Greetings from Marina (Nov 7-21, 2017)

Seems odd that they would not extend the Terrace hours when multiple O tours come back later like 2pm+

 

In the past we have seen Terrace open a bit longer on those type days

 

I hope this is not a new trend for O

Agree on all counts.

I have found when there are no tables available in Waves that they will let you sit in Terrace.

Seems odd that they would not extend the Terrace hours when multiple O tours come back later like 2pm+

 

In the past we have seen Terrace open a bit longer on those type days

 

I hope this is not a new trend for O

Yes I agree that in the past they have extended the hours in the terrace cafe to taken care of the half day tours that were coming back late. Hope this will continue.

There were no tables available at Waves since that is the only dining venue open after 2 pm.

For the benefit of other readers here, as roberts2005 posted, if there are no seats at Waves, you place your order and they will deliver it to you at your table in the Terrace.

We do it sometimes even if there are tables at Waves to escape the heat.

Mura;

 

It would be interesting to know the demographics of your cruise. As I reported earlier, our cruise ( the one prior to yours) demographics were quite a bit younger than normal cruises. I believe I heard one other poster report ed there were only 70-80 people total aboard when he told his port day aboard ship. I never heard a single complaint about the GDR being closed at lunch. Non issue because most everyone went, and stay ashore at port.

 

How are the demographics on your cruise leaning? Might I guess this makes a huge difference?

The demographics on this cruise is that we have a lot of the younger crowd on board. One baby, I'm guessing less than a year old (and perfectly behaved in Jacques for 2 hours or more), a boy of maybe 6 years of age and the rest pretty evenly spread between 30 somethings and 80 somethings.

I doubt that demographics this time around were all that pertinent. What IS pertinent is how many people are off the ship around lunch time.

I tried to post the following comment last night but my computer decided to be cantankerous so I'll try to do so now:

I had a talk with Oceania people today. Yes, indeed, the GDR closes at 1:30. Tours arriving after that time (or even 1:15 or so) will not have an option to dine in the restaurant. That's why when we get back after 1:30 we go to Terrace or Waves.

It was confirmed to me that indeed the GDR has been closing sometimes on port days. But they look at the tour schedules and the GDR is closed on days when enough tours will indeed be late. It was just our luck to have a couple of days when Terrace was so terribly crowded. Sometimes you just can't predict what the perfect outcome will be.

They also pointed out that in the Caribbean many (or most?) passengers just stay on board, but in Europe most passengers want to be out and about.

Something else just occurred to me... the ship can check on when ship's tours are returning but they really can't factor in the equation of private tours ... We have had private tours that lasted all day, and others that were only a few hours. The ship can't know what the independent travelers are doing.

I was pleased that they sought me out to discuss this issue with me.

And by the way, I was told that the budget has NOT changed since NCL took over. This is not a cost savings effort, at least not for Oceania.

It's very possible -- since some people have noticed these closings for a while but we ever had before this cruise -- that we didn't notice the GDR being closed at lunch because we weren't looking for it to be open on days when we were touring. And while we frequently have lunch in the dining room, we also frequently do not.

For the record, we were in Valetta yesterday and many people were off the ship but the GDR was open for lunch. In addition, I did say at the outset that we understood with so many people off the ship when we were in Haifa that the dining room was closed. It was two or three of the other days that the dining room was closed with consequent crowds in Terrace and Waves that I was discussing.

Mura

The demographics on this cruise is that we have a lot of the younger crowd on board. One baby, I'm guessing less than a year old (and perfectly behaved in Jacques for 2 hours or more), a boy of maybe 6 years of age and the rest pretty evenly spread between 30 somethings and 80 somethings.

 

I doubt that demographics this time around were all that pertinent. What IS pertinent is how many people are off the ship around lunch time.

 

I tried to post the following comment last night but my computer decided to be cantankerous so I'll try to do so now:

 

I had a talk with Oceania people today. Yes, indeed, the GDR closes at 1:30. Tours arriving after that time (or even 1:15 or so) will not have an option to dine in the restaurant. That's why when we get back after 1:30 we go to Terrace or Waves.

 

It was confirmed to me that indeed the GDR has been closing sometimes on port days. But they look at the tour schedules and the GDR is closed on days when enough tours will indeed be late. It was just our luck to have a couple of days when Terrace was so terribly crowded. Sometimes you just can't predict what the perfect outcome will be.

 

They also pointed out that in the Caribbean many (or most?) passengers just stay on board, but in Europe most passengers want to be out and about.

 

Something else just occurred to me... the ship can check on when ship's tours are returning but they really can't factor in the equation of private tours ... We have had private tours that lasted all day, and others that were only a few hours. The ship can't know what the independent travelers are doing.

