Vista restaurants revealed

[ChadnKate]

Would like to know about the apparent limitations on booking specialty restaurants on the Vista. For the Marina and Riviera you are allowed advance online bookings of all four restaurants. We have four bookings on the Vista. All of them show the number and date of bookings, but only for Toscana and Polo. Red Ginger (our favorite) and the new Ember are not included. 

Does anyone have info about this?

[LHT28]

34 minutes ago, ChadnKate said:

 

Would like to know about the apparent limitations on booking specialty restaurants on the Vista. For the Marina and Riviera you are allowed advance online bookings of all four restaurants. We have four bookings on the Vista. All of them show the number and date of bookings, but only for Toscana and Polo. Red Ginger (our favorite) and the new Ember are not included. 

Does anyone have info about this?

Maybe  they have not worked out all the details on that yet

But I see Red Ginger is open for lunch on some days 

JMO

[Robjame]

Embers is an open kitchen, grill-type restaurant that has been offered as faster service. May be why reservations won’t be needed. The menu revealed so far is familiar.
 

The restaurant changes are one of the main reasons we will stick to Marina and Riviera.

[JRIH]

9 hours ago, Robjame said:

Embers is an open kitchen, grill-type restaurant that has been offered as faster service. May be why reservations won’t be needed. The menu revealed so far is familiar.
 

The restaurant changes are one of the main reasons we will stick to Marina and Riviera.

Agreed, but we'd like to try Vista at least once.

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, JRIH said:

Agreed, but we'd like to try Vista at least once.

Yes, we think trying something at least once is better than going on any pre-conceived notions. Sometimes there are good surprises in store for the adventuresome.

[pinotlover]

We are booked for a Mid June 23 cruise on the Vista. Clueless on whether it will actually sail. Our booking window for Specialties will open around 4/1. There will be a lot of water to pass under the bridge between now and 4/1, so I can’t currently get excited about this topic in the least bit right. I think time will tell on the subject. 

[DENIE]

There is another thread where the issue of reservations came up.  Others have also noted only Toscana and Polo for early reservations.  Likewise, we have a PH on a January 2024 Vista cruise and observed the same thing.  The information communicated in that thread is that Oceania has "not made a determination" as to whether Ember or Red Ginger will offer early reservations.  Not sure how that information was determined, but that is what was stated.

 

 

[pinotlover]

I’m just guessing, but I firmly believe that by mid March 2023, when bookings might open if the ship is actually sailing, it’ll all be worked out and everyone will know. No La Reserve on the ship for competition, why the trepidation over not knowing months in advance? I’m concerned over whether the ship will even be sailing and the loss of airfare. Worry about booking a Specialty months before bookings open isn’t on my list!

[RJB]

On 7/24/2022 at 9:09 PM, Mura said:

You are not alone.  Jacques has been our favorite specialty restaurant on the "O" ships since the beginning ... and for us, Red GInger is the LEAST popular.

 

I know that many will disagree, but we have a right to our opinion, no?  We would probably feel differently if we into Asian Fusion rather than Szechuan.

 

Mura

We still agree with you.  Jacques has been number one with us from the beginning. 

[WNcruiser]

On 10/28/2022 at 4:00 AM, Robjame said:

Embers is an open kitchen, grill-type restaurant that has been offered as faster service. May be why reservations won’t be needed. The menu revealed so far is familiar.
 

The restaurant changes are one of the main reasons we will stick to Marina and Riviera.

It states reservations are required for dinner. 
 

Edited November 3, 2022 by WNcruiser

[Robjame]

6 hours ago, WNcruiser said:

It states reservations are required for dinner. 

Read from post 76 on. We know what it says in the written material but people are trying to figure why (thusfar) Ember and Red Ginger are not available.

[ChadnKate]

30 minutes ago, Robjame said:

Read from post 76 on. We know what it says in the written material but people are trying to figure why (thusfar) Ember and Red Ginger are not available.

Yes I do want to know about the lack of online dinner reservations for Red Ginger and Ember, and I will definitely miss Jacques, but am looking forward to having more lunch opportunities: Ember, Red Ginger and Aquamar Grill. Beats getting so tired of lobster and wonderful burgers at Waves Grill (Ha Ha). 

[Fam_Cruise]

8 hours ago, ChadnKate said:

Yes I do want to know about the lack of online dinner reservations for Red Ginger and Ember

You may well not know anything for a couple months. With the first cruise scheduled for May 20, the earliest they would need to have reservations for new restaurants online would be February 19.  I would guess that they need to assess the final number of tables, hours, staffing, and possibly numerous other factors before determining the configuration for online reservations.  It's easy for existing restaurants because they have models from O class ships, and while undoubtedly they will use existing restaurant models, those will need to be tweaked for the new restaurants, then tested, and ultimately make sure everything is copacetic before moving online reservations for those new restaurants into production.  Even then there will probably be some bugs.

