Live from the Vista - March 27 (Miami) to May 1 (Trieste)

[shepherd really]

12 hours ago, jackdeb said:

fdnycruiser are you confusing Jack Nicholson movies of “ The last detail “ with  “ five easy pieces “ and his egg salad sandwich? 

Just bring me the wheat toast.

[Waltershipman]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Good day folks,

This morning, several hundred late sleeping folks (we have lost an hours sleep for the past 3 nights) were cheerfully awakened by those nasty bells and the soothing voice of Peter (our CD) with his important 9:30 am (8:30 for many body clocks) announcement that breakfast was being served until 10!  He then went on with his other important items which was to read the schedule found in Currents!  If these annoying announcements are O company policy then they should have a PA system in their home office and be disturbed several times a day by such important announcements.

 

We continue moving eastward (at about 18 knots) towards Madeira.  It has turned into a gorgeous warm day and quite a few fellow passengers have been spending some time in the sun (including yours truly).

 

Today I will talk about a popular O topic which is the cuisine.  Last night, DW and I enjoyed dinner in the GDR and my meal was truly enjoyable.  In fact, my starter was a true star and something we hope DW can duplicate at home.  It was on the menu as "Crispy Scallops parrillas."  It was a dish suitable for the cover of Bon Appetit!  Small scallops (not sure if they were bay scallops or cut-up sea scallops) were wrapped in crispy phyllo dough and surrounded by a colorful garnish.  For me, it was the most interesting dish (so far) we have had on the Vista.  Yesterday I mentioned that "grilled prime rib" was on the menu and I decided to give it a try.  Our waiter warned me that it was not normal "prime rib" but simply slices.  The plate had 3 slices (similar to the size and shape of London Broil slices) with a brown gravy.  The slices of beef were over 1/4 inch thick and were truly prime rib presented in a different way.  The taste was good (just like eating a big slab of prime rib) and the gravy tasted like an au jus reduction.  It was easy to see the economic benefit of serving prime rib in this manner, but the taste and texture were spot on.  The Vista has an excellent pastry chef because we have found almost all the breads to be excellent.  That being said, I am still looking for my first New York quality bagel on a ship.  The bagels here are quite good, but they do not have that proper chewy texture one finds in the bagels of New York or Montreal.

 

For lunch we returned to our favorite lunch venue which is Waves.  I had the Philly Cheesesteak, which is my favorite sandwich in Waves.  I do think we could crown Waves as having the "best sandwiches" at sea.  Many folks are fond of Aquamar, but this ole guy is not looking for "healthy cuisine" on this cruise  🙂  Speaking of Waves, DW has enjoyed several of the decent malted milk shakes.  Today we were also able to get our requested Perrier.  Yesterday there was none on the ship, so it must have magically been smuggled aboard via pirate ship (in the middle of the night).  

 

We are finally on Madeira time and today's schedule is back to normal with a single 9:30 show.  After more than a week of relaxing sea days we now must try to find the energy to handle many upcoming ports

 

Hank

Have fun Hank i look forward to breaking a bagel with you on a future cruise. You find the bagel and we'll meet up. ENJOY YOUR DAY

[Vineyard View]

13 hours ago, chloemonkey said:

So odd that we were on the two sailings just prior to yours and found no similar issues.  Our experience was the total opposite as we found the staff to be so overly concerned with our satisfaction that it bordered on being bothersome at times.

Our experience was that this was among (if not the best) service that we have had of all of our Oceania cruises.....funny how we all have varying degrees of satisfaction and opinions.....Guess that is what makes the world go around.  Hope your last day or two provide you with a better experience....

 

Maybe there was a crew change between the sailings. 

[fdnycruiser]

Well done critiques Hank, and agree 100% .  DW, now wishes she had chosen the scallops last night, but we did have the prime rib. The Philly cheesesteak at Waves was a pleasant surprise. Enjoying the cruise,and the sea days. Well, except for the time changes. Definitely worse things in life

[Vineyard View]

It’s really encouraging to hear that the quality and variety of food on Vista is mostly meeting - sometimes exceeding - expectations Hiltner!  Thank you for your continued reporting. I would agree that the too often and too long CD announcements would be off putting- at best. Likely annoying. Makes one ponder why the CD feels that they are so important. 
 

When dining we usually are not in a hurry. We just mostly order one course at a time. We also do the same with starting with our wine and not ordering any food at that point. For the most part it allows us to pace our meal. If there is something that takes the chef a little longer to prepare we have found the server generally will inform us of that. I would not prefer my main brought as soon as my app is cleared away, or my dessert brought as soon as the main is cleared. For the most part, this has worked well. 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

Thank you Hank for your continuous reports!

