Roll Out of New Hal Initiative for Each Ship

[InTheWASide]

You are probably spot-on right. If they wanted, they could implement this as early as tonight, given the proper food ingredients were onboard. The fact that all of them are planned for "Summer" 2016, i.e. after initial implementation on the Koningsdam, seems to indicate they will all come onboard without needing a dry-dock.

 

And doing it in the summer when the ship launches in April gives a change for menu tweeks, feedback and all that good stuff.

 

No doubt there will in some way shape or form be a "Sel de Mer Menu 2.0" and that is what the other ships will start with

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[AZNative2000]

It says Pinnacle Grill New Menus Presidents Cut

Thank you again!:):)

 

Cheers!

[alsas]

The salad bar was amazing on Nieuw Ansterdam great addition and NO ONE TOUCHING THE FOOD

Edited November 20, 2015 by alsas

[InTheWASide]

The salad bar was amazing

 

Can you elaborate? What is different compared to the previous set up?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I just hope HAL soon posts something that I can see.

[sail7seas]

I really prefer to make my own salad. It's all I have for lunch and the servers don't put in the amounts I like of each item. They also drown the salad in dressing.

I am guessing the change is for sanitary reasons as you do see some terrible practices taking place at the self serve salad bar.

 

I agree. I hate when someone else makes my salad from a salad bar. When I ask for a lot of sliced mushrooms, ALWAYS they put two or three. It seems they don't like mushrooms. :D When I request more, they put one. It not only gets tedious but embarrassing to keep asking for more of anything. You can read their face thinking......... wow, how much does she want? If they don't provide dressing on the side, the whole deal is ruined for me. What I call light dressing is not what many of them do. They simply pour away and by the time I get them to stop, the salad is inedible for me.

 

AND there is the point of how slow they are. It takes forever!!!

Another improvement. :rolleyes: Not.

 

[cruz chic]

I agree. I hate when someone else makes my salad from a salad bar. When I ask for a lot of sliced mushrooms, ALWAYS they put two or three. It seems they don't like mushrooms. :D When I request more, they put one. It not only gets tedious but embarrassing to keep asking for more of anything. You can read their face thinking......... wow, how much does she want? If they don't provide dressing on the side, the whole deal is ruined for me. What I call light dressing is not what many of them do. They simply pour away and by the time I get them to stop, the salad is inedible for me.

 

AND there is the point of how slow they are. It takes forever!!!

Another improvement. :rolleyes: Not.

 

 

You took the words right out of my mouth. Maybe Hal wants us to walk away fed up and not eating anything :D.

[Harry1954]

I prefer to make my own salad and will be frustrated with the change. However, DW will be elated - she is violently allergic to egg and on our most recent cruise, she made her salad as she does every day, sat down to eat it, took one bite and got very, very ill.

 

Sorry for the graphic detail next, but obviously she had ingested some egg and was in dispose for a full day. Fortunately, I didnt have to use the epi-pen this time as she threw up almost immediately.

 

We figured out after I revisited the salad bar once I had her put to bed that someone had slopped dressing that contained egg in it on one of the condiments but it was hard to see without looking closely.

 

The mistake that was made was putting the dressings half way thru the salad bar line - usually it is at the end of it. I pointed this out to the person in charge and they changed it the next day.

 

So for her it will be better .. for me, I like everyone else will just cope.

 

harry

[joepeka]

Well..... dang. I was hoping Zuiderdam would have all the upgrades (suite and otherwise) before our 2017 booking but what they do have scheduled prior to early 2017 is good. Still looking forward to it. :)

[sevenseasnomad]

I really prefer to make my own salad. It's all I have for lunch and the servers don't put in the amounts I like of each item. They also drown the salad in dressing.

I am guessing the change is for sanitary reasons as you do see some terrible practices taking place at the self serve salad bar.

 

Hi sapper,

Ask server to put your salad dressing in a small cup/bowl/glass. That way you can add the amount you prefer. I, too, think the servers sometimes drown the salad. The servers happily accommodated me, and I was pleased to have the salad dressing as I like it.

