The buckwheat pancakes are not buckwheat!

[Wakepatrol]

31 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t think the op said the cabin stewards suck or that they can’t find anything to eat.  They just didn’t like the pancakes.  Maybe others will find that information helpful.

Pancakes

Dive in was lousy

Lobster was terrible 

Tough crowd

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

Food is tremendously subjective...and nobody's opinion is any more right than anyone else's. I rarely say anything about food, because what I like others may not like, and vice versa. I don't pretend to think my food tastes are the final word, or that many even care.

[PROCRUISE]

9 hours ago, steve4031 said:

I've only been on Carnival (several times) and NCL (once).  I found the food on Carnival to be consistently good.  NCL was. a step up.  I suspect HAL will be better. But still, it is cruise ship at sea and the food must be stocked and stored and prepared to serve a couple of thousand people 3 or more meals per day for 7 nights.  So I personally would expect some hiccups.  

 

That being said, my favorite cruise meal experience was on NCL in St. Petersburg.  My dad, who was in his 80s and I had had a long, wet frustrating day of sightseeing in St. Petersburg when one of the sights was randomly closed for a couple of hours. We were not upset, just tired. We had a long van ride in stop and go traffic, and returned to the ship about 6:30.  I was dreading a peak dining rush and we were just hoping to get into the main dining room on the NCL sun without an unreasonable wait.  I picked the main dining room because it required the least amount of walking since we were both tired.  

 

We dragged ourselves out of the van, got soaked again in the rain, and boarded the ship.  We arrived at the dining room host stand where the host remembered us and walked us over to our favorite table by the windows.  It was warm.  Dry.  I forgot what I ate but the service was attentive and the food delicious.  Much better than one usually gets at a hotel on land.  

 

I don't expect to like everything on the menu. But I can find something.

Not a fan of NCL after only two cruises with them. However, I will say that I found the NCL Sun to be perhaps their best vessel and a nice midsized ship. Glad you enjoyed your Baltic Sea cruise.

[oakridger]

In the HAL MDR I have had meh lobster tail and also had absolutely delicious lobster tail.  In Rudy's on Noordam I had one of the best lobster tails (other than fresh) I've ever had, and Rudy's on Oosterdam I had the most terrible lobster tail I've had. That same Oosterdam cruise is where I had the very BEST MDR lobster tail I've had on a HAL ship!  Go figure?

 

Bottom line, some frozen tails do get mushy:  From Google:

"Tail texture – if you have cooked a frozen tail and it is mushy, ragged and disintegrating after cooking then it is bad. It was probably a dead, or very near dead, lobster when it was processed. Return it for credit."

 

I've had this happen at home with frozen tails I cooked myself.  In a batch of 4 tails, 3 were delicious and one was mushy/inedible.  The grocery store gave me a credit for the bad one, no questions asked.

 

In a restaurant don't be shy to ask for a replacement or refund!!!  They know this happens sometimes and usually can't tell it's mushy until someone cuts into it.

 

~Nancy

 

 

[albingirl]

3 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t think the op said the cabin stewards suck or that they can’t find anything to eat.  They just didn’t like the pancakes.  Maybe others will find that information helpful.

Seriously, great post.

[albingirl]

3 hours ago, Wakepatrol said:

Pancakes

Dive in was lousy

Lobster was terrible 

Tough crowd

 

 

I don't know about you but I find this funny.

[KroozNut]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t think the op said the cabin stewards suck or that they can’t find anything to eat.  They just didn’t like the pancakes.  Maybe others will find that information helpful.

 

It wasn't just the pancakes. It was also the Dive-In burgers and fries; and the MDR lobster. So far OP hasn't returned to let us know if there was anything they actually liked.

[MAVIP]

5 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

It wasn't just the pancakes. It was also the Dive-In burgers and fries; and the MDR lobster. So far OP hasn't returned to let us know if there was anything they actually liked.

OP is still on board ms Rotterdam.  And the kitchen on board the ms Rotterdam last week was great. Exception; I walked miles for fresh yoghurt for breakfast in the Lido 🤣. HAL should have solved the problem by now as we have enough of it in Holland 😉

[Wakepatrol]

Update- A helicopter just landed on the bow  of the Rotterdam with Live Lobsters from Maine

burgers from Ruth Chris and  Steel Cut Oats from Whole Foods

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

It wasn't just the pancakes. It was also the Dive-In burgers and fries; and the MDR lobster. So far OP hasn't returned to let us know if there was anything they actually liked.

3 things, yup just about everything then.  As I recall you had complaints about your cruise.  Better just be sunshine and roses or that gives permission to be attacked because they “deserve” it.  Why would anyone come back for more 😔?  It’s funny how some think only their complaints are valid no matter how tiny.  The dive in is not great but I’m not surprised that people like it.  There was a recipe on this board that people were raving about.  I couldn’t wait to make it.  I’m a very good cook and it was so bad I had to throw it out.  It’s was so greasy I don’t know how anyone could think it was good but people did.

