Jump to content

Something Important… Yummy Cruise Food Questions


MsSoCalCruiser
 Share

Recommended Posts

This will be our first HAL cruise so we need a little help. Our cruise is only a four night adventure and we were told there will be no formal night.

 

The question is… How much do you love the MDR food? How much do you love the specialty dining on the Eurodam? Not knowing anything about HAL Eurodam, I'm not sure if I should make any specialty dining reservations or not.

 

Please share your likes, dislikes, and suggestions. I know someone will say that everybody's taste is different and we all know that but it's always nice to hear and pay attention to what others like too... So, please share away :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This will be our first HAL cruise so we need a little help. Our cruise is only a four night adventure and we were told there will be no formal night.

 

The question is… How much do you love the MDR food? How much do you love the specialty dining on the Eurodam? Not knowing anything about HAL Eurodam, I'm not sure if I should make any specialty dining reservations or not.

 

Please share your likes, dislikes, and suggestions. I know someone will say that everybody's taste is different and we all know that but it's always nice to hear and pay attention to what others like too... So, please share away :)

 

MDR food can be terrific on some ships and pretty so-so on others. That can even change from week to week.

 

I saw a big difference in the MDR menu on our two cruises when the repositioning segments began. I don't know if that is the case or not, but other than the 1st night the menus that had been so good for 30 days had little appeal for me. (Subjective as always).

 

If I were in your shoes I'd book a night at the Tamarind (always good) and another night in the Pinnacle Grill. JMO though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Be sure to book one night at least at the Tamarind pan-Asian restaurant on the Eurodam. Some might suggest you book all nights there and for a short cruise, this might well be a good suggestion since the first few nights in the main dining room on any cruise can be a little confusing as people sort out how they work.

 

HAL has good food and plenty of variety, but this is a mainline cruise ship not a luxury gourmet dining pretentions cruise ship. Expect to be well fed, and often. But at the level of a good hotel banquet quality level. Plenty of fresh and made to order options, different setting and different menu specialities.

 

Don't miss the late night buffet items in the Lido - those are were some really unique small bites grazing options show up. And if you love fresh baked breads, this is a HAL forte.

 

Here are some options to explore during your four days:

Room service

Main dining room - breakfast, lunch dinner

Pinnacle Dining room - steak-chop house dinner surcharge

Canaletto - Italian offerings surcharge

Tamarind - pan-Asian surcharge

Lido buffet - breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night

Pizza station and prepared salads, desserts

Dive In burgers, fries and hot dogs

Mexican buffet - noon until late afternoon

Afternoon Tea - 4pm

Salad bar, grab and go sandwiches, desserts and pasta bar - open for select hours after the main Lido buffet line closes

4pm - Glass of wine with specialty appetizers - surcharge

Hot appetizers - CrowsNest happy hour - complimentary

Small snacks and surcharge specialty coffees - Explorations Cafe

Chocolates in the Explorers lounge after dinner during the classical music presentation (sometimes)

Ship's shop - for purchase snack food items

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We noticed that the quality of food went down hill a few years ago -- JMO -- we did not like it and my DH is not a picky eater and he didn't like the dining room food. And service was getting slower and slower.

So we made a decision to eat only in the specialty restaurants. We alternate between the Tamarind (sometimes eat there more) and the Pinnacle. We are not fans of the Canaletto.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is… How much do you love the MDR food? How much do you love the specialty dining on the Eurodam? Not knowing anything about HAL Eurodam, I'm not sure if I should make any specialty dining reservations or not.

 

Please share your likes, dislikes, and suggestions. I know someone will say that everybody's taste is different and we all know that but it's always nice to hear and pay attention to what others like too... So, please share away

 

We are okay with the MDR food overall. It isn't gourmet but is usually okay. Have only regretted a few choices :)

 

If you like burgers and hot dogs, definitely check out the Dive In restaurant (burgers, hot dogs, fries)

 

If it is available on your sailing, try the Pinnacle Grill for lunch. We find it less meat-centric than the dinner menu in the PG.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot to ask, do they ever have any discounts on specialty dining? Our first night we won't even leave the port until 5 PM. We also have two other nights that we are in Port really late (10PM and later) so I could see a lot of people being off of the ship during the dinner hours.

 

On my last Celebrity cruise we pre-paid for all of our specialty dining. On embarkation day we were sitting with a large group of our friends in the Lido buffet when an employee walked up and offered everyone 20% off of the specialty dining… Good for them, bummer for us, lol. So if I book any specialty dining, I'm not sure if I should pre-pay prior to my cruise or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with these comments. We like the MDR and are almost always pleased with our meal. The only truly awful thing they served, IMHO, was the chili relleno. We don’t expect gourmet food just hot and tasty. We also love the PG . We’re going on the Eurodam in about 3 weeks and have Tarmarind booked for the first night. Can’t wait to try it as everyone raves. Have fun!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot to ask, do they ever have any discounts on specialty dining? Our first night we won't even leave the port until 5 PM. We also have two other nights that we are in Port really late (10PM and later) so I could see a lot of people being off of the ship during the dinner hours.

 

On my last Celebrity cruise we pre-paid for all of our specialty dining. On embarkation day we were sitting with a large group of our friends in the Lido buffet when an employee walked up and offered everyone 20% off of the specialty dining… Good for them, bummer for us, lol. So if I book any specialty dining, I'm not sure if I should pre-pay prior to my cruise or not.

 

I have only seen one discount offered to everyone. (Not talking about the regular mariner discounts here).

 

Those that has prepaid reservations were given the discount with just a word to the PG manager (at least those that were on our roll call).

