Vegetarians in the Pinnacle

[vbmom87]

This was also the first cruise where a veg-friendly option was not offered on the MDR menu each night which resulted in our dining in the Lido at night more than we'd prefer.

 

How disappointing to read this. I am a vegetarian and cruised with HAL for the my first ever cruise in 2008. I was very impressed with the vegetarian entrees they offered each night in the MDR. I think this seals it for me. I will not be looking at HAL again. I am going on NCL in a few weeks for my second cruise. I sure hope they will have a vegetarian option each night in the dining room.

[CowPrincess]

I think this seals it for me. I will not be looking at HAL again.

 

Because of one post on a message board? If you contact the Special Needs department (I think that's who you'd need to contact) I'm pretty sure they will manage to accommodate your dietary requirements.

[Jemima]

How disappointing to read this. I am a vegetarian and cruised with HAL for the my first ever cruise in 2008. I was very impressed with the vegetarian entrees they offered each night in the MDR. I think this seals it for me. I will not be looking at HAL again. I am going on NCL in a few weeks for my second cruise. I sure hope they will have a vegetarian option each night in the dining room.

 

We were on the Zaandam last month (Apr. '10). Every day the menus for dinner in the MDR and lido were on display outside the lido as well as the Pinnacle and Caneletto menus. There was one vegetarian entree on the MDR menu each evening and sometimes two. We chose to eat dinner in the lido on this cruise and they also the veg entree each evening. The lido also had pasta choices for both lunch and dinner and those always included a non-meat sauce.

Last fall we were on the Eurodam and they also had a veg entree in both the MDR and lido each evening. Also, lido lunch always offered at least one non-meat pasta sauce.

On both cruises we ate one evening in Caneletto's and enjoyed their vegetarian entree, penne alla vodka, which is very popular.

We have been on about a dozen HAL cruises and there has always been a vegetarian entree in the MDR and also the special vegetarian menu. Items on that menu must be ordered the previous evening, but that can be done in both fixed and open seating. If ordered, it seems to show on the MDR reception computer and the server is given that information.

[mahassiddasairy]

Because of one post on a message board? If you contact the Special Needs department (I think that's who you'd need to contact) I'm pretty sure they will manage to accommodate your dietary requirements.

 

Why not? Many people on these boards make a decision of which cruise line to book based on things they read here. Often this choice involves which cruise line has better food. So why should vegetarians consider food options any less than meat-eaters?

 

I've almost always found that, when you have to call ahead for vegetarian requests, the quality of what you get is significantly lower than what others are getting. I remember being so disappointed the first time I flew and got an in-flight meal (last year)--while everyone else had fairly tasty looking lasagna and chicken dishes, I and the two other vegetarians on board were literally unable to identify what we were served, even after tasting it.

[Roz]

My last HAL cruise was in November, 2009. I'm not a veg, but I sometimes order the veg entree at dinner for something different.

 

Desdemona, when did this change? Was it just a fluke on one cruise?

 

Roz

[CowPrincess]

Why not? Many people on these boards make a decision of which cruise line to book based on things they read here. Often this choice involves which cruise line has better food. So why should vegetarians consider food options any less than meat-eaters?

 

I've almost always found that, when you have to call ahead for vegetarian requests, the quality of what you get is significantly lower than what others are getting. I remember being so disappointed the first time I flew and got an in-flight meal (last year)--while everyone else had fairly tasty looking lasagna and chicken dishes, I and the two other vegetarians on board were literally unable to identify what we were served, even after tasting it.

 

My point is that it was one post. No additional substantiation. Why would a person write off an entire cruise line because of one post? If there are three dozen people reporting the same thing on different ships, fine. One post? That's my point.

 

I cruised HAL as a vegetarian long before vegetarian was "mainstream" and still managed to find plenty to eat.

[vbmom87]

Because of one post on a message board? If you contact the Special Needs department (I think that's who you'd need to contact) I'm pretty sure they will manage to accommodate your dietary requirements.

 

Yes, I guess I was a bit too hasty in making that statement. If it were true, I would have to look at another line. However, from what others have since posted, it looks like HAL is continuing to offer one vegetarian entree per menu. I just would not want to be on a cruise where dining was such a hassle. I am not a fussy eater and was quite content with the daily veggie option I had on my HAL cruise. I just want something to eat other than veggies. ;)

[Taxguy77]

Why not? Many people on these boards make a decision of which cruise line to book based on things they read here. Often this choice involves which cruise line has better food. So why should vegetarians consider food options any less than meat-eaters?

