Riviera review March 8

I just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Riviera that started and ended in Miami, and visited Grand Cayman, Mexico, and Central America. I was hesitant to post on this board because a small minority attacks anybody who has less than glowing comments on Oceania or tells people with issues to "get over it". However, I hope my review will be helpful for the vast majority. My cruise sailed with 950 people versus the maximum of 1250.

I have taken over 25 cruises on Azamara, Crystal, Silversea, Regent and Seabourne in addition to river and expedition cruises. I choose cruises for the destination. I chose this particular cruise because it gave me an opportunity to see Mayan ruins and because it fit my time schedule. I will compare Oceania to Azamara (it's closest competitor), Regent and Crystal because they're the ocean cruise lines that I have taken recently. My favorite cruise line is Azamara but I will add Oceania to cruise lines that I consider in the future (and I put down a future deposit).

Food

People say food is subjective and tastes are subjective. However, you can still objectively judge whether something is cooked well - is meat to specifications, is something burned, does it have flavor? Does Oceania have the best food on ocean cruises as they claim - IMO no, but they're definitely one of the best (along with Azamara and Crystal). I love food from basic steak and burgers to Michelin restaurants. I'm definitely a live to eat person rather than eat to live type. Food was mostly good to very good with 2 dishes being Michelin quality and a handful of dishes that were poor to fair.

The outstanding dishes were the scallop gnocchi (actually scallop mouse) with lobster appetizer in Jacques and 3 scallops in different sauces in Red Ginger that I believe were cooked via sous-vide (a low constant water bath). I also enjoyed the carpaccio and the Trio Tuscana in Toscana (although it had been sitting in the kitchen too long and was served warm). I could taste the made from scratch fish stock in the trio's risotto. I think the Italian restaurant in Azamara is as good but Oceania has a wider selection of options. Crystal also has an outstanding Italian restaurant equivalent.

The dishes I ordered in Polo were fair to average. One night I had the prime rib and asked for medium rare - it was served medium well and as a result was one of the toughest prime ribs I've eaten. The other time I dined in Polo I tried the lobster which also was overcooked and had a strange taste to it. You can get a large quantity of lobster on Oceania but I'm more interested in the quality. I believe Azamara's Polo equivalent restaurant is superior. My steaks and seafood on Azamara have always been cooked to specifications with a wonderful taste.

What was poor? I had a room service burger with a bun that was burned and a beef patty that was well done (even though requested medium) and a Caesar salad that was drenched in a poor quality salad dressing. The patty didn't taste like beef and was very tough. Unfortunately, I had an excursion that overlapped lunch so I had no other option but to eat the items.

Azamara excels with ethnic cuisine. The best Indian dishes I've had on a cruise have been on Azamara - they even have papadum (a crispy wafer). They also have a wider variety of authentic international foods on the buffets. Oceania targets mid-America with most of it's food choices and adapts recipes to appeal to that market. One morning I tried the shakshuka breakfast special (eggs with peppers, tomatoes, cumin and paprika). They had significantly reduced the spices of an authentic shakshuka - I could barely taste the cumin and didn't taste the paprika at all. Similarly, the jerk chicken in the Grand Dining Room tastes of the region special was good but the spices had been drastically reduced. I also think the night buffets (such as French) in the Terrace Cafe equivalent on Azamara are a wonderful option if you're looking for an alternative to the Grand Dining Room or speciality restaurants.

I also think Crystal's Red Ginger equivalent is superior if you're looking for high quality Asian dishes as it offers famed chef Nobu dishes and trained chefs. (However, Red Ginger has a greater selection of dishes that would appeal to a wider market.) Crystal also excels with innovative dishes on the modern menu in their main dining room. The Riviera Grand Dining Room was good but not memorable (same as Azamara). Tea time was equally as good on Riviera as it was on Crystal.

