FOOD - Live from the Mariner - April 2 - 20

[Hambagahle]

Gerry,

Weather still warm here as are headed towards Africa. Should cool down after Morocco.

 

Confirmed that Miso Glazed Sea Bass originated on Regent ... not Oceania. I've heard this before but was not sure that I believed it (I do now). It was cooked to perfection last night. I have received it undercooked previously in both Red Ginger and CR. Again, we loved Red Ginger on our first Riviera cruise but not our last one.

 

The bar menu may look similar on Oceania, however, even when you pay $60/day/person, the drinks are not even close to being the same (unless you order alcohol straight or on the rocks). Again, not trying to bash Oceania... if I were discussing Silversea, for instance, my comments would be quite different. Oceania is one level down from Regent with two of the most beautiful ships at sea.

 

IMO, the differences between the two cruise lines is dramatic (less so if you are in an Owner's suite as Gerry is or a Vista suite as we were in) I may disagree with Gerry's opinion regarding Oceania but do respect it. The CEO of Regent and Oceania (and NCL) places Regent as luxury ..... and Oceania as "luxurious" (and premium plus). While he and I do not always agree, I agree with his evaluation of the two cruise lines. As much as we enjoyed Oceania, for us, it does not measure up to Regent - not even the food, except for Jacques.

 

Sorry Jackie - BUT - the drinks menu here on Oceania IS just about identical to the one you posted. (Minus the Apérol!!) Which is what intrigued me. We have paid for the "Premium Beverage Package" at $59.95 pp/day - which BTW we aren't really using up because we had so many "free" bottles that were included with our suite. But that was not the point. We included the package because we don't care to be "nickled and dimed" and want to be able to order things without thinking "how much have we spent"... We(like you) prefer not to have the tours included - so net/net we are getting a wonderful "product" for a lot less money.

 

I was happy to see Denis sitting on the "Balinese" bed on your terrace though because it showed me that indeed Regent has upgraded the furniture since we had a SS Aft suite 3 years ago. And that, believe me, needed doing.

 

And I am sorry to say that the Indian dishes pictured in your photos looked pretty awful to me. I have taken many Indian cuisine courses at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva and I wouldn't dream of putting any of those dishes out without garnishes. In fact this evening our Butler produced a special Indian meal for us in the suite - Spinach lamb, Chicken tikka masala and lamb briyani - and all were beautifully garnished with chopped coriander and crispy fried onions. I accept the fact that you have been at sea for a few days and that coriander is hard to keep fresh (doesn't freeze well at all...) but nonetheless I would have expected on a "luxury" line that the presentation would have been better. Aside from our personal dinner tonight the presentation here on Oceania has been amazing - at the Terrace Café and in all the speciality restaurants.

 

Whether "miso glazed sea bass" was invented by Regent or - McDonalds - really doesn't matter. Fact is that the photo you posted (or Ron posted, really) just didn't look great. We will be at Red Ginger on Monday evening and we haven't had the sea bass yet so perhaps I will order it to see what it looks like!

 

Anyway the base line question to me is not which line is "luxury" or "more luxury" but rather which appeals to which person... I am rather picky (maybe too picky!) as most of the people who know me will say and - I like to pick and then choose...

[Travelcat2]

Gerry -- need to blame my Kindle for some of the poor photos -- especially the ones taken at night with low light. In terms of the Indian buffet, the shrimp dish was the best Indian meal we have ever had. Spiced perfectly and cooked to order. We will never agree on the food differences but it interesting to discuss.

