Italian restaurant

Silversea has just announced that the Terrace Restaurant will become an Italian restaurant for dinners:

http://www.silversea.com/why_ss/frames/why_ss_frame.asp

Go to "press release" and you will see that topic.

Any comments? Thank you.

(this may take you straight there:

http://www.silversea.com/why_ss/pr116.asp)

What on earth are they doing?! Have I read this right.

It says it won't be open every night - so removing the only real alternative to the main restaurant (but forcing people into The Champage) and gives the impression it's renamed for lunch and called The Terrace but becomes La Terrazza at night. And were did the customer demand come from to lose the range of food ie Paris, Nicoise, and all the other themed evenings for Italian only evenings for a few nights per week.

Did anyone over in the US see Fawlty Towers where Basil wanted to take the hotel restaurant upmarket by having "no riff raff". Why is it I'm reminded over Fawlty Towers?

They'll be varying opinions about this - but there was nothing to stop them continuing to include Tuscan cooking evenings in the exisitng Terrace setup so I conclude that this is a money saving step (closed some evenings) revenue improving (force people into the Champage) and a reduction in choice. It's simply a reduction in range and evenings.

I'm not happy with this "improvement" and I think it will impact any future decision to sail with SS as I spent half the evenings in The terrace based on what the theme was.

Jeff

It says most evenings it will be open for dinner. I read that as a day or two here and there, not just an evening or two. Here is the quote:

Open most evenings for dinner, La Terrazza will offer an innovative à la carte menu designed exclusively for Silversea to showcase the finest elements of Italian cooking, melding together fresh and flavorful ingredients from classic Italian and rustic Tuscan culinary traditions.

When we were on our last cruise (January) they were asking people which they preferred and what we were told is that the Italian nights were the overwhelming choice of most folks.

I wonder why it doesn't mention the Shadow? Not included in the change? Seems odd.

Susan

The first sentence indicates that they are starting this on the Shadow this month. Has anyone out there experienced this change yet? If they are offering this high quality alternative, rather than just the casual menus of the past, I think it might be a plus. I am anxious to try it, but I doubt it will be offered on the Whisper for my August 20 sailing.

It says most evenings it will be open for dinner. I read that as a day or two here and there, not just an evening or two. Here is the quote:

 

Open most evenings for dinner, La Terrazza will offer an innovative à la carte menu designed exclusively for Silversea to showcase the finest elements of Italian cooking, melding together fresh and flavorful ingredients from classic Italian and rustic Tuscan culinary traditions.

 

When we were on our last cruise (January) they were asking people which they preferred and what we were told is that the Italian nights were the overwhelming choice of most folks.

1. Previously it was open every night. "Most nights" is a retrograde arrangement to "every night".

2. You may have been told that the overwhelming feedback was that the favourite night was italian. Who knows. Was there a form to complete or was it "word of mouth"? That is (as we say in the research business) a leading question with few choices offered- if indeed that is what they said. Never trust research when the word "overwhelming" is used - unless you see the data. People start with a solution and end with the evidence they sought.

For example if you have a restaurant open every night and ask for a preference, and 51% said they prefered Italian, and 49% said they prefered French, you have to be dumb to close the Restaurant on what was the French nights. This is probably closer to what they are doing than you might have been led to believe.

A different question "would you like the Terrace open every night and offering a choice on different nights of French, Italian, etc etc" would get you a different answer. But this was not what the management wanted to hear. So the wrong question was asked to produce the appropriate result

With respect to the last comment, - I don't understand what was meant by the " previous casual menus". It was our experience that because they were delivering food that they have chosen at a moment when it's perfect - and because it was a darker, candle-lit more intimate experience with much fewer people - the whole experience was often better for us (and and at least different for others) from the restaurant that the quality was as good if it were French or Italian therefore - the change is irrelevant - you'll just see more risottos and parma ham with figs all pre cooked or pre-plated. Although more informal the actual food was often better and less fussy in the Terrace than in the restaurant. To save time I repeat - not always - but often.

Anyway - every product defect produces a new oportunity!

Jeff

Hi All ,I Will be on the Shadow on the 5th August so will report on my return.

Jeff it reminds me of 'Allo 'Allo with the Italian captain when he keeps saying

"Whata Mistaka ta Maka"

John

John, as you well know the Italian Captain ended up on East-enders.

Remember?

I'm luckily on the Wind a few days later so will thankfully miss it.

Jeff

ps like the new name?

Its seems like Silversea is taking the whole "Italian Experience" marketing theme a little too far. (for my taste.) Maybe Isabella demanded the change! ;)

Host Dan

I'm personally going to reserve judgement until I have experienced the changes in the Terrace Restaurant.

We are on the Wind in November and the Silversea press release says that the Italian restaurant will be operating from September.

It may mean it will be easier to book as we had problems in May trying to eat anywhere other than the main restaurant in the evenings!!

Not sure how I missed the reference to the Shadow as the first to change--perhaps still half asleep. I also will reserve judgment until we have tried it in Feb.

Susan

I'm personally going to reserve judgement until I have experienced the changes in the Terrace Restaurant.

We are on the Wind in November and the Silversea press release says that the Italian restaurant will be operating from September.

 

It may mean it will be easier to book as we had problems in May trying to eat anywhere other than the main restaurant in the evenings!!

Do what I do. Take sandwiches.

Jeff

Aah! but do you cut off the crusts?

Excuse me - they are even cut diagonally like posh people.

Excuse me - they are even cut diagonally like posh people.

Hi Jeff I dare not ask what the filling is

John

There is only one filling for a proper sandwich.

