Lunch in the MDR

[RetiredandTravel]

Are Seabourn Ocean cruises currently serving lunch (sit down) daily in the MDR?   The cruise we are currently considering has a good number of sea days and we don't care for buffets or sushi.  Thanks.

[Dunnedg]

Look on page 2. Item entitled - Ovation Update on Restaurant.

It should cover everything and more.

[RetiredandTravel]

Perfect ty

[jondfk]

On Ovation in June MDR was open every single day for breakfast and lunch (and dinner obviously).

 

on Odyssey right now and the MDR is closed for both breakfast and lunch today.  Was open yesterday with unacceptably poor service, the solution it appears is to not open at all.

 

If sit down meals are important I have to recommend looking beyond Seabourn.

 

[nancygp]

23 minutes ago, jondfk said:

On Ovation in June MDR was open every single day for breakfast and lunch (and dinner obviously).

 

on Odyssey right now and the MDR is closed for both breakfast and lunch today.  Was open yesterday with unacceptably poor service, the solution it appears is to not open at all.

 

If sit down meals are important I have to recommend looking beyond Seabourn.

 

just off the odyssey after a 2 week cruise.  The MDR, AKA The Restaurant, was typically closed for breakfast and lunch on port days.

 

Nancy 

Edited August 13, 2023 by nancygp

[RetiredandTravel]

11 minutes ago, jondfk said:

On Ovation in June MDR was open every single day for breakfast and lunch (and dinner obviously).

 

on Odyssey right now and the MDR is closed for both breakfast and lunch today.  Was open yesterday with unacceptably poor service, the solution it appears is to not open at all.

 

If sit down meals are important I have to recommend looking beyond Seabourn.

 

 

Much appreciated.  Sorry to hear about the poor service.  The pool grill is fine but we like some other alternatives.  The "sample" lunch menu at the Restaurant on the Seabourn website leaves a lot to be desired.  Hopefully its just that a sample and there are more alternatives like a Caesar salad with chicken.  SS & Regent offer more diversity of food to our taste but sometimes it comes down to itinerary.  thanks again.

 

 

[RetiredandTravel]

5 minutes ago, nancygp said:

just off the odyssey after a 2 week.  The MDR, AKA The Restaurant, was typically closed for breakfast and lunch on port days.

 

Nancy 

 

Thanks.  So away from room service the only option on port days for a full breakfast is the buffet at Colonnade?  

 

[nancygp]

Just now, RetiredandTravel said:

 

Thanks.  So away from room service the only option on port days for a full breakfast is the buffet at Colonnade?  

 

 Correct plus the patio 

 

nancy

[FlyingScotSailors]

36 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 The "sample" lunch menu at the Restaurant on the Seabourn website leaves a lot to be desired.  Hopefully its just that a sample and there are more alternatives like a Caesar salad with chicken.  

 

 

29 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

Thanks.  So away from room service the only option on port days for a full breakfast is the buffet at Colonnade?  

 

You can sit at a table and have waiter service in the Colonnade at both breakfast and lunch.  A full breakfast menu is offered.  At lunch, you can be served the specials of the day, usually a fish and a pasta, or request to be served dished available on the buffet.  The made to order Caesar salad should be easy to request with chicken.

Edited August 13, 2023 by FlyingScotSailors
changed "dinner" to "lunch".

[SLSD]

31 minutes ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

 

You can sit at a table and have waiter service in the Colonnade at both breakfast and lunch.  A full breakfast menu is offered.  At lunch, you can be served the specials of the day, usually a fish and a pasta, or request to be served dished available on the buffet.  The made to order Caesar salad should be easy to request with chicken.

We all know that and it has been thoroughly discussed in several other thread.  The ISSUE is a very short menu which does not change for lunch.  

[JPH814]

23 minutes ago, SLSD said:

We all know that and it has been thoroughly discussed in several other thread.  The ISSUE is a very short menu which does not change for lunch.  

…except that you can order from a waiter anything on the buffet.  

[FlyingScotSailors]

2 minutes ago, SLSD said:

We all know that and it has been thoroughly discussed in several other thread.  The ISSUE is a very short menu which does not change for lunch.  