 

I've almost always found that, when you have to call ahead for vegetarian requests, the quality of what you get is significantly lower than what others are getting. I remember being so disappointed the first time I flew and got an in-flight meal (last year)--while everyone else had fairly tasty looking lasagna and chicken dishes, I and the two other vegetarians on board were literally unable to identify what we were served, even after tasting it.[/QUOTE]

 

Sounds like my freshman year cafeteria.:eek:

 

I was raised a meat & Potato man, but know from experience that vegetarian dishes can and should taste very good. The cruise lines advertise their "world-renown" cuisine and should have a dozen or more recepies in the kitchen that any of the cooks could prepare.

 

Note: Airline food often looks better than it tastes.:rolleyes:

[mahassiddasairy]

To be honest, the thing that got me most was that everyone else got a cookie but us. What was is, a meat cookie? (Take this with a grain of salt--I just really like cookies.)

[maxout]

To be honest, the thing that got me most was that everyone else got a cookie but us. What was is, a meat cookie? (Take this with a grain of salt--I just really like cookies.)

 

The cookies likely contained eggs which some vegetarians would not find acceptable.

[mahassiddasairy]

The cookies likely contained eggs which some vegetarians would not find acceptable.

 

People who don't eat eggs are vegans, and there's a separate vegan meal, so that can't be it. Plus, after some research after the flight on what the airline usually serves, I concluded that the thing they gave us was most likely quiche. So I still want to know, US Air, where's my cookie? :)

[Qudas]

I was on the Eurodam in Nov and the travel agent include two "free" lunch coupons for the Pinnacle. We went to the Pinnacle Grill the first day after boarding and had a lengthy discussion about me not eating meat, egg or dairy. Was assured it was not problem they handle such request all the time.

 

Good, switched the lunch coupons for dinner reservations and understood I was responsibile for the additional charge from the lunch to diiner cost. That was fine.

 

Came to eat the night we were in San Juan and had a late departure. Had our reservations. Ask to sit by a window. We got seated and 10 min later the maitre'd told us we could not sit there, it was for another party and we had to move tables.. not good... The other party did not show up for an hour and a half later...... Other tables by the window were empty by then.

 

Then when I explained all over again I didn't eat meat, egg, or dairy, they tried to tell me there was nothing they could do.. I didn't coordinate the day ahead of time...!!! I was able to show it was in their reservation system as I did not eat meat, egg, or dairy and I had coordinated the day of making the reservation. They could not deny they had all the information they needed.

 

Finally I negotiated something, I can't even remember what now... It took forever and wasn't that good. At one point they were suppose to get me something from the Tamarind, but that didn't happen either. I do recall there was a soup and they were to make mine non-dairy but I got sick, so I know they lied to me about that. Finally, by the end of the dinner, with the Maitre'd involved several times, they said we could go and there would be no additional charge. It was not a very good dining experience.

 

I would recommend sticking to traditional dining in the MDR and ordering meals the night before, as my data sample of one in the Pinnacle indicates they are not able to make appropriate meal adjustments.

[mahassiddasairy]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I worked for a catering company for awhile, and our manager (the one who took orders) didn't understand what a vegan was. Didn't even know how to spell it (she spelled it 'veken'--luckily the head chef knew what she meant). I also recall an airline stewardess getting huffy because she said some other "vegetarians" on the plane wouldn't eat their meals--they were actually vegans, and the in-flight meal contained eggs. They asked for some rolls instead to tide themselves over. She got mad that they gave her a look when she asked if they wanted butter with their rolls. It seems most people just don't bother to learn basic dietary differences, even if there's a good chance they'll need the knowledge in their jobs.

[Desdemona01]

My last HAL cruise was in November, 2009. I'm not a veg, but I sometimes order the veg entree at dinner for something different.

 

Desdemona, when did this change? Was it just a fluke on one cruise?

 

Roz

 

after 10 years and 10 cruises on HAL our 12/09 cruise on the Ryndam was the first time that I ran into problems, at least daily, trying to secure a vegetarian-friendly lunch and/or dinner.

