Resto options on Riviera

[laserboi]

Booked our first Oceania cruise for March.  Wondering if you all can help us understand the various restaurant options onboard Riviera.

Thanks

 

[arima22]

All you have to do is go to the Oceania website to learn all there is about the ship.  to make it simple, here is the site pages for Riviera - look under cuisine.  https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/riviera/

[Flatbush Flyer]

30 minutes ago, laserboi said:

Booked our first Oceania cruise for March.  Wondering if you all can help us understand the various restaurant options onboard Riviera.

Thanks

 

Grand Dining Room - no reservations

Terrace Café- casual (with some al fresco seating and "a la minute" food preps. Not a buffet - so please don't try to self-serve)

Waves (pool grill)

Four specialty restaurants (not better than GDR- rather more intimate with focused cuisines. No extra charge and no limit on number of experiences (but reservations required): Italian (Toscana), Asian (Red Ginger), Steak (Polo) and Jacques (Pepin- French).

There are two paid food options on these big O ships - La Reserve (occasional wine pairing dinners) and Priveé for private parties.

Also, check out the hands-on cooking school but book months ahead.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[ORV]

I thought you wanted to know about the restrooms. 

[StanandJim]

57 minutes ago, laserboi said:

Booked our first Oceania cruise for March.  Wondering if you all can help us understand the various restaurant options onboard Riviera.

Thanks

 

Aside from the Grand Dining Room and the Terrace Restaurant (similar to the Lido Buffet on other ships) and Waves which is the pool grill, you'll have the choice of dining in four "specialty" restaurants:

A steak Restaurant......The Polo Grill

An Italian Restaurant....Tuscana

A French Restaurant ......Jacques

An Asian Restaurant....Red Ginger

Each guest is guaranteed a certain number of reservations at each specialty  restaurant and that number, as well as how far in advance of the cruise that reservation may be made is determined by the type of cabin booked:

For All Vessels:
-Owner's, Vista and Oceania Suites may make reservations at 90 days out until 7 days prior to embarkation.
Penthouse Suites may make reservations at 75 days out until 7 days prior to embarkation.
Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms may make reservations at 60 days out until 7 days prior to embarkation.
Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms may make reservations at 45 days out until 7 days prior to embarkation.

 

Number of Reservations, Marina and Riviera:
Owner's Suites, Vista Suites, Oceania Suites
0-7 Sailing Days: 1 reservation at each restaurant
8-17 Sailing Days: 2 reservations at each restaurant
18+ Sailing Days: 3 reservations at each restaurant
Penthouse Suites
0-7 Sailing Days: 1 reservation at each restaurant
8-17 Sailing Days: 1 reservations at each restaurant
18+ Sailing Days: 2 reservations at each restaurant
Concierge Level Veranda, Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Stateroom
0-7 Sailing Days: 1 reservations at each restaurant
8-17 Sailing Days: 1 reservations at each restaurant
18+ Sailing Days: 1 reservations at each restaurant


All reservations have a maximum of 8 guests per table.

 

 

[keithm]

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 11:30 AM, laserboi said:

Booked our first Oceania cruise for March.  Wondering if you all can help us understand the various restaurant options onboard Riviera.

Thanks

 

As others have said you can go to the web page "sign in" & go from there. as to the food. ALL are very good! The Grand dining room is very good overall. We did find the specialty rest. were generally better. We're in the food industry & hard core foodies & Oceania certainly does NOT fail in their endeavors. Red Ginger: Good Asian food, but "Americanized" My spouse is Chinese, so what I'll eat, many would not touch. Tripe, Chicken feet, whole fish etc. Truly love authentic Chinese & other Asian food.

Toscana: Gourmet Italian. A lot of white sauces(which I prefer) and jus over all great food.

Polo: The steak house, but also serves great seafood. Steaks are what you would find in places like Flemings/Morton's/Capitol Grill etc.

