Westerdam a floating "Sizzler Restaurant"

[twinkletoes4445]

I can see the questions here:

• How big a microwave can I bring on board?
  
• Are there supermarkets on Half Moon Cay?
  
• Can I use a gas grill on the balcony?
  
• Can I borrow a cup of sugar from the kitchen if I run out on the last day?
  
• How long can one live on protein bars before getting bored with it?
  
• Do I have to bring my own plates and utensils or can I borrow it from the Lido buffet?

 

That's good! :)

[twinkletoes4445]

Still no sign of TomXXX

 

 

LOL...Probably out rethinking how to stir the hornets nest WITH success next time.

[twinkletoes4445]

He is a one post wonder.

 

Every now and then someone comes along that's just posting their first post (and it's a negative one), and they come back and explain and exchange conversations with other posters. But the vast majority of the time the "one post wonders" are not to be seen again.

[jtl513]

Every now and then someone comes along that's just posting their first post (and it's a negative one), and they come back and explain and exchange conversations with other posters. But the vast majority of the time the "one post wonders" are not to be seen again.

I believe that is because many of them are regular posters coming in under a pseudonym, because they don't want to say something so negative under their own name.

[twinkletoes4445]

I believe that is because many of them are regular posters coming in under a pseudonym, because they don't want to say something so negative under their own name.

 

Ahhh...I see. Thanks.

[hammybee]

 

HAL and others will find themselves on a slippery slope if they keep cutting costs (and cruise prices).

 

Sadly, you are probably right as consumers love low prices and expect that somehow the experience will not diminish.

 

Our perceptions of price and value are often distorted based upon the relationship of price to our existing or future disposable income. With gas and food costing what it does, it has to come from somewhere.

[hammybee]

I believe that is because many of them are regular posters coming in under a pseudonym, because they don't want to say something so negative under their own name.

 

I think one post wonders ( OPW's) are sometimes disgruntled employees or employees of the competition.

 

We are long overdue a seasonal OPW thread that references toe nail clippings. :eek:

[jtl513]

I think one post wonders ( OPW's) are sometimes disgruntled employees or employees of the competition.

I like that theory too. I'm just glad that most HAL employees appear to be "gruntled"! :D

[Taxguy77]

Sadly, you are probably right as consumers love low prices and expect that somehow the experience will not diminish.

 

Our perceptions of price and value are often distorted based upon the relationship of price to our existing or future disposable income. With gas and food costing what it does, it has to come from somewhere.

 

You are right-on with the relationship!:) I watched a TV show about luxury yaughts(sp). Some people don't worry about spending several million $$ and others budget for a vacation at sea.:confused: :confused: We all enjoy the sea and being waited on! (You can see where I fit, can't even SPELL y......:eek:)

[iancal]

I do not care if beef is not cooked properly....it can easily be sent back. The real issue is that it is very obvious to me that many cruise lines appear to be cutting back on food costs. This has certainly been obvious on Princess. I cannot comment on HAL other than our one cruise. But on that, I can assure you that after trying several steaks that HAL is either cutting back or just procuring a low grade of beef. Overcooking, undercooking, or any preparation technique would not have solved the issue. This was the reason why we decided to pass on the Pinnacle (sp). Looking back, we should have tried it. We passed it by several times and it never appeared to be very busy. To me, not only did it not taste like restaurant grade but it also tasted like it had been frozen for too long. Not on one occasion, but on several. The seafood- salmon etc was very fresh, very good, and very well prepared. My impression of the HAL dining room is that they are trying to mask lesser quality ingredients with service and presentation. Same with Princess. We have not been on Celebrity for a few years so it may be the case there as well. What I do know is that we are paying less for a cruise today than we were ten years ago. That tells a story in itself. I would rather pay more if the cruise lines could just stop cutting.

[usha]

Funny, this thread has gone on for days & days, pages & pages, yet the OP (for whom this was the very 1st post ever) has not come back to say another word.

[sail7seas]

I would rather pay more if the cruise lines could just stop cutting.

 

 

We agree with you that we'd rather see HAL charge slightly higher prices if necessary and provide us with the quality they have made us accustomed to expecting.

 

Most cruisers do not agree with us.

 

They shop only by price and they come home and complain the quality has slipped.