My go-to at lunch is usually pasta, veggie burger or pizza (the lines are usually way too long in the deli sandwich lines). 3 of the first 4 days pizza was unavailable. It was being served at the poolside grill instead of in the Lido, as I'd experienced on previous cruises. But, they were still put together in the Lido kitchen, wheeled out on a cart and baked in the poolside grill. I don't know if this was the problem but it was not at all efficient. On the days that they did have pizza either all of the cheese and veggie pizza slices were swooped upon immediately, or I observed on more than once occasion children playing with the slices under the heat lamp (the cart with the pizza was slightly away from the kitchen and taco bar). So, I then tried a veggie burger, which I'm well aware takes at least 10 minutes so I plan accordingly. Normally they grill the veggie burger away from the hamburgers and their grease--on this day the cook plopped it in the middle of 4 hamburgers cooking. I do not ever like to make a scene so I took it and then discarded it--to have eaten it would have created issues for me that I won't go into. I tried, unsuccessfully, more than once to get pasta with marinara sauce in the Lido at lunch. Either all of the pasta choices contained meat or fish, or they didn't have marinara sauce on the day that the pasta was meat-less. I spent most of the week having a salad for lunch, which whisked me back to the 80's, when I first went veg and that was all you could find when dining out.

 

Since we had AYD dining, and I'd been assured that I could still order from the Vegetarian MDR menu, I tried it. Once. It was a fiasco. Since I do not want to be waiting for my entree while others are ordering dessert, nor do I want the table waiting for their entrees because mine isn't ready, I gave up and tried the daily offering on the MDR menu. Twice I had to send it back (I'd never sent anything back on a HAL cruise before) because meat or shrimp had been added, and the listing on the menu did not include either. On the last formal night the only veg-free offering was a spicy cous-cous which I did not want, so we ate in the Lido in all of our finery and clearly conspicuous among the more casually-dressed diners. Since not everything on the MDR menu is offered in the Lido my husband missed some of his favorites.

 

Was this a fluke? could very well have been. Since we also experienced some of the most rude staff we've ever encountered we chalked the whole cruise up to not being up to the HAL standards we've become accustomed to. Had this been our first HAL cruise it would have absolutely been our last. It was the first cruise in some time where we did not book future cruise credit while onboard. We already had one booked for this fall and we're hoping that the Ryndam experience was just a blip (we loved the ship, btw). But, if the upcoming cruise brings similar experiences then I'm not sure we'll even use our one remaining FCC that we had already purchased.

[Desdemona01]

My point is that it was one post. No additional substantiation. Why would a person write off an entire cruise line because of one post? If there are three dozen people reporting the same thing on different ships, fine. One post? That's my point.

 

I cruised HAL as a vegetarian long before vegetarian was "mainstream" and still managed to find plenty to eat.

 

I'm sorry--what substantiation was I required to provide? Notarized statements? Witnesses?

 

I'm sure that I don't have your vast experience on HAL, with only 10 cruises in 10 years, but, as I wrote in my review upon my return, this was a cruise like none we'd previously experienced. I have no reason to make up what happened--it happened to me and I honestly don't care if you require "substantiation". It happened. I, too, had always found "plenty to eat" on previous cruises--on this cruise I lost weight. Not that I'm complaining but it's not what people normally expect to do when they cruise. I'm hoping it was a blip and not a trend but it happened. Hopefully you'll never have these experiences so that others won't question your crediblity should you report them.

[Roz]

Desdemona,

 

I think maybe you're taking things a little too personally. What I think people are trying to ask you is was this a one-time fluke of a cruise, or is this a policy/menu change on the part of HAL? You may or may not know the answer.

 

For instance, on my Noordam cruise last November, we had no Welcome Aboard Mariners Lunch, and we couldn't get to our staterooms until early evening. Embarkation was delayed and a bit chaotic due to the ship need to be cleaned due to a noro outbreak, and hundreds of crew members having to go thru immigration since the ship was coming into Florida from Europe.

 

I wouldn't want someone to read a review of my cruise and think that HAL did away with the Mariners' lunch, or that suitcases wouldn't start to be delivered until the evening.

 

No one is accusing you of being dishonest or making things up.

