Review of FOOD on Riviera 6/17 Lisbon to Rome(Work in progress)

[Mura]

Mura, being an upcoming first-time Oceania passenger on the Riviera Lands of Time Cruise, recently I attempted to book the specialty restaurants. It was already a case of most being heavily booked and I found it difficult to obtain the bookings I would have liked. Most of my bookings, booked almost two weeks ago, were for the earliest time slot. One month out the choice of available bookings was narrowing.

 

 

Yes, that's the problem although I do believe they hold back a certain percentage of seats because not everyone who takes a cruise is computer literate. Even so, finding only early time slots when you want later ones doesn't make for a happy experience. You might try changing those times once you board -- if you have a butler, even better to let him do it.

 

Mura

[reposado]

Baba Au Rhum at Jacques. Pastry with Aged French Island Rum. The island rum was too sweet for my taste. I enjoy my desserts creamy/milky/eggy instead of sugary. Its a very subjective thing. In fact I find most restaurants/market desserts in the united states too sweet(I prefer European or Asian desserts). Companies like Starbucks knows this. In fact if you tried the different pastries at Starbucks in the US vs Asia you will be shocked at the level of differences in terms of sugar added. So whats too much for me is probably just fine for you. I do enjoy the strong rum flavor even tho I don't appreciate alcohol much.

 

[reposado]

Horizons afternoon tea. Offered daily. The pastries and sandwiches along with the string quartet were superb. However a fine afternoon tea establishment would always offer its customers more than selection of tea in tea bags. Maybe Oceania can improve upon that.

 

 

[DiverDownAZ]

My only question is how much is the cruise line paying you to drum up business for them. Your pictures are amazing. Ok, I will give that you have been very balanced with the ratings of the dishes, but I have yet to see a picture that did not entice.

 

Keep up the good work.:D

[reposado]

My only question is how much is the cruise line paying you to drum up business for them. Your pictures are amazing. Ok, I will give that you have been very balanced with the ratings of the dishes, but I have yet to see a picture that did not entice.

 

Keep up the good work.:D

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

Continued...

 

Oyster Rockefeller at the Polo Grill. Creamy and buttery(as if you cant tell that by just looking at the picture). I'd hate to see the calorie count on this one. O well you only live once... and too little of our time living is spent on a ship called Riviera, now is NOT the time for restraint!3/5. Probably a bit too much sauce on this thing considering how much cooked oysters shrink. But yes its delicious.

 

 

Crab cake with mustard cream sauce at Polo. I love crab; thus crab cakes as well. This is how a crab cake should be done! 95% crab, 5% breading. 4/5 a barely noticeable thin crispy breading shell on the outside, inside nothing but moist crab meat. My only complaint is that they should have made it thicker, because I wanted more of it. :o

 

 

 

Foie Gras and mushroom in pastry, with wine reduction sauce at Polo. I wanted to love this dish. But you simply had a hard time tasting the Foie Gras. 2/5 fair. Tasted like warm pastry with mushroom. Not bad mind you, but I wanted Foie Gras!! I actually dug out the Foie Gras since I have an inquiring mind, and indeed it was a petite slice, overpowered by the carb and mushrooms.

 

Edited July 3, 2012 by reposado

[Paulchili]

 

Crab cake with mustard cream sauce at Polo. I love crab; thus crab cakes as well. This is how a crab cake should be done! 95% crab, 5% breading. 4/5 a barely noticeable thin crispy breading shell on the outside, inside nothing but moist crab meat. My only complaint is that they should have made it thicker, because I wanted more of it. :o

 

 

I hear you - next time get 2!

This way they can please people who are on a "crab diet" but still want a crab cake :D

[reposado]

We stumbled upon the crew only area on the 13th deck and quickly snapped a picture before we were nicely escorted out...

 

[Paulchili]

We stumbled upon the crew only area on the 13th deck and quickly snapped a picture before we were nicely escorted out...

 

 

I hope they get a staff discount on those prices :)

Looks like they have to do their own cooking too :D

PS Was this taken at the Mercat de boqueria?