Fellow passengers

My fellow Riviera passengers were overwhelmingly American whereas my other cruises have been more a mix of Americans and Europeans. The passengers were also much older than I'm used to (nothing wrong with that). The demographics could possibly be attributed to the Caribbean destination. For the most part the passengers were friendly and undemanding (same as Azamara) with the exception being those from a certain region of the country which I won't specify. I've also enjoyed talking with the passengers on Crystal but I will not travel on segments of their world cruise as I've heard it becomes cliquey. Regent is hit or miss.

Entertainment/lectures

I never attended any of the entertainment shows so I can not comment on them. Sandy Cares gave 7 excellent lectures and I attended all of them. Oceania definitely got their monies worth from this enjoyable lecturer. I also attended one of the shopping lectures which was a thinly veiled attempt to shop at one of the stores Oceania gets a kick back from. Azamara typically offers two lecturers and does not offer shopping lectures. Crystal's enrichment is the best among the luxury and premium class of ships. I enjoyed the four person string quartet that played upon arrival, and during tea time.

Staff

Cabin attendants were outstanding, and the wait staff in restaurants attentive for the most part. Staff unfailingly said hello upon passing them by. Staff quality is similar to Azamara but Azamara's staff is more likely to engage in conversation if desired.

Oceania Riviera vs Regent

I know these two lines fall under the same company with Oceania designated the premium line and Regent the luxury line. However, I much prefer Oceania to Regent. Regent's staff was inconsistent - sometimes it seemed as though they were doing you a favor in doing their jobs. I also think Oceania food is somewhat better than Regent. Even though you pay extra for gratuities and alcohol, I think Oceania is a far better value. I talked with another passenger who said she had heard similar views from people who have cruised both.

Destinations

As I stated earlier, I'm destination driven. I like exploring new destinations. Azamara is superior to Oceania in offering a much wider variety of destinations and spending more time in port. Oceania repeats many of it's destinations. Consequently, there are very few destinations that I haven't visited. I'm hoping that 2020 brings new destinations.

Summary

If you're not a foodie, Oceania will exceed your expectations. If you're a foodie, temper your expectations of the best food but you will still enjoy most of it. If the main lecturer isn't good, prepare to entertain yourself during sea days. I'm glad I have another cruise line option assuming different destinations.

This is a very well written review.

Thanks for taking the time to write it.

Keith

Thank you for your review. I like reading what other people enjoy about their experience.

Having already sailed on Azamara I can’t wait to board Riviera on the 28th! Bring on the well done lobster and burgers. Lol

Thanks for your review!

Thank you for the details in your review. They were very helpful in understanding your viewpoint and your comparisons. I know what you mean about getting flamed sometimes, seems to be something to just laugh and ignore. Again, thank you for sharing.

Post it,

Thank you for your comprehensive review.

Although we are not in agreement on all issues with regard to Crystal, it is only to be expected as everyone’s experiences, expectations and preferences are different.

That aside, I feel your review is fair and unbiased and reflects your experiences - that is all one can ask for.

Thank you.

I just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Riviera that started and ended in Miami, and visited Grand Cayman, Mexico, and Central America. I was hesitant to post on this board because a small minority attacks anybody who has less than glowing comments on Oceania or tells people with issues to "get over it". However, I hope my review will be helpful for the vast majority. My cruise sailed with 950 people versus the maximum of 1250.

 

I have taken over 25 cruises on Azamara, Crystal, Silversea, Regent and Seabourne in addition to river and expedition cruises. I choose cruises for the destination. I chose this particular cruise because it gave me an opportunity to see Mayan ruins and because it fit my time schedule. I will compare Oceania to Azamara (it's closest competitor), Regent and Crystal because they're the ocean cruise lines that I have taken recently. My favorite cruise line is Azamara but I will add Oceania to cruise lines that I consider in the future (and I put down a future deposit).

 

Food

People say food is subjective and tastes are subjective. However, you can still objectively judge whether something is cooked well - is meat to specifications, is something burned, does it have flavor? Does Oceania have the best food on ocean cruises as they claim - IMO no, but they're definitely one of the best (along with Azamara and Crystal). I love food from basic steak and burgers to Michelin restaurants. I'm definitely a live to eat person rather than eat to live type. Food was mostly good to very good with 2 dishes being Michelin quality and a handful of dishes that were poor to fair.

