Volendam Nov 23rd

[wskon]

Review Volendam November 23rd and opinion of HAL. Before I continue I would like to state this was my 14th cruise and my 5th with Holland America. There have been enough reviews of the ports, etc. so I will just cut to the chase. The ship is beautiful and in really pretty good shape for her age. I love the smaller ships because you do not feel crowded at anytime. The service was excellent. I can’t say enough for the waiters, cabin stewards, bartenders, etc..

Now to my negative view. My husband and I have always bragged about how good the food was on Holland America and that it surpassed Celebrity, RCCL, and Carnival. I no longer have this opinion. The food was only average to say the least. The choices were terrible. There is something wrong when it takes 10 minutes to figure what sounds the best to order. On a ten day cruise we never has prime rib or a filet. Shrimp cocktail was only on the menu once. I could not believe that they had meatloaf and pot pie on the last night. My husband ordered pasta three nights due to lack of anything else. It was almost impossible to chew the leg of lamb. I feel that HAL has lowered their standards. I talked with several other people on the cruise that had also sailed HAL before and they felt the same way..

I truly love HAL but will not sail with them again until I hear things have drastically changed. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

Sandy

[Randyk47]

Food quality is not only subjective but seems to change from cruise to cruise on the same ship. We were on the Volendam in February and the food was very good to excellent. Our cruise previous to the Volendam was on Celebrity's Galaxy and we thought the food was outstanding, some of the best we'd had on land or sea. Yet one of our cruise partners, also traditionally HAL cruisers whom we met through CC, was with us on that cruise and, as I recall, they didn't care for the food, particularly what they thought was a lack of variety. Go figure.....

[wskon]

Food quality is not only subjective but seems to change from cruise to cruise on the same ship. We were on the Volendam in February and the food was very good to excellent. Our cruise previous to the Volendam was on Celebrity's Galaxy and we thought the food was outstanding, some of the best we'd had on land or sea. Yet one of our cruise partners, also traditionally HAL cruisers whom we met through CC, was with us on that cruise and, as I recall, they didn't care for the food, particularly what they thought was a lack of variety. Go figure.....

 

I agree. As I said it wasn't the quality that was the problem as much as what the choices were. It just wasn't the normal upscale food that has always been a HAL tradition.

[Roz]

Sandy,

 

I was on the Volendam before you (Nov. 13-23). I concur with your conclusions. Overall, the food was only average. The worst dinner selections were on the 3 formal nights. There just wasn't anything that really floated my boat. This was the first time I was somewhat disappointed with the food. For dessert, I generally had sorbet, saving me millions of calories. :D

 

This ship had the friendliest, most helpful crew of the 5 HAL cruises I've been on.

 

Roz

[wskon]

Roz you are 100% correct - the staff was wonderful.. I only gained 1 pound for the first time ever on a cruise... Food is not everything but I think that it makes up a large part of your cruise.

Sandy

[wskon]

Roz you are 100% correct - the staff was wonderful.. I only gained 1 pound for the first time ever on a cruise... Food is not everything but I think that it makes up a large part of your cruise.

Sandy

[wskon]

Sorry for the double post. Out of curiosity I went back and read the 10 day Volendam menu that drdaddy posted. The menu that we had was not the same. For instance all we had was lobster on lobster night - not surf and turf. There were several things that were different. I have never seen the menu changed that mush from one sailing to the next. Lucky me - I picked the yucky one...

Sandy

[Roz]

On our itinerary, we had the surf and turf. Those at my table who ordered it said the lobster was tasty. For something different, I ordered the pan seared cod, and it was excellent. So was the Dover Sole on the Touch of Dutch night. Our menues were slightly different on 2 nights from the ones posted.

 

Roz

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our Oct 24 cruise the food was excellent. We were told that there was someone from Seattle on our cruise who was overseeing the food, etc.

 

On our Nov 3 -- the food was awful!! Cheaper cuts of meat!! The salmon was no longer the good red sockeye -- just pink stuff that the Alaskans use for bait!!

 

We told area captain and maitre'd about the differences. They were the ones who informed us about the man from Seatlle and the changes he made.

 

In our area of the dining room, several other people also compalined about their food -- some of them chose not to return to the dining room.

[Krazy Kruizers]

wskon

 

I hope you mentioned the food on your comment card.

 

We certainly did.

[woody14h]

Sandy, we were also on this cruise. Our 8th HAL cruise. Food was very disappointing. Proof of a good food service was how to cook fish. Disappointing. Overall experience was great, will go HAL again. Food was the bummer. Wait staff couldn't do enough for you. If food is extra important go Celebrity otherwise both lines are great.

