No lobster night??

[sue cubic]

Recently sailed on Gem out of NY on 1/30/15. No lobster night on a 10-day cruise? When did this happen? This was my 4th cruise on Gem, and never happened before. I guess the trend now is to go to a specialty restaurant for a cover charge plus extra for lobster. Same goes for shrimp cocktail--nowhere to be found in MDR. Last cruise was on Carnival in May of '14 and they still had both.

 

Also noticeable was few selections on lunch buffet, compared to the past. Dinner selections seemed odd to me many nights. Who serves Italian meatballs over rice?? And since when is a "slider" an appetizer? They had a very lot of what they called "strip loin" on lunch and dinner menus...very good in whatever incarnation they served, but that and roast pork got a bit boring. As did broccoli for most dinners. Desserts were basically the same choices every night.

 

We did not go hungry, but the food was not on a par with former NCL cruises.

 

Biggest problem we had was disembarking. According to printed material left in our room, wheelchair assistance would go according to color tags (check the info in the "You'll be leaving soon" paper that's in your room the night before you leave). We had yellow tags (first), and waited as told until our color was called. When we arrived at the appointed area, there were at least 50 people ahead of us (of all color tags), and they were proceeding with "first-come, first served". It did no good to mention to the attendant that we had a 12:00 bus to catch at the Port Authority. We left the ship at 11:15. We missed that bus, as we were 3rd to the last to get a wheelchair. With the wait for a cab, it was too late. This is just a warning to anyone who might also find themselves in this position.

 

I will miss cruising, but we can no longer take the chance that things will go as professed. It isn't special enough anymore.

[lawra09]

Just off the Getaway out of Miami for 7 days and no lobster night on that one either.

[RuthlessBoss]

Oh, oh:eek:

[Out to sea!]

Back around May/June of last year. Lobster gone bye bye. :(

[zqvol]

I have never had good, or even decent lobster on a mass market cruise ship. IMO you are not missing anything by not having over cooked shell fish during dinner.

[mearsfansinboise]

We did a spring break cruise last year and I think it was right around the time of transition because each night I'd ask when it was going to be and the answer was always "uh, I think that's tomorrow night" and then tomorrow came and the next tomorrow, and never a lobster. Although I just read on another thread about a lobster dish in Cagney's that I am going to try. I love my lobster on cruises!

[NLH Arizona]

There is lobster in Cagney's, Le Bistro and the Teppanyaki restaurant.

[Out to sea!]

There is lobster in Cagney's, Le Bistro and the Teppanyaki restaurant.

 

The lobster in Teppenyaki, while very good, is not quite the same as lobster tail dripping in butter.

[nyc12345]

It's been reported on many occasions here that NCL no longer serves lobsters in the main restaurants/buffet. I miss them too... :eek:

[cage keeper]

I have never had good, or even decent lobster on a mass market cruise ship. IMO you are not missing anything by not having over cooked shell fish during dinner.

 

I agree.

[GORDONCHICK]

For those of us who live in land-locked states, the lobster was good. Ours was never over-cooked, cold or mushy. It was nice to be able to have 3-4 or the little rock lobster tails. Yes, I get they aren't Maine lobsters. But for those of us who don't care, we do miss it. Just like I miss shrimp cocktail, escargot and crème Brule - all that used to be served in the MDRs until just the past few years.

[sjnyc323]

Lobster gone a year ago

[RuthlessBoss]

Has anyone forgotten they can go to Red Lobster at home and anytime?

[NYcruzzer]

They can also get bacon at Denny's

Should NCL eliminate Bacon to reduce cost as well ?

 

 

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[Dave85]

I think NCL is currently doing a lot of really great things to evolve their product... but this was a mistake. No, the lobster isn't top notch, but most people like it anyway and it's a fun little treat on a cruise in the included restaurants. When NCL looks around and sees that their competitor lines -- namely Carnival and RCI -- are still serving lobster in their MDRs, and NCL isn't, well, that should tell them that they messed up and the lobster should return.

 

As people accurately point out in every thread on this issue, these are not great lobster tails. They're frozen and small. But, as a result, they cannot be so expensive that NCL would face an unreasonable cost burden by continuing to serve them. As I said at the top of this point, NCL is doing a lot of things right at the moment... but this is a decision that puzzled me. :confused:

[Out to sea!]

Has anyone forgotten they can go to Red Lobster at home and anytime?

 

It's easier to sail Carnival and eat as much lobster as I want there. ;)

Edited February 22, 2015 by Out to sea!

[mking8288]

This "passionate" topic on lobster at NCL, availability, surcharges, quality and taste deserved a "Sticky" or FAQ on top for ongoing "debate" - no less than 6 new threads since this Jan. 1st. Cost reductions are everywhere these days but cruiselines are holding prices down, with NCL's latest promotion on UBP, UDP, OBC and KSF - one has to wonder how is all that possible?

We are fortunate in NY to have access to fresh lobsters at great prices year-round, dining out and DIY at home. Has anyone checked lately, prices are sky high: local supermarket's live lobsters now priced at $14 a pound - uncooked - was $8 to $10 a pound not long ago - can only imagine marked up at chains like Red Lobsters.