 

The outstanding dishes were the scallop gnocchi (actually scallop mouse) with lobster appetizer in Jacques and 3 scallops in different sauces in Red Ginger that I believe were cooked via sous-vide (a low constant water bath). I also enjoyed the carpaccio and the Trio Tuscana in Toscana (although it had been sitting in the kitchen too long and was served warm). I could taste the made from scratch fish stock in the trio's risotto. I think the Italian restaurant in Azamara is as good but Oceania has a wider selection of options. Crystal also has an outstanding Italian restaurant equivalent.

 

 

The dishes I ordered in Polo were fair to average. One night I had the prime rib and asked for medium rare - it was served medium well and as a result was one of the toughest prime ribs I've eaten. The other time I dined in Polo I tried the lobster which also was overcooked and had a strange taste to it. You can get a large quantity of lobster on Oceania but I'm more interested in the quality. I believe Azamara's Polo equivalent restaurant is superior. My steaks and seafood on Azamara have always been cooked to specifications with a wonderful taste.

 

What was poor? I had a room service burger with a bun that was burned and a beef patty that was well done (even though requested medium) and a Caesar salad that was drenched in a poor quality salad dressing. The patty didn't taste like beef and was very tough. Unfortunately, I had an excursion that overlapped lunch so I had no other option but to eat the items.

 

 

Azamara excels with ethnic cuisine. The best Indian dishes I've had on a cruise have been on Azamara - they even have papadum (a crispy wafer). They also have a wider variety of authentic international foods on the buffets. Oceania targets mid-America with most of it's food choices and adapts recipes to appeal to that market. One morning I tried the shakshuka breakfast special (eggs with peppers, tomatoes, cumin and paprika). They had significantly reduced the spices of an authentic shakshuka - I could barely taste the cumin and didn't taste the paprika at all. Similarly, the jerk chicken in the Grand Dining Room tastes of the region special was good but the spices had been drastically reduced. I also think the night buffets (such as French) in the Terrace Cafe equivalent on Azamara are a wonderful option if you're looking for an alternative to the Grand Dining Room or speciality restaurants.

 

 

I also think Crystal's Red Ginger equivalent is superior if you're looking for high quality Asian dishes as it offers famed chef Nobu dishes and trained chefs. (However, Red Ginger has a greater selection of dishes that would appeal to a wider market.) Crystal also excels with innovative dishes on the modern menu in their main dining room. The Riviera Grand Dining Room was good but not memorable (same as Azamara). Tea time was equally as good on Riviera as it was on Crystal.

 

 

Fellow passengers

My fellow Riviera passengers were overwhelmingly American whereas my other cruises have been more a mix of Americans and Europeans. The passengers were also much older than I'm used to (nothing wrong with that). The demographics could possibly be attributed to the Caribbean destination. For the most part the passengers were friendly and undemanding (same as Azamara) with the exception being those from a certain region of the country which I won't specify. I've also enjoyed talking with the passengers on Crystal but I will not travel on segments of their world cruise as I've heard it becomes cliquey. Regent is hit or miss.

 

 

Entertainment/lectures

I never attended any of the entertainment shows so I can not comment on them. Sandy Cares gave 7 excellent lectures and I attended all of them. Oceania definitely got their monies worth from this enjoyable lecturer. I also attended one of the shopping lectures which was a thinly veiled attempt to shop at one of the stores Oceania gets a kick back from. Azamara typically offers two lecturers and does not offer shopping lectures. Crystal's enrichment is the best among the luxury and premium class of ships. I enjoyed the four person string quartet that played upon arrival, and during tea time.

 

Staff

Cabin attendants were outstanding, and the wait staff in restaurants attentive for the most part. Staff unfailingly said hello upon passing them by. Staff quality is similar to Azamara but Azamara's staff is more likely to engage in conversation if desired.

