TK to Go, Solis the New Innovation.

[lincslady]

I can see that if you happened to be onboard in the 'between' period it would be a bit annoying - it is probably the only way to achieve the changeover.  I suppose SB might try to give out a sweetener of some sort, even if only some OBC.

[claranda]

We have tolerated TK over the years, mainly as a change of venue. Solis looks as if it will be an interesting alternative, especially the fish, although the ‘meat’ section, with its two steaks and plain chicken (at least on the sample menu) is boring. Where is the lamb, the pork, the game? Are these not eaten in the US?

[kjbacon]

14 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

 

100%.  But since all the ships will soon have sushi, perhaps SB feels they have already checked that box. 

 

I thought the sushi restaurants were only on the bigger ships. Are the smaller ships going to get sushi too?

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, kjbacon said:

I thought the sushi restaurants were only on the bigger ships. Are the smaller ships going to get sushi too?

 

They are rolling it out onto the other ships in the Club. There is a thread further down the page where the first ship it was rolled out onto was Odyssey. Quest and Sojourn will also have it included. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2966496-sushi-on-odyssey-starting-tonight/#comment-66282567

[kjbacon]

50 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

 

They are rolling it out onto the other ships in the Club. There is a thread further down the page where the first ship it was rolled out onto was Odyssey. Quest and Sojourn will also have it included. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2966496-sushi-on-odyssey-starting-tonight/#comment-66282567

Thank you for this info! Wow, this is great news and for us, an additional dinner venue.

[Lilly55]

On 10/19/2023 at 12:08 AM, Westiesheepie said:

Just spoke with Seabourn. Unfortunately for our sailing on Feb 17 Encore, they will be transitioning TK into Solis. So no TK nor Solis for us to book. Guest Relations have not been told what the plan if any is for those of us on this sailing. Bad timing for us! 

I have just spoken to Seabourn to clarify dates as on the Encore for a month before you board.

She said she attended a meeting at the start of the week and then referred to the email sent out following the meeting to confirm the restaurant will close on Encore on February 17 and the plan “is for the work to be done in a week but obviously work can overrun” 😀

She also confirmed the new restaurant will additionally be using the outside seating.

[jjs217]

We are boarding the Quest on January 25th - so almost a week before the completion of the change.  I'm curious as to how they are going to work reservations.  The space isn't very big - will people be lining up at 6AM on an at sea day?  Will people bring a pillow and a blanket and spend the night in line in the hallway the day before?  Will there be fisticuffs at perceived line cutting?  Will Wintergarden passengers pay other passengers to stand in line for them?  But seriously - how is Seabourn going to handle this? 

[lincslady]

If the cruise is long enough presumably everyone will be able to go once to Solis.  (Can't work out how long).  Of course some would have to go at an inconvenient time, and share tables.  It is certainly pretty small on the older ships - and maybe not possible to use the deck outside the Colonnade?

 

Some won't be interested; quite a few didn't like TK after one visit, or even didn't go at all.

[BasandSyb]

6 hours ago, claranda said:

We have tolerated TK over the years, mainly as a change of venue. Solis looks as if it will be an interesting alternative, especially the fish, although the ‘meat’ section, with its two steaks and plain chicken (at least on the sample menu) is boring. Where is the lamb, the pork, the game? Are these not eaten in the US?

No. But apparently Mac N Cheese used to qualify as fine dining (tongue firmly in cheek 😇)

 

My husband can cook and we can source a better steak than we ever had in TKG and I can cook a better roast chicken - neither of which we ever seek out at restaurants nor on cruises. I’m sure the new menu will continue to reveal itself - fingers crossed. Lamb remains one of the better offerings on the ship. My husband is a two lamb chops and poached egg guy for breakfast and SB does them perfectly. We also love pork and game. Swordfish is a favourite - glad to see that, we enjoy it for lunch freshly grilled on other lines but rarely available on SB.

 

At the end of the day, we will eat most things but are choosy in what we rate and aren’t swayed by celebrity chefs or hype.