 

We always loved the bread on O!

 

Do they still have surf and turf in Waves?

 

Also, did you try the afternoon tea?

 

 

What they currently have in waves is a burger topped with some chunks of lobster which seems to be the new version of surf/turf.  And that sandwich is quite good (as are all the sandwiches in Waves).

 

We still have not tried the afternoon tea.  It just does not fit our usual schedule and the reality of cruising on O is that we are never hungry.  Everything, schedule wise, changes once we get to Europe and have many ports.  I can see the situation where we might miss lunch (OMG) and finally get to tea to enjoy a cup with some snacks.

 

Hank

[WNcruiser]

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Thank you Hank for your continuous reports!

 

We always loved the bread on O!

 

Do they still have surf and turf in Waves?

 

Also, did you try the afternoon tea?

 

 

If you don’t mind me answering, yes they do. The only change is that it’s a burger patty instead of a filet. 
 

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 3/30/2024 at 10:10 AM, Hlitner said:

…..Food on this ship continues to be very good.  That being said, last evening we dined in Toscana, and I was disappointed in their lobster main, which came with a tomato-based sauce that has no business being put on lobster.  While this is subjective, that type of sauce simply overwhelms the delicate lobster flavor….

Most importantly, thanks to Hank for the “live from…” reporting on Vista. It’s the only O ship afloat that we haven’t been on. But, we’ll experience her on some ATW segments in 2026 (and actually will cruise on Allura first in autumn 2025).

Somehow I missed the CC notification that Hank had begun his Vista review. So, I only just now read through the threads (carefully focused solely on his commentary and skipping those replies that basically amounted to whining about “issues” that are easily corrected by speaking with the crew member involved or, if necessary, a supervisor.
 

FWIW, the cruise industry suffered an upheaval and, along with the influx of many new ships and cruise lines, one resulting issue has been a tremendous shortage of seasoned hotel staff which has, in turn created a wide spectrum of experienced service. It has particularly hit O hard where you may now find first time wait staff along side O’s traditional 5 to 10 year veterans. Interestingly, post-Covid stoppage, some O old timers (including several chefs and bartenders I know) “jumped ship” for a try at a competitor or new line. According to my sources, for most of them it was a “one and done” contract and they’ve returned to O (which treats its loyal crew very well). 
 

Have I noticed a post-Covid inconsistency in some service arenas onboard? Absolutely, but I have already witnessed improvement, particularly as first time staff return for a second contract (as most do). Time will tell.

 

Back to Hank’s review. I debated about going through and responding to selected posts. But I decided, instead, to lump here my comments so far.

 

Toscana! I am a first generation Sicilian-American who spent much of his childhood in the Red Hook/Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn - the Sicilian stronghold so accurately portrayed in the Nicholas Cage/Cher movie Moonstruck with its Cammareri Bros. bakery just a few doors down from my grandmother’s “walk up.”

I know Sicilian food (whether native or descendant). I mention this because, if Hank’s lobster main was Toscana’s Aragosta Fra Diavola (“lobster, brother of the devil” [or “from the devil”]), what was placed before him (yes, red sauce!) was quite accurate and, if I had to fault anything with the dozens of times I’ve eaten it, it would be that it was not always as spicy as I prefer.

 

From a different post, I noticed the comment about the Terrace orange juice, the solution to which has been “just ask for it.” Likewise, if you want an omelet made with fresh eggs (rather than the already prepped eggs), “just ask for it.” Same goes for cocktails: Want a true “Side Car?” Specify Hennessy VSOP, Cointreau and fresh squeezed lemon juice in a 2:1:1 ratio. It costs no more than a well swill drink with citrus mixer (and most O bartenders will remember your preference the next time you order it). 

 

Another item in the “live from …” review that caught my eye was Country Fair. That’s a long standing tradition on O ships during multiple sea days (as is the hilarious boat building competition and the quite challenging Art Scavenger Hunt which Hank may not yet have experienced). We enjoy all three activities (though it was sad to see the elimination of “wack a waiter” from the Country Fair lineup - the waiters too were sad to see it go). And then, there are the line-crossing (equator, IDL) ceremonies  and some other itinerary dependent fun (and often educational) pastimes - each with some semblance of an experience aimed at creating a camaraderie among what often becomes an expanded group of O regulars. 

Thus, I hope we’ll hear more from Hank about his onboard engagement experiences.

