Escargot any night?

[HeatherInFlorida]

doone;11576920]I am not sure if this is still true or not, but one cruise a few years ago I was on, I asked the Matre D if I could get a shrimp cocktail that evening in the dining room as it was not on the menu. He said yes, I could, but there would be a charge for it and the waiter had to go out of his way to get it for me.

On the Prinsendam this past December we shared a table with a CCer who absolutely loves Shrimp Cocktail. The first night she told all of us that she was planning on having it every night and she would arrange it for the table. She just felt we would all want to join her:D .

 

She called the Steward over who looked astonished at the request and called for his supervisor (forgive me ... I don't know titles). He came over to our table and our friend told him that on RCL she could get shrimp cocktail every night and our entire table wanted it every night. He told us it was already on the menu the next night.

 

She said that was terrific, but we would want it every night. So he said we could have it, but it would be "flat on a plate" and not arranged on a stick the way it would be served the next night. The reason it would be "flat on a plate" was so that no one could see what we were having and want it as well.

 

He said as long as we ordered it the night before it would be no problem.

 

After about 5 nights of this, we all told our friend that we would all like to try a different appetizer so we were going to opt out of the shrimp:D . But she had it the entire cruise and she was not charged for it nor were any of us.

 

She was also told that she would not need to pre-order the shrimp cocktail if she would accept the small shrimp. That she could have every night on request.

 

The OP is correct, though. On Celebrity you can have either shrimp cocktail or escargot every night. I'm quite sure you don't need to pre-order it. On one Celebrity cruise our waiter brought us shrimp cocktail every night in addition to our appetizer just because he knew my husband liked it so much.

[Toad]

I have always loved HAL's escargot, but it wasn't until my last cruise that our assistant Maitre D told me HAL's escargot actually come from Indonesia and they are the snails in the rice fields. Imagine my surprise and hoe foolish I felt, cause I always thought that they came from the sea!!!!!

[C 2 C]

actually come from Indonesia and they are the snails in the rice fields.

You realize of course how rice fields are traditionally fertilized in the east...:eek:

[cruz chic]

Gotta hand it to you folks who enjoy escargot. They remind me of garden slugs. Yuk....please have my share!

[sail7seas]

It confuses me to read how people want shrimp cocktail every night on a cruise. There are few things easier to provide for yourself at home. Why would someone want something that you can buy frozen in Costco or BJ's? Open a bottle of cocktail sauce if you don't want to make your own and squeeze a wedge of lemon.

 

What is the big deal to want it nightly on a cruise when you can so easily have it nightly at home?

 

What am I missing?

 

[OceanLiner]

It confuses me to read how people want shrimp cocktail every night on a cruise. There are few things easier to provide for yourself at home. Why would someone want something that you can buy frozen in Costco or BJ's? Open a bottle of cocktail sauce if you don't want to make your own and squeeze a wedge of lemon.

 

What is the big deal to want it nightly on a cruise when you can so easily have it nightly at home?

 

What am I missing?

 

 

I couldn’t agree more. When ever we travel, we always order things that we do not cook at home, or what we couldn’t cook at home, or things we have never heard of. Six boiled shrimp on a plate is way too easy to have at home. One of the unexpected surprises on HAL were the soups….they were amazing, some of the most balanced best prepared soups that I have ever enjoyed. I had the opportunity on one cruise to watch some being made and it was really an all from scratch operation.

[takemewithyou]

I don't know...I think if someone's elderly father wants shrimp cocktail every night of the cruise and his waiter is willing to get it for him - that pretty darn spectacular and probably made for a very memorable cruise for him. Just my humble opinion :D Life is too short.....

[takemewithyou]

duplicate

[takemewithyou]

duplicate

[sail7seas]

Yes....... in the case of the Senior Dad, I can understand it more. Of course there is no harm to it and if that's what 'floats your boat', great. It just seems such an easy, no skill, slap it on a plate kind of thing. :D I can DO THAT. :)

 

[m steve]

a woman who was wheeled in every night had escargot and shrimp at dinner plus the regular dinner. She looked capable of walking but appeared to want everyone to service her. I guess she ate so much she couldn't walk. Noone felt sorry for her but we did for her companions.

