Food on Oceania

[DeeniEncinitas]

31 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

if not in suite when you arrive  ask your butler to bring them

Thank you so much!

Happy New Year to you.

Denise😊

[DeeniEncinitas]

28 minutes ago, Mura said:

I've also read here that menus are now available on the TV.  When we've been in a PH and above (no OS yet and not likely ever to happen) the menus were always in the room.  If not, as Lyn says -- ask your butler.

Thank you also Mura!!

Appreciate!

Happy New Year to you also!

Denise😊

 

[Paulchili]

31 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

if not in suite when you arrive  ask your butler to bring them

 

28 minutes ago, Mura said:

When we've been in a PH and above (no OS yet and not likely ever to happen) the menus were always in the room.  If not, as Lyn says -- ask your butler

In addition they are also available in the executive lounge to which PH guests have access.

[DeeniEncinitas]

5 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

 

In addition they are also available in the executive lounge to which PH guests have access.

Thank you Paul!! All of you are always so kind and honest in your responses!

Happy New Year also!

Denise😊

[Paulchili]

27 minutes ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Thank you Paul!! All of you are always so kind and honest in your responses!

Happy New Year also!

Denise😊

Thank you Denise and a happy New Year to you as well.

Enjoy your first O cruise!

[Flatbush Flyer]

As with GDR and Terrace, specialty restaurant menus are posted outside the venue. 

Daily GDR and Terrace menus are also on a dedicated TV channel. Since, I've got the Specialty menus pretty much memorized (Duck & Watermelon Salad, Aragosta Fra Diavolo, et al.), I can't remember if they're also on the new TV setup.

[ORV]

Are the menus on the TV on all ships, or once they're at the NEXT level? I believe the Nautica hasn't been revamped yet and I'm not sure about the Marina. 

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, ORV said:

Are the menus on the TV on all ships, or once they're at the NEXT level? I believe the Nautica hasn't been revamped yet and I'm not sure about the Marina. 

GDR menus were on the TV  on Marina on the July cruise  in 2018 😉

[RJ2002]

Just now, ORV said:

Are the menus on the TV on all ships, or once they're at the NEXT level? I believe the Nautica hasn't been revamped yet and I'm not sure about the Marina. 

 

We were recently on the Regatta, right after the NEXT drydock.  We understood from our butler that the interactive TV options were just added.  Menus for all the venues were available on the TV, but on occasion there was a glitch in uploading the current day's GDR and Terrace menus.

[Flatbush Flyer]

41 minutes ago, ORV said:

Are the menus on the TV on all ships, or once they're at the NEXT level? I believe the Nautica hasn't been revamped yet and I'm not sure about the Marina. 

The daily GDR dinner menus have been on the ship TV for years. On the old TV setup, it was on a channel in the high 30s or 40s. 

Funny side story: The accompanying music on that channel was often Christian Rock (until enough passengers remarked [on comment cards] that it was somewhat inappropriate given the passenger mix).    

[Jay23]

3 hours ago, zltm089 said:

 

 

With regards to travel agents in the UK, I'm still not convinced. Will call around and see what they say.

The on line price for a cruise, any cruise, is always more than the TA will offer you.  Research, and research before you book whatever method you choose.    J

[Mura]

10 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Thank you Denise and a happy New Year to you as well.

Enjoy your first O cruise!

Welcome on board, Denise!  I'm sure you'll have a great cruise ... we always have!

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

10 hours ago, Jay23 said:

The on line price for a cruise, any cruise, is always more than the TA will offer you.  

Actually, I don’t believe that this is correct.

TAs are not allowed to discount the listed price; what they can and will do is offer certain other incentives like OBC, PPG or rebates after the cruise (sharing part of their commission).

At least that is my understanding.

[FlyerTalker]

Like so many things, it's the difference between "gross" and "net".

[Jay23]

However it is presented,  it is advantageous to use a Travel Agent.    With respect, I think you are spitting hairs Paulchili.   J

[Mrs f.]

23 hours ago, Paulchili said:

 

In addition they are also available in the executive lounge to which PH guests have access.

Paulchili.....why didn't you tell me this BEFORE my last cruise?   The tv menu on the Marina stayed the same for 3 days (then we got off). 

