Tried Oceania once, but not again

[Emperor Norton]

+1 on NY pizza vs Italy :) or Chicago style

 

Chicago style isnt pizza. It's a casserole;):p

[PaulMCO]

Kevin --

 

Closets -- definitely agree. Tiny and hard to access.

 

Room attendants - took three days to get it done properly. Room attendants are OVERWORKED. Some are quite sourly due to the number of rooms they have to clean. Not their fault but definitely a management issue.

 

 

Toscana -- yep avoid the Lobster. Generally inedible. Has been for years and someone should take notice. Toscana is very disappointing. Caesar Salad table side -- :) Got to laugh at the fake Caesar. Olive oil is a nice touch -- put prefer the Parmesan cheese.

 

Red Ginger. Not Thai -- but Asian fusion. Should have tried the Sea Bass.

 

Jacques -- DW was very disappointed in the escargot. Tasteless snails in tasteless butter. :mad:

 

Wines agree. But we brought our own on board and pay the corkage fee.

 

Regarding walking up to the menu at the GDR -- we did that several times and turned around and went up to the terrace. Ate only once in the GDR in 12 nights - 6 nights in the specialties and 5 in the Terrace.

Edited February 4, 2015 by PaulMCO

[Travelcat2]

Kevnzworld: Thank you for the detailed review of Oceania's cuisine. Since the line claims that its food is one of its strengths, I was glad to read a review that concentrates on that claim. I have sailed on Oceania (once), and also found that the food did not live up to claims or expectations. After reading your specific complaints and sensing the kind of food you are looking for on a cruise, I would suggest you try Crystal (which I have also sailed once). They introduced new menus last year that each night combine some traditional Continental choices with some Nouvelle Cuisine. We tended to order mostly from the Nouvelle side of the menu, and the food was superb. I don't know whether the sushi is frozen or not, but it has Nobu's blessing -- and the Miso Black Cod was to die for. Also the Tastes restaurant on Serenity has a modern menu that is done extremely well.

 

Interesting comments. Must say that I am a bit surprised about the Crystal recommendation. While Crystal gets great reviews on their food, being a luxury cruise line, they are considerably more expensive than Oceania and therefore may not be an option for Oceania customers. Actually, we are Regent customers and find Crystal too expensive (if we compare suites of comparable size on Crystal and Regent).

 

PaulMCO: Agree about the escargot in Jacques but found the escargot in Polo the best we have had on any ship.

 

P.S. Another vote for N.Y. style pizza.

[Kevnzworld]

Kevnzworld: Thank you for the detailed review of Oceania's cuisine. Since the line claims that its food is one of its strengths, I was glad to read a review that concentrates on that claim. I have sailed on Oceania (once), and also found that the food did not live up to claims or expectations. After reading your specific complaints and sensing the kind of food you are looking for on a cruise, I would suggest you try Crystal (which I have also sailed once). They introduced new menus last year that each night combine some traditional Continental choices with some Nouvelle Cuisine. We tended to order mostly from the Nouvelle side of the menu, and the food was superb. I don't know whether the sushi is frozen or not, but it has Nobu's blessing -- and the Miso Black Cod was to die for. Also the Tastes restaurant on Serenity has a modern menu that is done extremely well.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I've never tried Crystal, but in general if I'm going to spend $1000 per night id rather sail on a smaller luxury ship that can visit the less travelled ports. As far as larger ships, I'll stay on Celebrity given my loyalty level and the " somewhat " younger demographic. Hopefully their new Suite class restaurant lives up to the hype.

Everybody likes different food, I agree. I'm sure Oceania is good at what it does, I'm just not a fan of it. It's too traditional , old fashioned and uninventive.

It's too bad that they don't make La Reserve a specialty restaurant that is open every night, I would have tried all three menus. It was on par with Seabourn's restaurant 2. The lone standout.

As I wrote, the lack of included beverages and a limited set of wine by the glass options for the purchased $60 beverage package doesn't work for us. Other cruiselines, ( even Celebrity ) offer different wines in all the restaurants, and they change often allowing for variety. I don't mind occasionally buying a bottle, even while having the beverage package...I just don't want to HAVE to.

Lastly, I know this is an exaggeration, but it seemed like every fish dish was in a heavy Beurre blanc sauce, or some other butter drenched concoction. Yes, you can order anything sans sauce , but if the dish is designed for the sauce, it will be just a plain piece of fish without it. There are alternatives, like panned seared with a crispy skin and a tapenade, or a Provençal type sauce with olives, tomatoes, herbs and olive oil. I could go on but you get the point.