 

 

Oceania Riviera vs Regent

I know these two lines fall under the same company with Oceania designated the premium line and Regent the luxury line. However, I much prefer Oceania to Regent. Regent's staff was inconsistent - sometimes it seemed as though they were doing you a favor in doing their jobs. I also think Oceania food is somewhat better than Regent. Even though you pay extra for gratuities and alcohol, I think Oceania is a far better value. I talked with another passenger who said she had heard similar views from people who have cruised both.

 

 

Destinations

As I stated earlier, I'm destination driven. I like exploring new destinations. Azamara is superior to Oceania in offering a much wider variety of destinations and spending more time in port. Oceania repeats many of it's destinations. Consequently, there are very few destinations that I haven't visited. I'm hoping that 2020 brings new destinations.

 

 

Summary

If you're not a foodie, Oceania will exceed your expectations. If you're a foodie, temper your expectations of the best food but you will still enjoy most of it. If the main lecturer isn't good, prepare to entertain yourself during sea days. I'm glad I have another cruise line option assuming different destinations.

Being in the food industry(part owner of a large catering co.)We found the food generally top notch. This was our Jan.12 2018 trip(pretty much like yours.The Grand Dining Room was mostly good to very good. Similar to Cunard's Britannia about 15 years ago. Specialty restaurants were where the best food was. We did the Le Cuisine Bourgeoisie. This was by far the best meal on the ship. Not cheap at $95pp, but then again it was paired with wine. We had booked The Connoisseur dinner as well, but too many backed out & they weren't willing to do it for just 2 couples. Red Ginger was good, but Richard, my spouse is Chinese, so we've done many meals where few Americans have the willingness to try. The rest. generally catered to "safe" choices. Polo Grill was decent, but didn't blow my socks off so to speak. Toscana was excellent. Only Le bourgeoisie was better. Jacques was a mixed bag. First I had the Foie Gras, which were excellent I had the Dover sole(my favorite fish) & it was outstanding. Richard had the Encrusted Lab which was quite overdone. The tea service was better than even Cunard unless you're in the Queens Grill. The terrace was really decent for a buffet. Pretty much better than any of the main lines: Cunard/Princess/Celebrity.

Entertainment was pretty lame: ok singers/dancers. Good ventriloquist. The enrichment program was excellent. Really learned a lot about the Mayans & Aztecs that I didn't know. Weather was pretty bad in Rotan/ Santo Tomas/Belize. Cloudy & on & off rain the entire time. Just the luck of the draw. With all said we cancelled our 2019 14 day trip in Celebrity Reflection & booked 14 days next Jan. on the Riviera again.

Thank you for your detailed review. It's always informative to hear the good and the bad of various cruise lines. And to see what others find important or unimportant.

K

Thank you all your positive comments - it is truly appreciated!

Two other things I forgot to mention in the review:

1. I love that buffet items are served by staff. I wish all cruise lines did this.

2. The first two nights from Miami to Grand Cayman, I could hear a thumping sound roughly every 5-10 minutes. It made it hard to sleep for the first two nights but then it went away only to return sporadically on the last to second night before Key West. I assumed it was because we were near the front of the ship but a staff member told us it could be heard throughout the ship. One person thought it might be the stabilizers hitting the waves.

No attack here...just a big thank you for a wonderful review. We are in the process of switching our cruses to O and a review like this helps a great deal.

As you said, taste in food is subjective. While I like Azamara's food, I prefer food on Oceania more. The service on Oceania is superb. I especially like how they serve in the Terrace Buffet and Waves Grill. Tables are set, servers bring drinks, and food is placed on your dish without you handling the serving utensil. Waves delivers your food to your table. Azamara still lets guests handle serving utensils. Azamara's specialty restaurants have a surcharge. Oceania's specialty restaurants have no surcharge....and everyone is given at least one reservation in each venue. Azamara reservations are not distributed equally. On some cruises, most reservations are gone before you sail. However, if you sail in a suite, you have an edge over other guests. Destinations are important. Winter cruises out of Miami attract snow birds who are retired. They especially book the longer cruises. They get an older set of guests with more time. If you do a European or Asian cruise with lots of ports, you will attract a younger more active type of guest.

