Viking Sea Nov 1, 2021 World Cafe Food

[sleepybobo]

My experience with the World Cafe has been mixed as well.  We enjoyed the crab legs and sushi during our first Viking Ocean cruise (Sun, Venice to Athens, 2017).  But we found the quality of crab legs and sushi not as good during our second Viking Ocean cruise (Jupiter, Russia and the Baltic Sea, 2019).  The crab legs weren't mushy or soggy, but lacked flavor.  We also found the food and service from the Restaurant not as good on Jupiter.  They weren't bad.  But just not as good as what we experienced on the Sun.  We never tried the Chef's Table.  My wine palate is not developed.  Wine pairing and fusion cuisine are not my thing.  Manfredi's was our favorite.  

 

I don't remember any "theme nights" at the World Cafe during night time.  There was seafood buffet one afternoon, may be some other specialties on sea days.  My memory is foggy now.  

[bbtondo]

3 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

I’m not a crab leg connoisseur so can say anything about them.  The shrimp we’ve had have been good, not great.  I grew up in Charleston so I know good fresh shrimp. These are as you stated likely frozen and I would bet farm raised.  But not soggy/mushy. We enjoy a few shrimp, some sushi and sashimi and hubby a crab leg or two with our predinner cocktail on the Aquavit terrace.  His mom liked the crab legs the first cruise she did but on the second complained they had changed from king to snow or viceversa.  In any case she always asks for them to be heated and for some melted butter. Hubby eats his cold. 

Thanks for your response.  My hubby also asked for the crab legs to be heated and some melted butter. They looked at him like he had 2 heads. Hubby just says oh well and ate them cold. The more info I'm getting about the world cafe makes me  feel like a red headed stepchild. Lol

[khuselid]

On 11/21/2021 at 12:52 PM, jonthomas said:

yeah very subjective...

 

for us Viking was the best after  the  inedibles on Celebrity...and I do mean inedible...

 

but then we tried Oceania....all I can say is WOW...

 

but again, very subjective....

 

I have yet, though,  to find anyone that says Viking food is better than O....but maybe now someone will....

Totally with you Jon! We are currently on our first Viking cruise. We LOVE the ship and the staterooms as well as the service and the ambiance. However the food doesn’t hold a candle to Oceania! Apparently O spends more on food than any other cruiseline and it shows. The quality of the ingredients, or lack thereof, is evident here. I wasn’t aware of how important the food was for us! For this price point I’m not sure we would use Viking again.

[jonthomas]

Just an example of how subjective food is...

 

we were travelling with acquaintances    on a Celebrity ship...

 

the first night, roast turkey...waiter brought it...we looked at the iridescent colors of the slices and told the waiter , this is processed turkey...do you have any that you can cut right off the bird?

the answer was, this is not processed....ok...well we made no fuss....but didnt eat it...

our acquaintances , ate every drop and licked the plate....on top of it, making is seem like we were crazy for saying it is processed...

 

just one example of food that was nor edible to us, but to others was just fine...

 

yes maybe we are picky...but seem to think everything we ate on the O ships was just delicious....had no issue with anything we tried...

 

on the little ship Insignia,  600 passengers, they ran out of mac and cheese at lunch, the server said there was no more...so we had something else , no problem...everything was scrumptious...the next thing we knew , the chef was coming up to our table with a steaming pot of mac and cheese and saying to us, No one should say to you there is no more, please accept our apologies and enjoy...we were very impressed...

 

just one example of the type of service...

 

but again I say, when we tried Viking after all Celebrity and Royal Carib cruises, we were amazed by the beauty of the ship, the service and also the food. So much better that what we had experienced, until we tried O. 

[khuselid]

5 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Just an example of how subjective food is...

 

we were travelling with acquaintances    on a Celebrity ship...