 

I think I need to go into more detail about the alcoholic drinks on Regent vs. Oceania. Everything on Oceania is "measured" very precisely. You probably read about my $120 drink on Oceania but I will repeat it as it is funny as well as "telling". On Oceania you are charged for each alcohol in the drink as well as whether or not it is "premium" (premium alcohols are included in the Premium Wine package). Because I was told that a Long Island Iced Tea had 1/2 ounce of each alcohol (4 alcohols), I made the mistake of ordering a double from a bartender that was fairly clueless. I also "called" the names of the alcohol. Instead of pouring the correct way (for Oceania), she poured 2 shots of each alcohol and added the price for premium (note: I saw the dollar amount she rang up but we obviously would not have to pay for it as we had the package). It came to $120. The drink would not fit in any glass they had and she insisted on pouring it into two glasses. I took the drink up to the Terrace Cafe where we tried to dilute it in order to make it drinkable. It was impossible and such a shame to waste it. In general, if you want a drink with one ounce of alcohol for the price that is charged on Oceania, it would not be a problem. However, for us, the drinks just taste watered down. So, we order doubles. This is not an issue on Regent...... you can have them as weak or strong as you wish.

 

Having been in the Vista Suite, we are familiar with the 6 bottles of alcohol provided in the suite. The issue we had is that we do not drink in our suite (and do not drink in our home) unless we have guests. We much prefer dining out and having drinks at home or going to a lounge on a ship. We traded 4 bottles for wine. We had a couple of bottles over the course of a long dinner in our suite with a guest. Since we are basically anti-social, this is not something we would do on a regular basis. The person we shared the dinner with was Peggy (known by another name on CC -- she has done several around the world cruises). She is a very special person (as is mudhen and her DH and a couple of other people on CC). I felt it was important to be specific about drinks for Regent passengers that may sail on Oceania and think that they do not need the package since they only have a couple of drinks per day. IMO, a couple of drinks on Regent = four drinks on Oceania.

 

We also tried to make our cruises on Oceania as inclusive as possible. The worst part for us was the shared internet. We simply were not willing to pay $27.00/person/day for internet (hope I remember the cost correctly). So, my DH went on the internet for a while and then we switched. Definitely not as easy as Regent for people that have unlimited internet.

 

Again, Oceania is a lovely product with more beautiful ships than Regent (at least at the moment). There are some former Regent passengers that have switched to Oceania. However, most of the people we have spoken to that have tried Oceania have returned to Regent. Hope that you know that when I debate Regent and Oceania, it is not done with anger -- I am not upset. Sometimes I am amazed at the differences in peoples likes and dislikes but I accept it for what it is.

 

When I get back to the suite, I will send computerworks a photo of the best dessert we have ever had on a ship plus one other photo -- don't even remember what it was at the moment.

 

To change the subject, I want to spend a minute to talk about "Zaldy" -- our server on the Mariner (or any Regent ship that he is on). Zaldy had a big event in his life this week -- his daughter graduated college. Next year his son will graduate. He has invested so much of his Regent earnings into his children. His last contract was extended to 9 months and his last vacation was cut short. He does not care where he works on the ship - he is always grateful and has a smile. Zaldy works for his family - not himself. He has never had a car. However, his son promised that he will buy him one someday. Zaldy has a big heart and is one of the kindest people we have ever met. It was important for me to take a moment to acknowledge the accomplishments he had made by working on Regent. Bravo Zaldy - we love you!

[computerworks]

"...Half eaten reconstructed shrimp cocktail."

 



 

"...Really messed up foie gras (I messed it up)."

 



 

"...Best dessert ever on Regent - chocolate mousse teardrop with brandy marinated cherries."

 

[computerworks]

Sorry Jackie - BUT - the drinks menu here on Oceania IS just about identical to the one you posted. (Minus the Apérol!!) Which is what intrigued me. We have paid for the "Premium Beverage Package" at $59.95 pp/day

 

Glad you verified that; I was going to comment that I do not see a significant difference there. We always get the package and find it quite inclusive.

 

Because I was told that a Long Island Iced Tea had 1/2 ounce of each alcohol (4 alcohols), I made the mistake of ordering a double from a bartender that was fairly clueless. I also "called" the names of the alcohol. Instead of pouring the correct way (for Oceania), she poured 2 shots of each alcohol and added the price for premium (note: I saw the dollar amount she rang up but we obviously would not have to pay for it as we had the package). It came to $120. The drink would not fit in any glass they had and she insisted on pouring it into two glasses.

