Disaster on the Nieuw Statendam (at least for Southerners) and a bit of a review

[ghstudio]

We learned this morning that they are out of GRITS!  They didn't get any on the refresh before our cruise, so we are midway between the Shetland Islands and Iceland where they can't even restock.  One can hope that they get a shipment by Helicopter this PM.In the meantime, we are forced to eat real food for breakfast....like the wonderful pan asian or indian offerings. 

 

The really unfortunate part is that since there are no grits, we are forced to eat some of the best food we've had on a HAL ship (we've been on Woosterdam, Oosterdam and Rotteram in the past 18 month.  The included steak in the MDR is juicy, thick and tasty, lamb cooked pink, Pork juicy and tasty....desserts, outstanding.....even the sugar free ones that are actually baked, not just variations on pudding....and even SF ice cream.  For those who are health wary...most everything in Lido is served and a behind a plastic screen...even the salad bar.  As always the Indian menu for dinner is  a relatively unknown but outstanding option  in the MDR (or club orange, you have to order it the night before).

 

0.0 beer is on the drink package, but I have previously commented that zero alcohol wine is as well...i was wrong and i'll try to correct my past posts.  It is available by the bottle.  The reason is that they get very little, so the way the reserve their stock is to charge for it.  If you have a true MEDICAL reason that you can't drink alcohol and you are on the HIA or HIA+ package, throw yourself on the mercy of the food/wine manager or above and they may make an exception. 

 

The daily activities include the usual "grand shiny stone" unveiling, free acupuncture seminar, wine tasting for a fee, informal meet up of ping pong players and so on.  Translated...that means you should spend your days writing hopefully amusing posts to cruise critic, etc....because other than eating or drinking, you can use the gym, browse the shops, play games, do puzzles, etc. We don't mind...we just want to veg out and read or sit learning new skills (I'm learning Linux on this cruise) but this is HAL, not a 6000 passenger monster ship.

 

We're enjoying our cruise and looking forward to reaching Greenland before Debbie or other storms cause problems

Edited August 7 by ghstudio

[Sir PMP]

I feel so sorry that you're having a great cruise.

[puppycanducruise]

I guess as a non-southerner, I don't understand grits.  I hope you can cope, stay strong. 😁

[Sir PMP]

3 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

I guess as a non-southerner, I don't understand grits.  I hope you can cope, stay strong. 😁

Grits with shrimp:

[pirate cruiser]

As a born and bred southern boy the correct term is shrimp'n grits.

[Roz]

36 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

I guess as a non-southerner, I don't understand grits.  I hope you can cope, stay strong. 😁

Cheese 🧀 grits are the bomb. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, puppycanducruise said:

I guess as a non-southerner, I don't understand grits.  I hope you can cope, stay strong. 😁

 

I'm not a southerner, either, but I definitely understand grits. Load 'em up with butter and a little salt. Yum!

 

@ghstudio, if you are a connoisseur of grits, it's just as well they don't have any. On my last HAL cruise, I asked for grits, and as the server stirred them, I could see they were like a thin soup, like bits of grits in a beige broth. Euwwwwww! People see that and no wonder they don't get why grits are good.

[quilty964]

I don't think I've ever had grits!  Try to enjoy your meals even if you are missing them!  😉

[ShipWalker]

You could always upgrade to polenta.

[mom7]

Good morning. I see you’re currently on the Nieuw Statendam. We’re looking to book 14 days on her & wondered if you can confirm if they have 50% off happy hour each day?  We enjoyed it on our last 3 Rotterdam cruises & would like to know before we book if it is offered on the Nieuw Statendam currently. Thanks in advance & enjoy your cruise. 

[ghstudio]

Just now, mom7 said:

Good morning. I see you’re currently on the Nieuw Statendam. We’re looking to book 14 days on her & wondered if you can confirm if they have 50% off happy hour each day?  We enjoyed it on our last 3 Rotterdam cruises & would like to know before we book if it is offered on the Nieuw Statendam currently. Thanks in advance & enjoy your cruise. 

