just off Eurodam, are dining expectations realistic or unrealistic?

[Barrheadlass]

I feel very fortunate that on my 4 HAL cruises I've never heard anyone talk about their cruise cost, or whine about the food.

[Rosethorn40]

We were on the Eurodam for the 12-day Baltic, just before the portion that went to Norway/Scotland (I wish I had the vacation time to add that segment) and I thought the service was excellent, in fact felt spoiled by the service we received. I guess we were lucky too, we only met lovely people who were enjoying themselves and didn't hear a single complaint, except from the woman having a meltdown our first day in Stockholm because it was raining and it was the city she most wanted to visit (Sun would come out by 2pm, and the next day was glorious).

 

There probably have been changes in the last 10 years or so, the room stewards have more cabins to clean so can't spend as much time per cabin, or have a little free time to engage in conversation. I think the bouquets of flowers are a little less elaborate, and they don't serve filet every night, but cruising is such a great value for vacation dollars. Besides 5 years from now I am going to remember the splendor of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, or Schwerin Castle, not what I had for dinner on night 3 of the cruise.

[Lottie Linda]

Find it amazing that some people complain about what they get for the price they paid. Come on now - price out a hotel room with twice daily cleaning, 3 fantastic meals a day plus snacks, teas, room service, entertainment, attending a movie, listening to a (usually) decent lecture, etc. for a land vacation and then be thankful you paid so much less for your cruise - plus the adventure of new ports/sights/cultures is thrown in for free!

 

Cruise- about $125/night. Or $250 per couple.

 

 

For the same $250/night one can stay at the Luxor Hotel (much bigger room, but only once a day cleaning and no towel monkey). Included for the $250/night:

 

All inclusive package:

 

-All You Can Eat, All Day Buffet Pass (Pass entitles you to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at MORE The Buffet at Luxor)

-Two tickets to Criss Angel Believe (Wednesday through Sunday evening)

-Two tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

-Two tickets to Bodies...The Exhibition

-Two Nurture Spa Day Passes

-Free Admission to LAX Nightclub

 

Minimum two night stay. Then one can move across the street and get a similar deal at a dozen other casinos.

[CruiserBruce]

And a cruise provides all those things- food, entertainment, etc. But a cruise line has two additional large costs- housing and other support for their employees beyond salary and benefits, and fuel to move the ship. The fuel issue is huge- I have heard numbers like $750,000 in fuel for a 10 day cruise, but that when oil prices were in the $80-90 range.

[POA1]

Just got off the Eurodam and had a fabulous cruise to Norway and Scotland. This was my first HAL cruise but I have cruises many times with Princess and RCCL. I had a great time and will cruise with HAL again.

 

An observation that I wondered if others have noticed:

 

We had anytime dining and met some wonderful people at all the meals. I noticed and heard many people complaining that HAL has gone downhill in their dining and service (I thought the service was outstanding). Many of those same people also said they booked this cruise because they got a great deal on the cruise fare. Great for them, I also look for a good deal, who doesn't?

 

What I found rather ironic is that a few of the people who were most adamant in their dissatisfaction with HAL and the quality of food and service were also the people who said they got a cheap fare and stated they refused to book any HAL excursions because they were too expensive.

 

It seemed rather ironic to me that these individuals expected 5 star dining, but at obviously cheap prices and also didn't want to put any more money into the cruise. How do they think HAL can afford to provide 5 star dining, when they have to make some profit on the cruise and cover their costs. Another detail, because of the itinerary, the casino was closed for about 4 1/2 days since we were cruising too close to the coast of the UK, also decreasing HAL's profits.

 

Frankly it lead me to wonder if SOME people (note I said some people, not all), have unrealistic expectations as to what quality they expect for what price they are willing to pay. Anyone ever wonder the same thing or did I just happen to run into a larger than typical number of complainers?

Really good post. Thanks.

[iancal]

Absolutely agree. Same issue on all cruise lines.

 

People seem to expect gourmet meals in the MDR of a mass market cruise line.

