Dining changes in menus?

[louhun88]

Are you able to order more than one main course instead of a starter on P&O if you so fancy or will the staff not accommodate this?

 

Also, can you change the accompaniment to something else i.e. baked potato instead of mashed potato? (I hate mashed potato!!)

[lake5298]

Generally the wait staff are very helpful. Asking nicely usually works wonders - but if not, maybe a word with the head waiter.

 

If the staff are not helpful, you can always go to reception desk and remove all gratuities - this can focus attention on the level of service you would like.

 

Of course, if the wait staff are very helpful, you can always tip a bit more (not a lot, we're not Americans!) and a comment card is also well appreciated.

[clivep]

What do you mean INSTEAD of a starter.

 

You can order a a couple of main courses ASWELL as a couple of starters and have a couple of desserts to finish with if you want. ;)

[dgs1956]

There is no question of the staff not being helpful.

Ask and ye shall receive.

No problem. The staff couldn't be better.

To save any problems the baked potatoes are usually referred to as jacket potatoes.

Edited March 16, 2014 by dgs1956

[soobs]

I wish I'd have known that on numerous occasions I found it hard to choose which main course to have and if I had skipped the starter could have enjoyed 2 - hey ho here's to next time!!!!

[ParCan]

Just order what you want to eat. It will arrive and no one will bat an eyelid.

If that means Soup, 2 Starters, 2 mains, 2 Deserts and Cheese then it will arrive just as you ordered it.

[tartanexile81]

Just order what you want to eat. It will arrive and no one will bat an eyelid.

If that means Soup, 2 Starters, 2 mains, 2 Deserts and Cheese then it will arrive just as you ordered it.

 

We're just back off Oceana and our waiters as usual were extremely helpful and were happy to swap around e.g. creamed potatoes for new potatoes, ice-cream with our dessert etc. I'm sure too they would have been happy to provide extra courses had we requested them but out of consideration to others at our table and mindful of our ever-increasing waist-lines :D, it's not something we'd do.

[Slugsta]

I sometimes have 2 starters and no main course, it saves room for pudding - well, it would if they didn't insist on doubling the size of whichever starter I am having for main course!

[Scorpio41]

I've often have a main course for a starter ( They just adjust the portion size) and not being a soup lover I always swap that for the sorbet.

[SAMMIBLACK]

Just back from 61 days on Arcadia and our table waiters were wonderful and no reasonable request was refused. E.G. we had people having 2 starters instead of a main, a half size main as a starter, chips if requested, extra crackling for our pork and as soon as the senior waiter was advised that my OH loathes cooked cheese in any form including sauces, he made sure that an alternative was provided. Also, an omelette was provided one evening when nothing on the menu appealed. So it's no bother at all having your fancies catered for. Generally the P&O table stewards are great guys, treat them with respect and a smile and they'll return the favour threefold.

 

Sandra

[magpieman]

Just back from 61 days on Arcadia and our table waiters were wonderful and no reasonable request was refused. E.G. we had people having 2 starters instead of a main, a half size main as a starter, chips if requested, extra crackling for our pork and as soon as the senior waiter was advised that my OH loathes cooked cheese in any form including sauces, he made sure that an alternative was provided. Also, an omelette was provided one evening when nothing on the menu appealed. So it's no bother at all having your fancies catered for. Generally the P&O table stewards are great guys, treat them with respect and a smile and they'll return the favour threefold.

 

Sandra

 

 

I agree, in our experience the waiters are absolutely wonderful.

[daiB]

Just back from 61 days on Arcadia and our table waiters were wonderful and no reasonable request was refused. E.G. we had people having 2 starters instead of a main, a half size main as a starter, chips if requested, extra crackling for our pork and as soon as the senior waiter was advised that my OH loathes cooked cheese in any form including sauces, he made sure that an alternative was provided. Also, an omelette was provided one evening when nothing on the menu appealed. So it's no bother at all having your fancies catered for. Generally the P&O table stewards are great guys, treat them with respect and a smile and they'll return the favour threefold.

 

Sandra

 

 

Fully agree, especially the last part.

 

 

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[Cassie5]

Removing gratuities is unfair and should only be done in extreme circumstances!!!

[tartanexile81]

Generally the P&O table stewards are great guys, treat them with respect and a smile and they'll return the favour threefold.

 

Sandra

 

 

Agree with that 100% Sandra. We had great fun with our waiters on our last cruise and they just couldn't do enough for us, including all the extras you mentioned! By the way, we missed you on Oceana and your name was mentioned at our get togethers more than once! Rhona

Edited March 19, 2014 by tartanexile81

[louhun88]

thanks for the replies, good to know that the staff are happy to help.

 

we always treat as we'd like to be treated, lost count of the amount of.times we've heard people barking orders or.clicking their fingers for service - so annoying and rude!!

 

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[SAMMIBLACK]

Agree with that 100% Sandra. We had great fun with our waiters on our last cruise and they just couldn't do enough for us, including all the extras you mentioned! By the way, we missed you on Oceana and your name was mentioned at our get togethers more than once! Rhona

 

Nice to be remembered Rhona. We haven't forgotten our great night out at Sultana's either LOL!

[lovethe7seas]

How does this changing the menu work now everything is plated up?:rolleyes:

[pete14]

How does this changing the menu work now everything is plated up?:rolleyes:

 

Just back from 11 days on Oceana. If my experience is anything to go by, I suspect there will be less flexibility. Starters and Sweets were as I expect but the main courses were poor. Portion sizes were much smaller than we are used to. Duck breast in a main course was 4 thin small slices; around a third of a whole breast. Roast beef main course consisted of two small, thin slices with a roast potato, a broccoli floret and a few slivers of parsnip. You can request extra potatoes etc. They have gone back to offering steak, chicken or salmon as alternatives. A lady on our table had steak which came with no potatoes and a couple of others had chicken with 5 standard frozen chips. We only ate in MDR twice! The plaza, cafe maison and grill were excellent!

[zib_zib]

Good I hate the straw potatoes they serve with my steak. So I can ask for chips instead

 

 

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[pete14]

Good I hate the straw potatoes they serve with my steak. So I can ask for chips instead

 

 

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You can possibly have chips but don't expect more than half a dozen.

 

On the question of gratuities, as we only used MDR twice (once with a waiter who was incompetent and rude - hard to believe I know!) I didn't feel obliged to give them their automatic tip. As we dined elsewhere, including for breakfast, at the end of the cruise we paid gratuities to the alternatives together with the excellent cabin steward.

[zib_zib]

Well a least it's better than the straw potatoes.

 

Also, when they put beer battered cod and triple cooked chips on the menu. (That to me look like frozen chips from Aldi) they only give about four or five chips anyway. We asked for extra chips last time and we got a bowl of skinny chips, not straw chips and not the triple cooked ones either

 

 

 

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[pete14]

Tongue firmly in cheek, can I suggest that those paying select fares are given more and better chips than those paying saver fares? Straw chips could be reserved for those booking less than 2 weeks before cruise departs.

[zib_zib]

Tongue firmly in cheek, can I suggest that those paying select fares are given more and better chips than those paying saver fares? Straw chips could be reserved for those booking less than 2 weeks before cruise departs.

 

I agree. So I'm not the only one that hates the straw potatoes then. :)

 

 

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