Cheese Plate Offerings

I've seen this idea before....we like to get a selection of cheese from the Lido and take it to our stateroom to enjoy with cocktails. The P-dam has a lovely selection of cheeses in the Lido. :D:D

Exactly. :)

Add me as as another one who makes up a cheese plate from the Lido buffet to take back to the room. and we love the "stinky" cheeses. Great with the wine.;) I've always used a ziploc, but I like this shower cap idea. I recall a couple of years ago someone else mentioned ziplocs to cover food they were taking from the Lido Buffet and they got accused of food-theft, LOL! It turned into quite the debate on here. I was so happy to see I wasn't the only one who makes up plates "to go".:D

Add me as as another one who makes up a cheese plate from the Lido buffet to take back to the room. and we love the "stinky" cheeses. Great with the wine.;) I've always used a ziploc, but I like this shower cap idea. I recall a couple of years ago someone else mentioned ziplocs to cover food they were taking from the Lido Buffet and they got accused of food-theft, LOL! It turned into quite the debate on here. I was so happy to see I wasn't the only one who makes up plates "to go".:D

Good for you. Sounds like a nice idea. I'm pretty sure there is no "rule" that the food served in the Lido has to be eaten in the Lido. :D

Good for you. Sounds like a nice idea. I'm pretty sure there is no "rule" that the food served in the Lido has to be eaten in the Lido. :D

No one has ever indicated to me they have a problem with our taking some cheese and crackers back to our cabin. :)

Add a small bunch of grapes to the plate. Delicious. :)

If I ate all that cheese, I'd have to also take a bowl of prunes back to my room.

Instead of Ziploc bags I go to the dollar store and buy a package of 12 clear shower caps. They fit nicely over a plate from the Lido:)

Good idea but there could be a problem. I'm not sure the plastic used for shower caps is 'food quality' as they aren't intended to come in contact with food. It's possible that everything used in the manufacture of the shower caps is fine and there weren't any sanitization issues, but I wouldn't be using them to cover food unless I knew that to be true.

Saran (as in Saran Wrap) makes them in three different sizes and they are called Quick Covers. They are assuredly made for food.

But I have definitely used clean, out of the packaging shower caps for over 15 years and haven't had a negative effect yet so I'll keep risking it. :) Actually, when you put it over a plate with 2 or 3 cookies, the cap doesn't even touch the food. Enough real things to worry about in the world, I'm not sure we need to seriously worry about a loose fitting plastic dust cover over a few cookies. I do it to avoid something spraying/falling on the food and to avoid insects.

Good idea but there could be a problem. I'm not sure the plastic used for shower caps is 'food quality' as they aren't intended to come in contact with food. It's possible that everything used in the manufacture of the shower caps is fine and there weren't any sanitization issues, but I wouldn't be using them to cover food unless I knew that to be true.

I believe there is more likely to be a problem if you are heating food - loose covering should be OK on a cold plate.

YES, we found this true on the Eurodam last month.

We really like the cheese plate.

If I ate all that cheese, I'd have to also take a bowl of prunes back to my room.

To funny. My DD calls me an old Prune. Esp. when I make her put gas in the Car. :rolleyes:

I always bring ziplock baggies as well.

I store cheese in one -- chocolates in another.

You store chocolates?! :eek:

That is something I have never been able to do..:D

I love cheese. This discussion puts me in mind of my cruise on Minerva, only ship of a British-run line, Swan Hellenic. The ship was small and the food in the MDR was very good (though not "Luxury" class). The Brits I dined with took their cheese very seriously. Each night the cheese trolley came through at dessert and deep pondering of the selections on offer took place.

I will never forget one night when the trolley arrived, and my dinner companion gleefully announced "Oh look -- they've got Stinking Bishop."

http://www.cheese.com/stinking-bishop/

Instead of Ziploc bags I go to the dollar store and buy a package of 12 clear shower caps. They fit nicely over a plate from the Lido:)

Thx for the suggestion on the shower caps. It's not for the reason you think however. I've been looking for cheapie showers caps but couldn't find them. I went to the dollar store today and got them. Appreciate the info.

Saran (as in Saran Wrap) makes them in three different sizes and they are called Quick Covers. They are assuredly made for food.

I just point out information. What people do with it only affects them. Makes no difference to me.

A few years ago we ordered a cheese plate from room service.

 

4 tiny pieces of cheese -- none of them were really special -- and no crackers.

 

Now we just stop by the Lido and make a plate of cheese and crackers to have later in the afternoon with a drink out on the verandah.

I ordered the cheese plate on the Westerdam the afternoon we sailed into Victoria this June. I don't remember exactly what kinds of cheese, but they were big enough that I did not dare eat it all at once, even with a lactase pill. There were also some different crackers and I think a little bit of fruit.

Love reading about all the other cheese-lovers on CC! I love both travel and cheese, but am often cheese-deprived when traveling. : (

Cheese plates (when available) on land travel tend to be very expensive. So it's great to have such unfettered access to cheese on a cruise!

On our recent September HAL cruise, the Neptune lounge had a couple (maybe even 3) different cheeses each day---and they changed from day to day. The Lido is a great place to obtain cheeses to eat or save for later. Great idea to ask for the MDR cheese plate as an appetizer.