[ChadnKate]

On 11/4/2022 at 6:59 AM, Fam_Cruise said:

You may well not know anything for a couple months. With the first cruise scheduled for May 20, the earliest they would need to have reservations for new restaurants online would be February 19.  I would guess that they need to assess the final number of tables, hours, staffing, and possibly numerous other factors before determining the configuration for online reservations.  It's easy for existing restaurants because they have models from O class ships, and while undoubtedly they will use existing restaurant models, those will need to be tweaked for the new restaurants, then tested, and ultimately make sure everything is copacetic before moving online reservations for those new restaurants into production.  Even then there will probably be some bugs.

We are on the May 20th cruise. Our PH booking  says March 6th for our dining reservations. Will be on the Marina Dec 18th for a month. If they know anything and will share, we will share too. 

[WNcruiser]

On 10/27/2022 at 1:03 PM, ChadnKate said:

 

Would like to know about the apparent limitations on booking specialty restaurants on the Vista. For the Marina and Riviera you are allowed advance online bookings of all four restaurants. We have four bookings on the Vista. All of them show the number and date of bookings, but only for Toscana and Polo. Red Ginger (our favorite) and the new Ember are not included. 

Does anyone have info about this?

Just noticed on my reservation that ALL 4 restaurants are now showing as available for booking. The mystery is hopefully solved 🙂

 

[WNcruiser]

On 11/3/2022 at 9:18 PM, Robjame said:

Read from post 76 on. We know what it says in the written material but people are trying to figure why (thusfar) Ember and Red Ginger are not available.

Now showing as available 

 

[ORV]

Sewshs, glad that's worked out now. 

[DENIE]

Yay, just checked our Vista cruise in January 2024 and saw all 4 restaurants now listed! 🙂

[SeaWatch12]

6 hours ago, DENIE said:

Yay, just checked our Vista cruise in January 2024 and saw all 4 restaurants now listed! 🙂

Hi DENIE, we just booked that Vista voyage this week. I’ve been reading the sample menus with great interest , look so good!  Can’t wait to hear reports about the ship in just a few months. 

[Rosroz]

I’m sorry to see Jaques go I would have preferred Polo to have been replaced , very old fashioned in my opinion, Also think Red Ginger is itching special , either way I hope they take a good look at ALL the menus , modernisation is what is needed .
Saying that I can’t say I’ve been that disappointed with the food 😆

[halfapair]

On 11/3/2022 at 12:11 PM, WNcruiser said:

It states reservations are required for dinner. 
 

I don't see how "crab cakes with spicy aoli" is inventive. Seems like that's been done a million times before.

I also wish they would update the menu in Polo. It's kind of boring, and the desserts aren't that good.

[halfapair]

1 hour ago, Rosroz said:

I’m sorry to see Jaques go I would have preferred Polo to have been replaced , very old fashioned in my opinion, Also think Red Ginger is itching special , either way I hope they take a good look at ALL the menus , modernisation is what is needed .
Saying that I can’t say I’ve been that disappointed with the food 😆

100% agree about Polo. The menu needs a refresh.

[DENIE]

6 hours ago, SeaWatch12 said:

Hi DENIE, we just booked that Vista voyage this week. I’ve been reading the sample menus with great interest , look so good!  Can’t wait to hear reports about the ship in just a few months. 

Hi Seawatch!  We enjoyed them on the Riviera this last June 2022.  So you are on the 1/9-1/19 cruise, then?  Be sure to go to the roll call.

[DoulaAnn]

On 8/12/2021 at 3:34 AM, Beagle5 said:

No mention of La Reserve either. It’s role seems to be taken over by the culinary centre.

 

Ember and Aquamarine sound a little bland to me.

I hadn't noticed La Reserve being missing.  Of course, on Marina last month, they had boosted the pricing up on even the two non-champagne dinners so high that we, who love La Reserve, didn't find the value in it. Price was $150 for each of the two dinners.  Had been $90.

[DoulaAnn]

On 2/24/2023 at 9:52 AM, halfapair said:

100% agree about Polo. The menu needs a refresh.

Everyone has different favorites.  You will find people who LOVE Polo, Toscana, Red Ginger, and Jacques.  And those who either dislike or find one as their least favorite. There are those who love GDR and Terrace Cafe for dinner, and there are those who don't.  I guess Oceania had to make a choice somewhere.  Did they lose Jacque Pepin as their executive chef, I wonder?