Edited July 3, 2012 by Paulchili

[sixsmiles]

Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us a bit more about the food on Riviera! We will be cruising on this ship in September and can hardly wait. Your pictures, descriptions, and opinions are much appreciated!!

[Hambagahle]

Your photos are divine! And I am gobsmacked to see, on the cheese plate, some Tête de Moine. I have never, ever, seen that outside Switzerland. Wow!!!

 

Glad to see the terrine of foie gras too. That is something that will never get banned here!!

 

I think I am gaining kilos just by looking at your photos, Reposado!!

[JAKUEHNLE]

Since I will be on the Marina, not the Riviera, will the food be the same quality as you had on your cruise? I did enjoy the Marina food the first two times I cruised and hope the food is the same on both ships.

[reposado]

You paulchili, know your world markets. :D

 

Your photos are divine! And I am gobsmacked to see, on the cheese plate, some Tête de Moine. I have never, ever, seen that outside Switzerland. Wow!!!

 

Glad to see the terrine of foie gras too. That is something that will never get banned here!!

 

I think I am gaining kilos just by looking at your photos, Reposado!!

 

And Hambagahle, You sir, know your cheese.

 

In fact you got my curiosity going and I did some wiki research. Yes indeed the Tête de Moine is the round one in the middle.

 

 

When cut the cheese looks like the wing of a butter fly and I do remember it as one of the "easier" one to enjoy.

 

 

I also did a bit of looking into what "AOC cheese" stands for and it means Appellation d'origine contrôlée. Basically its certified as the good stuff from France and your not going to find it in your local Costo. I am glad I tried the cheese at least because unless your name is Jacques Pepin these things are probably a "few in your life" things to experience even for the well travelled.

 

Oceania states that they have one of the biggest budget for food at sea and it shows.

 

I will be going back to the mundae life of pulling teeth soon so I'll have less time to update. But there is still a lot of food porn I have yet to post. Stay tuned....

 

 

Here is a preview...

 

Where else are you going to get a little pool side snack that looks like this?

A bit high on the cholesterol? perhapts... Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!

 

 

All you can eat Caviar!? I didnt read that on the Oceania website??

 

 

 

The famous Black Iberian pig(note the black hoof), touted as "probably the best pork on earth" by the crew members from Spain. Did it live up to expectation?

 

 

 

Happy 4th everyone!:D

 

to be continued.....

Edited July 4, 2012 by reposado

[Hambagahle]

reposado --

 

Tête de Moine is swiss, so of course I know it! And love it - we serve it with apéros in the winter, mostly... But I first noticed it on the cheese plate from jacques which was one of your earlier photos... the little cone shaped frilly bits!!

 

BTW "AOC" indeed means Appélation d'Origine Contrôlée - but not only from France. From anywhere that has this system. We have it, Italy has it and I would think Spain does too. In Italian it is "DOC". Don't speak Spanish so don't know what it is there...

 

And - I am the "lady" in the photo. The other is my non-cheese loving American husband!!

 

More photos please.

[Rotterdam]

What an enlightening review....

 

I have not sailed on Oceania yet (I have a bout 50 cruises undermy belt over 35+ years) lately I have taken more land vacations - like you food is a big priority for me...when in port I tend to eat on land. Living in NYC - really great food is readily available

..so I am spoiled(even my butcher is superb).

After reading your review I was wondering - if you could rate the overall food what would it be....to me it seems 3.5 out of 5.

 

Thank you

[Paulchili]

What an enlightening review....

 

I have not sailed on Oceania yet (I have a bout 50 cruises undermy belt over 35+ years) lately I have taken more land vacations - like you food is a big priority for me...when in port I tend to eat on land. Living in NYC - really great food is readily available

..so I am spoiled(even my butcher is superb).

After reading your review I was wondering - if you could rate the overall food what would it be....to me it seems 3.5 out of 5.

