Regatta 1/2/07-1/12/07--Berries

[Jancruz]

Marienbad..check out FDR's answer earlier in this thread..

Jan

*****

[potterhill]

We were on the Insignia Lisbon to Rio in Nov. On two occasions one of the poeple we were dining with requested berries and sugar free ice cream for dessert (he was diabetic). They were refused both times.

 

We found the food to be very good, and we are picky. Well, maybe not picky so much as we like our food to be good. Fresh, cooked and seasoned appropriately, not oversauced. For these reasons we rarely eat in popular chain restuarants.

 

One morning in the grand dining room there was a hair in my eggs benedict under the sauce, meaning it came from the kitchen. I only pointed it out after the waiter wanted to know why I wasn't eating. They apologized profusely. That was the end of it. They did ask for our room #, but we never heard anything else. We never expected anything. Stuff happens, and it wasn't a big deal. Now, if we had gotten food poisoning, that would be another matter.

 

I continued to eat at every meal, probably more than I should have! We have another cruise booked. We like Oceania. There were a couple of meals that were not great, but overall they were excellent. I doubt any other line would be of better quality or more consistent.

 

I was surprised, given the volume of berries available for breakfast, that they were not availble on request for the few who asked. On our first cruise I asked for creme brulee for dessert. I was told it was not possible, even though it is on the room service menu and is available 24 hours a day! So I went back to the room and ordered room service. It would have been easier for them to bring it to the table in the dining room, I would think. But maybe not, logistics and all.

 

Anyway, we love Oceania ande berries at dinner or not, will be back.

 

Mo

[marienbad]

We like Le Bernadin in New York, Maestro in Washington DC, Spago in LA, French Laundry in Yountville, Roy's in Oahu. In Paris we like L'Astrance. In Barcelona we like Set Portes.

I saw the earlier message from Mr. Del Rio. As I understand it he is studying the issue.

While I'm not glad someone else had trouble bgetting berries for dinner on Oceania, I feel less victimized.

By the way, berries are very healthy for you.

[Fleuve51]

I have only compliments to give to the chefs.

All our meals were excellent--no complaints.

It was our 3rd Oceania cruise in 9 months.

We have been on almost all the other lines, except Crystal and have found the food on Oceania to be the best yet.

" hi" Joe & Deb. It was nice to meet our fellow CC members on a fabulous cruise.

Can't wait to go again.

Eileen

[Boreus]

One thing about the fruit on board. All of us in our group wondered how the fruit was so fresh for ten days. We weren't sure if they pick up food in port but we doubt that they do.

 

Fresh berries were loaded on in Copenhagen during my Oceania cruise from Dover to Stockholm in June of last year, and I had some every breakfast thereafter. They were memorable, as was much of the food. Mr. del Rio suggests in his posting that berries are indeed taken on in various port.

 

Jan mentioned that this incident reminds her of an old film, "The Caine Mutiny." How about an older film, "Mutiny on the Bounty." I can hear Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh growling to Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian "Yes you bloody thief I do believe you took my coconuts!" Substitute berries for coconuts, if the kitchen permits.

 

The food on my cruise was excellent and I have reservations on another 14-day Oceania cruise this year, but other posters than Marienbad have had problems in getting berries for dessert. I am looking forward to Mr. del Rio's updating us on this.

[PurpleCow]

I wonder if it was something like, "We're running short of berries. Don't serve any at dinner or we won't have enough for breakfast? That would answer the question of why sometimes berries are available for dinner and why they sometimes aren't. In any case, no one should be treated rudely, no matter what they've requested or for what reason the request is denied.

[Nutrioso]

I was a bit disappointed with the food on our cruise. For instance, at breakfast the corned beef hash and the beans were canned! And, cookies only available at the evening meal, not lunch even if requested. Burgers at the Waves Grill were precooked in the kitchen and then reheated on the grill when needed. Overall, I had a great cruise, but the food did not meet expectations.

