as does the souse or even the pease pudding but pigs trotters and head cheese!!!! You gotta be joking!!!!:D

[Andrew9999]

Cathy (and others)

 

You are clearly concerned about this. I am on the same cruise and my daughters (12 and 13) have similar tastes in food to yours.

 

I have just spoken to the Crown and Anchor "Special Services Desk" at RCI UK. The lady I spoke to seemed very credible and took a lot of care in answering my questions. She was interested to hear of what you had been told by RCI US and also what is being discussed on this board.

 

She said that most of what you have been told by RCI US is "absolute rubbish". She apologised on behalf of RCI for the misleading information you have been given.

 

She was absolutely clear that there is nothing different about the 9 August cruise compared to all the other Indy cruises from the UK.

 

There are some small efforts to cater for British tastes in food. The example is non-crispy bacon. She was absolutely clear that these food items are IN ADDITION TO normal RCI food. She was certain that all the restaurants will be open and serving the usual food. Sorrento's for pizza, Johnny Rocket's for burgers etc. She said there would be pasta available at various different restaurants including Windjammer. It will also be available from the dining room but if you want it completely plain then you should ask your waiter and there will be no problem.

 

She said she has received several similar queries and she seemed quite certain of what she was saying.

 

As one previous poster said, I suspect staff at RCI US are just guessing and "covering themselves" by stating the worst possible scenario.

 

I look forward to meeting you and your family for a pizza and pasta party on the first night!

 

If you would like to discuss this further off-board, feel free to email me on andrewmarkfreeman (at) gmail (dot) com. I can give you the phone number I used if you would like to phone them yourself.

 

Andrew.

[spirite]

Chips with real chips not the skinny floppy things that masquerade as them.. :)

 

chip shop chips and mushy peas!

[G.M.T.]

Nothing wrong with a bit of scouse. :D

Could get worse with TWO Scouses.:rolleyes:

 

Ron

[KillaFee]

Although it sounds a bit strange that they're changing the food and I'd be a tad concerned also....keep in mind that they do always have a vegetarian option available. I've been a strict vegetarian for 11+ years and RCCL always has an abundance of options. That doesn't mean that they are always super healthy though, so feel free to ask for a plate of steamed broccoli (my sister did this every night on the Adventure in January). Every night they also have the "alternative selection" of pasta w/marinara. I don't think that this would change even if the main menu does. Pasta is an absolute staple in a cruise kitchen.:D

 

I think you'll be fine. While I'm sure there will be many changes, I'm sure they wouldn't do something drastic like get rid of the salad bar in the windjammer or anything! :eek: And the salad bar is VERY extensive. They'll always have the basics I think, regardless of whether or not it's British or international. Enjoy your cruise! I'm sure you'll have a blast!

 

Laura

[mzk90]

RCCL have assured me that there is nothing different about this cruise to all the other Independence sailings ex Southampton.

 

They put this 'British Immersion' header to let other markets in the world know that this is a particularly UK cruise with a large majority of UK guests onboard because it is during the traditional summer holiday period for UK residents.

 

Nothing will change, so I don't believe there is any reason to panic.

[G.M.T.]

I personally think that this RCI move to "Britishtise" (new word) the ONE cruise is a blinder (not scouse) for cutting costs and implementing it across all cruises world wide.

 

The reason being, all the old traditional British dishes,mentioned in previous messages, have been consigned to the Ark (this is not the name of the first RCI Genisis ship). British cruisine (who put the cruise in crusine - based this on the old musical joke about Scunthorpe) is today mostly Far East dishes - Indian, Thai, Indonesian etc, RCI can cuts costs by only buying one sort of food so that in future:

 

The Passengers will dine with the Crew!

:confused: :eek: :mad: :rolleyes: ;) :D

Ron

[Ms Understood]

This is a new one on me. Our trip to SE Asia which was billed as a CC member cruise has been changed to an Asian immersion cruise in which the language, food and enertainment will be in the local language because per RCCL most of the booked pax are Asian natives. I am cancelling. Has this ever happaned to anyone? Ever?

[marci22]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=778484

 

I know, it's on page 3.

 

Can't wait until they say that the Explorer out of Bayonne is a NY/NJ immersion cruise.

[AllieInMD]

there is another thread around here from the last few days where the poster had a cruise booked that had been changed to a total 'british immersion' cruise - and she was not happy either.

 

 

This is a new one on me. Our trip to SE Asia which was billed as a CC member cruise has been changed to an Asian immersion cruise in which the language, food and enertainment will be in the local language because per RCCL most of the booked pax are Asian natives. I am cancelling. Has this ever happaned to anyone? Ever?

[It'sRC4ME]

Can't wait until they say that the Explorer out of Bayonne is a NY/NJ immersion cruise.

 

Honestly, I think it probably is already. I remember when Rhapsody (I think) left Galveston, TX and was replaced by another ship, all the Texans got on here and complained that they had trained the crew of Rhapsody to their culture, and would now have to start all over with a new crew.

[dathy]

i feel your pain. my cruise leaving out of southhampton was changed to a british immersion cruise. we've had this cruise booked for over a year. we were planning on celebrating special events. we already booked airline tickets from los angeles to london.

 

after a lot of thinking and deciding, we are probably going to cancel. to me, the ship is now a themed cruise. we did not plan, book or agree to anything with a theme. when i booked the cruise i asked if it would be like any other cruise out of the states and the answer i got was a definitive "yes."

 

we booked a tour that was non refundable. i am also angry at rccl for doing this, but happy that at least they notified me before my final balance was due. i can't imagine what it would have been like getting on the ship and then realizing what was going on.

 

oh well. we'll try some other time.

 

we're planning on booking another cruise out of the states instead.

 

best of luck to you whatever you decide to do. i know how frustrating and ridiculous this is.

[dathy]

marci:

 

now that i am no longer really steaming mad at this, thanks for the humor. now that would definitely be something!

 

to the original poster:

 

when you finally simmer down (it took me a day and a half ish) you'll at least hopefully be glad that you found out now and not when you got onto the ship.

 

incidentally i did call rccl. the answer i got is that they can change the itinerary at any time. i told the person that my daughter didn't care where the ship was going, but that as a family we were not looking for an "immersion" of anything. i didn't know that changing the entire ship's feel was changing of an itinerary. here's the definition of "itinerary" that i got from dictionary.com.

 

1.a detailed plan for a journey, esp. a list of places to visit; plan of travel. 2.a line of travel; route. 3.an account of a journey; record of travel. 4.a book describing a route or routes of travel with information helpful to travelers; guidebook for travelers. –adjective 5.of or pertaining to travel or travel routes. 6.Obsolete

 

i'll let everyone here on the boards decide whether or not changing a ship to an "immersion cruise" is a change in itinerary....

[Cruise Junky]

This sounds exactly what Princess does with the Sea Princess which is mainly marketed to Brits. English Sausage and Bacon at breakfast, as well as the regular stuff, HP sauce available, baked beans, etc. Everything else was normal Princess food, they just added some brit stuff. If a ship that size doesn't carry plain pasta, there's something seriously wrong.