Jacques: Far & wide our favorite. Do order the Foi Gras for a hot app. The Dover Sole(available in Toscana as well)was the best here. The Seabass in puff pastry for 2 is the signature dish. Avoid the "Pork Chop". Nice, but nothing special, can be dry at times.

Terrace grill: The buffet(if you wish)Most items can be cooked to order. It's a nice diversion to the Grand dining room. They will bring cooked to order items to your table. Loved the fact pax can NOT touch the food. Disgusting habit that is!

Waves Grill: great smoothie type drinks & fantastic Kobe(NOT Wagyu)burgers cooked to order. Waves, does close earlier than Lidos on main cruise lines. Overall I think you'll have a great trip!

[Flatbush Flyer]

34 minutes ago, keithm said:

As others have said you can go to the web page "sign in" & go from there. as to the food. ALL are very good! The Grand dining room is very good overall. We did find the specialty rest. were generally better. We're in the food industry & hard core foodies & Oceania certainly does NOT fail in their endeavors. Red Ginger: Good Asian food, but "Americanized" My spouse is Chinese, so what I'll eat, many would not touch. Tripe, Chicken feet, whole fish etc. Truly love authentic Chinese & other Asian food.

Toscana: Gourmet Italian. A lot of white sauces(which I prefer) and jus over all great food.

Polo: The steak house, but also serves great seafood. Steaks are what you would find in places like Flemings/Morton's/Capitol Grill etc.

Jacques: Far & wide our favorite. Do order the Foi Gras for a hot app. The Dover Sole(available in Toscana as well)was the best here. The Seabass in puff pastry for 2 is the signature dish. Avoid the "Pork Chop". Nice, but nothing special, can be dry at times.

Terrace grill: The buffet(if you wish)Most items can be cooked to order. It's a nice diversion to the Grand dining room. They will bring cooked to order items to your table. Loved the fact pax can NOT touch the food. Disgusting habit that is!

Waves Grill: great smoothie type drinks & fantastic Kobe(NOT Wagyu)burgers cooked to order. Waves, does close earlier than Lidos on main cruise lines. Overall I think you'll have a great trip!

At Toscana, do have the Aragosta Fra Diavola. It's the real thing - just like Nonna made (as long as Nonna was Sicilian).

[bebop bonnie]

Just returned from the Riviera and experienced all the restaurants....specialties twice.  Red Ginger was our absolute favorite.  Duck salad and miso glazed sea bass stand out as does the service and design of the restaurant!

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, bebop bonnie said:

Just returned from the Riviera and experienced all the restaurants....specialties twice.  Red Ginger was our absolute favorite.  Duck salad and miso glazed sea bass stand out as does the service and design of the restaurant!

Duck/watermelon salad- yum!

In Toscana, try the Aragosta Fra Diavola - just like Nonna used to make (I.e., if Nonna was Sicilian).

[BigNance]

Go on the website and make your reservations at 12:01 AM on the day they become available to you.  They fill up quick!  You can get reservations when you are on board, but the times aren't great, unless you like 9:30 PM dinner reservations. 

[KS&JW]

45 minutes ago, BigNance said:

Go on the website and make your reservations at 12:01 AM on the day they become available to you.  They fill up quick!  You can get reservations when you are on board, but the times aren't great, unless you like 9:30 PM dinner reservations. 

 

I have not found that to be true.  They definitely save some, maybe most, of the reservations for those who never get on the internet.  Yes, if you can, try to make your reservation when you are able.   However, do not stress about it if you don't.  

[Mura]

I agree.  Just because you can't get what you want by booking online does NOT mean you won't get them when you board.  You may have to adjust times and whether you want to share, but you will get at least the number of reservations that your cabin level entitles you to.

 

[edgee]

23 hours ago, Mura said:

I agree.  Just because you can't get what you want by booking online does NOT mean you won't get them when you board.  You may have to adjust times and whether you want to share, but you will get at least the number of reservations that your cabin level entitles you to.