 

Obviously, we all do not know this, or else RetiredandTravel would not have asked the question.

 

What we all do know is that you do not like buffets, and will avoid them if at all possible.  Your ISSUE of a very short menu ignores the changing daily specials, and the availability of being served the dishes from the buffet, which usually include the same dishes available in the Restaurant that day plus additional ones. 

 

In addition, you can request any dish you might like, and if possible, it will be prepared for you.

 

[RetiredandTravel]

2 hours ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

 

Obviously, we all do not know this, or else RetiredandTravel would not have asked the question.

 

What we all do know is that you do not like buffets, and will avoid them if at all possible.  Your ISSUE of a very short menu ignores the changing daily specials, and the availability of being served the dishes from the buffet, which usually include the same dishes available in the Restaurant that day plus additional ones. 

 

In addition, you can request any dish you might like, and if possible, it will be prepared for you.

 

 

I haven't followed SB here very close recently but remembered they weren't open for lunch at the Restaurant after Covid at one point.  Just looking for an update because we are comparing a couple itineraries.  So thanks for the information.  My wife would like a few salad options and it sounds like we can make a special request.   I see they have a Caesar salad on the dinner menu so maybe they could make one for lunch.  We do prefer to order off a menu.

 

Busy season up there, I think I told you we used to take my Mother in law to the Club Terrace at the spa in the summer.  She was a big racing fan, pretty good at it also.

 

 

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, JPH814 said:

…except that you can order from a waiter anything on the buffet.  

But, you would have to go through the buffet to see what is there--and there is the issue of the utensils, etc. etc. 

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

 

Obviously, we all do not know this, or else RetiredandTravel would not have asked the question.

 

What we all do know is that you do not like buffets, and will avoid them if at all possible.  Your ISSUE of a very short menu ignores the changing daily specials, and the availability of being served the dishes from the buffet, which usually include the same dishes available in the Restaurant that day plus additional ones. 

 

In addition, you can request any dish you might like, and if possible, it will be prepared for you.

 

  So true, but it will be without the ambiance of the MDR.  IF a table is available on the Veranda , it is ok.  By the way, I am not the only person here who doesn't like buffets.  I have my reasons.  

[Jimmycruiser]

10 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

Thanks.  So away from room service the only option on port days for a full breakfast is the buffet at Colonnade?  

 

I think it varies by passenger count. We are currently on Ovation with about 550 pax and the MDR is open for breakfast and dinner every day except embark & Debark. Was open for Lunch every sea day but not port days.

[stan01]

I think the issue is the uncertainty.  If there was a consistent decision that "MDR" is only open for breakfast and lunch on sea days then people would know that.  Maybe a handful of people would vote with their feet and not travel on Seabourn any more.  When it is left to each hotel director to decide for each cruise I can see how it would be hard to meet customer expectations.  We are fine with well run buffets like Seabourn offers and like to sit outdoors but occasionally we also like the "MDR" as well.

[CalTexCruiser]

I must have missed the discussion on buffet utensils.  Are there an insufficient number, or are they of the wrong type, or are they in a state of disrepair?

[jondfk]

Here’s an update from todays Colonnade only lunch on Odyssey (the Patio didn’t open until 1:30, presumably to service guests returning on the last tenders from Ketchikan).

 

With no other options, we went and took a table inside.  I grabbed a pre made shrimp cocktail from the salad buffet for DW, we waited for water and drinks which appeared in a reasonable time.  Then we waited to order, and waited, and waited.  Eventually we grabbed the only server who happened by and asked what the special of the day was, this started a mad scramble to the chalk board which said only “British Lunch”, no special today.  That lead us to a burger and salmon from the daily menu, no complaint about either, but a perfect example of the problem with the very limited menu, what’s for lunch tomorrow?  
 

I will say, the made to order Caesar salad was perfectly serviceable though the lettuce was quite golden around the edges, tasty enough if not visually appealing.  Add a bit of protein (which isn’t an option) and it would make a nice meal, another option I suppose would have been to take a few slices of the beef loin from the buffet and jazz up the salad for yourself.
 

