Can't Make 2 Specialty Reservations at SAME Restaurant in Advance (Sirena B2 Veranda)

[MEFIowa]

Just a bit bummed that our specialty reservation window opened for us today (B2 Veranda) on Sirena (11/18/22, E. Caribbean) and we couldn't make both of our reservations in the Tuscan Steak. Even called O and the O rep said we can't make 2 in one restaurant. My wife doesn't like Asian. She did not enjoy Red Ginger last year on Riviera (12/21, W. Caribbean). We've got 1 each in both and we'll eat at Red Ginger, but she'll have to find something she likes. She just doesn't like spicy or spicy hot foods. Unlike me.

 

I prefer the Terrace Cafe, eating under the stars anyway. We did NOT eat at the GDR last time and won't this time either.

[LHT28]

When you get onboard  go to the dinner  reservations deck & ask if you can switch out RG for Tuscan

It should not be  a problem

If not  just cancel skip RG  it is not mandatory

 Give the GDR  a try you may like it  LOL

[pinotlover]

Those are the rules. You can’t book 4 nights in Jacques either, on an O ship, claiming you don’t like the other 3 restaurants. 
 

Oceania doesn’t do spicy. Even what they call spicy is very muted. There is absolutely nothing spicy with the Chilean sea bass in RG! It’s delicious, have her try it.

[MEFIowa]

49 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

When you get onboard go to the dinner reservations deck & ask if you can switch out RG for Tuscan. ... Give the GDR a try you may like it.

Yes, we're going to check about a switch when we board.

 

As for the GDR, it offers nothing over and above the Terrace Cafe. I prefer the buffet with instant access rather than "order and wait". And unless and until they move part of the GDR outside, I greatly prefer eating under the starts aft. (And I won't comment on the various complaints I've been reading about the wait staff and service in the GDRs lately. But that's an issue with the "order & wait" service.)

[MEFIowa]

47 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Those are the rules. You can’t book 4 nights in Jacques either, on an O ship, claiming you don’t like the other 3 restaurants. 
 

Oceania doesn’t do spicy. Even what they call spicy is very muted. There is absolutely nothing spicy with the Chilean sea bass in RG! It’s delicious, have her try it.

I believe Sirena is the only R Class with Red Ginger. And Jacques is NOT on the R Class. So apples to bowling balls (Riviera to Sirena in this case). There is huge difference menu and taste wise between Red Ginger and the other options in the R Class ships. And it seems so many rave about Red Ginger that one might think they'd be glad to get us out of there.

 

I will tell her about that sea bass. BUT for her, "spicy" doesn't just mean "spicy hot", but often just the mere presence of a spice. She isn't a curry kind of girl, for example. She never developed the taste of "exotic" cuisine in her small midwestern town. (I thank God I was feeding my infant son Filipino food when I was in the Philippines back in the day. Clark AB and a volcano ended that in 1991.)  

[ORV]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

As for the GDR, it offers nothing over and above the Terrace Cafe

I used to feel this way, but that has changed with the introduction of The Daily Souffle. We love Souffles, and on our last 16 days on Regatta ate in the GDR almost every night unless we had a Specialty. A couple of nights we went to the GDR after the Specialty just to have dessert.

 

To each their own though, you may not care about a souffle. But this is a new offering on Oceania, and a very positive one IMO. On the other hand, another new offering I didn't care for at all is the Humphrey Slocum ice cream. I tried about 6 or 7 flavors, found 1 I liked,(Elvis, the fat years) 1 that was ok(Meyer Lemon) and the rest I tried unappetizing. I really missed the homemade Rocky Road they used to serve. Didn't see it one time in 16 days.  

[janecambridge]

Speak to the maitre de and I’m sure there can be something sorted for your wife.

[Flatbush Flyer]

51 minutes ago, janecambridge said:

Speak to the maitre de and I’m sure there can be something sorted for your wife.

At the opposite end of this “spicy food” item is one of my few criticisms of O food: a lack of appropriate condiments for ethnic foods traditionally prepared with significantly “hot spices.”

Several years ago, we started packing some of our own “individual serving” packaged condiments -particularly for certain ethnic foods (e.g., Cholula for Mexican). And we’re always on the lookout for these packets whenever we visit any ethnic food store.

[elbowroom]

I was told by an Oceania employee that the advance bookings represent about half the available space, so presumably your first stop on board would be the reservation desk, as first there, first served.

[Guppy99]

All individual packets of ethnic seasonings are available on Amazon.

[pinotlover]

I believe the original complaint/ question was will they allow him to swap out a guaranteed reservation in one Specialty for a reservation in another. I still believe the answer is NO. What I believe they may do is allow him to cancel his original guarantee reservation and maybe give him an additional reservation in Tuscan Steak. Although the same result occurs, it’s technically different. That additional reservation can only be made on the day the meal is planned.

