Cruise Line Testing Fee For Second Entrée

There are reports that Holland America has begun a trial on some of their ships in an effort to cut back on food waste.

In a move sure to cause controversy, the main dining rooms on Nieuw Amsterdam, Zuiderdam, Eurodam, and Oosterdam will begin charging $10 for a second entrée at dinner. Starters, a first entrée, desserts, and other menu items will remain included in the cost of the cruise. There will be no additional fee to order a second starter or dessert, only entrées. 

The line is actually doing two slightly different tests on different ships within the trial, the first of which is charging $10 for a second entrée only on Gala Nights, which are the line’s formal nights. The second test charges $10 every night. Holland America plans to go over the results late this month and make a decision based on the results. If this upcharge becomes a permanent change fleetwide, other lines could see its success and follow suit, becoming commonplace across the cruising industry.

Our members had mixed reactions in a forum discussion:

“Hope it doesn't last! This is a bad precedent.” - AuntPinkie

“When I started cruising I was in in my early 30's I would eat 2 entrees, and a few apps and a couple of desserts and then I'd eat again at the Midnight Buffet. I was blessed when young of being able to eat everything in sight and stay skinny. Now that I'm a couple decades older I have to watch what I eat to stay slim. So today 1 entree is enough for me. Now if there is an item on the menu that a few of us at the table are curious about but none want to try for a full meal we will order one for the table to share so everyone can get a taste of it.

I thought that most people eat less as they get older ? HAL is known as a line that caters to older folks. I would think that lines that cater to family's with teens and 20's would have more of the 2nd entree order folks on them.” - JusMe

“Strange, I thought this was common practice among a number of different cruise lines. I guess this is a first when it comes to the MDR, like one article says: "Currently, most cruise lines have upcharge items — usually lobster or a surf-and-turf option — on the menus in their main dining rooms, but this appears to be the first time a charge has been levied for a second entree off the standard menu. And of course, it begs the question of whether this might become common practice on other lines." - Kennicott

Information: Cruise Critic