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Glass House , Sindhu, epicurean


chmusar
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Hi

 

On our first cruise in October for 7 nights ,gift from the in-laws .

I am looking to eat in Sindhu and epicurean I was about to book on my cruise planner but after looking at some reviews some people say book when onboard as they sometimes do offers ie bottle of wine or reduced cover charge ( don't need any specific dates) can anyone tell me if it's better to book before you go or onboard

 

Thanks for any advice

 

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Hi

 

On our first cruise in October for 7 nights ,gift from the in-laws .

I am looking to eat in Sindhu and epicurean I was about to book on my cruise planner but after looking at some reviews some people say book when onboard as they sometimes do offers ie bottle of wine or reduced cover charge ( don't need any specific dates) can anyone tell me if it's better to book before you go or onboard

 

Thanks for any advice

 

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Offers are usually made for dining early evening (6pm to 6.30pm). I've never know either venue to be full, (they are usually touting for business round MDR and bars) so might be worth waiting till on board.

But, I've never done only seven days on P&O, might be different on longer cruises.

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Hi

 

On our first cruise in October for 7 nights ,gift from the in-laws .

I am looking to eat in Sindhu and epicurean I was about to book on my cruise planner but after looking at some reviews some people say book when onboard as they sometimes do offers ie bottle of wine or reduced cover charge ( don't need any specific dates) can anyone tell me if it's better to book before you go or onboard

 

Thanks for any advice

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

We always wait until we are on board and have never had a problem getting a table.

 

On Azura this year Sindhu was never very busy and the girls were constantly about the ship trying to get people to sign up. They approached us just as we had sat down in the Atrium mid morning to decide where we would eat that evening because we had just checked the menu and didn't like the look of it. We decided on Sindhu after she offered us a free bottle of wine and a reduced cover charge of £15 each. We had a brilliant meal, the wine was a very acceptable house wine.

 

Our only experience with Epicurian was a couple of years ago on Azura and we were so disappointed that we have never bothered to waste our money again. We were the only people in there, my husband had to send his steak back because it was like leather, the vegetables were over cooked mush. Maybe we were unlucky, we will never know.

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We always wait until we are on board and have never had a problem getting a table.

 

On Azura this year Sindhu was never very busy and the girls were constantly about the ship trying to get people to sign up. They approached us just as we had sat down in the Atrium mid morning to decide where we would eat that evening because we had just checked the menu and didn't like the look of it. We decided on Sindhu after she offered us a free bottle of wine and a reduced cover charge of £15 each. We had a brilliant meal, the wine was a very acceptable house wine.

 

Our only experience with Epicurian was a couple of years ago on Azura and we were so disappointed that we have never bothered to waste our money again. We were the only people in there, my husband had to send his steak back because it was like leather, the vegetables were over cooked mush. Maybe we were unlucky, we will never know.

I too was disappointed by Epicurean. The service was pretentious and overbearing, there was so few diners felt the waiters were hovering. Not a relaxing experience.The food was fussy and unsatisfying. Menu very restricted. This was on Britannia.

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I always use the Epicurean every night (too loud in busy places for me) and have seen it busy but never full. Their offers are usually round the eat early and have a free bottle of wine. I suspect they will be open to added individual incentives as the staff come round the ship usually each day to try to encourage you to book. I think its a good price at £28 so even better with free wine or at a discount, however as there is only one of me they don't apply so I book on the personaliser before I go and request a specific table - never been sure I will get it but usually do.

 

Hope you enjoy it if you book oh and if you get a bad meal, it can happen anywhere, just send it back they always try hard to get you something you do like. The service and the menus are a bit pretentious but I cut through that by saying that I don't want the servers waffle that goes with some courses (heard it a zillion times), never have the amuse bouche now or the explanation that comes with that and cut my way through the menu by just requesting what I like with what. If they can they will do it but I know that as I am in there for at least 14 nights on a cruise they may make more effort but I have heard others make similar requests.

 

The Glass House is different it is a chargeable venue and you pay by individual item(s) that you order just like on shore. They so special tasting menus in addition which are fixed price. I have not seen offers in here but I have lunch here not dinner.

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We have booked in advance for our Christmas cruise. Can you cancel once onboard and have the cost refunded to your onboard account. Hate empty restaurants and if we find this is the case we would probably want to cancel.

 

 

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I always use the Epicurean every night (too loud in busy places for me) and have seen it busy but never full. Their offers are usually round the eat early and have a free bottle of wine. I suspect they will be open to added individual incentives as the staff come round the ship usually each day to try to encourage you to book. I think its a good price at £28 so even better with free wine or at a discount, however as there is only one of me they don't apply so I book on the personaliser before I go and request a specific table - never been sure I will get it but usually do. Hope you enjoy it if you book oh and if you get a bad meal, it can happen anywhere, just send it back they always try hard to get you something you do like.

£28 on top of what you have already paid in the cruise fare is a lot of money.

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£28 on top of what you have already paid in the cruise fare is a lot of money.

 

Yes it is but it suits me just fine so not a problem whereas apparently appearing to be standoffish and aloof because I just cannot hear what people say in the MDR is not something I want to repeat

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We have booked in advance for our Christmas cruise. Can you cancel once onboard and have the cost refunded to your onboard account. Hate empty restaurants and if we find this is the case we would probably want to cancel.

 

 

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I have had pre booked excursions cancelled due to missing ports. All refunds went back onto the card that paid them. I have a feeling that is governed by the law against money laundering. Any refund, from any company, always has to go back to the original payment method.

