Harters

We’ve done three cruises with O (Marina, Nautica and Vista) but I’ll confine my comments (such as they are) to the Vista cruise last month. Food was generally OK, in the GDR, Ember, Polo and Toscana. Toscana would meet our “”Holiday Restaurant” standard – if it was land based near home, would we become regulars. We were disappointed with Red Ginger when we were on Marina in 2017 and had the same view this time – to the extent that we’ve decided that for next year’s cruise, we’ll not bother making a reservation there. The beef rendang was actively unpleasant and we complained about it to the restaurant manager. He said it was prepared and spiced exactly as it should be. Utter bollocks! As for other particular dishes:- Recommended: Ember – pork chop. Really nice. GDR – lobster risotto GDR (sea day lunch) – croque monsieur GDR – starter of Serrano ham and artichokes (on the menu every day) GDR – prime rib Polo – New York strip steak & béarnaise sauce (excellent sauce) Terrace – “Spanish Market Kitchen” evening Toscana – stuffed artichoke Toscana – veal escalope & marsala sauce And not recommended: Red Ginger generally GDR – Thai vegetable and tofu red curry GDR – apple crumble (too much cinnamon to my taste) GDR – scallops & porcini sauce Ignore the PR puffery of this being the “Finest Cuisine at Sea”. I’ve nothing to judge that against but I bet you it isn’t. But it’s generally fine. Don’t go with very high expectations and you won’t be disappointed. It is pretty good for a mass catering operation.

As well as AirBNB and the like, you'll find the capital has a goodly number of serviced apartments/aparthotels, which will give you the self cater facility. No recommendations I'm afraid, as my trips down south are only ever for a day or so, where a hotel is fine . With a two week stay, you'll hopefully have time to get out of central London and see something of our country.

So, no pecorino for you?

No. There seems to be no pattern to it and, of course, depending on your neighbours, it may not be a problem (or it may be a big problem). We were in 9063 on this cruise and had no issues whatsoever. Not a peep heard from the folk on either side. By the by, in Gary's vlog, he shows a remark by someone who was just down the corridor in 9043 who had significant issues. Whatever is going on, seems it may be very localised I've no idea if we had good soundproofing or very quiet neighbours. We have booked another cruise (same cabin) next year and will keep our fingers crossed. It would have been an absolute deal breaker had we had a problem this time and will be an absolute deal breaker for the future if we have a problem in 2025.

I don't drink alcohol these days but do, very occasionally, drink alcohol free beer or wine with a meal. Most nights, though, I drink sparkling water with dinner - whether at home or in a restaurant. As for sweet drinks, my partner occasionally enjoys a sweet wine with dessert. She'd say that's complementing the food, not masking it's flavour as some drinks might well do.

And my reply to your post has also been deleted. Most odd. Can it really be possible that discussing the drinks that go with food (or don't go) is somehow inappropriate on a "cruise foodies" forum. Most odd if so.

It may be different in the States but, in the UK, Mothers Day would usually be an occasion where the children do "something" for their mother. Not an occasion where Mum celebrates her day on her own (or just with partner). Hence my question about folk travelling with their parent. Back in the distant past when my parents were alive, Mothering Sunday was a religious event. In more recent times, it has morphed into the American Mothers Day.

Although with Americans being such a high percentage of the total, it's possible. I doubt whether O is programmed to deal with other nationalities "important dates" and we'd just have to fend for ourselves. Bearing in mind the generally elderly make-up of O's guests, I wonder how many are travelling with their mothers.

Leaving something on the chair and having a drink on the table is the way to go. We're a couple wanting to have the meal together - which means we'll stake our claim to the table that way, so we can both go and get food at the same time. It's not a guarantee of course. On our recent cruise, we came back to our table in the Terrace, to find it had been cleared and reset. And, on another occasion, the person on the adjacent table said they'd prevented the same happening to our table while we'd been away. Diligent staff, eh? Better that than the alternative.

Needless to say, I entirely respect the forum's rules, however much I might disagree with them. Thankfully, CC's parent company (Tripadvisor) takes a different view with its own directly run forums.