 

I was pleased that they sought me out to discuss this issue with me.

And by the way, I was told that the budget has NOT changed since NCL took over. This is not a cost savings effort, at least not for Oceania.

 

It's very possible -- since some people have noticed these closings for a while but we ever had before this cruise -- that we didn't notice the GDR being closed at lunch because we weren't looking for it to be open on days when we were touring. And while we frequently have lunch in the dining room, we also frequently do not.

 

For the record, we were in Valetta yesterday and many people were off the ship but the GDR was open for lunch. In addition, I did say at the outset that we understood with so many people off the ship when we were in Haifa that the dining room was closed. It was two or three of the other days that the dining room was closed with consequent crowds in Terrace and Waves that I was discussing.

 

Mura

This answer makes a lot of sense to me. As long as they stay on top of it we should be O.K. Nothing is perfect but I think they try hard. Safe cruise. :):):)

Winters Gate;

 

When you say “not alone”, please quantify that. On a port day, how many people normally dine with you in the GDR?

 

I take it that for you, the ship is the destination, not the ports, sine you dine aboard everyday.

It´s hard to say but I would estimate 25 up to 50 guests on a port day, but then I don't hang around GDR from opening to closure so there are of course some people there that I don't see!

But I think it´s just more to it then to count the guests, when one pay top dollar to take a cruise it´s also about the options, if one want to have a quiet stressless served meal I think it should be available on a cruise line as Oceania.

For us eating on a cruise vacation is not just to get fed the easiest and cheapest way for the cruise line.

All this talk about closing GDR on port intensive cruises makes my worried for our next cruise, we are doing a 14 day port intensive cruise in the Norwegian fjords and I´m sure a lot of people are going on full day tours. We however plan to just watch the scenery from the ship, go ashore and stroll around in the towns after breakfast, maybe we will take a full day tour as well but most of the time we will be back at the ship for lunch.

/P

It was confirmed to me that indeed the GDR has been closing sometimes on port days. But they look at the tour schedules and the GDR is closed on days when enough tours will indeed be late. It was just our luck to have a couple of days when Terrace was so terribly crowded. Sometimes you just can't predict what the perfect outcome will be.

 

They also pointed out that in the Caribbean many (or most?) passengers just stay on board, but in Europe most passengers want to be out and about.

 

Something else just occurred to me... the ship can check on when ship's tours are returning but they really can't factor in the equation of private tours ... We have had private tours that lasted all day, and others that were only a few hours. The ship can't know what the independent travelers are doing.

 

I was pleased that they sought me out to discuss this issue with me.

And by the way, I was told that the budget has NOT changed since NCL took over. This is not a cost savings effort, at least not for Oceania.

 

It's very possible -- since some people have noticed these closings for a while but we ever had before this cruise -- that we didn't notice the GDR being closed at lunch because we weren't looking for it to be open on days when we were touring. And while we frequently have lunch in the dining room, we also frequently do not.

 

 

Mura

That makes a lot of sense & most people just automatically go to the buffet when they return from a tour

Many main stream lines do not even open the dining room for lunch

If you are off the ship all day the only way you know if the GDR is open or not is to check the times on the CURRENTS

However you will not see the number of people in the GDR at lunch

We have been there with only a handful of people & also when it was busy

It´s hard to say but I would estimate 25 up to 50 guests on a port day, but then I don't hang around GDR from opening to closure so there are of course some people there that I don't see!

But I think it´s just more to it then to count the guests, when one pay top dollar to take a cruise it´s also about the options, if one want to have a quiet stressless served meal I think it should be available on a cruise line as Oceania.

For us eating on a cruise vacation is not just to get fed the easiest and cheapest way for the cruise line.

 

All this talk about closing GDR on port intensive cruises makes my worried for our next cruise, we are doing a 14 day port intensive cruise in the Norwegian fjords and I´m sure a lot of people are going on full day tours. We however plan to just watch the scenery from the ship, go ashore and stroll around in the towns after breakfast, maybe we will take a full day tour as well but most of the time we will be back at the ship for lunch.

 

/P

We were on the Marina 10 day cruise of Norwegian fjords this past July, the GDR was open every day and no crowds in the Terrace. There were opportunities for both morning and afternoon half day Oceania excursions as well as private tours and just DIY walking tours at all ports. Always passengers coming and going back and forth to shore in all of the ports.

