Going for seconds on Holland America Line will add to your bill as the line trials an extra charge for every second entrée ordered in the main dining room.
For the month of March, ordering a second entrée (the main course in American menus) on Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam, Zuiderdam and Oosterdam will attract at fee of US$10 (AU$14).
One test involves charging US$10 for a second entrée only on Gala Nights, while a second involves charging US$10 every night.
Passengers will still be able to order multiple servings of appetisers and desserts without surcharge.
The line maintains it is not about the money, but about preventing food waste. But that didn’t stop a number of complaints from passengers.
“Over the years we have upgraded the menu, and we have experienced that guests occasionally order additional main courses they simply can’t finish,” Holland America said in a statement.
“Holland America Line has made great efforts to reduce food waste and with this we can better determine if guests who order a second entree will truly enjoy it.”
The line will be evaluating the trial responses and results at the end of the month, and will make a decision on whether to continue to impose the charge based on its findings.
Industry first
Holland America’s trial appears to be the first time a surcharge is applied on a second entrée off the standard menu – a move that could be dubbed a “gluttony tax”.
Cruise lines do have items on their menus for an additional charge – usually lobster or surf-and-turf options.
It is still early days in the trial but it begs the questions: could this become a trend? And how will passengers take it?
Passenger response
A poll on the Cruise Passenger forum reveals that cruisers are divided, with half thinking that the move is unfair, and the other either agreeing with it or claiming that it doesn’t affect them.
The initial feedback on Holland America Facebook page mirrors the poll.
Don Pettinger posted on their Facebook page saying: “Very disappointed that you are now charging for a 2nd entree in the main dinning room … If you want to up-charge guests and make it look you are trying to stop food waste, charge people who leave food on their plate. Just another way to up-charge your guest. Very sad.”
To this, Janet Reynolds responded, “Amazing that people are talking about not booking a cruise or cancelling over a $10 charge for extra food. Would they expect to go to a restaurant and order two entrees and only expect to pay for one? Sorry but I call that greedy.”
Another post from Megan Elizabeth writes, “While I don’t ever order more than one entree, I have to say the perception of this fee cheapens and lessens this cruise line.”
What do you think? Should guests be charged for a second main course? Tell us what you think and help shape the debate.
I wouldn’t cruise with Holland America Line in a pink fit. I was eating salad and bread as I was sick of the poor variety of food and I finished just eating pizza each night because I got sick of the same boring dishes and couldn’t even get a seat in the main dining room even after making reservations. Even when serving the ice cream, the guy was always in a bad mood and acted like he was paying for it and would give you one small scoop and if you asked for the soft serve he would look discussed. I found the staff weren’t very friendly and HAL has a process that staff can sit and eat with the passengers and HAL recons or thinks that it will have staff mingle with passengers but boy was that a mistake as all it has done is give the crew the opportunity sit and mingled with each other and not passengers and they made no attempt to even be polite to the passengers but really all it has done is make seating limited and more unattainable and they acted as tho it is them that is on the cruise to enjoy themselves.
I have been on a cruise where the two previous trips before had the Noro Virus and the ship introduced a high level sanitation and the ship closed off the self serve buffet and put plastic around the food stations so passengers couldn’t help themselves, only the crew could serve you and in that 14 days there was no sickness not even a cough, so yes i reckon the lines should take away the self service and only staff serve it to you and you can go back if you want something else but to charge you extra, what a joke. I think if HAL continues with this stupid idea it will cost them a lot more in lost business and there are a lot of great cruise lines out there with great food and better ice cream stations and friendlier staff.
Look how many have commented on this site as it is normally only a few comments but this one has hit home, wait till it’s on cruise critic then you will see it go ballistic.
What a joke. You can’t even get into the dining room on HAL let alone order seconds. I went on a cruise with HAL and I lost weight as there was next to nothing to eat on board, I kid you not. Same thing day after day.
One day I went to the dining room for dinner and after looking at the menu asked for the dessert menu as there was absolutely nothing on there that appealed to me to eat, and I don’t consider myself a fussy eater. They just have nothing worthwhile to offer when it comes to food.
Most other nights we couldn’t even get into the dining room or had two hour wait to be seated using their ridiculous pager system, so ended up at the buffet instead after being turned away after the long wait.
Trawling along the buffet, which looks the same day in day out, I would usually end up with chicken noodle soup. Then you would be trawling along looking for somewhere to sit down with your tray and finding nowhere to sit as the tables would be taken up with staff and visitors. HAL should be ashamed of their food and their service because it is entirely lacking. If you find one decent thing to eat and it happens to be an entree and you are starving, how dare they charge you extra. HAL – never again and I wouldn’t even recommend them to my enemies.
