Dinner Appetizers in Lido Restaurant

On my previous Holland America cruises (Westerdam, Zuiderdam-Panama Canal, Prinsendam) within the last 2 years, we have always found a small selection of appetizers at dinner time in the Lido restaurant. We were back on the Zuiderdam this last July in the Med, and they never had dinner appetizers in the Lido.

Is this something new, or was it just the situation on that particular cruise?

I often make dinner up with a couple of appetizers and a bowl of soup, so I really missed them last summer!

Our most recent experience with HAL was on the Prinsendam in October, 2014 in the Black Sea. As in previous HAL cruises, the MDR appetizers were offered in Lido. If HAL would offer the onion soup in the Lido, I would be a happy traveler.

Our most recent experience with HAL was on the Prinsendam in October, 2014 in the Black Sea. As in previous HAL cruises, the MDR appetizers were offered in Lido. If HAL would offer the onion soup in the Lido, I would be a happy traveler.

Me, too. I always order the onion soup from room service at least once on our cruises.

NO appetizers????

I looked at the menus Roger Jett scanned recently and there are indeed appetizers in the Lido.

I can't speak for the Zuiderdam, but last month there were definitely appetizers in the Maasdam's Lido.

Also, appetizers on the Noordam. Maybe just a fluke for your cruise?.

To the original poster - After rereading your post, are you referring to the canapés or passed appetizers that they serve in the bars, by chance? The reason I ask is that the Lido dinner menu, or at least the ones I've seen, always have an appetizer section on the printed menu.

To the original poster - After rereading your post, are you referring to the canapés or passed appetizers that they serve in the bars, by chance? The reason I ask is that the Lido dinner menu, or at least the ones I've seen, always have an appetizer section on the printed menu.

No, I'm not referring to the passed appetizers. I mean the actual ones that are on the Main Dining Room dinner menu. All of them are not usually in the Lido, but at least they used to have 2 or 3 selections, mainly the cold choices.

On the Zuiderdam last summer, the place on the buffet that normally presented the appetizers (back by the water/iced tea area and near the salad bar) instead had a sandwich station.

Anybody been on the Zuiderdam since we got off in August?

No, I'm not referring to the passed appetizers. I mean the actual ones that are on the Main Dining Room dinner menu. All of them are not usually in the Lido, but at least they used to have 2 or 3 selections, mainly the cold choices.

 

On the Zuiderdam last summer, the place on the buffet that normally presented the appetizers (back by the water/iced tea area and near the salad bar) instead had a sandwich station.

 

Anybody been on the Zuiderdam since we got off in August?

Thanks. I wasn't sure. The Lido had appetizers on the Noordam and the Nieuw Amsterdam. They were the same as the ones on the MDR dinner menu.

Just returned from a cruise this month and the only starter/appetizer ever offered in the Lido was a fruit cup. Hardly any appetizers in the MDR also. Usually 3-4 soups and 2 salads and some sort of fruit plate.

Just curious if these ships in question with first-hand reports have already transitioned to the new Lido Marketplace?

I think it varies from Hotel Director to Hotel Director.

Just curious if these ships in question with first-hand reports have already transitioned to the new Lido Marketplace?

No, the Lido Marketplace was not yet in place on the Zuiderdam in August.

Mrs. Walkinman,

I'm curious about the menus. POA1 above mentioned appetizers were included on the Zuiderdam's summer menus. Did you happen to see any menus on your cruise, and were they listed?

Seems like the last time I sailed nearly all appetizers were covered (metal lids) and didn't always have a display model or signs above. They were right before the main line. Coupled with what chrismch said, your report has me wondering what's going on.

Thanks!

Mrs. Walkinman,

I'm curious about the menus. POA1 above mentioned appetizers were included on the Zuiderdam's summer menus. Did you happen to see any menus on your cruise, and were they listed?

 

Seems like the last time I sailed nearly all appetizers were covered (metal lids) and didn't always have a display model or signs above. They were right before the main line. Coupled with what chrismch said, your report has me wondering what's going on.

 

Thanks!

