My last cruise in 05, had a hit or miss quality to it, but honestly, I have found that on other cruises as well...that said, there was always somthing else to try...The Pinnacle Grill was excellent, and we wished we could have booked more nights there..
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Holland America generally has very good buffets - but no more midnight buffets, as i recall. If you get hungry at midnight you will have to call room service.
The dining room is "hit or miss" largely because of the menu descriptions. They can be very "baroque" for lack of a bettter word - overly ornate and not very revealing as to what lies beneath.
On one cruise I saw the phrase "gratinated fish" - it turns out it meant it was covered with cheese and potatoes.
It is always a good idea to ask the waiter what a dish is - if it isn't clear from the description.
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I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
My sisters and I sailed on the Noordam last August to Alaska and overall thought the food was good.
Dining Room - Not as many choices in the appetizer, soup, salad section, but all we had were pretty tasty. The breads and rolls were good, we all loved the corn muffins. No real standouts in entrees, but again all seemed pretty good to me. Now one real standout at dessert was the Key Lime Pie, excellent.
Buffet - Have a made to order omlette in the morning....excellent. Pizza ok, not great. Pasta station was a nice addition, loved the garlic pasta. Lots of choices at the buffet and it was open late for a nice snack, as if we needed it before bed. The staff is so friendly and attentive in the buffet, never had to carry my own tray.
They had a late night buffet on deck one evening, a Mexican theme. Also a dessert buffet, yummy chocolate things everywhere. Gotta love it.
I agree with the others,,and think the food aboard HAL, is O.K., but certainly nothing to book a cruise for. The last time we sailed "Oosterdam", they even had a lot of what I'd call "comfort food". Meat Loaf, Pot Roast, and other food that you'd find at Cracker Barrel. Not bad, but certainly not my favorites.