 

That said, I’ll limit my comments about O entertainment: If you want a Broadway show, go to Broadway! (Our 2025 Allura cruise is NYC-NYC and we’ll do a Broadway binge land stay as well.). And remember that the size of O ships imposes physical limitations on the nature of the entertainment provided. As for the late night ghost town perception, the O ships have far less passengers than most mass market ones and, on longer cruises, the demographic skews to 60 to 70+\- who generally are not there for the entertainment. (The lectures and cooking demos or classes, however, are a different story.)

A final thought- am I an Oceania fan? Not really. What “loyalties” I have are only to people. What I am a fan of is a favorable Value to Quality quotient. And when I compare cruise industry segments (including bottom line costs and experiences), O, because of its excellence “here” and despite its shortcomings “there,” meets my needs for a good fit. And, I’m not alone in that determination.

 

Apologies for the long post (but, it’s probably much better than a bunch of smaller - though not much shorter 😉 - ones).

I hope that Hank will continue to enjoy the ship and the food and that he will take my advice to heart: If there’s anything that’s a reasonable concern onboard, say something. You may be surprised at how quickly it gets fixed.

 

 

 

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Good day folks,

This morning, several hundred late sleeping folks (we have lost an hours sleep for the past 3 nights) were cheerfully awakened by those nasty bells and the soothing voice of Peter (our CD) with his important 9:30 am (8:30 for many body clocks) announcement that breakfast was being served until 10!  He then went on with his other important items which was to read the schedule found in Currents!  If these annoying announcements are O company policy then they should have a PA system in their home office and be disturbed several times a day by such important announcements.

 

We continue moving eastward (at about 18 knots) towards Madeira.  It has turned into a gorgeous warm day and quite a few fellow passengers have been spending some time in the sun (including yours truly).

 

Today I will talk about a popular O topic which is the cuisine.  Last night, DW and I enjoyed dinner in the GDR and my meal was truly enjoyable.  In fact, my starter was a true star and something we hope DW can duplicate at home.  It was on the menu as "Crispy Scallops parrillas."  It was a dish suitable for the cover of Bon Appetit!  Small scallops (not sure if they were bay scallops or cut-up sea scallops) were wrapped in crispy phyllo dough and surrounded by a colorful garnish.  For me, it was the most interesting dish (so far) we have had on the Vista.  Yesterday I mentioned that "grilled prime rib" was on the menu and I decided to give it a try.  Our waiter warned me that it was not normal "prime rib" but simply slices.  The plate had 3 slices (similar to the size and shape of London Broil slices) with a brown gravy.  The slices of beef were over 1/4 inch thick and were truly prime rib presented in a different way.  The taste was good (just like eating a big slab of prime rib) and the gravy tasted like an au jus reduction.  It was easy to see the economic benefit of serving prime rib in this manner, but the taste and texture were spot on.  The Vista has an excellent pastry chef because we have found almost all the breads to be excellent.  That being said, I am still looking for my first New York quality bagel on a ship.  The bagels here are quite good, but they do not have that proper chewy texture one finds in the bagels of New York or Montreal.

 

For lunch we returned to our favorite lunch venue which is Waves.  I had the Philly Cheesesteak, which is my favorite sandwich in Waves.  I do think we could crown Waves as having the "best sandwiches" at sea.  Many folks are fond of Aquamar, but this ole guy is not looking for "healthy cuisine" on this cruise  🙂  Speaking of Waves, DW has enjoyed several of the decent malted milk shakes.  Today we were also able to get our requested Perrier.  Yesterday there was none on the ship, so it must have magically been smuggled aboard via pirate ship (in the middle of the night).  

 

We are finally on Madeira time and today's schedule is back to normal with a single 9:30 show.  After more than a week of relaxing sea days we now must try to find the energy to handle many upcoming ports

 

Hank

Thank you again for taking the time, enjoying your post.  Are you saying the CD announcements are coming into the cabin or just in public areas of the ship?

[Flatbush Flyer]

43 minutes ago, fdnycruiser said:

Well done critiques Hank, and agree 100% .  DW, now wishes she had chosen the scallops last night, but we did have the prime rib. The Philly cheesesteak at Waves was a pleasant surprise. Enjoying the cruise,and the sea days. Well, except for the time changes. Definitely worse things in life

FWIW: Philly Cheese Steak is a relatively new item that was only an experiment on O not too long ago. I had one of the first ones made on Riviera and after returning it for something else, had a chat with both the Exec Chef and the GM about what exactly is a Philly Cheese Steak. I’ve had similar conversations across multiple O ships about certain other newly introduced “regional” American dishes including Lobster Rolls and Reuben Sandwiches. Suffice to say that it takes awhile (and enough passenger comments) but, O eventually gets most of it right. 
BTW: That earliest version of a Philly Cheesesteak was a small filet with melted cheese on top 😳.

