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Escargot

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cruiseguy1016

cruiseguy1016

Posted
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My understanding is that the supply of escargot has been limited so it's been hard to find or too expensive. They never took it off the menu, they just couldn't offer it on the ship because they couldn't get it. Things have changed and it is now available on most sailings.

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joe6666

joe6666

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When escargot gets expensive or unavailable, the cruise line stops serving them and replaces them on the menu with some cheap little scallops.

This amounts to a windfall savings for the cruise line.

I’d like to see something nice replacing the “unavailable” escargot.

A small lobster tail appetizer? A couple of nice big marinated grilled shrimp?

Why not?

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crusinpeg

crusinpeg

Posted
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When escargot gets expensive or unavailable, the cruise line stops serving them and replaces them on the menu with some cheap little scallops.

This amounts to a windfall savings for the cruise line.

I’d like to see something nice replacing the “unavailable” escargot.

A small lobster tail appetizer? A couple of nice big marinated grilled shrimp?

Why not?

 

I've read that the scallops are quite good....isn't it all about the butter and garlic anyway??

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littlesteelo

littlesteelo

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Just off Independence, they had the escargot on the first formal night, and the alternative on another night, which has the same escargot dish, but a mini scallop and mussel in each 'dimple' in the dish. Both of them were very good.

 

The garlic/butter really is fantastic if you get some extra bread to mop it all up with.

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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There was a worldwide shortage of escargot. All the cruiselines, and even landbased restaurants, had to pull it from their menus for a while. You can google "escargot shortage" for confirmation of this, and for more information.

 

I thought the small scallops that they substituted were pretty good - as someone else said, it is all about the butter and garlic anyway.

 

The good news is that escargot does seem to be back on recent menus.

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joe6666

joe6666

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There was a worldwide shortage of escargot. All the cruiselines, and even landbased restaurants, had to pull it from their menus for a while. You can google "escargot shortage" for confirmation of this, and for more information.

 

I thought the small scallops that they substituted were pretty good - as someone else said, it is all about the butter and garlic anyway.

 

The good news is that escargot does seem to be back on recent menus.

 

Yes, I know the escargot were in short supply. But why did the replacement have to be something that wasn't as nice as the escargot?

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jkskrap

jkskrap

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The escargot is on the new menu every night (along with the shrimp cocktail). The scallops are on the menu once - I think it was the 2nd night. Same sauce, same presentation, just scallops instead of snails.

 

Sadly (and at my DW's strong advice) I have found that the garlic in the escargot is too much for me to handle these days and only had them once . . . and they KILLED ME. Sad, sad day. They tasted great. For days.

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negc

negc

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Yes, I know the escargot were in short supply. But why did the replacement have to be something that wasn't as nice as the escargot?

Whether or not the replacement "wasn't as nice as the escargot" is a matter of opinion and some posters seemed quite pleased with what was substituted. What would you have suggested as a replacement and are you certain that whatever you suggested wouldn't have been met with a similar complaint.

There was a severe shortage of escargot availability for a time and that shortage was felt not only on RCI and other cruise lines but at many fine land-based restaurants as well.

Reports are that the new menus include escargot so I guess that RCI and others have found new supplies or have decided to pay the additional cost. Since they are a favorite of my wife, but nothing I would order, I am happy that they have returned.

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Big_G

Big_G

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The escargot is on the new menu every night (along with the shrimp cocktail). The scallops are on the menu once - I think it was the 2nd night. Same sauce, same presentation, just scallops instead of snails.

 

Sadly (and at my DW's strong advice) I have found that the garlic in the escargot is too much for me to handle these days and only had them once . . . and they KILLED ME. Sad, sad day. They tasted great. For days.

 

My condolences. My biggest fear in life is having to give up butter and garlic. :D

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golfer1966

golfer1966

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My understanding is that the supply of escargot has been limited so it's been hard to find or too expensive. They never took it off the menu, they just couldn't offer it on the ship because they couldn't get it. Things have changed and it is now available on most sailings.

 

 

To be honest, if they just put a small mushroom in those trays and with all that butter and garlic, nobody would really know the difference. I like either one, but lets back off on eating things to endangered levels and give them time to recoop... just sayin....;)

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ryano

ryano

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, if they just put a small mushroom in those trays and with all that butter and garlic, nobody would really know the difference.

 

Agreed, a mushroom is the exact texture and pretty much exact taste that a snail reminds me of.

 

Like someone said, its all about that butter and garlic anyway.

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trojan3000

trojan3000

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We have no shortage of Escargot in France or in the UK or the rest of Europe.

If you Google Escargot Shortage the only thing that comes up is Cruise Critic talking about RCL`s shortage and two articles from 2009 when we had the last shortage over in Europe.

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joe6666

joe6666

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Whether or not the replacement "wasn't as nice as the escargot" is a matter of opinion and some posters seemed quite pleased with what was substituted. What would you have suggested as a replacement and are you certain that whatever you suggested wouldn't have been met with a similar complaint.

There was a severe shortage of escargot availability for a time and that shortage was felt not only on RCI and other cruise lines but at many fine land-based restaurants as well.

Reports are that the new menus include escargot so I guess that RCI and others have found new supplies or have decided to pay the additional cost. Since they are a favorite of my wife, but nothing I would order, I am happy that they have returned.

 

Perhaps any alternative might not have worked out...Who knows.

But I think its fair to say that removing escargot from the menu and replacing it with what I suspect was a cheaper replacement, probably saved the cruise line a bit of money.

All I'm saying is the tiny scallop replacement was not very exciting compared to what they might have done.

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bighairtexan

bighairtexan

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We have no shortage of Escargot in France or in the UK or the rest of Europe.

If you Google Escargot Shortage the only thing that comes up is Cruise Critic talking about RCL`s shortage and two articles from 2009 when we had the last shortage over in Europe.

 

THANK YOU! I've been googling escargot or snail shortage for a year or so since it first showed up as an issue on Celebrity and all I got was OLD news and Cruise Critic links. I was wondering WHY there was this shortage, but never got a decent answer. Glad I'm not the only one! :eek:

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