Does NCL serve Lobster

[BirdTravels]

On 11/24/2020 at 9:24 PM, njhorseman said:

NYC-based Caribbean cruises do not  get provisioned in Port Canaveral because they don't call at Port Canaveral. IIRC they haven't called at PC for years. The only NYC-based cruises that currently call at Port Canaveral are those that go to the Bahamas. If you look at every NYC-based Itinerary offered from January 2021 through October of 2023, not a single Caribbean cruise calls at PC.

Oh, yes. You are so smart. The Bahamas are technically north of the Caribbean sea. But is generally associated with the Caribbean community. Sorry for the blatant misrepresentation of the Bahamas.  

 

wrt to the original post quoted where lobsters magically showed up when they called at PC, the Bahama cruises out of NYC are provisioned when they make port calls in Florida. The remainder of the NYC cruises are typically have bulk provisioning from Florida with selected fresh items provisioned locally.

[BirdTravels]

Royal Caribbean Lobster with a side of prime rib (March 2018)

 

NCL Ocean Blue surf and turf (August 2019)

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Oh, yes. You are so smart. The Bahamas are technically north of the Caribbean sea. But is generally associated with the Caribbean community. Sorry for the blatant misrepresentation of the Bahamas.  

 

wrt to the original post quoted where lobsters magically showed up when they called at PC, the Bahama cruises out of NYC are provisioned when they make port calls in Florida. The remainder of the NYC cruises are typically have bulk provisioning from Florida with selected fresh items provisioned locally.

It's not just me being so smart. NCL does not use the word "Caribbean" in the itinerary titles and descriptions of a single cruise that calls on PC and the Bahamas. Apparently their employees responsible for writing itinerary descriptions are also smart...smart enough to know the correct geographical terminology.

[njhorseman]

23 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

It's not just me being so smart. NCL does not use the word "Caribbean" in the itinerary titles and descriptions of a single cruise that calls on PC and the Bahamas. Apparently their employees responsible for writing itinerary descriptions are also smart...smart enough to know the correct geographical terminology.

To be precise I intended to say "a single cruise originating in New York that calls on PC and the Bahamas" . Realized that too late to edit the post.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

To be precise I intended to say "a single cruise originating in New York that calls on PC and the Bahamas" . Realized that too late to edit the post.

Still very smart and very precise. I wish I were as smart and precise. 

Edited November 26, 2020 by BirdTravels

[njhorseman]

46 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Still very smart and very precise. I wish I were as smart and precise. 

Even if I were to agree  with your assertion that the Bahamas are typically considered part of the Caribbean, your statement "NYC-based Caribbean cruises are provisioned in Port Canaveral" still isn't true. 

 

Currently NCL is offering 20 different Caribbean/Bahamas itineraries originating in NY . Of the 20, only 6 call on Port Canaveral, meaning that ships sailing 14, or 70%, of the offered itineraries are not provisioned in Port Canaveral.

 

Enjoy your Thanksgiving...and I'm saying that sincerely, not as a snarky ending to the discussion.

[Trimone]

I think the frozen lobster on ships is overrated.

[PelicanBill]

On 11/24/2020 at 9:24 PM, njhorseman said:

NYC-based Caribbean cruises do not  get provisioned in Port Canaveral because they don't call at Port Canaveral. IIRC they haven't called at PC for years. The only NYC-based cruises that currently call at Port Canaveral are those that go to the Bahamas. If you look at every NYC-based Itinerary offered from January 2021 through October of 2023, not a single Caribbean cruise calls at PC.

True, not by design. One of the trips I referred to was a Bahamas/PC 7 day cruise (well, 6 because of hurricanes.)  But in the last few years there was one NYC based Caribbean cruise that did have Port Canaveral as the first stop. It was a 12 day itinerary that was supposed to be a terrific south/east itinerary, but hurricanes damaged 2 of our 6 ports. And to our dismay, NCL threw out the itinerary instead of salvaging it and went to PC, Nassau and GSC followed by 3 western ports.  They held the decision until after final payment with no offer to cancel or change so we were stuck with it.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Even if I were to agree  with your assertion that the Bahamas are typically considered part of the Caribbean, your statement "NYC-based Caribbean cruises are provisioned in Port Canaveral" still isn't true. 

You are really smart. I wish everyone were as smart as you. 

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

You are really smart. I wish everyone were as smart as you. 

Happy Thanksgiving, and I still say that sincerely.

[PATRLR]

On 11/22/2020 at 1:56 PM, BirdTravels said:

We talked to a couple of executive chefs on ships right after this was done. They said that the smoked salmon was removed from the buffet to try and get more people, who really wanted it, to use the MDR and reduce the crowds in the buffet. It was explicitly *not* done as a cost cutting measure. And they noted a significant up-tick in salmon orders in the MDR after the change, so it had some effect. 

I don't doubt you were told this.  But if I were told this, I wouldn't believe it for a second.  It doesn't make sense.  

So planners are thinking about "how do we get more people to eat in the MDR?"  Here's an idea, we'll only offer the salmon in the MDR only.  The fact that we'll save money when all those buffet people aren't grabbing it "just to try" or "because it's there" isn't important, we'll get more people into the MDR, that's the important thing.  Yeah right.

NCL doesn't make any change if it doesn't include cost cutting or revenue enhancement.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, PATRLR said:

NCL doesn't make any change if it doesn't include cost cutting or revenue enhancement.