I want to like Oceania, I need and want luxury mid ship alternatives that aren't $1500 per night.

[TrulyBlonde]

Kevyn, Actually we are in your age group and fortunate to be retired for about 15 yrs. We actually prefer an older demographic on a cruise vs: younger with the Caribbean being their one and only annual vacation. It is much more peaceful, they are generally more well traveled and have no desire to drink and eat as much as you can mentality. I have always looked at Crystal but to have a set dining time every evening is not something that would suit us. It is more than likely not an affordability issue for many O customers, but probably some of the same reasons we pass on it.

[LHT28]

It is amazing that some posters presume that O cruisers cannot afford a Crystal cruise :rolleyes:

 

So insulting to other people that do not meet their perceived financial status

 

Some may just not like some aspects of Crystal or Regent cruises & nothing to with $$

[ricki]

Just to clear up some discrepancies about Crystal:

 

1. Crystal's Asian restaurant, Silk Road, was designed by Nobu, uses Nobo-trained chefts, Nobu's recipes, and Nobu's suppliers. (Nobu's requirements.) The fish used for sushi or sashimi is frozen, but frozen in such a manner that it is impossible to tell the difference between fresh and frozen. IMO, it's the best restaurant at sea.

 

2. Crystal is rated #1 by Conde Naste Travel in the Large Ship category, but it is hardly a large ship by current standards. Crystal Symphony holds about 940 guests and Crystal Serenity close to 1200. However, the guest to space ratio is very large, so that there is never a feeling of being crowded or waiting on line. Additionally, the ships are rarely at the 2 berth/cabin capacity because they have a very favorable single supplement. Currently, it is 125%, but will increase to 135% in 2016. It's larger size does permit for more options in terms of enrichment and entertainment.

 

3. Prices average about $500 pp/per day, less than many other luxury lines. Certain itineraries will be more expensive. It is All Inclusive, with no charge for alcohol or other beverages and no gratuities.

 

4. Crystal no longer requires formal attire and is comparable to Seabourn in terms of dress.

 

5. Crystal does have two traditional seatings for dinner, and offer Dining By Reservation, which allows someone to dine at different times by making a reservation as in a restaurant.

 

I love Crystal, it works for my husband and myself, and we've done 20 cruises on Crystal, but we do sail Oceania, too. We'll be on our third O cruise on Riviera next month. Although Crystal ships are well maintained and very attractive, I do think Marina (and Riviera, I'm sure) are the most beautiful ships at sea.

 

Ricki

Edited February 4, 2015 by ricki

[LHT28]

Thanks for the recommendation. I've never tried Crystal, but in general if I'm going to spend $1000 per night id rather sail on a smaller luxury ship that can visit the less travelled ports.

 

Have you checked out Seadream they have small ships

[Travelcat2]

It is amazing that some posters presume that O cruisers cannot afford a Crystal cruise :rolleyes:

 

So insulting to other people that do not meet their perceived financial status

 

Some may just not like some aspects of Crystal or Regent cruises & nothing to with $$

 

Was not specifically stating that Oceania cruises cannot afford Crystal -- nor was I specifically stating that Regent cruisers cannot afford Crystal. However, there are some Oceania cruisers that cannot afford a luxury cruise line. And, there are some luxury cruisers that find Crystal a bit high for what they receive.

 

ricki: The prices you quoted are low compared to what we have looked at. As I stated, if we were to book the same size suite on Crystal as we do on Regent, the fare is higher on Crystal. Also, as most people know, Crystal has some of the smallest suites/staterooms of any luxury cruise line.

 

The only luxury cruise line that still requires formal dress is Silversea. Again, this does not make Crystal unique.

 

Many cruisers (luxury, premium, etc.) do not prefer set seating. And, as has been described in great detail on Cruise Critic, it is not always easy to find open seating at the time and with the number of people you wish to dine with on Crystal.

 

No comment about Conde Nast Traveler -- it is what it is. The question with this poll has always been who is voting?

 

It is interesting what you said about "Silk Rose". As stated earlier, most sashimi is frozen first -- it not only makes the fish safer, it tastes the same if not better than "fresh".

 

While this sounds as if I am against Crystal -- I am certainly not. I simply do not feel that it is marketed to the same demographic as Oceania. IMO, in it's class, Oceania is the best at sea. Even when compared to the two luxury lines that we have sailed (Silversea and Regent), it gives them a run for its money.

 

Food is subjective. What we enjoy and what you enjoy may be completely different. From what I have read, we would prefer "Silk Rose" to "Red Ginger" because of the quality of Japanese food. As you know, Red Ginger is not a Japanese restaurant (or a Chinese or Thai restaurant). Their representation of Japanese food is quite good IMO but is probably better in "Silk Rose".

