Oasis of the Seas MDR Food Porn, March 9, 2013 sailing

[Russ Lomas]

I recently returned from my first cruise on the Oasis of the Seas last Saturday. We thought the food on the Oasis in the MDR was outstanding overall. Much better than the previous menus on the Liberty a year ago. I was so thankful to fellow CruiseCritic members who posted the new menus and photos of the dishes over the past few months, that I would like to pay it forward.

 

I plan on posting each of the daily menus in order with photos (yeah, Food Porn!) for the next week, along with our comments on each of the pictured dishes. I have never posted a picture using CruiseCritic, so this e-mail will be my test run with the Saturday menu. Let's cross our fingers and hope it works. If so, I will start on Saturday the 23rd with the first of 7 days of menus, photos, and comments.

 

p.s. Try not to drool on your keyboards. Enjoy!

 

 

Eureka! I think I got it with the image in. This is the last one that you will see with any hands in the picture (dumb mistake).

[maureencruiser]

I'm ready - bring it on!

[Ourusualbeach]

The new menus are available on RCCL's website. To access them go to bottom of the mail page and click on press centre. Once there click on link to press centre in middle of the page. Then look for a tab called press kits on left side of the page. PDF's of the new menus as well as specialty dining are found hear. Enjoy.

[Russ Lomas]

The new menus are available on RCCL's website. To access them go to bottom of the mail page and click on press centre. Once there click on link to press centre in middle of the page. Then look for a tab called press kits on left side of the page. PDF's of the new menus as well as specialty dining are found hear. Enjoy.

 

Yes, they may be there, but do they have mouth-watering photos to go along with the menus? I do! The photos I post are what the actual dishes looked like when they arrived at our table. They are not special promo shots done by a Photography agency hired by RCCL, therefore, what you see is what you will actually get.

[Russ Lomas]

The new menus are available on RCCL's website. To access them go to bottom of the mail page and click on press centre. Once there click on link to press centre in middle of the page. Then look for a tab called press kits on left side of the page. PDF's of the new menus as well as specialty dining are found hear. Enjoy.

 

Hello Ourusualbeach,

I just realized that we will be sailing together on the Independence of the Seas next March. I will be the one in the MDR whose DW is telling him to put the camera away while at the dinner table ;) and stop taking pictures of the food.

[Beth C]

Thread title... awesome :)

 

I will live vicariously through this review - I think my next cruise in May will be one of the last sailings using the "old" menus that we all know so well! I know exactly what i'll be eating for dinner May 11, 2013 - Videlia Onion Tart, Pork Medallions and chocolate cherry cake ;)

[Ourusualbeach]

Just realized that too. Are you signed in to the roll call? There seems to be a lot of us Canadians heading out on the Indy for spring break.

[gooloobie]

Can't wait for your pictures with detailed commentary!! I love food porn:p

35 days till I get to taste them !!

[Russ Lomas]

The first thing to say is that if you have the beverage package, be sure to ask the gentleman who comes to your table daily to take your drink orders to bring you the shooter of the day with your dessert daily. They were fantastic. I took a few picture of them, but not every day.

 

So here we go...

To start every meal, I had a Chocolate martini waiting for me at the table. Delicious!!!

 

I never ordered the daily Royal Shrimp Cocktail (there were too many other great choices every day), but my DW did. She ordered one a few times this week and enjoyed each of them.

 

Instead, I opted for the Smoked Fish Rillettes. I thought this dish was outstanding! If you do not enjoy a very strong smoked fish flavour however, you will likely not enjoy this dish. It was VERY strong (but delicious).

 

We all love the chilled soups. My DD had the chilled Watermelon and Raspberry Soup this day. She enjoyed it, but it was her least favourite of all of the chilled soups offered in the week. I tasted it and agree. It was nice, but inferior to the ones to come on following days.

 

Wanting to be adventurous, I tried the Aromatic Asian Coconut Seafood Soup. Once again, I found the taste VERY strong. There was an overpowering taste of ginger to it. However, I love ginger, so I loved this soup. It had a bit of a little bit of kick to it if I remember as well.

 

We did not try the Strawberry, Kiwi and Pineapple Medley, the Eggplant and Artichoke Tart, the Toasted Farro and Lamb Broth, nor the Spinach Salad. They will have to wait til our next cruise.

[Russ Lomas]

Entrees...Usually so hard to choose. Not tonight. We love prime rib and it is always on the 1st night, so 4 adults at our table ordered it. It comes well or medium rare. All 4 of us thought it was very good (we have had better, but for a ship prime rib in a MDR, the quality was good). The picture shows a fair amount of fat in the meat, which there was in my piece. My table mates did not have as much fat in their pieces. The picture is of a medium rare prime rib.

 

I think this next image was the Soft Shell Tortillas if I remember correctly. I do not remember who ordered them or what they thought of them. There was so much food this week, it all started to blend together after a while.

[Russ Lomas]

I forgot to take photos of the daily dessert menus until the final day, so I will try to remember them as best I can.

 

I die for Creme Brulee. RCCL's new version BBB Creme Brulee, I was not crazy about. I ordered it the first day and did not order it again. The reason...one of the B's stands for banana. Although I like banana, I found that I did not enjoy the texture of this Creme Brulee. It was too lumpy because it had mashed banana in it. If you like the lumpy mashed banana texture, you will likely enjoy this more than I did.

 

Next up, the Carrot Cake. Moist and nice says the eldest DD, but not one of the best desserts of the week.

