kjbacon

Your point is a good one. Do you think the insurance companies will make changes to the coverages that they’ve already sold? Most cruises are setup and sold years in advance.

@DrKoob I’ve really enjoyed your pictures and reviews. Thank you for taking us along with you and spending so much time reporting. Your thoughts on Ember got my attention. I’ve seen other negative reviews and it’s a shame because it replaced Jacques, which was so darn good. My comparison of the two lines draws a different final conclusion than yours and that’s ok because preference is just that, preference! Best to you.

True, a tomahawk is a ribeye and this thing is a porterhouse but the tie in of huge and huge is definitely there. Weve had the special Indian night in the Collonade and it was one of the best meals that we had on board. You’re probably right that a dedicated Indian specialty would be too much for many people. I’d suggest a more varied Asian theme but as well as though do Indian, their other Asian food is not.

No one knows what is next but it seems like a discussion worth starting, both in general and also for those of us booked on Middle Eastern itineraries over the next year. Will the cruise lines amend next years itineraries soon or will they take a wait and see approach? Dare I suggest that the conversation is more helpful and more enjoyable if everyone is respectful.

Yikes, didn’t realize the caviar was a TK thing too so there goes the tableside Caesar, probably/maybe fried chicken night, AND the caviar? The new menu is a mix to me with a couple of interesting dishes but as others have noted, the steak for two is not ideal and not one suitable sauce for that gigantic steak! Just my opinion of course, but it’s not focused and too all over the place making it more like a MDR. Would also have been very happy with a specialty with more of an Indian focus. Will look forward to the feedback from those that try it.

@Queen of DaNile Thank you! I Hope the dish was as good as it looked.

I hope so but I bet they would have a tough time legally.

And when will they refurbish TKG into Solis? Not the best for those on that cruise!

And an afterthought about The Collonade … the TK special nights are bound to go as well? The fried chicken night, etc? And will there be special nights featuring a Solis Mediterranean dish?

I’ve figured that something was up for awhile now, being unable to make TKG reservations. We liked TKG and built our meal around their very good tableside Caesar, which we will miss. Earth and Ocean is our favorite dining venue and we are not fans of the main dining room or the Collonade. Hopefully Solis will be a good addition. The concept sounded loose in the press release and as others have said, a sample menu this close should be available and not just a couple of examples.

Your pictures are fantastic and descriptions too. We are on Vista next year and am very excited to try out Aquamar Cafe. Any chance you have pictures of anything other than that gorgeous poke bowl which I will order on day one in your honor!?

And I should clarify that this was at the back end of Covid, not the beginning.

Our experience was at the tail end of Covid and not the beginning. I’m not sure that Oceania or Regent are playing the long game.

A couple years ago, we were booked on a Viking Ocean cruise that had a drastic itinerary change due to Covid. They graciously offered full refunds, not just FCC’s, for those of us who were not interested in the changed itinerary.

A couple years ago, we were booked on a Viking Ocean cruise that had a drastic itinerary change due to Covid. They graciously offered full refunds, not just FCC’s, for those of us who were not interested in the changed itinerary.

We are on a similar itinerary next year and have been following. This entire situation is heartbreaking and feels very personal to me, given my heritage and with family living in Israel. The thread is long so apologies if I’ve missed the answer to my two questions: Aren’t any of you being affected on this sailing using a travel agent? If you choose to sail, you get 25% fcc but if you cancelled, you lose everything?

Our favorite cruise line is regent, followed by a close second in Oceania. Our absolute least favorite is Seabourn. Oceania does a very good job across the board and the food is excellent with plenty of variety. Their larger ships are gorgeous. Seabourn failed on almost all counts. We have a 10 day FCC that we will be using next year but we did consider not using it and that says a lot. The food is only fair with limited variety. I could go on and on, lol, but you get my point. Oceania, hands down!

We did a 6 week cruise last year and were quite disappointed with the food and so bored with the repetition. The absurdly and sometimes incorrectly written menus were the only source of imagination or inspiration. We are really hoping for improvements when we give them a second chance next year.

Regent’s 3 older ships are smaller than their 3 newer ships, which hold about 750 passengers. Regent is our favorite line and our first choice. We love the all inclusive pricing structure and the top quality of everything throughout. As for food, Regent’s specialty restaurants are almost as good as O and their MDR is better with more flexibility. Oceania’s newer and larger ships are a solid second choice for us.

I saw that too and my understanding is that an all female team in Pacific Rim was a must and not a try. @fudge safe travels to you and thanks again for taking us along with you.

Wow, definitely worse than our experience in their specialties!! We just didn’t like them very much. And thank you for the lamb dish recommendation at Toscana. Sounds delicious and will try it on our ‘24 Vista.

Having sailed both lines and currently having reservations on both lines in 2024, there’s no comparison between the two in regard to food and specialty restaurants. Oceania is excellent across the board in terms of cuisine and Viking is just ok. Our good friends, who we met years ago on a Viking cruise, love Viking but primarily because of the spa and certainly not the food. They don’t even go the specialties when on board.

Yes, the Oceania Nautica has left port in Israel safely. We are booked on a similar itinerary next year and in general are heartbroken by the entire situation.

@DrKoob or those of you that might know about the views from Red Ginger on Vista please. From the pictures on the website, it looks like there’s lots of windows in Polo Grill and Toscana but maybe not so in Red Ginger … yes, no? Thank you!

More beautiful pictures! The burrata looks delicious.