 

Yes, but if not getting preferred time and table for two in Specialty restaurants are deal breakers, as they are for us, booking Concierge Class and going on line at 12:01 a.m. is an important tip. 

[Mura]

Sure.  I don't deny that when certain things are important to you, you should go for it.  I was speaking more generally.  For us, it is NOT that important.  That is, we prefer a 7:30-8:00 time and are very happy to share.  It's different for those who want an early time or don't care to share.  We dine alone at home all the time, so when we are traveling we want to meet new people.  Occasionally we've been with others who weren't great "fits", but the vast majority of the time we've enjoyed the people we were paired with.  Sometimes we make arrangements with others on the roll call for a meal, but most often we "take our chances".

 

Admittedly, we're usually in a suite and so going online to book at the earliest possible moment has NOT been necessary for us to get what we want.

 

Mura

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, edgee said:

Yes, but if not getting preferred time and table for two in Specialty restaurants are deal breakers, as they are for us, booking Concierge Class and going on line at 12:01 a.m. is an important tip. 

Don't let this get out but, if you are in California, it's 9:01 pm the night before.

[edgee]

21 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Don't let this get out but, if you are in California, it's 9:01 pm the night before.

LOL.That hits home for me..I am an east coaster,who arrived at my daughter's house in Anaheim a few evenings ago just in time and made reservation for 4 nights worth of specialties, just as the window opened at 9:01 PST for our March cruise on Riviera!

[Shawnino]

On 1/13/2019 at 10:06 PM, BigNance said:

Go on the website and make your reservations at 12:01 AM on the day they become available to you.  They fill up quick!  You can get reservations when you are on board, but the times aren't great, unless you like 9:30 PM dinner reservations. 

 

This.

On our November B2B people who left it to when they boarded did get reservations... but usually not what they wanted (times/days, shared tables).

And 'extra' reservations were excruciatingly hard to come by in Concierge Class for us.

[BigNance]

On 1/13/2019 at 10:01 PM, Mura said:

I agree.  Just because you can't get what you want by booking online does NOT mean you won't get them when you board.  You may have to adjust times and whether you want to share, but you will get at least the number of reservations that your cabin level entitles you to.

 

That is true.  I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't get a Specialty reservation at all.  Just my experience that if you like early dinner time (6 ish), like we do, it is difficult to get those on the ship.   We like to share too.  We met an awesome couple in Jacques!!

[LHT28]

just my 2 cents

many new  to Oceania  think the Specialties  are the only place to get good food  (like the main stream lines)  & my gosh  you do not pay extra on

Oceania  so book as often as possible

 

For us  we rarely book them now  the menus have not changed for a few years 

yes we have our favourite dishes  but If we cannot get  in for the time we like  it is not a big deal

Just saying

 

YMMV

[Shawnino]

21 hours ago, LHT28 said:

just my 2 cents

many new  to Oceania  think the Specialties  are the only place to get good food  (like the main stream lines)  & my gosh  you do not pay extra on

Oceania  so book as often as possible

 

For us  we rarely book them now  the menus have not changed for a few years 

yes we have our favourite dishes  but If we cannot get  in for the time we like  it is not a big deal

Just saying

 

YMMV

 

The MDR menus are varying less now too though. If you like the lobster bisque and the prosciutto (sp?) as apps, like I do, well, they're in the MDR every night now basically on Riviera. If, like my wife, you don't like either, she'd rather be eating sea bass every night in Red Ginger.

[BigNance]

2 hours ago, Shawnino said:

 

The MDR menus are varying less now too though. If you like the lobster bisque and the prosciutto (sp?) as apps, like I do, well, they're in the MDR every night now basically on Riviera. If, like my wife, you don't like either, she'd rather be eating sea bass every night in Red Ginger.

Red Ginger Sea bass  +1

And, we did really enjoy our meals in MDR and the items in Terrace Cafe.

Pretty much, the food everywhere was outstanding 😉