Lobster Tails?

[LadyLuck]

Someone told me that on HAL, they usually serve smaller twin lobster tails for one of the formal nights. If, say, I would like to have a second serving (4 lobster tails total), can I ask for just the lobster tails or do they bring out a second entree with all the sides? Just wondering.............DH is thinking about this too........is it unacceptable to order just the lobster tails without the sides (e.g. potatoes).

 

What are some of your experiences with lobster tails on HAL?

[Toad]

They are tiny. I would ask for four, and you would not be alone, and you can get just the tails and not two entire entrees!

[eldercruser]

Also no problem asking for "seconds". That is what our table did recently.

[noblepa]

When we were on the Veendam, last April, on the evening that they served lobster, the waiter confirmed what I knew had to almost certainly be true: the lobster was frozen, not fresh. Not surprising. I don't imagine it would be easy to keep several hundred lobster alive on board ship.

 

Am I the only one who thinks that freezing completely changes the taste of lobster? I love lobster... when I pass a tank of live lobster on the way into the restaurant. To me, frozen lobster tastes terrible; not at all like the fresh item.

 

So, is it just me?

 

Paul Noble

[CaliforniaAC]

They serve Beef Wellington the same night they serve Lobster. Both are tasty. I order a piece of beef and a lobster tail. When we were on the Zuiderdam they asked if we wanted extra lobster when we ordered. Halfway through dinner they brought plates of lobster tails and set them in the center of the table for anyone that wanted more. I thought that was a nice touch.:)

[millercat]

Just off the Maasdam, 11 nights and the only Lobster available was on the last formal night they served Surf and Turf. Lobster was small and only fair and the steak was not much better and definately not a filet. I am sure you could have ordered extra Lobster but I am not sure that you would have wanted to. JMHO

 

^..^

[HAL92]

The tails are very small but are delicious. I would order 4 or maybe even 6 tails and you can ask for them all at once.

[aaerobear]

It seems the lobster question pops up about every couple weeks, and the answers are always the same.

 

1. yes they are small.

 

2. yes, order as many and as often as you like.

 

3. If you don't like them, fine, more for those that do.

 

Simple

 

Ed

 

(not a flame, just a fact) :-)

[Sunshine91]

On the last formal night of Noordam's inaugural, surf & turf was on the menu. Both John & I ordered it. Mine arrived just fine. His little twin lobster tails were covered in the bernaise sauce meant for the filet! He told the dining steward who placed another order for him. Much later, out came another plate with just 2 more little lobster tails. John had assumed it would be a complete plate, since in actuality his filet was not correct either.

 

Oh well, sure wish we were back onboard......

[trubey]

Yep, I did it on Prinsendam last November. They don't care: order whatever and however you want it. Also, if it's a special order you'll probably get it warmer, just like at McDonalds.

 

lkt

[FoxyTerrier]

Some new CC members might want to revive this thread...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=57010&highlight=lobster

 

I always enjoy the lobster tails and yes I agree they are small but have always felt smaller lobsters are more tender than the bigger ones.

 

2 is enough for me with all the other courses, but as you will see some people order up to 10 tails - yikes!!!

[Jim Gallup]

Since the cost of lobster has gone up much faster and higher than the cost of taking a cruise, the cruise lione companies had to decide between raising the price of a ticket, or purchasing cheaper lobster.

With the American Market, cheaper usually wins.

 

All the major cruise lines are now serving frozen "Slipper Lobster" or one of it's many cousins. These are not really lobsters, but strange animals that look like a cross betwen a frog and a crayfish. They come from warm water, either Africa or South America. They are still expensive at around $18.00 per pound.

 

Warm water "lobster" that has been frozen for a long time usually does not taste nearly as good as a real fresh cold water lobster.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Since the cost of lobster has gone up much faster and higher than the cost of taking a cruise, the cruise lione companies had to decide between raising the price of a ticket, or purchasing cheaper lobster.

With the American Market, cheaper usually wins.

 

All the major cruise lines are now serving frozen "Slipper Lobster" or one of it's many cousins. These are not really lobsters, but strange animals that look like a cross betwen a frog and a crayfish. They come from warm water, either Africa or South America. They are still expensive at around $18.00 per pound.

 

Warm water "lobster" that has been frozen for a long time usually does not taste nearly as good as a real fresh cold water lobster.

 

Thanks for the info, Mr. Gallup; I think I'll be skipping the "lobster" when we take our first cruise this summer.

 

BTW, I enjoy all of your posts very much. I know your background is in the cruise industry, and your posts are most interesing and full of detail I can't find anywhere else on these boards.

[doone]

When ordering your dinner, just tell the server how many lobster tails you want. Its never been a problem.

[FoxyTerrier]

Since the cost of lobster has gone up much faster and higher than the cost of taking a cruise, the cruise lione companies had to decide between raising the price of a ticket, or purchasing cheaper lobster.

With the American Market, cheaper usually wins.

