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

[Florisa1228]

9 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Grits with shrimp:

Love Shrimp and grits, unfortunately we don’t have any good places to eat it unless we go to Harry’s but last time we went a couple months ago was not in the menu.

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, pengu1n said:

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 . . .

Don't you like sardines:

 

Edited August 7 by Sir PMP
forgot something

[pengu1n]

2 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Don't you like sardines:

 

Absolutely, on my biscuits and gravy!

[Shalandara]

I had the joy of explaining grits to an English women one morning in the Lido on the Koningsdam.  She said she might try them as an alternative to oatmeal one morning.

Being on the N.Amsterdam one time the week after the Soul Train cruise meant that there were plenty of grits, and on most days they were prepared almost right.

Edited August 8 by Shalandara
correcting spelling

[2inSETexas]

1 hour ago, Shalandara said:

I had the joy of explaining grits to an English women one morning in the Lido on the Koningsdam.  She said she might try them as an alternative to oatmeal one morning.

Being on the N.Amsterdam one time the week after the Soul Train cruise meant that there were plenty of grits, and on most days they were prepared almost right.

It’s hard to follow this discussion without thinking of the scene from “My Cousin Vinny”:

Gambini: Eggs and grits. I like grits too. How do you cook your grits? You like 'em regular, creamy, or al dente?

Mr. Tipton: Just regular, I guess.

Gambini: Regular. Instant grits?

Mr. Tipton: No self-respecting southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits.

Gambini: So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you five minutes to cook your grits, when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes. 

Mr. Tipton: I don't know. I'm a fast cook, I guess.

Gambini: I'm sorry, I was all the way over here. I couldn't hear you. Did you say you're a fast cook? That's it?! Are we to believe that boiling waters soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than on any place on the face of the earth?!

Edited August 8 by 2inSETexas

[Euby]

If only they had sweet tea...

[kad56]

Lol! So nice to hear you're enjoying the trip. I'm going on a similar itinerary soon. Can you tell me about the EXC talk topics? That's my favorite enrichment activity. I feel like I'm in a live action documentary.

[syesmar]

21 hours ago, Petronillus said:

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

Where I come from we say “gree-yits.” 😂

[RedneckBob]

What, no grits on HAL. After sailing on HAL for the past +40 years, this is the final straw, or final grits! 😳

 

A short story about grits and another cruise line. Several years ago we were on our first Oceania cruise aboard the beautiful and elegant Rivieria. First morning for breakfast we went to the buffet breakfast at the Terrace Cafe. I approached a serving area where it appeared to have grits. I asked the server, a nice French lady, could I have a cup of grits. She replied, and I quote, “What are gets.” Needless to say there were no gets!

[ghstudio]

2 hours ago, kad56 said:

Lol! So nice to hear you're enjoying the trip. I'm going on a similar itinerary soon. Can you tell me about the EXC talk topics? That's my favorite enrichment activity. I feel like I'm in a live action documentary.

Sorry, not sure what exc talk topics means.  We do not have any outside speakers on this cruise afaik.  

[timbom]

Last Holland ship I was on (last month) has no biscuits and gravy.  When I asked for some the chief said no one asked for them but he would make some for me the next day.  

 

The biscuit was Ok but the gravy was the same stuff they put on French fries (this was a Canadian trip).  I now know why no one asks for them.

 

You can keep your grits I want my biscuits and sausage gravy.

[kad56]

4 hours ago, ghstudio said:

Sorry, not sure what exc talk topics means.  We do not have any outside speakers on this cruise afaik.  

It's the pre-scripted lectures the cruise director does on board. Same format as the one they do on the history of HAL. I know people don't like them as much as guest lecturers, but I still enjoy them.

[Navybikermom]

15 hours ago, Euby said:

If only they had sweet tea...

I was given some by accident on the Rotterdam. Gag! Apparently they had been given a whole shipment of it, but never bothered to tell the passengers. 😡

[jlawrence01]

On 8/7/2024 at 5:07 AM, puppycanducruise said:

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

 

Think polenta.  Not the same. but similar. 

 

BTW, to the poster that posted the food porn, that looks really good.

[ExArkie]

On 8/8/2024 at 10:01 AM, syesmar said:

Where I come from we say “gree-yits.” 😂

Where I come from, we pronounce it, “No, but thank you anyway.”

[Navybikermom]

2 hours ago, ExArkie said:

Where I come from, we pronounce it, “No, but thank you anyway.”

I spent most of my life in Michigan and I always ate grits with milk, sugar, and chocolate syrup (think CoCo Wheats). I mentioned that to my Tennessee neighbors and they cried “blasphemy” 😂

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Navybikermom said:

I spent most of my life in Michigan and I always ate grits with milk, sugar, and chocolate syrup (think CoCo Wheats). I mentioned that to my Tennessee neighbors and they cried “blasphemy” 😂

I used to have the Wisconsin cousins send me chocolate Malt o Meal - yum

[Marelaine]

The crepe station in the buffet made me forget, entirely, about bacon, eggs, and hash browns. 

[beachbum6264]

I'm a 'grits' (Girl Raised In The South) who loves her grits. For breakfast or dinner (usually with some kind of fish). But I've never found edible grits on a cruise. ☹️

[Stratheden]

On 8/8/2024 at 4:17 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

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

Get the butter first!

[chengkp75]

I believe in "Southern Maine" grits:  with butter and maple syrup.

[Langoustine]

I was once so ignorant about this that when I was asked if I wanted grits, I replied "Only one, please." It did not end well.

[Mike B Landlubber]

I was on an MSC cruise last year and they offered corn fritters as an appetizer. My experience with the other food in the MDR should have warned me off, but I ordered them. Very foolish, especially as I am not really a fritter guy. They were not good. I did not finish them. Another person at my table suggested “ You should order fritters when dining in Tennessee. When sailing on a European cruise line in Europe, you should not order fritters.” A very wise lady, I have retained those words of wisdom ever since.

Edited August 17 by Mike B Landlubber

[0106]

I had the grits this morning in Club Orange on the Rotterdam.  I ask for a side of grated cheese to go with them.  They were good, excellent consistency.  They are also on the MDR menu.

[Ray4Fun]

On 8/7/2024 at 10:36 AM, ShipWalker said:

You could always upgrade to polenta.

I Like them both. Different flavor profiles.