Real NHDOC Posted March 13 #1 Share Posted March 13 I asked the hotel manager aboard Nieuw Statendam why there was no lunch in the dining room on embarkation day Sunday and was told that HAL has discontinued the embarkation day lunch service fleetwide as of two weeks ago because they felt it wasn’t well attended enough to justify the effort. Very disappointing. I hope the beancounters reconsider this shortsighted decision. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted March 13 #2 Share Posted March 13 Kind of hard to be well-attended when your entire staff sends you to the Lido Market. 29 2 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real NHDOC Posted March 13 Author #3 Share Posted March 13 5 minutes ago, *Miss G* said: Kind of hard to be well-attended when your entire staff sends you to the Lido Market. My sentiments exactly! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Haljo1935 Posted March 13 #4 Share Posted March 13 (edited) Very disappointing; we have always had lunch in MDR on Embarkation Day and is something we really look forward to. It's one of the few times DH will eat in MDR (he's a Lido person). Yes, it's challenging to have good attendance when everyone is directed to the Lido and when so many boarding groups are assigned late times. We disregard the time on our boarding pass and biard early so we can make it to MDR. No reason to do that now 😕 Edited March 13 by Haljo1935 Additional comment 8 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0bnxshs Posted March 13 #5 Share Posted March 13 I noticed yesterday (12 March) on the Navigator App that the events for embarkation day on 17 March for Rotterdam says: "12:00 AM DR Lunch CLOSED Dining Room, 2" and previously it said "12:00 PM Embarkation Lunch Dining Room, 2". I wondered what was going on. I agree with everyone who wonders how HAL could wonder why so few attended knowing that they never mention it in their boarding process and, as mentioned, everyone is directed to the Lido Deck who asks about lunch. Sounds like an excuse that doesn't hold water to me. 🤥 Chalk another nice experience gone to the cost cutting floor...... 🤨 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navybikermom Posted March 13 #6 Share Posted March 13 Boy, I’m glad I ordered hors d’oeuvres and chocolate-covered strawberries on my next cruise to be in my stateroom on embarkation day. That should suffice until dinner so we don’t have to fight the crowds elsewhere. I loved eating lunch in the MDR the first day 😕. 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spkack Posted March 13 #7 Share Posted March 13 2 hours ago, *Miss G* said: Kind of hard to be well-attended when your entire staff sends you to the Lido Market. This is exactly what we recently experienced. Upon embarkation the staff was actually operating the elevator not allowing us to go down to the MDR which effectively forced people to the Lido. We simply got off and made our way to the MDR on our own. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxmantoo Posted March 13 #8 Share Posted March 13 How pleasant for the 200 to 300 persons doing a back to back in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere. "We value your loyalty, now feel free to grab yourself a sandwich in the Lido". Sad, just sad ... 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Boston Posted March 13 #9 Share Posted March 13 41 minutes ago, 0bnxshs said: I noticed yesterday (12 March) on the Navigator App that the events for embarkation day on 17 March for Rotterdam says: "12:00 AM DR Lunch CLOSED Dining Room, 2" and previously it said "12:00 PM Embarkation Lunch Dining Room, 2". I wondered what was going on. I agree with everyone who wonders how HAL could wonder why so few attended knowing that they never mention it in their boarding process and, as mentioned, everyone is directed to the Lido Deck who asks about lunch. Sounds like an excuse that doesn't hold water to me. 🤥 Chalk another nice experience gone to the cost cutting floor...... 🤨 I agree on the lame excuse. It sounds like the one they gave for getting rid of the libraries. They need a better liar in Seattle! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woofbite Posted March 13 #10 Share Posted March 13 19 minutes ago, Navybikermom said: Boy, I’m glad I ordered hors d’oeuvres and chocolate-covered strawberries on my next cruise to be in my stateroom on embarkation day. Which they doubled in price not long ago. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happytotravel Posted March 13 #11 Share Posted March 13 (edited) Hello All, I just sent the following email to HAL stating my concern over their closing the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. I have always enjoyed being able to go there and having a relaxing lunch on my cruises with NCL I was hoping to experience the same on HAL. Perhaps if others do the same they "might" reverse their decision. happytotravel ========================================================== HAL_Ship_Services@hollandamerica.com Good Morning, I wanted to write and say how disappointed I am in reading on Cruise Critic's website that the MDR will no longer be open for lunch on embarkation day. I am aware, as on many other lines, it is kept a "secret" in order to keep the numbers small in the dining room. But, it has always been a wonderful place to have a quiet lunch after the stress of traveling for those who know the area is available. I do hope HAL will reconsider, ========================================================== Edited March 13 by happytotravel triple pasted email message 18 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cbr663 Posted March 13 #12 Share Posted March 13 1 hour ago, Mr. Boston said: I agree on the lame excuse. It sounds like the one they gave for getting rid of the libraries. They need a better liar in Seattle! Yet another example of here's what we want you to believe rather than providing what is most likely the real answer: that with our ships understaffed all staff are needed during the embarkation process, especially luggage handling. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrcruiser Posted March 13 #13 Share Posted March 13 (edited) Seems to us Carnival Corp is cutting where ever they can with out loosing business ;as they lower that huge debt & simultaneously increased their pricies across their fleets . nor that we like loosing the MDR ;however ,imo another cost cutting event . The question remains how many other cost cutting events they will make . I don't believe it all these cost cuttings comes from HAL's headquarters in Seattle ,Wa ..The stock is going up so as a share holder I can't complain .On the other hand some of this cost cutting really makes no sense to make the cruise experience less desireable Edited March 13 by mcrcruiser 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare bajae Posted March 13 #14 Share Posted March 13 7 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said: Seems to us Carnival Corp is cutting where ever they can with out loosing business ;as they lower that huge debt & simultaneously increased their pricies across their fleets . nor that we like loosing the MDR ;however ,imo another cost cutting event . The question remains how many other cost cutting events they will make . I don't believe it all these cost cuttings comes from HAL's headquarters in Seattle ,Wa ..The stock is going up so as a share holder I can't complain .On the other hand some of this cost cutting really makes no sense to make the cruise experience less desireable I’m just curious how this move saves much money. I would think the cost of feeding passengers would be very similar no matter where they eat. IMO, this is more likely a staffing issue. Less staff is needed with passengers eating in the lido allowing more staff available for other embarkation activities. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrcruiser Posted March 13 #15 Share Posted March 13 2 minutes ago, bajae said: I’m just curious how this move saves much money. I would think the cost of feeding passengers would be very similar no matter where they eat. IMO, this is more likely a staffing issue. Less staff is needed with passengers eating in the lido allowing more staff available for other embarkation activities. Whether is be a labor or food supply issue , Carnival still can save money . No I do not like what they did at all .Even as a share holder with more than the 100 shares to get OBCs , it still erks me to see this happen . could it change back to the MDR llunch only if there are many complaints filed with the cruise line 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted March 13 #16 Share Posted March 13 This is a very typical move that corporations make. They find ways to disincentivize consumers from using a good or service, then they can "point" to the fact that the good or service is not being utilized and should be eliminated. It doesn't impact me personally. I prefer to eat lunch ashore and board afterwards. But if I did eat onboard, I'd prefer the MDR to the Lido, no question. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real NHDOC Posted March 13 Author #17 Share Posted March 13 1 hour ago, happytotravel said: Hello All, I just sent the following email to HAL stating my concern over their closing the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. I have always enjoyed being able to go there and having a relaxing lunch on my cruises with NCL I was hoping to experience the same on HAL. Perhaps if others do the same they "might" reverse their decision. happytotravel ========================================================== HAL_Ship_Services@hollandamerica.com Good Morning, I wanted to write and say how disappointed I am in reading on Cruise Critic's website that the MDR will no longer be open for lunch on embarkation day. I am aware, as on many other lines, it is kept a "secret" in order to keep the numbers small in the dining room. But, it has always been a wonderful place to have a quiet lunch after the stress of traveling for those who know the area is available. I do hope HAL will reconsider, ========================================================== Please post any response you receive. I also plan to express my disappointment when the cruise ends and we receive the survey looking for comments on how they could make the experience better. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted March 13 #18 Share Posted March 13 I used to like the embarkation lunch when it was the standard lunch menu. But on Zaandam in February, the embarkation day lunch menu was cut down to a few "express" items, none of which appealed to me. So I braved the Lido. Fortunately, I had boarded early and had no trouble getting my lunch and even a drink by the pool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Niagarawine Posted March 13 #19 Share Posted March 13 24 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said: Please post any response you receive. I also plan to express my disappointment when the cruise ends and we receive the survey looking for comments on how they could make the experience better. Yes I would also be interested in hearing this. Loved lunch in there on embarkation day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy-mae Posted March 13 #20 Share Posted March 13 I'm going to insert a discordant note. As infrequent cruisers (compared to many regulars here) part of the excitement on embarkation is seeing our stateroom and exploring our new surroundings. And after escaping the winter cold, we delight in dining "al fresco" on the pool deck. The last thing that we feel like doing is sitting in a dining room when the outdoors beckon. Could it be that there are other like-minded folks who have collectively contributed to the lower attendance? 10 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman48 Posted March 13 #21 Share Posted March 13 5 hours ago, Real NHDOC said: I asked the hotel manager aboard Nieuw Statendam why there was no lunch in the dining room on embarkation day Sunday and was told that HAL has discontinued the embarkation day lunch service fleetwide as of two weeks ago because they felt it wasn’t well attended enough to justify the effort. Very disappointing. I hope the beancounters reconsider this shortsighted decision. Wife and I have lunch in the MDR about 50% of the time on embarkation day. I will say that most times it is not well attended, so I can see the logic of using the manpower elsewhere on such a hectic day. Will miss the quite mealtime especially on turn over days of a B2B cruise, but if it helps with making embarkation day smoother it's a good move. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real NHDOC Posted March 13 Author #22 Share Posted March 13 When we were on Eurodam just last month we had over 500 B2B guests on one turnover day and the dining room was pretty busy for both breakfast and lunch. As others have stated the main reason more people didn’t take advantage of the lunch in the MDR is it was a “well kept secret”. For whatever reason HAL never wanted people to know it was available. I always assumed they did this intentionally to keep the burden on the dining room staff low but to say now that they’re discontinuing it because it wasn’t well attended seems to be disingenuous. Had they actually invited embarking guests to it I suspect it would have been very well attended. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Hag Posted March 13 #23 Share Posted March 13 This is disappointing. We always went to the MDR on embarkation day, since the buffet tends to be a zoo. Now, it'll be even more zoolike. Drat. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted March 13 #24 Share Posted March 13 Back when it was a Mariner perk, the only reason I knew it existed was because I learned about it here. HAL never made it known. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highscar Posted March 13 #25 Share Posted March 13 Don’t think in 20 Hal cruises have embarked and settled in cabin to lunch in DR. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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