Major Refits upcoming for Riviera (2022) and Marina (2023)

[Hawaiidan]

3 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Being foreign-flagged ships USCG regulations are of no consequence except while in US waters.

I've seen charcoal barbeques used on outdoor decks of cruise ships for as long as I can remember so outdoors it might be possible to use wood if properly enclosed in the oven.

wood fired means open flame.... charcoal there is none.     Big difference....     

[CruiseLibra]

1 minute ago, clairol said:

I am VERY anxious to hear if the tub lives on but for different reasons, my hope is that it does. 

 

That rug seems a little much for such a small space. But other than that I look forward to the improvements... just hoping the tub survives.🛁

I am sure that they will keep a number of rooms that have a tubbed bathroom which will be available on request. Most new hotels or hotels under renovations are removing tubs as fewer and fewer guests actually want (or are able to) get down into a tub for a soak. Most guests want a larger shower stall in lieu of a tub. But I would be very surprised if they removed all of the tubs thereby preserving some for guests who want them. 

[njhorseman]

8 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

wood fired means open flame.... charcoal there is none.     Big difference....     

I've seen lots of open flame when the charcoal was being fired up .

[pinotlover]

2 hours ago, CruiseLibra said:

I am sure that they will keep a number of rooms that have a tubbed bathroom which will be available on request. Most new hotels or hotels under renovations are removing tubs as fewer and fewer guests actually want (or are able to) get down into a tub for a soak. Most guests want a larger shower stall in lieu of a tub. But I would be very surprised if they removed all of the tubs thereby preserving some for guests who want them. 

The primary issue is labor. How long are you willing to pay an attendant to get on their hands and knees to scrub a bathtub to remove the ring? Shower floors and stalls are different visual issues than “ ring around the tub”. Huge labor savings from eliminating tubs, either as just tubs or as the initial catch basis of shower water.

[Hawaiidan]

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Reservations open May 4, 2022 at 9:00 am Eastern.

should be a PH2 opening now.....  I just cancelled.   Sad to see Jaques and other stuff go.    Wont be the same.  

[pinotlover]

12 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

should be a PH2 opening now.....  I just cancelled.   Sad to see Jaques and other stuff go.    Wont be the same.  

We were told back in 19 that Jacques wouldn’t be on the new “A” ships. No surprise there. Jacques is still on the O ships.

 

I spent a month in France last summer. Good, Bad, or Indifferent, old style recipes like in Jacques isn’t really found anywhere in France today. The French have moved on to new exciting menus, time for Oceania to do the same.

 

FWIW, I lived in Germany during the 70s. G, B ,or I even in German restaurants today, one can find few of the great dishes I loved of that era. Gone with the Wind.

Edited April 13, 2022 by pinotlover

[Hawaiidan]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

We were told back in 19 that Jacques wouldn’t be on the new “A” ships. No surprise there. Jacques is still on the O ships.

 

I spent a month in France last summer. Good, Bad, or Indifferent, old style recipes like in Jacques isn’t really found anywhere in France today. The French have moved on to new exciting menus, time for Oceania to do the same.

 

FWIW, I lived in Germany during the 70s. G, B ,or I even in German restaurants today, one can find few of the great dishes I loved of that era. Gone with the Wind.

I still go to france every other year.... I find constant excellent bistro to haute..   Many rural  places still serve tried and true    Foe Haute I hit around Lyon and Roanne      Real French never dies.    

[pinotlover]

7 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

I still go to france every other year.... I find constant excellent bistro to haute..   Many rural  places still serve tried and true    Foe Haute I hit around Lyon and Roanne      Real French never dies.    

There’s still a market for buggy whips and ox carts. Perhaps you should start a competitive company in those industries.

 

There are many wineries of the late 90s and early 2000s, that chased the fad of Uber ripeness and high alcohol, that are in the dustbin of history. Same as many of those before them that clung to tannic monsters. Taste changes  and evolve for better or worse. 

 

Jacques stagnant menu had a great run and continues to do well with certain demographics. He will remain on the O ships for the foreseeable future. It’s obvious that going forward with the new A ships, O doesn’t believe that the tithing he demands is worth the goods sold. 

 

Someday, even the glorious French Laundry will be a footnote in history.

[Beagle5]

53 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Jacques stagnant menu had a great run and continues to do well with certain demographics. He will remain on the O ships for the foreseeable future. It’s obvious that going forward with the new A ships, O doesn’t believe that the tithing he demands is worth the goods sold. 

Not sure if the Jacques menu is any more stagnant than Toscana’s, but I see your point.

 

I just would have preferred they replaced it with a new restaurant with modern French cuisine (whatever that is) on Vista rather than Ember’s “inventive American “ (whatever that is). 
 

[chloemonkey]

11 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

Well I am glad they  warned me.....   I just was able  to cancel 2 cruises 20 min ago..... Dont want to be on   that sort of atmosphere with its Parisian and Italian  residential atmosphere  With a color palet derived from Bellevue Hospital in NY or some such sanitarimum.....    Dont think I will  enjoy being on a narcissist dream afloat..... 

I will book ships in the future which feel like ships     My wife is still laughing  at the  "banal diatribe" they  wove ....     Good bye and good luck  if  your into that.

Might we inquire as to which dates you cancelled?  Maybe you just allowed some of us to clear the Wait Lists.

