TK to Go, Solis the New Innovation.

[lincslady]

We have been missing your pearls of wisdom on this topic, Mr. L.  Any particular thoughts?

[SDuckers]

6 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

The Indian Market evening is one of the most popular on Seabourn.

Those of us from the UK are not so fussed about it because we have Indian restaurants on every street corner bit I understand that many from the US love it because it is something a little different.

Oh, I know it's popular, and I'm not suggesting Seabourn get rid of that.  But having one occasional night devoted to Indian food isn't the same as having one of the restaurants dedicated to that cuisine every night.

[jjs217]

42 minutes ago, SDuckers said:

Oh, I know it's popular, and I'm not suggesting Seabourn get rid of that.  But having one occasional night devoted to Indian food isn't the same as having one of the restaurants dedicated to that cuisine every night.

I know it is moot at this point, but that is why I was hoping for a Pan-Asian/Indian restaurant.  That way it would have encompassed everything from India to Japan to China to the Philippines to Indonesia to blah blah blah.

[Mr Luxury]

8 hours ago, lincslady said:

We have been missing your pearls of wisdom on this topic, Mr. L.  Any particular thoughts?

I was told about Solis a while ago but couldn't say anything.

There are also new things being trialed for dinner in the Colonnade.

I like a supper club with a duo like they have on Silversea with Silver Note.

I have never been happy to have dinner in the Colonnade but with the restaurant not being what it should,I would try the Colonnade if new things were implemented.

[SLSD]

4 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I was told about Solis a while ago but couldn't say anything.

There are also new things being trialed for dinner in the Colonnade.

I like a supper club with a duo like they have on Silversea with Silver Note.

I have never been happy to have dinner in the Colonnade but with the restaurant not being what it should,I would try the Colonnade if new things were implemented.

For the first time, on our last cruise (June 2023 Ovation) I was not really enthusiastic about our meals in the Restaurant.  We never tried the Colonnade in the evening--but perhaps we should have.  I just don't care for the ambience there (unless outdoors).  I don't know if my disappointment in The Restaurant was just me or if others sensed that it was diminished.  Perhaps part of it was that we have cruised with Seabourn enough that the menu seemed very repetitive from past cruises.  So--I do applaud new items on the menu.  I am a bit excited about Solis, but realize how small the restaurant will be on Sojourn (our ship next summer), so I doubt that we will get more than a few opportunities to try it.  We will be on for 28 days, so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.  

[T^2]

I am guessing the "rollout schedule" for Solis might be a bit fluid, at least for the Quest.  We are scheduled for the Jan 4th cruise and a previous posting shows the Solis restaurant starting to be transitioned starting on the 4th.  I just attempted to set a reservation and was offered the 4th through the 7th.  I looked before and didn't see any possibility of reservations, saw this discussion, then found I am able to "supposedly" book a reservation.  It looks like I just completed my reservation for the 6th.

[cruiseej]

And for those cruising on a ship while TK Grill still exists, I just discovered that reservations are now available again; they hadn't been available in the weeks leading up to and immediately after the Solis announcement. 

[highplanesdrifters]

On 10/30/2023 at 10:29 AM, Mr Luxury said:

The Indian Market evening is one of the most popular on Seabourn.

Those of us from the UK are not so fussed about it because we have Indian restaurants on every street corner bit I understand that many from the US love it because it is something a little different.

I suspect Indian Market is popular because there is spice and flavor.  Presently on Encore. Already tired of the recycled mundane menu choices. Poached or broiled protein, gummy starches and barely a vegetable in sight. The sushi isn't bad if you compare it to a grocery store. Would it hurt to throw one ethnic dish on the menu? It feels like an assisted living dinning room.

 

Even if it isn't up to London standards - Indian food, sign me up!

 

Before anyone suggests it, we are trying to arrange some special meals with flavor, spice, and vegetables. 

 

My heart and stomach long for Chef Pia.

[kjbacon]

14 hours ago, cruiseej said:

And for those cruising on a ship while TK Grill still exists, I just discovered that reservations are now available again; they hadn't been available in the weeks leading up to and immediately after the Solis announcement. 

Reservations for Solis remain unavailable. 
 