 

Well.......Duh.......

Are they able to buy the same groceries in their markets for the same price they did two years ago? Of course not. We are all paying more for groceries and so is HAL. I don't need advanced degrees in accounting to figure out something has to give.

 

The people who shop cruises only by price are going to 'GIVE' their business to the lowest bidder. So, HAL has to keep the prices as low as they possibly can to fill the cabins. Something has to be reduced in quanity or quality or both.

[luxurysailer]

I am new to Cruise Critic and have really enjoyed following multiple threads. My first thread was negative, but the intention was to gain information, not just to knock HAL. I did follow up multiple times on that thread. I find it a less than admirable quality to make a negative posting and then not to follow up with those who answer it. It certainly could be subterfuge by other cruise lines or disgruntled employees, but I suspect something else. Maybe a lack of courage?

 

It is certainly understandable that the cruise lines may be having difficulty maintaining quality without raising costs. I wonder what the average cost increase per passenger would be for them to maintain quality and pass the cost along to us?

 

Going back to our lean years favorites, I would like to nominate Chef Boyardee cheese pizza topped with sliced wieners. My wife and I loved this when I was a student. I may ask her to cook one for me again. Ahhh, the bad good old years.

[kryos]

The people who shop cruises only by price are going to 'GIVE' their business to the lowest bidder. So, HAL has to keep the prices as low as they possibly can to fill the cabins. Something has to be reduced in quanity or quality or both.

That's the theme I see running through many, many, many NCL (especially NCL Hawaii) cruise reviews I read. Just about everyone has a beef (pardon the pun) about the quality of the food onboard. They also complain about having to wait in long lines to get into the "no surcharge" dining rooms. One woman said that it seems NCL is trying to force people to pay the extra surcharge and that's "not fair." Well, NCL has some of the lowest prices on their Hawaii sailings. Try staying in a hotel on one island for the price you pay on NCL to see all the islands, and even without the cost of food factored in, you'll easily pay lots more. And, at least on the ship, you are getting food ... no matter what the quality.

 

Another person said that the food in the no surcharge dining room was of such poor quality that one night her children went to bed hungry because no one could find anything good to eat. The buffets were the exact same menu items day in and day out, the hamburger joint by the pool had limited hours, and the dining room had a long wait to get a table. This woman also said that after getting several substandard meals in the no surcharge dining room, she figured she would order something they "can't screw up." She ordered prime rib which was on the menu one evening. She said the slice of prime rib she got was so thin that she could actually see through it. Finally, she and her husband threw in the towel and decided to eat for the rest of the week in the surcharge restaurants ... and only then did they get some decent meals. But, she said sometimes the family would have to pay $120 in service charges for four, and that wasn't fair.

 

It's not? Even if you're getting a cruise that is dirt cheap?

 

Unfortunately, there is no free lunch ... not even on a cruise ship. If we demand lower and lower fares, then we have to realize that the cruise line is gonna have to make their money somewhere else. Of course, NCL wants passengers to dine in the surcharge restaurants. They probably are taking a loss on everyone who sits down to a meal in the buffet or the main dining rooms, and the quality of the food, along with the number of service staff assigned to those venues reflects that fact.

 

I agree ... I think I'd rather pay just a bit more and know I'm gonna get a better cruise. But there are lots of people who would simply leave HAL and go elsewhere if the price of HAL's cruises went up while those other cruise lines held to lower prices.

 

So, I guess what's gonna wind up happening at some point in the future is that we will be charged additional on an ala carte basis for those onboard items that are important to us. For example, you wanna use the gym every morning? Well, maybe you'll have to buy a gym pass in order to do so. HAL can't afford to maintain the equipment and staff the place otherwise. Now, I don't give a hoot about the gym, so I wouldn't have to pay additional for that, but maybe I want to attend a special lecture program being held onboard. Maybe there is a special "Circle of Interest" being presented on my sailing, but if I want to participate there is an extra charge ... I believe it is Regent that even charges extra for people participating in Circle of Interest programs. Trust me, HAL is definitely heading in that direction. Look at these new "tecsperts" ... do you think that's just a nice added freebie HAL decided to throw in? No, I think they are trying something out and eventually they'll hone this program a bit and then charge for it.

