Lobster Tails Apparently Gone on NCL

[Medtech2]

Bumper crop in Canada. Yesterday saw TV ad selling Subway lobster sub

Yes, but that does not mean they were able to provision the ship the OP was on for his sailing...

[mitsugirly]

Since this thread is pages long, I did not bother to read everyones reply and I'm just adding mine.

 

Every ship that I have been on has had lobster tails.

 

I was on the Getaway last month and they had them in the buffet. Trust me, they weren't anything to write home about and definitely not the same as what they use to have at the MDR. Prior to my Getaway cruise, they were always served at the MDR on every cruise before that.

 

They also had shrimp on skewers as well.

 

 

 

 

 

[Trvlr37]

The more we cruise, the more the cruiselines are blurring together. A few years ago RCCL stopped having lobster in their main dining rooms on one of our sailings. They served langastine (sp?) and shrimp instead. It did not go over well. RCCL went back to serving a small lobster with shrimp. Now more ships are going Freestyle with dining and adding more and more specialty restaurants and you have to go to a specialty restaurant to get lobster on NCL. We'll see if it lasts. I'm just happy I can go to the buffet on the 2nd night of my Getaway cruise and hopefully get a small lobster and shrimp skewers. I am so very thankful for these message boards to provide this information! However, NCL pricing is really great right now which is why we are sailing them. I imagine they have to make up by cutting things somewhere (so it could be lobster or other things). I have never gone hungry on a cruiseship - it is very hard to mess up a salad! But I'm pretty easy to please. :cool:

[MATHA531]

So I emailed Mr. Sheehan. Annette of the executive offices called me back at 5 pm Eastern time. She tells me that you will still be able to get lobster tails on the ship- from the Buffet not the main dinning room. So the tails and not in a seafood salad will be available. But you will have to get them yourself. So I will do what I have done at other times. excuse my self from the dinning room go to the buffet and bring a plate down for the table.

I have a comment but have decided not to post it...

NCL as a private company can do what it likes...I don't have to agree with it.

 

Let me just say this. Was there lobster on my cruise of the Baltic on the Star in early June. Yes; but it wasn't lobster tails. There were a few stray pieces of what they called lobster in a pasta dish on "lobster" night in the buffet. According to the restaurant director, this is going to be fleet wide but obviously it is being phased in. Also according to one review, the 22 June departure of the Breakaway was the first not to have lobster tails in the buffet (they probably had that pasta dish). It's all part of the "new" menu (which is obviously not a "better" menu). They put a big blurb in the daily for that Tuesday seafood buffet and among the things on the picture of seafood was a lobster tail. So I can't say no more lobster. Also it was interesting to note on day 1's daily and day 7, the blurb in the daily was prime rib dinner served in buffet. I did not check the menus in the mdr each night but I wonder if they're moving prime ribs to the buffet trying to pick up traffic in the buffets at dinner time (it wasn't bad btw).

[BermudaBound2014]

So I emailed Mr. Sheehan. Annette of the executive offices called me back at 5 pm Eastern time. She tells me that you will still be able to get lobster tails on the ship- from the Buffet not the main dinning room. So the tails and not in a seafood salad will be available. But you will have to get them yourself. So I will do what I have done at other times. excuse my self from the dinning room go to the buffet and bring a plate down for the table.

I have a comment but have decided not to post it...

NCL as a private company can do what it likes...I don't have to agree with it.

 

Thank you for contacting corporate, but the information from Annette at Mr. Sheehan's office appears to be in direct conflict with what is being reported on ships. Seems to me that Annette is reporting old policy. Several posters from different ships have recently reported that lobster tail has been removed from the Buffet as well as the MDR. From what I can gather, it was removed from MDR quite awhile ago and removed from seafood night at the buffet withing the last few weeks. Specifically, cruisers are reporting lobster tail being replaced by lobster pasta on at least the Breakaway, Star, and Spirit.

 

Whether or not you are in the lobster camp, I doubt many feel confident when there is a disconnect between land based decisions and ship based practices.

 

It might be nice for all interested parties if Mr. Sheehan's office can clarify :).

