Say it ain't so --- Limit on Lobster Tails

[BeeeJay]

$5 additional on each drink? You probably won't be surprised to find it hard for the rest of us to believe...bad service that is, not that you tipped $5 a drink.

 

 

I know, right? Worked like a charm on my previous cruise

[UNV-IT!!!]

I just looked at the latest update of drink packages dated Sept 2014 and there is no mention of unlimited quantity. The ultimate package says virtually unlimited options, but nothing indicates unlimited quantity. I'm sure this is a way for them to cut off those visibly intoxicated and belligerent, as they should, by pointing out nothing in the literature says unlimited.

 

As I said in my previous post the servers selling the packages were calling them unlimited drink packages. Key word unlimited. And they don't need any special phrasing to cut you off. It's in your cruise contract.

[WarumistdieBananekrumm]

If I'm not mistaken NCL has done away with lobster in most dining venues on most ships. From my understanding you can only get it in some of the restaurants you pay a cover for.

 

 

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on the Getaway Thanksgiving week 7 day Eastern Caribbean

 

- no lobster tail -

 

just a pasta dish with lobster sauce and a few overcooked microscopic lobster pieces hidden under a pile of pasta ......

[scottrn7]

So we have always looked forward to lobster night and even on one cruise our waiter kept bringing more and more lobster to the table saying "it's okay Mr. Roger, you can eat just one more...". I thought I was going to die.

 

Anyway, so we go on Explorer of the Seas, dock in Bar Harbor and have lunch at Stewman's on the dock. Lobster Rolls and blue berry pie and a blue berry Margarita. I have never had such fresh, succulent tasting lobster like we had there. Just a slice of heaven. Then back on the boat, and whats for dinner? Lobster! It was like trying to chew on a piece of leather. Ladies and gentlemen I have been spoiled. I know will pass on the lobster or might taste a bit because nothing will compare to what we had that day.

[purdueny]

What? You got lobster? Be thankful for that! We cruised RCI and NCL this year and no first free lobster much less a second one on either menu in the MDR! (And the RCI cruise was 15 nights!) you could pay $25 or$35 for lobster in the MdR on RCI though.

We are about to board another 14 night RCI in a few days and I doubt there will be free lobster on this sailing either! :(

 

 

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Edited December 27, 2014 by purdueny

[mcatmcat]

Don't really know but I was in the adventure like 3 or 2 years ago and I asked for 2 lobster and she told me that I had to wait until everybody in the dinning room made their orders and if there was any left I could ask for 2.

 

To be honest I wasn't sure that could be an answer from royal and I suspected that the waiter made that up, so... We were in a table of 6 and some of my friends didn't asked for fishermen plate so I told my waiter, could you please add a fishermen plate to them please.

 

That's has been the only bad experience with a waiter onboard royal

 

Maybe is a policy that is to the waiters capacity to enforce it or not but in every past cruise is the waiter who ask me if I want more without me making the request.

 

 

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[tip]

I have never understood the fascination that some folks on these boards have with what others choose to do whether it be how they dress or what and how much they choose eat or drink.

 

Having grown up on the New England seacoast, I know what cold water lobster is supposed to taste like. The frozen lobster on a cruise ship tastes like rubber and I choose not to eat it. On the other hand, if someone else wants to ask for multiple servings of lobster while on a cruise, I do not concern myself with it.

 

I also grew up in a family of alcoholics and thus I have made a decision not to drink. If someone on a cruise ship chooses to purchase a drink package and have multiple drinks each day, I do not concern myself with it.

 

My point is that many of us would be better off if we stopped minding the business of others.

[rubrrick]

This was taken at our table on the NV just over 3 weeks ago. Note that two plates have two lobster tails each. No shrimp, just lobster, and very good for warm water lobster at that.;)

 

 

Shortage..........not here!

 

Rick

[Lionesss]

If this starts to happen on all sailings, then I will just have to order the sea food platter, give to the DH.

He can be the one to order his own seafood platter and a second one of any steak for me.