Having just travelled on maasdam I was a little disappointed about many of the economy measures that had been brought in. No longer refrigerators in the staterooms, and a daily charge if you want one, coin operated laundry, expensive shore excursions, over the top wine prices etc etc. it all adds up to a bad image for HAL. I have travelled with many different cruise companies and always enjoy the fine dining. I have had difficulty remembering any of our past dinner companions who ordered too much or wasted food. The buffet always encourages waste, but to charge for food in the dining room! A sad slip in standards….
Having only cruised once with HAL, I found their their dining room experience poor and their buffet food absolutely appalling, the latter supported by a long time HAL passenger who suggested HAL had eked out supplies to save money, a situation identified by earlier comments here.
However, as for the question here suggesting it just a HAL ‘money grab’, it is difficult to observe otherwise. Not being a large eater, I sometime order two entrees as this is sufficient to my dining requirements. As such, HAL has done nothing to encourage further cruising on their cruise line.
I sometimes order 2 entrees (mains) if I don’t fancy any of the starters or if the entree I have ordered is not good. HAL portion sizes in the main dining room are generally quite small, so this cannot be classed as gluttony. I agree that food wastage in the buffet should be addressed, but in my experience for every person that piles up their plate there are generally many more who don’t.
It appears many have not read this article properly! An Entree in America IS the MAIN meal, not an appetiser as it is in most civilised English speaking countries. Anyone who does order two MAIN meals is definitely greedy and should be charged extra. Maybe Americans should learn to use the English language correctly?
This is just a greedy money purge.from all passengers.at the cost of a few passengers.If you implement this greed tax.it will definitely have a bearing on wether we sail with you again.
There are lost of cruises around and it’s very competitive.what yr proposing is detrimental to H/America
In my experience the people who frequent BUFFET type restaurants are the same people who like to waste or over eat food, there is an option for them and it is called the Buffet on a cruise ship, where you can go fill your plate to extremes and leave food on that plate. It makes me wild to witness children serving themselves and pilling their plates high only to leave it. We were raised to only eat a moderate meal not to over fill yourself and make you uncomfortable. We always eat in the dinning room for the portion control and service, and leave the Buffet or PIG PEN for the likes of all I have mentioned above. I feel the same with Ultimate Drink packages we have witnessed people trying to drink the bars dry and forget to eat. Why not stay at home and go to the local to wipe themselves off, its cheaper.
That guests would even contemplate ordering two entrees (main course) is nothing but gluttonous. Little wonder that so many guests are obese when they’re unable to control themselves. One entree only would be my solution. Have your next choice another time. If these people then choose to cruise on another line then everyone else might get their cruise at a lower cost – might save fuel carrying all these fatties around too.
Should be $40.00
Both my wife and myself have been On a few cruises with HAL , the portions served in the dining room seem adequate to us. We don’t ask for seconds, but on the Lido deck, larger potions seem normal especially when they dish up a fantastic tasting dishes. I honestly think people who go beserk when eating large serves need to calm down and think what would happen if all the passengers behaved like them , then it looks like a free for all. Disgusting I say charge them.
I fully endorse Holland America trialling a charge for 2nd Entree. It is quite disgusting that some people think it is their right to ‘double up’ a meal with some much waste and so many starvation in the world. I would bet they are overweight and obese as well. Good on you HA.
Did many cruises.Chinese are the worst as proven by cruise lines leaving sailings out of china.
Make the cruisers cheaper and pay as you eat,drink.Not snore because your bed is paid for.
Food wastage is sad.cheers, captain cook
If you read the article they are not talking about entree’s that we in Australia have (like an appetizer prior to the main course). American’s for reasons only they would know, call the main course entree. So they are talking about people ordering more than on main course ie two main courses, not say the two entrees we Aussies might have instead of an entree and a main if we are not that hungry. So some of you have been confused by terminology here.
I have travelled on other cruise lines not this one. They always prepare for far more meals than required. There is never any problem asking for another if you really enjoyed it and want more. Once I actually had 3 creme brulees with no problem. On another occassion in a restaurant area with cost covered in our cruise fare, our group of 4 were unsure what to order from the menu as it was Asian dishes. We asked to try a bit of everything and were accomodated. I would not put us in the catagory of big eaters at all. We pay for and like to enjoy our cruises. Sometimes dishes are really worth going back for more in my opinion.
I don’t order entree and a main as I think it would be too filling. Don’t do dessert either. The thought of 2 entrees could appeal to me as I think I might be happy to get two things to taste. I usually just have a main dish. Maybe some cheese or fruit to finish.
