Food on HAL

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sail7seas

Guest
LOL :) Food is so subjective....everyone is correct. What is great to my taste may be less so to someone else's taste. But...I never have heard of anyone going hungry on any HAL ship.
 
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AnneS

Guest
Our favorite story at an open lunch in the diningroom [ frankly I have forgotten which ship and which line] The older gentleman across from us was telling about this NIGHTMARE table he had been seated at the day before- there was a woman who was TOTALLY unreasonable- everything went back to the kitchen; no WAY could you please her [ We all tsh'ed in sympathy -You know, shake your head and go "tsh..tsh...tsh"] Then his spaghetti was delived -he glanced at it and said "It'll have to go back-it isn't hot enough!" Dick exclaimed -"But sir- there's STEAM coming off of it!" and the man GLARED at Dick and enunciating very slowly he said sarcastically "Wellll, its NOT hot enough for ME!" .........Anne:daisy:usa:CO
 
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janet

Guest
You sure cannot please all of the people all of the time......

I love to cook and grow my own herbs to use in preparation, but have never sent anything back when I have been eating out. With good company and enough wine, everything tastes good.
 
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John

Guest
Ann, that sure is a good story. How was the rest of the cruise with that person? I don't think I would want to be around someone like that for much longer?
 
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AnneS

Guest
John - this was not a tablemate- we just joined a table for lunch- open seating! He wasn't a BAD person........Dick and I love meeting new people, but on cruising it sure seems that lots of people think the word "critic" MEANS criticize. WE call it "The New Rope Syndrome" as in "They'd complain if you hung them with a new rope" - So thats our key to laugh; "NEW ROPE!"
Some folks- but the time they have the time and money to cruise -are miserably unhappy or unwell. That seems to color their opinions. The other thing is SOMEtimes its just an opening gambit for conversation "Say- did YOU have the **** last night- Mine was cold /hot/sour....etc" and that begins a conversation. We've met VERY few REALLY miserable people [and after meeting them -you just avoid them]
I can honestly say -on 16 cruises we have never had BAD tablemates as chosen by the cruiselines -and a few have been REAL gems! One of the speakers -a geologist - was fascinating. A British couple we THOROUGHLY enjoyed learning from - a couple from Scotland that was GREAT fun - and people -over the years we CHOSE to cruise with! THAT's what makes cruising so FUN! Anne:daisy:usa:CO
 
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john s. laughton

Guest
My wife and I are planning to cruise Alaska, aboard the HA Statendam, next may. Has anyone cruised on the Statendam? How was the food and entertainment? I've heard a couple of negative reports about the ship, concerning electrical problems, rust, etc., but nothing about the food and entertainment.
 
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cruzman

Guest
Sail7Seas has done the Statendam and can probably address your concerns. I understand that the Statendam is currently in drydock for a major refurbishment. I would think that any past problems would be taken care of while she is there.
 
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Peter

Guest
We sailed on the Zaandam in August and found the food to be good but not great. No better than the NCL Norwegian Sky we'd sailed on the previous year.

We still enjoyed however (in spite of a cold baked spud on the first night). We just expected better on HAL.

The Marco Polo alternative restaurant however was beyond great! Wow!
 
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sail7seas

Guest
We have cruised Statendam a number of times...starting with her inaugural year and through the years. Our first cruise on her, we found the food "acceptible" but not great. Each time we returned, it was markedly better ...in our opinion.

The last time we sailed her, she was still doing European cruises and we really enjoyed our dining.

It has been a few years since we have been on her...so I don't think my experience is current enough to give an opinion of the current quality of the food. But...seeing as we have found the food has improved dramatically on all of the HAL ships...and they all serve very similar menus....I would expect that Statendam's food would be enjoyed by MOST pax. There will always be some who are disappointed...their taste may be for a unique style cooking...more bland/more spicey/more exotic/more meat and potatoes...

No one is right....or wrong...Either they like it or they don't but that is not a measure as to anyone else's enjoyment.... others around them in the dining room may have been totally enjoying their meal while they were not?? IMO
 
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john s. laughton

Guest
Well, it sounds like HA HAS improved their food fare. We'll see. I don't see many recent reviews for the Statendam. Has anyone sailed her recently?
 
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Stargazerm31

Guest
I found the food to be very good and nothing that I would call bland on the 10-20 sailing on the Maasdam. Everyone has different tastes when it comes to food, so you still might think it is bland.
 
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magicmom50

Guest
sail7seas......I loved your reference to 'someday' because it is especially meaningful to me. My husband and I live at the 'shore' in NJ and always dreamed of owning a boat.He is an avid fisherman and we live to be on the water. For years we said that 'someday' we WILL own a boat. Well,that day came about 10 years ago and we decided that the best name for our newly owned prize was 'Someday Came"!!! Everytime we look at it and see that name we smile!
We also used to say(in our earlier years..25 yrs. married) that someday we'd go on a cruise. We'll be the Rotterdam on Feb.22 for our 6th HAL cruise! So,for us,'someday came' more than once! And we're still smiling!!
 
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sail7seas

Guest
magic.....that is fabulous. I just love hearing people living and enjoying to the fullest today...if tomorrow comes, and we are lucky enough for more....all the better. But, at least we will have had our pleasures while we could. :thumb
 
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