Live from nautica 7/15

It's 6am

Sitting in horizons and the exec chef walked in

Discussed the "cookie situation lol" with him

He is on it!!!!

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It's 6am

Sitting in horizons and the exec chef walked in

Discussed the "cookie situation lol" with him

He is on it!!!!

 

 

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Thank you Laraine for fixing up the "cookie" and "lamb chop" situation. We will be sailing on Nautica in September - Copenhagen to Lisbon (our first time on the R ships) and this is good to know.

Sounds like a very interesting itinerary you are sailing on. Love reading your posts.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Linda

It's 6am

Sitting in horizons and the exec chef walked in

Discussed the "cookie situation lol" with him

He is on it!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Laraine -

I would like to revoke my previous request that you sign on to all cruises we are on so that you can organized excursions for us. ;)

In the future please take the cruise immediately prior to ours so that we can be assured that the lamb chop and cookie situations are resolved before we board. :D

Ron

Laraine -

 

 

 

I would like to revoke my previous request that you sign on to all cruises we are on so that you can organized excursions for us. ;)

 

 

 

In the future please take the cruise immediately prior to ours so that we can be assured that the lamb chop and cookie situations are resolved before we board. :D

 

 

 

Ron

Deal lol

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This itinerary has some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable

Greenland surprised us all. We spent half a day cruising through prince Christian sound

Awesome. Icebergs everywhere like Rorschach tests

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A word about food.

Polo has been a disaster on this cruise for many of us

Meat is tasteless, full of gristle and not prepared to temperature

Lobster and shrimp were excellent otoh

Toscana has been fabulous. The Dover sole is the best I've ever had

This chef has really upped the buffet for lunch and dinner

Much more variety. Better salads with a lot less mayonnaise lol

We are having two club parties. This unique itinerary is filled with repeat cruisers

For those on the next sailing, there will be an on board jeweler

Many first time o cruisers on this sailing. Some complaining loudly that there is not enough to do on board. This sailing is about the same as others. They just didn't do their homework

Of course we haven't had a cd since day 2 so the activities and schedule are in the hands of the entertainers who just boarded!!

For those of u who don't think the cd matters except for trivia this cruise might convince u otherwise

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For those of u who don't think the cd matters except for trivia this cruise might convince u otherwise

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+1.

How are the seas? (I have been too cowardly to leave the Med other than one cruise in the Baltics and one in the Caribbean.)

We have been blessed with glorious weather and very calm seas

Cd update

Latest rumor is that Nolan dean will only be on the remainder of this cruise. He boards tomorrow

David shermet will join the cruise starting aug 2

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We have been blessed with glorious weather and very calm seas

 

 

Cd update

Latest rumor is that Nolan dean will only be on the remainder of this cruise. He boards tomorrow

David shermet will join the cruise starting aug 2

 

 

 

 

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Spent a month with David this winter in the South Pacific and had zero issues with him. The only thing you have to get used to is his super proper enunciation.

You will never say "what did he say?" . Didn't play trivia, so can't comment.

+1.

 

How are the seas? (I have been too cowardly to leave the Med other than one cruise in the Baltics and one in the Caribbean.)

The problem is, Pam, that there are no guarantees. We've done the North Atlantic (December 2004 on the QE2) where we had horrendously rough seas. Things looked up when I finally went to the doctor to get a shot to seal with the problem, and after that I was fine.

But im the North Atlantic this May/June on Marina -- and we were in as far forward as a cabin as you can find -- seas were very smooth.

In 2004 we were going into Aruba (on Regatta) and the seas were as rough as any I have seen. The cabin stewards were seasick!

In 2006 we did an Iceland cruise where doing from Iceland to Dublin was even worse than the approach to Aruba.

The point is ... there are no guarantees! I think that's already been said. Sure, there are areas that are known to have more problems ... but even those areas may NOT. When we did South America in January '02 Cape Horn was smooth, but as I recall we had a day of somewhat rough seas approaching the Chilean fjords.

If it's a problem for you, either continue avoiding other itineraries OR book low and midships. I'm one who is prone to mal de mer and I still take the risk! I couldn't imagine just staying in one area on a cruise ...

Good luck ...

Mura

Spent a month with David this winter in the South Pacific and had zero issues with him. The only thing you have to get used to is his super proper enunciation.

 

You will never say "what did he say?" . Didn't play trivia, so can't comment.

I like David. I have sailed with him before. He runs a good trivia game

The exec chef on this cruise is a hoot

He told me he has been tasting cookies for the last three days

Not satisfied yet. Lol

We spoke with him last night about our issues in polo. He already knew. Very concerned and working on it

He has done two cooking demos so far and had us all laughing hysterically while plying us with wine and champagne

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Thanks for your live updates! I'm jealous about that itinerary - sounds wonderful.

The problem is, Pam, that there are no guarantees. We've done the North Atlantic (December 2004 on the QE2) where we had horrendously rough seas. Things looked up when I finally went to the doctor to get a shot to seal with the problem, and after that I was fine.

 

......

