DanBoy Posted February 17, 2020 #1 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I may be showing my age but my first cruise was on the OLD Volendam in 1983. I have been on over 50 cruises since that time, but haven't been on HAL in 20 years. Will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam March 14. Two part question: I days of old one for the big things were "hot appetizers" served by white gloved staff in some of the lounges before dinner. Does this still happen? The second question is they would have a staff member dressed like the Old Philip Morris commercial guy (Really showing my age!) walk around with some sort of chime "calling you to dinner".. So curious as to whether or not these things still happen.. I am guessing probably not.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted February 17, 2020 #2 Share Posted February 17, 2020 16 minutes ago, DanBoy said: I may be showing my age but my first cruise was on the OLD Volendam in 1983. I have been on over 50 cruises since that time, but haven't been on HAL in 20 years. Will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam March 14. Two part question: I days of old one for the big things were "hot appetizers" served by white gloved staff in some of the lounges before dinner. Does this still happen? From reports on the boards things seem to vary. Our last sailing was on the Prinsendam and yes, there were hot appetizers served at happy hour. I don’t recall the servers wearing white gloves, though 😉 16 minutes ago, DanBoy said: The second question is they would have a staff member dressed like the Old Philip Morris commercial guy (Really showing my age!) walk around with some sort of chime "calling you to dinner".. So curious as to whether or not these things still happen.. I am guessing probably not.. The yum yum man with the chimes? Again your experience will vary. Last year on the Prinsendam we certainly had chimes calling us to dinner. Also on previous Prinsendam and Rotterdam cruises. But, things are changing constantly. Hopefully someone who has been on the N Amsterdam recently can confirm for you how things have worked on that ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBoy Posted February 17, 2020 Author #3 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Thanks!.. Yes!.. The Yum Yum man.. lol.. We always enjoyed before dinner music as well, but I am guessing that is gone too.. sad if it is.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJzink Posted February 17, 2020 #4 Share Posted February 17, 2020 3 minutes ago, DanBoy said: Thanks!.. Yes!.. The Yum Yum man.. lol.. We always enjoyed before dinner music as well, but I am guessing that is gone too.. sad if it is.. Yum yum man was on my fall Rotterdam cruise, but not on the winter 2020 Maasdam. not sure why the difference. He was in the top MDR, escorting ladies to their tables, etc. He also gave out the after dinner mints, ginger, etc. I have read that there are appetizers in some bars for Happy Hour - can't confirm that, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBoy Posted February 17, 2020 Author #5 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Good to know.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted February 17, 2020 #6 Share Posted February 17, 2020 It has been years since the servers wore white gloves. There have been times when we had to ask for the hot appetizers. The Philip Morris man is also known as the yum yum man. Many times he is too busy to serve the after dinner mints and ginger. Haven't heard the chimes calling us to dinner in quite a few years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted February 17, 2020 #7 Share Posted February 17, 2020 My most recent experiences: No Yum Yum Man; no chimes calling one to dinner; no white glove service observed wherever. During Happy Hour, at least at the Ocean Bar on Eurodam and Volendam, warm and cool hors d' oeuvres are served: 3 per tray presented. If you wish more, just ask. Sometimes, if there are some yet to be served later, they will be available. Ask. Peanuts, sometimes honey coated, are always available as are Goldfish if requested. Mixed nuts? Rarely, if ever at the bars. Mixed nuts were on the tables during the Mariner Society Parties as well as on New Year's Eve; maybe Christmas Eve as well. The hors d' oeuvres differ each day; some look unusual/odd; most are quite good. During 16 days on Volendam and 11 days on Eurodam: never saw any Bitterballen, though. (Maybe they were served on the days I missed HH.) An interesting addition that I observed on one of the two ships was the presentation of a small tray with a dish of peanuts (mixed?, don't remember accurately), a dish of potato chips, with a glass in the center with two flavored bread sticks. I saw this twice and it was well after HAL's usual 4:00-5:00 HH time. Has a previous poster noted, one's experience at HH may vary depending upon the ship on which one is sailing. For me, my HH experiences were important to my enjoyment of my two recent HAL cruises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuAnn Posted February 17, 2020 #8 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Is there still a piano player in the Ocean Bar in the early evening prior to dinner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted February 17, 2020 #9 Share Posted February 17, 2020 29 minutes ago, LuAnn said: Is there still a piano player in the Ocean Bar in the early evening prior to dinner? Well, it's be a little while, but there was a piano player (just background music, not a piano bar type) but the sets were pretty much during dinner seatings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAD2005 Posted February 17, 2020 #10 Share Posted February 17, 2020 The older "R" class ships (Rotterdam) still have a trio or quartet (sometimes with a vocalist) playing in the Ocean Bar before dinner. There is a decent sized dance floor and many people will be dancing. On the larger ships, there is no room to dance, so they occasionally have a single piano player doing background music. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted February 18, 2020 #11 Share Posted February 18, 2020 58 minutes ago, LuAnn said: Is there still a piano player in the Ocean Bar in the early evening prior to dinner? On the December 20, 2019 cruise of the Volendam, yes. On the January 15th cruise of the Eurodam, no. And, according to Roman, a bartender, there had not been any music prior to dinner for some time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan0712 Posted February 18, 2020 #12 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Speaking of appetizers. On our 2018 transatlantic cruise I didn’t feel like going to dinner so I decided to order four Spring Rolls from room service. If anyone ever does this, request they all be put on one plate. 😂 3 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grest Posted February 18, 2020 #13 Share Posted February 18, 2020 We had delicious hors d'oeuvres during happy hour on the Nieuw Amsterdam this past November. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted February 18, 2020 #14 Share Posted February 18, 2020 One of the "little things" that put Holland America Line above the main line ships. From my recent experience, the "S" and "R" class ships still have the yum yum man, although not in the old European Bell Hop suit, and they still call the guests at early and late seatings by ringing the chimes. Captain Albert has stated that the yum yum man was the most photographed crew person aboard the ships. On Zuiderdam last year, the officers stood to greet us on gala nights at the MDR and some were also present at the gangway on return from shoreside. The new Pinnacle class ships have done away with the yum yum position as well as some of the other fine dining traditions in favor of more modern ways. They are beautiful in their own way, but will never resemble the class and refinement of the previous fleet. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBoy Posted February 18, 2020 Author #15 Share Posted February 18, 2020 1 hour ago, grest said: We had delicious hors d'oeuvres during happy hour on the Nieuw Amsterdam this past November. That is good to hear.. I guess in some of the lounges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeriatricNurse Posted February 18, 2020 #16 Share Posted February 18, 2020 23 hours ago, DanBoy said: Thanks!.. Yes!.. The Yum Yum man.. lol.. We always enjoyed before dinner music as well, but I am guessing that is gone too.. sad if it is.. The 'Yum Yum man' is/was (officially) known as the 'Chimemaster'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted February 19, 2020 #17 Share Posted February 19, 2020 23 hours ago, GeriatricNurse said: The 'Yum Yum man' is/was (officially) known as the 'Chimemaster'! That is a new title to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grest Posted February 19, 2020 #18 Share Posted February 19, 2020 On 2/18/2020 at 10:25 AM, DanBoy said: That is good to hear.. I guess in some of the lounges? Yes....wherever happy hour was, and this varied from day to day...check your daily program Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted February 19, 2020 #19 Share Posted February 19, 2020 2 hours ago, St Pete Cruiser said: That is a new title to me. Ditto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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