Food on Holland America

[fatcat04]

We've only sailed Carnival until and thought the food was usually pretty good. Booked our first Alaskan on HAL - just wondered how they compare these days?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

We loved the food on Carnival tbh... only had one bad meal. Desserts on Carnival were better as was the wine list but that was years ago and HAL has improved from what we have seen and experienced. HAL MDR we have found comparable or better, especially the creamy or cheesy vegetarian and international dishes. We are not big beef/potato eaters. Just not our thing. We like varied fare and found HAL to be just fine for us.

Edited September 5, 2016 by fatcat04

[djhsolara]

We used to be "MDR people" with only a night out of there for the PG. Now we're "other venue" people with one night or two in the MDR. We've only been cruising for 10 years, but we've seen quite a difference in the MDR over the years. I'm often ordering off of the everyday selections...and don't like having to do that. With all of the new venues, we're planning to do the dining plan on K-dam in January, so probably not much time in the MDR.

 

We just did our first Disney cruise and we will say that Disney runs circles around HAL when it comes to food. When we sat down to embarkation day lunch (the same lunch that was available in all venues to everyone on the ship), we both said "now this is what HAL should be serving at their Mariner Lunch"...huge iced shrimp and snow crab claws, among other things...quite the nice spread.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[OlsSalt]

Do you think the 3X price difference between Disney and HAL made a difference in overall food quality?

 

Quick check 7 day Mexican Riviera: - balcony Mexican Riviera on nearly 3000 passenger Disney - $1,600. On 2000 passenger Westerdam, it as $600 for a balcony.

[Stratheden]

After a 14 day cruise earlier this year we have decided not to cruise HAL again.

 

The food was the main reason. In the MDR all the food seemed to taste the same. We did not enjoy it at all. After a few days we did not look forward to our evening meals and couldn't wait for the cruise to finish.

 

Previously our 22 day cruise in the Med was quite different. We really enjoyed the food at that time.

 

Not sure whether the difference is a lowering if the standards or different cooks but we won't be spending money to find out.

[djhsolara]

Do you think the 3X price difference between Disney and HAL made a difference in overall food quality?

 

 

 

Quick check 7 day Mexican Riviera: - balcony Mexican Riviera on nearly 3000 passenger Disney - $1,600. On 2000 passenger Westerdam, it as $600 for a balcony.

 

 

Price depends on the sailing. We paid for a 3-night on DCL what we normally pay for a 7-night on HAL, so I totally get what you're saying.

 

Still, they should be treating Mariners to a better meal at the luncheon. It's to the point that we really don't want to go because we could get better food in the Lido and don't have to dress to go...but we keep going with the hope that they'll do something nicer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cbr663]

...

Some people like to talk about taking their Cabin Steward home in their suitcase. I'd take the baker who makes the croissants and breads! Every evening in the dining room, an interesting and delicious bread basket was offered.

 

It is all a mass produced and frozen product that is baked off on the ship. Any large land based supermarket would carry similar items in the frozen foods section.

[fann1sh]

Just my single opinion - but the main reason I like eating in the MDR is taking 2 hours for dinner AND small portions for each offering.

 

Well, along with the fact I don't have to cook it, and it's brought to me! :)

 

Isn't it great HAL can accommodate such a wide variety of priorities?

 

Is venison or buffalo still occasionally on the menu? Saw on my last 3 cruises, none recent. Only red meats I can eat. :(

[Tarpeian Rock]

HAL food is really about the same quality as that of Celebrity, Princess and Oceana and, in my opinion, a step above Carnival and NCL.

 

We do however, think that presentation is important and HAL usually shines. Occasionally, well, not so much. We did a family re-union cruise 2 years ago on Eurodam, consisting of people from all around the globe and from teens to seniors. Everyone was very impressed with the food offerings in the MDR and even in the Lido.

 

I think you would have very little to complain about on any HAL ship.

 

 

 

Food is by definition subjective, but after 4 HAL's and 3 Oceania cruises, my opinion is that the "food gap" between HAL and Oceania is Grand Canyon-sized. For that matter, our Princess cruises had food superior to our last two HAL experiences - and we were last on HAL several years before the current rounds of "cutbacks." As always, YMMV.

[OlsSalt]

Just my single opinion - but the main reason I like eating in the MDR is taking 2 hours for dinner AND small portions for each offering.

