Why doesn't HAL have a Lobster Night?

[Wakepatrol]

On 12/31/2022 at 11:19 AM, *Miss G* said:

When the bar was lowered for gala night dress requirements — possibly in response to post-cruise surveys and complaints from those who couldn’t enter the MDR without proper attire — the catalyst for cause and effect was initiated.  If you can’t be bothered to dress special, we can’t be bothered to serve special.  Personally, I prefer that the F&B budget be spent on quality beef and lamb — because I am not a lobster person — but if the passenger is going to insist on lowering standards then the cruise line will oblige.  

 

[cruisemom42]

19 hours ago, Wakepatrol said:

When the bar was lowered for gala night dress requirements — possibly in response to post-cruise surveys and complaints from those who couldn’t enter the MDR without proper attire — the catalyst for cause and effect was initiated.  If you can’t be bothered to dress special, we can’t be bothered to serve special.  Personally, I prefer that the F&B budget be spent on quality beef and lamb — because I am not a lobster person — but if the passenger is going to insist on lowering standards then the cruise line will oblige.

 

Well, I've never dressed in less than proper attire nor complained about the dress code. So please hand over my lobster!!  😁

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Well, I've never dressed in less than proper attire nor complained about the dress code. So please hand over my lobster!!  😁

 

Here you go...

 

(image is actual size)

 

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by KroozNut

[Destiny0315]

That's like the seafood version of White Castle sliders! Definitely will need at least a six-pack of tails.

[leerathje]

20 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

That's like the seafood version of White Castle sliders! Definitely will need at least a six-pack of tails.

 

Be careful what you wish for....Alaska cancelled their snow and king crab harvest because of a dramatic drop in crab stock levels.

 

L.

 

[Destiny0315]

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/04/1146637583/maine-lobster-industry-wins-reprieve-but-environmentalists-say-whales-will-die

 

Here is the very latest news from New England on the lobster industry in Maine...

[Guest ldtr]

5 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/04/1146637583/maine-lobster-industry-wins-reprieve-but-environmentalists-say-whales-will-die

 

Here is the very latest news from New England on the lobster industry in Maine...

Except the lobster served in the MDRs have nothing to do with Maine.  They are Spiny Lobster that are from warmer waters such as the Caribbean.  The only impact that the the Maine Lobster supply will have on MDR lobster is that there will be increased demand on the Spiny lobster to substitute  where Maine lobster had previously been used.

[Destiny0315]

3 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Except the lobster served in the MDRs have nothing to do with Maine.

That was posted only in response to leerathje's post about the drop in crab stock levels in the Alaskan waters. I am aware that the MDR's do not serve Maine Lobster, but you certainly can enjoy it off ship especially if you come to New England and take a cruise from here.

[Guest ldtr]

Just took a look at the last 10Q.  Prior to Covid in 2019 CCL Lines spent $12.48 for food per passenger day.  In the most recent quarter that went up to $14.63 so spending has gone up by around 17%.  Unfortunately some food prices have gone up considerably more.

 

 

[Reds4life]

On 12/29/2022 at 1:05 PM, bdd123 said:

If you were at the table next to them, how could you miss the waiter bringing them 2nds and 3rds?

Exactly. They were right next to us and actually commented on the amount they ate to us and were very happy that RCCL allowed no limit. Friendly folks and glad they enjoyed it. 

[geocruiser]

20 hours ago, ldtr said:

Just took a look at the last 10Q.  Prior to Covid in 2019 CCL Lines spent $12.48 for food per passenger day.  In the most recent quarter that went up to $14.63 so spending has gone up by around 17%.  Unfortunately some food prices have gone up considerably more.

 

 

You are right  food prices have gone up on HAL and in my local store.. HAL is now spending $2.15 more per day per person.(taken from your post).  But from reading this thread, they have cut back on some food, maybe to keep the increase to $2.15 per day per person.  Therefore, if they did not cut back the increase in food cost per day per person would be more.

For me, when I get back to cruising I would rather not have the food cut backs and pay the extra per day to keep the quality up.  

PS.  I can't eat lobster, so for me it is not about that.  just the food in general.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, geocruiser said:

You are right  food prices have gone up on HAL and in my local store.. HAL is now spending $2.15 more per day per person.(taken from your post).  But from reading this thread, they have cut back on some food, maybe to keep the increase to $2.15 per day per person.  Therefore, if they did not cut back the increase in food cost per day per person would be more.

For me, when I get back to cruising I would rather not have the food cut backs and pay the extra per day to keep the quality up.  

PS.  I can't eat lobster, so for me it is not about that.  just the food in general.

Cannot not say exactly what the dollar change was on any particular line (such as HAL) since the 10Q numbers are for all of CCL lines.  

 

Also keep in mind that CCL purchases at the wholesale level, so while there certainly have been price increases a 17% in cruise line spending would translate to a considerably higher increase if translated to retail prices.  I would expect that the 17% increase at the large volume wholesale level probably translates to an equivalent of more like 25 to 30% for comparison to retail price increases.

