Privee

[YoHoHo]

It is too stark white for my taste as well but if invited to join in a group to book the room I certainly would not let that stop me.

 

As for the new offerings, I'm sure they wanted to get more use of that room than they were with the original pricing and arrangements. It would indeed have been very special to book that room for $1000 and hand select the menu with culinary staff and sommelier. It would have been a fairly select target market but I am a little surprised O made their change to a room rental so quickly. It seems to me it would take some time for it to catch on and people to plan ahead.

 

The $250 charge I think is not an unreasonable proposition. One has to be in the upper-level suites to have additional bookings in Polo and Toscano. So if not everyone in a group of eight or 10 was not in that category this would be a great opportunity for everyone to get together PLUS have an additional opportunity to enjoy meals from those restaurants. And for a group of 10 at $25 each the pricing is similar to what other cruise lines charge to visit one of their specialty restaurants in any case. Additionally, this venue would provide, as I understand from earlier posts, the very best in service staff that are on the ship.

 

I think under these new arrangements it is very suitable for certain groups and could appeal to a larger audience. Cruise Critic members who meet up on their Roll Call certainly would be what I think of as a target market. Now if O would acknowledge the CC Roll Calls more openly they may just get a few more bookings in what I suspect to be a largely unused room. That is unless their promotions department succeeds in attracting more Business related and other organized groups.

 

The decor is not what would attract me to booking a dinner there but I would certainly happily join others for a unique evening enjoying the company, the best food from both restaurants, the high level of service and the unique and memorable moment.

[jeno]

We ate there last night and were informed that all had to either order from Toscana or Polo. The only thing we got that we wouldn't have gotten in Tuscana was a salt selection. No mix and match between restaurants. Personally, I think they should have stuck with the $1000 charge and made it special. We were a group of ten.

[Riana]

I agree with jeno.

[JimandStan]

I'll third that. :)

Although it should be pointed out that one may mix and match items from the Polo and Tuscana Menus.

[Mura]

Jim-Stan,

 

I certainly had heard before (and I think from you) that you could mix and match, as you can when you're ordering into your room.

 

But it appears that at least several people have been told that they could NOT. This sounds like another instance of staff not being properly informed of the system.

 

I'm reluctant myself to dine in Privee if we are just ordering from Polo and/or Toscana. (I know you feel differently.) If we were a private group of 8-10 for that higher cost (as was the original plan) with a very special menu, I'd be more tempted.

 

As it is, I think we'll stick with La Reserve when we're on board Marina or Riviera.

 

Mura

[hondorner]

We ate there last night and were informed that all had to either order from Toscana or Polo. The only thing we got that we wouldn't have gotten in Tuscana was a salt selection. No mix and match between restaurants. Personally, I think they should have stuck with the $1000 charge and made it special. We were a group of ten.

 

...But it appears that at least several people have been told that they could NOT. This sounds like another instance of staff not being properly informed of the system....

We're just home from the Dec 10 sailing of Riviera to the Western Caribbean. Once more, due to the graciousness of cruise friends Darvin (Dee) and Donna, Betsy and I enjoyed a wonderful evening in Privee. We were joined by Dee and Donna's neighbors and by Jan and Stu. With 8 of us, two chairs had been removed.

 

To bring this up to date -- the incredibly heavy and large "thrones" have been replaced by slightly smaller and lighter chairs, still in the white alligator skin pattern. We could actually move these chairs a little ourselves, instead of needing two waiters and a fork lift (slight exaggeration ;)).

 

The menu choices are still a matter of mix and match from either Polo or Toscana; each guest is given both menus and may mix or match individually. My appetizer and dessert were from Toscana; the rest from Polo.

 

The service was impeccable, as usual, the conversation was lively with lots of laughing, with no ambient noise from other diners, and no reason to be especially quiet with regards to nearby tables. We started at 7 PM and didn't leave until 10:30 PM, even then reluctantly as we were having such a good time.

 

In my opinion, there is NO better way for friends, new and old, to enjoy a private dinner.

[jeno]

Our Marina experience: The two men that organized this dinner met with the chef in the morning. He said they had to pick Toscana or Polo Grill. NO mix and match. We all had to order from same restaurant. They picked Toscana. This was absolutely my least favorite place on the ship to eat. Our waiter in Privee was Daniel. He was the worst server we had on the ship which was probably why we disliked Toscana so much. It took him 25 m utes to even come to our table and it was downhill from there. Then to top it off, he was the server in Privee. Unfortunately, this was not a special experience in the least. We had to keep asking for the wine service etc. Several in our party had the wine package and they couldn't get service.

I loved the Marina. I loved all the restaurants other than Toscana and felt Privee was much ado about nothing. Eating Toscana food with mediocre service at best. Really a disappointment to all of us. We could NOT order from both menus as we were told in advance we would be able to.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We're just home from the Dec 10 sailing of Riviera to the Western Caribbean. Once more, due to the graciousness of cruise friends Darvin (Dee) and Donna, Betsy and I enjoyed a wonderful evening in Privee.

