Beverage/Dining Question

[Minnie29]

We are about to go on our first Viking Ocean cruise from the UK in a couple of weeks. 
Can I ask a question regarding the included drinks with lunch and dinner. 
Can anyone advise which drinks are included and whether these are served in all the eateries or just the main restaurant?

if we decide to eat at one of the smaller venues and decide to have a latte or tea are these included or just with lunch and dinner?

thank you so much

[TayanaLorna]

13 minutes ago, Minnie29 said:

We are about to go on our first Viking Ocean cruise from the UK in a couple of weeks. 
Can I ask a question regarding the included drinks with lunch and dinner. 
Can anyone advise which drinks are included and whether these are served in all the eateries or just the main restaurant?

if we decide to eat at one of the smaller venues and decide to have a latte or tea are these included or just with lunch and dinner?

thank you so much

The house wine of the day (red and white) or a beer selection are the included alcoholic beverages available anywhere you can dine during lunch and dinner hours which is generally  (12-2:30) and (6-9).  Soft drinks, juice, coffee, hot or iced tea are also available and included.  The Living Room bar opens at 6 or 6:30 am and makes coffees to order - expresso, latte etc.  You can also self serve coffee or tea in the World Cafe before food opening hours as there is a machine with buttons for your choice.  And Mamsens has self serve coffee/tea station set up on the bar very early.

[Minnie29]

That sounds great. Are the lattes and tea included in the cruise fare or do you pay separately for those?

any recommendations for lunch and breakfast venues. There seems to be lots of choice. 
thank you

[Peregrina651]

58 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

You can also self serve coffee or tea in the World Cafe before food opening hours as there is a machine with buttons for your choice.  And Mamsens has self serve coffee/tea station set up on the bar very early.

 

We are not sure if these self-serve options will be available on post-pandemic sailings. There is a thread for the UK sailings and you could ask there if people on the first cruises will report if the self-serve beverage stations are open.

 

Coffee/tea and hot chocolate are available gratis 24/7. The only time a coffee costs is when it is made with spirits.  Available at all bars and from room service.

 

Fruit juices (and bubbly for mimosas) are available gratis at breakfast.

[Minnie29]

Thank you so much. 
not too concerned about self-serve drinks. Happy to have waiter service!! 
I understand that you can request specific refills of the mini spirits and sodas in your cabin? We are in a Penthouse veranda and I believe this is refilled each day? 
thank you 

[Dukefan]

1 minute ago, Minnie29 said:

Thank you so much. 
not too concerned about self-serve drinks. Happy to have waiter service!! 
I understand that you can request specific refills of the mini spirits and sodas in your cabin? We are in a Penthouse veranda and I believe this is refilled each day? 
thank you 

Yes, as soon as we get on board we tell the stewart how we want our mini-bar stocked.  We also have a printed list of what we want taken out and want we want added (i.e. Remove all the beer and add a bottle of red and white wine - Remove the Vodke and Rum and replace with additional Scotch and Gin). By the second day, our mini-bar is set up exactly as we want.  We leave the note in the top of the mini-bar and Viking does a great job of replacing the wine when the bottle get low and in general each day making sure the mini-bar is exactly like we specified.

[TayanaLorna]

3 hours ago, Minnie29 said:

That sounds great. Are the lattes and tea included in the cruise fare or do you pay separately for those?

any recommendations for lunch and breakfast venues. There seems to be lots of choice. 
thank you

The waffles at Mamsen's are better then at the World Cafe.  As far as which meal venue, try them all!  Don't miss the homemade gelato station in the World Cafe port side.  Oh and walk all the way around to both sides of World Cafe as items can be different on each side.

[TayanaLorna]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

We are not sure if these self-serve options will be available on post-pandemic sailings. There is a thread for the UK sailings and you could ask there if people on the first cruises will report if the self-serve beverage stations are open.

 

Coffee/tea and hot chocolate are available gratis 24/7. The only time a coffee costs is when it is made with spirits.  Available at all bars and from room service.

 

Fruit juices (and bubbly for mimosas) are available gratis at breakfast.

Peregrina, you may be right about the self serve coffee stations in Mamsen's and the WC.  The Living Room should be good though.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

The Living Room should be good though.

 

It is a better choice for coffee anyhow -- and it is open 6am to Midnight. The self serve machines are glorified kuerig machines. The Living Room is an espresso machine, just like you find in the cafes of Europe, with cups ground and brewed as you watch.