 

I think that is a great anecdote, but a point off the curve. You simply had an idiot behind the bar. :p

[Travelcat2]

Gerry and Ron -- we would love to sit and have drinks with you and discuss Regent and Oceania. We would probably enjoy each other's company very much and laugh a lot. Unfortunately, the written word has no personality the reader cannot "hear" the intonation of the person posting. Ron, I absolutely know that it was an idiot behind the bar on Oceania. I laugh every time I tell the story. This kind of mistake could happen anywhere.

 

In terms of the Regent and Oceania bar menus, I understand that they are the same. It is the way they are made that is different. It does not affect those of us that have the Premium Alcohol Package but does affect those that do not. This is why I even bother to mention it. Alcohol pours in the U.S. are generally more than 1 oz. (especially if you are known at the restaurant/lounge). So, IMO, people that are "on the fence" about whether or not to purchase the alcohol package on Oceania, I recommend that they do or they could end up spending more $$$ than expected on drinks. In order to have the same drink as we have as home on Oceania, we need to order doubles. With the drinks we order, two doubles would be $20 each plus 18% gratuity. For us, this is quite a lot to pay for a drink.

 

In terms of the Terrace Cafe, it has just been a comedy of errors for us. Plus, we are not used to standing and waiting in line for food to be prepared. On Regent we order, give our table number and sit down. There is undoubtedly something in the Terrace Cafe that we would like -- we just have not found it yet. We do really enjoy Waves (for those not familiar with Oceania, this is equivalent to the Pool Bar on Regent). The lobster and truffle fries are to die for. We like LV pretty much -- mainly the pasta station, the salmon wrapped in filo dough and the whole turkey that is being sliced (when it is available).

 

Let me take a moment to discuss the differences between our cruise and port intensive cruises. The main difference is that there are less activities on board on port intensive cruises. Regent certainly does not have themed barbeques on the pool deck every day (today will be Asian). We have two lectures today, a "reminder" muster, the Chef will show us how to make some appetizers and I don't remember what else is on the list. On port intensive cruises, it is much more quiet on Regent because too many people are taking the darned included excursions.

 

We found Toscana on the Riviera lovely - nicer than Sette Mari on Regent. However, the way food is presented in LV meets our requirements more than on Oceania. The antipasti bar is a buffet with incredibly wonderful dishes to choose from. I could make a full meal out of the antipasti buffet. Soup and the main course is served by waiters followed by the dessert buffet where you serve yourself. So, I am not saying that Toscana is bad - only that we prefer the set-up on Regent.

 

Regent gets it's beef from the central part of the U.S. I suspect that Oceania does as well. We have had good and not so good beef in both Polo and Prime 7. I cannot really explain why I like Prime 7 more than Polo. When Prime 7 is good, it is amazing.

 

There is no comparison between Signatures and Jacques (which could be why Signatures is going away). I just read that items have been removed from the menu from Jacques -- this is concerning. They removed their mussels appetizer which is understandable. It was excellent but they could only offer it the first couple days of the cruise since they cannot freeze mussels. Hopefully the offerings from Jacques will remain as excellent as they have been. Time will tell is Chartreuse on Regent will be as good as Jacques on Oceania.

 

To change subjects, the Navigator is different than the two other ships. Besides for not having a forward lounge, they also do not have a proper Coffee Connection (which is "rumored" to be built during the $50M dry dock next year). The best Coffee Connection is on the Mariner. It is a very popular place for people to "hang out". Next to the Coffee Connection on the Mariner is an area where puzzles are done and games are played.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Travelcat2

[Travelcat2]

Sorry -- I have had difficulty editing posts on this cruise. Just wanted to add that the Coffee Connection on the Voyager is usually monopolized by game players. The Navigator Lounge serves as a mini (very mini) version of the Coffee Connection.