Overall, a far better experience than our only prior visit to Colonnade, boarding day on Ovation (madness).  Do we look forward to the next time it’s the only option, no.  
 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by jondfk

[2SailingNomads]

This is why some choose other cruise lines.  Regent has multiple sit down for lunch waiter served venues.  We much prefer lunch at the MDR unless it is the German one at the Colonade, Flueshoppen.  But unfortunately Seabourn doesn't always open the MDR for lunch.

[2SailingNomads]

Of course if in a port with interesting restaurants will have lunch there.  The point of traveling to some place, try the local cuisine. 

[markham]

We can easily deduce that Seabourn is not really a “full service luxury cruise line”. What does this imply? Such a concept would include sit down full table service meals in restaurants, in line with what the line says it offers. In calm uncrowded settings. Those lines’ ships, roughly the same size as Seabourn’s Classic ships of 450-600 passengers manage it very well.

 

Many people do not like buffets, and even in a “buffet” lunch restaurant within a real luxury cruise ship there really should be a deeper and more sophisticated menu with table service than the Colonnade’s burger, hot dog, minute steak, salmon selection card offers. And table cloths. Why? That’s the market in this segment, and no, no one should be obliged to use serving spoons that score of other passengers have used. Who knows if they washed their hands before joining the queue and after tucking into their first course before heading back for another round? That IS a thing. And the crew cannot compel them to do so, can they? Simple as that. 
 

And finally, no one should have to guess if the HD or anyone else will open the MDR in Seabourn’s case for breakfasts and lunches on port days and sea days. Nor can you vote on it. So perhaps Seabourn is really “something else”. You get what you pay for.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited August 14, 2023 by markham

[Joc123]

Over the years I have been a Seabourn cheerleader, over 400 nights.

Our last cruise on Ovation will be our last until we hear things have improved.

Our cruise was only 7 days (long story, first and possibly last time we will do this) and for 3 of these days at breakfast we had to chase a waiter to take our order, not only food, but also coffee. Never happened before but I know there was a problem with Covid amongst the crew (not that there was an official announcement).

 The other thing that really annoyed me was the berries - I do not think 4 small strawberries, 1 raspberry, 1 blueberry is an acceptable serve. When I queried this I was told take 2 servings. At that rate I would need 4!!
No individual tubs of yogurt, just a big bowl of fruit (strawberry) and plain, same everyday.

Cereals served in bulk - who on earth eats fruit loops?

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t there tablecloths at night in the Colonnade?

Now you don’t even get placemats!!

 

This really is not a luxury line anymore, so sad

[CalmSea]

3 hours ago, markham said:

So perhaps Seabourn is really “something else”. You get what you pay for.

As usual, I agree with most of Markham's analysis. Every time I compare prices of SB with SS and Regent, SB is quite a bit cheaper. If SB raise the price to one comparable to the others, without improving their offering, I would jump ship. Yes, I also find that services at SB are not as good as pre-covid. But, at this moment, with the price comparison as is, I am willing to accept some compromises. Yes, I accept what I am paying for, but it does not stop me from continue to give feed back and try to improve it.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, CalmSea said:

As usual, I agree with most of Markham's analysis. Every time I compare prices of SB with SS and Regent, SB is quite a bit cheaper. If SB raise the price to one comparable to the others, without improving their offering, I would jump ship. Yes, I also find that services at SB are not as good as pre-covid. But, at this moment, with the price comparison as is, I am willing to accept some compromises. Yes, I accept what I am paying for, but it does not stop me from continue to give feed back and try to improve it.

I'm glad you mention price as it was, in the final analysis, one  determining factor when we were choosing our next cruise. We were looking at a 14 day Silversea itinerary and a 28 day Seabourn itinerary.  Our aim is to escape the heat in our state next summer.  We could choose 28 days on Seabourn for very little more than the 14 day respite on Silversea.  The choice was fairly easy. especially for my husband who is reluctant to go back to Silversea.    I agree with Markham that Seabourn is not truly a luxury experience if  one's choice most days for lunch is  a buffet.   

Edited August 14, 2023 by SLSD