Royal testing cutting dinner menu and charge extra for second Lobster.

[amcco]

Well I can say that the conversation on the Carnival FB page echoes this in some ways. They cut back their 24 hour ice cream to 13 hours and charging $5 for a third entree. Stated food wastage as the reason. Complete uproar. Who knew so many people ate ice cream for breakfast?!?

 

I’m wondering how the new NCL Prima approach of one larger constant menu will play out. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

15 minutes ago, amcco said:

Well I can say that the conversation on the Carnival FB page echoes this in some ways. They cut back their 24 hour ice cream to 13 hours and charging $5 for a third entree. Stated food wastage as the reason. Complete uproar. Who knew so many people ate ice cream for breakfast?!?

 

I’m wondering how the new NCL Prima approach of one larger constant menu will play out. 

 

The Prima, like Virgin, does have a better "buffet" which is like a food hall.  Nothing that looks like yesterdays leftovers thrown in a sauce like at some buffets

[OysterD]

32 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

But the healthy menus and other health related concerns in Aqua might cause someone to decide against pillow chocolates.  So since I've started bringing my own pillow chocolates due to Princess's new policy, I will bring pillow chocolates on X just in case.  

 

And if I have to eat twice the number of pillow chocolates (my own plus X's), well, I will force myself!!

They do currently still provide chocs on the pillows in aqua. I wonder how many people (in all classes) actually eat them though. I ate 1 out of 11. By the time I made it to the actual bed most nights I'd already washed, dressed and cleaned teeth, def don't want a chocolate then so they ended up in a pile. Room steward didn't take the hint and kept putting new ones on pillow every night!

[kwokpot]

1 minute ago, OysterD said:

They do currently still provide chocs on the pillows in aqua. I wonder how many people (in all classes) actually eat them though. I ate 1 out of 11. By the time I made it to the actual bed most nights I'd already washed, dressed and cleaned teeth, def don't want a chocolate then so they ended up in a pile. Room steward didn't take the hint and kept putting new ones on pillow every night!

I bring them home.

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 hours ago, FourNines said:

Lobster tails.....and to think they were once considered as slop and fed to prisoners and the poor.

We've come a long way.

 

6 hours ago, alyssamma said:

Funny, but true...

 

It's actually a Urban legend, here's what the New Bedford Guide (I grew up a few towns from there) site has to say:

"This early history of the lobster has spurred many an urban legend. Supposedly there were colonial, fisherman or prison revolts. It is said that people were so fed up with eating lobster that they were willing to burn, pillage and physically intervene. Petitions with hundreds or thousands of signatures were created. Landlords, bosses, supervisors and masters were taken to court and successfully sued. Even laws were placed on the books for this cruel and unusual punishment of having lobster for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, tea and a snack. Unfortunately, no historical records exist that can corroborate any of these legends. The stories do, however, crop up sometime in the 1950s, perhaps originating in marketing."

 

http://www.newbedfordguide.com/lobster-in-local-history-culture/2012/05/16

[phoenix_dream]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

We almost always travel in Retreat Class and find the "Timeless Entree's" very useful when there is nothing appealing on the limited Retreat Menu.  Our go to is the Children's 4 ounce Filet.  We also often order from the MDR menu when available on M and S Class.    Elimination of the Timeless Entree's would be a major blow to Luminae on E-Class.

 

I know the article stated MDR but would expect it to also include other dining rooms if it were implemented.

 

Agree 100%. I dislike much of the Luminae menu and the classics are definitely a good backup on Edge class. I would seriously avoid that class of ship if this were to change.  I already will only book suites on those ships as they destroyed my real balcony on other cabins. They make me stick to the often wierd Luminae options only and I'm done with that class.

[hcat]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

We almost always travel in Retreat Class and find the "Timeless Entree's" very useful when there is nothing appealing on the limited Retreat Menu.  Our go to is the Children's 4 ounce Filet.  We also often order from the MDR menu when available on M and S Class.    Elimination of the Timeless Entree's would be a major blow to Luminae on E-Class.

 

I know the article stated MDR but would expect it to also include other dining rooms if it were implemented.

 

On BEYOND 5 night cruise last week,  I ate the  classic Salmon twice ( it was excellent) and enjoyed the onion soup. . Only had 1 meal from the reg menu.. combined the scallops  with the tiny but very tasty  lobster tails .  The shrimp cocktail there  was awful and the sauce tasted like plain ketchup..

