carlp Posted December 5, 2013 #1 Share Posted December 5, 2013 we will be on HAL for the 1st time in Janurary - we usually take either Princess or RCCL. on those 2 lines, they have a shops where you can get a number of snacks available at no charge - cookies-sandwiches -coffee-pastries -salads does HAL offer anything like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted December 5, 2013 #2 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) Many of these items will be available on the Lido at various times of the day. Some will also be available in the Neptune Lounge if you are eligible to use it. Room service will also supply some of these items. Don't worry, there will always be free (included in your fare) food available somewhere. Edited December 5, 2013 by CruiserBruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startwin Posted December 5, 2013 #3 Share Posted December 5, 2013 we will be on HAL for the 1st time in Janurary - we usually take either Princess or RCCL. on those 2 lines, they have a shops where you can get a number of snacks available at no charge - cookies-sandwiches -coffee-pastries -salads does HAL offer anything like this? This is one thing HAL could improve on - although there is food available somewhere all day, in the Lido or room service, or the Explorations Cafe if you buy a coffee. But I really love the Cafe Promenade on RCI ships, where there is so much available 24/7, very tasty pastries and sandwiches etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 5, 2013 #4 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Coffee and Tea is available 24/7 in the Lido or through room service. After the main buffet closes down after lunch -- usually 2 or 2:30, the sandwich area, pizza, taco, salad areas are open until about 4 PM. The Terrace Grill with hamburgers will be open until about 6 -- check your daily "On Location" for times. Ice cream, cookies and other desserts are open until about 4. They shut down for awhile while the Lido changes over for their buffet dinner. Then they open again until about 8:30. You do not have to buy a specialty coffee or tea in the Explorations Café to get a pastry there -- just ask and they will give it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 5, 2013 #5 Share Posted December 5, 2013 And there is room service. Available 24 hours: Smoked Atlantic Salmon - pickled red onion, capers & cream cheese Mesclun Garden Greens - tomato, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts & blue cheese crumbles Triple Decker Club Sandwich - sliced turkey, ham, bacon, tomato & lettuce served on toasted bread of your choice All American Hamburger - broiled 1/4 pound beef patty on a sesame bun with dill pickle & coleslaw - add cheddar or Swiss cheese Open faced Omelet - ham & cheese or vegetables Selection of assorted cheese with crackers Apple tart with whipped cream Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce A plate of chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk Fruit salad - selected fruits in season Available from 12 noon until 10 PM: Appetizers & Soups: Bay shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce Smoked Atlantic Salmon French onion soup baked with Gruyere cheese Soup of the day Salads: Mesclun Garden Greens Chef salad - mixed greens, ham, salami, swiss cheese, turkey, hard boiled egg - choice of Italian or blue cheese dressing Caesar salad - tossed with Caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan - add bay shrimp or grilled chicken breast Sandwiches & Burgers: All are served with a choice of potato salad or potato chips Triple decker club sandwich Broiled California chicken breast sandwich on multi=grain bread with avocado & honey mustard sauce Grilled tuna melt - tuna salad & Swiss cheese on rye bread with pickle spears Thai Vegetarian wrap - eggplant, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts & cilantro rolled with rice & green curry sauce in a tomato tortilla Steak sandwich - sirloin steak on sourdough bread sauteed with onion & bell pepper All American Hamburger Entrees: Seared salmon steak - dill-lime fusion, broccoli florets, carrot batonnet & country mashed potatoes Penne Primavera - tossed in marinara sauce with Italian roasted vegetables - add grilled chicken breast Pizza: margarita (tomato sauce & cheese) Pepperoni Vegetarian (mushroom & bell pepper) Desserts: Apple tart Chocolate cake Creme caramel surrounded in berry compote Fruit jello fruit salad Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce Selection of assorted cheese with crackers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waASPCrusier Posted December 5, 2013 #6 Share Posted December 5, 2013 You do not have to buy a specialty coffee or tea in the Explorations Café to get a pastry there -- just ask and they will give it to you. No kidding...really any of the food items in there are free? I always thought that like the coffee drinks they were an extra cost?