Here is a tip, if you’re going to Bergen. The best meal we had on our 21 day cruise this summer was not aboard ship, but by far in the Fish market in Bergen. Fresh fish, either caught that day or still live! The most outrageous thing was the king crab, offered lived, and cooked as you like. Most people only get crab that has been caught, frozen, often pre cooked, and have not grasp how spectacular live fresh king crab is. If one passes this opportunity up to go back to the ship to eat their Americanized food, I won’t finish the sentence!!!

It’s an easy walk down to the end of the bay, and shouldn’t be missed. Even if religious or other dietary rules don’t allow you to eat king crab, the othe fresh fish options are likewise sumptuous and not to be missed. Blows any meal served aboard ship out of the water by leaps!

. If one passes this opportunity up to go back to the ship to eat their Americanized food, I won’t finish the sentence!!!

give it a rest :rolleyes:

Not everyone goes back to the ship to eat & if they do so what it is their choice

Here is a tip, if you’re going to Bergen. The best meal we had on our 21 day cruise this summer was not aboard ship, but by far in the Fish market in Bergen. Fresh fish, either caught that day or still live! The most outrageous thing was the king crab, offered lived, and cooked as you like. Most people only get crab that has been caught, frozen, often pre cooked, and have not grasp how spectacular live fresh king crab is. If one passes this opportunity up to go back to the ship to eat their Americanized food, I won’t finish the sentence!!!

 

It’s an easy walk down to the end of the bay, and shouldn’t be missed. Even if religious or other dietary rules don’t allow you to eat king crab, the othe fresh fish options are likewise sumptuous and not to be missed. Blows any meal served aboard ship out of the water by leaps!

Bergen is our first stop and I love crab so I will try it out.

There might also be another lunch ashore since one of the stops are Gothenburg a town witch I grew up near by and my parents still live there, and who does not want mammas home cooked food :D

There were no tables available at Waves since that is the only dining venue open after 2 pm.

If Waves is crowded and the Terrace Cafe is officially closed, you can still order at waves and then sit in Terraces. They will bring your food to you using the Waves number system. We did this a few times on the Nov. 7th-21st Marina cruise.

If Waves is crowded and the Terrace Cafe is officially closed, you can still order at waves and then sit in Terraces. They will bring your food to you using the Waves number system. We did this a few times on the Nov. 7th-21st Marina cruise.

Thanks for the info. No one told us that.

Thanks for the info. No one told us that.

Just tell them when you place your order where you will be

Even if the Terrace is closed or you are sitting in a deck chair by the pool they will bring your food to you

Indeed, you can sit in Terrace if there's no room at Waves and yes, they will bring the food to you.

One reason we probably noticed that the GDR was closed for lunch several port days was because on the days we don't have an early tour we will have breakfast in the GDR. There was always a big sign posted at the entrance informing people eating breakfast there that it would be closed for lunch. As Lyn said, it is listed in Currents as well. We aren't used to looking in Currents for opening hours of the restaurants since after a number of cruises we are aware of them ... USUALLY. But obviously, not always!

I will just reiterate that the reason I started this thread was not intended to fuss about the closings. I was curious if others had experienced this before since we never had. As it happened on a couple of those days Terrace was terribly overcrowded. We were on board more on this cruise than we usually are because I wrecked my leg upon arrival at the Rome airport which made walking more difficult than usual. We had four private tours arranged ahead of time, one of which on Day #1 we had to cancel. Other than that we took a couple of ship's tours. Naturally, once we got home my leg improved quickly!

Mura

Indeed, you can sit in Terrace if there's no room at Waves and yes, they will bring the food to you.

 

One reason we probably noticed that the GDR was closed for lunch several port days was because on the days we don't have an early tour we will have breakfast in the GDR. There was always a big sign posted at the entrance informing people eating breakfast there that it would be closed for lunch. As Lyn said, it is listed in Currents as well. We aren't used to looking in Currents for opening hours of the restaurants since after a number of cruises we are aware of them ... USUALLY. But obviously, not always!

 

I will just reiterate that the reason I started this thread was not intended to fuss about the closings. I was curious if others had experienced this before since we never had. As it happened on a couple of those days Terrace was terribly overcrowded. We were on board more on this cruise than we usually are because I wrecked my leg upon arrival at the Rome airport which made walking more difficult than usual. We had four private tours arranged ahead of time, one of which on Day #1 we had to cancel. Other than that we took a couple of ship's tours. Naturally, once we got home my leg improved quickly!

 

Mura

Don't need to walk a lot in Brooklyn. Can rehab pretty good there. Feel better.

Thanks, RJB. That's very true! Feeling much better these days. Unfortunately I wrecked that crucial muscle at the beginning of our trip! But we still had a wonderful time. I don't mind just spending time on the ship -- that's why I like sea days!