 

Roz

[mahassiddasairy]

Perhaps she got a little upset because it seems that her opinion is being diminished when that's not the norm here. If someone came onto the boards and said "I'm thinking about buying XYZ camera for my cruise, does anyone have any opinions", and got the reply "I've owned one, and didn't like it for these reasons", then I doubt anyone would blame the poster for looking at a different camera, even on just one well-informed post. But I think everyone here is very devoted to HAL (which shows it to be a good line, on the whole), and gets a little more defensive of the ship when something negative is said.

 

Roz: Think of it like this: Instead of just not getting the Mariner's lunch, that, for one reason or other, they never served lunch the entire cruise. Then someone came on here to ask about HAL's meal service--wouldn't you mention it? Even if it did just happen to be a fluke, it's something to take into consideration. If I was hungry and crabby and annoyed about being able to find food all the time--well, it wouldn't quite ruin my vacation, but it would come close.

 

Desdemona, were you able to find anything on the room service menu that you could eat? Also, I remember that RCCL shows the day's menu on TV throughout the day--does HAL do that? We were planning, as a contingency, on just watching the day's menu and ordering room service if nothing was veg-friendly in the MDR.

[kyriecat]

. . . Twice I had to send it back (I'd never sent anything back on a HAL cruise before) because meat or shrimp had been added, and the listing on the menu did not include either. . .

I had a similar issue on my HAL cruise. I'm not a vegetarian - I don't eat red meats. On at least three occasions, I ordered something that only listed a fish, seafood, or poultry item but when the dish arrived, sausage or bacon was included. Fortunately my diet is a matter of personal taste and not for religious or ethical reasons. I removed the offending meats and placed them on the side of my plate, but they still left their flavor in the rest of the meal. Twice I mentioned the issue to the waiter, who offered to bring another entree, but at that point everyone else had their food so I decided it was easier to eat what I already had than to find something else on the menu. I mentioned the problem on the comment card as well. Hopefully HAL will update their menus to include all meat items and not just the main ones in a dish.

[Desdemona01]

Perhaps she got a little upset because it seems that her opinion is being diminished when that's not the norm here. If someone came onto the boards and said "I'm thinking about buying XYZ camera for my cruise, does anyone have any opinions", and got the reply "I've owned one, and didn't like it for these reasons", then I doubt anyone would blame the poster for looking at a different camera, even on just one well-informed post. But I think everyone here is very devoted to HAL (which shows it to be a good line, on the whole), and gets a little more defensive of the ship when something negative is said.

 

Roz: Think of it like this: Instead of just not getting the Mariner's lunch, that, for one reason or other, they never served lunch the entire cruise. Then someone came on here to ask about HAL's meal service--wouldn't you mention it? Even if it did just happen to be a fluke, it's something to take into consideration. If I was hungry and crabby and annoyed about being able to find food all the time--well, it wouldn't quite ruin my vacation, but it would come close.

 

Desdemona, were you able to find anything on the room service menu that you could eat? Also, I remember that RCCL shows the day's menu on TV throughout the day--does HAL do that? We were planning, as a contingency, on just watching the day's menu and ordering room service if nothing was veg-friendly in the MDR.

 

thank you for understanding. We have been exclusively HAL customers for 10 years but I rarely come here/post here anymore because of the hostility toward anyone/anything that is not a glowing reference.

 

The MDR menu for each evening is posted outside each day and we always check it--hence our ability to choose the nights that we would be going to the Lido. We did not use room service for dinner on this cruise--we have used it in the past and we know that anything on the MDR menu is available during the hours the MDR is serving. As I mentioned before, two nights the only apparently veg-friendly entree on the MDR menu was served with shrimp on one night and meat another--when I questioned the steward he looked at me like I should have expected it. I asked him to bring the menu, pointed out that neither was listed as an ingredient, and he then took the dishes back to the galley and they were later brought with the proper ingredients. Both times my DH was finished with his meal by the time my entree was finally served.