[ToxM]

9 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

Wood fires  on a ship!!    It will be fun to see how they do that since no open flame / fire is allowed by USCG on a ship..      Going to be fun to see how the do that.....er, going to be fun for you to see.     No more Jaques and all that fluff. sad....    Not for me, paying10K  to eat Pizza?????? 

Having seen an open flame on QM2 (several times in the grills with cherries jubilee), I don’t really see the problem with a wood fired pizza oven. 

 

The chef doing the pizzas at the moment on Sirena is excellent, I cannot imagine the wonders he would create with a wood fired oven…. 

[Robjame]

7 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

I still go to france every other year.... I find constant excellent bistro to haute..   Many rural  places still serve tried and true    Foe Haute I hit around Lyon and Roanne

What you say is true. We spend our winters in France and have done for years. As you mention, Lyon, not Paris, is the food centre of France. Food in France, like wine, reflects the region (goût de terroir).
Bistros, brasseries, cafes, auberges all serve traditional French cuisine. Only restaurants get into nouvelle cuisine and most French can only occasionally afford restaurants.

We live in Canada and over 5 million French citizens and 7 million Québécois live here so we have a lot of French restaurants etc. and French influence in our eateries. Jacques (in the part of their menu that is actually French) is the closest I have had to actual French traditional outside of France. His food in La Reserve, despite the name Bourgeoise, tends closer to restaurant food.
‘Jacques is still our favourite specialty dining venue and its absence on Vista is one of the reasons we cancelled our Vista voyages and booked back into Riviera.

 

 

[FetaCheese]

Can someone confirm that Jacques will still be on Riviera and Marina ?  Thanks

[AlaskaNewbie68]

Apologies if it's in the release and I'm missing it: Does anyone know when Marina will be taken out of service? We are booked for April 2023. Thank you!

[billf0401]

We are quite pleased to see the renovations....Booked 2 times on the "New" Riviera....January and July 2023.

[edgee]

36 minutes ago, AlaskaNewbie68 said:

Apologies if it's in the release and I'm missing it: Does anyone know when Marina will be taken out of service? We are booked for April 2023. Thank you!

Marina renovations will occur in late October and early November, it would seem, since the new look will debut in mid November of 2023, according to the release.

[Robjame]

1 hour ago, FetaCheese said:

Can someone confirm that Jacques will still be on Riviera and Marina ?  Thanks

I saw nothing in the press releases that indicated that Jacques would be pulled from Riviera and Marina. Dan seemed to indicate in his posts that Jacques would be gone but perhaps he was referring to Vista.

[Hawaiidan]

2 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

Can someone confirm that Jacques will still be on Riviera and Marina ?  Thanks

Not after the grand refit.....its history.....   In its place  are outdoor pizzas and salad, and comfort food. The trend is toward casual "fast food"........   I expect  chicken fingers to pop up  as  american tastes continue decline.......  Oh well...   Can't see paying 500-1000 a day  to eat friggen pizza?   Are Tacos and Burritos  soon to appear ?..... But as P T Barnum once spoke, " you will never go broke underestimating Americans tastes"

[Hawaiidan]

1 hour ago, Robjame said:

I saw nothing in the press releases that indicated that Jacques would be pulled from Riviera and Marina. Dan seemed to indicate in his posts that Jacques would be gone but perhaps he was referring to Vista.

if you  search  the article and look up ships   under dining   in the refit, you will see about the New  trattoria and wood fired Pizza place.........    

[basor]

2 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

Not after the grand refit.....its history.....   In its place  are outdoor pizzas and salad, and comfort food. The trend is toward casual "fast food"........   I expect  chicken fingers to pop up  as  american tastes continue decline.......  Oh well...   Can't see paying 500-1000 a day  to eat friggen pizza?   Are Tacos and Burritos  soon to appear ?..... But as P T Barnum once spoke, " you will never go broke underestimating Americans tastes"

I have reread the flowery description of the refit and do not see anywhere that says Jacques is being taken away, just what additional food options will be added.  Can you please post where it states no Jacques any more ....we would also be sad to see it go

[edgee]

2 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

if you  search  the article and look up ships   under dining   in the refit, you will see about the New  trattoria and wood fired Pizza place.........    

So from this you are concluding that Jacque's is gone?

[Hawaiidan]

1 minute ago, basor said:

I have reread the flowery description of the refit and do not see anywhere that says Jacques is being taken away, just what additional food options will be added.  Can you please post where it states no Jacques any more ....we would also be sad to see it go

It was their plan  last year when they cut ties with Pepin.   They do not say its done bur omitt the fact is is and will.    There is only so much space on a ship... you can not add  these new fast food venues with out something being taken our.

[Hawaiidan]

2 minutes ago, edgee said:

So from this you are concluding that Jacque's is gone?

pretty much  and the fact pepin relation has been cut .    I'd put money on that.

[basor]

Just now, Hawaiidan said:

It was their plan  last year when they cut ties with Pepin.   They do not say its done bur omitt the fact is is and will.    There is only so much space on a ship... you can not add  these new fast food venues with out something being taken our.

That may be true but due to the area on the ships where Jacques is, it does not make sense to put a wood fired pizzeria there....I am thinking they are going to be up on the pool deck since it talks about al fresco dining.

[bbtondo]

Does anyone know when the Riveria will be taken out of commission for this change?  I have a mid August cruise in 2022 on her.  Thanks!