Bye-Bye Ben & Jerry's...Hello Blue Bell???

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB Where can I find some? I'm so glad you chimed in here! I want to try it, but I'm not sure where I can get my hands on some. I'm all about a good price. As long as turkeys aren't in the ice cream, I think it will be good. Breyers isn't cheap. When I used to live in Florida I would only purchase Breyers if it was BOGO at Publix. Now the local grocer options I have access to don't offer BOGO deals. Those are the absolute best. They just take up a good amount of freezer space when buying in doubles. Do you know if King Soopers sells it? 

[FJB]

6 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@FJB Where can I find some? I'm so glad you chimed in here! I want to try it, but I'm not sure where I can get my hands on some. I'm all about a good price. As long as turkeys aren't in the ice cream, I think it will be good. Breyers isn't cheap. When I used to live in Florida I would only purchase Breyers if it was BOGO at Publix. Now the local grocer options I have access to don't offer BOGO deals. Those are the absolute best. They just take up a good amount of freezer space when buying in doubles. Do you know if King Soopers sells it? 

In the Pennsylvania/ Maryland region, Turkey Hill can be found in most grocery stores.  They even operate their own convenience store/gas station combos.  
 

https://www.turkeyhill.com/where-to-buy-turkey-hill

[PaulB]

@LukeJ i'm sure there are good names you can think of, but there are also some cracking names out there already. A few that make me laugh is "Passmore Gas and Propane", "Stubbs prosthetics", "Thai tanic" to name but a few.

[3Sisters]

@FJB I guess Turkey Hill is a northeastern thing! I do think they likely private label this stuff and we have all tried without realizing it at some point. I'm all about quality at an affordable price. I have been impressed with most cruise lines' ice cream if I'm being honest. I'm not much of an ice cream connoisseur but as long as the flavors are tasty and the ice cream is creamy, it's hard to dislike. I may get some slack for this one, but I prefer the ice cream made without tons of preservatives/artificial flavors/artificial colors/artificial sweeteners. The fresher product with higher quality ingredients does make for a better product. 

[LukeJ]

@3Sisters the one thing I agree with you, is that as long as the ice cream is full of flavour and is creamy, then yes it would be very hard to dislike. That's all anyone would want I assume. That's what makes it a very special treat. @PaulB I chuckled at some of the names on offer, I love the funny company names, shows that the owners have a great sense of humour, and it certainly stands out for customers to remember. I remember many years ago and ice cream van driving past called "Jack the Ripple".

[Amythest2112]

Turkey Hill might be the name of the store brand from Kroger ( aka City Market out West) which I've never tried!!

Personally my preferred ice cream brands of choice are Haagen Dazs Vanilla, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream ( also available in the own Ice Cream Shops ( more $$$$ than Haagen Dazs or any other Premium Ice Cream but SSSOOO WORTH IT!!). VERY ECLECTIC AND UNUSUAL HAND CRAFTED FLAVOR COMBINATIONS.  Breyers is the best for GOOD QUALITY AND THE BEST VALUE!! I'd say it all depends on one's personal preference in the end!!

[3Sisters]

@Amythest2112 You may be on to something actually! I bet Kroger does private label Turkey Hill ice cream. I wonder which wholesaler my local grocer private labels. I have seen Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Target! I haven't tried it solely due to the price, but now that you are sharing how good it is, I'm going to have to give it a try. Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is a relatively new option I think. I wonder if it would be the next big ice cream wholesaler for this cruise line! I love Haagen Dazs too; it's a classic. I don't think it could ever go out of style.

 

[PaulB]

@LukeJ I love these type of company names. It makes me want to deal specifically to them. I saw a burger and kebab van once called "Jason Donervan". I thought it was so funny, I actually went over and bought a burger, even though I had lunch. I saw Floral and Hardy, a wine restaurant "Planet of the Grapes". I think they are outstanding.

