Thanksgiving Dinner

[Carol28]

Here’s my question. Do they serve real turkey on Thanksgiving day or is it the turkey roll?

[RedmondCruiser]

For me Thanksgiving dinner is the most special meal of the year.  I love a good turkey dinner with all the fixings.  We have dined three times on HAL at Thanksgiving and its just not what mama made.  They do the best they can but if your looking for a typical home made Thanksgiving dinner your not going to be happy. The turkey looked processed and the dressing was not what I'm used to.  The best turkey dinner, on a ship, was on the Emerald Princess.  Processed turkey but good dressing, giblet gravy and a good cranberry sauce.  The first time we had Thanksgiving dinner on a ship I'm afraid that my expectations were too high and it was a disappointment but as time goes by I roll with the punches.  Enjoy your cruise - another thought - order the HAL meat loaf, its excellent and avoid the turkey blues.

[Daisyloo]

We have had the turkey dinner a few times.   I think it is real turkey.  It's okay.  Definitely not as good as mine!

 

[RuthC]

I've had turkey dinner many times on HAL, including on Canadian Thanksgiving. Only once, many years ago, was it processed turkey. It isn't like home made, but it sure isn't that processed stuff, either. It's good, imo.

The worst turkey dinner ever---EVER!---was on American Thanksgiving on Oceania. HAL's is much, much better.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly the ships we have sailed on over Thanksgiving have had the processed turkey.  There wasn't even a chance to order ham as it was not offered.

[Copper10-8]

OK, so back to square one it is 

 

[RuthC]

52 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Sadly the ships we have sailed on over Thanksgiving have had the processed turkey.

How many years ago was that? Things have changed.

[RMLincoln]

We will once again be a HAL ship for Thanksgiving! Yea! Just being on cruise is wonderful!  But in the past Thanksgiving dinner onbaord is not like at home.  Clearly every family has their favorite menu items and traditional preparation of the standards, especially turkey dressing.   I think it's a set up for disappointment. 

DH was ok with what the ship had.  I have given up ordering the ship's version of traditional Thanksgiving dinner... the turkey was usually ok, real turkey - some carved white meat and some dark meat, maybe you can request one or the other if you have a preference; the gravy was not an enhancement, the dressing was barely adequate.... IMO.  So it looked like Thanksgiving dinner but that was about it.  And the pumpkin pie was not what anyone was expecting.  

I will seek an alternative menu selection, and then probably make a good turkey dinner at home for Christmas. 

I fondly recall years ago that we used to take my mother-in-law out to a restaurant for TG dinner when she lived in assisted living and we were not close by - she didn't want to make the trip to our house and back again.  We had excellent traditional dinners which we all enjoyed together, so I know it can be done commercially, alas I have not found it on a ship yet.  I think it's a cultural gap.  YMMV!