 

 

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, BasandSyb said:

No. But apparently Mac N Cheese used to qualify as fine dining (tongue firmly in cheek 😇)

 

My husband can cook and we can source a better steak than we ever had in TKG and I can cook a better roast chicken - neither of which we ever seek out at restaurants nor on cruises. I’m sure the new menu will continue to reveal itself - fingers crossed. Lamb remains one of the better offerings on the ship. My husband is a two lamb chops and poached egg guy for breakfast and SB does them perfectly. We also love pork and game. Swordfish is a favourite - glad to see that, we enjoy it for lunch freshly grilled on other lines but rarely available on SB.

 

At the end of the day, we will eat most things but are choosy in what we rate and aren’t swayed by celebrity chefs or hype.

 

 

I agree with you about lamb on Seabourn ships--we've had some wonderful lamb entrees. 

 

I know you are kidding about macaroni and cheese being fine dining.  Of course it is not.  But what it IS is a typical side dish offered at good American steak houses.  Would I ever order it at an American steakhouse?  No, I would not.  Have I tasted it at the TK Grill, yes I have and it was well done.  I know people from the UK were aghast that it was being served, perhaps not understanding that it is usually offered at American steak houses--even high end ones.   The same with the ice cream sundaes.  Yes, it is a very simple easy dessert to make, but it is a classic dessert usually offered at American steak houses.  And this is what the TK Grill is--an American steak house.  

 

Do we frequent steak houses in the United States?  Not very often--perhaps once every five years.  They are popular for business dinners and that sort of thing.  

Edited October 20, 2023 by SLSD

[Mahogany]

Has anyone heard whether we will be able to book in advance of boarding for Solis? Or only once onboard?

[SLSD]

12 hours ago, claranda said:

We have tolerated TK over the years, mainly as a change of venue. Solis looks as if it will be an interesting alternative, especially the fish, although the ‘meat’ section, with its two steaks and plain chicken (at least on the sample menu) is boring. Where is the lamb, the pork, the game? Are these not eaten in the US?

Of course they are eaten in the US.  Many of our favorite restaurants in our city serve all three--on the same menu.  

Edited October 20, 2023 by SLSD

[brenecke]

For goodness sake, can't we withhold judgement until the new concept is rolled out?  I have never been a big TK fan, often not bothering to make a reservation.  Living in NYC we are spoiled for steakhouses, Sparks, Keen's, Smith & Wolensky, etc in Manhattan and Gage & Tollner, Peter Luger, etc in Brooklyn and dozens of others. 

 

I liked the small plate concept of "Restaurant Two," even though I had to search for one of the less foie gras friendly menus before making a reservation...to each his own.  Hopefully the new concept will provide a bit of something for everyone.  Only time will tell....

[christraveller]

Bistecca fiorentina in Italy arrives at the table rare, precursor for being cut into slices. A good1/3 is bone. The slices that got to my plate were very rare, and needed adroit cutting to eliminate the 1/4 fat, gristle, and so on. 
 

32 oz - 1/3 bone =  20 oz. 
20 oz - 1/4 losses = 16 oz. 
Thus:

each diner has 8 oz net.  
 

I prefer medium to medium rare, and hope the menu crafters add one or two more steaks to the menu at Solis. Or special order provision for steak. 

[Qld13]

18 hours ago, frantic36 said:

They are rolling it out onto the other ships in the Club. There is a thread further down the page where the first ship it was rolled out onto was Odyssey. Quest and Sojourn will also have it included. 

Hi

 

I think they are now serving sushi in the club not making it a restaurant.

 

Seabourn website states:

 

"Sushi is available on Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation. Currently there are no plans to open Sushi on Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Pursuit, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn or Seabourn Quest."

[frantic36]

24 minutes ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

 

I think they are now serving sushi in the club not making it a restaurant.

 

Seabourn website states:

 

"Sushi is available on Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation. Currently there are no plans to open Sushi on Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Pursuit, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn or Seabourn Quest."

I don't have any first hand knowledge but I am sure based on some of the photos and posted menu someone who only wants a small, light meal in the evening this would be enough. I know some evenings I don't feel like eating a big meal. I rarely ever have dessert or the bread, not even the breadsticks though that takes discipline 😄, so it would be enough.

[sfvoyage]

1 hour ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

 

I think they are now serving sushi in the club not making it a restaurant.

 

Seabourn website states:

 

"Sushi is available on Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation. Currently there are no plans to open Sushi on Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Pursuit, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn or Seabourn Quest."

