24 Hours 🕰️ of Food onboard Koningsdam

[luv2cruzuk]

I just uploaded a YouTube video showcasing the daily food experience aboard the Koningsdam cruise ship. Filmed on a sea day at end April 23. 
 

There's a couple of tips in there too. Let me know what you think 🤔 

 

 

[CRUZBUDS]

Hello Brian - We enjoyed your video very much and we'll be watching more of your content.

 

We totally agree with you about ordering dessert at the same time as the rest of your dinner -- it takes away more of the elegance that cruise lines used to strive for. 

 

We were on the Koningsdam for 18 days earlier int he year and are going back for a 10 day in November.  It is a beautiful ship and the food was very good. (except the chocolate muffins in the GDC 🙂)

 

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by CRUZBUDS

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for sharing 

[luv2cruzuk]

2 hours ago, CRUZBUDS said:

Hello Brian - We enjoyed your video very much and we'll be watching more of your content.

 

We totally agree with you about ordering dessert at the same time as the rest of your dinner -- it takes away more of the elegance that cruise lines used to strive for. 

 

We were on the Koningsdam for 18 days earlier int he year and are going back for a 10 day in November.  It is a beautiful ship and the food was very good. (except the chocolate muffins in the GDC 🙂)

 

 

Thanks so much. Hope you have a lovely cruise in November. 

[OlsSalt]

Being now asked to pre-order dessert  probably falls into the HAL can never win category, since prior the main complaints were about long dinners that took far too long. 2-3 hours sometimes.  

 

In  response, they played around with various service options and personnel switches until now if any thing one is in and out almost too quickly. Before they tried to make it under 90 minutes; now I think it is under 60 minutes .....from our own experience (late fixed dining). Changes that may be good for some; not so good for others who are used to more leisurely and paced course offerings.

 

Some time ago, they combined both appetizer and soup course to cut down on multiple course service demands,  but the complaints about long dinners still came in.  So I suspect the pre-order dessert is also being tried to see if "dinner takes too long" complaints will resolve.  

 

Best that can be said, HAL is trying new options to see if it can find the sweet spot - the Goldilocks dinner options. With enough complaints about pre-ordering dessert, I suspect we will see changes again. 

 

But I also think one can refuse to pre-order any dessert, and then ask the steward to see the dessert menu again the end of the meal. We found dining stewards go out of their way (if/when) they can to accommodate and make the experience mutually enjoyable.

 

BTW: DH loved your take on the Dive-In Dog - this is the first thing he gets, once on board. Thanks for featuring it.  Sorry the milkshake was a disappointment from GELATO - I was a big fan of their dreamy espresso chip gelato - in a cup. Just perfect.  You did a great job with the details in that video. Felt like being at home again on a HAL ship and all the features we also have come to love about what is still included for the cruise price.

[00649]

We spent 35 days on the kongingsdam this spring and loved there milkshakes from gelato.We thought they were the best shakes we have ever had anywhere, to each his own .

[oakridger]

7 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

But I also think one can refuse to pre-order any dessert, and then ask the steward to see the dessert menu again the end of the meal. We found dining stewards go out of their way (if/when) they can to accommodate and make the experience mutually enjoyable.

 

I also don't like the request to order dessert at the beginning of the meal and have let HAL know in "Let Us Know" on the app and post cruise surveys.

 

I always just nicely tell my waiter that I will order dessert after I eat and they have never had a problem with that!  As mentioned on another post, I don't know what HAL headquarters was thinking when they started this procedure.  I can see that it may have been to speed up service for those who complained, but the MDR isn't McDonalds for peats sake!

 

~Nancy