[PurpleCow]

I generally had just some fruit or lox and bagels for breakfast except for the one day I ate in the dining room and had eggs benedict. It was a treat to have eggs that had been poached instead of steamed in little round cups as I usually find them. The 2 burgers I had at the grill were definitely not pre-cooked in the kitchen, though they were pre-shaped. I watched from grill to platter.

[drwong]

Now, if the women entertainers had been wearing thongs on my cruise I would have definitely rated them higher.

 

Ha! Good catch! :D

 

On all of our cruises with Oceania (four and counting), I've always ordered the fresh berries and vanilla ice cream if nothing from the GDR's dessert menu sounded tempting (and after that many meals in the GDR, it's getting harder and to find something different every night!).

 

Only twice did the kitchen decline my request - on one cruise, they had run out (probably towards the end of the cruise), while on a second, the chef declined because they weren't up to his standards (moisture caused them to go soft - they probably turned up as a puree in the next day's breakfast menu).

 

And I knew not to try to order the shrimp cocktail in the GDR. :rolleyes:

[rebeccalouise]

I was a bit disappointed with the food on our cruise. For instance, at breakfast the corned beef hash and the beans were canned! And, cookies only available at the evening meal, not lunch even if requested. Burgers at the Waves Grill were precooked in the kitchen and then reheated on the grill when needed. Overall, I had a great cruise, but the food did not meet expectations.

 

I am sorrty that the food was a disappointment to you. Since this was our first Oceania cruise- we can only compare the food to the other lines we have sailed and we all thought the food was the best we have encountered. My family (all but one) have been on Holland America, Royal Clipper, Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian, Costa, Disney, Carnival and Cunard.

I don't know what people are comparing the food to on Oceania. Perhaps more expensive lines that I haven't sailed yet.

 

Perhaps you can tell me what other lines you have sailed- where the food was better. Darned if I know.

[sacway]

You can avoid the pre-cooked hamburgers by asking for yours to be cooked rare or medium rare. Since the pre-cooking is to a medium-well done level, the grill staff had a small cache of hamburgers grillside for those who want a pink center. This is 2nd hand -- I actually had two of the pre-cooked burgers. Weren't as good as our Best Of burgers here in town, but not bad, either.

[hondorner]

The burgers I saw were pre-cooked, but only in the sense that they had been cooked a short time earlier, on the same grill and by the same staff, where they were later finished. They are cooked to a medium level (or, as suggested above, to a medium rare level), then stashed and finished when you order one. I found they were a little bit more moist than I like my burgers, so I told the grill guy that I was in no hurry and wanted it very well done. I got my wish -- it was perfect. After that, he remembered me and cooked mine the way I like it without asking.

[marienbad]

In response to RebeccaLouise, we have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Costa, HollandAmerica, Crystal and Regent. We thought the food on Oceania was like the food used to be on Celebrity which we liked. Celebrity food is not as good recently. We did not say all the food on Oceania was bad, only some. With all the praise for Oceania's cuisine on these boards, we were disappointed.

The response to our request for berries was the difference we found between Oceania and all other cruises we have taken(around 50). It was not gracious. We still await Mr. Del Rio's clarification of "corporate policy."

As to which cruiselines have better food, certainly Crystal and Regent, and other lines sporadically on specific ships with specific chefs.

[rebeccalouise]

If that were the only problem with dining, it would be a minimal annoyance, but we found the food quality poor. A veal chop in the Grand Dining room was total fat; lobster in Polo was mushy and had an iodine taste. Remoulade sauce on the salad turned out to be sour cream and chives. Fish had to be sent back because of its iodine taste. At best the food was edible, sort of like Celebrity in the old days.

 

You did describe the food and poor and at best edible. That is what my bone on contention was. I do like the food on Celebrity but thought Oceania was better.

[marienbad]

I suspect we were disappointed because of the expectations raised on these boards. There was food that was fine (the veal chop in Toscana), but most of the time it was edible or good. Nothing more in our opinion.

