RocketMan275 Posted November 28, 2013 #1 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Has anyone been on a Holland cruise over Thanksgiving? What was done special? We're usually on our own for Thanksgiving (kids spend Christmas with us). Would appreciate anyone's experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted November 28, 2013 #2 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Traditional dinner is served, but they also serve a turkey dinner on most cruises no matter what time of the year. This is such a uniquely American holiday and with more international passengers, this will probably not take much special recognition in itself. But the best thing about Thanksgiving on HAL ships is that it means they will start putting up the Christmas decorations and the ships will look spectacular. Far more international passengers celebrate Christmas than even know about Thanksgiving. Even countries that do not have Christmas as a religious tradition are all decked out with the Santa and presents theme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storylady Posted November 28, 2013 #3 Share Posted November 28, 2013 HAL also had a special display and meal for the Canadian Thanksgiving. The decorations were at the entrance to the Main Dining Room. If you ate in the Lido, you would have missed the fact HAL had done anything special for either Thanksgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovely other Posted November 28, 2013 #4 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Is Thanksgiving a religious or secular event? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakalina Posted November 28, 2013 #5 Share Posted November 28, 2013 We've seen them hang a few paper turkeys and a Happy Thanksgiving sign in the Lido before but most of the decorating for the holiday is in the MDR. The food is wonderful. I am a huge fan of HAL's chestnut dressing. Yummy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakalina Posted November 28, 2013 #6 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Is Thanksgiving a religious or secular event? It is a secular event. Introduced as a Federal holiday by President Abraham Lincoln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatka Posted November 28, 2013 #7 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Far more international passengers celebrate Christmas than even know about Thanksgiving. Even countries that do not have Christmas as a religious tradition are all decked out with the Santa and presents theme. It is for New Year then. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted November 28, 2013 #8 Share Posted November 28, 2013 (edited) We were on Nieuw Amsterdam for Thanksgiving 2011 and Westerdam Thanksgiving 2012. We very much enjoyed our traditional American Thanksgiving dinner on NA and we had fresh, real turkey. We had a less wonderful dinner on Westerdam and I'm not so sure it was fresh turkey. :shrug: It was a good cruise though and we enjoyed being aboard for the holiday. There were a number of family groups and I love seeing tables with multigenerations all sharing the holiday at sea. HAL does a nice job IMO Wish we were there this year. :) Edited November 28, 2013 by sail7seas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowPrincess Posted November 28, 2013 #9 Share Posted November 28, 2013 We had Canadian Thanksgiving onboard one year, and it was pseudo-turkey served for dinner so I just had extra-extra dressing :) Same thing for American Thanksgiving -- "not exactly turkey" in the MDR :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.dawg Posted November 28, 2013 #10 Share Posted November 28, 2013 my only thanksgiving on hal was two years ago, on the rotterdam. the meal was totally HORRIBLE. processed turkey, dressing that resembled mastic, and a 'pecan pie' that was no more than a quarter-inch thick. and poor service, to boot. it was so awful, i'm still trying to forget it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted November 28, 2013 #11 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Traditional dinner is served, but they also serve a turkey dinner on most cruises no matter what time of the year. This is such a uniquely American holiday and with more international passengers, this will probably not take much special recognition in itself. But the best thing about Thanksgiving on HAL ships is that it means they will start putting up the Christmas decorations and the ships will look spectacular. Far more international passengers celebrate Christmas than even know about Thanksgiving. Even countries that do not have Christmas as a religious tradition are all decked out with the Santa and presents theme. From our recent Panama Canal cruise: Turkey Roast with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry Golden roasted and juicy, complete with harvest apple pecan stuffing, giblet gravy, zingy cranberry relish, glazed dilled carrots and turnips, Brussels sprouts and candied sweet potatoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted November 28, 2013 #12 Share Posted November 28, 2013 They had it for Canadian Thanksgiving this year on the Eurodam. I wish HAL wouldn't put so much sweet stuff on the plate i.e. sweet potato and fruit in the stuffing. It's not the way it's done in our neck of the woods. I've never had real turkey on HAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted November 28, 2013 #13 Share Posted November 28, 2013 We have been on several different ships over Thanksgiving. The dining room was nicely decorated. Once we ate in the dining room and were served processed turkey -- ugh. From then on I always ask what kind of turkey will be served and it is the same answer -- processed. One dining room manager told me that it is impossible for them to cook so many turkey's. Now if we cruise over Thanksgiving, we go to the Pinnacle. There was Roasted turkey listed on the menu on our last cruise. Even though we knew we weren't going to the dining room that night, I did ask again -- not the real stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solocanadian Posted November 28, 2013 #14 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I've only seen real turkey in the Lido at lunch time at the "Roast" station. I always check it out to see if there is any crispy skin.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sallycruiser06 Posted November 29, 2013 #15 Share Posted November 29, 2013 They had it for Canadian Thanksgiving this year on the Eurodam. I wish HAL wouldn't put so much sweet stuff on the plate i.e. sweet potato and fruit in the stuffing. It's not the way it's done in our neck of the woods. I've never had real turkey on HAL. How we make our stuffing and what we serve with our turkey is so dependent on our heritage, wouldn't you say? I'm an Albertan too and love fruit in my stuffing and have come to love sweet potatoes after cooking for my American DH. To each their own...guess they can' t please everyone all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted November 29, 2013 #16 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Don't know if it's heritage dependent. I've never known anyone to cook stuffing with fruit except Hal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatka Posted November 29, 2013 #17 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Don't know if it's heritage dependent. I've never known anyone to cook stuffing with fruit except Hal. Apples, dried appricots etc are often added to the stuffing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted November 29, 2013 #18 Share Posted November 29, 2013 I use raisins in my stuffing. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Himself Posted November 29, 2013 #19 Share Posted November 29, 2013 I was on a HAL cruise over Thankgiving a number of years ago. I liked it very much. One of the food options was Turkey, Cranberry Sauce and delicious dressing. It was great. I might do this again someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizzies_mom Posted November 29, 2013 #20 Share Posted November 29, 2013 I had no complaints about the turkey served on the Prinsendam on our transatlantic two years ago except, perhaps, that the portions were too large. A tablemate who had attended most of the culinary sessions noted that our cranberry sauce was made from dried cranberries because fresh cranberries are not to be found in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted November 29, 2013 #21 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Is Thanksgiving a religious or secular event? Good question. It is a mainly secular event particularly as celebrated today, however started as a celebration of a harvest feast by a group of religious separatists (Pilgrims) who came to America in the early colonial history of America. So in a way everything they did in their community was "religious", simply because that is who they were. This was an event when they definitely offered thanks to their Almighty for their survival in this new land. And apparently with no small help from the natives peoples who taught them many of their necessary survival skills in this land. Today is primarily a family in-gathering time and marks the beginning of the winter holiday season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karennella Posted November 29, 2013 #22 Share Posted November 29, 2013 What do Americans eat at Thanksgiving if they don't like turkey? (It has become more popular here in Australia for Christmas food but many people I know can take it or leave it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted November 29, 2013 #23 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Here is an interesting wikipedia link about the "thanksgiving dinner": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_dinner Vegans and vegetarians can do very well with most everything else about a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, absent the turkey itself. There is a "fake" looking soy slice called tofurkey that makes the rounds this time of the year. But stuffing, vegetables sides and pie can be adapted to meet vegan, vegetarian and wheat allergy needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted November 29, 2013 #24 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Some families/gatherings serve ham as well as turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted November 29, 2013 #25 Share Posted November 29, 2013 One Thanksgiving I prepared a 17 pound turkey, a 10 pound ham, and a tofurkey (vegetarian daughter and niece). We were hosting (I think there were about 24 of us), and my little oven got a workout that year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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