[sail7seas]

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[peaches from georgia]

..... a woman who was wheeled in every night had escargot and shrimp at dinner plus the regular dinner. She looked capable of walking but appeared to want everyone to service her.....

I'm not sure how anyone knows this by looking at someone sitting in a chair. :confused:

[sk8teacher]

I know the ships can carry food for about 14 days. Don't know how much longer than that they can go. On your standard 7 or 10 day, they probably do load the vast majority at the departing port.

 

Bruce

 

Considering that a Navy nuclear submarine can carry over 60 days of food for approximately 130 people (with very limited space mind you), I would think that a cruise ship would be able to carry food for more than 14 days. And a cruise ship has the option of replenishing fresh items at every port call while a submarine may be at sea for a lot longer than any cruise ship would be.

 

Take for example the Maasdam 35 day Voyage of the Vikings next July, round-trip out of Boston. Yes, they will do a full load out in Boston. Then, iI am sure that they will bring on more provisions at various ports along the way.

 

Guess I need to take the kitchen tour on my next cruise and check out their freezer and storage capacity!

 

Cheers,

[Two if by Sea]

Considering that a Navy nuclear submarine can carry over 60 days of food for approximately 130 people (with very limited space mind you)

 

But is it GOOD food?

[HeatherInFlorida]

........... our assistant Maitre D told me HAL's escargot actually come from Indonesia and they are the snails in the rice fields. ......

 

Here we would call those "slugs", not snails or escargot:D .

[NoNoNanette]

Here we would call those "slugs", not snails or escargot:D .

 

OH, HEATHER! *cringing* ;)

 

Every time I tell Dom that I have a taste for snails, he offers to go out into the garden and get me some. :D

[741323]

You can actually capture and eat garden snails.

 

But you should feed them on bran for 2 weeks then starve them for 2 weeks (in an environment without wood or they will eat that too!) to purge them. Then they are ready to be killed and eaten. All escargot will have been stuffed then purged in this way. (Recently visited a French snail farm in Normandy).

[NoNoNanette]

You can actually capture and eat garden snails.

 

But you should feed them on bran for 2 weeks then starve them for 2 weeks (in an environment without wood or they will eat that too!) to purge them. Then they are ready to be killed and eaten. All escargot will have been stuffed then purged in this way. (Recently visited a French snail farm in Normandy).

 

As much as I love 'em, I could NEVER prepare my own. :eek:

 

Heck, I won't even buy a can of them..... bring 'em to me already swimming in butter with some good crusty bread for dipping! :)

[mamaofami]

Those are my sentiments exactly, NNN.

[HeatherInFlorida]

OH, HEATHER! *cringing* ;)

 

Every time I tell Dom that I have a taste for snails, he offers to go out into the garden and get me some. :D

 

LOL!!! Might make you think twice the next time you're thinking of ordering them on a HAL ship!!! :D

[m steve]

Escargot is really easy. Open the can, rinse them, put into dishes with how ever many you want, put melted butter, garlic, shallots and parsley on them and bake for 5 minutes. I gourmet sells cans of 72 for about $10. That is more than even the fat lady can eat.

[mickeyfitz]

They may be tasty, but has anyone allerted PETA to the cruelty involved in preparing them? We may in the future have animal rights advocates picketing the cruise line to stop this practice. Don't even snails have rights?

[newmexicoNita]

On Celebrity, if you want escargot any night as an appetizer, you can order it the night before from your waiter. Can you do the same on Holland America?

changes are not, I am surprised at Celebrity. i guess we learn something every day.

 

nita

[newmexicoNita]

I am not sure if this is still true or not, but one cruise a few years ago I was on, I asked the Matre D if I could get a shrimp cocktail that evening in the dining room as it was not on the menu. He said yes, I could, but there would be a charge for it and the waiter had to go out of his way to get it for me.

 

I forget what the charge was going to be, not much, I would have ordered it, but I felt bad for the waiter as I know he was busy as it was, never mind if I asked him to go get me the shrimp cocktail.

 

I did not get the shrimp cocktail and I now only order what's on the menu.

That does surprise me, I think someone was trying to discourage you from ordering one. We have been on many cruises (not in the past year or so, ) where, yes, you could order Shrimp cocktails nightly. Most lines are cutting back on much of this special ordering, encouraging you to use the specialty dining rooms.

 

Nita