[Woofa]

Having been born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island I have yet to find a comparable bagel.  I have been told it is the NY water which is one part of the recipe not to be the same anywhere else.  

I did not enjoy our bagels on Riviera last year but found the croissants quite good and (horror of horrors,) had cream cheese and smoked salmon on my croissants many mornings in Terrace.  We all have to make do.

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

Thank you again for taking the time, enjoying your post.  Are you saying the CD announcements are coming into the cabin or just in public areas of the ship?

Certain CD announcements including port arrival info, midday (after the Captain’s report) and pre-dinner (evening activities) are the normal sequence of PA announcements. Some CDs add to that (which I agree is usually unnecessary).

IMO: every new CD on O should be required to shadow Ray Carr for at least a week or two as part of their orientation.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, Woofa said:

Having been born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island I have yet to find a comparable bagel.  I have been told it is the NY water which is one part of the recipe not to be the same anywhere else.  

I did not enjoy our bagels on Riviera last year but found the croissants quite good and (horror of horrors,) had cream cheese and smoked salmon on my croissants many mornings in Terrace.  We all have to make do.

Brooklyn Boy here too. Beyond Brooklyn, the only other great bagels are Montreal.

[edgee]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Certain CD announcements including port arrival info, midday (after the Captain’s report) and pre-dinner (evening activities) are the normal sequence of PA announcements. Some CDs add to that (which I agree is usually unnecessary).

IMO: every new CD on O should be required to shadow Ray Carr for at least a week or two as part of their orientation.  

Strongly, strongly agree! Sounds like Peter is carbon copy of the infamous Dottie, who is the champion of over announcing.Most dangerous place on the ship is between her and a microphone.🤣 Ray Carr handles the job in a quiet and classy way!

[edgee]

Here is a pic of Vista Waves menu. Some differences than what is on other ships in this "test" menu.

[basenji56]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Good day folks,

This morning, several hundred late sleeping folks (we have lost an hours sleep for the past 3 nights) were cheerfully awakened by those nasty bells and the soothing voice of Peter (our CD) with his important 9:30 am (8:30 for many body clocks) announcement that breakfast was being served until 10!  He then went on with his other important items which was to read the schedule found in Currents!  If these annoying announcements are O company policy then they should have a PA system in their home office and be disturbed several times a day by such important announcements.

 

We continue moving eastward (at about 18 knots) towards Madeira.  It has turned into a gorgeous warm day and quite a few fellow passengers have been spending some time in the sun (including yours truly).

 

Today I will talk about a popular O topic which is the cuisine.  Last night, DW and I enjoyed dinner in the GDR and my meal was truly enjoyable.  In fact, my starter was a true star and something we hope DW can duplicate at home.  It was on the menu as "Crispy Scallops parrillas."  It was a dish suitable for the cover of Bon Appetit!  Small scallops (not sure if they were bay scallops or cut-up sea scallops) were wrapped in crispy phyllo dough and surrounded by a colorful garnish.  For me, it was the most interesting dish (so far) we have had on the Vista.  Yesterday I mentioned that "grilled prime rib" was on the menu and I decided to give it a try.  Our waiter warned me that it was not normal "prime rib" but simply slices.  The plate had 3 slices (similar to the size and shape of London Broil slices) with a brown gravy.  The slices of beef were over 1/4 inch thick and were truly prime rib presented in a different way.  The taste was good (just like eating a big slab of prime rib) and the gravy tasted like an au jus reduction.  It was easy to see the economic benefit of serving prime rib in this manner, but the taste and texture were spot on.  The Vista has an excellent pastry chef because we have found almost all the breads to be excellent.  That being said, I am still looking for my first New York quality bagel on a ship.  The bagels here are quite good, but they do not have that proper chewy texture one finds in the bagels of New York or Montreal.

 

For lunch we returned to our favorite lunch venue which is Waves.  I had the Philly Cheesesteak, which is my favorite sandwich in Waves.  I do think we could crown Waves as having the "best sandwiches" at sea.  Many folks are fond of Aquamar, but this ole guy is not looking for "healthy cuisine" on this cruise  🙂  Speaking of Waves, DW has enjoyed several of the decent malted milk shakes.  Today we were also able to get our requested Perrier.  Yesterday there was none on the ship, so it must have magically been smuggled aboard via pirate ship (in the middle of the night).  