One reason given, supply & demand - many (include those from Maine) are being exported in huge, huge quantities, flown half way around the world to China as they can fetch as high as $50 a pound, that's $50 USD per pound of fresh lobster and consumed. Lobster fishermen in Maine/New England are very happy these days as wholesale prices dropped to $3 a pound 2 or 3 years ago. Prices for frozen lobsters must be rising as well ... Not an easy task for the procurement "buyers" at NCL or the executive chef in charging of menu planning with their CFO overlooking their food budgets.

Haven't checked CCI lately, but we surely did had some pretty good lobster tails in the MDR 1 night when we last sailed the Splendor, and they had baby shrimp cocktails nightly. I'll settle for half a dozen of fresh & jumbo prawns with NCL, and they taste just as good, if not better. Anyone seen Monk fish or tuna steak on NCL, I missed those too.

Edited February 22, 2015 by mking8288

[cruise_alot123]

The lotto Korean super market in my hood was selling Lobster 4.99/LB. These are whole lobsters and NCL only gives u the tail so who cares that they don't have lobster night.

Edited February 22, 2015 by cruise_alot123

[LrgPizza]

And since when is a "slider" an appetizer?

Sliders are on the appetizer menus of most restaurants I dine in these days. Where else would they be? I'm not sure I've ever seen them listed as anything BUT an appetizer. :confused:

[endymion6942]

I just got off the Dawn this morning. I was told that lobster was removed due to the extremely high price.

[Dave85]

This "passionate" topic on lobster at NCL, availability, surcharges, quality and taste deserved a "Sticky" or FAQ on top for ongoing "debate" - no less than 6 new threads since this Jan. 1st.

 

. . .

 

One reason given, supply & demand - many (include those from Maine) are being exported in huge, huge quantities, flown half way around the world to China as they can fetch as high as $50 a pound, that's $50 USD per pound of fresh lobster and consumed. Lobster fishermen in Maine/New England are very happy these days as wholesale prices dropped to $3 a pound 2 or 3 years ago. Prices for frozen lobsters must be rising as well ... Not an easy task for the procurement "buyers" at NCL or the executive chef in charging of menu planning with their CFO overlooking their food budgets.

 

I agree about the sticky LOL. All good points, but one still has to wonder why the procurement buyers at NCL's competitors would be able to pull it off where NCL couldn't. Carnival is, not always but usually, the least expensive option on the most common routes, so it stands to reason that if Carnival could serve frozen tails on every sailing than NCL could too.

 

RCI actually has tails available on all cruises above, I believe, 5 nights is the line. They actually have it available every night on its new Quantum (and soon to be Anthem) of the Seas in one of their included restaurants, The Grande, if you are willing to "dress up" to dine in that restaurant. I will say though that RCI is charging a premium for sailings on its Quantum Class, so perhaps it isn't as much of an apples-to-apples comparison as the rest of the RCI fleet.

[bermudafan8]

I miss the MDR lobster also. For us it was a special vacation meal, not something we would have at home at the local restaurants. The cruise lines are really pushing passengers to use and pay for the specialty restaurants. If there was still lobster in the MDRs they probably wouldn't make as much money that night in the specialties. However, so many people eat at those places on the other nights that you'd think they could have lobster in the main dining room for one night and the cruise line wouldn't lose money. How long until we have to pay to use the main dining rooms?

[sfaaa]

They can also get bacon at Denny's

Should NCL eliminate Bacon to reduce cost as well ?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Either eliminate lobster and keep cruise affordable or NCL put lobster back on the menu and raise the cruise price. Pick your poison because it comes out of your pocket either way.

[funat55]

I think NCL is currently doing a lot of really great things to evolve their product... but this was a mistake. No, the lobster isn't top notch, but most people like it anyway and it's a fun little treat on a cruise in the included restaurants. When NCL looks around and sees that their competitor lines -- namely Carnival and RCI -- are still serving lobster in their MDRs, and NCL isn't, well, that should tell them that they messed up and the lobster should return.

 

As people accurately point out in every thread on this issue, these are not great lobster tails. They're frozen and small. But, as a result, they cannot be so expensive that NCL would face an unreasonable cost burden by continuing to serve them. As I said at the top of this point, NCL is doing a lot of things right at the moment... but this is a decision that puzzled me. :confused:

 

I agree with you 100% as well as the other lobster supporters. I personally have never had a bad lobster on a cruise and it was one of the treats we looked forward to. Now days it expensive enough just to take a family of 5 to McDonalds let alone Red Lobster. Vacations are special times and lobster was a special treat. I have sailed on Carnival, RCCL, and Princess and find the lines more similar then different and have had no issues on any of my previous cruises. I don't choose a cruise line by who serves lobster but if the choice gets narrowed down between NCL and another line, lobster could be the tie breaker if all other things are considered equal. I have been very satisfied with my last two NCL cruises and am very excited by my upcoming Epic vacation, but I'm not married to any of the cruise lines and I can't really say NCL is better or worse then anyone else. If lobster were not such a part of main line cruising, it wouldn't keep getting brought up over and over again.

[NYcruzzer]

Either eliminate lobster and keep cruise affordable or NCL put lobster back on the menu and raise the cruise price. Pick your poison because it comes out of your pocket either way.

 

Good point. NCL can raise my cruise fare by $6.00 to cover the cost of one 4 oz Lobster tail on Lobster night. They can even limit me to one Lobster on said Lobster night.