My wife and i have only travelled on the volendam once,but we have cruised on many other cruise lines,and we fully agree with a second charge for the extra main meal.we are not about trying to save the world etc from starvation,we are about what is righ and what is wrong.on all our cruises,(9 in total),the amount of food put on plates from the buffet,or second orders from the main dining room,that is left behind,is in one word,”disgraceful ”
And we agree it is not about cruise ships trying to save money,but more about gluttony.
I noticed on a recent HAL cruise that the dining room food seemed to have feeling of short cuts and money saving about it which was disappointing. I guess this ‘surcharge’ by HAL is just another money making grab.
What happens when you don’t like any of the main meals on the menu for that sitting. The usual practice was to have two entrees to compensate.
Great idea, I wonder how many people actually have two entrees (main meals) for lunch or dinner when at home?
Or whether they could even afford to have two at home.
Why should Holland America have to wear the cost of supplying people with more than one entree (main). A cruise always includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and of course you have to pay for specialty dining, what more do you need! Some people are just plain greedy!
A surcharge of $10 for an extra entree is not much but it’s just annoying. Passengers have already paid for their cruise package to include their provision of foods. This is just another way to milk an extra fee out of passengers. I have no problem with charging an extra fee at passengers whom are wasteful of their foods.
It makes me sick when at a buffet guests stockpile food on their plates. Afraid to miss out on anything. The mentality is “I have paid for it so I am going to eat as much as I can” . You have to wonder if they are as bad mannered in their own homes.
after a double h/america cruise, it does not surprise me, like the surcharge daily for the ships crew debited to you bill daily, and now this, this line will now be on the end of the line.just a big grab for cash by this line.very disappointing.
I have just got off a 6 star ship and was horrified to see a passenger empty 8 servings of berries onto his plate. Pure gluttony on his part and I told him so. No one needs two main courses….do they do this at home or in a restaurant. It’s just the mentality of some that thinks because they have paid for a cruise they can waste all the food they want. Make them pay.
interesting that they say this is for the main dining room, this means if you go to the Buffet you can go back as many times as you like at no extra charge, but if you use the dining room you will be charged for a second helping. Err they need to re think this one. It may push people over to Princess or other lines. Yes it is only $10 but an irate passenger is just likely to jump cruise lines for it, just to teach them a lesson. Oh and i never have a second Main meal or have wastage on my plate.
Good on Holland America! I have been on many cruises and I’m always sickened by the gluttony on display. The people who overeat are usually oversized as well. Just because you don’t leave any food on your plate doesn’t mean that your body really needs that enormous amount of food. A $10 charge for ordering 2 main meals, bearing in mind that this turns a 4 course meal into a 5 course meal, more if extras are ordered in other courses, seems more than reasonable. Then of course there are the lashings of breadrolls and butter to be added in. I don’t ever go on a cruise to diet, but I don’t plan to eat my way around the Mediterranean etc either. Don’t get me started on whether severely overweight airline passengers should be paying for 2 seats…..
I think it’s a great idea. Food waste is terrible. This policy wouldn’t affect me, but if people feel they want more than the ample meals HAL serves in the MDR, they can always enjoy the buffet/market as an alternative.
As Australians, we have been both gobsmacked and sickened by the gluttony of some passengers, particularly those lines favoured by Americans. Time after time, we see people going back for seconds or even thirds, then leaving virtually all of it on the plate. We totally agree with a tax on entrees (but perhaps not small deserts).
A second charge makes sense.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE CRUISE IS BECAUSE THEY CAN INDULGE IN TE THINGS THEY ENJOY MOST AND ONE IS TO EAT WITHOUT BEING CHARGED EXTRA.
As a long time cruiser I think that this charge is a bad idea for the cruise line. It makes them appear greedy themselves, but for money, not for food. I have occasionally been in the position where I ordered something that sounded nice on the menu but when it arrived I didn’t like it at all at could not eat it. One of the reasons that I eat in the dining room is so I am not tempted to overeat as some people do in the buffet. Many people go on a cruise to eat and drink as much as they like. I am not one of them. I still eat and drink in moderation but then I go on lots of cruises and would sink the ship if I overindulged every time. However, I also think that some people are very greedy. They do, of course, pay the price in bad health at some time in their life. Of course, we should be responsible for our own actions.something for people to ponder on.
If you really want to stop food waste, why don’t you need to address the buffet dining area where many people pile on loads of food onto their plates, make several trips to the buffet line and then don’t finish what they have served themselves. We notice a lot of food waste in the buffet area.