[sparks1093]

Thank you for contacting corporate, but the information from Annette at Mr. Sheehan's office appears to be in direct conflict with what is being reported on ships. Seems to me that Annette is reporting old policy. Several posters from different ships have recently reported that lobster tail has been removed from the Buffet as well as the MDR. From what I can gather, it was removed from MDR quite awhile ago and removed from seafood night at the buffet withing the last few weeks. Specifically, cruisers are reporting lobster tail being replaced by lobster pasta on at least the Breakaway, Star, and Spirit.

 

Whether or not you are in the lobster camp, I doubt many feel confident when there is a disconnect between land based decisions and ship based practices.

 

It might be nice for all interested parties if Mr. Sheehan's office can clarify :).

 

We had lobster in the dining room on the Gem in May so it hasn't been removed from the MDR quite awhile ago. There are many possibilities at play here, not the least of which that fleetwide changes are usually rolled out in stages, not all at once. So what happens on one ship may not be what is happening on another. As for the buffet it is entirely possible that lobster was on the buffet early in the evening but supply ran short or that particular ship did not receive the supplies it had ordered and had to make a substitution. Yes, it would be nice for changes to be made at the same time on every ship but the logistics involved, the number of people involved, and the number of ships involved makes it a herculean task.

[Seanote]

Bumper crop in Canada. Yesterday saw TV ad selling Subway lobster sub

 

It's lobster season. My friend reported buying lobster meat in the supermarket (suburban Boston) for $6 a pound. It is possible that it is on the menu on NCL ships for the next month or two.

 

Just a sanity check here:

Y’all realize that the lobster that is/has been served in the MDR and the buffet is spiny (Caribbean) lobster and not cold-water “Maine” lobster, right?

They don’t look the same and they don’t taste the same. The spiny lobsters served on the ships are far inferior to true lobster.

“Although they superficially resemble true lobsters in terms of overall shape and having a hard carapace and exoskeleton, the two groups are not closely related.”

From--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_lobster

[BermudaBound2014]

We had lobster in the dining room on the Gem in May so it hasn't been removed from the MDR quite awhile ago. There are many possibilities at play here, not the least of which that fleetwide changes are usually rolled out in stages, not all at once. So what happens on one ship may not be what is happening on another. As for the buffet it is entirely possible that lobster was on the buffet early in the evening but supply ran short or that particular ship did not receive the supplies it had ordered and had to make a substitution. Yes, it would be nice for changes to be made at the same time on every ship but the logistics involved, the number of people involved, and the number of ships involved makes it a herculean task.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I do empathize with the logistics of change. If lobster shows back up at the breakaway buffet this week, we can safely say it was a minor glitch and I would think most of us can cut NCL some slack and understand that things happen.

 

If lobster tail has been removed from the Breakaway and Star Buffet entirely (as has been reported here), then I think Mr. Sheehan's office would benefit by clarifying the statement being reported by Annette "you will still be able to get lobster tails on the ship- from the Buffet not the main dinning room."

 

Somewhere there is a disconnect between ship practice being reported here on the Breakaway and Star and the corporate response received from Mr. Sheehan's office.

 

Whether or not anyone cares about lobster, I would think most would agree that receiving accurate, timely, and reliable information from corporate is a reasonably important ingredient in quality.

[smeyer418]

Thank you for contacting corporate, but the information from Annette at Mr. Sheehan's office appears to be in direct conflict with what is being reported on ships. Seems to me that Annette is reporting old policy. Several posters from different ships have recently reported that lobster tail has been removed from the Buffet as well as the MDR. From what I can gather, it was removed from MDR quite awhile ago and removed from seafood night at the buffet withing the last few weeks. Specifically, cruisers are reporting lobster tail being replaced by lobster pasta on at least the Breakaway, Star, and Spirit.

 

Whether or not you are in the lobster camp, I doubt many feel confident when there is a disconnect between land based decisions and ship based practices.

 

It might be nice for all interested parties if Mr. Sheehan's office can clarify :).

 

LOL it makes no sense to have them in the buffet and not serve them in the main dinning room-imo. Obviously my email at least brought the matter to their attention so I repeat if this is an issue for you email them! and while she may "know" its just as likely that it is corporate speak. It once took over a month of back and forth to get a definitive answer as to whether over 2and under 3 years would have a drop off program after the most recent change in the kids program a couple of years ago(the answer was simply no and they just didn't want to admit/say it.)