Hard-boiled eggs, mashed with a little salad cream, with chopped cress, and thinly sliced (and skinned) cucumber in thick whole-meal bread. The crusts are cut off and the remains are cut into three long soldiers.

That is what 'er indoors demands, and that is what 'er indoors gets.

Jeff

For example if you have a restaurant open every night and ask for a preference, and 51% said they prefered Italian, and 49% said they prefered French, you have to be dumb to close the Restaurant on what was the French nights. This is probably closer to what they are doing than you might have been led to believe.

Maybe the research data consists of the maitre d's reservation lists (and waiting lists) for the different theme nights. Such data is likely to be more believable than any poll or focus group would be, because it's a measure of real customer demand.

Also, Silversea's culinary honchos may believe that they can deliver a higher standard of cooking at the Terrace Cafe's evening meals by focusing on one type of cuisine instead of bouncing from Italian to Asian to French to some other flavor of the day. If so, wouldn't that be a reasonable assumption and reason enough for the change?

You may be right. In a year's time, we'll read on this board various posters' reports. By then we'll know better.

Hi Durant,

There are two distinct questions here. Will (a) some individual customers find the new arrangements an improvment and (b) overall is this an improvement for all customers. A "yes" answer to (a) doesn't mean a "yes" answer to (b).

For those people who haven't traveled before - there will be no point of comparison.

However, for all travelers, seeing the doors closed and the lights off, for several nights each week, plus the remaining nights being accessible only to people with a preference for Italian, this will give a sad impression and can only be an improvement for those that (a) didn't want to go on the other nights anyway and (b) those who cannot "get enough" Italian food. I'm not certain how this can be seen as an improvement except by those covered by (a) and (b) - which in my case doesn't work.

To reiterate, because in the past they were serving the same food to everyone in the restaurant at the same time the food was excellent and I'm frankly not convinced of the "improvement" argument. It is a clear cost-cutting measure in a very well presented disguise.

The reality is that on several nights on my last cruise there were very few people in Terrace at all, so against that situation a cure needed to be secured otherwise money was simply being waisted. But within that under-used situation there lies a completely different set of possible causes that needed to be investigated and understood. The real issue is that SS head-office staff rarely gets to grips with the causes of the problems by asking customers, instead there is an arrogant belief that they know without asking. So ,instead they continue to introduce cures to problems that haven't been understood that are therefore independent of causes and then wait to see what happens. I predict that there will be an increase in footfall, at least initially. This will be taken by SS as success. It is difficult to predict whether that will be sustained because no one yet definitively understood what cause a general lack of interest in The Terrace in the evenings before. That's a whole new debate.

The authoritative information I have is that this was not researched in the sense that most of us who deal with research would consider an accurate description of "research" - if you get my drift

Jeff

The reality is that on several nights on my last cruise there were very few people in Terrace at all...

 

.. It is difficult to predict whether that will be sustained because no one yet definitively understood what cause a general lack of interest in The Terrace in the evenings before. That's a whole new debate.

Jeff

It would be interesting (if only from a sociological point of view) why the Terrace Cafe isn't more popular in the evenings. Is it because most passengers prefer to choose from an "a la carte" menu instead of being largely at the mercy of the chef? Or could it be that the Terrace Cafe is less "social" than the main restaurant, where no reservations are required and passengers can easily get together in ad hoc groups without regard for questions like "What's tonight's theme?" or "Can John get spaghetti and meatballs?" or "Is fish on the menu? Jane can't stand seafood."

We can only guess of course - but I think it's more complex.

Firstly, if SS attracted more younger people - perhaps more European younger people - and they do want to attract them - then The Terrace would be naturally attractive to them. The informal, intimate good quality unpretentious aspects would find a particular spot. On that side issue, SS seem unaware that there are a lot of young Europeans who have the cash and who already pay a $/£ premium, but who also have six or more weeks holiday each year. These people love informality and would find the Terrace the natural place to hang out.

Secondly it's position in the space somewhere unclear between Champagne and The Restaurant has been very illy-defined. If you say - "It's always intimate, always unfussy, always smart casual, always unrushed- and it changes every day" then it becomes a natural regular bolt-hole for the new breed cruiser. The new change makes it even less clear and takes away a sanctuary from The restaurant and even more (in some peoples minds) stuffy and pretentious Champagne.

Finally, the idea of "menu exploration" where you put yourself in the hands of the chef - I felt was great - but hadn't been developed far enough. The choices seemed to be French or Italian. But, if they had had an Indonesian night for example, then many people might say "I wouldn't go out to an Indoneasian Restaurant at home ..... but I'll risk it here". Indonesian, Thai, Indian, Chinese - should all be within their grasp and they were I feel capable of even more.

I think it was a great idea that suffered through a number of smallish problems, that conspired together - but I say again - they needed to find out before they closed the doors and switched the lights off several nights a week on a six star cruise lines main alternative dining option.

uk1,

jeff, how do you know that the doors will be closed and the lights off for SEVERAL nights each week? several to me means more than three which would mean they'd be closed at least half the time. i highly doubt that.

uk1,

 

jeff, how do you know that the doors will be closed and the lights off for SEVERAL nights each week? several to me means more than three which would mean they'd be closed at least half the time. i highly doubt that.

http://www.answers.com/several&r=67

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=several

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/several?view=uk

oops, you caught me. guess ill have to start complaining too.

The negativity created by those paranoid of "change" on this board is a little souring. So much expertise and judgement, and this change in the restaurant has yet to even be implemented yet. How about waiting to hear from those who have experienced it first hand? Those are the comments that should be valued and considered.

Until then, I am looking forward to a great time on my next Silversea cruise...Italian restuarant or not!