"DUTCH NIGHT" menu so bad...

I have read on several threads that the "Dutch Night" menu is not the best. What's the problem?:confused: Do they still do the herring on Dutch Night and what specialities are on the menu for that evening?:confused: FOOD FOOD FOOD:p

They eliminated three of our favorite things.

No longer any dover sole, they switched bami goreng for nasi goreng and the steak they used to serve is not the same....DH used to like the one they offered for years.

:)

Herring has not been offered on Dutch night for a number of cruises as an appetizer. Just another item HAL has given up.

On our Dutch night there was Dutch Beef Pot Roast, Nasi Goreng, Groemten Kroetten (?) , duck breast with ornage sauce, pork chop with spiced apple chutney, and halibut medallion.

We have made a comment before about how the choices have diminished over the last few years. And we wondered if it was because so few people were attending the BBQ which is usually held the same night. Is HAL trying to get more people to attend the BBQ?

:)

Sad about the Dover Sole. Whine! :(

:o Do we still get our cute hats? :confused:

Whatever .... Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

The only bright spot on the menu is the "Chocolate Tulip" dessert. Trust me, I've experienced it.

Yes, they still have the dutch hats for the ladies and the caps for the gents.

Good point about the barbeque. I hadn't thought of that. They will NOT tempt us to go to the barbeque no matter how bad they make the dining room menu. That is not my idea of dinner.....standing in line with a plate and smelling the fumes from a grill; getting an overcooked tough steak and then roaming around trying to find a place to sit. I prefer to be seated comfortably in the dining room and being served.

We'll order room service before we'll be at the barbeque.

I agree the barbecue is no "picnic." Ask my wife, I like to be waited on.

We'll still go to Dutch Night if only for the Chocolate Tulip. In protest I will not wear the silly cap!

I have read on several threads that the "Dutch Night" menu is not the best. What's the problem?:confused: Do they still do the herring on Dutch Night and what specialities are on the menu for that evening?:confused: FOOD FOOD FOOD:p

Dutch night is why the on deck barbecue was created !!!!

Please - do yourself a favor and enjoy the on deck barbecue - nothing could be better that grilled steak, ribs, fish all freshly grilled over hot coals in front of you.

the steak was absolutely delicious -

and if old MATT is out there wondering about getting more than one steak in the Pinnacle Grill, while I can't answer that, I will say that MATT, you can get as many steaks as you want at the on deck barbecue.

superstein: Which night was the Dutch Disaster/BBQ on the Zuiderdam last week?

:)

Agree with s7s, when on vacation we prefer to be waited on.

The couple of times we tried the BBQ a few years ago, our steaks were tough.

If the Dutch night menu gets any worse, then that will probably be one of the nights we go to the Pinnacle Grill.

:)

We always make reservations at the Pinnacle Grill for Dutch Night. And if for some reason the Bar-B-Q is held on another night we will try for the Pinnacle on that night, as well.

Several times when we were in port late on that (or those) night (s), we ate in town.

I heard a rumor that Dutch Night was to be discontinued on Vista Class Ships. So far no news as to when this might happen.

On Wind Star we would never think of missing a meal onboard. Lately on Holland America we look forward to a dinner on shore, if possible.

I was beginning to wonder if I was having a senior moment because I couldn't remember anything about Dutch Night on our Oosterdam cruise in March. Still can't but I'm at least beginning to think it was the same night as the BBQ. Of course, that particular night we were in Cozumel until nearly midnight and we ate on shore so we passed on the BBQ. Out of my 4 HAL cruises I've actually only done the Dutch night once and don't remember being particularly impressed. Of course, having lived over there I'm not a particular fan of Dutch food anyhow. No offense, just not my taste.

We found the food on our recent Maasdam cruise to be very, very good. There have been some menu changes which have been noted here but we enjoyed the dining room alot.

(I know food is subjective and what I like etc.... but we have found for some time that it will vary by Chef. Even though they are cooking substantially the same menus on all the ships, some Chefs simply make a presentation more to our liking than others.)

Hi...so many different opinions about the food:confused:

quote by jazzsea

"lately on Holland America we look forward to dinner on shore, if possible".:(

Oh my goodness......that really tells me you do not like any of the food, if you prefer to eat in port.

I am not judging you, I promise....so, you are happy with everything else on the ship? Or, are you not sailing HAL anymore? I am not trying to be sarcastic....you statement just threw me.....

They will NOT tempt us to go to the barbeque no matter how bad they make the dining room menu. That is not my idea of dinner.....standing in line with a plate and smelling the fumes from a grill; getting an overcooked tough steak and then roaming around trying to find a place to sit. I prefer to be seated comfortably in the dining room and being served.