Thanks for the review, I thought it was well balanced and objective regarding the various lines. We like O a lot but have heard wonderful things from others, like you, about Azamara and would definitely try them if the opportunity arises. With only 2 ships, I could never find an itinerary we liked at a time that worked for us. With the addition of a 3rd ship hopefully that will change, tho I checked and they do not seem to do cruises in Alaska, FP or NE/Canada which are the ones we were most interested in doing in 2018 & 2019.

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I loved your review. We cruise a lot, Oceania, Regent and Crystal mostly.

Basically I agree with you. We eat to live, so it isn't the most important to us.

Thanks for your balanced and thoughtful review. We haven't sailed Regent and your review confirms the reasons why. It is sad that Oceania still hasn't learned how to cook beef to order. We had the same experience as you on our 2011 Insignia cruise -- one night DW and I both ordered filet mignons medium rare and one came rare and the other well-done! Even a B- short order cook should be able to do better than that :eek: Over our 10-day cruise, we never got a steak the way we ordered it.

As you said, taste in food is subjective. While I like Azamara's food, I prefer food on Oceania more. The service on Oceania is superb. I especially like how they serve in the Terrace Buffet and Waves Grill. Tables are set, servers bring drinks, and food is placed on your dish without you handling the serving utensil. Waves delivers your food to your table. Azamara still lets guests handle serving utensils. Azamara's specialty restaurants have a surcharge. Oceania's specialty restaurants have no surcharge....and everyone is given at least one reservation in each venue. Azamara reservations are not distributed equally. On some cruises, most reservations are gone before you sail. However, if you sail in a suite, you have an edge over other guests. Destinations are important. Winter cruises out of Miami attract snow birds who are retired. They especially book the longer cruises. They get an older set of guests with more time. If you do a European or Asian cruise with lots of ports, you will attract a younger more active type of guest.

Totally agree with this. As someone who sails almost exclusively with Oceania and Azamara and consider myself a foodie love the food in all venues on Oceania. Azamara food can be hit or miss and there is less choice on menus. I have got steaks not prepared the way asked for in Prime C on Az and when raised with a waiter on one occasion was told it was the light!! The buffet on Azamara can get messy at times due to passengers serving themselves whereas on Oceania there is more control as the staff serve.

Great report full of good information, thanks for your view of the cruise. Rick

Thank you for sharing your review. I enjoyed it very much! :)

Excellent review, yes food is subjective, we have traveled Azamara on 6 different occasions, always felt that the Ships Officers were always interested in discussions with their Guests. The captain often came alone or with his wife and ALWAYS joined the ships guests for Lunch, other wise I believe both ships are very close in all other regards. The comments about Meat not being cooked to order are dear to me. I have long ago refused Meats not cooked to order, or tough and chewy steaks. I will keep sending them back until they get it right. On the Riviera Cruise last Dec in the Main Dining room I sent three Filets back until the 4th one arrived to my Medium Rare preference. My wife and I prefer to dine alone, so in doing this is does not interrupt other Guests at the Table, Safe Travels and Good Health to all of you.

Loved your review and found it very fair..on everything..although I am not a foodie..I enjoyed reading your opinion..sorry you missed La Reserve the 2nd time as we were on it twice the cruise before you and it was simply elegant..arent we all lucky we have choices and can continue to keep cruising..

Jancruz1

Before my comments I will add the disclaimer that Oceania is my cruise line of choice.

One difference is on the "O" ships (Riviera and Marina). Both offer a variety of deck games. There are scheduled competitions with points awarded to be exchanged for Oceania advertising apparel. They are also generally hosted by members of the show personnel. These are usually not crowded, so most passengers probably could not care less.

Food - When I order meat I specify and describe; ie. "medium rare steak", "just a little pink in the middle" and "OK to cut it and look inside". Also at the Terrace grill, the same, but you can order under cooked a little then ask to put it back on the grill for a little longer while you watch.

Lobster and many fish servings. I always ask if it is warm water sourced or cold. For lobster ask, is it from the coast of New England or the east coast of Canada.

