Lunch for sweeties?

[sofietucker]

Newbies here. So we usually eat at a suite-targeted restaurant on embarkation day--Luminae on Celebrity, Club O on HAL, etc. Sometimes there's a special luncheon for past guests of various sorts, or a specialty restaurant is open for lunch on embarkation day. Oceania didn't offer anything but their general buffet, and that was fine...but kind of hectic. Being that Quest is a much smaller ship, should we expect that there are options besides the Windows Cafe or MDR?

[takemewithyou]

2 hours ago, sofietucker said:

Newbies here. So we usually eat at a suite-targeted restaurant on embarkation day--Luminae on Celebrity, Club O on HAL, etc. Sometimes there's a special luncheon for past guests of various sorts, or a specialty restaurant is open for lunch on embarkation day. Oceania didn't offer anything but their general buffet, and that was fine...but kind of hectic. Being that Quest is a much smaller ship, should we expect that there are options besides the Windows Cafe or MDR?

Embarkation Day…..windows.  That’s it.  It’s not hectic.  You could go to cafe for small sandwiches and sweets.  The Living room has scones and sweets at tea time in afternoon and then switches to tapas around 5 pm.

[Host Jazzbeau]

You're not on a ship with thousands of passengers that you need to get away from.  Total capacity is 702 and Quest likely won't be full.

[Grandma Cruising]

That’s if you’re lucky enough to be onboard for lunch. Our last cruise, despite being at the terminal at 1:30 we didn’t get onboard until after 4:30 when Windows was closed! It was Rio and we were told that’s not unusual there.

[uktog]

You are also going to find onboard apart from having access to a venue for breakfast everywhere else onboard is accessible to everyone (albeit some pay to access). The concept of “sweeties” is alien to Azamaras onboard experience 

[marinaro44]

3 hours ago, uktog said:

The concept of “sweeties” is alien to Azamaras onboard experience 

And thankfully so.

[excitedofharpenden]

29 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

And thankfully so.

Totally agree. No class system on Azamara. If you are staying in a suite you can eat a sit down breakfast in Aqualina specialty restaurant, but it's nice and low key. No "we're eating in Luminae" as happens on Celebrity. Azamara is a different experience and for me more honest. Whether one prefers that is down to the individual. 

 

Phil

[Dr H]

I hate to say it, but last time we were suitees, we did the Aqualina breakfast only once. While I preferred the Aqualina china to that in the MDR (yeah, I've got some issues...), it was the same menu as the MDR, possibly a bit more restricted. Alas, on departure day one must mix with the noisy, unkempt riffraff that Azamara seems to attract and even dine with them in the cafe if you want lunch. Still, it's better than having to pay for lunch on the streets... I will say, my wife was not feeling well on evening, and we ordered dinner in our room. We ordered off the menu, our room steward instantly turned into a butler, and the service on the veranda was impeccable. Sadly we did it only one. I would travel Suite every time if I could, but have found the price differential between Suite and Veranda is so great, and the difference in service so minimal that it hardly pays. The rooms a comfortably larger, but it is the bathroom that is superior, dining access to Prime C and Aqualina may be less restrictive and included in the fare, and Breakfast in Aqualina, but other wise? No real difference. Inside room folks get the same outstanding service and the royalty above. And then there was the time when out 8th Floor suite was below the pool deck, and furniture was being moved every morning. Azamara, keep up the good work upstairs in the Suites, but by and large, we are 6th and 7th Deck Veranda folks.

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 minutes ago, Dr H said:

I hate to say it, but last time we were suitees, we did the Aqualina breakfast only once. While I preferred the Aqualina china to that in the MDR (yeah, I've got some issues...), it was the same menu as the MDR, possibly a bit more restricted.

I don't know what you ordered in Aqualina for breakfast, but my experience was that the Eggs Benedict, while described similarly, was much better in Aqualina.  Also the service was more attentive.

[Dr H]

Asking me to comment about the finer points of eggs benedict would be like asking an early Christian who has been thrown to the lions to discuss the endearing attributes of Emperor Nero. No, the perks and privileges of Azamara suites are wonderful, Aqualina is elegant, and of course, service is impeccable. (Put me within 10 feet of a freshly cooked egg and I start to gag from the smell.) My point is that given the price jump between veranda and suite, a) I usually can't afford it, and b) in my book, wonderful eggs benedict in Aqualina in the AM isn't worth the $500-750 per day surcharge you pay for that upgrade to suite level. If you've got it, the kids have shoes and there is food on the table, go for it! But if you don't, don't fret it, because currently, with the exception of Azamara's IT department, those folks, your cruise, the food is going to be spectacular wherever you place your head at night.  D

[excitedofharpenden]

Each to their own. We've been many times to Aqualina for breakfast and enjoy it there as an alternative to the buffet or dining room. We still occasionally do that too, depending upon what time we get up. 

 

Until recently Aqualina wasn't available to anyone for breakfast, but it was decided it would be a nice enhancement. To be fair, this isn't a discussion on the merits of a suite and its price. Much more to it than eggs benedict on better tableware!

 

Phil