I agree 100%. Being served a wonderful meal in a beautiful setting is one of the reasons we enjoy cruising. I wait in enough lines already at home.

We tried the BBQ once. One of the crew told me they would have shrimp so we decided to go. "The Shrimp" was one small shrimp and some unkown fish on a skewer. The steak was not bad, but not the best we have had on the ship. At least it was done to our liking. We did not like the long lines or trying to find a place to sit. We thought the dining room food was much better. We would not attend one again. We both like being waited on and as much as Mr.Gizmo likes buffets we both enjoy breakfast in the dining room more than the Lido.

Back to the subject, Dutch Night. I am disappointed that my favorites, Dover Sole and Bami Goreng have been eliminated from the menu. On our last cruise I think there was a shrimp entree that was good. If this were not on the menu I would change things around. I love the appitizer, the chicken filled pastry with the mushroom sauce and the pea soup. I would probably do a double order of the chicken pastry with mushroom sauce as an entree and order a baked potatoe and veggie. I would still order the soup and probably a salad. I should have enough room for dessert for that chocolate tuplip!

Hi!

We just returned from the Maasdam (July 24th--31st) and there was no barbecue any night. I didn't remember one, so I just checked my daily cruise sheets. There was a salmon bake out by the pool one afternoon for lunch, but there was no barbecue any night. This was only our 3rd cruise on Holland America (31st cruise overall), and I don't remember if there had been a barbecue on our previous 2 cruises, but there was definitely not one last week on the Maasdam.

It was a great cruise, and we really had a good time!!!

Reggie

:)

gizmo - on our 13 day Maasdam cruise, the pastry shell with chicken and mushroom sauce was not on the menu as an appetizer. I love it - in fact one time I ordered 2 of them for my entre.

At lunch time one afternoon, a seafood mixture in a pastry shell was offered. It was very good.

:)

OK I`ve made up my mind. No more Dover sole or Bami, so I`ve decided on a HUGE bowl of pea soup, and Dutch apple pie with a side of chocolate tulip...there, that`s my choice in future. I will NEVER go to the BBQ again...horrible!......jean

It seems most of us agree.....Dutch Night menu is awful! Most of the edible offerings have been discontinued.......leaving only salad, soup, apple pie, and chocolate tulip as being acceptable. WHY DOES HAL HAVE DUTCH NIGHT????

as long as i dont cook it and dont have to clean up i am pretty tolerant of food....unless it is inedible. i find that if you dont like something, you can just trade it in for something else.....

our fist HAL cruise was last Dec and we were delighted with the Dutch presentation if not the menu choices.....we booked again on the Westerdam this Dec.........hope it is as good as the Veendam was.....

only goes to prove, to each's own !

Until this very recent menu change, we always looked forward to it.

HAL has always "saluted" it's Dutch lineage and Dutch Officers by having what used to be a nice Dutch evening in the dining room.

I hope they will reconsider what is currently the Dutch Night Menu if they inend to continue having Dutch Night.......and I think they should.

Don't think for a minute that we don't like the food and service on Holland America. We're just not fans of the Bar B Q or the Dutch Night menu.

But some of my fondest memories are of our whole table from the ship going ashore for dinner. Once in Cozumel and once in St. Lucia. We just had the best time.

Many times we take advantage of being in port later by having dinner ashore. I didn't mean to speak unkindly about HAL. I love them.

Yes, they still have the dutch hats for the ladies and the caps for the gents.

 

Good point about the barbeque. I hadn't thought of that. They will NOT tempt us to go to the barbeque no matter how bad they make the dining room menu. That is not my idea of dinner.....standing in line with a plate and smelling the fumes from a grill; getting an overcooked tough steak and then roaming around trying to find a place to sit. I prefer to be seated comfortably in the dining room and being served.

 

We'll order room service before we'll be at the barbeque.

Totally agree! Unless you stake out your table at least an hour before they start cooking (and park yourself there) you're out of luck. :( :(

Actually I'd forgotten that Dutch Night is also BBQ night and can't remember it always being that way......not surprising tho considering BBQ's are not high on our priority list at any time. There's usually something on the menu which appeals, failing that, it's room service for us. :D

Which night??? Does anyone know for sure? I understood it to be Sunday night on the Zuiderdam Western trip, but someone going the same week on the roll call said upon asking, she was told it was Thursday for the Zuiderdam.

:eek: I'm not sure there is anything I'd eat at either place that night. So, if not the Pinaccle, what does room service offer? Is it either sandwiches or what is being served in the dining room?