 

All the major cruise lines are now serving frozen "Slipper Lobster" or one of it's many cousins. These are not really lobsters, but strange animals that look like a cross betwen a frog and a crayfish. They come from warm water, either Africa or South America. They are still expensive at around $18.00 per pound.

 

Warm water "lobster" that has been frozen for a long time usually does not taste nearly as good as a real fresh cold water lobster.

 

After reading this post I had to find out what a "Slipper Lobster" looked like

go I googled it.

 

http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/marine/JAN04/Slipper_Lobster(Scllarides_squammosus).html

 

Looks pretty much like a lobster to me and nothing like a frog.

 

I read about a year ago Maine had the biggest lobster harvest ever - you would think that would make the prices go down a bit or at least stay stable.

[J&R Cruisers]

On our last cruise on the Zaandam(11-05) lobster was never offered nor were escargot.

[familyofd]

We were offered surf and turf 1 night, we had to order full plates he (our server)wouldnt just bring us lobsters so we had a table full of plates , I must say they were very very good and I am a very picky with this seafood, the

steak was very good too but too pink for me so I didnt eat it.

[gizmo]

It can vary between ships as what you are served. My last cruise was surf and turf. Others say they had twin lobster tails on their cruise.

 

It can also vary how extra tails are served. I have seen it both ways, an entire entree was served, or the waiter had extra tails on a platter.

[HERKIMER417]

DW and I just came back on the Veendam ( 3/11-3/18) We had a surf and turf one evening. Several at our table ordered two tails and one ordered two truf. ( go figure ). The tail was maybe 3 1/2 inchs long.

 

On another evening we had Alaskan King crab.

and there was escargot on the menu as well, if you liked.

 

They also server a lobster bisque and a conch bisque.

 

The Alaskan king was spilt length wise when served so you didn't need nut crackers.

 

I enjoyed both the lobster and crap, and both soups :rolleyes:

[bruce-r]

When we were on the Veendam, last April, on the evening that they served lobster, the waiter confirmed what I knew had to almost certainly be true: the lobster was frozen, not fresh. Not surprising. I don't imagine it would be easy to keep several hundred lobster alive on board ship.

 

Am I the only one who thinks that freezing completely changes the taste of lobster? I love lobster... when I pass a tank of live lobster on the way into the restaurant. To me, frozen lobster tastes terrible; not at all like the fresh item.

 

So, is it just me?

The same is true of crab meat, especially Dungeness crabs. We are lucky to be able to get them fresh most of the year, but the couple of times I've been unlucky enough to have had them after being frozen made me appreciate the fresh crabs so much more. People who have never had fresh crab just don't know what they are missing. The same is probably true for lobster.

[grest]

I just checked out the picture of the slipper lobster...makes me long for the lobsters of Maine, where I lived for over 50 years and enjoyed the best lobster ever! I think I'll be skipping the surf part of surf and turf....

[Splinter]

Slipper lobster are similar to langostino. We have them in California and the Pacific coast of Mexico where they are called spiney lobster. They taste similar to, but are not the same as a true lobster such as they have in Maine. Notice that in the picture above that the slipper lobster has no claws, and yes, they are closely related to crayfish (crawdads). Some types of langostino have small claws, but again are not Maine type lobster and are not true lobster. This is what you will get in Mexico, esp. in Baja if you go to Nuevo Puerto (on the drive from Tijuana to Ensenada) for "lobster" and beer (yummy!). Notice they have no claws:

 

http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio/harris-warrick/lab/panulirus/Lobster7.jpg

 

Rubio's (a fast food chain based in San Diego) just lost a big lawsuit by someone who sued them for selling "lobster" burritos that were in fact langostino. I ate them and thought they were yummy! Just waiting for the cruise industry to read this judgement and change what is listed on their menus too!

 

http://www.restaurantnewsresource.com/article17304.html

[DesertDiva]

On the Oosterdam recently, filet mignon and lobster tails were served on the same evening. I asked for "surf and turf," and received a small filet mignon with one lobster tail. It was perfect!

[anley]

:confused:On the march 15 Noordam cruise my waiter told me he could only bring me 2 lobster tails one at a time. So he served a plate with a lobster tail and filet mignon and then put down a second exact duplicate. So nothing is written in stone. My wife asked for a baked potato instead of the one on the menu this time the waiter said nothing but put the baked potato on top of the other potatoes. Another woman at our table who was told you could ask for shrimp

cocktail every night , asked for it and was told no in no uncertain terms.

At breakfast the second day my wife was told they had no wheat toast.

They must have flown it to the ship because they had it the second sea day.

Then at dinner they had no honey mustard dressing.

We really had good time and the food was good but these are things that shouldn't happen. And don't get me started on the watery O.J. at breakfast in

the dining room.

My wife looking over my shoulder just now said there goes my free cruise for being such a positive cruise critic.

Thanks Honey

[jascruise]

For us New Englanders, if it ain't a good old Homarus Americanus, it ain't a lobster.

 

http://www.parl.ns.ca/lobster/overview.htm