Since we cruise 4-6 times a year, I take the most common questions here on Cruise Critic and pose them to senior officers on the ships. I also do a lot of live posts, taking questions real time, and getting responses and information for CC members. In the case of the smoked salmon, I talked to the Executive Chef on the Bliss and subsequently had dinner with the food and beverage director on the Escape where I had a long chat about common questions and feel that the responses I received were honest and not deceptive. NCL has continually made substantial investments that are not cost cutting. They have the newest fleet with every ship totally refurbished in the last 5 years. The MDR lunch of fish sticks have evolved to poached salmon to fish and chips. Just because you like fish sticks doesn't mean that the poached salmon or fish and chips was "cost cutting". Yup, they did away with the midnight chocolate buffet after very few of the contemporary cruisers showed up and 10's of thousands of pounds of chocolate desserts where dumped overboard as fish food weekly. And yes, they have done away with the chicken fingers. 

[FLAHAM]

I like the MDR lunch entree of open-faced tuna salad sandwich with fries (I usually substitute cole slaw), alternating with chicken salad.  I add the popcorn shrimp appetizer and sliced fresh fruit for dessert.  It makes a nice lunch.

Edited November 29, 2020 by FLAHAM

[AKR2011]

58 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

I like the MDR lunch entree of open-faced tuna salad sandwich with fries (I usually substitute cole slaw), alternating with chicken salad.  I add the popcorn shrimp appetizer and sliced fresh fruit for dessert.  It makes a nice lunch.

I'm with you on MDR lunch! I know this us a lobster thread, but the grouper sandwich on the prezel bun is great, as are the fish and chips on the lunch menu. I agree, tuna is fantastic too, and I'm a big fan of the hummus with pitas, roasted tomato soup, and peanut butter cheesecake. Definitely my favorite place to eat.

[Calvin]

On 11/29/2020 at 8:18 AM, BirdTravels said:

Since we cruise 4-6 times a year, I take the most common questions here on Cruise Critic and pose them to senior officers on the ships. I also do a lot of live posts, taking questions real time, and getting responses and information for CC members. In the case of the smoked salmon, I talked to the Executive Chef on the Bliss and subsequently had dinner with the food and beverage director on the Escape where I had a long chat about common questions and feel that the responses I received were honest and not deceptive. NCL has continually made substantial investments that are not cost cutting. They have the newest fleet with every ship totally refurbished in the last 5 years. The MDR lunch of fish sticks have evolved to poached salmon to fish and chips. Just because you like fish sticks doesn't mean that the poached salmon or fish and chips was "cost cutting". Yup, they did away with the midnight chocolate buffet after very few of the contemporary cruisers showed up and 10's of thousands of pounds of chocolate desserts where dumped overboard as fish food weekly. And yes, they have done away with the chicken fingers. 

Very interesting.  Did you happen to speak with anyone about whether NCL would return to serving lobster tails in The Haven or the MDR, or Ocean Blue?

[Bartfast]

This is an old thread. However, Cagney's on the Gem has lobster tail as part of its surf-and-turf entree. 

Edited August 31, 2021 by Bartfast

[complawyer]

if they still have it, it's also an upcharge item

[caitlynambrai]

On 8/29/2021 at 4:51 PM, Calvin said:

Very interesting.  Did you happen to speak with anyone about whether NCL would return to serving lobster tails in The Haven or the MDR, or Ocean Blue?

New Haven menus from the Encore show a surf and turf that includes lobster tail.

[Bartfast]

8 hours ago, complawyer said:

if they still have it, it's also an upcharge item

It was an upcharge. I forget how much, maybe $20.

[Coastalbreezes]

On Gem last week, Cagneys offered a surf and turf (filet and lobster tail). $19 upcharge and the lobster tail was tiny and very undercooked, almost raw and I had to send it back. They removed the upcharge.

[zerooveride]

Off the Encore on Saturday and on Friday night we went to Cagney's. I got the Tomahawk steak and a Lobster tail. Tail was very small and didn't have much flavor. I wish I had brought my phone to dinner to take a picture, but I didn't bring it because my wife complained I had been on it to much during the cruise and I thought that we needed a nice uninterrupted dinner. I was more impressed with Onda than Cagney's and the best tasting thing we had was the Chicken Parm in MDR for lunch (one of the best chicken parm I've had).

[cruiserbear55]

On 9/1/2021 at 1:38 PM, zerooveride said:

Off the Encore on Saturday and on Friday night we went to Cagney's. I got the Tomahawk steak and a Lobster tail. Tail was very small and didn't have much flavor. I wish I had brought my phone to dinner to take a picture, but I didn't bring it because my wife complained I had been on it to much during the cruise and I thought that we needed a nice uninterrupted dinner. I was more impressed with Onda than Cagney's and the best tasting thing we had was the Chicken Parm in MDR for lunch (one of the best chicken parm I've had).

Do you remember what the upcharge for the tomahawk is? On a cruise 5 or 6 years ago, a buddy of mine ordered the tomahawk and consumed the entire thing!. I was impressed. I'm sure the lobster tail you were served was "rock" lobster from down Florida way. Can't be compared in any way to a "sweet down-east Maine cold water lobster tail".                                        

[Calvin]

On 8/31/2021 at 8:55 AM, Bartfast said:

This is an old thread. However, Cagney's on the Gem has lobster tail as part of its surf-and-turf entree. 

Thank you all so much!  The last cruise I sailed on was in 2018 on the Bliss, and lobster was nowhere to be found. For the first time, we'll be sailing in the Haven, and hoping to see that on the menu.

[BirdTravels]

On 9/4/2021 at 9:21 AM, cruiserbear55 said:

Do you remember what the upcharge for the tomahawk is? On a cruise 5 or 6 years ago, a buddy of mine ordered the tomahawk and consumed the entire thing!. I was impressed. I'm sure the lobster tail you were served was "rock" lobster from down Florida way. Can't be compared in any way to a "sweet down-east Maine cold water lobster tail".