 

We are finally on Madeira time and today's schedule is back to normal with a single 9:30 show.  After more than a week of relaxing sea days we now must try to find the energy to handle many upcoming ports

 

Hank

Interesting how tastes are different. I liked the scallops but the portion was much too small for all of the crust. I didn’t like the prime rib at all. Minor quibbles though. 

[Kay S]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

 

 

  Last night, DW and I enjoyed dinner in the GDR and my meal was truly enjoyable.  In fact, my starter was a true star and something we hope DW can duplicate.

This is one of my favorite parts of dining, finding something I might be able to recreate at home.  

[Hlitner]

Let’s deal with the CD announcement issue.  They are NOT piped into the cabins, but the sound of the the announcement bells is easily heard in many cabins and enough to wake many light sleepers.  In our experience (18 cruise lines) the higher the quality of the line, the fewer announcements.  O is trying hard to compete with Carnival when it comes to annoying PA announcements.  We have yet to meet anyone who says they look forward to hearing a CD reading the daily schedule.  O is too good of a line to have this BS.

 

Hank

[redraider1966]

3 hours ago, edgee said:

Strongly, strongly agree! Sounds like Peter is carbon copy of the infamous Dottie, who is the champion of over announcing.Most dangerous place on the ship is between her and a microphone.🤣 Ray Carr handles the job in a quiet and classy way!

Plus 1 especially regarding Ray Carr, although Peter was somewhat restrained in his pronouncements during our 2/28-3/9/2024 Caribbean cruise, despite two sea days on either end of five port calls . . . .

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Interesting how tastes are different. I liked the scallops but the portion was much too small for all of the crust. I didn’t like the prime rib at all. Minor quibbles though. 

No doubt that many Prime Rib fans would be disappointed with this presentation.  Although I would prefer a 2 pound bone-in slab, the truth is that much of it would go to waste. I think O is looking for a compromise, and perhaps it needs more tweaking.

 

Hank

 

 

[thebsinmiss]

Funny you mention Carnival. We stopped sailing on them after going on a trip with our children and their Grandma/Grandpa.  Grandpa is hard of hearing but when we were trying to enjoy the adults only quiet area we literally could not have a conversation due to the extremely loud music they were playing around the pool  below our "quiet retreat".  Carnival seem to think louder means more fun, it actually means it was time to find other cruise lines. 

 

If the ship isn't sinking or the bar isn't giving away free booze, we don't need to hear about it !

[clo]

20 hours ago, proton-excitement said:

It's a bit more than normal waste though, right? Ordering something, and then telling them to throw it out and make something else without ever taking a single bite, simply because they brought it promptly and fresh (as they should have), is cartoonishly entitled. Granted I'm probably 3 decades younger than the average Oceania passenger, but this behavior and attitude is jaw dropping to me.

Well, I'm 76 and found that actually horrifying. I was raised in the South and good manners were key.

[fdnycruiser]

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

FWIW: Philly Cheese Steak is a relatively new item that was only an experiment on O not too long ago. I had one of the first ones made on Riviera and after returning it for something else, had a chat with both the Exec Chef and the GM about what exactly is a Philly Cheese Steak. I’ve had similar conversations across multiple O ships about certain other newly introduced “regional” American dishes including Lobster Rolls and Reuben Sandwiches. Suffice to say that it takes awhile (and enough passenger comments) but, O eventually gets most of it right. 
BTW: That earliest version of a Philly Cheesesteak was a small filet with melted cheese on top 😳.

You’re definitely a long way from Red Hook Flatbush Flyer. I worked in the Firehouse on Smith  & Lorraine St, ( ladder 131) in the early 80’s . Good times with the Happy Hookers 

[clo]

14 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

No doubt that many Prime Rib fans would be disappointed with this presentation.  Although I would prefer a 2 pound bone-in slab, the truth is that much of it would go to waste. I think O is looking for a compromise, and perhaps it needs more tweaking.

 

Hank

 

 

We'll love it as we almost always order starters rather than main. More goodies to try.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Let’s deal with the CD announcement issue.  They are NOT piped into the cabins, but the sound of the the announcement bells is easily heard in many cabins and enough to wake many light sleepers.  In our experience (18 cruise lines) the higher the quality of the line, the fewer announcements.  O is trying hard to compete with Carnival when it comes to annoying PA announcements.  We have yet to meet anyone who says they look forward to hearing a CD reading the daily schedule.  O is too good of a line to have this BS.

 

Hank

All depends on which CD you’ve got. As aforementioned, Ray Carr is the “gold standard” for O. A morning show that’s so funny, people tune in just to see what the latest antics are. Minimal announcements as well.