lord of the seas Posted August 22, 2005 #26 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Have you sailed on Seabourn (sic) or Silverseas? If so, you are entitled to your opinion, erroneous as it may be. If not, tut tut to you. Winner, Yes, Silver Shadow Med August 2005 Just returned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esther e Posted August 22, 2005 #27 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Jane110,I have enjoyed Oceana as a cruise line and think that they do an excellent job,and do not dislike as you say.I also find that dressing up is not always what I want to do for dinner and in my experience there are boring and snobby people on every line.this thread did start with the subject of food and if you read the posts then you see that everyone has some negative point on the food or Restaurants as well as positive.when visiting Forums and reading what people have to say about a subject you will find negative and positive but it seems that some posters here do not like to read the negative.Well this is how we all learn and improve our knowledge and after all ,we do have a common interest.I appreciate that some posters have not experienced sailing on many lines but they should try new things and broaden their horizons and share their knowledge with others.once you have sailed on at least six lines I think that only then can you decide which one is for you For whatever it's worth my husband and I have sailed on over 10 different cruise lines and have 50+ cruises under our belt. As of this moment our favorites are Oceania, Radisson, Celebrity and HAL, and all for completely different reasons. There are some cruisers who are so devoted to one line that they will not try another--too bad; they're missing out. We are not loyal to one line, but choose our cruises for a variety of reasons: cabins, ships, and itineraries. The latter being the least important at this time of our lives. Food is not a criteria since none of the lines have bad food. We enjoy cruising for the cruising experience; we equally like dressing up and being casual. Esther Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbag7 Posted August 23, 2005 #28 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I agree with your last comment Lord; too often people are afraid to look at both the good and bad points of cruise lines, and as a result comments are uninformative. Now my personal priorities are : 1)itinerary, 2) food and 3) ship and room size. If food was better on the cruise lines I would make that first priority, but I have found that while the food is competent and even agreeable on a number of lines (Seabourn, Windstar) it's not like eating at a fine restaurant. In fact, I don't find eating at a fine restauarant in general as satisfying as it was 15 years ago because of all the aggressive experimentation which is part of the current dining experience (with the exception, in my experience, of Italian haute cuisine). So while Seabourn has superior food to Oceania, it seems to me to be almost a meaningless difference; the whole dining experience will rarely,if ever approach that of a dinner prepared by a master chef to your specifications. Because the larger ships are limited as to itinerary, we have gravitated to the smaller ships. These ships also avoid the ostentatious and artificial entertainment on the large ships (but then, I never liked Las Vegas either). My favorite cruise dining was actually on a Costa ship 20 years ago. The food was basic Italian, but was fresh, flavorful and even al dente where appropriate. Now, we are going on a cruise on Oceania next June, but we're stopping at Paris for 3 days in advance. So Lord, given your apparent knowledge of cuisine, I would appreciate a recommendation for fine French dining,as I'm finding it quite difficult to find a restaurant with traditional French cuising. (I would have chosen Lucas Carton based on a dinner we had years ago at Le Archistrate, but I understand Alain Senderens has decided to "simplify" his menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbag7 Posted August 23, 2005 #29 Share Posted August 23, 2005 By the way Lord, I'm quite sure Winner was addressing her comment to me, not you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winner Posted August 23, 2005 #30 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Sandbag: I was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane110 Posted August 23, 2005 #31 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Tut tut sir Your second rate seamanship is not appreciated. Seabourne and Silverseas are loaded with pompous boors who like to play dress up; I mean, what reason would anyone have to wear a tuxedo on a ship? You pay extra on THOSE lines to hang out with other people of your ilk; you are welcome to them, and they are welcome to you. Sandbag, This is your post to lord of seas from a day ago when you thought he was pompous and should stay with the other boors of his ilk. Today you're asking him for restaurant recommendations for Paris, because of his "apparent knowledge of cuisine". Huh? What am I missing here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drwong Posted August 23, 2005 #32 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Tut tut sir Your second rate seamanship is not appreciated. Seabourne and Silverseas are loaded with pompous boors who like to play dress up; I mean, what reason would anyone have to wear a tuxedo on a ship? You pay extra on THOSE lines to hang out with other people of your ilk; you are welcome to them, and they are welcome to you. My co-worker sails on Silverseas and can't stand the pompous boors, preferring to have meals delivered in her stateroom where she and her husband can dine while they watch the telly in their jammies! Why then, does she sail with Silverseas? Smaller ships mean smaller crowds (she thought Oceania's ships were "too large"), she loves the food, the itineraries, the accommodations and the low passenger-to-crew ratio. And now she thinks that even the Silverseas ships have gotten too big :eek:, so she's switching over to SeaDream. Goes to show you can't judge a cruiser by her fellow passengers! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord of the seas Posted August 23, 2005 #33 Share Posted August 23, 2005 My co-worker sails on Silverseas and can't stand the pompous boors, preferring to have meals delivered in her stateroom where she and her husband can dine while they watch the telly in their jammies! Why then, does she sail with Silverseas? Smaller ships mean smaller crowds (she thought Oceania's ships were "too large"), she loves the food, the itineraries, the accommodations and the low passenger-to-crew ratio. And now she thinks that even the Silverseas ships have gotten too big :eek:, so she's switching over to SeaDream. Goes to show you can't judge a cruiser by her fellow passengers! :D drwong, She will be buying her own Yatch next!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digby Posted August 23, 2005 #34 Share Posted August 23, 2005 "Yes I have sailed with Oceana on all three ships " Three ships? Nautica is not yet in service, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaannnthony Posted August 23, 2005 #35 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Again, c'mon digby, look back to posts 16 & 18; "lots" agreed that he mis-posted" about three ships versus two....you need to read all the posts b/4 you make an inappropriate conclusion....that's not nice, or, appropriate! You apparently need more practice in "serve and volley" regarding "chat" boards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinelyCruising Posted August 23, 2005 #36 Share Posted August 23, 2005 By the end of any cruise I am at a point where I don't want to look at or eat another morsel of food. Doesn't matter how good it is.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbag7 Posted August 24, 2005 #37 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Well you're right; I switched courses because I thought Lord's last comment was on point, he wrote in plain English, and I REALLY need some advise from someone, snob or otherwise, who appreciates fine french wine and cuisine. It's a distinct pleasure, but the Restaurants which are considered the finest in Paris are ungodly expensive and their menus, to the extent I have been able to determine, seem kind of weird. I haven't been to France, except for cruise stops in Cannes and Nice in almost10 years, and I haven't eaten at a Michelin 3 star restaurant there in 20 so I'm really looking forward to it. There are many French wines which are not exported, and the pleasure of enjoying them with fine cuisine is a unique experience, which is why I consider an argument over food on the cruise lines kind of meaningless. They're all pretty solid within a range of, say, 6 to 8 on a scale of 10. I'm seeking the elusive 10! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_uk Posted August 24, 2005 #38 Share Posted August 24, 2005 What is actually most interesting about this thread is that the original Poster who had a vested interest......which I challenged to reveal.....never came back to the board. A case of someone with nothing better to do. What it turned into was more fun than one could expect even though my UK origins have been besmirched by a Pompous Twat. I still prefer to travel without a tuxedo and prefer a casual style holiday so I guess that Silverseas is not for us.............. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord of the seas Posted August 24, 2005 #39 Share Posted August 24, 2005 sandbag7, I too have not been to Paris for a long time,but generally when there I would eat at the Ritz or George V when I stayed.I would also be taken by clients to small Restaurants but my experience was not always memorable.I do think that you find better food in the regions and small family run restaurants would often produce outstanding fare. I do spend a lot of time in and around Londons Restaurants and would think that I am well informed on its cuisine.We have so many excellent Restaurants here and many of them with star chefs,I would be happy to share my findings with posters. You say that you are searching for the elusive Ten,well so far I have found what I think is a Nine for food on one ship and a nine for service on another,as you say most are 6-8 Brian, Lets hear your views about the food on ships and yes I was suspicious about the thread starter,but do try other cruise lines,I know that you will not be forced to wear a tux,even it it looks good on you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffeer Posted August 24, 2005 #40 Share Posted August 24, 2005 "A case of someone with nothing better to do." ...or a case of someone applying for a job in the Oceania's culinary area and wanting a heads up. Beatrice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddsmom Posted August 24, 2005 #41 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Sandbag, a wonderful Paris Restaurant, is in the Latin Quarter (5th Arrondissement.) La Truffiere, small, elegant and truly wonderful food. You can make reservations on their website. We celebrated our 31st Wedding Anniversary there last February. http://www.latruffiere.com/page7.html Sharon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbag7 Posted August 25, 2005 #42 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Sharon: Thanks for the tip; La Truffiere seems to have a very attractive menu; much more familiar to me than that at most restaurants. Lord: I agree with you about French regional cuisine; as a result we may reserve one night at Au Tru Gascon, as I love the food of Southwest France, especially around Sarlat. We have fond memories of a trip where we dined at Restaurant Lamellois, Marc Meneau, Alain Chapel, Paul Bocuse and Troigros on successive evenings; that was as close to