Lobster? On A Cruise Ship??

I'm fortunate to live in an area of Southern Cal where we have access to a lot of fresh seafood. I can go to the local market and buy a live Maine lobster any day of the week and cook it at home. Just did it last month, as a matter of fact. Locally, spiny lobster season has started and I just saw some beautiful live lobsters in the seafood market. I can go to my favorite Chinese restaurant and have a live Maine lobster brought to my table from their live tanks and then cooked to perfection in one of several sauces.

Is cruise ship, frozen lobster as good? Of course not. But in a few weeks my decision will be how many lobsters to get on Formal Night. Bottom line is that it's still lobster and I eat it whenever I can. And hold the butter-----I like the lobster meat straight!

Steak? On a cruise ship?

Only those who live in Texas or some midwestern states have had REAL steak...why eat what was probably frozen on a cruise ship?

The above comment is just as ridiculous and pompous as the lobster comment.

I have no idea what the OP is thinking.... lots of people have no access to lobster EXCEPT frozen, and at that, it is usually too pricey for them.

Let people enjoy what they enjoy... what's it to you?

I have to agree to some point, but being from the northeast, we have lobster all the time....

i am not planning on having it on my formal night, im hoping they serve some duck or prime rib!

there are lots of cruisers who are not from new england like we are, and they do not get to eat something like this very often. it IS special in that case...

I am unable to understand the obsession with "Lobster Night" on a cruise ship. I can hardly believe there is a gigantic tank full of thousands (because that's how many passengers there are) of live lobsters toodling along the seas nervously awaiting their fate. Most likely they are pre-cooked and frozen and reheated at service.

 

Why in the world would anyone be excited and anticipating this? A frozen, dried-out crustacean produced in a mass-market manner?

 

Why in the world would this be a "feature" of Formal Night, as I usually eat my lobster in a tee shirt and jeans because it's going to go all over the place? Do you get a bib for your tuxedo?

 

When I want a good lobster I go to the local fishmonger and take it home and cook it myself. I might even drink a delicious Colt 45 with it. But at least I know my lobster is FRESH!

Oh brother,that's right, let people enjoy what they enjoy.... Personally enjoy Caribbean lobster well over Maine lobster. Much sweeter.

Steak? On a cruise ship?

Only those who live in Texas or some midwestern states have had REAL steak...why eat what was probably frozen on a cruise ship?

 

The above comment is just as ridiculous and pompous as the lobster comment.

I have no idea what the OP is thinking.... lots of people have no access to lobster EXCEPT frozen, and at that, it is usually too pricey for them.

 

Let people enjoy what they enjoy... what's it to you?

...you can get fresh lobster of excellent quality anywhere in the continental US...go online and find a reputable lobster pound in Maine or Atlantic CA if you prefer that ships. Don't go fpr those crazy overpriced "packages" where they include canned clam chowder. Just get the bugs. For several years I had a couple dozen shipped to me in MD every July for a lobster party and we got nice sized lobsters for about $12 apiece, alive and kicking. Just don't cook them too long.

My big beef with my lobster tail on my Feb. Carnival cruise is the little bits of shell...they don't split those tails very carefully when they're going through thousands of them, I guess.

The lobster "three ways" served by Azamara in their Aqualina dining room is delicious and well prepared. They also have top notch fish experts in the galley. I asked to meet him, and he demonstrated some masterful skills to me in breaking down beautiful yellowtail tuna.

This thread reminds me of the cruise I went on where my brother & his wife got married. It was them, my parents, her parents, and myself. On formal night, I didn't think I would like lobster, and never had it, so I ordered something else. My new sister-in-law had it either, but decided to try it. She got hers and after tasting it, said she didn't really like it. I asked if I could try a little, so I did, and I was like "Oh! Tracy got a bad lobster!" My brother then tried some, rolled his eyes and said "That's what lobster tastes like."

I love crab, but don't care for lobster.

It would seem that the real problem comes from recooking previously cooked and frozen lobster. There is very little wrong with a defrosted lobster served at room temperature with real mayonnaise (not from a jar). Don't any cruise lines offer this alternative? Fresh lobster (and king crab legs) are also delicious cold as an alternative to hot with butter.

Worst king crab I ever had was in an up market restaurant in San Francisco where they were very dry. Waiter offered to get me a fresh serving, which was when I discovered that the legs were all split open in the morning ready for steaming by portion at dinner because "customers don't want the bother of getting the meat out themselves" :eek:

Wow! I just joined Cruise Critic and the first subject I looked up was Lobsters on Cruise Ships. I wanted to see if there was an industry wide trend not to have Lobster served in the main dining room since a recent NCL cruise did not have any lobster served any night in the main dining rooms. You had to get it for an additional charge in a specialty restaurant. They did have some sort of seafood/lobster mix on a buffet line for about 2 hours one night.

Instead of hearing what others have been experiencing on other cruise lines I was unpleasantly surprised to hear what many may call "food snobs" talking about how much they knew about lobster and how awful the cruise lobsters were.

Every day people, perhaps 80% of the cruising passengers, probably have never been as fortunate many of the people posting these critical comments about cruise ship lobsters. This does not make them ignorant or in any way beneath the "food snobs".

I'm looking forward to more upbeat and pleasant discussions.

Those of you that have access to Maine lobster should count your blessings, although the one and only time I tried it, on a trip to the US many years ago, it wasn't great but that was more a problem with that restaurant than the lobster itself.

I had lovely lobster on our Sun Princess cruise. Was it the best lobster I've ever had? No, but it was delicious!

I grew up in NZ at a time when lobsters were cheap so I ate a lot of lobster as a child. And I think NZ lobster is the best in Australasia.

Lobster in Australia is very expensive, often $50-$100 per kilo, especially at festive times. So lobster is a rare treat these days. I loved that Princess had lobster on the MDR menu one night, and I was very disappointed that RCI didn't have lobster - except for a very steep extra charge.

How 'bout that thar escargot.....I could eat a platter full!

How 'bout that thar escargot.....I could eat a platter full!

My delight has only worked a couple of times, however, I order the escargot appetizer and the cheese desert tray to be served at the same time. With the Princess crispy bread rolls and a good glass of wine, it is a meal to remember.

Lobster in Australia is very expensive, often $50-$100 per kilo, especially at festive times.

OzKiwiJJ, here (in a New England state where the fishery is local) the price at the supermarket is currently U$5.99 per pound and should go a couple of dollars/lb lower as the summer goes on. 12 minutes in boiling salted water--or the supermarket can steam them for you. Welcome to visit whenever you get a craving. :-) Perhaps a New England cruise?

OzKiwiJJ, here (in a New England state where the fishery is local) the price at the supermarket is currently U$5.99 per pound and should go a couple of dollars/lb lower as the summer goes on. 12 minutes in boiling salted water--or the supermarket can steam them for you. Welcome to visit whenever you get a craving. :-) Perhaps a New England cruise?

Here in Colorado, we pay $1.50 per ounce. Small and frozen. Boiled looses flavor, steam em' live great. Envy you there.

OzKiwiJJ, here (in a New England state where the fishery is local) the price at the supermarket is currently U$5.99 per pound and should go a couple of dollars/lb lower as the summer goes on. 12 minutes in boiling salted water--or the supermarket can steam them for you. Welcome to visit whenever you get a craving. :-) Perhaps a New England cruise?

It's on my bucket list :D Actually I'd rather do a land tour of New England. I nearly made it there once, there was some talk of DH being transferred there for a couple of years but that fell though, sadly.

So envious, though! I love lobster.