Oceanview Cafe for Dinner

Hey All,

We'll be sailing on the Summit in a few short days! As you can see we've been on quite a few cruises mainly on RCCl but 1 Celebrity. I have been reading lately on the Royal boards that people are eating in the windjammer for dinner and are really enjoying it. Seeing things like crepes, crab legs, lobster etc. I think I've even seen some posts on here to about great experiences at the Oceanview. Just wondered if any of you can comment on these experiences and what your finding for dinner. Ya, after at least 10 cruises we've only eaten at the buffet once for dinner and that was on our 1st cruise 17 years ago :confused:

Hey All,

 

We'll be sailing on the Summit in a few short days! As you can see we've been on quite a few cruises mainly on RCCl but 1 Celebrity. I have been reading lately on the Royal boards that people are eating in the windjammer for dinner and are really enjoying it. Seeing things like crepes, crab legs, lobster etc. I think I've even seen some posts on here to about great experiences at the Oceanview. Just wondered if any of you can comment on these experiences and what your finding for dinner. Ya, after at least 10 cruises we've only eaten at the buffet once for dinner and that was on our 1st cruise 17 years ago :confused:

Never seen crab legs or lobster but the buffet has a lot of variety. They also have a grilling station with steaks. On the Summit it would be in the rear of the buffet.

We had our first buffet dinner on the Summit in 2016 and it really opened our eyes. We were having such difficulty with the MDR that we decided to give it a try. We both commented that the food was very good and SO much less stressful. We ate about 7:30 and it was very quiet. I wouldn't do it every night but it certainly was better than I expected.

I seriously doubt those RCI folks claiming crab legs and lobster in the buffet for dinner. It might happen once in a blue moon, but we are very frequent RCI cruisers over several years and have NEVER seen either in the buffet on any ship: and we have dinner there a lot! I have been very pleased with the responses to my questions about the Oceanview for dinner. Sounds at least as varied as RCI plus option of freshly grilled steak, salmon and chicken.

We've often wandered through before or after our MDR meal. It's a relaxed place for dinner with plenty of table choice. The set up seems to be similar to whatever they have served at lunchtime in terms of the hot dishes but with nightly additions such as a meat carvery or kebab for instance. They always have the grill section where you can choose your steak, salmon, lamb chops, pork etc and they will cook it fresh. If it wasn't for the lack of proper vegetarian labelling which my OH needs I think we would eat there more.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I love Oceanview for dinner. I usually only go to the MDR once or twice on a sailing(depending on the length). I've never seen crab legs or lobster, but there are lots of options and usually a few of the MDRs offerings for that night.

The grill is great but can take time, especially when there's a line, but you can get some great things cooked however you want, which is wonderful.

The pasta bar for dinner is my favorite. I usually just get a pasta with spinach and mushrooms cooked with pesto, olive oil and garlic. I make that my side dish and get a meat from the grill. It's all cooked for you so you can feel good about it not being a cold buffet dinner.

Also it's quiet and you have space. You don't get people eyeballing your food as its served or eavesdropping your conversation. The other plus is you can go to the sunset bar, eat outside, and it's always casual, which is nice after long port days.

As you can tell I really like Oceanview Cafe for dinner and if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

If it wasn't for the lack of proper vegetarian labelling which my OH needs I think we would eat there more.

All you need to do is find one of the buffet managers and ask. My wife is vegan and they will walk her around and show here everything she can have. We rarely, if ever, eat there for dinner simply because we prefer to sit down and be served - but that's how she does it for lunch.

Mike

Sounds great. I guess we'll have to try it.

Thanks for the replies, now hopefully we actually get to go (Summit April 1st Sailing):rolleyes:

We always go at least once, oftentimes more than that, though. We love to hit the Asian food counter ... you can choose whatever you want in terms of vegetables, noodles and sauces and they stir fry it for you. In addition, there are some other prepared dishes there ... maybe a curry dish or fried rice. Sometimes I go to other stations to pick out what I want added to my stir fry. Always a favorite of ours and the table service is not intrusive but they do come by to offer beverages and clear away any used dishes you may have.

It is so nice and quiet up there and just the perfect option if you want a very casual dinner at your choice of times and you are able to wear (within reason, of course), whatever you want. Sometimes it is the perfect option if you've been in port all day and don't feel like getting cleaned up and dressed nicely for the MDR.

I've even seen unique items offered in the evening, such as a ceviche bar and coconuts filled with coconut water and a straw.

On warm weather cruises, you can take your food out on the patio just aft of the Oceanview Cafe. Sometimes, there is just nothing like a nice little relaxing dinner outside under the stars.

Oftentimes, you will see groups of the ships officers and entertainers eating in the OV Cafe.

On our last cruise our Chef's Market Discovery Tour in Jamaica was cancelled. The buffet had a Jamaican theme that night and we thought about going but didn't because we met up with another couple who wanted to have dinner together. Afterwards we were kicking ourselves for not following our instincts and going to the buffet.

I seriously doubt those RCI folks claiming crab legs and lobster in the buffet for dinner. It might happen once in a blue moon, but we are very frequent RCI cruisers over several years and have NEVER seen either in the buffet on any ship: and we have dinner there a lot! I have been very pleased with the responses to my questions about the Oceanview for dinner. Sounds at least as varied as RCI plus option of freshly grilled steak, salmon and chicken.

We were on the Jewel TA to Rome last year and they had unlimited lobster tails one night in the Windjammer! Have never seen that before on any of our 25+ cruises with multiple cruise lines. Anne

Probably had leftover lobster that had to be cooked. I am sure it is not the norm. The benefit of the buffet to Celebrity is they can get rid of food on board that needs to be cooked. I would think they have it down to a science, but I am sure some things will throw their counts off (bad weather and people getting seasick and not eating, demographics of people on board, etc.)

You lucked out!

We haven't been on the Summit--I can only speak for the s-class ships. Unlike most people we actually prefer the Oceanview to the main dining room. I think if you're dining with a group the MDR would perhaps be preferable, but it's usually just the two of us for dinner. We really don't like the close proximity of the 2-top tables in the MDR. We feel packed in like sardines in the MDR, but we find the atmosphere for dinner in the Cafe relaxed, uncrowded, and the aft outdoor seating just cannot be beat! Haven't seen crab legs or lobster, but we always find great food to enjoy! There's a carving station and lots of vegetable, side dishes, and large salad bar, plus pasta, etc. So on a 7 night cruise we might do 1 dinner in MDR, 2 or 3 specialty restaurants, and the rest in the Oceanview on the aft deck enjoying the breeze, watching the sunset, and appreciating our peaceful privacy. And then maybe a stroll to Cafe al Bacio for coffee and dessert!

What I like about the Oceanview café is the casual relaxed atmosphere. Sometimes I just cant be bothered getting all doodaded up especially after an intensivive shore excursion and I can just rock up to the Oceanview and chill out for dinner. We also check out the MDR menu daily to ascertain if we want to bother. If the menu is okay we might. I have found that if anything extra special is done in the Oceanview it is normally done at lunchtime when there is the greater attendance

We love the OC for dinner. No need to change and you can get in and out of dinner in a hurry. We enjoy the freshly prepared stir fries and this time,we enjoyed the freshly/custom made crepe for dessert.

Sounds great. I guess we'll have to try it.

 

Thanks for the replies, now hopefully we actually get to go (Summit April 1st Sailing):rolleyes:

How was your experience?