 

This is where I see the cruise lines going. Sadly HAL has no choice but to follow the pack because HAL will stand to lose if they just raise the cost of their sailings. Lots of people will bolt because simply there are a lot of people who won't get their panties in a wad if the food is on a par with their local Denny's. They have no problem with Denny's food and would rather eat that than pay a nickle more.

 

So the only route HAL has left to go is the same one NCL has chosen. Let the quality drop, but offer lots of "pay extra" options for those passengers who want a higher quality and are more than willing to pay for it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I believe that is because many of them are regular posters coming in under a pseudonym, because they don't want to say something so negative under their own name.

If you can't post under your own name ... or your regularly used screen name, then I have no interest in what you have to say. If you're not willing to stand behind your opinions, then don't expect me to try to sympathize because you had a disappointing cruise.

 

Use your own screen name and people will respect you more ... regardless of what you have to say in your post. That's my opinion in the matter.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[CruiseLiz]

I was just going to ask the same question. We have one of them here and I went there once and didn't enjoy it. But maybe I didn't order the right thing. Think I'll go back and give them another try.

 

I think Longhorn is the one where you throw the peanut shells on the floor? My father hates that. I think it's funny. Try that one in the Pinnacle! :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

I think it was Texas Roadhouse. I was in college the last time I ate there and I do remember peanut shells on the floor. Try the filet mignon, I think they call it Jr's Filet - not sure if that's Jr for Junior or JR from the show Dallas :p

[CruiseLiz]

Has anyone ever tried a Kolache? We have a new place near us called The Kolache Factory. Yum! Kolache's are these little warm bundles of tasty delight. The ones I like have eggs, bacon and cheese inside...but they are all quite tasty (the ones I've tried). They aren't very big, but they hit the spot.

 

http://www.kolachefactory.com/

 

I'd first heard of these in a mystery novel I was reading, but I really had no clue what they were until I saw one...and ate one. They are just really good.

 

This is making me hungry! :)

 

I LOVE Kolaches!!! Are you located in Texas? When we lived in Houston we would get them for breakfast a lot. They are a Czech specialty I believe. The closest thing you can get to a kolache in FL are Sister Schuberts sausage stuffed rolls.

I also loved eating breakfast tacos with chorizo and egg when we lived in Texas. Ahhhh, I get misty thinking about it ;)

 

 

AND now for my "lean years" favorites, most of them are from when I was a kid. I am ashamed to say that I loved spam. I went to my older sister's house for a week and she said she'd cook my favorite dish for dinner and I requested not steak, not lasagna, but spam. My other favorite which I still think tastes good today (though I've never cooked it) was my Dad's special - "beanie weenies" - which is basically canned baked beans with cut up hotdogs. I get misty thinking about that too, but for other reasons :)

[sail7seas]

That's the theme I see running through many, many, many NCL (especially NCL Hawaii) cruise reviews I read. Just about everyone has a beef (pardon the pun) about the quality of the food onboard. They also complain about having to wait in long lines to get into the "no surcharge" dining rooms. One woman said that it seems NCL is trying to force people to pay the extra surcharge and that's "not fair." Well, NCL has some of the lowest prices on their Hawaii sailings. Try staying in a hotel on one island for the price you pay on NCL to see all the islands, and even without the cost of food factored in, you'll easily pay lots more. And, at least on the ship, you are getting food ... no matter what the quality.

 

Another person said that the food in the no surcharge dining room was of such poor quality that one night her children went to bed hungry because no one could find anything good to eat. The buffets were the exact same menu items day in and day out, the hamburger joint by the pool had limited hours, and the dining room had a long wait to get a table. This woman also said that after getting several substandard meals in the no surcharge dining room, she figured she would order something they "can't screw up." She ordered prime rib which was on the menu one evening. She said the slice of prime rib she got was so thin that she could actually see through it. Finally, she and her husband threw in the towel and decided to eat for the rest of the week in the surcharge restaurants ... and only then did they get some decent meals. But, she said sometimes the family would have to pay $120 in service charges for four, and that wasn't fair.

 

It's not? Even if you're getting a cruise that is dirt cheap?

