Pool grill buffet at night

[Lonedaddy]

In the voyager but different topic.  Had a couple of long days and of course getting back from Santorini was a long line and wait and msc pax trying to cut the line (sorry for the divergence) Lots of people on board including our group of 8.  Butler said we couldn’t order room service to pool deck as I have read here before.  So I took my mid cruise to GM and his assistant was there.  Basically I asked why the heck can’t they have the pool grill open on a day like today with a casual meal after getting back late??? Silverseas has several venues for that!  Or better instead of adding 5 ports maybe they should have had an overnight in Athens and had the great and enjoyable food buffet.   Again what happened to not saying no?  How hard would it be to deliver our food to the pool deck?  I’m very disgusted with regent right now and many I have spoken with onboard are as well.  All the regent cheerleaders can defend all you want but they have really dropped in service.  

[mrlevin]

The ability to have room service delivered anywhere is the one perk on silversea. In 21 years on radisson/regent they have always said no to room service except to rooms.  It is real bad on explorer/splendor where the only bars open before 1700 on port days are on deck 11.  I would love the ability of room service to deliver me a Bloody Mary while working on the puzzle. 

[papaflamingo]

4 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

 All the regent cheerleaders can defend all you want but they have really dropped in service.  

As one whom I'm sure you consider a "Regent cheerleader," I will say that all I'm doing is expressing my opinion and my personal experience.  Sorry if I haven't experienced the "drop in service" that you have, but the simple fact is I haven't.  Has nothing to do with "cheerleading" or not.  I have cruised a number of different cruise lines and so far I have found Regent to be the line I like best.   That, and I understand that cruising is very dynamic and nothing ever goes perfectly. I'm just willing to not let little stuff ruing my cruise. 

Edited October 19, 2023 by papaflamingo

[Lonedaddy]

33 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

As one whom I'm sure you consider a "Regent cheerleader," I will say that all I'm doing is expressing my opinion and my personal experience.  Sorry if I haven't experienced the "drop in service" that you have, but the simple fact is I haven't.  Has nothing to do with "cheerleading" or not.  I have cruised a number of different cruise lines and so far I have found Regent to be the line I like best.   That, and I understand that cruising is very dynamic and nothing ever goes perfectly. I'm just willing to not let little stuff ruing my cruise. 

I’m not sure where I called you out as a cheerleader. I would hardly call this cruise “little stuff”. If you think regent is perfect …great enjoy, but I’m just saying there is room for improvement in some  departments and I’m not sure regent is reading all the customer base.   

 

 As a follow up the pool bar tender Mansour Stayed and served my friends who had orders arrive at many different times.  Compass rose was half full and I went to get some food and ate alone, just a salad and steak, which was served promptly and was very good.  I did have a senior officer come to my table and said he and read my comments and apologized and we had a good discussion of the situation.  I mention how you can go on SS and get a pizza or pool grill…. I also noted that the bean counters seem to being ruining the “luxury service” and they should evaluate the ports and dining options together.   He was cordial and said he would go up and apologize to my friends at the pool deck and brought them a nice bottle of Champaign, a very nice gesture.  My point was for regent to evaluate the offerings they have for these situations and while I didn’t need a personal experience in the dining room but  I believe that the point was made.  I promised my friends a regent experience and it just was not happening.  Hopefully it will escalated and regent will evaluate their dinner offerings on port intensive days.

[welshfamily]

I had a similar experience on the Mariner. I tried to order something ( ribs) from Compass rose at lunch for our suite. Could not get through to room service.

As the Mariner is not a large ship I thought ok I will go down to compass rose and place an order either for Room service or if it was easier “ to go”. I was happy to wait. I had my kindle and was only planning to sit in the sun after lunch.

Explained to the young lady at the desk at entrance to Compass Rose. She believe there was a problem with the phones which was being looked into. 

She told me you could not order anything from Compass Rose for your room via room service. Although surprised I ask for a table and could I have my order to go. 
No was the answer. 
I was unhappy as the restaurant Manager had told me the day before this was something to consider as many guests enjoyed eating in their suite after a long excursion. Our morning excursion had started at 7am. 
I sat, placed the order, drank a glass of water and when the ribs arrived asked the waiter could I take them to my suite. Certainly he said and fetched a plastic room service cover. The ribs were for my son. He was delighted. 
I am still puzzled. 

 

[Pcardad]

44 minutes ago, welshfamily said:

I had a similar experience on the Mariner. I tried to order something ( ribs) from Compass rose at lunch for our suite. Could not get through to room service.

As the Mariner is not a large ship I thought ok I will go down to compass rose and place an order either for Room service or if it was easier “ to go”. I was happy to wait. I had my kindle and was only planning to sit in the sun after lunch.