Edited July 2, 2014 by smeyer418

[fishin' musician]

Thank you for contacting corporate, but the information from Annette at Mr. Sheehan's office appears to be in direct conflict with what is being reported on ships. Seems to me that Annette is reporting old policy. Several posters from different ships have recently reported that lobster tail has been removed from the Buffet as well as the MDR. From what I can gather, it was removed from MDR quite awhile ago and removed from seafood night at the buffet withing the last few weeks. Specifically, cruisers are reporting lobster tail being replaced by lobster pasta on at least the Breakaway, Star, and Spirit.

 

Whether or not you are in the lobster camp, I doubt many feel confident when there is a disconnect between land based decisions and ship based practices.

 

It might be nice for all interested parties if Mr. Sheehan's office can clarify :).

 

I would expect (hope?) something as trivial as the removal/changing of a menu item to be far down on the priority list in the CEO's office.

[BermudaBound2014]

LOL it makes no sense to have them in the buffet and not serve them in the main dinning room-imo. Obviously my email at least brought the matter to their attention so I repeat if this is an issue for you email them! and while she may "know" its just as likely that it is corporate speak. It once took over a month of back and forth to get a definitive answer as to whether over 2and under 3 years would have a drop off program after the most recent change in the kids program a couple of years ago(the answer was simply no and they just didn't want to admit/say it.)

 

Thank you for taking the initiative to write the email to bring the issue to their attention. Much appreciated. I'll send a follow up email also just for giggles. I like caribbean rock lobster tail but it won't make or break a cruise for me.

 

For me, the bigger concern is the increasing disconnect between corporate 'speak' and reality. Left hand meet right hand. Certainly not limited to NCL, but a consumer concern none-the-less.

[smeyer418]

I would expect (hope?) something as trivial as the removal/changing of a menu item to be far down on the priority list in the CEO's office.

You know its the really good CEO who knows this kind of issue. Do you think a major change in ordering lobster tails wasn't brought to the attention of the CEO who was originally the CFO? If I was CEO I would expect that at some meeting when we are discussing costs and what the menu changes will be to cut them the issue wasn't discussed? You know the expression in Russia during the progroms was if only the Tsar knew he would stop this but in reality the Tsar knew!

...maybe real Norwegians don't eat lobster only Lutefisk...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk (its a joke)

Edited July 2, 2014 by smeyer418

[shelly11]

Lobster is NOT what I cruise for. I'll happily keep sailing on NCL.

[MATHA531]

Sorry. I was told by the chief of restaurant services on my cruise in June lobster tails will no longer be offered. Period. Obviously it is being rolled out piecewise but if the ceo's office gave the lie that lobster tails would be available at the buffet, why would I be told by the restaurant guru on one ship that lobster tails were being withdrawn? Like it or not, lobster tails are considered a prime menu items in American cuisine, rightly or wrongly. In many places, you will find dinner listing and a surcharge for ordering say surf and turf. (BTW unless I'm mistaken, lobster tails are not available at Cagney unless I simply missed it).

 

In the big scheme of things is it important? Perhaps or perhaps not. To me, it's a bummer. It was a bummer when I heard earlier before my cruise that it was no longer offered in the mdr but only at the buffet. Like I said they made a big deal on the daily that Tuesday evening that the buffet would have a seafood buffet with a picture that included a lobster tail (as well as large shrimp). I get a lot of it. Carnival is hardly much more expensive than NCL. Last year, I took 3 carnival cruises (this year they pulled out of Europe so I went back to NCL). Shrimp coctails were part of the every day menu in the mdr and formal night was also lobster night (I put on my button down oxford shirt along with a tie to go with my blue jeans and sneakers or maybe I wore shoes, I don't remember which). All I'm simply saying and I get it that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder is sometimes cost cutting goes too far. I think most (granted not all) that this may have been an example of that no matter how much people say they don't cruise for the food.

[bbb2000]

My personal opinion, but I'd rather NCL concentrate on the 500+ other menu items they carry than worry about some dinky lobster tails.

[rvsullivan]

Sorry. I was told by the chief of restaurant services on my cruise in June lobster tails will no longer be offered. Period. Obviously it is being rolled out piecewise but if the ceo's office gave the lie that lobster tails would be available at the buffet, why would I be told by the restaurant guru on one ship that lobster tails were being withdrawn? Like it or not, lobster tails are considered a prime menu items in American cuisine, rightly or wrongly. In many places, you will find dinner listing and a surcharge for ordering say surf and turf. (BTW unless I'm mistaken, lobster tails are not available at Cagney unless I simply missed it).