Edited November 20, 2015 by sevenseasnomad

[TiogaCruiser]

That's a good idea about asking for dressing on the side, and it solves part of it.

 

It never ceases to amaze me when I ask for a SMALL amount of dressing on the side in most places I eat, I am given 1-2 containers:eek: (large) of dressing. No joke- sometimes it over a CUP. (I have been known to ask next for a take out container so we can use the dressing on the next 4-5 salads at home.)

[HALrunner]

It's probably a space issue.

 

Earlier this month our wine steward named a specific quarter (1st or 2nd, I can't remember now) of 2017 that the Maasdam and Veendam would be leaving the fleet. I asked about the Prinsendam and she said it was not leaving the fleet to her knowledge.

Maybe that is why they are not showing up on the list?

Edited November 21, 2015 by HALrunner

[PSR]

What is the "Gallery Bar" enhancement? Couldn't find it in any of the HAL threads...

[frankc98376]

Hmm... I've heard quiet "rumbling" on here and on board over the past year or so about Le Cirque being replaced. I'm wondering if the Sel de Mer "pop up" is going to replace it.....

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ...

[sail7seas]

Can anyone who has sailed recently on NA tell us how it is new and improved aside from no self-service? I wonder if they have expanded the choices.

 

Thanks in advance. :)

[RMLincoln]

Was on NA this fall. Didn't find a lot of "improved" except for the pizza which was made to order and quite good but only available as a whole small pizza, so not able to take a small slice (unless DH let his guard down :).)

 

The salads were better than I expected, not really any slower than any other salad bar, perhaps more selection, and I found the servers very good at what they did. I had them make several for me and I really enjoyed them. I especially liked the large high-angle bowls they were served in, which made it easier to carry my salad back to my balcony to enjoy there and not spill anything along the way.

 

The lack of made to order sandwiches was a loss... I'm not sure I'd go near their pre-made sandwiches, sitting out un-refrigerated.

 

I like the "chalk" boards that showed in large printing what was available at each station.

 

I found the cases for the juice and the desserts to be user-unfriendly as it took two hands to complete the operation of obtaining your food: one hand to hold the plastic door open and one hand to take the dish... so if you already had something in your hands you had to find a place to put it; and the opening was too small and too easy to bonk your food into it, thus there was often a sloppy mess there.

 

The bread pudding was hidden behind the ice cream server. And the ice cream was a noticeable step down (perhaps a blessing in disguise so we didn't over-indulge).

 

Those are my disjointed memories of the Lido but overall it was more the same than different than before and I found plenty of good food to enjoy. IMHO I wouldn't be advertising it as so much new and improved, but they didn't ask me....

m--

[kazu]

Not sure how Jacqui is getting her pictures so large, sorry which they were bigger :o

 

LOL - sometimes they are too large Lisa ;)

 

Sapper is right. I use tap a talk and my Ipad to post pictures.

 

thanks so much for the information :)

Edited January 10, 2016 by kazu

[TheCalicoCat]

That's a good idea about asking for dressing on the side, and it solves part of it.

 

It never ceases to amaze me when I ask for a SMALL amount of dressing on the side in most places I eat, I am given 1-2 containers:eek: (large) of dressing. No joke- sometimes it over a CUP. (I have been known to ask next for a take out container so we can use the dressing on the next 4-5 salads at home.)

 

I think it is easier for them to give us too much than not enough to others. I ate lunch with a gal once & I still can't believe the amount of dressing that she used.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Hi sapper,

Ask server to put your salad dressing in a small cup/bowl/glass. That way you can add the amount you prefer. I, too, think the servers sometimes drown the salad. The servers happily accommodated me, and I was pleased to have the salad dressing as I like it.

 

Thanks for letting us know they made your salad to your liking. It seems to be a big issue...

Edited January 12, 2016 by PhoenixCruiser