 

Unfortunately, there is no free lunch ... not even on a cruise ship. If we demand lower and lower fares, then we have to realize that the cruise line is gonna have to make their money somewhere else. Of course, NCL wants passengers to dine in the surcharge restaurants. They probably are taking a loss on everyone who sits down to a meal in the buffet or the main dining rooms, and the quality of the food, along with the number of service staff assigned to those venues reflects that fact.

 

I agree ... I think I'd rather pay just a bit more and know I'm gonna get a better cruise. But there are lots of people who would simply leave HAL and go elsewhere if the price of HAL's cruises went up while those other cruise lines held to lower prices.

 

So, I guess what's gonna wind up happening at some point in the future is that we will be charged additional on an ala carte basis for those onboard items that are important to us. For example, you wanna use the gym every morning? Well, maybe you'll have to buy a gym pass in order to do so. HAL can't afford to maintain the equipment and staff the place otherwise. Now, I don't give a hoot about the gym, so I wouldn't have to pay additional for that, but maybe I want to attend a special lecture program being held onboard. Maybe there is a special "Circle of Interest" being presented on my sailing, but if I want to participate there is an extra charge ... I believe it is Regent that even charges extra for people participating in Circle of Interest programs. Trust me, HAL is definitely heading in that direction. Look at these new "tecsperts" ... do you think that's just a nice added freebie HAL decided to throw in? No, I think they are trying something out and eventually they'll hone this program a bit and then charge for it.

 

This is where I see the cruise lines going. Sadly HAL has no choice but to follow the pack because HAL will stand to lose if they just raise the cost of their sailings. Lots of people will bolt because simply there are a lot of people who won't get their panties in a wad if the food is on a par with their local Denny's. They have no problem with Denny's food and would rather eat that than pay a nickle more.

 

So the only route HAL has left to go is the same one NCL has chosen. Let the quality drop, but offer lots of "pay extra" options for those passengers who want a higher quality and are more than willing to pay for it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

That is another cruise line, another CC Bulletin Board.

I have not read anything like that except for the rare hit and run type post.

 

HAL and NCL are very different products and HAL is not doing anything like what you describe here.

[twinkletoes4445]

I LOVE Kolaches!!! Are you located in Texas? When we lived in Houston we would get them for breakfast a lot. They are a Czech specialty I believe. The closest thing you can get to a kolache in FL are Sister Schuberts sausage stuffed rolls.

I also loved eating breakfast tacos with chorizo and egg when we lived in Texas. Ahhhh, I get misty thinking about it ;)

 

We live in Kansas and there's one not too far from us (The Kloache Factory). I think it's the only one around here. The mystery book series I am reading (that mentions Kolaches) takes place in Houston.

 

Sister Schuberts sounds familiar. Do they make orange rolls? It seems like I had those somewhere in the south.

 

Have you heard of Whataburger? Every time we're in the Dallas area, I have to buy a bunch of breakfast taquitos for one of my kids.

 

We also make the drive to Dallas so we can shop at Central Market. Wow, what a grocery store!

 

And then there's Babe's Chicken...yum.

 

And the Bavarian Grill....another yum.

 

Hmm...I'm thinking a road trip to Dallas may be in order! :)

[heavenly]

We live in Kansas and there's one not too far from us (The Kloache Factory). I think it's the only one around here. The mystery book series I am reading (that mentions Kolaches) takes place in Houston.

 

Sister Schuberts sounds familiar. Do they make orange rolls? It seems like I had those somewhere in the south.

 

Have you heard of Whataburger? Every time we're in the Dallas area, I have to buy a bunch of breakfast taquitos for one of my kids.

 

We also make the drive to Dallas so we can shop at Central Market. Wow, what a grocery store!

 

And then there's Babe's Chicken...yum.

 

And the Bavarian Grill....another yum.

 

Hmm...I'm thinking a road trip to Dallas may be in order! :)

 

This may help the Kolache lovers: http://www.texasmonthly.com/mag/issues/2001-09-01/recipe2.php

 

I haven't been back "home" to Fort Worth in two years, sounds like time for a trip! Why can't California have Blue Bell ice cream??????

[twinkletoes4445]

This may help the Kolache lovers: http://www.texasmonthly.com/mag/issues/2001-09-01/recipe2.php

 

I haven't been back "home" to Fort Worth in two years, sounds like time for a trip! Why can't California have Blue Bell ice cream??????