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On Ventura we tried a special offer for lunch in Sindhu, wasn’t very impressed with food or service. Glasshouse; 3 small plates, tasty but too much. Epicurean, fantastic, wonderful food and service, paid for with our OBC.

We don’t book until onboard as we don’t want to miss Formal nights in MDR

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We use Select Dining restaurants a lot and our experiences have been a bit different to others.

 

There are almost always offers on the first night. Other offers vary by cruise. On some cruises there have been none at all (beyond the first night) whereas on other cruises there have been offers such as a free bottle of House wine, but only if you dine early (which we tend not to do).

 

Select Dining restaurants can and do sell out. There have been a number of times that we have tried to use Epicurean or Sindhu later in the cruise and have been unable to book. If you walk past the restaurant, having been told they are full, you see lots of empty tables, so I guess it’s a capacity issue rather than number of tables.

 

We do find that the Select Dining Restaurants vary a lot by ship. Our favourite restaurant at sea, by a mile, is Epicurean on Britannia. We have dined in there for dinner around a dozen times over several cruises and every meal has been superb. Worth every penny of the surcharge. By contrast, we found Epicurean on Ventura to be very disappointing.

 

My favourite food is curry, yet I do not particularly enjoy Sindhu’s ‘fusion’ take on it. The service is usually excellent and my wife and daughters all love it, but I can take or leave it. We find Sindhu on Britannia and Ventura to be excellent but really dislike Sindhu on Aurora as it is in a poor position (by the noisy atrium and coffee shop), lacks ambiance and we found the service to be poor. Sindhu on Arcadia is nice, but tables are small if there are four of you.

 

Glass House again varies. I have always found the food to be excellent on all ships and it’s a lovely venue for lunch on embarkation day (as nobody knows it’s open and heads to the buffet) and after a morning in port if you are too late for lunch in the main dining room (or the menu doesn’t appeal). Our favourite is on Aurora as it is in a quiet area and not well used. Our least favourite is Britannia as it is in the atrium and getting a table can be a challenge. The hosted wine tastings and paired wine with dinner that they offer is excellent.

 

Limelight Club on Britannia offers a lovely meal (though negligible menu choice) but you have to sit through a cabaret show. Some are good. Some are not!

 

Ocean Grill on Arcadia is excellent, but they have a live band in there some nights which seems totally out of place in a nice restaurant and we would prefer that they ditched this as it’s too intrusive.

 

Beach House is a nice change from the usual dining room food but can only be pre booked on some ships. On others it is first come first served with no reservations. Starters and deserts are a bit weak, but the mains are mostly very good, especially the steaks served on hot stone.

 

If you are relaxed about which Select Dining Restaurant(s) you want to try and are flexible about dates, it’s usually safe to book on board. If it’s for a celebration on a specific day, I would book in advance of the cruise or, if you have lots of on board credit, on the day you board.

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On top of what you've already paid! Not in my neck of the woods you don't.

 

You do virtually everywhere for a top style restaurant with quality ingredients

Try ordering 3 or 4 courses with fillet steak etc

 

We are all different - I'll happy pay more for a decent meal and on P&O I don't find the MDR great quality

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You do virtually everywhere for a top style restaurant with quality ingredients

Try ordering 3 or 4 courses with fillet steak etc

 

We are all different - I'll happy pay more for a decent meal and on P&O I don't find the MDR great quality

I didn't find it a decent meal. And the service was awful. Not worth paying extra for at all

For example. There was four of us, two people had been served, the third person had a request, the waiter stopped serving and went to find the item. Leaving two people with cooling food in front of them (being well brought up declined to start) the third with half a meal, and the fourth with nothing. That is not good service!

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I didn't find it a decent meal. And the service was awful. Not worth paying extra for at all

For example. There was four of us, two people had been served, the third person had a request, the waiter stopped serving and went to find the item. Leaving two people with cooling food in front of them (being well brought up declined to start) the third with half a meal, and the fourth with nothing. That is not good service!

 

 

I agree thats not good service and I would have said something

To be fair that is a one off though

Generally speaking you get good food and service

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I agree thats not good service and I would have said something

To be fair that is a one off though

Generally speaking you get good food and service

Didn't think much of the food either. Anything that takes longer to serve, and explain, than too eat is not worth it. ;p

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My one and only meal in the Glasshouse on Britannia was interesting. I decided on a day aboard so at lunchtime I went down the Glasshouse for a couple of glasses of wine and some small plates. There was just one couple there. After my second glass of wine I informed the barman, there was nobody else there, that I wanted to eat. The menu arrived and I was told where my table was, around the back, round the corner where I could not see a thing. I gently declined explaining I wanted to watch the world go by as I ate. One of these table near the atrium rail would be fine I said. You can't have one of those he said, they are reserved for passengers returning from excursions. BIG mistake!. I informed him of table reservation policy in the Glasshouse and he went away. I was somewhat shocked at this when a waitress approached. Could I have that table I said, Yes she said, I will lay it for you, do you want to order now? Yes I said and had a pleasant lunch. I gently told reception the saga and heard nothing more about it. Not good enough P&O as I have enjoyed the Glasshouse on Ventura and Azura. The one on Aurora was disappointing.

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I love Epicurean and never had a bad meal. I like to eat good food whilst on my cruise and I think the MDR are good quality. However Epicurean is a cut above and to get Chateuabriand and other delicacies for only £28 is a no brainer. Yes we meet many people who have paid their cruise fare and will eat MDR every night but on a fortnight cruise we like to eat in Glass House or Sindhu etc a few times as we love our food and all of them are superb and amazing value compared with what you would pay for similar back in UK so why would you not?

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