[3Sisters]

@FJB Thanks for sharing that link! According to that link, Turkey Hill can be found in Walmart. I don't shop there too often, but I have one relatively close to my home. It would be convenient for me to go and pick out a flavor to try at my house! What is your favorite Turkey Hill flavor? Jeni's Splendid ice cream is priced higher, but it looks good! For the amount of ice cream my family consumes, I need to buy bigger sized container to feed us all. Maybe a gallon-sized container is a better option. Does Turkey Hill come in large containers? 

[LukeJ]

@PaulB oh what brilliant names. I agree with you, I tend to go and use companies that have hilarious names, you get drawn to them. There used to be a food mobile called "only foods and sauces". Makes me chuckle every time

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I find the name Turkey Hill quite ironic because, as we all know, turkeys don't produce milk. It would make more sense if the company name was "Cow Hill." Don't you think? Does anyone like Tillamook? It's sold pretty much at all major grocers now and it's great quality for it's affordable price. Tillamook's mint chocolate chip doesn't have any artificial flavors or colors in it, meaning it's not necessarily bright green. It's comes in a larger size and at a great price for it's quality! 

[PaulB]

@LukeJ yeah that is a funny one, made me laugh. That would be something I would definitely go for too. 

@Kendall James-Vargas personally I've never heard of any of those names before. I haven't seen or come across an advert for them. We don't tend to have many big brands in the UK, just a good handful that dominate the country. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

The recent news states that RCL's new ice cream brand will be an in-house selection. I don't think any of the major names we are thinking of will be the chosen brand. The idea for RCL to make its own brand is ideal. If the line does it right, guests will be craving to go on a RCL ships just to get that signature ice cream! It's a smart way to attract repeat customers. The question I have is will each RCL ship make their own ice cream onboard? That would be really awesome. RCL may do some really cool flavor options too, to keep up with the wildly popular Ben and Jerry's flavors. 

https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-changing-ice-cream-options/118381

[LukeJ]

As long as they keep ice creams free onboard, I'm sure people will enjoy whatever they have on ships. I don't like the idea of cruise line sneaking prices on things that we indulge like the cookie gate scenario. We pay enough to be onboard, and a few perks would be appreciated.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ That's right! Free ice cream is certainly important. Honestly, many cruise lines aren't doing free ice cream anymore. You have to wait until the MDR dinner experience to get some on the side with your dessert. Like you are saying, it's not just ice cream. It's all the little things, like Celebrity Cruises' cookies. I think we pay enough for free ice cream, which isn't a big ask, but cruise lines are really trying to make the most money possible. I know many cruise companies had to go into more debt to stay afloat during the shutdown, but it's definitely killing the experience for me. I would much rather pay an extra $100 a cruise to get unlimited ice cream and cookies. I wouldn't eat $100 worth, but it's about the principal at having it available at my discretion that I love. It's a perk of cruising actually! I like not having to pay for me meals onboard and not looking for prices of each item. It's liberating. That's something I have to do on land, not on my "all-inclusive" cruise experience! 

[LukeJ]

Absolutely spot on. Couldn't have put that better myself. At home, it's very rare that I would have an ice cream, it wouldn't be the first thing I would think of when wanting a treat. However when onboard, to get an ice cream as you say available to my discretion is always a perk. And to charge for that when it's always been made available to you is pretty petty. I understand that companies lost money due to pandemic, but that goes for majority of the world. And these companies aren't losing money now the world has reopened, what these companies really mean is that they are desperate to make as much profit as they can. In their think tanks, they say they want to make $200 million profit, and if they only make $150 million, then they say to the world they have lost $50 million. They haven't lost it, it's just the way the turn the words around. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ You and I must have a similar eating style because I don't always have ice cream in my freezer either. If I did have ice cream in my freezer at all times, my husband and kids would be chowing down on it everyday! There is something really nostalgic about ice cream on a sunny day out by the pool. The idea of having cool ice cream out in the sun is a whole vacation mood in itself. Ice cream in a bowl in the evening in my AC-cooled house is not the same. The little things like unlimited ice cream make guests feel special, and it doesn't come at a huge cost to the cruise lines. When you take away those imperative and stand-out perks that make guests so happy for a very minimal cost, it's not always a good call. Those little things actually keep guests loyal to certain cruise lines. If those niche perks are taken away, you are left to explore other lines because what was once so special doesn't feel the same anymore. That's why loyalty perks are so important! If cruise lines have your loyalty, they should reward you and entice you to keep coming back for more instead of branching out to a competitor. 