He can start off with two tails to begin with and all is good.

 

 

 

Sea Ya

[Hypo]

We were on Oasis for the 11/8/2014 sailing. One night in the Windjammer was designated as Seafood Night. They had "Lobster Thermidor" on the buffet. It was not Thermidor, but rather, was unlimited tails split in half and broiled. You could take as many as you wanted and they just kept refilling the pan.

We also had a GS and ate in the Coastal Kitchen several evenings. We also noticed that on several occasions that people at other tables were being served lobster tails. I asked our waitress and she said that you could special order them one evening, to be served the next.

[Big_G]

What? You got lobster? Be thankful for that! We cruised RCI and NCL this year and no first free lobster much less a second one on either menu in the MDR! (And the RCI cruise was 15 nights!) you could pay $25 or$35 for lobster in the MdR on RCI though.

We are about to board another 14 night RCI in a few days and I doubt there will be free lobster on this sailing either! :(

 

 

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Could it be that it was not a North American sailing?

[Big_G]

This was taken at our table on the NV just over 3 weeks ago. Note that two plates have two lobster tails each. No shrimp, just lobster, and very good for warm water lobster at that.;)

 

Shortage..........not here!

 

Rick

 

While we're accustomed to buying our cold water lobsters right from the boats here in Rhode Island, I will still order the warm water version on a cruise ship. It's all in the cooking that makes it or breaks it. I've had good and not so good but never bad.

[MommaBear55]

...

 

Anyway, so we go on Explorer of the Seas, dock in Bar Harbor and have lunch at Stewman's on the dock. Lobster Rolls and blue berry pie and a blue berry Margarita. I have never had such fresh, succulent tasting lobster like we had there. Just a slice of heaven. Then back on the boat, and whats for dinner? Lobster! It was like trying to chew on a piece of leather. Ladies and gentlemen I have been spoiled. I know will pass on the lobster or might taste a bit because nothing will compare to what we had that day.

 

Since I live less than a mile from the docks where the lobsters come in, I too am spoiled. You can have my lobsters aboard the ship. I'll just buy my Maine lobsters for as low as $2.99 a pound. They do go as high as $6.99 mid summer however.

[BeeeJay]

What bad service? Do you mean you get worse service with Drink Package? Or just in general?

 

Specifically, when sitting in the pool areas, it was difficult to get cocktail service. I was only approached and asked twice the entire 5 days, both times I tipped $5 on a tab around $10, and both times I never saw the server again.

 

I ended up going to the bars, where I waited. Not that I mind waiting, but its very slow the way they prepare the drinks and charge the cards, and its difficult for them to determine who is "next".

 

In the casino I was never approached and only saw cocktail service occur once, when the bartender served a person at a table directly adjacent to the bar.

 

In the buffet I was offered drinks twice the entire trip. We simply stopped at the bar on the way in once we realized the status quo.

 

Service on NCL Epic a few years ago was the polar opposite.

[LMaxwell]

Specifically, when sitting in the pool areas, it was difficult to get cocktail service. I was only approached and asked twice the entire 5 days, both times I tipped $5 on a tab around $10, and both times I never saw the server again.

 

Stop giving 50% tips when you aren't getting service!

[BeeeJay]

Stop giving 50% tips when you aren't getting service!

 

 

Good advice....guess I didn't know I wasn't gonna get service til after, and well then I wasn't giving any tips since there were no checks to tip on

[CPCruiser4Life]

WOWOW---- this thread took it upon itself to go all over the place. Sounds like there is no confirmation on the question.

 

For those thinking it was a "rumor" --- I got this straight out of the horse's mouth, my dad who wanted a third serving, but was told he could not. He didn't make a scene or second guess the waiter, but just accepted the answer.