 

Well, along with the fact I don't have to cook it, and it's brought to me! :)

 

Isn't it great HAL can accommodate such a wide variety of priorities?

 

Is venison or buffalo still occasionally on the menu? Saw on my last 3 cruises, none recent. Only red meats I can eat. :(

 

Never saw venison or buffalo, but they still do a great job with liver and onions. Plus our dinners were always under one hour and the smaller portion size of better quality offerings makes having more variety of courses a saner operation these days.

 

However, I am also of the camp that thinks it is not fair to (1) compare HAL dining to higher end cruise lines, or (2) expect more than just basically good banquet food for the price and nature of the operation.

 

Maybe the larger Princess ships have this worked out differently, but for a nicely genteel dining atmosphere with perfectly adequate and often very nice choices HAL remains a great value travel choice in our book.

 

I love the feeling of the MDR, and agree, no cooking, no dishes and some special dining time with DH who dresses for the occasion along with a reasonable variety of choices, after "over-eating" anyway during the day, HAL MDR still delivers a special dining occasion for us.

Edited September 6, 2016 by OlsSalt

[fann1sh]

Never saw venison or buffalo, but they still do a great job with liver and onions. Plus our dinners were always under one hour and the smaller portion size of better quality offerings makes having more variety of courses a saner operation these days.

 

However, I am also of the camp that thinks it is not fair to (1) compare HAL dining to higher end cruise lines, or (2) expect more than just basically good banquet food for the price and nature of the operation.

 

Maybe the larger Princess ships have this worked out differently, but for a nicely genteel dining atmosphere with perfectly adequate and often very nice choices HAL remains a great value travel choice in our book.

 

I love the feeling of the MDR, and agree, no cooking, no dishes and some special dining time with DH who dresses for the occasion along with a reasonable variety of choices, after "over-eating" anyway during the day, HAL MDR still delivers a special dining occasion for us.

 

Totally agree, especially your remark about banquet food. This is what I expect, tell OTHERS to expect when posting on another cruising board, and advise to order accordingly.

 

OhMyGoodness - liver and onions! <mouth watering>

[iancal]

I believe that there is an expectation gap on the mass market cruise lines-HAL included.

 

The cruise line marketing points to wonderful gourmet meals in the MDR. The urban legend about wonderful cruise line MDR food still exists. The MDR's design/environment and the place settings/China imply something special.

 

Bottom line is that it is banquet food. Look around at the number of covers served. NO question the expectation should be banquet food. This is our experience on several lines especially in the last few years. Once in a while you do get something a little special. If you don't expect it you will not be disappointed.

 

The person who paid $600 for a week on the ship is being served the same food in the MDR and Lidi as the person who $2100 or more. That is the challenge for the cruise lines.

Edited September 6, 2016 by iancal

[oliver1821]

Having been on three Hal cruises, I found the food to be good to excellent. Like all the venues for dining too!

 

Going on KDam in December and look forward to eating:)

[kazu]

I have found that the food can vary dramatically from ship to ship. (And probably from sailing to sailing).

 

Overall our food has been quite good - especially on the longer cruises (30 days or more).

 

Best food to date for us has been on the Prinsendam, Westerdam, Maasdam & Zuiderdam.

 

Volendam & N Amsterdam were not exciting. Probably on the next cruise everything changed ;)

 

The latter were a number of years ago, so YMMV.

[TheEmerson]

It is all a mass produced and frozen product that is baked off on the ship. Any large land based supermarket would carry similar items in the frozen foods section.

 

Almost all breads are made on the ship. Things like croissants are frozen then baked onboard.

[Zwervend]

I have been on two HAL cruises in the last 5 years...Alaska on Zaandam and Canada on Veendam. I did not care for the food on either cruise, while my companion loved every bite and ate heartily.

 

I'm really not that fussy. I want hot foods served hot and cold foods served cold. I'd like it to be appropriately seasoned. I'd like it to be cooked properly. They just couldn't make that happen. While the dishes were presented beautifully and the portion sizes perfect, the food itself was largely tasteless and very, very overcooked. Crab, lobster and shrimp were all cooked to the chewiness of a fine rubber band. I was specifically told that I could not order a steak cooked to any other temperature than well done. Hot foods were never more than tepid. Desserts, while beautiful, were also pretty tasteless. I DID have a couple of good meals in the Pinnacle, and found a couple of vegetarian dishes. The upside of not caring for the food is that I lost weight on both trips!