Any Food Improvement Yet

[Hllb]

I have never been on HAL (and only been on one Carnival cruise). Any newbies like me reading need to remember how subjective food is. If I'd listened to this board before going on our Carnival cruise, I would've packed some PB&J because the food was going to be atrocious, at least in the MDR. I mean, worst of the worst, school cafeteria slop.  And this was pre-pandemic. We were very happy with the food. No, we aren't foodies, but we do enjoy fine dining sometimes, kids included, though we aren't talking $100+ pp here - more like $50 pp max as we are a family of 5. 

 

I have been watching the latest menus for our booked ship (Eurodam) and the main thing I notice is that its a pretty limited menu - not a ton of choices. That said, the choices look pretty good and I have yet to see a menu where nothing sounded good (though admittedly, on some days (since I don't like seafood) it was a choice of 1 or 2 things for me). I also know that the lack of lobster included in the MDR (or filet for that matter) is disappointing to those that were used to it before. It's not the end of the world for us, so I'm looking forward to seeing what this lackluster food is really like come June on Eurodam.

[Sir PMP]

14 hours ago, eroller said:

Cuisine on NIEUW AMSTERDAM last October (2022) was lackluster at best.  Probably the worst food I've ever had on HAL.  Cost cutting was VERY evident.  You could see it in the menu selection, in the presentation, portion size, and quality of the dish.

 

I'm hoping it will be better on ROTTERDAM later this month.  If not it will be my last HAL cruise for a couple years until they get their act together.

 

I realize cost cutting is happening on all cruise lines right now, but I haven't seen it to the same extent on other lines like I have on HAL.  Other recent cruises (post-COVID) include Celebrity, NCL, Cunard, Regent, and Virgin. 

Got off the Rotterdam in February and the food in the MDR was excellent.

[eroller]

32 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Got off the Rotterdam in February and the food in the MDR was excellent.

 
 

VERY happy to hear this!  

[Denise T]

1 hour ago, Hllb said:

I have never been on HAL (and only been on one Carnival cruise). Any newbies like me reading need to remember how subjective food is. If I'd listened to this board before going on our Carnival cruise, I would've packed some PB&J because the food was going to be atrocious, at least in the MDR. I mean, worst of the worst, school cafeteria slop.  And this was pre-pandemic. We were very happy with the food. No, we aren't foodies, but we do enjoy fine dining sometimes, kids included, though we aren't talking $100+ pp here - more like $50 pp max as we are a family of 5. 

 

I have been watching the latest menus for our booked ship (Eurodam) and the main thing I notice is that its a pretty limited menu - not a ton of choices. That said, the choices look pretty good and I have yet to see a menu where nothing sounded good (though admittedly, on some days (since I don't like seafood) it was a choice of 1 or 2 things for me). I also know that the lack of lobster included in the MDR (or filet for that matter) is disappointing to those that were used to it before. It's not the end of the world for us, so I'm looking forward to seeing what this lackluster food is really like come June on Eurodam.

I will be sailing on HAL for the first time at the end of May. I am doing the same for the Nieuw Amsterdam menus. As I look at the menus for the MDR, there are a lot of choices that I would like to try. I read these boards and take everything with a grain of salt. As you stated, food is subjective. I started my diet now so that I can enjoy all of the food! My main goal is to enjoy the trip with my family after the past several difficult years. Enjoy your trip!

[Hllb]

1 hour ago, Denise T said:

I will be sailing on HAL for the first time at the end of May. I am doing the same for the Nieuw Amsterdam menus. As I look at the menus for the MDR, there are a lot of choices that I would like to try. I read these boards and take everything with a grain of salt. As you stated, food is subjective. I started my diet now so that I can enjoy all of the food! My main goal is to enjoy the trip with my family after the past several difficult years. Enjoy your trip!

Enjoy yours, and come back and update this thread with your opinion on the food!

[Tennessee Titan]

Sounds like "When did you stop beating your mother"....

[dogo88]

Our first cruise after the shutdown was on Panama Canal cruise on the Zuiderdam Jan 2022. We ate mainly in the MDR and the food was good. Small portions and slow service but we were expecting that. Canaletto and Pinnacle were great no complaints whatsoever. 

 

Our Oct 2022 cruise on the Nieuw Statendam was two back to back 7 day cruises. We decided to do specialty restaurants exclusively. Canaletto, Tamarind and Rudy's were great. Pinnacle pretty bad for us. I've posted what was wrong on other threads and you can look for my posts if interested. Suffice it to say that Pinnacle on the NS was not up to what we had ever experienced before in Pinnacle. 

 

So we are off to the Rotterdam next week for an 11 day cruise. We will probably pass on the MDR but will do Pinnacle. Very interested in seeing if the past issues are ship, cruise or time related. 