 

Gourmet when they are pushing out hundreds of meals within a half hour or so window??? Not possible.

 

The meals are reasonable-sometimes great, usually good, sometimes not so good. It is what you would expect from a banquet type service and operation.

 

Notwithstanding what one paid for the cruise, to have the expectation that your MDR meal will be five star quality, taste, etc is, well, something out of a fairly tale.

Edited July 9, 2015 by iancal

[cruz chic]

Absolutely agree. Same issue on all cruise lines.

 

People seem to expect gourmet meals in the MDR of a mass market cruise line.

 

Gourmet when they are pushing out hundreds of meals within a half hour or so window??? Not possible.

 

The meals are reasonable-sometimes great, usually good, sometimes not so good. It is what you would expect from a banquet type service and operation.

 

Notwithstanding what one paid for the cruise, to have the expectation that your MDR meal will be five star quality, taste, etc is, well, something out of a fairly tale.

 

....yet Hal markets itself as having such amazing food. No wonder people get disappointed.

[iancal]

You have to be more than a little naïve to believe the marketing folks and the brochure descriptions.

 

Applies to cruise lines and just about every other consumer product/service.

Edited July 9, 2015 by iancal

[cruiseJMO]

Cruise- about $125/night. Or $250 per couple.

 

 

For the same $250/night one can stay at the Luxor Hotel (much bigger room, but only once a day cleaning and no towel monkey). Included for the $250/night:

 

All inclusive package:

 

-All You Can Eat, All Day Buffet Pass (Pass entitles you to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at MORE The Buffet at Luxor)

-Two tickets to Criss Angel Believe (Wednesday through Sunday evening)

-Two tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

-Two tickets to Bodies...The Exhibition

-Two Nurture Spa Day Passes

-Free Admission to LAX Nightclub

 

Minimum two night stay. Then one can move across the street and get a similar deal at a dozen other casinos.

That sounds wonderful. However, I really enjoy the ocean in a way that I can only have on a cruise ship. We almost booked a land vacation for October, but the lure of the ocean got us and we now have the Eurodam booked for November. I think I might even feel more confined in a big land room than a small cruise cabin.

 

Still, keeping this little info you provided in case we ever go land. 😊

[cruiseJMO]

Just got off the Eurodam and had a fabulous cruise to Norway and Scotland. This was my first HAL cruise but I have cruises many times with Princess and RCCL. I had a great time and will cruise with HAL again.

 

An observation that I wondered if others have noticed:

 

We had anytime dining and met some wonderful people at all the meals. I noticed and heard many people complaining that HAL has gone downhill in their dining and service (I thought the service was outstanding).

 

 

 

We love our HAL MDR experience. Going on the Eurodam in November. 😁

[Khaos WolfKat]

I'm going on my first cruise on August 29th, so I can't speak, personally, about the food and service, but I have seen LOTS of threads on here where folks are complaining about how terrible the service and food is, with comments that make it sound like low end hospital cafeteria food, but then, when queried, they are comparing it to Olive Garden and Applebees... as though those are SOOO low brow. That, along with some of the really snobby comments in some of the attire threads had me wondering if I had made a big mistake in booking a cruise at all, cause I "don't belong". Thankfully, there were LOTS of counter posts to those, and seem to be plenty of nice people who don't care about others' soci-economic status so much.

 

I agree that there seems to be a theme of high expectations for very little cash. It certainly doesn't help that all the marketing material HAL (and other lines!) put out make the claims around 5 star dining, and luxurious experiences. People then expect something truly elite.

 

I think cruising does a great job for the price paid, and I agree with KK if you want those premium experiences, then pay extra for them and truly enjoy yourself. We had our first Neptune Suite last cruise and it really did spoil us. We also had pretty much all the for-fee dining venues included and that also spoiled us.

 

Exactly!! I LOVE that I have the opportunity to go on a cruise at all, and am fine with the less than gourmet dining. It's STILL going to be amazing, I'm sure! If everything was 5 star at 5 star prices, that wouldn't be an option for me. Probably not ever. I'm lucky to even be able to do this one!