heaven as you can get. Unfortunately we don't have the time to do that on this trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord of the seas Posted August 25, 2005 #43 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Sharon:Thanks for the tip; La Truffiere seems to have a very attractive menu; much more familiar to me than that at most restaurants. Lord: I agree with you about French regional cuisine; as a result we may reserve one night at Au Tru Gascon, as I love the food of Southwest France, especially around Sarlat. We have fond memories of a trip where we dined at Restaurant Lamellois, Marc Meneau, Alain Chapel, Paul Bocuse and Troigros on successive evenings; that was as close to heaven as you can get. Unfortunately we don't have the time to do that on this trip. Sandbag7, I hear that Au Trou Gascon is superb and chef Alain Dutournier serves the best Cassoulet that you'll find.I love the food of Gascony and especially the cured ham.The wine list here is expansive and expensive but hey,we are only on this earth for a short time! Do book well in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulaJK Posted August 25, 2005 #44 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Au Trou Gascon was [chef] Alain Dutournier's 1st Paris restaurant. It is moderately casual with an emphasis on his regional cusine. The last I heard, his wife continued at its helm while he [several years ago] opened the more stylish, less regionally centered, upscale Les Feullaints [?sp] in central Paris. We have dined at both and enjoyed both, albeit, in different ways. I also believe that many of the Michelin ranked restaurants stay more on the 'cutting edge' of cuisine. Of course, that may make them 'courant' and exciting as well as purveyors of good tasting food. Sometimes, we find the staidness of the next level down [e.g. Jamin] to be a more enjoyable experience [with foods more easily recognized too!]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbag7 Posted August 25, 2005 #45 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Thanks for the tip Paula; I guess I'm getting old, at least when it comes to food enjoyment, as I find the au courant menus I've seen disturbing. I can't even imagine some of the food combinations (a dessert made from a tomato and 12 fruits?) tasting good. Can you describe some of the dishes you enjoyed at Jamin or Chef Dutourniers other restaurant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulaJK Posted August 25, 2005 #46 Share Posted August 25, 2005 I'm not certain that I can recall them all, let alone describe them. Jamin was more traditional/classical...a lovely soup, a salmon dish and a fabulous composed dessert plate. Dutournier's tasting menu included a fabulous chestnut soup w. slivers of white truffle, a crayfish w. garlic wafer, lamb medallions and a pistachio and chocolate dessert plate....among other items Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord of the seas Posted August 25, 2005 #47 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Sandbag7, What about the wonderful Truffles Soup from Paul Bocuse and the Pan fried Fois Gras and a glass or two of Chateau Dyquem 1976 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane110 Posted August 25, 2005 #48 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Well you're right; I switched courses because I thought Lord's last comment was on point, he wrote in plain English, and I REALLY need some advise from someone, snob or otherwise, who appreciates fine french wine and cuisine. It's a distinct pleasure, but the Restaurants which are considered the finest in Paris are ungodly expensive and their menus, to the extent I have been able to determine, seem kind of weird. I haven't been to France, except for cruise stops in Cannes and Nice in almost10 years, and I haven't eaten at a Michelin 3 star restaurant there in 20 so I'm really looking forward to it. There are many French wines which are not exported, and the pleasure of enjoying them with fine cuisine is a unique experience, which is why I consider an argument over food on the cruise lines kind of meaningless. They're all pretty solid within a range of, say, 6 to 8 on a scale of 10. I'm seeking the elusive 10! Ah, okay, you're certainly entitled to a change of heart about a person, but the 180 degree turn-around just hit me upside the head and and I looked it over twice to make sure I wasn't reading it incorrectly. I don't recall him saying he frequents Paris alot, but I'd be curious to see his recommendations since I get there twice a year. Thanks for the explaination. Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord of the seas Posted August 25, 2005 #49 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Ah, okay, you're certainly entitled to a change of heart about a person, but the 180 degree turn-around just hit me upside the head and and I looked it over twice to make sure I wasn't reading it incorrectly. I don't recall him saying he frequents Paris alot, but I'd be curious to see his recommendations since I get there twice a year. Thanks for the explaination. Jane Jane110, I did answer in #39.You visit Paris more than me,lets here your recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchesneylover Posted August 25, 2005 Author #50 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Oh I am here...Don't you worry. What is actually most interesting about this thread is that the original Poster who had a vested interest......which I challenged to reveal.....never came back to the board. A case of someone with nothing better to do. What it turned into was more fun than one could expect even though my UK origins have been besmirched by a Pompous ----. I still prefer to travel without a tuxedo and prefer a casual style holiday so I guess that Silverseas is not for us.............. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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