 

.  On the last night we went to BLU.. as nothing  was  appealing  in Luminae.. We lucked out with a very fresh shrimp cocktail ,and a  super filet mignon

 

Def . Agree that elim of the Classic choices would really make Luminae difficult for many.

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

On my last two cruises (Princess), I brought my own pillow chocolates.  And I just bought a bag of mini chocolates for my upcoming Celebrity cruise -- I am not sure if they give out chocolates in Aqua.  It isn't a cruise without pillow chocolates!!

 

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

My understanding is they have then in all classes. 

 

Can confirm AQ class has chocolates as that's where I usually stay.  I've seen it with my own eyes, more "unfit" people stay in AQ than fit people.  Most book AQ for Blu which has a main section that's larger than the "clean cuisine" section.  There's spa access, you just relax in a thermal lounger, sit in a steam room or sit in an aroma room.  They do offer free fitness classes but whenever I go to the gym and see a class going on, it's never well attended 

[alyssamma]

30 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

 

It's actually a Urban legend, here's what the New Bedford Guide (I grew up a few towns from there) site has to say:

"This early history of the lobster has spurred many an urban legend. Supposedly there were colonial, fisherman or prison revolts. It is said that people were so fed up with eating lobster that they were willing to burn, pillage and physically intervene. Petitions with hundreds or thousands of signatures were created. Landlords, bosses, supervisors and masters were taken to court and successfully sued. Even laws were placed on the books for this cruel and unusual punishment of having lobster for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, tea and a snack. Unfortunately, no historical records exist that can corroborate any of these legends. The stories do, however, crop up sometime in the 1950s, perhaps originating in marketing."

 

http://www.newbedfordguide.com/lobster-in-local-history-culture/2012/05/16

It's 100% true...

 

First, you need to read *all* of the article you posted. It clearly states how lobster was super abundant back then. The "urban legend" part it refers to is talking about revolts and contracts about being fed too much...it says nothing about the poor or prisoners. 

 

LOL, oh wait, *IT DOES*...from *your* article:

 

This abundance of the crustacean filled many bellies during these early times, giving a much needed fuel source for people to work, build and develop their hamlets. Certainly there were small communities that survived because of the lobster. It was used to feed prisoners, apprentices, servants, and the poor alike. Because of this lobster was initially associated with being a poor man’s food. At best it was eaten by the blue collar worker, for example peddlers had sold lobster from a wheelbarrow to the many Irish immigrants that came to Maine.

 

Also, from history.com...

https://www.history.com/news/a-taste-of-lobster-history

 

Dirt-cheap because they were so copious, lobsters were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, slaves and children during the colonial era and beyond. In Massachusetts, some servants allegedly sought to avoid lobster-heavy diets by including stipulations in their contracts that they would only be served the shellfish twice a week.

 

And yet another article...

 

https://gizmodo.com/lobsters-were-once-only-fed-to-poor-people-and-prisoner-1612356919

 

 

 

 

[prmssk]

51 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I bring them home.

I just unpacked ours this evening from our cruise last week.  I agree with others that we get so much food on the cruise that these little chocolates are a great way to bring the cruise home with us and remind us of our cruise as we enjoy them at a time when we aren't so full.

[prmssk]

1 hour ago, amcco said:

Well I can say that the conversation on the Carnival FB page echoes this in some ways. They cut back their 24 hour ice cream to 13 hours and charging $5 for a third entree. Stated food wastage as the reason. Complete uproar. Who knew so many people ate ice cream for breakfast?!?

 

I’m wondering how the new NCL Prima approach of one larger constant menu will play out. 

We will be on the Prima in about 25 days.  It's a short cruise so I'm sure we will survive but I'm not excited about the fixed MDR menu that never changes.  And reports are that they thought everyone would go to the Indulge Food Hall (food stall/truck style) that they may have mad the buffet too small.  NCL plans to extend this fixed MDR menu to all ships, after trying it out on the Prima.  I'm sure it is another cost saving measure for them and a way to get people to pay for specialty dining.   

[Mike45LC]

3 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

 

Can confirm AQ class has chocolates as that's where I usually stay.  I've seen it with my own eyes, more "unfit" people stay in AQ than fit people.  Most book AQ for Blu which has a main section that's larger than the "clean cuisine" section.  There's spa access, you just relax in a thermal lounger, sit in a steam room or sit in an aroma room.  They do offer free fitness classes but whenever I go to the gym and see a class going on, it's never well attended 

This is me!!  Unfit, ignoring the free fitness classes.  My yoga Matt is untouched after I stick it under the bed on embarkation day!  But I do enjoy a nice steam.

