Buffet questions

[tidygirl]

On the Ryndam at supper time in their buffet is there a good variety of meats and choices or is it pretty limited. Trying to decide on a very last minute cruise whether we want to try Holland.

Edited March 9, 2015 by tidygirl

[Tripper10]

Although I have never been on that ship, I'm pretty sure the buffet has the same items as the main dinning room plus other "buffet" items. For me, HAL is best in class for the dinner buffet. Also, a great perk is you can order dinning room fair for room service.

[PathfinderEss]

Hal's Lido serves the same for dinner that is served in the Main Dinning Room. You will have a good choice of meat, also Italian, Asian, Bistro Specials, and Carving board. Sandwiches, soup and salads are offered. Ofcourse if you have a sweet tooth, there are plenty of deserts.

Edited March 9, 2015 by PathfinderEss

[sail7seas]

Plenty of choices. :)

 

[PathfinderEss]

Oops, I forgot there is the 'Dive In', hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs and then there is a taco bar. Lots of meat there.

Edited March 9, 2015 by PathfinderEss

[cavecreekguy]

Oops, I forgot there is the 'Dive In', hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs and then there is a taco bar. Lots of meat there.

 

Doesn't the "dive in" close around 5 p.m. though?

[sail7seas]

And 24/7 Room Service with more variety offered than on many other cruise lines. :)

[cavecreekguy]

And 24/7 Room Service with more variety offered than on many other cruise lines. :)

 

I so love the HAL room service. So nice when coming back at the end of the night but wanting a nibble.

[Crew News]

Doesn't the "dive in" close around 5 p.m. though?

 

Closed at 6:30 PM on our cruises.

[antique sailor]

AHOY SHIPMATES

 

LIDO menu is SIMILAR but NOT the same as MDR at supper.

 

On formal nights it is quite a bit different (less choices) .

 

In some ways it is NICER than MDR and a lot faster.

[Seazond]

I agree with the pp - similar, but not EXACTLY the same.

 

To the OP - the buffet is set up with stations, each normally following a theme and there are choices at each. There will be a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetarian meals at each station.

 

You can go check the MDR menus each day, as well as the specialty restaurants, and make eating decisions then. If you see something in the MDR, and for whatever reason don't wish to have the entire meal there, order for room service. (One could even get room service for one item, then go to the buffet to round out the meal).

 

The bottom line is - I don't think you will be disappointed at all in the choices on HAL. Give it a try!

[sppunk]

Just beware the Lido starts closing up shop at 7:30, almost never the advertised 8 p.m time. They start removing hot items first.

[WisRiver]

We have done three repositioning cruises and the Black Sea cruise on HAL. The Lido layout is about the same on all ships. The Lido has different stations on different sides of the ship. For example the poached egg station is only available on one side of the buffet, so make sure you walk both sides. At lunch, the Asian station is available on one side. At dinner, the Lido menu reflects what is served in the MDR except for the onion soup. If you like the starters, it is easy to have a dinner of starters with no main. You can also asked the cooks to cook a steak or salmon to order. We wind up eating about ¾ of our dinners in the Lido. The only disadvantage to dinner in the Lido is that they close up at 8:00 PM promptly.

[Lizzie68]

Doesn't the "dive in" close around 5 p.m. though?

 

5:30 on my cruise. I know because I just got in there and was told curtly they were about to close up.:(

[Windsailer]

We eat almost exclusively in the Lido on HAL ships. While the dinner options are similar to what is served in the MDR (I look at both menus) they are not the same. I've never seen lobster tails in the Lido on any HAL ship, not even the Prinsendam. One thing I have seen recently - last year on the Amsterdam and on the Westerdam - both Alaska cruises - while halibut was on the menu one night, left over salmon from the lunch salmon BBQ was substituted each time. Thought that was a bit tacky.

[threeedogmedia]

This will be our first cruise on HAL. Why does the LIDO close so early? If we have a long tour and just want to have a nice meal in the buffet before we go back to the stateroom, closing at 7 or 7:30 is so darn early. I'm used to other lines that close at 9pm. I realize they are all different, but dining on HAL seems to be earlier than we're used to Room service isn't something we're interested in so I'm just curious to find out why the early closure. I'm not slamming HAL but just wonder if people eat way earlier than I thought.

Karen

[cb at sea]

No need to decide now...wait until you board, and decide! You can check daily menus and see what suits you!

[Iowa-Cruiser]

A nice thing about room service is no request seems too small to be bothered with. When we were on the Zuiderdam on our honeymoon, we ordered a room service breakfast one day. My wife wanted her eggs over hard, but that option was not on the list - so she wrote it in and that is how the eggs came.

Another time we bought some nuts from a dockside vendor. When we got to our room to nibble on them we noticed they were unsalted. So we called room service and, yes indeed, they brought up a salt shaker.

[Crew News]

This will be our first cruise on HAL. Why does the LIDO close so early? If we have a long tour and just want to have a nice meal in the buffet before we go back to the stateroom, closing at 7 or 7:30 is so darn early. I'm used to other lines that close at 9pm. I realize they are all different, but dining on HAL seems to be earlier than we're used to Room service isn't something we're interested in so I'm just curious to find out why the early closure. I'm not slamming HAL but just wonder if people eat way earlier than I thought.

Karen

 

In reviewing my collection of On Locations (daily activities) from the past several years, I learned that the Lido Restaurant is open until 9:00 PM when in ports for those returning from excursions.

 

in case you might change your mind about Room Service, here is the scanned, current, menu in PDF format:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Room-Service.pdf

[Crew News]

It is remarkable that a single chef can do all of the Room Service cooking for an entire Vista-Class ship. Here is a picture that I took during a Behind the Scenes Tour on the Oosterdam:

 

[Lizzie68]

This will be our first cruise on HAL. Why does the LIDO close so early? If we have a long tour and just want to have a nice meal in the buffet before we go back to the stateroom, closing at 7 or 7:30 is so darn early. I'm used to other lines that close at 9pm. I realize they are all different, but dining on HAL seems to be earlier than we're used to Room service isn't something we're interested in so I'm just curious to find out why the early closure. I'm not slamming HAL but just wonder if people eat way earlier than I thought.

Karen

 

 

I agree with you, it is ridiculously early to close it down. And wonder why - we wandered in for a cup of tea at 10 pm and there was not one cleaned table from dinner. You would think they would be all done by then, when they close down so early.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Lizzie68

[Crew News]

Closed at 6:30 PM on our cruises.

 

After reviewing my On Locations, I discovered that the Dive In closed at 6:30 PM in Alaska and 5:30 PM in the Caribbean.

 

Must be related to the time of sunset.

[Crew News]

This will be our first cruise on HAL. Why does the LIDO close so early? If we have a long tour and just want to have a nice meal in the buffet before we go back to the stateroom, closing at 7 or 7:30 is so darn early. I'm used to other lines that close at 9pm. I realize they are all different, but dining on HAL seems to be earlier than we're used to Room service isn't something we're interested in so I'm just curious to find out why the early closure. I'm not slamming HAL but just wonder if people eat way earlier than I thought.

Karen

 

On the Nieuw Amsterdam Caribbean cruises, The Slice, pizza station on the aft Lido deck is open from 11:30 AM until midnight.

[tidygirl]

Well I took the plunge! It doesn't sound like we will starve! Atleast this cruise I only have to make sure my hubby is happy so we will be fine!

[Crew News]

Well I took the plunge! It doesn't sound like we will starve! Atleast this cruise I only have to make sure my hubby is happy so we will be fine!

 

Congratulations!!

 

You will definitely not starve but might find your clothing fitting a bit tighter when you disembark. Moderation rules.