Let me further add that if his ship is mostly empty, none of this matters. If it is cruising full, that is a different issue.

[Kristal Blade]

We are on board Sirena right now. We have got a 2nd Red Ginger reservation for tonight. Booked it this morning via the reservation desk on deck 5. If you are sharing a table you may be luckier with getting a 2nd booking, which is our case.

I would agree about the soufflés in GDR. Delicious.

 

We enjoyed the speciality German dinner in the buffet a couple of nights ago. It was so well done and so popular they did it again last night. They had all sorts of smoked fish, cold cuts, sausages, roast pork, red cabbage…. Yummy!

[shepherd really]

25 minutes ago, Kristal Blade said:

We are on board Sirena right now. We have got a 2nd Red Ginger reservation for tonight. Booked it this morning via the reservation desk on deck 5. If you are sharing a table you may be luckier with getting a 2nd booking, which is our case.

I would agree about the soufflés in GDR. Delicious.

 

We enjoyed the speciality German dinner in the buffet a couple of nights ago. It was so well done and so popular they did it again last night. They had all sorts of smoked fish, cold cuts, sausages, roast pork, red cabbage…. Yummy!

Were the sausages the best or the wurst?

 

[Kristal Blade]

26 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Were the sausages the best or the wurst?

 

Definitely the wurst!

[bradpole]

On 10/4/2022 at 10:32 AM, pinotlover said:

Oceania doesn’t do spicy. Even what they call spicy is very muted.

I completely agree!  We are currently onboard a mega ship and literally the only food that has been miles better than Oceania is their Indian Food in the buffet, it is appropriately spiced!

I understand Oceania’s problem, make their food authentic and spicy to please the few and the majority won’t eat it! 

[Guppy99]

4 minutes ago, bradpole said:

I completely agree!  We are currently onboard a mega ship and literally the only food that has been miles better than Oceania is their Indian Food in the buffet, it is appropriately spiced!

I understand Oceania’s problem, make their food authentic and spicy to please the few and the majority won’t eat it! 

I absolutely hate any spicy foods. That refers to peppery and heat spices. Flavorful is more than ok. Heat for the sake of burning my pallet, gums, and stomach is beyond comprehension.

[halfapair]

When we were on the Marina we loved Jacques, so every day we stopped at the reservation desk to see if there was an opening for dinner. We ended up eating there at least 3 times on our 12-day cruise.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, bradpole said:

I completely agree!  We are currently onboard a mega ship and literally the only food that has been miles better than Oceania is their Indian Food in the buffet, it is appropriately spiced!

I understand Oceania’s problem, make their food authentic and spicy to please the few and the majority won’t eat it! 

Apparently, you haven’t made it to a “locals” night at the Terrace Café when cooking crew from a particular country are given great latitude with the ethnic preps.

[bradpole]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Apparently, you haven’t made it to a “locals” night at the Terrace Café when cooking crew from a particular country are given great latitude with the ethnic preps.

We have not!  That sounds wonderful!

[shank63]

On 10/4/2022 at 10:24 AM, MEFIowa said:

She just doesn't like spicy or spicy hot foods. Unlike me.

 

 

We were in a similar situation on Sirena on a longer cruise with 2 allowed reservations in each specialty.  We did the first Red Ginger with little satisfaction to our palates, so we requested the concierge to change the second Red Ginger to Tuscan Steak.  No problem at all.  Enjoy Sirena, we loved the ship!

[MarkWiltonM]

On 10/4/2022 at 10:26 AM, LHT28 said:

When you get onboard  go to the dinner  reservations deck

 

Where is the dinner reservations desk on Sirena and on Riviera? I don't see this on the deck plans.

[LHT28]

12 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

Where is the dinner reservations desk on Sirena and on Riviera? I don't see this on the deck plans.

Deck 5   they will not be on the deck plan   usually near reception  on O class ships 

 

[ORV]

54 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

Where is the dinner reservations desk on Sirena and on Riviera? I don't see this on the deck plans.

On Regatta it was directly one floor above the Concierge Desk and across the stairway from the OCA desk (Future Cruise Sales) on deck 5, starboard. Probably set up the same on all the R ships. 

[bradpole]

17 hours ago, ORV said:

On Regatta it was directly one floor above the Concierge Desk and across the stairway from the OCA desk (Future Cruise Sales) on deck 5, starboard. Probably set up the same on all the R ships. 

Directly opposite from the future cruise desk.

or pre renovation where the seemingly always unused piano used to be. 😄

Edited October 8, 2022 by bradpole