I always travel with ziplocks. And am glad to learn about the Dollar Tree shower cap idea! Love the Dollar Tree!---it's how we manage to save enough to cruise----lol. : )

Love reading about all the other cheese-lovers on CC! I love both travel and cheese, but am often cheese-deprived when traveling. : (

Cheese plates (when available) on land travel tend to be very expensive. So it's great to have such unfettered access to cheese on a cruise!

On our recent September HAL cruise, the Neptune lounge had a couple (maybe even 3) different cheeses each day---and they changed from day to day. The Lido is a great place to obtain cheeses to eat or save for later. Great idea to ask for the MDR cheese plate as an appetizer.

I always travel with ziplocks. And am glad to learn about the Dollar Tree shower cap idea! Love the Dollar Tree!---it's how we manage to save enough to cruise----lol. : )

Mind saying which ship you were on in September?

Thanks. :)

This conversation on cruising and cheese has been online for four years and I am just seeing it now?!?!

My first cruise ever was on Oosterdam in it's first year of service. Through a series of fortunate events, I ended up in an aft facing Neptune Suite with one of the giant balconies. It is ridiculous how much balcony space we had.

Part of the suite amenities was afternoon tea served in your cabin on request. We tended to sleep late, miss breakfast, start with lunch, the afternoon tea, then a late supper. Along with the traditional tea, we would also order a cheese plate that was a suite amenity. It was a selection of about four popular cheeses, but nothing spectacular.

I had visited the NL several times by now, and had become a big fan of most things Dutch, but especially the aged goudas like Old Amsterdam. I gave them a really hard time about not having a decent Dutch cheese, and even wrote letters to corporate about it after the cruise.

My next cruise was in a Neptune Suite on Zaandam, and upon arrival I received a complimentary cheese plate with Old Amsterdam on it and a note that said simply "Per your request." It was then I knew that HAL would always be my favorite. I have sailed on five different lines now, and Holland America remains my favorite overall.

This conversation on cruising and cheese has been online for four years and I am just seeing it now?!?!

 

My first cruise ever was on Oosterdam in it's first year of service. Through a series of fortunate events, I ended up in an aft facing Neptune Suite with one of the giant balconies. It is ridiculous how much balcony space we had.

 

Part of the suite amenities was afternoon tea served in your cabin on request. We tended to sleep late, miss breakfast, start with lunch, the afternoon tea, then a late supper. Along with the traditional tea, we would also order a cheese plate that was a suite amenity. It was a selection of about four popular cheeses, but nothing spectacular.

 

I had visited the NL several times by now, and had become a big fan of most things Dutch, but especially the aged goudas like Old Amsterdam. I gave them a really hard time about not having a decent Dutch cheese, and even wrote letters to corporate about it after the cruise.

 

My next cruise was in a Neptune Suite on Zaandam, and upon arrival I received a complimentary cheese plate with Old Amsterdam on it and a note that said simply "Per your request." It was then I knew that HAL would always be my favorite. I have sailed on five different lines now, and Holland America remains my favorite overall.

Good story! I’m not a cheese connoisseur but would very much enjoy trying some traditional Dutch cheeses. I would need them labeled though! :)

Thanks for this question and the replies. Being able to get a cheese plate rather than a dessert is very important to me. :)

LuLu

I'm with you LuLu. I love cheeses, especially blue. Sometimes I even order a cheese plate late at night in my cabin:)

I like wine with my cheese so the question is for the pre dinner happy hour can I bring my cheese pale purloined from the lido to the bar or do I bring the wine from the bar to my room? I book an inside so it is nicer to sit out and people watch.

I like wine with my cheese so the question is for the pre dinner happy hour can I bring my cheese pale purloined from the lido to the bar or do I bring the wine from the bar to my room? I book an inside so it is nicer to sit out and people watch.

I see nothing wrong with bringing Lido cheese to a bar to enjoy with your wine. Even if that bar serves canapés, hors d’oeuvres or bar snacks, your cheese would be a much better offering. Enjoy!!

The MDR cheese plate has evolved nicely over time. There used to be a menu but that took a lot of time and often they did not have what you selected. Then there was the gargantuan portion cheese plate. Now there are more discrete amounts with nice accompaniments and a good variety of set choices that change each evening, but go the gamut from soft to hard.

Agree, the aged Gouda is one of my favorites too, along with the more salty and softer Maasdamer. Love the HAL cheese plates and being able to explore some new ones along with old favorites. Holland has a proud cheese tradition so it is fun to see it get showcased, along with other options as well - Stilton, Gorgonzola, etc. Missing for me is having a lovely, gorgeous chunk of authentic Parmesan, but the plate is still a nicely evolving after dinner treat. Be sure to encourage its inclusion on the post-cruise survey.

Not trying to de-rail this thread with my newly found cheese plate junkies.....however.....

The subject of crackers now distresses me. It's my understanding that the glorious cracker assortment that goes with my incredible cheeses has been whittled down to mere soda crackers or graham crackers. :eek:

Please tell me it's not true....

Do I need to HMOC also? (Haul my own crackers)

… I store cheese in one -- chocolates in another.

… Sharing the "another" bag with Ruth C. ;)

Holacanada from Quebec City