 

So to answer the original question of has the food improved? For the Lido, yes I think so. More variety and options than before the shutdown. MDR? Not enough time there yet. Canaletto emphatically yes. Though in all fairness Canaletto was sometimes a hit or miss depending on the ship. Tamarind is always a good meal. Rudy's is new to us and is great. Pinnacle, well we shall see. 

 

Dan

 

[loveheart]

We found the food on Noordam to be good but not great. We had breakfast and lunch in the lido and dinner in the MDR  on our 13 night cruise. Most of the time the food wasn't hot and the portions in the MDT on the small side but we always found something we liked on the menu most nights. I have to say the MDR was only half full at the 2nd sitting but the service was incredibly slow. We didn't mind too much but it would have been a problem if we wanted to go elsewhere after dinner.

[JeffElizabeth]

20 hours ago, eroller said:

Cuisine on NIEUW AMSTERDAM last October (2022) was lackluster at best.  Probably the worst food I've ever had on HAL.  Cost cutting was VERY evident.  You could see it in the menu selection, in the presentation, portion size, and quality of the dish.

 

I'm hoping it will be better on ROTTERDAM later this month.  If not it will be my last HAL cruise for a couple years until they get their act together.

 

I realize cost cutting is happening on all cruise lines right now, but I haven't seen it to the same extent on other lines like I have on HAL.  Other recent cruises (post-COVID) include Celebrity, NCL, Cunard, Regent, and Virgin. 

We were on Emerald Princess in September and Konigsdam in October.  Worst food in twenty years of cruising.  Our next cruise is 28 days in July and August on Zuiderdam, hope the food gets better by then. 

[mcrcruiser]

17 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

LOL

 

On the Celebrity board many have been complaining about the OVC on Celebrity especially in the evenings.  Most have complained that it is not as good as prior to January of this year.

 

What did Celebrity say they improved?

That already has been fixed .more stations open & more food selections as well 

[mcrcruiser]

imo any cruise line who does not   improve their variety & quality of food  & continues price increases for cruises will soon be out of business . The cruising public can only be fooled for a time . 

Over the years cruise lines have managed to cut out Midnight buffets , Chocalate buffets ,ie . Seems to me what we got for our dollars was better back then than now

[lyndarra]

On 3/9/2023 at 5:35 AM, mcrcruiser said:

The Lasanga  I ordered in the MDR one evening was so bad I sent it back with a note  to get it off the menu .

 

Unlucky. On Westerdam in January the MDR lasagne was consistently excellent.

[NMTraveller]

4 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

That already has been fixed .more stations open & more food selections as well 

I don't think that it has been fixed to pre January levels..  It is not up to what it was before January.  Still quite a few empty stations in the OVC for dinner at night.  It IS better than the pathetic state it was in before.

Edited March 10, 2023 by NMTraveller

[HappyInVan]

4 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

imo any cruise line who does not   improve their variety & quality of food  & continues price increases for cruises will soon be out of business . The cruising public can only be fooled for a time . 

 

 

There's been a shift in emphasis. With HIA, HAL is now targeting the drinkers; and gamblers. 🙄

[HALcruiser2001]

8 hours ago, JeffElizabeth said:

We were on Emerald Princess in September and Konigsdam in October.  Worst food in twenty years of cruising.  Our next cruise is 28 days in July and August on Zuiderdam, hope the food gets better by then. 

What made it bad on HAL?

[HALcruiser2001]

8 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

imo any cruise line who does not   improve their variety & quality of food  & continues price increases for cruises will soon be out of business . The cruising public can only be fooled for a time . 

Over the years cruise lines have managed to cut out Midnight buffets , Chocalate buffets ,ie . Seems to me what we got for our dollars was better back then than now

 

Ah.... yeah.   And my house was $300k back then and $1M now.

 

The food I had on NS was just as tasty as Zuiderdam 23 yeas ago.

Edited March 10, 2023 by bdd123

[HALcruiser2001]

16 hours ago, Hllb said:

I have never been on HAL (and only been on one Carnival cruise). Any newbies like me reading need to remember how subjective food is. If I'd listened to this board before going on our Carnival cruise, I would've packed some PB&J because the food was going to be atrocious, at least in the MDR. I mean, worst of the worst, school cafeteria slop.  And this was pre-pandemic. We were very happy with the food. No, we aren't foodies, but we do enjoy fine dining sometimes, kids included, though we aren't talking $100+ pp here - more like $50 pp max as we are a family of 5. 

 

I have been watching the latest menus for our booked ship (Eurodam) and the main thing I notice is that its a pretty limited menu - not a ton of choices. That said, the choices look pretty good and I have yet to see a menu where nothing sounded good (though admittedly, on some days (since I don't like seafood) it was a choice of 1 or 2 things for me). I also know that the lack of lobster included in the MDR (or filet for that matter) is disappointing to those that were used to it before. It's not the end of the world for us, so I'm looking forward to seeing what this lackluster food is really like come June on Eurodam.