 

Thank you

 

Not to steal reposado's well deserved thunder, I would rate Oceania's food (particularly on the O class ships) as best at sea; that, in my experience, includes Silversea, Regent and Seabourn. To rate it in "numbers" is not that easy as food at sea can never compare to the best restaurants on land; but at sea, O "rules the waves", IMO.

Of course, food is very subjective, so YMMV.

[S O B]

>>>REPOSADO posts:

>>>Where else are you going to get a little pool side snack that looks like this?

A bit high on the cholesterol? perhapts... Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!

 

Poolside snack??? POOLSIDE SNACK!!!???

 

You're kidding me, right?

 

Nowhere have I seen this dish on any of the Oceania website menus. My wife looked at it and said "Omigod, we're not leaving the ship! Hell with the ports; we're staying onboard until they drag us off!"

[hondorner]

 

Poolside snack??? POOLSIDE SNACK!!!???

 

You're kidding me, right?

 

Nowhere have I seen this dish on any of the Oceania website menus. My wife looked at it and said "Omigod, we're not leaving the ship! Hell with the ports; we're staying onboard until they drag us off!"

 

That's EXACTLY what we're doing this December. We may walk off the ship at some of the ports (we've been there and done that) in order to walk off the food, but we'll be back in time for lunch!

 

I feel sorry for the folks on other cruise lines who will miss all this.

[MATTIEMOM]

Reposado says: "My only complaint is that they should have made it thicker, because I wanted more of it."

 

 

My DH and I booked a Mediterranean cruise next year for our 25th anniversary, but decided we couldn't wait until then, so we also booked a Caribbean "practice" cruise this fall. After seeing all of the pictures, we may not even get off the ship.

 

My big question is if you "want more of it", can you just ask for another? Or, if I cannot decide between two appetizers, desserts, etc., may I have both?

 

In other words, even though I know that it is one of the seven deadly sins, just how far will they allow me to plunge into the depths of gluttony?

[Mura]

Not only can you have more, you can more than one of each course ...

 

The main question is, can you waddle away afterwards?

 

It's not uncommon for DH to have two main courses ...

 

Mura

[TERRIER1]

Five O cruises under my belt and I have never seen the caviar. Where is it? Thanks.

[dorie10295]

We were on this cruise and we did not see the caviar.........or the pool snack!

[S O B]

Five O cruises under my belt and I have never seen the caviar. Where is it? Thanks.

 

Yes, please explain. I googled the info on the label (Polyodon Spathula Malossol 1000g) and find it's available at $995 for a tin that size. Can't imagine they want to dole a lot of that out to 1300 people on a cruise...

 

 

[reposado]

Yes, please explain. I googled the info on the label (Polyodon Spathula Malossol 1000g) and find it's available at $995 for a tin that size. Can't imagine they want to dole a lot of that out to 1300 people on a cruise...

 

 

 

The caviar was at one of the Brunch available to all passengers in the grand dining room. (dont remember the port day, but it was on a day where the ship docked late so you would not miss any part of port time). Sorry for those who missed it. The brunch was announced over the PA the night before and on the nightly "information paper" they hand out in each room. The brunch was over the top with the black Iberian pig, caviar, cream puff towers, an exceptionally good halibet cream soup, and the string quartet, etc. I will post more pictures when I have time. A bit busy.

 

- more to come....

Edited July 5, 2012 by reposado

[reposado]

We were on this cruise and we did not see the caviar.........or the pool snack!

 

Caviar was at the brunch. Wow $1000 a can huh? I did hear a manager chatting w/a guest by the caviar saying its a "mid quality caviar." They dont come cheap do they?

 

You should know from the picture the "pool snack" food is served daily at Terrace Cafe.

 

We grabbed it at 6:30pm from the open buffet while we were at the pool and ate it by the pool(our reservation for dinner was not till 8:30pm, so our dinner was not spoiled). ;)

Edited July 5, 2012 by reposado

[MightyQuinn]

I'm so happy that we're booked on Riviera for a transAtlantic crossing. Very few pesky ports to interfere with enjoying the delicious food. We'll be all over the stinky cheese! Reposado, thanks so much for your wonderful descriptions and visuals.