Restaurant Experiences

[insanemagnet]

As someone who had never been on a cruise before I had read the information about the dining, and was interested to see how reality matched up when I travelled on Ventura last week.

 

The "proper" restaurants, Saffron and Cinnamon, food not terrible but not stunning. Quality was often a bit hit or miss and some of the menus were just plain wrong. The biggest problem was Freedom dining was a con, as every night (that is not an exaggeration, it happened every night) when you decide to eat you just get handed a pager and told to go away for 20 or 30 minutes. If it was the predicted 20 or 30 minutes, that might not be too bad as you could go have a drink. However the time varied from 1 minute to 45. And if you take too long returning they just give the table away, so you start the 20 to 30 minute wait again.

 

The other "restaurants" Waterside, etc, although the food comes from the same kitchens it is all lukewarm when you get to eat it, that is if you eventually find a free table. They reminded me of a cafeteria on a cross channel ferry, and seemed to cater to people for whom quantity was a virtue.

 

And I was interested to see that the restaurant staff constantly had the emergency exits from The White Room blocked with spare furniture to stop non-dining passengers using it as a short cut. Profit obviously taking precedence over safety.

[Thejuggler]

P&O still haven't refined freedom dining. We never had to wait on Grand Princess which is the same design of ship and we had a table for four every night.

 

I wonder if the Ventura layout needs changing so there are many more smaller tables as this increases churn.

[starryuk]

Returned yesterday from Ventura.

We did Freedom dining and were never given a pager, although we went for dinner between 8 and 8:30 every night. I guess it is just luck.

On the final morning, we were early at breakfast in Saffron. Chatted to a couple who had assumed the ship was only half full because they ate each day at 7am and 7pm and found the restaurant nearly empty!

 

Re 'plating up' vs silver service: Before boarding, I had felt disappointed, but in fact thought it was better. There seemed to be more variety of vegetables and we were still able to make individual requests for variations.

Edited July 10, 2014 by starryuk

[Scriv]

I felt the same about 'plating up' last month on Oriana - more variety of veg, still able to make requests and the food was served lovely and hot.

[KaththeTaff]

DH says silver service meant a lot of waiting on his table for 8, as it took a while for the waiters to go around everyone serving the veg a few minutes after the plate had come out. He says the food was never piping hot anyway, and it cooled even more before everyone started to eat.

 

I guess he is a fan of plated!

[insanemagnet]

Yet again last night, a wait of 25 minutes at 9:05pm to get seated.

[Thejuggler]

That definately suggests something is not working right. By that time we were straight in on Ventura and back then it only had one Freedom restaurant.

 

I suspect staff are being taken off restaurant duties at that time as the rush has gone and they are needed elsewhere, leaving a skeleton staff to serve the late diners.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Thejuggler

[insanemagnet]

You are right about the skeleton staff, by 10:45 when I got coffee, all the staff had disappeared from the section of Cinnamon I was in, and I had to go and find a pot myself.

[majortom10]

You are right about the skeleton staff, by 10:45 when I got coffee, all the staff had disappeared from the section of Cinnamon I was in, and I had to go and find a pot myself.

 

If you are still in the restaurant at 1045 I expect only a skeleton of staff in fact I am surprised that you are not asked to leave. You sound like a right moaner that nothing is right to stay until 1045 and still expect more coffee I am afraid is extremely bad manners on your part because if you are still drinking coffee and wanting more you had no intentions of being out of restaurant until after 11pm that is unbelievable and very rude on your part.

 

I honestly believe seeing by you own admission this is your first cruise then cruising is not for you and that whatever you do or wherever you go you sound a habitual moaner.

Edited July 10, 2014 by majortom10

[Thejuggler]

If you are still in the restaurant at 1045 I expect only a skeleton of staff in fact I am surprised that you are not asked to leave. You sound like a right moaner that nothing is right to stay until 1045 and still expect more coffee I am afraid is extremely bad manners on your part because if you are still drinking coffee and wanting more you had no intentions of being out of restaurant until after 11pm that is unbelievable and very rude on your part.

 

I honestly believe seeing by you own admission this is your first cruise then cruising is not for you and that whatever you do or wherever you go you sound a habitual moaner.

 

Competely disagree. Freedom is advertised with last entry at 9.30pm. This is the time the OP went to their table. If P&O can't cope with people taking 90-120 minutes (which is the time it takes for club dining) to eat a meal at this time they should reduce Freedom opening times.