Don’t know about every day but yes today

[FlaMariner]

3 hours ago, ghstudio said:

We learned this morning that they are out of GRITS! 

 

Southerner here....Grits onboard has always been a challenge for us and somewhat of a comedy adventure. 

 

I'm always fascinated and amused at how Holland America Line does such a great job of providing every type of diverse food the world has to offer....and caters to all the specific dietary requriements people can demand/dream up but when it comes to a basic and easy staple known to many and specific to the Southern USA, it's always a challenge.

 

When asking for grits onboard, these have been our experiences:

 

• we have been served cream of wheat
• we have been given a soup spoon to eat them
• we have been told no
• when at the station with eggs, bacon, etc we are told "grits are at the asian area"
• when waiting for them, we have been asked "how many do you want?"
• when we arrive at the "asian area" the lady does not know "grits" and asks the chef
• Chef says "not made yet"
• Chef says "don't have them today"
• Chef says "we will get them for you"

 

When I do find the grits onboard, a few things:

 

• they are not good (way too watery)
• they freak out when I hand over my plate of eggs and bacon and ask them to "just put them there on the plate"....they think they should be served in a bowl.
• also, some judgmental type fellow USA citizens that tend to live further north than we do, seem to be amused and intrigued at our grits inquiry

 

On every survey, I add a comment about grits (either please have them or have the head chef reach out to Waffle House and ask how to make them properly).

 

I feel it is my duty onboard to always ask for grits. 

 

Enjoy the journey....and the grits onboard if you can find them!

 

[richwmn]

I have lived in the South (Georgia) most of my life. I do like a good serving of grits with breakfast. I was told growing up that the taste of grits depended on what you added to them, either egg yoke, a bit of bacon grease, butter, etc. On Volendam for the 94 day GAUSNZ grits were available almost every day, but the quality varied from too watery to almost too dry. After a week or so, the server at my usual breakfast station made a point of checking the grits and would only suggest them when they were reasonably made.

 

[2inSETexas]

Best thread in a long while! Hope you get them straightened out. We will be on NS in a couple of weeks.

 

Happy sailing. 

[VMax1700]

I also complain about the grits that are sometimes in the scallops.

😀

 

 

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, ShipWalker said:

You could always upgrade to polenta.

Be careful, Italians are listening:

 

[Petronillus]

3 hours ago, pirate cruiser said:

As a born and bred southern boy the correct term is shrimp'n grits.

Actually, I'm told that the correct pronunciation is a stretched out "gray-yits" with two discrete syllables.

[pirate cruiser]

Only people that try to talk like us pronounce it that way  😁

[Mary229]

From a New Orleans native I have to ask - why bother with grits is there is no Tabasco sauce to splash on them. 

[julia]

Soooo distressing! 

Grits are all about the RATIO and it's just not that difficult!  We too, have struggled to find good (and hot) grits onboard, followed by the endless search for a few pats of butter.  😲😲😲

[ghstudio]

Just now, Mary229 said:

From a New Orleans native I have to ask - why bother with grits is there is no Tabasco sauce to splash on them. 

HAL has that covered..

[Mary229]

13 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

HAL has that covered..

I haven’t seen any in the MDR, I will have to ask again 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, julia said:

Soooo distressing! 

Grits are all about the RATIO and it's just not that difficult!  We too, have struggled to find good (and hot) grits onboard, followed by the endless search for a few pats of butter.  😲😲😲

 

Yeah, what's the deal with the hidden/rationed butter? By the time you get the butter, the grits have gone cold!

[albingirl]

 I live in Florida and I can't stand grits.  Can't stand black eyed peas and collard greens either.  All that aside, glad you are having a great cruise.

[pengu1n]

Being from the Midwest, I'm not sure why anyone would want to eat something called "grits." Why not just sprinkle sand on your food, if you want it gritty.

 

Also, HAL could use a cooking lesson for biscuits and gravy . . .