 

I would be VERY tempted to pre-book if you want a specific time or night. Assuming your cruise is part of a longer one, those on board may well already be booking the other nights whether it be pre-booking on line or once they are on board. There might not be many if any openings by the the time you board.

 

Most people don't stay in port until 9:30 pm (if you are in port until 10 pm - all on board is usually 1/2 hour earlier). I have seen some come back to eat and go back out at times though ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had always been skeptical about the Canaletto, but on my last cruise on the Zuiderdam I had two absolutely terrific meals there. I’d give it a try for sure. Also, as other have said, do not miss the Tamarind,,.always a delightful experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We board Valentines Day. There have jacked up the price of the PG to $135.00 each. There have some extra stuff but We decided to pass. We have booked Tamarind. There may be a discount or specials but 20% of the $50. fee is $12.50. Not enough for us to fuss over. I guess they’d refund the difference ,if we ask though. But we likely will not. Our cruise is 11 days and because we have so much OBC, we’re having most of our meals in the specialty restaurants

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We board Valentines Day. There have jacked up the price of the PG to $135.00 each. There have some extra stuff but We decided to pass. We have booked Tamarind. There may be a discount or specials but 20% of the $50. fee is $12.50. Not enough for us to fuss over. I guess they’d refund the difference ,if we ask though. But we likely will not. Our cruise is 11 days and because we have so much OBC, we’re having most of our meals in the specialty restaurants

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

$135 pp in the PG????? Is that just for Valentines Night? Holy cow!

 

I'd be heading to the Tamarind too and, actually, it's available on so few ships, it is the first thing I book if I am on a ship where it is available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot to ask, do they ever have any discounts on specialty dining? Our first night we won't even leave the port until 5 PM. We also have two other nights that we are in Port really late (10PM and later) so I could see a lot of people being off of the ship during the dinner hours.

.

 

There was one day on the Veendam, Dec 2017, that all guests received a 25% discount that was advertised in the daily Where & When.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer to eat all my evening meals in the Main Dining Room. I don't like the Pinnacle Grill and have not had good experiences at Tamarind. If Canelletto had not changes their menu to the "sharing plates" concept I would go there, but as they did, I stick with the main dining room. So my opinion is save the extra cost and skip the upcharge restaurants, but that's just me and many people here will disagree with me.

 

The food in the Main Dining Room and the Lido is good, certainly as good as I would get at many similar land-based restaurants. They are not 5* restaurants, and do not claim to be, but they are good for what they are. The food is good, and the service is friendly and as good as land-based restaurants. The Lido has many options for lunch, and I can always find something to eat there - be sure to check all the stations before you settle on something though, and don't just rely on the posted menu for what each station is serving. On my last cruise, I found the menu was not only not accurate, but each side of the Lido line was serving something different to what the menu said and different to each other! It's well worth a complete circuit before settling on your choice for that day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer to eat all my evening meals in the Main Dining Room. I don't like the Pinnacle Grill and have not had good experiences at Tamarind. If Canelletto had not changes their menu to the "sharing plates" concept I would go there, but as they did, I stick with the main dining room. So my opinion is save the extra cost and skip the upcharge restaurants, but that's just me and many people here will disagree with me.

 

The food in the Main Dining Room and the Lido is good, certainly as good as I would get at many similar land-based restaurants. They are not 5* restaurants, and do not claim to be, but they are good for what they are. The food is good, and the service is friendly and as good as land-based restaurants. The Lido has many options for lunch, and I can always find something to eat there - be sure to check all the stations before you settle on something though, and don't just rely on the posted menu for what each station is serving. On my last cruise, I found the menu was not only not accurate, but each side of the Lido line was serving something different to what the menu said and different to each other! It's well worth a complete circuit before settling on your choice for that day.

On my last cruise they did not change the lido lunch menu listed on the tv the whole 12 days! Needless to say it was not correct.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sailed on the Eurodam 17th Dec till 31st December and absolutely loved every minute. I thought the food in the MDR was excellent and I am a fussy eater and don't eat meat. The service wasn't slow and I fround the waiters to be very attentive.

 

I only ate in the Lido a number of times for breakfast and lunch and enjoyed everything that I had.

 

Went in the Tamarind and Canaletto twice and enjoyed the food in both

 

Can't wait to sail on her again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't speak for the other ships, but we were recently on the Rotterdam (our first HAL cruise) and were not impressed by the food or service in the MDR or Lido. We did not try either specialty venue.

 

The food wasn't bad, but was not up to the quality or variety we have found on our other cruises with Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian and Carnival. This was surprising, since we had always heard HAL food and service were a step above other mainstream lines and people tend to rave about the food.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a note - even though they advertise Canaletto as "sharing" - you absolutely have the option of just ordering what you want individually.

 

That is true, but I preferred the menu before they switched to the new sharing plates menu. I was just using that description as a reference point for which menu it was I preferred or didn't like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For at least one lunch, go to the Dive In for a burger and fries. Best fries anywhere!

 

 

 

I agree that the fries were probably the best food we had on the trip and the only food we had I would rate above other lines. The burgers and hot dogs were ok, but nothing special like the fries.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is probably too much to hope for but I just read on another post that sometimes they serve lobster at the buffet. Does this ever happen on a four-day cruise? Have you ever seen lobster on the Eurodam buffet? Is it correct that the buffet serves the same items as the MDR?

 

Your questions are discussed in this thread: link

 

I've never been on a HAL cruise that short, so can't address from personal experience. If it's on the menu at the MDR, there is a chance it will also be in the Lido.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...