 

Will post more tonight -- Dinner is Osso Buco for me and Beef Wellington for DH -- should be yummy!

[Hambagahle]

Ken and I are the opposite of you - we don't like sitting in bars to drink and really prefer to drink in our suite, inviting friends to join us from time to time. On this cruise Oceania has really had the better of us when it came to the "drinks package" though! We took it for each of us and our drinks "outside" have been limited to a Bloody Mary or something like that at lunch (Ken sometimes has a second...) and then wine with dinner IN the restaurant. In the suite we have wine as an apéro and with dinner when we eat "in" - like last night. And we have been buying bottles of wine throughout the cruise for entertaining and for ourselves. We found a great (great to us poor Swiss anyway!) Chardonnay - "Hoffman 401K" - which only costs $42 once the tip is factored in - and a lovely Malbec at about the same price and have happily been consuming those. AND we still have a credit balance on our onboard account with only a few days to go.

 

I have not noticed that Oceania's "pours" of alcohol is a small drink though. It all seems very correct to me.

 

Our dinner last night was Indian and excellent. I am a trained Indian cook (trained at the Rasoï restaurant at the M-O Hotel in Geneva...) and although I could have done the lamb saag a little bit better the spices were just perfect in all the dishes. We really enjoyed that meal.

 

I haven't been queueing at the Terrace Café either. That central "island" is very effective in serving a lot of people at once since dishes are repeated on two sides of it with the desserts in the middle. Very logical design. AND all the dishes are served on china of some sort. No stainless steel "pans" at all. Even the hot meats (navarin of lamb and beef kefta among them at lunch today) are on something like Corning Ware which keeps them hot - and they look very nice. No army mess or college dorm feeling about it.

 

Today is the "Grand Tea" and I have never experienced that. So I'll be there, camera at the ready, to take photos before it starts! (Along with all the other passengers I am sure...)

[computerworks]

"...Sunday caviar and champagne brunch."

 



 

 

"...Ice sculpture."

 



 

 

"...Caviar selection."

 



 

 

"...Fixins."

 

 



 

 

"...More "fixiins"."

 



 

 

"...My plate ... I'm not very artistic."

 

[Travelcat2]

Gerry - wish you could have tried the Indian shrimp dish. Although what you can cook may be better, it is the best dish we have tried anywhere.

 

The "queueing" I was referring to was for a pasta dish at lunch and at dinner (note: the pasta at dinner was cooked on the opposite side from where it is normally served). We waited at least 10 - 15 minutes for the pasta that came up cold (the only warm part was the part at the bottom as it was on a hot plate). We dine early - not sure if this was the reason we experienced the long lines. We only dined in the Terrace Cafe for dinner once on each cruise.

 

Will you be posting photographs of the "Grand Tea"? If so, I look forward to seeing them. As you know, Regent does beautiful displays for tea (on sea days). We do not go to tea as it is not possible for us to eat something at 4:00 p.m. and then have dinner at 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. We will definitely stop by and take photos of the buffet before the end of the cruise.

 

In terms of alcohol pours, I believe that the U.S. pours much heavier than other countries. When we go to dinner in Vancouver, we never order a mixed drink as they are expensive and weak (the same as when we are in the U.K.) The flavor (aka flavour) of a cocktail is what is important to us. Having a drink that is almost all "mix" just does not work. At home, our drinks are 3 oz. of alcohol and mix to taste so you can understand why 1 oz. does not meet our requirements. Note: We only have 2 drinks at this strength and certainly not every day. I do drink 2 glasses of wine of 2 glasses or beer most nights and save the "hard stuff" for the weekend.

 

Continue to enjoy your cruise. We have one more sea day before our next port. This cruise is going too fast -- we are really enjoying every moment.