 

I would expect the same service at 9.30pm as I would get at 7pm and on the occasions we have eaten later this is how it has been and we have been taking 2 hours. It appears this may no longer be the case.

[dgs1956]

Yet again last night, a wait of 25 minutes at 9:05pm to get seated.

 

You must be having a great time on holiday if you can find time to post on this Forum.

[insanemagnet]

Competely disagree. Freedom is advertised with last entry at 9.30pm. This is the time the OP went to their table. If P&O can't cope with people taking 90-120 minutes (which is the time it takes for club dining) to eat a meal at this time they should reduce Freedom opening times.

 

I would expect the same service at 9.30pm as I would get at 7pm and on the occasions we have eaten later this is how it has been and we have been taking 2 hours. It appears this may no longer be the case.

Exactly.

 

If P&O can't deal with someone arriving 30 minutes before closing time, then that is their problem, not mine.

 

And just to add some detail, requested table at 9pm, sat at 9:25, menus not given for 10 minutes, so order not taken until 9:45.

 

There were a lot of other customers being sat around the same time, mostly tables of two, as the restaurant seemed unable to cope.

 

Some people may like to pig down a four course meal, plus coffee in less than an hour, I don't.

[insanemagnet]

You must be having a great time on holiday if you can find time to post on this Forum.

I am thanks. Cold beer in hand, warm sunshine, whiling away an hour.

[insanemagnet]

If P&O can't deal with someone arriving 30 minutes before closing time, then that is their problem, not mine.

 

And just to add some detail, requested table at 9pm, sat at 9:25, menus not given for 10 minutes, so order not taken until 9:45.

 

There were a lot of other customers being sat around the same time, mostly tables of two, as the restaurant seemed unable to cope.

 

Some people may like to pig down a four course meal, plus coffee in less

than an hour, I don't.

[dgs1956]

I am thanks. Cold beer in hand, warm sunshine, whiling away an hour.

 

Glad to hear it. Have a good time.

[lake5298]

P&O still haven't refined freedom dining. We never had to wait on Grand Princess which is the same design of ship and we had a table for four every night.

 

Unfortunately, Ventura (like newer Princess ships) has an extra deck of cabins - but the same size dining venues, theatre, etc. Overcrowding and queueing is inevitable.

[jeanlyon]

Well having read that - give me Club Dining any time. You know exactly when you are going to the restaurant and so far (fingers crossed) have never had a bad table yet.

[the english lady]

If P&O can't deal with someone arriving 30 minutes before closing time, then that is their problem, not mine.

 

And just to add some detail, requested table at 9pm, sat at 9:25, menus not given for 10 minutes, so order not taken until 9:45.

 

There were a lot of other customers being sat around the same time, mostly tables of two, as the restaurant seemed unable to cope.

 

Some people may like to pig down a four course meal, plus coffee in less

than an hour, I don't.

I think we have worked out you do not like cruising on P and O.

or at least their food.

Can I ask were you a select fare diner who picked freedom, or a saver fare diner who was given freedom.

Quite a few saver fare posters have said for what they paid for their cruise, they could eat out every night in a pay for venue at a time that suited them on a table for 2, and it still worked out cheaper than the select fare.

Please if you choose to cruise again please pick a 6* line (with 6* prices) .

you will be able to eat at a time you want on a table for 2.

You will see where all your money goes then.

Ooh you want that ,but not 6* prices...

[KaththeTaff]

I think insanemagnet has a point about the difference between the slick and glossy advertising and the reality. But this applies to all cruise lines, and it's something that we expect and take in our stride.

 

Any company that wants to you use their service or product isn't going to tell about the down sides. No cruise company is going to mention the horrendous crowding in the buffet at breakfast time, or at embarkation day lunch. They are projecting an ideal image, in exactly the same way as car adverts tend to feature a glorious open road with stunning views. Day to day driving just isn't like that for most people, though.

 

Let's not forget that cruise ship dining on the mass market lines is very much banquet catering on a massive scale!

 

I also think it's a genuine complaint if service when eating in the MDR at 2130 isn't up to the mark. But at the same time I would expect there to be fewer staff around if there are fewer diners than at other times. Of course, those waiters that remain should continue to be attentive to those diners who are left as they would have been 2 hours earlier.