 

the first night, roast turkey...waiter brought it...we looked at the iridescent colors of the slices and told the waiter , this is processed turkey...do you have any that you can cut right off the bird?

the answer was, this is not processed....ok...well we made no fuss....but didnt eat it...

our acquaintances , ate every drop and licked the plate....on top of it, making is seem like we were crazy for saying it is processed...

 

just one example of food that was nor edible to us, but to others was just fine...

 

yes maybe we are picky...but seem to think everything we ate on the O ships was just delicious....had no issue with anything we tried...

 

on the little ship Insignia,  600 passengers, they ran out of mac and cheese at lunch, the server said there was no more...so we had something else , no problem...everything was scrumptious...the next thing we knew , the chef was coming up to our table with a steaming pot of mac and cheese and saying to us, No one should say to you there is no more, please accept our apologies and enjoy...we were very impressed...

 

just one example of the type of service...

 

but again I say, when we tried Viking after all Celebrity and Royal Carib cruises, we were amazed by the beauty of the ship, the service and also the food. So much better that what we had experienced, until we tried O. 

Yes! If we had never been on O this would have been fine, I am sure. It’s hard to describe the food on O, and the experience, if you haven’t been there! Everything is made from scratch and you don’t get that ‘dry mix’ taste in any of the muffins or scones. They use fresh pasta as well, which Viking does not. I guess I am picky……but then I am paying the bill!

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, khuselid said:

Yes! If we had never been on O this would have been fine, I am sure. It’s hard to describe the food on O, and the experience, if you haven’t been there! Everything is made from scratch and you don’t get that ‘dry mix’ taste in any of the muffins or scones. They use fresh pasta as well, which Viking does not. I guess I am picky……but then I am paying the bill!

 

Having completed an extensive galley tour, I can assure you Viking have pasta machines in the galley for making many different types of pasta.

[Jim Avery]

2 hours ago, khuselid said:

Yes! If we had never been on O this would have been fine, I am sure. It’s hard to describe the food on O, and the experience, if you haven’t been there! Everything is made from scratch and you don’t get that ‘dry mix’ taste in any of the muffins or scones. They use fresh pasta as well, which Viking does not. I guess I am picky……but then I am paying the bill!

I have looked at O before and like many of the itineraries.  My biggest problem is getting past the Antique Bordello decor.   Just another opinion..🍸

Edited November 22, 2021 by Jim Avery

[khuselid]

34 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

I have looked at O before and like many of the itineraries.  My biggest problem is getting past the Antique Bordello decor.   Just another opinion..🍸

🤣Jim I’m totally with you on this one! We love the minimalist design of Orion! The cabin is perfect in all ways and we like the restaurants lack of a giant space! I totally appreciate the aesthetic and wish O would take a note!

[jonthomas]

Yes I love the look of the Viking ships interiors, light and airy.....

[TrulyBlonde]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

I have looked at O before and like many of the itineraries.  My biggest problem is getting past the Antique Bordello decor.   Just another opinion..🍸

Jim, Those are the R ships and I believe they have been updated. My suggestion is to cruise on the O ships, which are Marina and Riviera. This is where they really shine. Trust me.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, TrulyBlonde said:

Jim, Those are the R ships and I believe they have been updated. My suggestion is to cruise on the O ships, which are Marina and Riviera. This is where they really shine. Trust me.

 

Other than they carry more pax than Viking, at 1,250 the biggest detriment for us is Oceania was purchased by NCL about 6 or 7 yrs ago. Have no doubt NCL will have subtle reductions in standards, similar to the Carnivalisation of brands purchased by Carnival.

 

Oceania also only built 2 of the Marina Class ships, as I seem to recall an option for a 3rd was cancelled. They also don't have any new tonnage until the first of the 2 newbuilds arrives about 2023. A gap of 11 or 12 yrs between newbuilds is a huge gap for a cruise line.

[Mrs Miggins]

Have sailed on Oceania Riviera.  Good ship and excellent food. Loved Red Ginger. Oceania have great itineraries

On Azamara we love the food, the itineraries, which often vary from the usual, and the mix of nationalities, from the US, the UK, Australia.