 

Don, since I hope to be the beneficiary of one of these fine occasions with D&D next fall, I'm glad to hear how it went.

 

I can totally see Privee working for a small group of friends who want to enjoy each other's company, or in this case, someone who wants to invite his/her friends to something akin to a private dinner party.

 

I look forward to this. Glad to hear they are gradually making changes to the room to make it more comfortable. I still see the decor as rather stark.

 

How do drinks work in this room? Is it just pay-as-you-go as usual, unless you have a prepaid plan? (I'm sure D smoothed this out.)

 

Oh, and as for which restaurant we can order from, I doubt it matters when the main thrust of the evening is to spend time enjoying the company of friends.

[hondorner]

jeno, it's almost as if you were in some different room other than Privee. I've now dined in Privee four times on 3 different cruises on two different ships, and in every case neither the head waiter or the sommelier left the room for more than a moment. Someone is always hovering, usually more than one. It has been impossible for a water glass or a wine glass to go more than half empty. I have to trust your experience, and I mean nothing personal, but your experience was so vastly different it almost makes me question whether it was really Privee :eek:.

 

Wendy, in every case when I have been to Privee, the host (the one who made the arrangements) also met with the head sommelier and chose the wine for the evening, and was also responsible for paying for it. On at least one occasion, the host was staying in one of the suites that receive a liquor package, were light drinkers and had excess bottles, and made arrangements with the sommelier to trade some of it in for enough wine at Privee.

 

So far, no one has ordered a cocktail at dinner in Privee when I've been there. If I was the host (it's going to be my turn, soon), I would arrange for a "safe" (not too cheap, not too expensive) red and white wine, be willing to foot the difference if someone insisted on a different wine (which I think would be a tad bit rude if one is an invited guest), and be willing to pick up the tab if someone ordered a cocktail.

 

That's because in all of my experience at Privee, someone has been host and the rest have been invited guests at the host's expense.

 

Everything would change if there were common arrangements -- i.e., a group of friends decide to book Privee and share the costs. Jim can probably comment better on this because he has previously been a host, but my guess is that one would make the arrangements ahead of time, perhaps with one guest putting it on his or her account and the rest chipping in, or perhaps with separate billing, done very discreetly, I'm sure.

 

My experience has been similar to that of having a very elegant dinner at a private estate home, served by the best caterers. The original format was even closer to that standard, as the food was extraordinary but the same for all guests. While fabulous, my guess it fell victim to differing tastes among the guests, so the double menu and lower cost was introduced.

 

My attitude towards Privee's decor is much the same as if it actually was a private estate home: the decor would be expressive of the owner, and I would enjoy it whether I would have personally chosen that decor or not. Also, I think it would be difficult to appreciate the ultra-red inlay on the white table, or the fabulous red-themed art, until one has actually spent time in the room. Perhaps my taste is all in my mouth ;), but I've never thought of it as "stark white", although pictures may lead one to think that.

[redmanflorida]

Always appreciate your comments, could you please enlighten us about your just completed cruise on Riveria.

 

 

Thanx

[hondorner]

Always appreciate your comments, could you please enlighten us about your just completed cruise on Riveria.

Don't want to trample on the Privee thread, but was a different sort of cruise for us. We've been to the Western Caribbean 5 times, most of the ports more than once, done all the excursions we wanted to do, got the tee-shirts and the post cards, so only got off the ship for a couple of hours to walk off the calories :cool:. We really took the cruise because we love the ship, the crew and the food (this was our third cruise on Riviera).

 

We met a lot of new friends, spent a lot of time with old friends, socializing so much we didn't have time for trivia, artist loft, culinary center or any of the other activities, and missed half the shows -- something we rarely miss, as we love the entertainment on Oceania. We did not miss the fantastic performances of Wojciech Mrozek, the most accomplished clarinetist I've ever seen, and that of his wife, mezzo soprano Agata Sava, who performed some of the world's most famous arias. Mura would love her. We also enjoyed magician Greg Moreland so much we bought his entire DVD collection of how to perform magic tricks. I guess I'm still a little kid at heart.

 

We dined once at the Terrace, twice at Jacques, once each at Red Ginger, Polo and Toscana, and once in Privee, leaving just 3 nights for our absolute favorite, the Grand Dining Room. We did eat breakfast every day in the GDR and lunch almost every day at Waves, once in the GDR. We generally avoid the Terrace; we only ate there the one time because our TA had reserved a corner for a group of her clients.

 

We also watched three movies in the cabin and I took two afternoon naps. Perfect cruise for us. Next up is Riviera in April, 2013 for the transAtlantic to Barcelona, and Marina in May, 2014 for the New York to London crossing, which is turning into a reunion of many old cruise friends.