Sorry, I don't remember seeing any menus, except a couple of nights we ordered dinner from room service (lobster night!). On that menu, yes, there were appetizers, I remember ordering a foie gras one evening.

As for the location (right before the main line); in that area they had the breads, rolls and butter set up, and also a sandwich station. On most evenings, the sandwich was a slice of the meat from the nightly roast, grilled on panini bread. I did not find this appealing at all...

No, I'm not referring to the passed appetizers. I mean the actual ones that are on the Main Dining Room dinner menu. All of them are not usually in the Lido, but at least they used to have 2 or 3 selections, mainly the cold choices.

 

On the Zuiderdam last summer, the place on the buffet that normally presented the appetizers (back by the water/iced tea area and near the salad bar) instead had a sandwich station.

 

Anybody been on the Zuiderdam since we got off in August?

Friends are on Zuiderdam now doing the Athens to FLL Cruise and he mentioned in an email last week the same thing about the Apps on Lido and that they didn't have them. He mentioned he was disappointed and may have to start going more often to the MDR.

Very interesting! I am already in the habit of comparing menus from the MDR and Lido and ordering appetizers to my room if I'm going to eat in the Lido and they aren't going to serve something I want from the MDR, but I don't have to do this every night (I love the chilled soups). I wonder why they are doing this? Wonder if this is somehow tied in to the new Lido Marketplace, even though it wasn't yet implemented on the Zuiderdam for this report? :confused:

Well, we are going on the Oosterdam next month for three weeks, so I hope she serves the appetizers!

Anyone been on her recently to comment?

The best way to let HAL know of any and all disappointments you encounter during your cruise is to tell them. I know it seems obvious but how many never do get around to e-mailing, calling, writing to express either their satisfaction of dissatisfaction?

Let them know you miss the appetizers when having dinner in Lido.

Tell them you certainly hope you won't find the same circumstance on Oosterdam.

Certainly can't hurt.

I don't know if this will help or not, but I reached out to our vast network of spies (3 to 5 people, at least one of whom is named Kyle.) The MDR menu uses a new format and doesn't follow the old presentation style of appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and desserts. The Lido dinner menu follows the same, new format. The MDR and Lido dinner menus are basically the same, but the headings follow the new format.

In essence, there's not really a separate and distinct "appetizer" section on either the Lido or the MDR menus. The menu items are still there, but the presentation is different from the way things used to be.

So, I guess that it's either, "Yay, progress!" or "Boo! Gosh darn these young whipper snappers and their new fangled terminologies." (FWIW, I'm in the latter camp; proud old f@rt that I am.)

Thanks for the info. Hopefully someone will post a menu soon. So are the appetizers now served with the main dishes in the Lido?

I don't understand this new format. Is it just one long list of available foods? Soups are obvious, but how do you know if something is going to be served (in the MDR) appetizer size or main course size?

Are they going to "small plates" and "sharing plates" now?

I don't understand this new format. Is it just one long list of available foods? Soups are obvious, but how do you know if something is going to be served (in the MDR) appetizer size or main course size?

 

Are they going to "small plates" and "sharing plates" now?

No Small Plates or sharing plates. Just no Headers in between categories. . It was pretty obvious as they start off with the Apps then list the Soups then Salads and then the Entrees which consistently appeared to start off with a Pasta dish, etc. The Dessert menu was separate and brought, as usual, after the meal. At end of the Night's choices they had the "Daily Item" offerings such as Steak, Chicken, etc.

We found there were plenty of choices in each Category and they always had the Caesar as well as the Onion Soup except one of the Gala/Formal Nights. The only disappointing night, for us, was the last night because even though we enjoy the Brie in Phyllo, etc. we felt the Entrees fell short!

Overall, we enjoyed everything and thought the food was very good. We never left hungry!

I guess I didn't realize this was new. My cruise last June had the menu format your referring to. I've never seen a five course menu on their ships. I also do not recall seeing appetizers in the lido. We only did fiber once there though and we're completely disappointed since the menu we saw in the Neptune lounge was not accurate and the two things I actually wanted were not present.