[Roz]

Woody...interesting comment about the fish. The best things I had at dinner were the Dover Sole and Pan-Seared Cod. I found the chicken dishes to be tasteless, and beef, pork and lamb dishes were served with too much sauce/gravy.

 

Roz

[RoRothman]

I was on the 11/23 cruise too.. but for me the food was quite good.. except the first night-- the turkey wasn't too good... on lobster night, we made our own surf and turf.. which was quite good( I combined it with the chateaubriand.. my dh with the veal)..and on the last night we had a great dinner at the Pinnacle..which included among other delicacies..a warm lobster salad..that was incredible..ironically the service at my table- in the dining room- was not up to par.. the worst I ever encountered on HAL- though all others I met on the ship were quite happy wiht their servers..to conclude.. this wasn't as good as my previous HAL cruises.. in many ways. the service, the entertainment..the staff.. I could never find silverware on the Lido..etc...but I still love smaller ships.. which doesn't leave me many choices.. and certainly not affordable ones!

 

anyone out there from our 11/23 cruise... HI!.. it was great meeting you all..hope you all got home safely.. and to you who are reading this who are yet to sail.. definitely plan some get togethers on the ship- our CC meetings on the "elevens" at the Crows Nest were always fun!

Rona

[happy cruzer]

I was on the Volendam the same week that Roz was (HEY there,Roz!) which ended on nov 23. On the three formal nights, my menu had the following choices for entrees:

1st

fettuccini fruit de mare

alaskan king crab legs

rack of lamb

beef wellington

grilled caribbean salmon

five spice duck breast

piccata of vegetables

 

2nd

lasagna

grilled prawns

prime rib of beef

chicken breast

pork chop

salmon

tempura vegetables

 

3rd

spaghetti puttanesca

surf and turf

cod fillet

chicken breast

rack of veal

vegetable cutlet

 

 

I enjoyed the crab legs and rack of lamb, pork chop (everyone at my table oohed over it), and the surf and turf. DH had the Duck breast, the prime rib, and the veal (the veal was a miss but our waiter already had the surf and turf ready as a back up, the turf part was small but tasted great as did the lobster)

 

I think there are quite a few choices. We did have the prime rib and the filet mignon was part of our surf and turf. so curious in the differences between the two 10 day cruise menus. The only thing that I could possibly have wanted extra was sea bass or red snapper; but we did have really good fish just about each day for lunch so it was ok. and the mahi mahi, dover sole and the cajun tuna were wonderful. No meatlof on our menus, the pot pie was the vegetarian choice the last night.

 

Whenever I can't decide I always ask the waiter, and he points me to what he has seen that was the best. Once when I could not decide, he recommended the jerk chicken and it was fantastic and once it was the salmon choice.

 

Still it is very strange that the menu changed so much.

[wskon]

Yes I did mention the food in the comment card. Roz I got a kick out of ou mentioning the gravy - we teased about how they ruined everything with the franco american gravy that tasted the same on everything. I have always felt that Celebrity and HAL were about the same on food wirth HAL being a little better. I realize it always depends on what ship you are on. Last April we went on a Carnival cruise with our grandchildren - the cruise was wild - to many people and kids but knew this would be the case, however the food was delicious. Far superior to what we had last week. Thanks for all of your comments. I feel better now because I thought maybe it was just me..I may even write the Seattle office if I can find the address.

Sandy

[Roz]

Hi Happy Cruzer!

 

Interesting you should bring up the pork chop....I ordered it and it was RAW! I know I run the risk of getting flamed (I wish the chop had been flamed :D ), but my tablemates are my witnesses.

 

The waiter graciously took it back and brought me prawns, and apparently alerted the maitre d', because he came over and made sure everything was to my satisfaction.

 

It appeared that they browned it on the outside, but never took it thru the 2nd step of the cooking process. Never in 5 cruises on HAL has anything like this happened to me.

 

The food was very hit and miss on this cruise. I should mention that besides the cod and sole, the shortribs and osso buco were very good.

 

Roz

[wskon]

Hi also Happy Cruiser.. Thanks for the menu - last week we did not have prime rib or surf and turf. Just the surf which was very good. I personally think they forgot to buy any beef... The beef we did have was tough! The fish was good but you can't do too much to it!

Sandy

[woody14h]

Roz, just my luck after trying for two days I had some items other than the Sole and Cod. My loss. You never know. Overall food was good. Pinnacle Grille had good quality food. Had no chicken. Serving of Maine lobster tail was great. Most lines use Caribbean lobster. Wait staff especially the captains couldn't do enough for you. A shame the waiters haven't the time to talk like they used to. I suggested that they might have an adventurer's dinner where spicy indonesian and/or ethnic foods might be served but I understand the majority of customers have delicate stomachs. CCers were a friendly group. Awesome.!! Lot's of shared info.