We were very disappointed in the food on Quest last year. We hope for improvement next year even though the menu writing is still ridiculous!

[Mr Luxury]

11 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

I suspect Indian Market is popular because there is spice and flavor.  Presently on Encore. Already tired of the recycled mundane menu choices. Poached or broiled protein, gummy starches and barely a vegetable in sight. The sushi isn't bad if you compare it to a grocery store. Would it hurt to throw one ethnic dish on the menu? It feels like an assisted living dinning room.

 

Even if it isn't up to London standards - Indian food, sign me up!

 

Before anyone suggests it, we are trying to arrange some special meals with flavor, spice, and vegetables. 

 

My heart and stomach long for Chef Pia.

Yes,I have experienced what you're going through.

Ask the Maitre d to organise an Indian meal for the next evening.

[markham]

Disappointed in Quest’s provisioning and cuisine? I get it, I have been there and won’t get over it. So disappointing, and there was no excuse for any of it!
 

What to do? Reduce your cognitive dissonance asap… Book and sail another luxury cruise line such as Silversea’s newest classic ships, Muse, Moon, Dawn and Nova, or the yet-to-sail Ray. You will be glad you moved on.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited November 1, 2023 by markham

[markham]

Yes, friends, nostalgia, particular itineraries and things such as non-refundable deposits, Club free day awards and good deals are the reasons for returning to the classic ships. Maybe Natalya - and it’s her energy alone at the healm from what I have seen - really can up the game that Seabourn plays? We will see in time…

 

BTW, we also return for Venture which is a class of its own, IMO.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Mr Luxury]

19 minutes ago, markham said:

Yes, friends, nostalgia, particular itineraries and things such as non-refundable deposits, Club free day awards and good deals are the reasons for returning to the classic ships. Maybe Natalya - and it’s her energy alone at the healm from what I have seen - really can up the game that Seabourn plays? We will see in time…

 

BTW, we also return for Venture which is a class of its own, IMO.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

I knew it was all down to money with you 😀

Seriously I think that Natalya is really having a go and I hope that she succeeds.

She has made some quick changes and shows more spirit than old Rick did.

[BuckGood]

On 10/17/2023 at 7:08 PM, Ithikan said:

Found this online from "Markets Insider,"

Solis will offer a delightful array of dishes to satisfy and linger long after the last bite. Sumptuous, featured dishes include Piquillos De La Mama - Basque piquillo peppers with fresh Murcia goat milk cheese served on country bread crostini; Branzino - Whole Sea Bass baked in a sea salt and fresh thyme crust served with artichokes and tomatoes; Bistecca Alla Fiorentina – Tuscan-style grilled beef porterhouse steak; and Spiced Lamb Shank - Chargrilled smoked eggplant with tahini, pomegranate, roasted pine nuts, and labneh. A beautiful assortment of vegetarian and vegan options will also be incorporated throughout the menu.

MEH!👎

[BuckGood]

On 10/18/2023 at 11:41 AM, jjs217 said:

Everybody else is chiming in, so I will too:  MEH!!!  Personally, I would have preferred Pan-Asian/Indian.  All the items on the sample menu sound "over-composed", just like in the dining room.  Every now and then, I would like something simple, but devine - a steak, a veggie, a starch, period.  Sometimes phoo-phoo is just pooh-pooh.

We would Never go to it if it was Indian! Ever! 

[BuckGood]

On 10/19/2023 at 3:28 PM, cruiseej said:

Several people have questioned exactly when Solis will debut on the various Seabourn ships. Here is what Seabourn has planned:

 

 

So it's a month-long conversion on each ship, with the restaurant scheduled to open midway through at the start of the third week, with fine-tuning and finishing touches over the remaining two weeks. If you're unlucky enough to be on one of the ships during the first two weeks of the conversion, you'll miss out on both TK Grille and Solis. But there's really no other way they could do this without waiting for each ship to go into dry dock, which would be nearly impossible in a five month period. 

 

We are on a 21 night on the Ovation May 8, 2024

[SLSD]

21 hours ago, markham said:

Disappointed in Quest’s provisioning and cuisine? I get it, I have been there and won’t get over it. So disappointing, and there was no excuse for any of it!
 