 

There are certainly some items where the increases have been considerably more.  Eggs for example due to the bird flu outbreak in the US.  King Crab due to the population drops.  Potentially Spiny Lobster to some degree.  To put the increase into perspective the cruise lines had been staying in the $12 range for food spend for at least 5 years prior to 2019.  That much of an increase since restart represents quite a change.

 

You are seeing some common behavior between HAL and Princess since Rudi Sodamin has been named Head of Culinary Arts for Princess, as well as HAL.  Though Princess still has spiny lobster tails in the MDR. 

[tommy]

On 12/27/2022 at 10:33 PM, Charles4515 said:

HAL is not upscale. The lobster served on other mass market lines similar to HAL is not upscale by the way. It is not Maine Lobster. It is a cheap variety. 
 

Also I have been on three non mass market cruise lines that are truly upscale of HAL. They don’t have a lobster night.

Princess still has lobster night

[Charles4515]

21 minutes ago, tommy said:

Princess still has lobster night

Princess is a mass market cruise line. 

[KroozNut]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Princess is a mass market cruise line. 

 

And your point is..?

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Princess is a mass market cruise line. 

And are you saying HAL is not?????

[shack]

If I am going to pay for lobster I'm going to pay for authentic Maine lobster (not frozen Florida spiny chicken tails) on my Shorex in Bar Harbor on a real lobster roll.  It'll be $25 but way better quality than the upcharge on board.

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And are you saying HAL is not?????

I am saying they both are. I don't think it makes a difference whether they serve frozen rock lobster or not.

[CruiserBruce]

45 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I am saying they both are. I don't think it makes a difference whether they serve frozen rock lobster or not.

All protein must be frozen. You are not going to get "fresh" fish on a mainstream cruise ship.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

All protein must be frozen. You are not going to get "fresh" fish on a mainstream cruise ship.

I don’t expect to get fresh fish. Lobster tails are more flavorful if they are boiled live and served.  If I order lobster at a restaurant I get the whole lobster not just the tails. We always had it available when I lived on the east coast so it did not mean as much to me as to passengers who did not go to restaurants that served Maine lobster. That is not to say that the rock lobster served on HAL and Princess is terrible or they should not have that lobster on the menu.  What they serve onboard  is meh but Lobster night on mass market lines is a tradition. They probably should not mess with that tradition. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by Charles4515

[Guest ldtr]

52 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I don’t expect to get fresh fish. Lobster tails are more flavorful if they are boiled live and served.  If I order lobster at a restaurant I get the whole lobster not just the tails. We always had it available when I lived on the east coast so it did not mean as much to me as to passengers who did not go to restaurants that served Maine lobster. That is not to say that the rock lobster served on HAL and Princess is terrible or they should not have that lobster on the menu.  What they serve onboard  is meh but Lobster night on mass market lines is a tradition. They probably should not mess with that tradition. 

Lots of "traditions" have gone away over the years.

[ontheweb]

33 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Lots of "traditions" have gone away over the years.

"Another one bites the dust." 🤦‍♂️

 

[Mike B Landlubber]

On 12/30/2022 at 7:54 AM, dogo88 said:

Wow, surprised that this thread has gone on as long as it has. Some very amusing posts.

 

Never understood the draw for lobster. It's expensive, can be chewy and cumbersome to dig out of the shell to eat. Lobster Night on HAL would not be one of my incentives to cruise. Perhaps HAL is of the same mind?

 

I'm sure folks are aware of this but earlier in US history lobster was fed to poor people and prisoners. Basically treated as garbage food:

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

 

There is a museum in Maine (probably the Maritime Museum, but not positive after over 25 years) where one of the exhibits is an 1840 or so letter signed by inmates in a Maine prison to the Warden asking oh-so-respectfully could they please have something other than lobster to eat one day a week! Before the invention of refrigerated railroad cars lobster apparently covered the sea bed and weren’t well-esteemed in the area it could be shipped to without refrigeration. 
 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Mike B Landlubber

[shack]

5 hours ago, Mike B Landlubber said:

There is a museum in Maine (probably the Maritime Museum, but not positive after over 25 years) where one of the exhibits is an 1840 or so letter signed by inmates in a Maine prison to the Warden asking oh-so-respectfully could they please have something other than lobster to eat one day a week! Before the invention of refrigerated railroad cars lobster apparently covered the sea bed and weren’t well-esteemed in the area it could be shipped to without refrigeration. 
 

Coming from New England with lots of time on NH and ME seacoasts I can vouch for the fact that up until the 20th century lobster was looked upon as trash from the sea to be fed to the poor.

[mcrcruiser]

Give me a Maine Lobster or gibe me none   .There is a huge difference in taste & quality of a fresh caught Maine Lobster boiled in a beer batter , Yum