 

A few words about this morning. Chef Kelly showed us how to make three simple appetizers with almost the same ingredients. I'll share with those that are interested:

 

The main ingredients are 1 cup of chopped smoked salmon (preferably sockeye), chopped capers, diced red onion, chopped dill and chopped chives to taste. Put in a mixing bowl and use sour cream to bind. Season with fresh lemon juice and put aside.

 

In a small bowl, add olive oil, fresh lemon juice, pepper and sea salt to form a dressing. Then take baby lettuce and pealed tomato (diced) - add dressing.

 

The first presentation had the salmon mixture (either formed into quenneles or formed in a round cookie cutter) on toast rounds - topped with lettuce/tomato mixture and topped with caviar.

 

The second presentation had cut cucumber slices fanned around the center of the plate. The salmon mixture is put in a ring mold and put on the cucumber slices. Garnish top of salmon with baby lettuce in dressing. Garnish the plate with dressing, chive oil, capers and chopped herbs.

 

Note: There are chive oil recipes on the internet. Chef Kelly does not recommend heating it up as it loses all of its goodness. Instead chop up the chives - mix in the food processer with oil and let it sit for six hours. Then drain through cheese cloth.

 

The last presentation was more of a dip. Place salmon mix in a nice bowl, garnish with fresh baugette (they misspelled this and I can't correct it) slices, sliced cucumber and wedges of tomato. Place a final garnish of dressed. lettuce, lemon capers and sour cream.

 

I found these three presentations an easy way to make some quick dishes for guests (as long as you have the salmon). Tuna cannot really be used for this as the tastes do not mix well with sour cream (per Chef Kelly).

 

Photographs of our Asian lunch have been sent to computerworks. For me, the food could not have been better. I LOVE sashimi and sushi rolls and there was a lot of it -- all beautifully prepared, fresh and delicious. They were also making pork, shrimp and chicken fried rice. It was very fresh as they would make one batch and put it in the serving plate - then go on to the the next one.

 

Note: Food is not served from the metal pans you saw in earlier photos. The metal pans hold the par-cooked meats before they are finished off on the BBQ. They are given to guests right off of the BBQ. The serving dishes I referenced above hold in the heat and are covered (have not seen them on Regent before). Due to the configuration of these serving dishes, the waiters serve the guests from the dishes (note: yes - this is like Oceania and we hope this is not going to be a new habit).

 

Time for a rest -- we lost one hour last night and will lose another one tonight.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Travelcat2

[computerworks]

"...Chef Kelly food demo."

 



 

 

"...Poor photo of salmon appetizer - part of demo."

 



 

 

"...Self explanatory."

 



 

 

"...Head."

 



 

 

"...Rest of the fish."

 

[computerworks]

"...Getting ready for BBQ."

 



 

 

"...Asian BBQ in 10 minutes."

 



 

"...Should I? ...I could eat all of this."

 



 

 

"...If there is room in my stomach, this will be next."

 

[tallship]

The tong handles all over the food is pretty unhygienic

Edited April 12, 2015 by tallship

[Travelcat2]

The tong handles all over the food is pretty unhygienic

 

I thought about that but then wondered why having it on a plate is more hygienic. IMO, everyone handling the bottom of the tongs is a problem. Wish we all held them with napkins. Really don't want to be served as I rarely get the portion and/or the piece I want.

 

BTW, after posting about the best Indian shrimp I've had, I remembered our fabulous lunch with Davor. Pretty hard to beat that.

[tallship]

I thought about that but then wondered why having it on a plate is more hygienic. IMO, everyone handling the bottom of the tongs is a problem. Wish we all held them with napkins. Really don't want to be served as I rarely get the portion and/or the piece I want.

 

BTW, after posting about the best Indian shrimp I've had, I remembered our fabulous lunch with Davor. Pretty hard to beat that.

 

Yes, that was a very nice meal and great cruise....It was fun catching up on your trip today

[computerworks]

"...Vegetable tart appetizer."