What to do? Reduce your cognitive dissonance asap… Book and sail another luxury cruise line such as Silversea’s newest classic ships, Muse, Moon, Dawn and Nova, or the yet-to-sail Ray. You will be glad you moved on.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

I am a bit worried about stuffiness onboard Silversea and a slightly older demographic--if that is even possible.  While onboard entertainment is not the most important thing to us, I still remember how hideously bad it was the last time we sailed Silversea--and how nonexistent the cruise director was.  Our itinerary was great, but the on ship experience was very staid and dull.  Have things changed?  This was quite a few years ago.  

[markham]

How to respond to this question?

 

I like the new Silversea ships, the vibe, and especially the more varied, deep and sophisticated menus, to say nothing of more consistent high quality service that happens to be more staid. And these ships have facilities that for me put Seabourn’s older and or more crowded per square meter ships in the shade eg the pool and track on the Silversea beauties. The idea is true luxury, calm and relaxation. Pres Barbara Muckermann there has the momentum and the muscle of Royal Caribbean. Ask yourself if you can say the same re Carnival and Seabourn.

 

About the passengers, I don’t mind the calm and restrained. I dislike, in contrast, the antics of some on Seabourn ships that I thankfully have never seen on Silversea: gaming to add bookings to TKG as if it was the last word/their last meal, the penny pinching, simplicity, repetition and inconsistency of MDR/Colonnade menus and lack of alternative restaurants, haphazard staffing levels and training, and the abandonment of many cabin amenities. And then there is the ethos of the Holiday Inn type I attach to The Retreat. Which suggests the rest of the ship is something you need to pay to escape. This is all tiresome at these prices. I guess I have moved on.

 

That is the best answer I can offer right now. My judgment is Silversea offers smoother sailing.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[jdk-atlga]

On 10/30/2023 at 1:18 PM, Mr Luxury said:

I was told about Solis a while ago but couldn't say anything.

There are also new things being trialed for dinner in the Colonnade.

I like a supper club with a duo like they have on Silversea with Silver Note.

I have never been happy to have dinner in the Colonnade but with the restaurant not being what it should,I would try the Colonnade if new things were implemented.

We had fantastic meals - variety, great service, "hot" dishes - in the Colonnade dinners on the Encore a month ago. In fact, over the 2-weeks, excepting 2 TK, 1 Sushi and 2 E&O dinners, we were exclusive to the Colonnade. We had a consistent table/staff (Baris) for our meals there and I never really considered going to the MDR. Maybe the close proximity to the kitchen made a difference in how hot things were, and you could have a table outside, which was nice for Greece. Of course, YMMV.

Best, jdk

[SLSD]

3 hours ago, markham said:

How to respond to this question?

 

I like the new Silversea ships, the vibe, and especially the more varied, deep and sophisticated menus, to say nothing of more consistent high quality service that happens to be more staid. And these ships have facilities that for me put Seabourn’s older and or more crowded per square meter ships in the shade eg the pool and track on the Silversea beauties. The idea is true luxury, calm and relaxation. Pres Barbara Muckermann there has the momentum and the muscle of Royal Caribbean. Ask yourself if you can say the same re Carnival and Seabourn.

 

About the passengers, I don’t mind the calm and restrained. I dislike, in contrast, the antics of some on Seabourn ships that I thankfully have never seen on Silversea: gaming to add bookings to TKG as if it was the last word/their last meal, the penny pinching, simplicity, repetition and inconsistency of MDR/Colonnade menus and lack of alternative restaurants, haphazard staffing levels and training, and the abandonment of many cabin amenities. And then there is the ethos of the Holiday Inn type I attach to The Retreat. Which suggests the rest of the ship is something you need to pay to escape. This is all tiresome at these prices. I guess I have moved on.

 

That is the best answer I can offer right now. My judgment is Silversea offers smoother sailing.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Thank you for that assessment.  We probably should try Silversea.  