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly3399 Posted December 5, 2013 #7 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Are cold drinks available in places other than the Lido or room service? I am talking about non-alcoholic drinks like juice or iced tea. I guess what I am asking is can I get a cold beverage without going to the Lido or my room (for room service)? Thank you. Have just booked my first HAL cruise. Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangerinebunny Posted December 5, 2013 #8 Share Posted December 5, 2013 No kidding...really any of the food items in there are free? I always thought that like the coffee drinks they were an extra cost?? There're usually free, but some posters have indicated in the past that when they asked for a pastry w/o buying a drink, they were told no. It's possible that the server was new.... My husband says that I cruise for that afternoon scoop of strawberry ice cream. He might be right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 5, 2013 #9 Share Posted December 5, 2013 No kidding...really any of the food items in there are free? I always thought that like the coffee drinks they were an extra cost?? No charge for the pastries. We have watched many people go up and ask for a pastry without buying a coffee or a tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 5, 2013 #10 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Are cold drinks available in places other than the Lido or room service? I am talking about non-alcoholic drinks like juice or iced tea. I guess what I am asking is can I get a cold beverage without going to the Lido or my room (for room service)? Thank you. Have just booked my first HAL cruise. Kelly Regular ice tea is only available in the Lido 24/7. On some ships there is a dispenser in the Lido for punch or lemonade. There are lots of juices available at breakfast in the Lido, main dining room. If you go to a bar or order juices through room service, you will be charged for it. No other place for free cold drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waASPCrusier Posted December 5, 2013 #11 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) There're usually free, but some posters have indicated in the past that when they asked for a pastry w/o buying a drink, they were told no. It's possible that the server was new.... My husband says that I cruise for that afternoon scoop of strawberry ice cream. He might be right. No charge for the pastries. We have watched many people go up and ask for a pastry without buying a coffee or a tea. Well thanks for the information, I will be trying this out in just over two weeks and let you guys know how it works for me. On a side note for me it is the after lunch bread pudding :D Edited December 5, 2013 by waASPCrusier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 5, 2013 #12 Share Posted December 5, 2013 We were just on the Nieuw Amsterdam a couple of weeks and the server never denied anyone a free pastry. You can have my portion of bread pudding -- I don't care for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted December 6, 2013 #13 Share Posted December 6, 2013 You can have my bread pudding too. That just a waste of good bread:D;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCruiserMom Posted December 6, 2013 #14 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Does anyone know if punch or lemonade is available in the lido on the Nieuw Amsterdam? We never had that choice on the Maasdam or Veendam and we don't care for iced tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startwin Posted December 6, 2013 #15 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Well thanks for the information, I will be trying this out in just over two weeks and let you guys know how it works for me. On a side note for me it is the after lunch bread pudding :D Please do, because I was told by the server on the Zuiderdam that the pastries etc were only available with the purchase of a drink, in the Explorations cafe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner2 Posted December 6, 2013 #16 Share Posted December 6, 2013 On the Statendam (we just left; were there Nov 3-Dec 4) lemonade was served out on the Lower Prom deck every day at 10:30 am and iced tea in the afternoon, I think it was about 2:30. It was in the On Location program daily. I liked the plastic cups they used; short and fat so they didn't spill easily. The drink staff came around with trays of glasses; you just took one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismomx5 Posted December 6, 2013 #17 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Regular ice tea is only available in the Lido 24/7. On some ships there is a dispenser in the Lido for punch or lemonade. No other place for free cold drinks. So iced tea, punch and lemonade are free? I don't have a sense of what is 'free' in the line of drinks at all. Milk? hot tea? coffee? This will be my first cruise with HAL, and DCL it was all "free". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner2 Posted December 6, 2013 #18 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Dismomx5, the drinks you mentioned are all free--coffee, milk, lemonade & punch if they have it. I mentioned the mid-morning lemonade above, but you can always get lemon slices and sugar! The drinks you'll pay for include specialty coffees (lattes, cappuccinos either at a meal or in the specialty coffee bar at the Explorations cafe), alcoholic beverages, and sodas. Milk--if you're coming from Disney perhaps you have kids who will want it) is available in various forms (1%, 2%, whole, maybe skim--on our 30-day cruise it wasn't available because at least for a cruise of that length all of the milk had long expiration dates and apparently skim isn't available in that format) is easily available at breakfast, either in the dining room or in the Lido. You can pick up a single-serve carton (or ask for it if there isn't self-serve available at that moment) and take it back to the cabin and keep it in the ice bucket if you'll want it later. I always have a glass or two with dinner and since we select fixed dining after the first night the steward will have it waiting for me. I think chocolate milk's available too. At lunch in the Lido a steward will go and get it for you if you ask. And from room service, you can't beat ordering milk and cookies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted December 6, 2013 #19 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I think chocolate milk's available too. It most certainly is. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TracieABD Posted December 6, 2013 #20 Share Posted December 6, 2013 It most certainly is. :D ...and RuthC, as our resident chocolate aficionado, would know!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrhdhd Posted December 6, 2013 #21 Share Posted December 6, 2013 This is one thing HAL could improve on - although there is food available somewhere all day, in the Lido or room service, or the Explorations Cafe if you buy a coffee. But I really love the Cafe Promenade on RCI ships, where there is so much available 24/7, very tasty pastries and sandwiches etc. I agree that HAL doesn't have a broad enough selection of food available in the times that the Lido is closed--and the hours in the Lido are very short compared to Princess. Princess also has the International Cafe on many ships, which is open 24/7, and during most of those hours one can get practically a full meal or just a little snack. You can buy snack food (Pringles, candy) in the shop if it's open. It's not cheap, but if you're jonesing for something, it can come in handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted December 6, 2013 #22 Share Posted December 6, 2013 This is one thing HAL could improve on - although there is food available somewhere all day, in the Lido or room service, or the Explorations Cafe if you buy a coffee. But I really love the Cafe Promenade on RCI ships, where there is so much available 24/7, very tasty pastries and sandwiches etc. I totally agree. Have taken most of my cruises on HAL, but more recently three on Princess and one on Celebrity. HAL definitely could improve in providing snacks, especially when pax return from a shore excursion that goes past lunch hour...and either only a beverage is served on the shorex or sometimes nothing at all. I have written that on my HAL surveys...please have snacks available for returning shorex folks who do not have lunch included with their venture. For those who have patience and can wait, the room service menu is better than that of Princess and Celebrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waASPCrusier Posted December 6, 2013 #23 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Please do, because I was told by the server on the Zuiderdam that the pastries etc were only available with the purchase of a drink, in the Explorations cafe. I always thought so as I sat there reading thinking that would tide me over just fine without having to go back to the Lido. I will definately try it...at least once a day and let you know :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted December 6, 2013 #24 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I totally agree. Have taken most of my cruises on HAL, but more recently three on Princess and one on Celebrity. HAL definitely could improve in providing snacks, especially when pax return from a shore excursion that goes past lunch hour...and either only a beverage is served on the shorex or sometimes nothing at all. I have written that on my HAL surveys...please have snacks available for returning shorex folks who do not have lunch included with their venture. For those who have patience and can wait, the room service menu is better than that of Princess and Celebrity. On our recent cruise, everytime we returned mid afternoon (or just after lunch) we were able to get sandwiches at the deli, hamburgers or hot dogs at the Terrace Grill, pizza at the Retreat, or do room service. Plenty of food available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted December 6, 2013 #25 Share Posted December 6, 2013 There are also candy bars for sale in the ship store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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