[JimandStan]

Our Marina experience: The two men that organized this dinner met with the chef in the morning. He said they had to pick Toscana or Polo Grill. NO mix and match. We all had to order from same restaurant. They picked Toscana. This was absolutely my least favorite place on the ship to eat. Our waiter in Privee was Daniel. He was the worst server we had on the ship which was probably why we disliked Toscana so much. It took him 25 m utes to even come to our table and it was downhill from there. Then to top it off, he was the server in Privee. Unfortunately, this was not a special experience in the least. We had to keep asking for the wine service etc. Several in our party had the wine package and they couldn't get service.

I loved the Marina. I loved all the restaurants other than Toscana and felt Privee was much ado about nothing. Eating Toscana food with mediocre service at best. Really a disappointment to all of us. We could NOT order from both menus as we were told in advance we would be able to.

 

Just realized that the "Dine from either Restaurant" policy is actually confirmed on page 19 of the "Cruise Vacation Guide":

 

Dining in Privée is equally superb. Guests can choose specialties from Polo Grill, Toscana or, better still a combination of both .

 

:rolleyes:...another misuse of can and may, but the intention seems fairly clear.

 

Mystery solved. :D

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Just realized that the "Dine from either Restaurant" policy is actually confirmed on page 19 of the "Cruise Vacation Guide":

 

Dining in Privée is equally superb. Guests can choose specialties from Polo Grill, Toscana or, better still a combination of both .

 

:rolleyes:...another misuse of can and may, but the intention seems fairly clear.

 

Mystery solved. :D

 

So you need to take a copy of the printed material with you in order to get appropriate service? Sounds lame. And the meaning of "can" is very clear.

[LuAnn]

we were invited to join two fellow CC members for dinner for a BD celebration. We were given only the Polo menu to choose from. I'm not sure if this was the choice of our host...or if that is the "new" normal. But we did so enjoy the evening...and a fun place to dine with friends!!! LuAnn

[Jancruz]

Not sure why people are having different experiences in Privee all should be the same ordering from both menus and OUTSTANDING service..I will check this week with "the boss" Jancruz1

[Jancruz]

Not sure why people are having different experiences in Privee on Marina and Riviera both should be the same ordering from both menus and OUTSTANDING service..I will check this week with "the boss"

I had dinner as a guest in Privee on the 12/10 Marina and had a wonderful evening..

Jancruz1

[Cruisedreamer1]

I read an article where FDR says this venue will be eliminated on their next ship and the coffee bar and cooking school enlarged.

[jeno]

Good idea. Either make it over the top special or forget it. Charge what you need to charge to do it right.

[Riana]

Actually, I wouldn't mind having another lounge on board. Merry Xmas!

[Goldmann]

Not sure why people are having different experiences in Privee on Marina and Riviera both should be the same ordering from both menus and OUTSTANDING service..I will check this week with "the boss"

I had dinner as a guest in Privee on the 12/10 Marina and had a wonderful evening..

Jancruz1

 

Have you had a chance to inquire? Did i miss the follow-up post?

[JimandStan]

Have you had a chance to inquire? Did i miss the follow-up post?

 

I can't see why there is any confusion about any of this, aside from the Cruise Vacation Guide, the specifics of Privée are spelled out quite clearly on the Oceania Web Site:

 

The first thing that I do, when booking any Marina or Riviera Cruise, is to book Privée

[LHT28]

I can't see why there is any confusion about any of this, aside from the Cruise Vacation Guide, the specifics of Privée are spelled out quite clearly on the Oceania Web Site:

 

 

I guess some of the wait staff do not read the website ;)

[jeno]

They refused to let us order from more than one restaurant. Each of us had to order all courses from the same restaurant. No ability to order even one thing from the other one. The chef said that in the morning and "Daniel", the server, did the same.

Very disappointing.

[Goldmann]

I can't see why there is any confusion about any of this, aside from the Cruise Vacation Guide, the specifics of Privée are spelled out quite clearly on the Oceania Web Site:

 

The first thing that I do, when booking any Marina or Riviera Cruise, is to book Privée

 

As do we. However, the next action i will take is to cancel my current reservation if the actions related in post 48 have become the practice. We all understand what is in print. Many of us have enjoyed Privée as detailed in print. The "confusion" arises from the OP's experience being significantly different than published. Your experience is just that, yours.

[Mura]

The thing is, it isn't just one party that has been told they could only order from one restaurant. I've read fairly numerous comments to this effect. Yes, I've also read numerous comments that people COULD order from both.

 

So consistency is lacking as far as Privee is concerned. The odds are that we won't book Privee, but if we did -- I'd be extremely upset at being limited to Polo or Toscana when the written policy says we can choose from both. And that would be the only reason why we would book Privee.

 

I know that many of you love the privacy and intimacy of Privee, but for US we don't want to pay up front just for that feature when we can order from the restaurants and be served in our suite or go to the restaurants themselves.

 

Mura