[DirtyDawg]

11 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

On my last two cruises (Princess), I brought my own pillow chocolates.  And I just bought a bag of mini chocolates for my upcoming Celebrity cruise -- I am not sure if they give out chocolates in Aqua.  It isn't a cruise without pillow chocolates!!

LOL.

Silly me, I thought it isn't a cruise without the ship. 🚢 😁

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[NutsAboutGolf]

To clarify, in the colonial days lobster was fed to prisoners, it's the prison revolts where no evidence exists

[miched]

We were on a RCCL cruise and a  couple that always sat on a table next to us in the MDR kept complaining about RCCL and constantly compared it to being on Crystal.  
 

On the night they served lobster was when they really showed their class.   They told the server to keep them coming.   They ate 5 and left most of the 6th one but kept complaining the whole time how bad they were and those on Crystal were much better.  

My wife and I are slow eaters and like to savor the food instead of one gulping like a dog.   That is why we seen how many they had.   They devoured them before we were done with our one entree that wasn’t lobster.  I am glad we didn’t order it because according to them they weren’t very good and don’t understand why they kept eating them since they didn’t like them.  😱

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[cruisemom42]

16 hours ago, jelayne said:

I have often wondered why they didn't charge for extra entrees.  I have yet to go to land based restaurant and been able to order 2 entrees without being charged for both

 

To be fair, I've yet to go to a land-based restaurant where the first entree (and in fact all courses) were provided with no bill at the end of the meal.

 

Comparing dining onboard a ship and on land is not exactly apples to apples....  

[davekathy]

Take a ride up to the OVC if your still hungry after your five course meal in the MDR. 

[alyssamma]

33 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

To be fair, I've yet to go to a land-based restaurant where the first entree (and in fact all courses) were provided with no bill at the end of the meal.

 

Comparing dining onboard a ship and on land is not exactly apples to apples....  

Well, an AI is on land and works the exact same way as a ship 🙂

 

The fact is that you do pay for it...you pay for it in the fare. That's just like going to an all-inclusive somewhere.

 

Or going to an all you can eat buffet...you pay a price and eat what you want.

 

That being said, I 100% agree with the general sentiment here about waste, etc.

 

And I get the point you are making, and agree with it.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

To be fair, I've yet to go to a land-based restaurant where the first entree (and in fact all courses) were provided with no bill at the end of the meal.

 

Comparing dining onboard a ship and on land is not exactly apples to apples....  

 

We are specifically talking about lobster so to be fair, they're smaller on a cruise than at the majority of land based restaurants.  I would imagine RCI needs to be ready for a wave of pax sending a small tail back and requesting a larger one

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I think most of waste comes from the kitchen sending out cold food 

anyone ever get a hot baked potato or hot vegs ? 
 

[OysterD]

3 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

 

anyone ever get a hot baked potato or hot vegs ? 
 

Yes, every single time. 

 

Although, just as taste is subjective, so is the ideal temperature of food. 

 

I know a couple of people who prefer food to be served on the plate at a temperature which to the majority of people would be far too hot to even contemplate trying for several mins. They also seem to be able to drink freshly boiled tea or coffee almost immediately, whereas I have to wait a good 5 mins or so!

Edited November 16, 2022 by OysterD

[Ex-Airbalancer]

23 minutes ago, OysterD said:

Yes, every single time. 

 

Although, just as taste is subjective, so is the ideal temperature of food. 

 

I know a couple of people who prefer food to be served on the plate at a temperature which to the majority of people would be far too hot to even contemplate trying for several mins. They also seem to be able to drink freshly boiled tea or coffee almost immediately, whereas I have to wait a good 5 mins or so!

If the butter wouldn’t melt in a bake potato, it is not hot enough , and they usually rock hard in the centre 

[Silkroad]

17 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I bring them home.

Chocolates? I’ve never seen them, but DH does have a suspicious pile of foil wrappers on his night table😂

[Mike45LC]

36 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

If the butter wouldn’t melt in a bake potato, it is not hot enough , and they usually rock hard in the centre 

Is it too petty to complain that the butter is often frozen and is not spreadable on bread?

[kwokpot]

19 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

Is it too petty to complain that the butter is often frozen and is not spreadable on bread?

They use wrapped butter pats in the buffet, but in the MDR it's whipped butter along with two other non butter spreads.