Regarding, friendly talk with servers, I look to see how busy they are. Your friendly short talk may be someone else's "slow or inattentive service". Also, use their first names. I once had one server at the Terrace that didn't smile a me, or most others, for several days. Then, I said "Hello ________ and she definitely knew how to smile.

All the ship's staff will appreciate if you can make their jobs a little easier. Tell the room attendant that you plan to be on an all day shore excursion. Tell the Terrace helper that you can carry your own plate if there are others much more in need of this. Most important, mention them by name on your cruise comment surveys. I helped one nice server on a long cruise go from serving food, to waiting tables, to specialty restaurant waiter assistant.

Choices and preferences are individual, so try different cruise lines and remember "Whatever floats your boat."

I'm enjoying other people's friendly viewpoints on the various cruise lines. We are all different and appreciate different things. Thank goodness we have wonderful options and can enjoy traveling our beautiful world.

I looked at the menu at La Reserve but chose not to book it for two reasons:

1. While I (obviously) love food, I'm not as enthusiastic about wines and so wine pairings are wasted on me.

2. I prefer a wider menu choice which a fixed menu doesn't offer - I usually don't know what I'd like for dinner until late afternoon.

It appears that my overcooked meat isn't an isolated case. I can think of three explanations:

1. Line chefs are improperly trained. I doubt this because most cooks should pick up how to cook meat within a few weeks on the job.

2. They're cooking too many dishes at the same time to pay appropriate attention to each dish. This is a staffing issue.

3. They're precooking meat (such as prime rib) and reheating it too long.

I talked about the differences in starting conversations between Oceania and Azamara staff to explain why many people claim Azamara staff is warmer. I did talk to waitresses/waiters and my excellent cabin attendants. I got the feeling that Oceania staff was more job driven - get the order, deliver the food etc. while Azamara staff was more passenger driven - keep the passenger happy. Azamara (and Crystal) dinner waiters would routinely ask how was your day, what did you do,etc. It's a culture thing that is set by top management. It's hard to provide examples to explain the difference but one I felt. Azamara's White Night party also provides a wonderful chance for passengers to bond.

Before my comments I will add the disclaimer that Oceania is my cruise line of choice.

 

One difference is on the "O" ships (Riviera and Marina). Both offer a variety of deck games. There are scheduled competitions with points awarded to be exchanged for Oceania advertising apparel. They are also generally hosted by members of the show personnel. These are usually not crowded, so most passengers probably could not care less.

 

Food - When I order meat I specify and describe; ie. "medium rare steak", "just a little pink in the middle" and "OK to cut it and look inside". Also at the Terrace grill, the same, but you can order under cooked a little then ask to put it back on the grill for a little longer while you watch.

 

Lobster and many fish servings. I always ask if it is warm water sourced or cold. For lobster ask, is it from the coast of New England or the east coast of Canada.

 

Regarding, friendly talk with servers, I look to see how busy they are. Your friendly short talk may be someone else's "slow or inattentive service". Also, use their first names. I once had one server at the Terrace that didn't smile a me, or most others, for several days. Then, I said "Hello ________ and she definitely knew how to smile.

 

All the ship's staff will appreciate if you can make their jobs a little easier. Tell the room attendant that you plan to be on an all day shore excursion. Tell the Terrace helper that you can carry your own plate if there are others much more in need of this. Most important, mention them by name on your cruise comment surveys. I helped one nice server on a long cruise go from serving food, to waiting tables, to specialty restaurant waiter assistant.

 

Choices and preferences are individual, so try different cruise lines and remember "Whatever floats your boat."

+1 Excellent post

I talked about the differences in starting conversations between Oceania and Azamara staff to explain why many people claim Azamara staff is warmer. I did talk to waitresses/waiters and my excellent cabin attendants. I got the feeling that Oceania staff was more job driven - get the order, deliver the food etc. while Azamara staff was more passenger driven - keep the passenger happy. Azamara (and Crystal) dinner waiters would routinely ask how was your day, what did you do,etc. It's a culture thing that is set by top management. It's hard to provide examples to explain the difference but one I felt. Azamara's White Night party also provides a wonderful chance for passengers to bond.