Explained to the young lady at the desk at entrance to Compass Rose. She believe there was a problem with the phones which was being looked into. 

She told me you could not order anything from Compass Rose for your room via room service. Although surprised I ask for a table and could I have my order to go. 
No was the answer. 
I was unhappy as the restaurant Manager had told me the day before this was something to consider as many guests enjoyed eating in their suite after a long excursion. Our morning excursion had started at 7am. 
I sat, placed the order, drank a glass of water and when the ribs arrived asked the waiter could I take them to my suite. Certainly he said and fetched a plastic room service cover. The ribs were for my son. He was delighted. 
I am still puzzled. 

 

I have ordered food and had it delivered to the Pool Deck in the past. If they refused, I would simply get it at the door of my suite and carry it up myself. Then I would meet with the Food and Beverage Manager or the GM and ask why that was necessary. 

I have no idea what the woman was talking about - we have ordered while sitting at the table in CR and had it delivered to our suite at a later time when we knew we would be hungry. They simply took the order into the kitchen to the tiny closed where the room service person sits and gave it to him.

 

Seems like there are a lot of new crew...let's hope that is the reason.

[mj_holiday]

Why go to the compass rose to order. It is my understanding that you can order from the Compass Rose menu for room service. 
It is a shame that pool grill is no longer open in the evenings. When I first heard the pool grill was staying open I was anxious to try it. But when ever I went to check on the menu, there wasn’t anything there I cared for. 

[Pcardad]

52 minutes ago, mj_holiday said:

Why go to the compass rose to order. It is my understanding that you can order from the Compass Rose menu for room service. 
It is a shame that pool grill is no longer open in the evenings. When I first heard the pool grill was staying open I was anxious to try it. But when ever I went to check on the menu, there wasn’t anything there I cared for. 

Order after dinner for a late night food drop off if you are up until 1 or 2 AM....You can also call Room Service from a bar phone and set it up like that.

[Aloha 1]

When Regent resumed sailing after Covid, we went on the Explorer in the Carib. On a 10 nite cruise, the Pool Grill was open for dinner 4 nites. In October of last year we were again on Explorer for a 14 nite cruise and the Pool Grill was only open once. Very disappointing given that there is no other casual dining spot on board in the evening. We assumed this was a temporary move due to staff shortages but it now appears "somebody" in Miami made a random decision without thinking about the impact. Weather permitting, the Pool Grill should be open for an evening buffet. Come on Regent, live up to your marketing hype of "first class all the way".

[Brownie54]

We were on the world cruise 2023, and we were told that the pool grill dinners would be discontinued fleet-wide at the end of our cruise. At that time (late May), they said they would be reinstated for the world cruise and grand voyages.

The pool grill was enjoyed by many in the evening, and in fact we ate there the last night of the cruise with 12 other people we had met on the 2017 world cruise.

[the_dylaness]

Sometimes you just want to sit outside, wear casual clothing, and have dinner. This doesn't seem like too much to ask from a "luxury" line!

[Techno123]

Earth and ocean  on Seabourn seems to be very popular - even has people in hats and coats sitting outside eating on the colder weather cruises. Perhaps that is because S don't have as many alternative restaurants?

[rcandkc]

We went to pool grill at night a couple times when they had it.  It was sit down service and limited choices.  I wanted a buffet like at lunch.  So, we weren’t happy with the venue.  I would love a “lunch” buffet at night on the deck.  I like getting tiny helpings of many different things. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by rcandkc

[Kwaj girl]

6 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:

When Regent resumed sailing after Covid, we went on the Explorer in the Carib. On a 10 nite cruise, the Pool Grill was open for dinner 4 nites. In October of last year we were again on Explorer for a 14 nite cruise and the Pool Grill was only open once. Very disappointing given that there is no other casual dining spot on board in the evening. We assumed this was a temporary move due to staff shortages but it now appears "somebody" in Miami made a random decision without thinking about the impact. Weather permitting, the Pool Grill should be open for an evening buffet. Come on Regent, live up to your marketing hype of "first class all the way".

 

Seems as though very few people used this venue...also based on our observations over many voyages pre- and post-covid.  terrible waste of food and labor when only a few people (often less than 20?) would use it on the nights it was open.

[BaltiGator]

1 hour ago, Techno123 said:

Earth and ocean  on Seabourn seems to be very popular - even has people in hats and coats sitting outside eating on the colder weather cruises. Perhaps that is because S don't have as many alternative restaurants?

During our 20 days/nights on S's Sojourn last month, we ate at E&O a lot. The evening weather in the Mediterranean was ideal for al fresco dining, and the casual tone suited us perfectly. Having said that, I wouldn't eat there in hat & coat weather. The food was very good, but so was the food in the temperature-controlled dining room.