 

Moist Almond Chocolate Cake was had by our two table mates. Both seemed to enjoy it.

 

Below is the Blueberry-Peach Crumble. My DW had it said it was good, but not one of her favourites of the week. I stand corrected...my DW just walked in the room while I was posting this and said it was excellent and she would get it again. I told you there was so much food, that everything is starting to blur together.

 

Sorry, I forget the name of the first night's shooter. It was good, but there were better ones later in the week. Most of them had Bailey's in. All were smooth and warm. A nice ending to any meal. Be sure to get them delivered to you daily if you get the unlimited beverage package.

 

We took a pass on the Sugar-Free Strawberry Charlotte and the Low-Fat Mango Pudding. Heck, we are on a cruise...not a diet.

 

I typically ordered 2 or 3 appetizers, 1 or 2 entrees, and 2 desserts. I weighed a healthy 172 lbs at the beginning of the cruise and a more robust 182.5 lbs at the end of the cruise. I am now slowly working off the excess pounds and have managed to shed 4.5 lbs of the additional cruise weight I gained. (All in preparation for my next cruise at New Year).

 

Check in tomorrow for Day 2....the Saffron menu.

[Russ Lomas]

Just realized that too. Are you signed in to the roll call? There seems to be a lot of us Canadians heading out on the Indy for spring break.

I notice that your sail dates are all Christmas, New Year, and March Break. I am guessing you are a teacher like myself.

[gingerpeaches]

The first thing to say is that if you have the beverage package, be sure to ask the gentleman who comes to your table daily to take your drink orders to bring you the shooter of the day with your dessert daily. They were fantastic. I took a few picture of them, but not every day.

 

So here we go...

To start every meal, I had a Chocolate martini waiting for me at the table. Delicious!!!

 

 

Sweet mother of Abraham, please tell me these are included in the Premium Alcohol Package! Please, please, please!

[Winnigirl]

mmm - food porn! Please keep it coming. Banana in creme brulee is just WRONG!

[gingerpeaches]

mmm - food porn! Please keep it coming. Banana in creme brulee is just WRONG!

 

This. ^^

[SueBabe]

Thanks for your food porn pics and reviews. You are making me really hungry and can't wait to try some of your suggestions soon :)

[Russ Lomas]

Sweet mother of Abraham, please tell me these are included in the Premium Alcohol Package! Please, please, please!

Yes, yes, yes. They are included in the Premium Alcohol Package. Just because they are not on any of the bar menus around the ship, does not mean you can't order them. All martinis were included in the package. I found the couple of fruity flavoured ones on the bar menus to be too sweet, the apple one was ok but a bit sour. The chocolate one was great. RCCL will not give you a latte or a cappuccino included in the $55 per day package, but they will gladly feed you a few chocolate martinis with your dinner. Enjoy:D

[plazamom]

Russ- Were you on a Western or Eastern itinerary? Will be on Western in August on the Oasis and wondering if menus will be in the same order. Thanks.

[perch59]

Thanks so much for this post. I had written a thread awhile ago asking just for this type of post! :)

[TigerCruzin]

Yes, yes, yes. They are included in the Premium Alcohol Package. Just because they are not on any of the bar menus around the ship, does not mean you can't order them. All martinis were included in the package. I found the couple of fruity flavoured ones on the bar menus to be too sweet, the apple one was ok but a bit sour. The chocolate one was great. RCCL will not give you a latte or a cappuccino included in the $55 per day package, but they will gladly feed you a few chocolate martinis with your dinner. Enjoy:D

 

I think you just sold me on the drink package:D

[Russ Lomas]

I think you just sold me on the drink package:D

I managed to more than break even on the package, but not by an awful lot. The convenience of the package was the best, no chits to sign, if you do not like a drink, put it down on the table and order another, beer goes warm so order a cold one to replace it. Tougher to get your money's worth on sea days since the first drink I had was not til around 5pm when re-boarding the ship. Having it during dinner was the best for the pre, during, and post dinner beverages.

[Russ Lomas]

Russ- Were you on a Western or Eastern itinerary? Will be on Western in August on the Oasis and wondering if menus will be in the same order. Thanks.

We were on the Eastern, but I am almost positive the menu rotation does not change. U CONN Women Rule was on with us and doing a back-to-back, so I can check with him to confirm this.

[gooloobie]

Thanks for the wonderful pics! Is this the old menu???

[Russ Lomas]

Thanks for the wonderful pics! Is this the old menu???

The photos are of the "new" menu. I believe the Oasis switched over around September of last year, and many of the RCCL ships are now on this menu. Our opinion was that the taste and presentation overall was vastly superior to what we had on the "old" menus on the Liberty in March of 2012.

[Russ Lomas]

Day 2 Menu Below

 

My DD loves cantaloupe, so she loved the Shaved Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melon. I did not try it so I cannot comment.

 

The Bay Scallop Gratin was very tasty. The scallops are so small, they are almost the size of a pea. It would have been nicer with larger scallops, but I would still order it again. Lots of sauce on it that was nice to soak up with the fresh bread served daily at dinnertime.

 

Another of my DDs loves Caesar Salads. She had the Simple and Classic Caesar Salad almost every night, so it must have been good.

 

The chilled soup of the night was the Chilled Banana and Rum soup. A few of us at the table got them. Yummy! After a couple more people at the table tried a spoonful, they quickly asked our waiter for one as well.

 

I would have loved to try the Oakwood Smoked Chicken Breast or the Traditional Lobster Bisque, but I had already had 2 appetizers and needed to save room for the entrees.