Edited May 10, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[chengkp75]

13 hours ago, oakridger said:

I've had this happen at home with frozen tails I cooked myself.

I just don't understand why you would waste money on frozen lobster.

[VennDiagram]

22 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I just don't understand why you would waste money on frozen lobster.

 

For some of us, that's all that is available for much or all of the year 😞

[VennDiagram]

DH and I have always enjoyed the Dive In burgers.  I'm hoping that the comments about how awful they are now are simply a matter of personal preferences.  I have been looking forward to a Dive In burger if/when we cruise again.

[atexsix]

21 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don't understand the dive in thing either.  To me they are dry and tasteless.  I ordered a lobster tail in the Pinnacle for an upcharge, same thing,  mushy.  I did have the lobster tail in the stand alone sel de mer on the koningsdam and it was awesome.

The Dive In changed from the way it was BC, Lisa was on our cruise (LAFFNVEGAS) and I think she said they changed meat suppliers 😞

[atexsix]

25 minutes ago, VennDiagram said:

DH and I have always enjoyed the Dive In burgers.  I'm hoping that the comments about how awful they are now are simply a matter of personal preferences.  I have been looking forward to a Dive In burger if/when we cruise again.

The burgers were still good.  The French Fries outstanding!  I could have dined on those alone and did at least once IIRC.  However, the burgers are nowhere near as juicy as they once were. 

 

It didn't help that they cooked the hell out of it, I asked them (nicely) not to overcook the burgers but they do it anyway.  Places always do that with those hamburger patties as opposed to the angus burgers in the other restaurants, those are always cooked to order.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by atexsix

[albingirl]

4 minutes ago, atexsix said:

The burgers were still good.  The French Fries outstanding!  I could have dined on those alone and did at least once IIRC.  However, the burgers are nowhere near as juicy as they once were. 

 

It didn't help that they cooked the hell out of it, I asked them (nicely) not to overcook the burgers but they do it anyway.  Places always do that with those hamburger patties as opposed to the angus burgers in the other restaurants, those are always cooked to order.

 

 

It's funny about the dive-in.  Always a long line.  I don't eat hamburgers or fries at home, so it's not going to happen on a cruise ship. I just never understood the attraction.  But, then again, I never eat fast food either.  No puritan here; just a matter of taste.

[KroozNut]

5 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

As I recall you had complaints about your cruise. 

 

Yup, sure did. I complained about 2 products/services that I purchased and never received. Never about any of the food, it was all great!

[atexsix]

5 minutes ago, albingirl said:

It's funny about the dive-in.  Always a long line.  I don't eat hamburgers or fries at home, so it's not going to happen on a cruise ship. I just never understood the attraction.  But, then again, I never eat fast food either.  No puritan here; just a matter of taste.

True.  For me, it was a mid day stop because the buffet would shut down for a couple hours and we had late dinner seating.  I figure might as well eat real food than junk (I think the cookies and ice cream were always available).  There's room service, but HAL's menu needs a serious updating IMO. 

  

 

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by atexsix

[chengkp75]

36 minutes ago, VennDiagram said:

 

For some of us, that's all that is available for much or all of the year 😞

Still, would not waste money on something that tastes nothing like lobster, would prefer to get some local seafood if lobster is not available.  And, I can't afford it much of the year either, so we go for fish, scallops, or mussels.

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, chengkp75 said:

Still, would not waste money on something that tastes nothing like lobster, would prefer to get some local seafood if lobster is not available.  And, I can't afford it much of the year either, so we go for fish, scallops, or mussels.

You are lucky to be in Maine if your a lobster lover, I think the majority of us don't know what we're missing.  I wouldn't know a good lobster from a bad if my life depended on it.  Salmon however, is another story 🙂

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, albingirl said:

It's funny about the dive-in.  Always a long line.  I don't eat hamburgers or fries at home, so it's not going to happen on a cruise ship. I just never understood the attraction.  But, then again, I never eat fast food either.  No puritan here; just a matter of taste.

Me either.  I know for some McDonalds is special so go figure.  I will eat some fast food for sure but it won't be burgers and fries.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

Yup, sure did. I complained about 2 products/services that I purchased and never received. Never about any of the food, it was all great!

Ok to complain about other things, just not food.  Got it.

[RedneckBob]

I prefer my buckwheat pancakes sunny side up. Could you please pass me the grey poupon.

[KroozNut]

3 hours ago, atexsix said:

Salmon however, is another story 🙂

 

You being from the PNW, I would hope so! 😁

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Ok to complain about other things, just not food.  Got it.

 

Apples and oranges in my book. When I pay for a product or service and don't receive it, a complaint is in order. Complaining about the food available on a ship is pointless for a variety of reasons (all obvious ones).