[Dukefan]

40 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

It is a better choice for coffee anyhow -- and it is open 6am to Midnight. The self serve machines are glorified kuerig machines. The Living Room is an espresso machine, just like you find in the cafes of Europe, with cups ground and brewed as you watch.

The Living Room makes the best Lattes and Cappuccinos on the ship.   It is well worth the walk there in the morning and return to your cabin before getting clean-up or having breakfast.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, Dukefan said:

The Living Room makes the best Lattes and Cappuccinos on the ship.

 

Because they have the most  practice using the equipment; they are at it all day long.

 

The worst coffee is the decaf in The Restaurant. Acrid.  I learned to stop at The Living Room to grab my coffee and then head into breakfast.

 

Little known secret. The Theater bar dispenses coffee in the morning  for the touring crowd. Hope this continues when we return to sailing.

 

 

[Minnie29]

Sounds like The Living Room will be the place for my morning latte then. 
thank you all

 

[TayanaLorna]

4 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Because they have the most  practice using the equipment; they are at it all day long.

 

The worst coffee is the decaf in The Restaurant. Acrid.  I learned to stop at The Living Room to grab my coffee and then head into breakfast.

 

Little known secret. The Theater bar dispenses coffee in the morning  for the touring crowd. Hope this continues when we return to sailing.

 

 

Secret no more.

[What was that?]

On 5/23/2021 at 12:36 PM, Peregrina651 said:

Little known secret. The Theater bar dispenses coffee in the morning  for the touring crowd. Hope this continues when we return to sailing.

 

But not on at sea days?

[Meander Ingwa]

there are very few quality decaf mass brew products.  Really a disappointment when a good restaurant simply has terrible decaf.  Not the way to end an evening  .  I am a Seattle girl and good, strong, rich coffee is my morning ritual since 1973

[KBs mum]

The tea is dire, the water is never boiled, just heated, so the tea is lukewarm. The tea bags are decent but not the best. Take your own and ask for a kettle in your room. 

Biggest cups are in the buffet, if you want a mug take your own

[longterm]

The in-room Nespresso machine makes excellent espressos.

 

 

[Hobson1754]

1 hour ago, KBs mum said:

The tea is dire, the water is never boiled, just heated, so the tea is lukewarm. The tea bags are decent but not the best. Take your own and ask for a kettle in your room. 

Biggest cups are in the buffet, if you want a mug take your own

My beverage of choice is Jasmine Green Tea with a slice of lemon, so take my own tea, get the room steward to exchange the Nespresso machine for a kettle and, alongside a bucket of ice (for our nightly G&T), lemon was delivered daily to our room. Great service 😀👍

[Peregrina651]

6 hours ago, What was that? said:

But not on at sea days?

 

No morning coffee on sea days. I can't remember if the bar is open on sea days during the lectures.

[deec]

it isusually  open before evening port talk and always during evening shows...In my experience not usually for lectures

[LindaS272]

First sea day lecture this morning on Saturn, DH got his tea. Coffe/tea provided, bar opens at 11:30 according to the attendant.

[CannotSwim]

On 5/23/2021 at 11:54 AM, TayanaLorna said:

The waffles at Mamsen's are better then at the World Cafe.  As far as which meal venue, try them all!  Don't miss the homemade gelato station in the World Cafe port side.  Oh and walk all the way around to both sides of World Cafe as items can be different on each side.

In addition to the differences in the side for the last two cruises there was an Asian specialties section at the end of World Cafe.

When we have a morning excursion I usually have an omelet and waffle in the World Cafe. On sea days I start with an omelet in World Cafe and then have a second breakfast of a Mamsen's waffle. (On the Viking Mississippi Mansen's is just around the corner from the main buffet.)

[Mich3554]

40 minutes ago, CannotSwim said:

In addition to the differences in the side for the last two cruises there was an Asian specialties section at the end of World Cafe.

When we have a morning excursion I usually have an omelet and waffle in the World Cafe. On sea days I start with an omelet in World Cafe and then have a second breakfast of a Mamsen's waffle. (On the Viking Mississippi Mansen's is just around the corner from the main buffet.)

Another thing we discovered on our most recent cruise…….if we found the beef or lamb overcooked for us on one side, try the other.  

[What was that?]

So, Minnie29, how did it go on your cruise? Did you learn anything new, have new insights, etc.?

I would have recommended to try the Success Cake in Mamsen's - if you didn't try it you will have to go on another Viking Ocean cruise!