On Viking we love the ship, the spa and are usually happy with the food. We like the afternoon teas, the splendid special buffets around the pool and the amount of live music.

 

Of course if our preferences could all be brought together the would be a fantastic cruise line.

 

In the meantime we have Viking booked for New Year, Azamara for spring in the Mediterranean, and a Scenic River cruise in the South of France in early July.  One of the joys of Scenic is the passenger mix which includes Australians.  That seems to liven things up considerably.

 

Forgot to mention the wonderful Star Clippers and their splendid sailing ships.  Nothing like laying in the net on the bow with the water below and the sails above. Food was excellent and fresh.  Owned by a Swedish family.  Something about the Scandinavians and the sea seems to fit perfectly.  

 

[TrulyBlonde]

9 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Other than they carry more pax than Viking, at 1,250 the biggest detriment for us is Oceania was purchased by NCL about 6 or 7 yrs ago. Have no doubt NCL will have subtle reductions in standards, similar to the Carnivalisation of brands purchased by Carnival.

 

Oceania also only built 2 of the Marina Class ships, as I seem to recall an option for a 3rd was cancelled. They also don't have any new tonnage until the first of the 2 newbuilds arrives about 2023. A gap of 11 or 12 yrs between newbuilds is a huge gap for a cruise line.

Actually, Oceania has a new build with itineraries already out. The new ship is named Vista.

I have cruised both Viking and Oceania so have some knowledge about the ships and food on each.

 

Personally, I cruise for itinerary because we are not ready to make the ship our destination. We even have a cruise for the Panama Canal booked in an aft suite on Princess for 2023. Timing and itinerary was perfect for us in May vs Viking, Crystal, Oceania, etc. It is an old ship too 😉 

 

I hope you one day give Oceania a try. You may like it.

Edited November 23, 2021 by TrulyBlonde

[Heidi13]

8 minutes ago, TrulyBlonde said:

Actually, Oceania has a new build with itineraries already out. The new ship is named Vista.

I have cruised both Viking and Oceania so have some knowledge about the ships and food on each.

 

Personally, I cruise for itinerary because we are not ready to make the ship our destination. We even have a cruise for the Panama Canal booked in an aft suite on Princess for 2023. Timing and itinerary was perfect for us in May vs Viking, Crystal, Oceania, etc. It is an old ship too 😉 

 

I hope you one day give Oceania a try. You may like it.

 

They are selling cruises, but Oceania Vista doesn't launch until 2023. At present they will have  started cutting steel and fabricating the mega blocks.

[TrulyBlonde]

Just now, Heidi13 said:

 

They are selling cruises, but Oceania Vista doesn't launch until 2023. At present they will have  started cutting steel and fabricating the mega blocks.

Yes, I know it comes out in 2023. They do have itineraries out already for booking is what I was saying. NCL owns both Regent and Oceania and most people seem happy with each of these. Oceania is Del Rio's baby and he takes great care of his O ships.

Yes, and in our opinion the food is much better on Oceania. However, we never starved on Viking and their ships are gorgeous and comfortable. 

At least I can give my honest opinion because I have done both cruise lines.

[jonthomas]

Yes I agree with all of the above. It all depends on what matters to you most. The Viking ships are beautiful. 

[travelwell]

Heidi, in terms of financial stability of NCL, Oceania and Regent I am not concerned. I am a Del Rio fan from way back when he was active on the Oceania board. His foot print is all over these lines, especially Oceania.We only had to put 20% down on our Regent world cruise 3 years in advance and final payment 6 months in advance. We canceled our Regent WC in July and got 100% refund in 2 weeks including money for Overlands and money for Regent choice excursions. The speed of the refund exceeded our expectation. . Regent sold 2024 WC in one hour. 
The 100% down way in advance for Viking makes us have to think. The food concerns do also, thought I realize subjective.I agree with Truely Blonde, I will surely not starve.