 

In the big scheme of things is it important? Perhaps or perhaps not. To me, it's a bummer. It was a bummer when I heard earlier before my cruise that it was no longer offered in the mdr but only at the buffet. Like I said they made a big deal on the daily that Tuesday evening that the buffet would have a seafood buffet with a picture that included a lobster tail (as well as large shrimp). I get a lot of it. Carnival is hardly much more expensive than NCL. Last year, I took 3 carnival cruises (this year they pulled out of Europe so I went back to NCL). Shrimp coctails were part of the every day menu in the mdr and formal night was also lobster night (I put on my button down oxford shirt along with a tie to go with my blue jeans and sneakers or maybe I wore shoes, I don't remember which). All I'm simply saying and I get it that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder is sometimes cost cutting goes too far. I think most (granted not all) that this may have been an example of that no matter how much people say they don't cruise for the food.

 

 

They are available in Le Bistro if you really want one.

[MATHA531]

Upload didn't work. Sorry.

Edited July 2, 2014 by MATHA531

[Annmeat]

I have to pull a SissasmommE and just say

 

NEVERMIND.

 

ANN

[Sizzlechest]

They are available in Le Bistro if you really want one.

 

Considering it's going to cost $30 pp, I hope they're worth it.

[NLH Arizona]

I read on the review of people who were taking 5 or more in the buffet and certainly understand why NCL would stop serving them. I think that they should put the lobster back on the menu in the MDR, but instead of letting everyone have as much as they want, they could serve 1 or 2 depending on the size of the lobster tail and then charge say $5 for each additional tail that someone wants. This way those that want 5, 10 or even 20 lobster tails could still have them, they would just have to pay for them. I figure that they really love them and wouldn't have a problem paying for more, because you know that people would just not be gluttonous because they are free.

[KweezyCruiser]

Tried the cioppino and the paella at the buffet and they were both quite good. Either is a good substitute for that "lobster" that we used to get.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Got off the Breakaway two weeks ago and Lobster tails were in the Garden Cafe and The Haven Restaurant (if you're sailing in The Haven) on Monday night and they were yummy!

 

It certainly won't prevent me from cruising NCL, but I'd be a bit disappointed if they discontinued lobster tails completely.

[Winston Wolf]

Just another in a long, long list of cutbacks by NCL. Between the cutbacks and the continued nickel and diming I don't know how they get people to cruise a second time on NCL. I guess the ignorant masses are easily fooled.

 

 

Or...you know....lobster isn't that big of a deal to most passengers?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited July 2, 2014 by Winston Wolf

[njhorseman]

You know its the really good CEO who knows this kind of issue. Do you think a major change in ordering lobster tails wasn't brought to the attention of the CEO who was originally the CFO? If I was CEO I would expect that at some meeting when we are discussing costs and what the menu changes will be to cut them the issue wasn't discussed? You know the expression in Russia during the progroms was if only the Tsar knew he would stop this but in reality the Tsar knew!

...maybe real Norwegians don't eat lobster only Lutefisk...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk (its a joke)

 

Sid, do you really think Kevin Sheehan had any part of answering your question, or even read/approved the answer you got?

 

Chances are reasonably good that this decision was made with at a lower level with at most minimal mention at a staff meeting.

 

CEOs of major corporations don't normally keep abreast/ get involved with minor changes. It's known as delegation of authority.

 

By the way, the CEO of GM apparently (according to an independent report) didn't know their ignition switches were responsible for numerous accidents resulting in death or injury because the problem was hidden from her by staffers down the line. She found out when it became a big story. Maybe Sheehan will find out if enough people complain.

[jkgourmet]

I read on the review of people who were taking 5 or more in the buffet and certainly understand why NCL would stop serving them. I think that they should put the lobster back on the menu in the MDR, but instead of letting everyone have as much as they want, they could serve 1 or 2 depending on the size of the lobster tail and then charge say $5 for each additional tail that someone wants. This way those that want 5, 10 or even 20 lobster tails could still have them, they would just have to pay for them. I figure that they really love them and wouldn't have a problem paying for more, because you know that people would just not be gluttonous because they are free.

 

Oh great, now you want them to start charging extra in the MDR???? :banghead: