Furniture choices in dining room affect ease of socializing

[notamermaid]

This is a 360 degree view of the dining room on Viking longships: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/content/walking_tour/index.html?secure=true

 

This is the Viking Aegir: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/content/360/start.html?secure=true&panoId=vtc_7Xg8LJYsrMHxJhIRwilVsv

 

This is the Viking Hlin: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/content/360/start.html?secure=true&panoId=vtc_7Xg8LJYsrMHxJhIRwilVsv

 

Yes, it is the same video!

 

Round tables and rectangular tables.

 

I suspect you get it when you click each individual longship. Which is not a really a problem as supposedly they all look the same but I cannot confirm this I have only been on the Viking Rinda. The difference is in tiny details and the respective artwork for god or goddess that the ship is named after. This only applies to the restaurant. Cabins from what I have read in reviews have changed more.

 

For Uniworld (to stick with the original comparison photos theme): the River Empress: http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/river-empress-270/restaurant-304132/restaurant--v172729/

[url=http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/river-empress-270/restaurant-304132/restaurant--v172729/][/url]

The River Baroness: https://www.uniworld.com/eu/ships/river-baroness/

 

The S.S. Antoinette: https://www.uniworld.com/eu/ships/ss-antoinette/photos/

 

It is a little difficult to get photos of Uniworld restaurants if one excludes all those online travel agents. It would be nice if Uniworld itself had more photos of the ships' restaurants online.

 

Here for comparison is the CroisiEurope MS Leonardo da Vinci: http://www.croisieuroperivercruises.com/ships/ms-leonard-de-vinci

 

notamermaid

[amd1234]

Commenting on table situation in dining room.. My last river cruise we traveled with our friends and they didn't care to mingle and always wanted a table for four. Well we really missed socializing and on our past four River cruise we usually dined with at least 6-8 people in a round table. We would usually sit at lounge before dinner have a drink and inviting people that we met to join us for dinner. Only drawback..... sometimes we wanted to sit a few nights with different table mates and I think some people were miffed😬 Not every couple is compatible! Traveling as couple this time and we are looking forward to our new fellow cruisers...

[SuiteTraveler]

QUOTE from Suite Traveler:

My expectation on a cruise is that the food should match the area in which you have spent the day. I would never expect nor want to have any American foods on any cruise in Europe or Asia or anywhere except America.

Almost everyone on the ship ordered cheeseburgers and fries when we saw that on the menu during our 21 day China cruise. :D

 

Perhaps it's just me and my husband, but we almost never have cheeseburgers and fries in the US (maybe once a year when there is really nothing else available to eat at all), so there is no way I'd want that on a cruise in China. Hopefully they had some other options that were better than that.

[zitsky]

The OP has at least three or four threads he started where everything Viking is perfect and the best and Uniworld is not. The Uniworld decor is gaudy; the dining room windows are too small; the curtains are too large; etc. There is a pattern here.

 

He even said that he will only go to Alaska on Viking because there is no other cruise line in the world that provides the wonderful and exclusive experience that Viking does. So now, even the large table sizes are the best. Interesting that most people ask about tables for 2, not tables for 8 unless they are sailing with a group.

 

Umm. I think this is called having a personal opinion. You don't have to like it or agree. Do you?

[smokinmike]

Perhaps it's just me and my husband, but we almost never have cheeseburgers and fries in the US (maybe once a year when there is really nothing else available to eat at all), so there is no way I'd want that on a cruise in China. Hopefully they had some other options that were better than that.

 

 

You honestly don't know how this sounds do you?

 

 

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[markg57]

I think we all get that, based on the threads you have created. ;)

 

It is clear that Viking suits you well. It is not a line we have ever tried, nor will we in the future.

 

Uniworld offers the level of quality and service we prefer on the river and is one of our favorites. Jackets and ties are much preferred over shorts and jeans. :halo:

 

I think weather would play a role in that. I brought a travel blazer last week for the Viking Rhine Getaway, thinking I might need it for the evening, but since the temperature was in the 80's and 90's last week (93 deg F in Strasbourg), the jacket stayed in the cabin closet the entire time. And I did not see anyone else wearing one either. Light-weight collared Columbia travel shirts were as dressy as I got :-)

 

The Viking Kvasir had a mix of round and oblong tables for 6 along the windows, and larger tables in the middle. We always stayed at a table by the window and got to know a number of people.

[zitsky]

You honestly don't know how this sounds do you?

 

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How does it sound?

[Roz]

It sounds snobby and elitist. I guess I'm one of those lower class people that eats cheeseburgers more than once a year because I like them, not because there's nothing else to eat.

 

Roz

 

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[smokinmike]

How does it sound?

 

 

I believe that you are fully capable of figuring that out - all by yourself.

 

 

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[zitsky]

I believe that you are fully capable of figuring that out - all by yourself.

 

 

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It sounds like someone who wants to have a healthier diet. Also maybe they would rather eat a filet instead of ground up steak.

 

I can certainly understand why this becomes an issue on cruises. If they don't serve the kind of food you like, why go?

[SuiteTraveler]

You honestly don't know how this sounds do you?

 

 

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Like people who care about what they eat.

 

Typical burger and fries contain over 1100 calories, 62 grams of fat. If I ate that, I couldn't have anything else for the day. No thanks.

[SuiteTraveler]

It sounds snobby and elitist. I guess I'm one of those lower class people that eats cheeseburgers more than once a year because I like them, not because there's nothing else to eat.

 

Roz

 

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Roz,

It's all about health for us. Cheeseburger and fries are over 1100 calories and 62 grams of fat - which is too much for a single meal for me as I try to keep it around 1000 calories a day. As a chef, I have a strong preference for non-fried foods and things like veggies, seafood, turkey, chicken, with a fillet mignon, once in a while. My favorite food is sushi and sashimi - those are both street foods in Japan, so you really can't claim I'm snobby or elitist. A typical sashimi platter for 1 contains 355 - 400 calories and 10 grams of fat. Maybe you are someone who can eat whatever you want and not gain weight, but it's not like that for me. So I have to consciously choose to make smart eating choices everyday.

[pacmom]

DH's cousin went to Ireland on his honeymoon. Towards the end of the trip, one of the pubs offered a hamburger. It was ground ham--live and learn.

On our China trip, the offered burger and fries were terrible--couldn't tell what the meat was. The noodle dish was wonderful.

Travel is an adventure. People used to say(figuratively) it is broadening. Nowadays it can be literal. But it is a vacation--time to relax and enjoy fellow travelers, the sights, the culture and ah yes the food. Can't wait to get back to France in Dec., but first a trip to Alaska. Travel safely, Pat

[SuiteTraveler]

On our China trip, the offered burger and fries were terrible--couldn't tell what the meat was. The noodle dish was wonderful.

 

That's pretty much what I would expect in China.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Perhaps it's just me and my husband, but we almost never have cheeseburgers and fries in the US (maybe once a year when there is really nothing else available to eat at all), so there is no way I'd want that on a cruise in China. Hopefully they had some other options that were better than that.

 

You honestly don't know how this sounds do you?

 

This is very close to a guideline violation, but IMO it is also just wrong. It doesn't sound elitist -- unless you choose to read that into it [Honi soit qui mal y pense]. Everyone has food likes/dislikes, and to be comfortable traveling should be able to find the food they prefer. Some people seem to travel solely to expand their collection of 'Hard Rock Cafe' t-shirts -- not my bag, but it floats their boat. SuiteTraveler did explain this very cogently, but even without that I don't think people should have been looking for PC violations without evidence.

[zitsky]

It seems very easy to overeat on a cruise. Too much food is available, between what's on board and what's outside at various restaurants.

[lackcreativity]

My expectation on a cruise is that the food should match the area in which you have spent the day. I would never expect nor want to have any American foods on any cruise in Europe or Asia or anywhere except America.

 

Suite Traveler,

 

When you are in America, do you only eat American food? We personally like variety, and in a given week at home we may have salmon, and chicken, and Italian, and Mexican, and Indian, and Thai. Why would that be any different on a cruise?

 

We enjoy trying local dishes, and frequently do. However, we have also had Indian food in Prague at the end of our cruise down the Danube, and in Barcelona at the end of our trip to Spain. We enjoyed the sausages and the goulash and the schnitzel on the cruise, and the tapas and paella in Spain, but we just wanted something different at that point. It is rare that we choose "American food" on vacation, but I will confess to once eating a hamburger in Dublin! What works best, in my opinion, is the option to choose what you want at any given time.

[LFS517]

Well said, lackcreativity. It is nice to have options, different people travel for different reasons. We were on a Viking Rhone cruise in April and there was a very nice younger couple on the ship. The husband wouldn't eat anything not "American", had the always available steak most nights, and didn't drink wine either, only Coke. Why was he on this cruise? Because it was his wife's dream trip and he cared enough about her to go along in spite of his preferences. He even joked about his "brown wine."

 

Also for the people who think Viking does not provide local cuisine, on our Rhone cruise we had escargots, frogs legs, boeuf bourgignon, coq au vin, lamb with Provençal herbs, salade nicoise, and more. The wines were mainly local, and we had the Silver Spirits package and the wine list was full of local choices.

[Roz]

Roz,

It's all about health for us. Cheeseburger and fries are over 1100 calories and 62 grams of fat - which is too much for a single meal for me as I try to keep it around 1000 calories a day. As a chef, I have a strong preference for non-fried foods and things like veggies, seafood, turkey, chicken, with a fillet mignon, once in a while. My favorite food is sushi and sashimi - those are both street foods in Japan, so you really can't claim I'm snobby or elitist. A typical sashimi platter for 1 contains 355 - 400 calories and 10 grams of fat. Maybe you are someone who can eat whatever you want and not gain weight, but it's not like that for me. So I have to consciously choose to make smart eating choices everyday.

 

I've battled a lifelong weight problem, and am living with two congenital heart defects, so I don't need a lecture on the calorie and fat content of food. If you had said, for health reasons, I don't eat cheeseburgers, your post would have come off sounding completely different. It's for health reasons that I often choose the anytime offerings on the menu such as broiled salmon, chicken, lean steak, etc.. Reading some of these posts, it makes it sound like those of us who order these items aren't "adventurous" or aren't willing to try local specialties.

 

Roz

[zitsky]

What a great attitude and great sense of humor! My husband and I seem to have similar tastes in travel mostly. But I would love to visit Iran, and he's not so sure. Next trip might be to Sydney. We did Paris 2015 then Viking river cruise to Provence 2016 next Viking river cruise to Danube 2017.

[Cary Cruiser]

Roz,

I try to keep it around 1000 calories a day.

1000 calories a day? That sounds borderline bulimic if you ask me.

[steverhodes]

I like trying different foods when traveling but not every meal. Sometimes I just want a Cesar salad and other times, I try something new and don't like it at all, so I ask them to bring me something else. They are happy to oblige.

[Hoyaheel]

1000 calories a day? That sounds borderline bulimic if you ask me.

Bulimics binge and purge. Perhaps you mean anorexic? Not really relevant on this board, though. Yes, 1000 calories is rather low but we don't know suite travelers height and weight either....Nor do I really care.

 

Personally, I like big tables because I'm an introvert and my husband is not. Eating with lots of people gives him a chance to socialize and me a chance to just listen. I spend plenty of time alone with him to want to eat that way on all our travels...

 

For food, I like local and I like variety. One day on our Avalon cruise, we had a roasted goose at the lunch carving station and my husband and I had 2 servings because no one else seemed to want to try it :-(

[SuiteTraveler]

1000 calories a day? That sounds borderline bulimic if you ask me.

 

Not for a very petite woman.

[CPT Trips]

A thousand calorie a day diet should produce a significant weight loss over the course of a year.

 

As a fan of Uncle Stevie, Billy Halleck springs to mind.