 

No one has been a bigger cheerleader about HAL's vegetarian menu than me. I've always considered each cruise my personal nirvana because each night I had this lovely menu with a wonderful variety of appetizers, soups and entrees. Lunch in the Lido has never been the struggle that it was this time--one day I was excited to see marinara sauce only to find seafood-stuffed ravioli and spaghetti cooked with chunks of sausage as the only pastas offered. Our experience with AYD was horrid--not only the problems with trying to order from the vegetarian menu, but also being publicly dressed down by that evening's wine steward because the previous night's steward put our wine in the wrong place and it was difficult for him to find. We loved the Ryndam--we both think she might be our favorite ship to date. We had a relaxing cruise--spent much of our time reading in the crow's nest and enjoying the wonderful views. But, by the end of the week I was depending on my meal-replacement bars that I brought with me (as I normally do when I travel) to keep me going until we could get off of the ship. Not a normal HAL experience, to be sure. That's why we are going ahead with our fall cruise and are hopeful/optimistic that this was an aberration and not a trend. I will report back, hopefully with good results :)

 

This is my personal experience of our most recent cruise--no one else's. But, it happened and, whether it was a hiccup or not, I thought it was fair to make it known.

[mahassiddasairy]

Which cruise will you be going on this fall? We're headed to Alaska on the Zaandam on September 17th. Any chance it's the same cruise?

[Desdemona01]

Which cruise will you be going on this fall? We're headed to Alaska on the Zaandam on September 17th. Any chance it's the same cruise?

 

unfortunately, no. We're visiting Bermuda for the first time onboard the Veendam, which was our very first ship...we hope she's as great as we remember... :) We've sailed on the Zaandam and had a great time--we love the R and S class ships....have fun!:D

[CtheW0rld]

thank you for understanding. We have been exclusively HAL customers for 10 years but I rarely come here/post here anymore because of the hostility toward anyone/anything that is not a glowing reference.

 

 

do you know about the 'ignore' feature here? click on the posters name, then 'view public profile',

then 'user list' (below their avatar if they have one),

then 'add to ignore list'.

 

after that, you can tell that they are posting, but not what they are posting. excellent feature (i have a few on ignore, and i'm sure a few use the same on me).

[mahassiddasairy]

Thought you guys would laugh at this, considering everything else on the thread. I just talked to HAL to request fixed dining, mentioned that we were vegetarians, and asked if we'd be able to eat off of the regular menu. She said she'd note it in our booking that we're vegetarians. I just got an E-mail confirmation--the opening line of the attached paperwork? "Our records indicate that accessible facilities and/or services may be required due to a disability." Not sure why we got this one, since it's only related to physical disabilities, but maybe that's how they see vegetarians? It made me chuckle.

[CowPrincess]

I'm sorry--what substantiation was I required to provide? Notarized statements? Witnesses?

 

I'm sure that I don't have your vast experience on HAL, with only 10 cruises in 10 years, but, as I wrote in my review upon my return, this was a cruise like none we'd previously experienced. I have no reason to make up what happened--it happened to me and I honestly don't care if you require "substantiation". It happened. I, too, had always found "plenty to eat" on previous cruises--on this cruise I lost weight. Not that I'm complaining but it's not what people normally expect to do when they cruise. I'm hoping it was a blip and not a trend but it happened. Hopefully you'll never have these experiences so that others won't question your crediblity should you report them.

 

If you re-read my comments, it was directed to vbmom87, who in response to your comment said she was writing off HAL, and would find another cruise line. Then if you read a few posts after my posts, she retracts that statement, saying she'd overreacted or similar.

 

Personally, I don't write off any provider of a service that I've been happy with because of one comment. YMMV. It was not an attack on you, or your credibility. It was questioning vbmom87, that's all. SHE didn't have a problem with my comment/question, and I don't know why anyone else did.

 

I certainly did not say you were not believable, just that I thought vbmom87 might want to do some investigation on her own.

[aaerobear]

One small point about airline "veg" meals. There are several types of vegitarians out there, regular, lacto-ovo, jane, vegan, etc. To expect an airline or cruise line to cater to all of them is simply unreasonable.

 

The airlines provide a vegetarian meal that meets several of the different types of "veg" meals. That means, just because you like or eat cookies, the ingredients are not proper for some of the other disciplines. You can't simply say that because it did not fit your entire profile or discipline that it was wrong.

 

I am sure that the "veg" options on HAL and other lines work in the same way. Menus are created by a chef and nutritionist or expert on what to include or exclude in the dishes that conform to as many disciplines as possible.