Free Hors d'ouvres in the Crows Nest???

[COLGATE]

I had understood from several posts (and seemingly from my own recollecion on the Veendam) that the occasional hors d'ouvre served in the Crows Nest bar were complementary. However, a recent reviewer of the Volenadam on the CC boards indicates that, while these do not appear on the bar chit you sign, they are nonetheless billed to your account? Can anyone enlighten me on this? I am not opposed to paying for these in principle, but would appreciate knowing that I'm going to be charged by doing so.:confused:

[gizmo]

Hors d'ouvres are served in the Crows Nest and other lounges during the hours prior to dinner. There is no charge.

Maybe you read something about someone ordering them to their cabin and they got charged for them ?
Only S cabins pax have hors d'ouvres delivered to their cabin for no charge.
This is one of the very few food items that non S cabin pax pay for.

Enjoy :)

[Grumpy1]

I had understood from several posts (and seemingly from my own recollecion on the Veendam) that the occasional hors d'ouvre served in the Crows Nest bar were complementary. However, a recent reviewer of the Volenadam on the CC boards indicates that, while these do not appear on the bar chit you sign, they are nonetheless billed to your account? Can anyone enlighten me on this? I am not opposed to paying for these in principle, but would appreciate knowing that I'm going to be charged by doing so.:confused:We were never charged for the hors d'ouvres in the Crow's Nest. I have, however, had charges show up on my account that were incorrect. this has happened on three different cruise lines. Every time, I go to the front desk to question the charge, the first answer is "perhaps you have forgotten that you ordered that". My response is "show me the receipt with my signature or remove the charge". The charge has been removed everytime. If a tray of hors d'ouvres was ever charged to my account, and I had not signed a chit for them, I would definitely challenge the charge.

[Marbella]

We enjoyed these lovely HOT nibbles in several of the bars during the pre dinner cocktail hours, along with wonderful music and the occasional dance or two ;)
They are complimentary along with the nuts that are served.
It was a wonderful way to get together with some of our group.

The drinks you have with these lovely nibbles are not complimentary :( but are also very good!!

[mrskmirolla]

We enjoyed these lovely HOT nibbles in several of the bars during the pre dinner cocktail hours, along with wonderful music and the occasional dance or two ;)
They are complimentary along with the nuts that are served.
It was a wonderful way to get together with some of our group.

The drinks you have with these lovely nibbles are not complimentary :( but are also very good!!

Marbella are you slandering people calling them nuts???:D Only kidding.

Kathy

[KAJOKG]

They are free. My favorite place and time of day -- The Crow's Nest at around 4 p.m. drinking a Margarita and nibbling delicious hot hors douerves!!!

[NoNoNanette]

Hi Colgate-

I've read the same review that you referenced. I remember it, as it was the Volendam, which we have booked.

That seems to be the only mention of being charged, but maybe it's better to be "safe than sorry". I'll probably sweetly ask if they're complimentary.;)

[sail7seas]

There has never been a charge for hot hors d'ouevres served in the various lounges pre-dinner.

We were on Volendam in October and enjoyed the hors d'ouerves. They are complimentary and appreciated as I don't know of any other cruiseline in this category that offers them.

We were on Volendam in January. Hors d'ouerves were complimentary.

We were on Ryndam in April. Hors d'ouerves were complimentary.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The hot appetizers are not served until around 5:15 for early diners and 7:30 for late diners. The only things you can get around 4 PM is a small container of nuts or goldfish depending on the bar.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Before HAL went to the 4 dining times we used to always stop by the Ocean Bar around 5, have a drink and some hot and cold appetizers.



But when HAL changed to these new dining times and changed the times of "Happy Hour", we rarely stop by any more. For one thing, since they don't begin Happy Hour until 5:15 on most ships, by the time they take your drink order and come back with both your drink and some peanuts and someone finally comes around with the appetizers, it is 5:30 or later. And since we have 5:45 diner time, we really don't feel like anything that close to dinner. This has happened to us all too often.