 

Thanks for the link! I love the Danish-type Kloaches. Kolache Factory has one that has a cream cheese filling and it's drizzled with chocolate. Can't ask for much more. :)

 

Blue Bell ice cream is good! Time for a trip back home. :)

 

One time when we were in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, we bought some of the "original" Dr. Pepper for one of our kids.

[californiacruiseluvrs]

Believe it or not lines like HAL spend around $9/passenger/day on food. Nicer lines like Seabourn spend upwards of $23/passenger/day on food. So for $14/passenger/day you can essentially upgrade from "Sizzler" to Ruth's Chris. I got these numbers from chef Rudy himself. Even a more salient example of the numbers is basically an additional $98/passenger/week long cruise to be able to serve the most outstanding quality food. Would I pay it? In a New York minute!

 

Lastly, I enjoyed reading through many of the responses to the initial poster. He had a terrible experience and I believe him. Why is it necessary for so many people to be on the defensive for HAL or any other cruise line for which they are a fan. His food sucked! Just my 2 cents ;)

[norcal2]

One thing that has to be factored in because so many people have such different opinion on "good" is our own taste and selections. One good example is NCL's fabulous food. It was fabulous because the foods I love and have a snobbish requirment on presentation, taste and quality were near perfection. The next table over may be into another taste for ordering that may not meet their standards or lack of same. You can bet one who ordered will walk away thinking the food they ordered was great, the other, not so much.

 

I have never been on a cruise with terrible food so I can't relate. I have been on one cruise line that didn't match my food preference. I didn't think they were terrible but I did think it wasn't right for me.

[CruiseLiz]

We live in Kansas and there's one not too far from us (The Kloache Factory). I think it's the only one around here. The mystery book series I am reading (that mentions Kolaches) takes place in Houston.

 

Sister Schuberts sounds familiar. Do they make orange rolls? It seems like I had those somewhere in the south.

 

Have you heard of Whataburger? Every time we're in the Dallas area, I have to buy a bunch of breakfast taquitos for one of my kids.

 

We also make the drive to Dallas so we can shop at Central Market. Wow, what a grocery store!

 

And then there's Babe's Chicken...yum.

 

And the Bavarian Grill....another yum.

 

Hmm...I'm thinking a road trip to Dallas may be in order! :)

 

Yes, they have Whataburger in Houston and I hear they just opened one in the Orlando area - yay!

Sister Schuberts does make some delicious orange rolls, but they can be hard to find depending on where you live.

LOVE Central Market too. They have a big one in Houston that I miss dearly.

 

Back to the food cost issue, I agree that cruise lines have to cut where they can & it sometimes shows in the food. But I also think that food varies greatly even ship to ship within cruise lines - this is akin to how some chain restaurants are better than others even though they all serve the same menu.

For those who wouldn't mind paying more for a higher level of food, my suggestion is to try a higher priced cruise line. The food on Oceania is the best I've had at sea & I also hear Celebrity's food is quite good as well. In the meantime, the mainstream lines like HAL and Princess, etc. will have to do what they can to compete.

[twinkletoes4445]

Back to the food cost issue, I agree that cruise lines have to cut where they can & it sometimes shows in the food. But I also think that food varies greatly even ship to ship within cruise lines - this is akin to how some chain restaurants are better than others even though they all serve the same menu.

For those who wouldn't mind paying more for a higher level of food, my suggestion is to try a higher priced cruise line. The food on Oceania is the best I've had at sea & I also hear Celebrity's food is quite good as well. In the meantime, the mainstream lines like HAL and Princess, etc. will have to do what they can to compete.

 

I doubt we'd pay more for better cuisine. We're just not that picky and we cruise for the ship and the ports. If we want a really great meal, we go to a really great restaurant. But, if the food declines to a point where it's not good at all...then we might consider another type of vacation, or another cruise line.

 

We tend not to eat beef dishes because we live in Kansas. We can get great beef here anytime we wish, so the quality of beef on a cruise really isn't an issue for us.

 

However, with the cost of everything going up, the cruise lines have to make cuts somewhere. It may be little things here and there...but in order to stay afloat, they'll do what they have to do. I just hope it's temporary.