[Nitrodog]

If that were the only problem with dining, it would be a minimal annoyance, but we found the food quality poor. A veal chop in the Grand Dining room was total fat; lobster in Polo was mushy and had an iodine taste. Remoulade sauce on the salad turned out to be sour cream and chives. Fish had to be sent back because of its iodine taste. At best the food was edible, sort of like Celebrity in the old days.

 

marienbad I think you had better make up your mind on the food issue. In your initial post you say that the veal chop in the dining room was total fat yet it was excellent in Toscana. I guess they must reserve the good cuts for the specialty restaurants. In your last post you state the food was "edible or good" yet you previously stated it was "at best the food was edible." As much as I hate to say it, it sounds as if you have forgotten just how bad the food actually was. Your first post was in fact a scathing critique claiming the food was in fact horrible.

 

We just heard from a friend who was on the same cruise as you and they had nothing but excellent reviews of the ship, the staff, the cuisine and the overall cruise. Now being that we live in Montreal and it has long been said that we have some of the finest dining in the world, I am personally going to critique the food quality when we return from our Regatta cruise. The ship returns on February 25th and the food review will come withing a day or two from then. If indeed the dining is as poor as you portray it to be then I think the people on this board should know just what they can expect.

[Nitrodog]

"we found the food quality poor. A veal chop in the Grand Dining room was total fat; lobster in Polo was mushy and had an iodine taste. Remoulade sauce on the salad turned out to be sour cream and chives. Fish had to be sent back because of its iodine taste. At best the food was edible"

 

marienbad I think you had better make up your mind on the food issue. In your initial post you say that the veal chop in the dining room was total fat yet it was excellent in Toscana. I guess they must reserve the good cuts for the specialty restaurants. In your last post you state the food was "edible or good" yet you previously stated it was "at best the food was edible." As much as I hate to say it, it sounds as if you have forgotten just how bad the food actually was. Your first post was in fact a scathing critique claiming the food was in fact horrible.

 

We just heard from a friend who was on the same cruise as you and they had nothing but excellent reviews of the ship, the staff, the cuisine and the overall cruise. Now being that we live in Montreal and it has long been said that we have some of the finest dining in the world, I am personally going to critique the food quality when we return from our Regatta cruise. The ship returns on February 25th and the food review will come withing a day or two from then. If indeed the dining is as poor as you portray it to be then I think the people on this board should know just what they can expect.

[fjdelrio]

Here is what I've learned over the last couple of days about our BERRY situation.

 

It appears that our policy is inconsistent throught the fleet, which really means, we have no policy. Some ships, and some Maitre'd's have indeed denied quests their special request for berry's in the various restaurants for dinner, while on other ships, similar requests are routinely and graciously fullfilled.

 

I'm told ( my shipboard staff as you can imagine, are being very creative, diplomatic etc. in the amusing art of CYA) that sometimes a request is denied because stocks are running low and fear we won't have enough for breakfast, other times that certain guests abuse the privilage of asking for berries by ordering excessive amounts and not eating them etc. etc.

 

So here's the new OFFICIAL POLICY effective immeidately:

 

The Restaurant staff will ALWAYS fulfill a guest's request for FRESH berries during dinner in the Grand Dining Room, Polo and Toscana.

 

The Executive Chef onboard each ship will increase the quantities of fresh berries ordered to insure adequate supplies.

 

My apologies to all who have been denied their request for fresh berries in the past. It will not happen again.

 

As to the OP who listed her favorite restaurants, I recently dined at LeBernadin and while the service was the best I've ever experienced anywhere, the food was too "over the top", the sauces way too rich and the portions way too small and not to my liking. After spending $300 per person (without wine) I even got sick that night.

 

We'll continue to do all we can to provide our guests with the best possible cuisine and strive to meet our loyal guests high standards.

 

Thanks again.

 

FDR

[brian_uk]

Now I am truly impressed by the honesty of your answer.

 

It would have been so easy to fob them off with an excuse but what we got was 100% straight shooting.

 

I for one am glad we have rebooked for Summer 2007.