It's probably me being a bit thick but I'm confused. If you were dealing direct with Celebrity through their Chat, how does an agent come into it? Or was it an agent you were dealing with? If the latter, then it's one of those occasions where it would be handy to name the agent so folk can be warned that they may be less than reputable (only refunding because they know you have a copy of the chat). I know we cannot usually name travel agents but perhaps this is an occasion where someone like Host Hattie may be able to let us bend the rules?

Well, yes. And no. Our first cruise was also 1988 (P & O's Canberra). We did a couple more with P & O but became disenchanted with the dress code formality. And the "sittings" for meals. The final straw was being allocated first sitting - to our mind that was still the afternoon, not dinner time. After that, we didnt cruise again for decades (apart from a not very successful week on the short-lived Island Escape) until we discovered O in 2017.

The OP hasnt mentioned if the contact is direct with a cruise line or a travel agent. If the former, then it's not going to be a scam. If the latter, then it may well be. Contacting the credit card company to reverse the payment is a good first step. If it's a scam then they should be able to sort it out. If it's not a scam, then it may well be much trickier - "caveat emptor" will apply - it is the responsibility of the buyer to understand what they are buying. And, in this, the OP has probably already entered into a contract - an offer has been made and that's been accepted by the payment of the deposit. Might also be worth making contact with ABTA, assuming it is a travel agent and they are members.

Good question. During our several meals in the GDR (and previous cruises) we were seated all over the room - maybe the same section only twice.

Absolutely, V. Unless of course if you're trying to pass off your version as "traditional".

I play on a food forum. I'm sure there's been discussion there (and its now closed predecessor) that the addition of cream to carbonara (and Alfredo ?) sauce is an American twist on the Italian original. I hesitated to mention Alfredo, as it's not a sauce you really come across in Italian restaurants in the UK - so my only experience of it is at an Olive Garden in the States. I remember I quite liked it.

Doesn't it just.

In the UK, almost all "fast food" outlets would be American in origin or based on original American companies. It's a description that you really only here mentioned in connection with the likes of American burger chains. Even though our own fish & chips shops are selling fast food, they aren't usually described as "fast food".

A licensed taxi is going to be very expensive. It's a journey of over 92 miles (148 km). Assuming Anglesey's taxi fares are similar to those in my borough (£1.61 per km), you'd be looking at a fare of around £220 each way.

I think that's peanut butter and jelly flavour. Certainly I remember seeing it and thinking "nah, I'll pass on that" (I'm not a fan of peanut butter, except in something savoury like a satay sauce).

Before Oceania, I'd not heard of it. But then there's probably any number of American ice creams I've not heard of. They have some weird flavours. Some of which I found to be OK (but no better than OK) and a couple just not very nice. They're not something I'd go out of my way for.

Arguably, they are both. On the one hand, it's a response to market demand for more inclusive offers (see also the newly included gratuities for UK customers). On the other, Oceania isnt going to do anything that they don't think will improve profits. One thing's for sure - it is what it is. We either continue to buy the product as it stands or we go elsewhere for holidays. It's no biggie either way.

I agree. But then, I cruise with Oceania and I suspect that the generally elderly customer base doesnt attract vloggers. If a cruise line did decide to introduce a rule banning commercial filming, I envisage it would be all but impossible to enforce. Just look at the inability of lines to enforce a "no sunbed bagging"

Me too. Although they would be very 1980s. I'm not sure what the accent might be. Although British accents can be very regionalised. On trips to the States, I have been asked several times if I'm from New Zealand. And, no, my accent is local to Manchester (where I've lived all my life) and is nothing like a Kiwi's. To keep this firmly on an Oceania theme, I didnt realise until the other week why Humphry Slocombe ice cream is so called. According to the website, the owners loved British 1970s/80 sitcom "Are you being served" and took the names of two characters - Mr Humphries and Mrs Slocombe. Show was very much in the tradition of British theatrical farce and an earlier generation of music hall comedy - with catchphrases, parodies of the class system, innuendo, double entendre, etc. It was very popular in its day but would now seem very dated and inappropriate.

I agree with ziggy - it's doable but tight. And made worse by the fact it's a Sunday when maintenance work on the tracks often takes place and can slow things down. I'd also agree with ziggy's suggestion of Chester instead (or book an excursion taking in the North Wales scenery and its castles).