Could also be just a difference in crew members

we have often been asked what we did that day & how was the trip ashore

It can depend on if they are busy or not or if they have a lot of tables to serve

JMO

I find many times my food is sitting on the serving stand whilst other passengers engage the waiter in chit chat while my food is getting cold

The staff try to be polite but know other orders are piling up waiting to be served

again

JMO

I just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Riviera that started and ended in Miami, and visited Grand Cayman, Mexico, and Central America. I was hesitant to post on this board because a small minority attacks anybody who has less than glowing comments on Oceania or tells people with issues to "get over it". However, I hope my review will be helpful for the vast majority. My cruise sailed with 950 people versus the maximum of 1250.

 

I have taken over 25 cruises on Azamara, Crystal, Silversea, Regent and Seabourne in addition to river and expedition cruises. I choose cruises for the destination. I chose this particular cruise because it gave me an opportunity to see Mayan ruins and because it fit my time schedule. I will compare Oceania to Azamara (it's closest competitor), Regent and Crystal because they're the ocean cruise lines that I have taken recently. My favorite cruise line is Azamara but I will add Oceania to cruise lines that I consider in the future (and I put down a future deposit).

 

Food

People say food is subjective and tastes are subjective. However, you can still objectively judge whether something is cooked well - is meat to specifications, is something burned, does it have flavor? Does Oceania have the best food on ocean cruises as they claim - IMO no, but they're definitely one of the best (along with Azamara and Crystal). I love food from basic steak and burgers to Michelin restaurants. I'm definitely a live to eat person rather than eat to live type. Food was mostly good to very good with 2 dishes being Michelin quality and a handful of dishes that were poor to fair.

 

The outstanding dishes were the scallop gnocchi (actually scallop mouse) with lobster appetizer in Jacques and 3 scallops in different sauces in Red Ginger that I believe were cooked via sous-vide (a low constant water bath). I also enjoyed the carpaccio and the Trio Tuscana in Toscana (although it had been sitting in the kitchen too long and was served warm). I could taste the made from scratch fish stock in the trio's risotto. I think the Italian restaurant in Azamara is as good but Oceania has a wider selection of options. Crystal also has an outstanding Italian restaurant equivalent.

 

 

The dishes I ordered in Polo were fair to average. One night I had the prime rib and asked for medium rare - it was served medium well and as a result was one of the toughest prime ribs I've eaten. The other time I dined in Polo I tried the lobster which also was overcooked and had a strange taste to it. You can get a large quantity of lobster on Oceania but I'm more interested in the quality. I believe Azamara's Polo equivalent restaurant is superior. My steaks and seafood on Azamara have always been cooked to specifications with a wonderful taste.

 

What was poor? I had a room service burger with a bun that was burned and a beef patty that was well done (even though requested medium) and a Caesar salad that was drenched in a poor quality salad dressing. The patty didn't taste like beef and was very tough. Unfortunately, I had an excursion that overlapped lunch so I had no other option but to eat the items.

 

 

Azamara excels with ethnic cuisine. The best Indian dishes I've had on a cruise have been on Azamara - they even have papadum (a crispy wafer). They also have a wider variety of authentic international foods on the buffets. Oceania targets mid-America with most of it's food choices and adapts recipes to appeal to that market. One morning I tried the shakshuka breakfast special (eggs with peppers, tomatoes, cumin and paprika). They had significantly reduced the spices of an authentic shakshuka - I could barely taste the cumin and didn't taste the paprika at all. Similarly, the jerk chicken in the Grand Dining Room tastes of the region special was good but the spices had been drastically reduced. I also think the night buffets (such as French) in the Terrace Cafe equivalent on Azamara are a wonderful option if you're looking for an alternative to the Grand Dining Room or speciality restaurants.

 

Thank You for your thoughtful and helpful review. We have been on 2 Azamara cruises and have considered Oceania, to the extent that we are now on their mailing list(a brochure every day).

Tom