 

Of course I look for the "cheapest" price... if we're all on the same boat and we're seeing the same shows and eating the same food... why do I want to pay more than I have to?

Again, exactly!! Even if I HAD the money to waste, I'd still get the best deals I could. If I wanted to spend extra for some reason, I could put it to much better use by maybe paying part of someone else's fare in addition to mine, or donating it to a good cause! I mean, I may splurge more on some things, but not deliberately pay more for the same thing! And certainly, I'd never begrudge someone else a great deal! If I paid more, I might pretend to be mad, or pout, or something, but I would make sure they knew I was joking and was really happy for them that they got something good, even if I missed out. Anyone who isn't happy for others' good fortune, regardless of their own circumstances, is not someone I want to be around!! I may be dirt poor, but I have more class than to be a snooty jerk. Class can't be bought for any price!

 

But again, I know how to manage my money and I really don't understand why anybody would overpay for the same services they can get at a lower price.

Because some people seem to think that how much money they can afford to throw away somehow has something to do with their personal worth. I remember getting made fun of in school because I wore good quality, but inexpensive (often home-made, which was WAY better quality than store bought!) clothing, and always wondered how those kids could be so stupid, to think bragging about how expensive their clothes were was cool, instead of making them seem like idiots.

Cruise- about $125/night. Or $250 per couple.

For the same $250/night one can stay at the Luxor Hotel (much bigger room, but only once a day cleaning and no towel monkey). Included for the $250/night:

 

All inclusive package:

 

-All You Can Eat, All Day Buffet Pass (Pass entitles you to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at MORE The Buffet at Luxor)

-Two tickets to Criss Angel Believe (Wednesday through Sunday evening)

-Two tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

-Two tickets to Bodies...The Exhibition

-Two Nurture Spa Day Passes

-Free Admission to LAX Nightclub

 

Minimum two night stay. Then one can move across the street and get a similar deal at a dozen other casinos.

And a cruise provides all those things- food, entertainment, etc. But a cruise line has two additional large costs- housing and other support for their employees beyond salary and benefits, and fuel to move the ship. The fuel issue is huge- I have heard numbers like $750,000 in fuel for a 10 day cruise, but that when oil prices were in the $80-90 range.

BINGO! You're not going to get 5 star service for 2 star prices, no matter how great the deal is. If you want gourmet dining every night and to not have to be near people less fortunate that you, maybe you should book a cruise with one of the smaller, more exclusive lines, rather than wishing the "undesirables" were excluded from all cruises. Don't worry - you won't be missed!

[Lottie Linda]

....yet Hal markets itself as having such amazing food. No wonder people get disappointed.

 

That's exactly what got me. Don't tell me you're serving halibut and then substitute tilapia.

 

There are plenty of discount bargain cruises. HAL advertises as being sophisticated and adventurous. Then that's what they should deliver. If it costs more to serve real veal, then raise the price of the cruise. If I have to save up a little more for an above average experience, that's what I'll do. But this bait and switch just makes me not want to ever go on a cruise again.

 

(My first disappointment was the little burger stand. I ordered a burger with grilled mushrooms and grilled onions. Turns out those things were some kind of freeze dried extrusions, devoid of taste.)

 

You know who has done well in this economy? Tiffany. And Coach. And YSL. And all kinds of upper end retailers. Even though there will always be people looking for a 'bargain', there are still those who value quality.

[POA1]

Great post vmom. Thank you.

[RMLincoln]

We are value cruisers and enjoy finding a good deal. But if the prices aren't deeply discounted when and where we want to go we go anyway and feel like royalty in our inside cabin.

 

Maybe the MDR isn't 5 star... not that I've eaten many 5 star dinners. We live in the rural high country, 50 miles from the last traffic light coming out of Albuquerque. There's hardly what many would call a restaurant around here and we cook almost all of our meals when we're not travelling. Cruising is an amazing treat, great pampering. Even if the food isn't always perfect, it's always good and even better when someone else makes it. The room stewards are hard working and nothing is too much trouble for them to do for us. They're amazing.