We have really saved a bundle on our last number of cruises because of this.

[sail7seas]

:) I'm just starting to think about getting in the shower and dressing when you are being seated in the dining room.

We always go to Ocean Bar for a drink or two before dinner and enjoy that part of our day very much. We find it very pleasant to relax there, nibble an hors d'ouerves, chat with friends. We have memories of loads of great times in OB and certainly hope to make many new memories there.

[Marbella]

Marbella are you slandering people calling them nuts???:D Only kidding.

Kathy

Kathy,

You must have known some of the members of the group we were with!!!

Thanks so much for the laugh!!

Sail, the ocean bar is lovely, but the most delightful server, Angie, was in the Crow's Nest. It was such a pleasure to talk to her and share our day's experience's with her. She is a very classy lady.
Speaking of the crow's nest---what is your opinion of the 'new' layout and decorating scheme? This would be on the Statendam.

[sail7seas]

:) I haven't seen Statendam's new Crows Nest. She's been on the left coast for so long and now Australia that we have not cruised her for quite a while.

We just saw Ryndam's new Crows Nest.....I like the bar area fine but really did not much like the hot pink couches and the sheer white curtain enclosing the seating. We are keeping our fingers crossed as to how much Maasdam's Crows Nest was changed at her recent drydock. We LOVED Maasdam's Crows in the past. We'll have to wait until August to see what we think of it now.

[Marbella]

The very large hot pink couches and the white sheer curtains were there in the Crow's nest on the Statendam. It certainly did not make for easy seating. Even the wait staff didn't care for the colours or the lay out. Such a beautiful location, it's unfortunate the way this area is decorated.

[cruiserfromohio]

I hate to break anyone's ballon, but my wife and I were on the Ryndam the last two weeks in March and one the big disappointments of the cruise was the limited amounts of free hors d'ouvres served in the various bars. The Ocean Bar was the only bar that seemed to conform to past HAL practice of providing free hot hors d'ouvres without any prompting on our part. In the Crow's Nest, if you didn't request hors d'ouvres, you weren't offerred any and you didn't get any. In the Piano Bar -- forget the free hors d'ourves even if you asked, the staff told you that the hors d'ourves were in the Ocean Bar. I can understand the lack of hors d'ourves in the Piano Bar, the room was keep at the proper temperature for hanging meat, so hot hors d'ourves could not be kept at serving temperature for longer than 30 seconds.

Yes there were free hot hors d'ourves, but the number of place one could get them was limited.

[sail7seas]

[B]We boarded Ryndam the day you disembarked and we totally enjoyed the hors d'ouerves for 14 days. BUY, I can only speak of Ocean Bar as that was the only bar we went to before dinner unless we were at a private party when, of course, there were plenty of nibbles.

They were hot and fresh and a nice variety. We never had to ask; they were brought to us each evening. We were in Ocean Bar the first evening and they knew right from the start we enjoy a few hors d'ouerves with our drinks.

[Randyk47]

On the Volendam they were complimentary and we had to ask them to stop bringing so many! Our routine is pre-dinner drinks, a little dancing if the band is playing and then off to late dinner. They easily brought us two small plates and would bring a third or fourth or more if we enjoyed all or any of the items. The only thing that happened was they ran out of nuts the last night of the cruise. :(

[kryos]

Yes there were free hot hors d'ourves, but the number of place one could get them was limited.
I think the key to this is that you are ordering bar service. A small plate, containing four hot hors d'ourves would be delivered with your drinks. But if you weren't drinking, you often wouldn't get the hors d'ourves. This was my experience in the Ocean Bar on the Amsterdam in January. I suppose you could ask the bartender for a plate of hors d'ourves even if you weren't drinking, but I just never bothered.

As for the Explorer's Lounge, they had a tray of chocolates in there around the dinner hour. I would often stop by and pick up a piece of white chocolate on my way to the dining room most nights. Don't know if they served hors d'ourves in there during the pre-dinner hours, though, since I generally didn't frequent that particular lounge.

Blue skies ...

--rita