 

I was slightly behooved by this as I have been on Carnival and Princess myself where I would have up 8 lobster tails. I love to eat, and I have no shame in it. I'm by no means overweight or obese (if that even matters), I'm actually in excellent shape (and use the fitness facility every morning and walk a lot while cruising). Every cruise, our waiter learns real quick that I'm an eater, and always has wonderful surprises for us.....(i.e. Arrive for dinner, he would have 6 plates of Sushi Apps (On Sushi night) ready for me; always have two shrimp cocktails ready for me every evening). Yes, we tip appropriately as my wife and i have both been in the restaurant business for a decade when we were in school and college.

 

I go on a cruise to eat, see some sights, and have a great time. I'm no food snob by any means, so lobster on a ship always taste delicious to me. I'll never forget our honeymoon cruise on the Caribbean Princess and they had crab legs....I couldn't tell you how many plates I ordered that night in the formal dining room. Another lovely couple we were sitting with were also indulging as we both were not ashamed nor should we. We pay just like everyone else.

 

Now, I feel a little leery from going on an RCI cruise, but seems like my parents just got unlucky due to an older, smaller ship possibly.

 

We love Carnival and never had issues with "drunks!" The price you pay for the value we get, can't beat it. Love to go on the Oasis one of these days as it looks absolutely stunning.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

[KuffMUp]

What they NEED to do is start putting daily limits on the drink package. No one needs "unlimited" drinks. Talk about gluttony...if not a touch of alcoholism. That will save our favorite cruise line much more money than limiting lobster servings. Every drink thread says the same thing; order as much as you can, if it gets warm, throw it away, if you don't like it, throw it away, if the ice melts, throw it away. Far more expensive waste!

 

The drink package, while without limits, cost a whopping $800 per couple. On our trips with experience with the package, I didn't see anyone who way over drank. I'm sure there were a few somewhere. Now, drinking without the package is just as bad. We went on Majesty just before the packages were offered. They were free pouring (you know, without the little things on the top of the bottle to help count a correct pour). I had to ask repeatedly to stop pouring so much liquor into my drink. THAT is where they can save the money.

[KuffMUp]

What bad service? Do you mean you get worse service with Drink Package? Or just in general?

 

After 2 cruises with the drink package, I can say I have not gotten bad service because of the package. BUT, I should say that I tip per round. Yes I know the gratuities are "included" and are spread amongst the bar tenders. However, I give an extra $1 per round and get excellent service. I feel that that $1 is well worth it and it goes directly to the server. On our last cruise, we met a bartender we had on our previous cruise. A year and a half later on a different ship, she remembered us by name (before she saw our seapass) and remembered what we drank! She got a whopper of a tip for that alone!

[stones902]

My parents just came back from a 9 day cruise on the Legend of Seas and they claim that there is a limit of TWO Lobster Tails per person in the dining room?!?! Is this fleet wide? or just this ship?!?!?!?!?

 

 

 

Never experienced anything like this on Princess or Carnival....

 

 

On our recent Celebrity cruise, lobster night was 1/2 tail, 3 scallops & two shrimp. I didn't hear of any limit on the number of entrees one could have.

 

That being said - 1/2 lobster tail is ridiculous.

 

 

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[OCruisers]

Thing is ... the lobster tails are not very good anyway. :rolleyes:

LuLu

[fairweather]

Don't understand this. Lobster is cheap now. I assume that they will be cutting back on crab and shrimp next as they are not?

[xcell]

I heard they cut down the shrimp cocktails down from 4 to 3 ...

 

First the shrimp, now the lobster?

 

Oh my what are we going to eat?

 

On a more serious note - I'm sure if you wanted more Lobster, they would give it to you and if not, then as a previous poster said, ask your table mates to order one (or more) for you.

[Wilson]

First the air conditioning and now lobster!? No......

[LetsGetWet!]

WOWOW---- this thread took it upon itself to go all over the place. Sounds like there is no confirmation on the question.

 

I was slightly behooved by this as I have been on Carnival and Princess myself where I would have up 8 lobster tails.

 

6 plates of Sushi Apps (On Sushi night)...

Wow... I think I'm speechless...

 

That is all...