 

My motto is that "It's hard to have a bad day on cruise ship." So I rarely hear complaints and we usually sit together for dinner at a table for two. We get enough socializing in the Lido for breakfast and lunch sharing tables and at trivia.

 

And we enjoy HAL's shore excursions, we like to purchase memory DVDs, a few drinks and love the shows. We're not big spenders but we appreciate that it has to be a money-making operation and don't dis that there are charges for luxuries for those who want them... fancier rooms, fancier dinners and the like. I'm glad there are folks who can pay for those things to help keep the profit margin up for HAL and an affordable room for me.

 

I guess if folks want better food and better service and are willing to pay for it they will evolve to one of the luxury lines. Their rooms on HAL won't go empty.

 

Nothing is the same as it used to be, not on HAL or any other cruise line. And I'm not the same either as I was on my first cruise. No, I'm such richer for the fabulous experiences that cruising has brought me.... too, too many to name and every one of them beyond my wildest imagination. Thank you HAL!

m--

[Khaos WolfKat]

WELL SAID, RMLincoln!!

[Khaos WolfKat]

That's exactly what got me. Don't tell me you're serving halibut and then substitute tilapia.

 

This part of your post is reasonable. If they do, indeed, promise a specific thing, and then substitute it for something of much lower quality at the same price, then that's a problem. If, on the other hand, you read "amazing food" and "fine dining" as being nothing less than 5 star, and are disappointed, well.. perhaps you need to broaden your horizons a bit.

 

There are plenty of discount bargain cruises. HAL advertises as being sophisticated and adventurous. Then that's what they should deliver. If it costs more to serve real veal, then raise the price of the cruise. If I have to save up a little more for an above average experience, that's what I'll do.

 

This bit, not so much. "Sophisticated and adventurous" seems to be a great description of what they have on offer. That doesn't necessarily mean veal and caviare included in your fare. You have to pay extra for that. I booked my cruise on HAL because it was the most inexpensive option for the length of cruise. I'm pretty sure that means it is a "discount bargain" cruise. If you don't like HAL's level of sophistication, and are willing (and able - some of us don't have that luxury) to save up more for a different experience, why not go with a Neptune suite and premium dining venues or a fancier cruise line, rather than trying to argue for making a HAL cruise out of reach for anyone below your level of income.

 

You know who has done well in this economy? Tiffany. And Coach. And YSL. And all kinds of upper end retailers. Even though there will always be people looking for a 'bargain', there are still those who value quality.

 

And this is EXACTLY the sort of attitude to which I refer in my above post. News flash: Bargain ≠ poor quality, and expensive name brand ≠ superior quality. I value quality a great deal. I especially value quality at prices within my reach, and I don't need a designer label to validate me. I prefer to get by on my own merit. Thankfully, those who matter, don't mind.

[OlsSalt]

We remain amazed HAL offers so much quality for such a low price.

[Diver2014]

We are value cruisers and enjoy finding a good deal. But if the prices aren't deeply discounted when and where we want to go we go anyway and feel like royalty in our inside cabin.

 

Maybe the MDR isn't 5 star... not that I've eaten many 5 star dinners. We live in the rural high country, 50 miles from the last traffic light coming out of Albuquerque. There's hardly what many would call a restaurant around here and we cook almost all of our meals when we're not travelling. Cruising is an amazing treat, great pampering. Even if the food isn't always perfect, it's always good and even better when someone else makes it. The room stewards are hard working and nothing is too much trouble for them to do for us. They're amazing.

 

My motto is that "It's hard to have a bad day on cruise ship." So I rarely hear complaints and we usually sit together for dinner at a table for two. We get enough socializing in the Lido for breakfast and lunch sharing tables and at trivia.

