Did they remove the draft beer taps?

[Icarus20]

Confused.  I just looked at a few beer menus for 2024 and none of them discuss draft beer. I was on Koningsdam last January and they had 4 or 5 draft beers in Billboard, and at the Dutch Cafe.  I am on the Zaandam in September and the Volendam in January. Do either of these sister ships offer draft beers?  Specifically a dark draft like Newcastle? Or have they been taken out?

The beer selection on Holland is pretty dismal.  In an era of craft beers sprouting up everywhere, Holland seems to mostly offer IPA's and Light beers.  No milk stouts, porters, ambars, or brown ales......

 

Anyone with RECENT experience on board? 

Edited August 8 by Icarus20

[CruiserBruce]

There were draft beers in the Mix "sports bar" in March/April. I don't recall the brands.

[Kaibyrd]

That's sad! Maybe because it's summer there's no darker beer? I know many of our local breweries discontinue the darker beers during the summer.

I agree, in a time of so many craft breweries there should be more on board. 

IPAs - 🤮

Barrel aged stouts are where it's at! 

[0106]

Just an fyi for people sailing on ships with The Grand Dutch Cafe. (Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Koningsdam only)

Edited August 10 by 0106

[ChinaShrek]

15 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Just an fyi for people sailing on ships with The Grand Dutch Cafe. (Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Koningsdam only)

Where did you get this? I was on the Nieuw Statendam last month for 10 days. They did not have Newcastle on draft (or in the bottle) and they have not had Newcastle for months.

[0106]

@ChinaShrekI was on the Nieuw Statendam in March in the Caribbean. Not on draft but my friend also enjoyed a HAL branded beer, I think it was a Pilsner.

[rj59]

They have an anniversary beer out now, brewed by Pike Place brewery. On Koningsdam last year, they had a nice list of Dutch beers on tap--but none were available. I've found the same to be true on similar lines, like Princess and Celebrity. I can often find Newcastle on tap on Royal. The gold standard is the beer pubs on NCL, which have a huge selection, both cold and on tap, and with their free-at-sea, you pay $20/day or so in prepaid gratuities, and then you can try to compete for the leaderboard they have posted for most beers consumed in a cruise. Cunard also has an impressive selection of beers in their pub. I sampled a dozen or so Aussie beers on a Pacific coastal cruise after the ship had come over from Oz, since they were trying to get rid of it. The same happens on HAL after the Alaska season, where they push the Alaska beers. My approach is to not expect anything great on board, but instead to try local beers in Alaska and Caribbean ports, and I do a lot of Pacific coastal cruises, so I can visit great breweries in Astoria (Ft George), SF, San Diego, and Santa Barbara. Cruise lines are never going to have good beers on tap, but I've found great beers on Princess and Celebrity. Their menus are never accurate, so you have to go to every bar, get to know bartenders (not when they're busy), and ask them which beers they have in a fridge or in back. One of my go-to beers is Kolsch, since with the pop-top you can reseal it and carry it around the ship and drink in different places, or keep in a fridge (back when HAL had 2-for-1 happy hours). 

[ChinaShrek]

2 hours ago, rj59 said:

They have an anniversary beer out now, brewed by Pike Place brewery. On Koningsdam last year, they had a nice list of Dutch beers on tap--but none were available. I've found the same to be true on similar lines, like Princess and Celebrity. I can often find Newcastle on tap on Royal. The gold standard is the beer pubs on NCL, which have a huge selection, both cold and on tap, and with their free-at-sea, you pay $20/day or so in prepaid gratuities, and then you can try to compete for the leaderboard they have posted for most beers consumed in a cruise. Cunard also has an impressive selection of beers in their pub. I sampled a dozen or so Aussie beers on a Pacific coastal cruise after the ship had come over from Oz, since they were trying to get rid of it. The same happens on HAL after the Alaska season, where they push the Alaska beers. My approach is to not expect anything great on board, but instead to try local beers in Alaska and Caribbean ports, and I do a lot of Pacific coastal cruises, so I can visit great breweries in Astoria (Ft George), SF, San Diego, and Santa Barbara. Cruise lines are never going to have good beers on tap, but I've found great beers on Princess and Celebrity. Their menus are never accurate, so you have to go to every bar, get to know bartenders (not when they're busy), and ask them which beers they have in a fridge or in back. One of my go-to beers is Kolsch, since with the pop-top you can reseal it and carry it around the ship and drink in different places, or keep in a fridge (back when HAL had 2-for-1 happy hours). 

I agree 100% what you said about the best beers being in the ports. I want to go back to Orkney just to have some of their beers again! However, I have been buying the HIA package lately and I usually like to drink brown or red ales but the beer selection on HAL is lacking for me. What's with all of the light beers or lager beers? (Becks, Stella, Coors, and Heineken) All of these taste the same to me. 

[Icarus20]

On the Koningsdam in January 2024 they had NO anniversary pilsners from Holland (they celebrated  the 150th anniversary of HA in 2023 with these beers.  That's where the cut and paste ad, placed above, came from).  They ceased to carry them when the inventory was depleted the end of 2023, so none has been available since Jan 24.

They had Newcastle on draft in the Grand Dutch Cafe and in Billboard last January on the Koningsdam.

Someone mentioned above that they got rid of the two for one happy hours recently????  Is this true?  That was the best deal going, and the main reason why I chose HA over the competition, post covid.  Funny how they never announce these type changes......They just surprise you with them.

[0106]

1 hour ago, Icarus20 said:

Someone mentioned above that they got rid of the two for one happy hours recently????  Is this true? 

I have not attended happy hour but this is how it is listed on the App.

[CruiserBruce]

Its hasn't be 2 for 1 Happy Hour in a long time...probably pre-Covid. I think its 50% off the second drink now.

[BermudaBound2014]

Minimal draft beer choices will be a problem for my husband since his favorite cruise line is NCL for the 27 beers on tap in their brew house.

 

Anyone have a link to recent draft beer options on the Oosterdam?

[oakridger]

18 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its hasn't be 2 for 1 Happy Hour in a long time...probably pre-Covid. I think its 50% off the second drink now.

 

It was 50% off every drink in May on Zuiderdam. (During Happy Hour!)

 

~Nancy

[Alberta Quilter]

On 8/8/2024 at 5:20 PM, Icarus20 said:

Confused.  I just looked at a few beer menus for 2024 and none of them discuss draft beer. I was on Koningsdam last January and they had 4 or 5 draft beers in Billboard, and at the Dutch Cafe.  I am on the Zaandam in September and the Volendam in January. Do either of these sister ships offer draft beers?  Specifically a dark draft like Newcastle? Or have they been taken out?

The beer selection on Holland is pretty dismal.  In an era of craft beers sprouting up everywhere, Holland seems to mostly offer IPA's and Light beers.  No milk stouts, porters, ambars, or brown ales......

 

Anyone with RECENT experience on board? 

Here is a picture of the beers on tap in Mix on the Volendam today, Aug 12th. 

Edited August 12 by Alberta Quilter