 



 

 

"...Open face mushroom ravioli appetizer."

 

[computerworks]

"...Abyssinians (not Beef Wellington as reported earlier)."

 



 

"...Osso Bucco - does not photograph well but tastes great."

 

[computerworks]

"...DH dessert w/rosewater ... delicious."

 



 

"...N.Y. Cheesecake."

 

[Eager2Travel]

Am also following along on the cruise and am enjoying it secondhand.

 

Thanks for the memory of the wonderful Indian lunch and most enjoyable cruise. Our first Trivia ever was fun even if we were not stars.

 

Am envious of that fabulous Seven Seas Aft cruise. I don't see it anywhere in our future.

[Travelcat2]

Busy day on the Mariner - love these sea days! This morning is the Iron Chef competition in the theater. The General Manager, Franck as well as the Cruise Director Willie will be competing with one of the Regent chefs. We enjoy this competition. They have guests helping (cutting things - stirring pots, etc.) I participated once and had a great time. I predict that Franck Galzy will win!

 

There is another barbeque on the pool deck -- this time Tex Mex. This is not a favorite of mine. Having been brought up in Los Angeles, I'm quite picky when it comes to Mexican food. I may have a chance to take a couple of pictures before heading to the Connoisseur's Wine Lunch. I mentioned it previously..... we are paying $169/person (on board credit) for the following menu:

 

MOET ET HANDON 'CUVEE DOM PERIGNON" BRUT, EPERNAY, Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Reims, France, 2004, $199

Tuna Tatar with crispy leek and caviar

 

ANGELO GAJA 'ROSS J. BASS" D.O.C. Chardonnay, Piedmont, 2012, $85

Porcini Dusted Jumbo Scallop, Roasted Shallot and Truffle

 

CHATEAU LYNCH BAGES, SEME CRU CLASSE, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pauillac, France, 2011, $300

Ballantine of Quail with Roasted pine nut, Apricot Farce and Port Jus

 

JOSEPH PHELPS VINEYARDS "INSIGNIA", Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, U.S.A., 2006, $272

 

PORT TAYLOR FLADGATE 20 YEARS, Oporto, Portugal

Roquefort, Bel Paasse, Saint Paulin, Reblochon, Saint Maracellin

 

VIN SANTO, TENUTE MARCHESI ANTINORI, D.O.C., Trebbiano, Malvasia, Tuscany, Italy, 2006, $70

Grand Marnier Souffle, Vanilla Sauce

 

Will take photos!

Edited April 13, 2015 by Travelcat2

[Travelcat2]

My sincere apologies. I only took pictures of the wine glasses and then became immersed in the best wine presentation that we have experienced at home or onboard. I will forward photos of the Tex Med buffet and the glasses on our table. Head Sommelier, Chumacera, did an amazing presentation. In addition to six wines paired with food, there were three surprise wines that everyone had to guess what it was. We learned a lot and loved it.

 

Time for a nap.

[computerworks]

"...Set up for wine lunch in Signatures."

 



 

"...Glasses on table .... three more glasses were added."

 

[computerworks]

"...F and B Director making tortillas for BBQ."

 



 

"...."

 



 

"...Fixins."

 



 

"...Beers at up on BBQ."

 



 

"...Margaritas being set up on BBQ."

 

[Mudhen]

The wine line up for your wine tasting luncheon sounded wonderful! I would've been pretty happy with just the "Dom" and the "Insignia"!

As far as the TexMex goes, I would've liked a Patron margarita, better than the "Margaritaville" brand, but, hey.....whatever floats your boat!!!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hmm. I remember the day, more than ten years ago, when a wine tasting similar to this (without lunch) would have been free. First come, first served, not everyone got to do it. But then you probably got full glasses of all those wines if you wished, right?

Edited April 13, 2015 by Wendy The Wanderer

[scuba diver]

Wendy:

 

I believe the motto is, "It's all included unless you want the good stuff."