[Maverick Cruiser]

We were on Riviera last week and the food has changed in the last 6 months.  We have always enjoyed the food on O, but there was a step backward since our May-June cruise.  Lunch in the GDR was horrible on the last cruise, had fish for one lunch and it was so wet and the smell was horrible.  Ordered a hamburger twice in Waves and it was burnt and so hard that I thought about starting a hockey game and using it as a puck.  They were using a teaspoon to put dressing on salads in Waves, I like to be able to taste the dressing and using a spoon that small made service slow.  Food was still outstanding in Red Ginger, Toscana was still very good.  Jacques is becoming very boring and the food this time did not have much taste.  In the past when you would order the scallop gnocchi with lobster you would get large pieces of lobster and this time you could barely find the lobster, there was three tiny pieces.  I also found the staff to be less friendly and in many cases not doing their jobs.  They used to be very efficient at cleaning the tables in the buffet but this time they were always in the corners in groups laughing and fooling around with each other and not doing their jobs.  I know that their jobs are not easy, but O sells itself on great food and service and it has been declining.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Paulchili.....why didn't you tell me this BEFORE my last cruise?   The tv menu on the Marina stayed the same for 3 days (then we got off). 

Did you ask your Butler  for the daily menu?

 

 

[LHT28]

I found on the last cruise the  staff  are not as good as they used to be  most are good 

 There used to be a more International  crew  & now seem to be from one area of the World

 

Food is hit or miss  depending on who is in the kitchen ..not consistent from one day to the next

Still ticks most  boxes for us  but at their price point  it is harder to choose  O  first

[Mrs f.]

Would have if I had know if was available  we saw our butler 3 time....stopped in for about 2 minutes  to say hi, mentioned to him during cruise that I had lost something. Also asked if he could get us any extra reservations in jacque or red gingerHe said he would check on my lost item. Saw him in the hallway and he said he checked and my lost item was not found. I took the elevator down and it was in the lost and found. He never got back to us about the reservations.

 

My first time with a butler. We usually  go concierge  veranda. Our concierge has always asked us what types of soda we want in the fridge. On this last cruise, nobody asked. Most days the big water bottle on the try had not been refilled.

 

Guess I'm  just not a "butler" person.

[azdrydock]

Currently on the Marina, 3 HAL, 2 Viking, 1Azamara this year. First, as others alluded to, this is not a good place for comparative food analysis since the loyalists only recent experience is O.

The food quality for us is comparable  to our other cruises, one HAL and one VO were much better 2 HAL much worse.The Terrace has been a disaster. More crowded then any of 20+ ships we have been on. Separate salad bar  and grill Islands have staff and guests bumping into each other. No coordination with excursion staff so lines stopped at 2:15 when about 100 guests returned en mass from tenders.

Specialty restaurants very inconsistent Ordered same Prime ribs on two legs. First excellent next not edible. Head waiter said “ not the first complaint about it today” well why are yo still serving it?  Other guests walked out of Toscana for various reasons including screaming kids.  Christmas dinner in GDR men wearing jeans one with black T and gold chain. Complained about it to Head waiter and got O has highest standards speech and he would look into it. Next night we counted multiple exceptions to O dress code. This morning waited 30 minutes plus for cream of wheat and pancakes before we left. Excuse was “ we were caught by surprise”  Did another 100 guests suddenly board overnight?
So far the only O advertising I can agree with is they won awards for the best brochures

[wripro]

Are you sure they didn't win the award for the most brochures?

 

And if food is hit or miss depending who is in the kitchen O needs to revise it's marketing to "the best food at sea.....if you luck out."

[LHT28]

29 minutes ago, Mrs f. said:

My first time with a butler. We usually  go concierge  veranda. Our concierge has always asked us what types of soda we want in the fridge.

I have never had the Concierge ask what we wanted in the fridge

I usually just tell the housekeeping staff  when they introduce themselves  or remind them during the cruise

 

We have not been on since the new Vero system has been in place so cannot comment on that  but before  the water battles on the shelf were always replaced as needed

[azdrydock]

And the rant continues......

tonight in the GDR we counted 7 men with jeans and pointed them out to head waiter #1.... he responded by saying “ but the food and service was good, wasn’t it?”

we pushed and he said people are on vacation and don't always want to change. Head waiter #2 comes by a few minutes later. He apologizes for breakfast problems earlier and obviously been informed by HW#1, tells us that he personally doesn’t allow people with jeans in but others are afraid of upsetting guests. Finished dinner and as we walked past Jacques we see two couples with Jeans enter and be seated. Looks like Oceania is about as upscale as NCL Pride of America on a hot Hawaii night. btw.... the wine up sell attempts in all of the dining rooms has to be toned down!

As far as being number 1 in total brochures, that at least keeps the post office busy between elections😏

[Paulchili]

44 minutes ago, azdrydock said:

And the rant continues.....

Do you foresee returning to Oceania In the future?