 

I did not and would not bother with MDR.  Just seemed like a nightmare.
 

I am a foodie.  Although I do not have the time to present dishes like a high end restaurant, I have waited tables for about 15 years that were some of the best in my state.  In the early 80's I sold $5k-$10k worth of wine in a night.  Did table side salad, entre and deserts... completely unforgiving.  I can cook steaks, seafood and asian food comparable to must trained chefs.

I chuckle that people think that HAL's food is crap and portions are small.  Not my experience at all, but judging by the obesity of many passengers, portion size complaints are not surprising.

Look at my review on here about the food, it is honest, legit and I am picky.  I send food back to be corrected if not right and did not have to do that for anything (but see below).

THE ONLY complaint that I had was that the buffet food was not HOT, lack of salt in Club Orange, Pinnacle and Rudi's, but I get that and it is easily fixed with shakers.

In Club Orange I had one salad that had something wrong.  Really bitter, but I mentioned it and moved on with the next course.... just did not matter.  Waiter would have replaced it.
 

Pinnacle, Rudi's and Club Orange had perfectly cooked steaks and seafood.  They new temperatures and doneness better than most high end restaurants do.

[Hllb]

6 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

I did not and would not bother with MDR.  Just seemed like a nightmare.

 

Why does the MDR seem like a nightmare to you? We will be doing the MDR most of the time, with maybe one meal at a specialty restaurant. 

 

I'm not concerned with portion sizes either, tbh. I actually kind of prefer small sizes so if there are two things I want to try, I'm not wasting food. My kids may have more of an issue with it, but again, just order more. I actually think it's smart of HAL to make smaller portions knowing that people may order multiples. This would reduce food waste.

[0106]

I have high standards for food and am very happy with my recent experiences on HAL.  
 

We had fixed dining on the Oosterdam November.  Ate in the MDR 12 nights.  Food was very good, for my meat loving DH and for my pescatarian diet.  After the first night, the waiter knew our preferences and made suggestions about what we might enjoy on the menu. Often suggested entrees that could be made without meat.  Provided extra vegetables for me.  Enjoyed every meal. Loved Canaletto, DH particularly, Osso Bucco.  Pinnacle was average, steak good, no large scallops, ordered halibut, it was ok.  

 

Ate 9 breakfasts and dinners in Club Orange on the Rotterdam in February.  Sat in the same section, with the same waiter every meal.  Food was extraordinary, particularly the Peruvian chicken and the scallop entree (which was better than the scallops I had in the Pinnacle) Meals were customized to our taste.  One bad entree (beyond meat coconut meatballs) was quickly noticed by waiter, whisked away and replaced with a new dish in less than 5 minutes.  Tamarind excellent (as always),   Pinnacle good.  NY Pizza, excellent, and Deli excellent if you request extra meat. Grand Dutch Cafe, very good.

[cruisemom42]

11 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 

There's been a shift in emphasis. With HIA, HAL is now targeting the drinkers; and gamblers. 🙄

 

How can this be true when they are closing the bars at midnight -- even in the casino??

[HALcruiser2001]

59 minutes ago, Hllb said:

 

Why does the MDR seem like a nightmare to you? We will be doing the MDR most of the time, with maybe one meal at a specialty restaurant. 

 

I'm not concerned with portion sizes either, tbh. I actually kind of prefer small sizes so if there are two things I want to try, I'm not wasting food. My kids may have more of an issue with it, but again, just order more. I actually think it's smart of HAL to make smaller portions knowing that people may order multiples. This would reduce food waste.

 

Noisy, slow, lines and crowds.   Not my thing.

[Hllb]

13 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Noisy, slow, lines and crowds.   Not my thing.

Fair LOL. Not my thing either, but specialty dining with 5? Nope LOL. On our Carnival cruise, we almost never waited for our table of choice - 5 minutes at most, so hopefully have a good experience with HAL.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Hllb

[HALcruiser2001]

4 minutes ago, Hllb said:

Fair LOL. Not my thing either, but specialty dining with 5? Nope LOL. On our Carnival cruise, we almost never waited for our table of choice - 5 minutes at most, so hopefully have a good experience with HAL.

 

Just getting to MDR at seating times was ugly.    Full halls and elevators.   We avoided it completely.

[Hllb]

42 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Just getting to MDR at seating times was ugly.    Full halls and elevators.   We avoided it completely.

That must be why I've heard of people making reservations for anytime seating. I mean, I did see lines on our Carnival cruise, but we managed to avoid them most of the time

[HappyInVan]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

How can this be true when they are closing the bars at midnight -- even in the casino??

 

Don't worry. There are few other options for HAL to squeeze money out of us. HAL is changing. Goodbye LCS. Hello casino offers and Cheers!