The point is ... there are no guarantees! I think that's already been said. Sure, there are areas that are known to have more problems ... but even those areas may NOT. When we did South America in January '02 Cape Horn was smooth, but as I recall we had a day of somewhat rough seas approaching the Chilean fjords.

 

If it's a problem for you, either continue avoiding other itineraries OR book low and midships. I'm one who is prone to mal de mer and I still take the risk! I couldn't imagine just staying in one area on a cruise ...

 

Good luck ...

 

Mura

Thanks, Mura. It certainly has limited the itineraries I have considered. The Atlantic crossings from Canada to England look fabulous and only three sea days! I would love to be able to do one.

A word about food.

 

Polo has been a disaster on this cruise for many of us

Meat is tasteless, full of gristle and not prepared to temperature

Lobster and shrimp were excellent otoh

 

Toscana has been fabulous. The Dover sole is the best I've ever had

 

This chef has really upped the buffet for lunch and dinner

Much more variety. Better salads with a lot less mayonnaise lol

 

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Sounds very much like our Beijing-Bangkok in 2013. I gave up on the steaks but DH did get an excellent one at the end of the cruise. The lobster was excellent, and I am from Nova Scotia, so I know good lobster.

We did a similar cruise in 2012 and loved it. No Greenland though. I would love to go back to Iceland someday.

Mo

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We went to the blue lagoon today

Just fabulous

Reykjavik is charming. Even two days is not enough time here

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I would definitely give up good steaks at Polo (maybe those steaks came on board in Iceland?!) to go to the places you're going. I made it to Lerwick last year (which I loved, as you did) but I haven't been any farther north than that! Some day...

Thanks for the updates Loraine. We are on the next cruise so I certainly appreciate you working on the cookies and Terrace Grill. Not sure if Polo will ever have good steaks. We were on the Beijing to Bangkok 2013 and the New York strip was tough (only had one though) and a King's Cut was full of fat and underdone. The rib filets were great though.

Keep working on them...

Allan

We went to the blue lagoon today

Just fabulous

Reykjavik is charming. Even two days is not enough time here

I agree. We loved the Blue Lagoon ... had a lovely two days driving around, but as you say ... that isn't enough.

Mura

Thanks for the updates Loraine. We are on the next cruise so I certainly appreciate you working on the cookies and Terrace Grill. Not sure if Polo will ever have good steaks. We were on the Beijing to Bangkok 2013 and the New York strip was tough (only had one though) and a King's Cut was full of fat and underdone. The rib filets were great though.

 

Keep working on them...

Allan

The exec chef needs to clean house. 4 bad meals in Polo and we cancelled our last booking. I wish I could have taken a photo of the green prime rib that was served to me.

The exec chef needs to clean house. 4 bad meals in Polo and we cancelled our last booking. I wish I could have taken a photo of the green prime rib that was served to me.

I can get better steak at Golden Coral.

Best meal on the cruise was off ship at the Blue Lagoon Lava Restaurant.

Iceland is just fabulous

I want to return

Nolan dean came on today

He will also be cd on next cruise and then he is leaving

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The exec chef needs to clean house. 4 bad meals in Polo and we cancelled our last booking. I wish I could have taken a photo of the green prime rib that was served to me.

That is disgusting :eek:

Just as bad as being served raw chicken

How can this be on Oceania ??

Maybe the hiring agency needs to test the cooking skills of the chefs before hiring them, sometimes hiring cheaper crew does not always pay in the long run

Lyn

We also had really horrible meat in Polo on recent Insignia cruise. Colorado rack of lamb was raw. We both always have our meat medium rare, however this was probably mutton, not lamb, judging by the size of the (large)bones, tasteless, raw and badly presented, and also laden with salt. We brought this to the attention of the waiter, who said we asked for medium rare...poor guy could not see the difference, thank goodness the maitre,d who offered us to choose again from menu- we then had lobster which was delicious.

On our Marina cruise last July we had bad rib eye steak in Polo. I don't usually like to complain as I really like cruising on Oceania,however I do feel their standard needs to improve.

That is disgusting :eek:

 

Just as bad as being served raw chicken

 

How can this be on Oceania ??

 

Maybe the hiring agency needs to test the cooking skills of the chefs before hiring them, sometimes hiring cheaper crew does not always pay in the long run

 

Lyn

What one needs to understand is that the issue may run deeper than a "hiring agency". Prestige Cruise Holdings (AKA Oceania & Regent) is majority owned

by Apollo Global Management (APO on the NYSE). One of Apollo's subsidiaries

hires and manages almost all crew except those on the bridge & engine room.

This includes the kitchens.

What one needs to understand is that the issue may run deeper than a "hiring agency". Prestige Cruise Holdings (AKA Oceania & Regent) is majority owned

by Apollo Global Management (APO on the NYSE). One of Apollo's subsidiaries

hires and manages almost all crew except those on the bridge & engine room.

This includes the kitchens.

Hardly matters who is responsible. Bad food is bad for Oceania and used to be unusual and now it is more and more often. Not very good for their foodie reputation.