 

Brian

[joedebnh]

Not having had the experiance of eating at any of merienbad's favorite restaurants I did google them and looked at the reviews.

 

By my calculation, eating at them in sequence for 10 nights, with a decent wine, would cost over $4,000. Now if I add food costs for breakfast and lunch the bill for food alone would probably be over $6,000.

 

That is more than the entire cost of our Regatta cruise (with veranda).

 

Surpringly 1/2 of these restaurants had mixed reviews and a good portion of the reviews indiucated that they were overpriced.

 

But I guess you get what you pay for and the desire to hobnob with the rich and famous adds dramatically to the costs of some of these restaurants My Regatta cruise sounds like for me it was a foodies bargain.

[dunnrich]

I have sailed many times with many lines. I am always amazed when I am having the time of my life and other people in the very same enviorment are having an awful time. Let's face it the food served aboard ships is institutional. Though it may be impossible to serve perfectly prepared food every time to every passenger, the greater majority of the time they get it right if not perfect. I had memorable after memorable meal aboard the Jan 2., cruise. There were a couple of dishes that didn't make my standards and both times the matre'd was there in an instant to make things right. What made this experience our first on Oceania, expecptional was the staff. I have never ever seen a happier crew. They bent over backwards to meet my requests. No matter where I was, I was addressed as Mr. Marc. If you don't remember me, I was the one with the smile pasted on my face for 10 days. I am beyond amused that Frank is watching these boards. Keep up the positive criticism.

[spain]

marienbad: I dont doubt that your perception of Oceania's food service is poor, and I certainly would never attack you for expressing your opinion. And as I have yet to sail on Oceania, I have no personal knowledge of their food. But nearly every report that I have read is unanimous its unbridled praise for this cruise line. And that is one of the reasons that I have booked a cruise for this summer aboard Nautica.

 

But lets assume that you did have a very poor experience on your Regatta cruise. Did you, in your wildest dreams, ever imagine that the CEO of the cruise line would personally take ownership of your issue and then report back with his findings? And not only that, due solely to your single complaint, he established a policy for his entire fleet going forward. Think about that for a second. Every cruise line, every company, every person, makes mistakes and performs poorly from time to time. It is how they respond to that mistake when it is brought to their attention that can make or break the experience for you. You, Marienbad, not only got a prompt response and resolution, but the CEO handled this thing personally and took immediate action. Now THAT madame is what you call SERVICE! Not even a $300 a plate restaurant will give you that. Nobody will!

 

I cannot express how impressed I am with Mr Del Rio. None of the other "famous" CEOs you see touting their companies stock on Bloomberg and elsewhere would "stoop" to the level of actually caring about what their customers think. His actions completely astonish me. I am blown away by his compassion and caring about his company and his customers. Folks, this is the most uncommon thing Ive seen in business in years. Bravo Mr Del Rio. Bravo!

[Nitrodog]

Joedebnh, Your math is impeccable. If one is eating at those restaurants on a regular basis you would think that Seaborn or Silversea might be more appropriate for the guest. I've learned however that they find value in RCCL. I guess everyones tastes are different.

[marienbad]

I do think Mr. Del Rio's response is an excellent outcome of an issue that we brought to his attention, and has now resulted in a policy that will benefit future cruisers.

As to others reaction to our opinions of the food, I am glad you enjoy it, but we were not impressed. Sorry.

If you asked me for a list of more moderately priced restaurants I could provide that, and it is true the restaurants I listed are expensive, but superb. Suggestion to Mr. Del Rio: with fish, ask for sauce on the side and extra lemon.

[rebeccalouise]

I have nothing bad to say about Oceania. I would have to look hard for to criticize the line or the food.

The best dish I had onboard was the Gnocchi pesto in Toscana- the specialty restaurants, by the way, are inclusive (free). I had it twice! Better than Gnocchi I have ever had.

 

Also, without a doubt don't miss afternoon tea in the Horizon Lounge. You won't be disappointed!