 

And we enjoy HAL's shore excursions, we like to purchase memory DVDs, a few drinks and love the shows. We're not big spenders but we appreciate that it has to be a money-making operation and don't dis that there are charges for luxuries for those who want them... fancier rooms, fancier dinners and the like. I'm glad there are folks who can pay for those things to help keep the profit margin up for HAL and an affordable room for me.

 

I guess if folks want better food and better service and are willing to pay for it they will evolve to one of the luxury lines. Their rooms on HAL won't go empty.

 

Nothing is the same as it used to be, not on HAL or any other cruise line. And I'm not the same either as I was on my first cruise. No, I'm such richer for the fabulous experiences that cruising has brought me.... too, too many to name and every one of them beyond my wildest imagination. Thank you HAL!

m--

 

Hear! Hear! So refreshing to read posts like this occasionally. It really IS hard to have a bad day on a cruise ship. And things will never be 'the way they used to be'. Live and enjoy!

[Lottie Linda]

 

 

This bit, not so much. "Sophisticated and adventurous" seems to be a great description of what they have on offer. That doesn't necessarily mean veal and caviare included in your fare.

 

I never said anything about caviar. I did mention I had veal that was like a rough piece of beef.

 

Carnival advertises as being fun. Princess advertises as being the way to vacation to come back anew.

 

But Holland America says they are, "A signature of excellence."

 

The way I see it, if I want to limbo and have a good time I'll go on Carnival, if I want a relaxing adventure I'll do Princess, but if I want sophisticated I will do HAL. Except HAL is not delivering.

 

Sure, if one lives in the middle of nowhere, and a trip to Dairy Queen is an epicurean adventure, then a HAL trip is adventurous- I suppose. But most people are not so sheltered. Most people know that last night's lemon chicken dressed up as chicken cacciatore is NOT a signature of excellence.

 

Raise the price a bit, deliver excellence and people will come, people who value quality. How much more per passenger would a quartette cost over the price of a duo? How much more would real veal cost over a cheap cut of beef? Charge me that, I would have paid. But I'll never again pay to be a captive diner forced to eat food that doesn't even equal the local Home Town Buffet.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We remain amazed HAL offers so much quality for such a low price.

 

Agree with you 100%. ;)

[Lauranne]

This was last nights menu on the Maasdam. It was fabulous food. All our meals have been enjoyable. Yes some better than others but all good. Isn't it that way at home?

Laurie

[Lauranne]

I will try to improve the quality of the image.

[TraelorMex]

"Frankly it lead me to wonder if SOME people (note I said some people, not all), have unrealistic expectations as to what quality they expect for what price they are willing to pay. Anyone ever wonder the same thing or did I just happen to run into a larger than typical number of complainers?"

 

Frankly, I don't believe these cruisers expectations play any part. Some people just like to complain. It is these same cruisers I have noticed who will berate a d/r steward over the most trivial thing (I call them the B&M's).

(bitchers & moaners).

[Lottie Linda]

"Frankly it lead me to wonder if SOME people (note I said some people, not all), have unrealistic expectations as to what quality they expect for what price they are willing to pay. Anyone ever wonder the same thing or did I just happen to run into a larger than typical number of complainers?"

 

Frankly, I don't believe these cruisers expectations play any part. Some people just like to complain. It is these same cruisers I have noticed who will berate a d/r steward over the most trivial thing (I call them the B&M's).

(bitchers & moaners).

 

One person's bithcers and moaners are another's discerners and particulars.

[Diver2014]

"Frankly it lead me to wonder if SOME people (note I said some people, not all), have unrealistic expectations as to what quality they expect for what price they are willing to pay. Anyone ever wonder the same thing or did I just happen to run into a larger than typical number of complainers?"

 

Frankly, I don't believe these cruisers expectations play any part. Some people just like to complain. It is these same cruisers I have noticed who will berate a d/r steward over the most trivial thing (I call them the B&M's).

(bitchers & moaners).

 

Absolutely true....seems to run rampant on these boards. But, everyone has their opinion and I have to admit I get some amusement out of some of them.