Entree Salads

I know that you can order a salad as an entree in the MDR. Does anyone know if you can add different proteins to the salads though? For example, if I just want an entree sized portion of a salad with some grilled shrimp, would that be accommodated? We'll be on the Ryndam if that makes a difference.

I love shrimp and usually have salad with grilled shrimp for dinner a couple of times a week. And since we have early dining (ugh), I know I'm not going to be very hungry at 5:30pm and will probably opt for smaller meals and a snack later on during the days we don't have other dinner reservations at the specialty restaurants.

There is typically an entree salad on the menu each night but I do not know if you would be successful having a substitute protein. Choices on the menus I have from last summer were: Teriyaki Salmon Caesar, Grilled Duck Salad with Dried Cherries, Salpicon of Beef Salad, Chef's Salad, Seafood Cobb Salad. Hope this helps.

As long as they have the ingredients I don't see why not. MDR staff will typically do anything that is reasonable and possible

Also, regarding your early seating, you can change to open if you like once you get onboard and then show up anytime you like between roughly 5:30-9pm. :)

I agree with InTheWASide, as long as they have the ingredients you want, there should be no problem adding it to your salad. Hal tries very hard to accommodate it's passengers menu choices.

They have grilled chicken and they have Caesar salad on the always available side of the menu. I often ask for a chicken Caesar salad and am never refused. However, there have been language issues a few times and it was really funny what was brought to me but it was all good. :) I would hesitate to ask for shrimp Caesar as I feel the stewards and galley are busy enough they don't need to be going to storage to get and grill shrimp for me. The chicken is offered anyway so no extra work for them.

I agree with Sail. If grilled shrimp is not already on the menu in another dish I wouldn't consider asking for shrimp in my entrée salad. It would be the same as requesting a special entrée being cooked just for me. However, salmon is always on the menu so salmon added to a plain or Caesar salad is a great addition and no extra work.

Thanks for the replies. I'm not a fan of salmon - it's pretty much the only seafood item I won't eat, but worst case I suppose I could just get some chicken. I don't eat a lot of chicken, I eat mostly seafood, but I wouldn't make a big deal out of it if that was my only option. I did a NCL cruise out of Boston a couple of years ago and that was one of the only things I really liked about it - I could always get grilled shrimp on my salad since it was an option.

I think I'm going to have to convince my parents, who I'm going on this cruise with, along with my sister to switch to open dining. They're always eating dinner when I call on my way home from work, so they're used to eating earlier than us working folks.

Sometimes, if you have assigned seating you can order the day ahead, and they would have it for you the next evening.

Sometimes, if you have assigned seating you can order the day ahead, and they would have it for you the next evening.

That's exactly what I was going to suggest. It may not always work out, but if they have advance notice it is easier for them to prepare something special for you.

I agree with Sail. If grilled shrimp is not already on the menu in another dish I wouldn't consider asking for shrimp in my entrée salad. It would be the same as requesting a special entrée being cooked just for me. However, salmon is always on the menu so salmon added to a plain or Caesar salad is a great addition and no extra work.

I really enjoy grilled salmon on Caesar Salad. Grille salmon is high on my list of favorite foods. :)

I think it was on the Volendam in 2013 that each night's dinner menu included an entree salad. Something like a Cobb or Chef's. It was very nice to have that option available as we were onboard for around 30 days and there are only so many Caesar salads I can take. We were on two other HAL ships this year. Sadly, just the Caesar.

One other thing I thought of is HAL has a great shrimp cocktail on the room service menu. Even if GRILLED shrimp may not be on the menu and thus more work, if you're fine with the small shrimp that are part of the room service shrimp cocktail (believe those are bay shrimp?) you could always ask for those OR alternately you could order a couple shrimp cocktail to your room with enough time to get those before you head to dinner, get your fill of shrimp and then go down to the MDR for your salad without.

Might not be perfect but it's a pretty nice Plan B I think

If you don't like the dinner salad offered you can order a diner sized Ceaser salad and a couple of the appetizers to put on top - like shrimp cocktail? DH has done that more than once.

If you don't like the dinner salad offered you can order a diner sized Ceaser salad and a couple of the appetizers to put on top - like shrimp cocktail? DH has done that more than once.

Good suggestion.

If the salad on the appetizer list appeals to you, you can order that as your entrée. I've done that a couple of times ;)

Never asked to have anything added as the appetizer salads are quite good, but based on the questions by the waiter (what else would you like or like added), I am betting you could :D FWIW that was on the Prinsendam.

Order the salad of choice, and the "protein" entree you want...don't eat the salad until the entree arrives...put the protein on the salad....voila! You have what you want!

Except by then the salad is warm and wilted. Dressing sitting on the lettuce that long makes for very limp greens.