 

We'll be on R's Navigator this coming May. I sure hope there's a nice al fresco dining option, weather permitting.

[Golfwife1]

After terrible service and food at pool grill on Splendor this week, I asked if I could have room service delivered to pool deck. NO. 

[Kwaj girl]

19 minutes ago, Golfwife1 said:

After terrible service and food at pool grill on Splendor this week, I asked if I could have room service delivered to pool deck. NO. 

 

What made it terrible?  Was this a 'nighttime' pool grill service?

[Pcardad]

5 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

What made it terrible?  Was this a 'nighttime' pool grill service?

No...that is currently closed on all ships.

[ToxM]

15 hours ago, the_dylaness said:

Sometimes you just want to sit outside, wear casual clothing, and have dinner. This doesn't seem like too much to ask from a "luxury" line!

 

I am on Voyager in January on a TA (where I hit maximum relaxation). As a regular O cruiser, this is the one thing that seems incongruent for Regent. I want to have a dinner buffet option - my understanding is that on Voyager we have the specialities, the GDR and Sette mari (which is a walk in, but busy) - all of which means Marital Unit and I have to formal up a little for dinner. 

 

I am not a slob, but I relax on TA’s, I can see us ordering room service. 

 

I will report on our experience. 

 

 

[Lonedaddy]

13 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

Seems as though very few people used this venue...also based on our observations over many voyages pre- and post-covid.  terrible waste of food and labor when only a few people (often less than 20?) would use it on the nights it was open.

They should just open it on intensive excursion days and ports with a nice ambiance, even if it is a cooled to order service with limited items pizza burgers sandwiches….or make it a reservation resteraunt like silverseas pool grill hot rocks.  Worst case just have the bar open and have a few staff to go pick up from room service .  
 

on our day in santorini room service was hammered and compass rose was very empty.  

[kjbacon]

17 hours ago, Techno123 said:

Earth and ocean  on Seabourn seems to be very popular - even has people in hats and coats sitting outside eating on the colder weather cruises. Perhaps that is because S don't have as many alternative restaurants?

Our experience on SB was that Earth and Ocean was by far the very best dining on board. SB also has fewer choices than regent. We absolutely were that couple in hats and coats with blankets on our laps. And after many cruises with regent, we have never used the pool grill at dinner.

[the_dylaness]

My favorite restaurant on Crystal Serenity was probably "Tastes"... not a pool grill per se but definitely more casual outside dining. I enjoy getting dressed up for dinner, don't get me wrong, but not all the time and not usually after a long port day (or a long pool day, sometimes!)  

Earth and Ocean sounds great, I would love to try it out.

 

We liked Silver Wind's "Hot Rocks" option (is that what it was really called or just what I remember?) but sometimes the point is that you don't want a reservation, you just want to wear whatever you already have on and eat outside 🙂

 

We are on Grandeur in January- will there be a casual dining option?

This is our first Regent cruise and without being too much of a downer, I have to say that most of what I'm reading on this board makes me wonder if we've made the right choice.  Jockeying to get into a Sette Mari, all the pool chair drama... was hoping that little annoyances like these would be bypassed.

 

(In fairness, the pool area on Crystal Serenity was so crowded one day I ended up sitting on the floor, so they don't have it sorted just yet, either.)

[Kwaj girl]

10 hours ago, Pcardad said:

No...that is currently closed on all ships.

 

Post #17 made it appear that the poster  was referring to something recent. Unless the comment was regarding daytime pool grill 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Kwaj girl

[forgap]

We tried the evening pool grill once when Regent was offering that venue.  The food was not good so we never gave it a second chance.  There were also complicated rules about dress codes after leaving that venue.  
 

all that being said, we were underwhelmed by hot rocks on Silversea even though I like the concept.  I found the choice of proteins too large (except the shrimp) to cook on the rock.  I know that many like large cuts of meat but I thought a much better concept would be a changing menu of Asian (yakitori, stir fries, etc) or middle eastern (kebabs, etc) or whatever small cuts lend themselves to a quick, hot stone.  

[Lonedaddy]

5 hours ago, forgap said:

We tried the evening pool grill once when Regent was offering that venue.  The food was not good so we never gave it a second chance.  There were also complicated rules about dress codes after leaving that venue.  
 

all that being said, we were underwhelmed by hot rocks on Silversea even though I like the concept.  I found the choice of proteins too large (except the shrimp) to cook on the rock.  I know that many like large cuts of meat but I thought a much better concept would be a changing menu of Asian (yakitori, stir fries, etc) or middle eastern (kebabs, etc) or whatever small cuts lend themselves to a quick, hot stone.  

I understand what you are saying we just butterflied the filet and it was excellent.