Food on HAL Amsterdam

[Mary]

Hi, I posted the following question on the HAL message board, but maybe staff can better answer my question:

Hi, this may be a strange question, but my family will be cruising on the Amsterdam in Europe this summer and with all the recent information about Mad Cow Disease (BSE) in Europe, I was wondering where HAL gets all their beef and milk provisions from? I'm sure there will be plenty of non-meat things to eat, but I was just wondering if cruise lines are in tune with this issue and are taking precautions for everyones', customers' and staffs', safety. Thanks.

Not to worry Mary. All the lines pretty much stock up on their goods at their home port. They are very much aware of the food problems on various locals and avoid them like the plague.
Jim

[Mary]

Jim, thanks for your response, but I'm not quite sure where you mean when you say "home port"? The cruise starts from Harwich, England, land of Mad Cows. So if that is where you mean, that isn't too comforting. Where then, exactly, is the Amsterdam/HAL's home port? Thanks again.
Mary

I remember years ago when Windstar was its own cruiseline and not owned by anyone else. I was on the Tahiti cruise and the ship was provisioned from Miami. I became friends with the ship's doctor, a young French woman. One of her jobs was inspecting the food as it arrived. She said it all arrived looking lovely on the outside but that half of it was rotten on the inside. This was many many years ago and I hope that cold storage facilities while food is being shipped is better today than it was then.

Carole

The contract out for the supplies and even if they have to be provisioned in the UK for the transatlantic they are very certain not to have any possibility of tainted meat. I believe Miami may be the Amsterdam's new homeport but not really positive just yet.
Jim

Most of the travel health experts are saying that beef is relatively safe to eat throughout Europe, but I just recently saw a recommendation that advised that steaks and roasts had less likelihood of being tainted than ground meat.

If you're the least bit worried about it, just avoid beef. The ship will have plenty of seafood, poultry, pasta and vegetarian options so that you don't have to rely on meat.

Enjoy!