[LukeJ]

There is a lot to be said for loyalty. These companies need to get back to their board room and really have a good chat amongst themselves about how to appreciate loyal customers, because if someone has your back, then that's the type of person you want on your side. If companies treat customers right, they will always come back. People want to stay loyal to one, because it's how we operate. We want the safe option, and we are creatures of habits, so if we have something we like and feel comfortable with, we tend to want to stay with that most of the time.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ Which cruise line gives you the best loyalty perks? Some cruise lines are better than others when it comes to that. In fact, as an avid cruiser, I would like to explore the lines that offer the best perks. Usually you have to cruise every so often to keep your status, but that's doable in most cases. If I become equally loyal to a few different lines I can rotate cruising annually with each line to keep my status! A big factor is how many cruises you have to take to make it to the top. Some cruise lines, like Celebrity Cruises seem to require so many cruises to make it to the top; it almost seems impossible. 

 

[LukeJ]

I guess different people have different opinions on loyalty, and it all comes down to which suits their needs. As long as there is some appreciation from cruise lines, then that's what people tend to accept. Personally I like P&O, I think they do try and entice you back and they do look after you aboard their ships.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ I have yet to cruise with P&O Cruises, but I have heard guests really enjoy it and the itineraries are priced pretty fairly. Do you get any loyalty benefits while cruising with P&O Cruises? It looks like they have a Peninsular Club that gives a bit of a discount. Do you enjoy unlimited free ice cream when you cruise with P&O Cruises? I noticed the line offer Jude's ice cream and lots of flavor options onboard! 

[LukeJ]

Free ice creams, and after reading about Carnival decisions on upgrading and raising prices, I think the next cruise I will over indulge on ice creams just in principle before they all start charging prices. There are loyalty benefits while cruising, and I let the wife sort that side of things and other financial stuff,and I just follow her.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ That's a smart strategy! I chuckled at your comment. It's good to hear P&O Cruises is still offering guests free ice cream onboard its sailings. I like the idea of letting your wife handle those thing! As I have read in other posts, she enjoys vacations just like I do. That likely means she knows how to plan a great one too. I really hope some cruise lines, like P&O Cruises won't stoop that low as to charge for such a perk. If you have free unlimited desserts in the buffet, I don't see the big deal about free unlimited ice cream. It's not going to make or break the cruise line's budget! 

[LukeJ]

@3Sisters That's right. I realise that cruise lines and their ships will never go back to the olden days of spoiling their guests, however there has to be some perks otherwise it will be like any other vacation. What I don't like is that cruise lines state that costs go up, and the need to keep things tighter due to inflation, and then in the next sentence we all have to hear about record breaking revenue that they have reported in the first quarter. 

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ At least you came to that conclusion because I still have hopes the cruise lines will spoil me! Since it's rare that I feel "spoiled" on a cruise anymore, I always go out of my way to say a big thank you and tip those that go above and beyond. There was a housekeeping crew member that was stationed in a bathroom near the main dining room that I took my children to in the middle of dinner each evening. I saw her on multiple occasions and she was just the sweetest! She happened to even help my children wash their hands when I was busy with another child. I went out of my way to tell her how important she was to my cruise experience. When I gave her a tip, she teared up! Unlike the stateroom attendants, some crew members don't get tips regularly and when they do it's very meaningful. If I feel spoiled by any crew member, I always try to tell them/show them how important their presence was to me.