 

In terms of comparisons of "like" cruise lines, perhaps someone would like to do a recent comparison of Azamara and Oceania?

Edited February 5, 2015 by Travelcat2

[Mura]

TravelCat, I absolutely agree. While we haven't sailed on Seabourn or Crystal, or even Celebrity (although we have on NCL in recent years and will again soon), your comments are fair and even handed.

 

Mura

[ricki]

Was not specifically stating that Oceania cruises cannot afford Crystal -- nor was I specifically stating that Regent cruisers cannot afford Crystal. However, there are some Oceania cruisers that cannot afford a luxury cruise line. And, there are some luxury cruisers that find Crystal a bit high for what they receive.

 

ricki: The prices you quoted are low compared to what we have looked at. As I stated, if we were to book the same size suite on Crystal as we do on Regent, the fare is higher on Crystal. Also, as most people know, Crystal has some of the smallest suites/staterooms of any luxury cruise line.

 

The only luxury cruise line that still requires formal dress is Silversea. Again, this does not make Crystal unique.

 

Many cruisers (luxury, premium, etc.) do not prefer set seating. And, as has been described in great detail on Cruise Critic, it is not always easy to find open seating at the time and with the number of people you wish to dine with on Crystal.

 

No comment about Conde Nast Traveler -- it is what it is. The question with this poll has always been who is voting?

 

It is interesting what you said about "Silk Rose". As stated earlier, most sashimi is frozen first -- it not only makes the fish safer, it tastes the same if not better than "fresh".

 

While this sounds as if I am against Crystal -- I am certainly not. I simply do not feel that it is marketed to the same demographic as Oceania. IMO, in it's class, Oceania is the best at sea. Even when compared to the two luxury lines that we have sailed (Silversea and Regent), it gives them a run for its money.

 

Food is subjective. What we enjoy and what you enjoy may be completely different. From what I have read, we would prefer "Silk Rose" to "Red Ginger" because of the quality of Japanese food. As you know, Red Ginger is not a Japanese restaurant (or a Chinese or Thai restaurant). Their representation of Japanese food is quite good IMO but is probably better in "Silk Rose".

 

In terms of comparisons of "like" cruise lines, perhaps someone would like to do a recent comparison of Azamara and Oceania?

 

TravelCat,

 

My point in posting was not to criticize Oceania, nor was it to imply that people could or could not afford Crystal. It was simply to clarify comments that had been made about Crystal in this thread.

 

People are loyal to various cruise lines, it would be awful if we all liked the same ships! Fortunately, we have choices. For some, the size of the accommodation is what drives the decision, for others, it is the other elements that make up the cruise.

 

By the way, the restaurant on Crystal is Silk Road, not Silk Rose.

 

Wishing you happy sailing!

 

Ricki

[Travelcat2]

TravelCat, I absolutely agree. While we haven't sailed on Seabourn or Crystal, or even Celebrity (although we have on NCL in recent years and will again soon), your comments are fair and even handed.

 

Mura

 

Thank you :)

[nancygp]

TravelCat,

 

My point in posting was not to criticize Oceania, nor was it to imply that people could or could not afford Crystal. It was simply to clarify comments that had been made about Crystal in this thread.

 

People are loyal to various cruise lines, it would be awful if we all liked the same ships! Fortunately, we have choices. For some, the size of the accommodation is what drives the decision, for others, it is the other elements that make up the cruise.

 

By the way, the restaurant on Crystal is Silk Road, not Silk Rose.

 

Wishing you happy sailing!

 

Ricki

 

:)

 

 

Nancy

[TrulyBlonde]

TC2..comparing Azamara to Oceania is apples and oranges to me. I have sailed AZ twice and 1st cruise was lovely...as for 2nd time around, my first ever post on CC was about my disaster on AZ and the mold issue. I almost thought about giving up cruising. This was why I was so fearful about the Navigator and cancelled. My O cruise this May will be my 1st in a year ( we always cruise twice annually) after that nightmare.

[Travelcat2]

TC2..comparing Azamara to Oceania is apples and oranges to me. I have sailed AZ twice and 1st cruise was lovely...as for 2nd time around, my first ever post on CC was about my disaster on AZ and the mold issue. I almost thought about giving up cruising. This was why I was so fearful about the Navigator and cancelled. My O cruise this May will be my 1st in a year ( we always cruise twice annually) after that nightmare.

 

Glad that you did not give up cruising:) If AZ isn't competition to Oceania, it seems as if they do not have any competition. I hope that you enjoy your upcoming cruise and also hope that you will give Regent a try. The Mariner and Voyager are great ships!