Yes, on the Odyssey-class and expedition ships, there is no Sushi Restaurant.  Rather, there is a sushi counter at The Club, with a smaller menu - a few sushi items, no nigiri, salads, edamame, dessert, etc.  Most guests go there and order sushi as happy hour appetizers; some linger and order enough for a light meal.

Edited October 21, 2023 by sfvoyage

[highplanesdrifters]

8 hours ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

 

I think they are now serving sushi in the club not making it a restaurant.

 

Seabourn website states:

 

"Sushi is available on Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation. Currently there are no plans to open Sushi on Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Pursuit, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn or Seabourn Quest."

There is 'Sushi at the Club' every night on Venture and Pursuit. It's a nice change of pace and can easily be dinner.

[Ovener]

Hope the outdoor tables will finally be used on Ovation and Encore now to increase capacity. If so, what is the Quantum of Solis?

[SLSD]

5 minutes ago, Ovener said:

Hope the outdoor tables will finally be used on Ovation and Encore now to increase capacity. If so, what is the Quantum of Solis?

After a number of cruises on  Seabourn ships, I got the impression that the numbers in the TK Grill were limited not by capacity but due to staffing--and perhaps kitchen output ability.  I could be wrong about that, but that is what it looked like to me as the Grill always had empty tables on the larger ships.  When we sailed on Sojourn, the grill was mostly fully populated.  

[Vineyard View]

When we were on Quest in May/June it was full both times we dined there. We really did enjoy our experience -  food and service. 

[SLSD]

14 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

When we were on Quest in May/June it was full both times we dined there. We really did enjoy our experience -  food and service. 

Yes, as I said above, the grill on Sojourn was always full--probably because it is so small and staffing/kitchen output was not an issue as it might be for the much much larger grill restaurants on Ovation an Sojourn--and now with the added outdoor capacity. It is my hope that they will be able to fully staff the restaurant and that the kitchen will have the output capacity to serve a full restaurant with the added outdoor space.  I hope the kitchen has adequate capacity to do that.  I guess we will see.  I look forward to trying the new restaurant next July/August!

[cruisinsince75]

I am disappointed that TKG will be disappearing.  It was always a special treat for us, but I will say that it was a far from perfect on our last Ovation cruise.  My wife's favorite is the Dover Sole Meuniere and the presentation of fileting the fish at the table, but this time they butchered it leaving chunks of flesh instead of an intact filet.  I had the Snake River Rib-Eye, and while it was a perfect mid rare, it was very tough.  

 

I agree with the previous poster on staff.  It was always crowded on our Odyssey cruises, but lots of empty tables on our Ovation cruise.  

 

I'm not excited about the menu for Solis, but will reserve judgement until we have tried it.

 

 

[markham]

I never understood the hype over the TKG, much less the gaming by passengers to get in there with their own reservations and also through tables of 4 booked by friends as often as possible.

Is/was the Colonnade themed evenings eg Japanese, Spanish etc so tiresome and the MDR so limited, boring, disappointing and less well managed by their waitstaff than what TKG delivered?

I am afraid I know well enough the answers to these questions given the craziness that has long gripped TKG devotees, and I certainly get it. 
 

So… rather than expect too much from Solis this early, I would hope that Seabourn gets the message that their Colonnade and MDR dinners need the real upgrades. A cruise or 2 on Silversea’s and Regent’s newer ships will show the way. Their “main” restaurants put those of Seabourn in the shade.

 

How could this be facilitated? It’s through the reallocation of resources. TKG has starved the beast - our legitimate expectations for a more sophisticated MDR and a more fresh, flavourful and authentic Colonnade local dishes experience - to take hold. More balanced budgeting away from the TKG franchise and maybe a shakeup of the catering ranks in Seattle etc could work wonders.

 

Just sayin’

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited October 23, 2023 by markham

[frantic36]

markham on a positive note our dining experience in September was much more like Seabourn of old in the way of variety in the MDR. Colonnade lunch choices were better especially salads to my mind. I wasn't so keen on the themed evenings but that is just my taste, as others enjoyed them. I include TK themed evenings in my avoidance. 

 

When I compare the offerings between Quest cruise and Sojourn cruise I do wonder if they are starting to free up the budget for other venues as you suggest?