First night in the dining room?

[Typhoon1]

Those frozen tails don't 'do it' for New Englanders. :) We're used to really good lobster. ;)

 

 

I agree Sail. They are usually small, and often rubbery.

 

Good lobster costs $$$.

[JamesEM]

Frozen warn water lobster tails served in a banquet setting sometimes doesn't work out that well.

[Kenito]

Even if I was skipping the lobster - we've found that the "lobster night menu" normally has some other interesting (and appetizing) entrees. :)

 

Actually, on a Carnival cruise they had both lobster and prime rib on the same night... I ordered both because the lobster is usually the size of a healthy prawn. And... I enjoy both!

[kstan]

Check your itinerary.

 

Your second night might be a formal night on your cruise.

 

How do we do this? We leave August 31 2013 on NA. Is there somewhere to look to find out which nights are formal? Also when people are saying the first night does that mean the day you board?

Thanks

[sail7seas]

First night is the evening you board the ship.

 

FAR more often than not, first formal night is the second evening you are aboard. There are exceptions but that is a frequent rule of thumb.

 

To itineraries, go to http://www.hollandamerica.com

Click find a cruise

Click appropriate boxes for region sailing, month/year, number of days and name of ship. Your itinerary will pull up.

 

OR seeing you are already booked, you can click 'for booked guests' or whatever the tab is that has similar name. Look at the tool bar at the top of the HAL page. You will see the prompt to find your itinerary.

 

[sail7seas]

Here is the itinerary for Nieuw Amsterdam, August 31, 2013:

 

0 31 Aug 2013 Barcelona, Spain 04:00 PM

1 01 Sep 2013 Marseille (Provence), France 08:00 AM 05:00 PM Formal

2 02 Sep 2013 Monte Carlo, Monaco 08:00 AM 06:00 PM

3 03 Sep 2013 Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy 07:00 AM 08:00 PM

4 04 Sep 2013 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy 07:00 AM 07:00 PM

5 05 Sep 2013 Naples, Italy 08:00 AM 05:00 PM

6 06 Sep 2013 At Sea Formal

7 07 Sep 2013 Katakolon, Greece 10:00 AM 06:00 PM

8 08 Sep 2013 Kerkira, Corfu, Greece 08:00 AM 05:00 PM

9 09 Sep 2013 Kotor, Montenegro Noon 11:00 PM

10 10 Sep 2013 Dubrovnik, Croatia 08:00 AM 04:00 PM Formal

11 11 Sep 2013 Venice, Italy ON 01:00 PM

12 12 Sep 2013 Venice, Italy 06:00 AM

 

It's a great itinerary.

I marked which nights are likely formal. Of course, that can always change.

Have a wonderful cruise. :)

[innlady1]

Does anyone know what HAL serves on the first night of the cruise in the dining room. I am thinking of booking a specialty restaurant the first night and for some reason I think I read somewhere that it is always prime rib on the first night, or maybe I just dreamed it! I don't know!!

 

We've always had prime rib the 1st night.

[innlady1]

Frozen warm water lobster tails served in a banquet setting sometimes doesn't work out that well.

 

Being from the Northeast, we're used to cold water lobster...I always pass on the lobster on the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

How do we do this? We leave August 31 2013 on NA. Is there somewhere to look to find out which nights are formal? Also when people are saying the first night does that mean the day you board?

Thanks

 

When you check in at the pier -- you will be given the daily "On Location" program. There will be listed the formal nights.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Actually, on a Carnival cruise they had both lobster and prime rib on the same night... I ordered both because the lobster is usually the size of a healthy prawn. And... I enjoy both!

 

The last formal night on HAL's ship -- Surf and Turf.

You get one tiny lobster tail and a tiny bit of beef.

[sail7seas]

The last formal night on HAL's ship -- Surf and Turf.

 

You get one tiny lobster tail and a tiny bit of beef.

 

 

You can request another portion if you wish. You can request two more portions if you wish. You will not go hungry on any HAL ship unless you wish to.

 

[mamaofami]

When they serve escargot, I always order two. That and a salad makes my dinner.

 

I pass on those lobster tails too.

[RuthC]

The last formal night on HAL's ship -- Surf and Turf.

 

You get one tiny lobster tail and a tiny bit of beef.

I don't find the beef serving "tiny" at all.

I ask for no surf, and one turf, which is plenty when I have a roll, soup, and potato & vegetable. Frequently I am served two of the steaks, and leave one untouched. Sorry to waste it, but I'm not going to force myself.

[rkacruiser]

I don't find the beef serving "tiny" at all.

I ask for no surf, and one turf, which is plenty when I have a roll, soup, and potato & vegetable. Frequently I am served two of the steaks, and leave one untouched. Sorry to waste it, but I'm not going to force myself.

 

I never thought that I would get to this point in my life, but I have learned that if I cannot clean my plate, nobody is going to make me sit there until I do so. (Sorry my dearly departed Mother!)

[Typhoon1]

You can request another portion if you wish. You can request two more portions if you wish. You will not go hungry on any HAL ship unless you wish to.

 

 

Ask for a second entrée. If you do, be sure to eat it. Nothing worse than waste. It only drives costs up.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can request another portion if you wish. You can request two more portions if you wish. You will not go hungry on any HAL ship unless you wish to.

 

 

Yes -- people can do that.

But we do not order the Surf & Turf.

DH ordered the beef ONLY one time -- got a tiny piece -- barely 4 bites. He asked for a second portion. By the time it came -- 30 minutes later -- he was done with vegies and everything else. Since we rarely have dessert -- we were getting up and leaving the dining room.

Have never ordered the any of the portions of Surf and Turf since that experience.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't find the beef serving "tiny" at all.

I ask for no surf, and one turf, which is plenty when I have a roll, soup, and potato & vegetable. Frequently I am served two of the steaks, and leave one untouched. Sorry to waste it, but I'm not going to force myself.

 

 

Read my post #41.

[RuthC]

Read my post #41.

You've cruised enough to know that you can order two of the steaks at once. All of us who have been around a while know to ask for everything at once, as it takes a long time for a special run to bring the extra portion.

[sail7seas]

You've cruised enough to know that you can order two of the steaks at once. All of us who have been around a while know to ask for everything at once, as it takes a long time for a special run to bring the extra portion.

 

 

 

Exactly.

 

If I know I want extra veggies, I ask for them when I originally place my order. We know to ask for everything we think we will want right from the get go and it goes more smoothly for us and saves our steward a trip back to the galley. The easier we make it for them, the better they can make it for us.

 

They really DO want to please us. We have to make it possible.

 

[bobansheri]

They serve the people that with drew the HSC from the pervious cruise.

[kstan]

Here is the itinerary for Nieuw Amsterdam, August 31, 2013:

 

 

It's a great itinerary.

I marked which nights are likely formal. Of course, that can always change.

Have a wonderful cruise. :)

 

Thank you. Yes I did know our port itinerary, I was thinking you were talking about a food itinerary!! :D Nice to know which nights are formal though.

[sail7seas]

Food itinerary?

 

Do you mean menus?

While we have menus posted here on CC, they do not necessarily serve them in the same order on all the ships. Obviously, different number of day cruises will have more or fewer menus.

Also, they change them rather frequently these days so they are more like 'suggestions' than carved in stone. :)