[Mr Luxury]

12 hours ago, jdk-atlga said:

We had fantastic meals - variety, great service, "hot" dishes - in the Colonnade dinners on the Encore a month ago. In fact, over the 2-weeks, excepting 2 TK, 1 Sushi and 2 E&O dinners, we were exclusive to the Colonnade. We had a consistent table/staff (Baris) for our meals there and I never really considered going to the MDR. Maybe the close proximity to the kitchen made a difference in how hot things were, and you could have a table outside, which was nice for Greece. Of course, YMMV.

Best, jdk

Glad that worked for you.

The Colonnade kitchen doesn't cook all of the food for dinner it assembles the dishes after they are cooked in the main kitchen.

[jjs217]

Having sailed on Seabourn, Crystal (the old Crystal), Regent and Silversea.  All of them have their good points and not so good points.  NONE of them are perfect.  If I wanted perfect, I'd stay home - oh wait a minute, that's not perfect either.  But all in all, there is not one of my cruises I wished I had back for any reason.  They were all enjoyable and I didn't have to make my bed, clean the bathroom, or cook.  

[caviarforme]

On 11/1/2023 at 5:15 PM, markham said:

Disappointed in Quest’s provisioning and cuisine? I get it, I have been there and won’t get over it. So disappointing, and there was no excuse for any of it!
 

What to do? Reduce your cognitive dissonance asap… Book and sail another luxury cruise line such as Silversea’s newest classic ships, Muse, Moon, Dawn and Nova, or the yet-to-sail Ray. You will be glad you moved on.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Been there, done that, Seabourn much more to our liking.

We started cruising with SS, tried SB after 4 cruises, decided there was little between them. Then had terrible treatment on SS when we woke to a flooded room at 3am due to a faulty toilet (titanic comes to mind when you step out of bed and your feet are paddling!). Stopped SS - stuck with SB. Tried again in 2022 with SS on a "new" ship - had not changed, awful experience with transfer arrangements, food unimpressive, and "could not care less" attitude endemic, "butler" would barge into room without knocking etc etc. Final nail in the coffin was when the butler left plain envelopes on the bed on the last night - for what I ask?

 

Went back to SB (latest July 23) and happy again. On board again in 2 weeks. Each to there own I suppose!

[SLSD]

On 11/1/2023 at 12:39 PM, markham said:

Yes, friends, nostalgia, particular itineraries and things such as non-refundable deposits, Club free day awards and good deals are the reasons for returning to the classic ships. Maybe Natalya - and it’s her energy alone at the healm from what I have seen - really can up the game that Seabourn plays? We will see in time…

 

BTW, we also return for Venture which is a class of its own, IMO.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Perhaps we need to write Seabourn and ask them to make sure your SB cruise(s) are exemplary as we want to keep you within the fold.  (I'm not being sarcastic here--you have been a great source of information for many of us.). 

[thebigcruiseguy]

On 11/2/2023 at 7:55 AM, SLSD said:

I am a bit worried about stuffiness onboard Silversea and a slightly older demographic--if that is even possible.  While onboard entertainment is not the most important thing to us, I still remember how hideously bad it was the last time we sailed Silversea--and how nonexistent the cruise director was.  Our itinerary was great, but the on ship experience was very staid and dull.  Have things changed?  This was quite a few years ago.  

Having tried Ovation in May 2022, we were quite pleased with the overall experience. We did encounter some minor disappointment with the food, namely in The Restaurant. We happened to like TK Grill quite a bit. We chalked up the food challenges to being so soon after cruising re opened post covid. 
 

We decided to give SS (Moon) a try earlier this year, and I can confidently say (unless we want to try Nova or purely itin driven) we likely will not be returning to SS. The entertainment was AWFUL and makes SB entertainment look incredible. No comparison. Food on SS was a major letdown- probably some of the worst food at sea. We were shocked by this on so many levels. Yes the venues on Moon are gorgeous, and the mixology was fantastic (amazing cocktails etc) but the food, except in Le Dame was consistently just bad. There’s very little “vibe” or “life” at all on SS- it’s just dead after 10pm. SB for roughly the same size ship felt much more alive!

 

The only thing I hope SB does is improve their cocktail / mixology program. I remember not having high end mixers (such as Fever Tree tonics)- that IMO would elevate the bar experience for this caliber cruise line. 

Edited November 4, 2023 by thebigcruiseguy