 

Sorry about calling "Silk Road" by the wrong name. I still think we would adore that restaurant. :)

[TrulyBlonde]

Glad that you did not give up cruising:) If AZ isn't competition to Oceania, it seems as if they do not have any competition. I hope that you enjoy your upcoming cruise and also hope that you will give Regent a try. The Mariner and Voyager are great ships!

 

Sorry about calling "Silk Road" by the wrong name. I still think we would adore that restaurant. :)

 

TC2, don't worry....I have been scoping them out and if the itinerary and timing work, we will give them a try. We have 4 cruises booked for 2015 and 2016 and then want to do a British Isles next and a Danube River cruise. We do not go to 3rd world countries (ex:India or Africa) therefore the list is narrowing.

[wripro]

Try going to the early morning fish market in Tokyo and you'll see the tuna they seek there is also frozen. They flash freeze on the boat as soon as it's caught. It has to be or it would lose its freshen very very soon. And that's the tuna used for sushi in the best restaurants in Tokyo.

[BillPizzaiolo]

Try going to the early morning fish market in Tokyo and you'll see the tuna they seek there is also frozen. They flash freeze on the boat as soon as it's caught. It has to be or it would lose its freshen very very soon. And that's the tuna used for sushi in the best restaurants in Tokyo.

+1 on the tuna issue

 

IMHO. Going on Oceania's ships in the Carib. is not the place where they shine best. One will most likely find newbie staff just getting OJT for the more intensive trips. I think it is really good for the Florida Snowbird folks looking for a get-away from Florida for a few days.

Oceania doesn't seem to attract the drink and party all night people as some cruises are from that part of the world.

We've enjoyed all six of our cruises with them. One was over 30 days long and didn't get a tired feeling or complaint about the food.

[oregon50]

One other " criticism " though. What's up with the fake table side Caesar salad preparation? The dressing SHOULD be made table side , that's the point of doing it table side. Instead it's pre made and just tossed table side. Lame.

 

Oh, you mean like Tuscan Grill on X? What a joke, and served by a waiter reciting the history of Caesar salad that had no clue what he was saying.

 

Kevin's posts are among my favorite reads on CC. Our first cruise with O is scheduled for October. Food is one of the very few positives for trying this line, and his comments carry more weight to me than any other writer on this thread.

[Paulchili]

Kevin's posts are among my favorite reads on CC. Our first cruise with O is scheduled for October. Food is one of the very few positives for trying this line, and his comments carry more weight to me than any other writer on this thread.

 

That being the case, you just might want to do yourself a favor (and save some money as well) and cancel that cruise.

I doubt very much that you would enjoy it.

[oregon50]

Having watched O passengers getting off tenders and seeing them stand in line for the same tenders at several ports, I would agree with you. Will cancel this week.

[Kevnzworld]

Oh, you mean like Tuscan Grill on X? What a joke, and served by a waiter reciting the history of Caesar salad that had no clue what he was saying.

 

Kevin's posts are among my favorite reads on CC. Our first cruise with O is scheduled for October. Food is one of the very few positives for trying this line, and his comments carry more weight to me than any other writer on this thread.

 

Thank you Oregon50 :)

Remember, we all have different concepts about what " good " food is. Just read multiple reviews of any new restaurant. I offer my take for those that may share the same food preferences as I. ( modern fresh, flavorful, innovative etc )

Ironically , I have two sets of couple friends that sailed on the same cruise on Riviera on different dates. One at the end of Dec, the other ten days before us. ( We have all sailed together twice on Celebrity ). They liked the food more than we did, but neither thought it was great.

I had a conversation with one of them last night about our cruise, he mentioned that the dishes reminded him of stuff out of a Gourmet cookbook circa 1975.

Not there is anything wrong with that, but a visit to any big city popular modern restaurant will tell you that cuisine has progressed a lot since then....

[Floridiana]

Try going to the early morning fish market in Tokyo and you'll see the tuna they seek there is also frozen. They flash freeze on the boat as soon as it's caught. It has to be or it would lose its freshen very very soon. And that's the tuna used for sushi in the best restaurants in Tokyo.

 

Absolutely. I watched the unloading of frozen tuna in Manta in Ecuador. Only the small wooden boats brought unfrozen fish to the local markets. The bigger boats, one with a helicopter, roam far out and flash freeze their catch.

[roothy123]

I am definitely not a foodie, so I suppose what's good to me is not necessarily good to a foodie. However, I do know Maryland crab cakes, and the ones on O wouldn't pass inspection here in Maryland due to lack of seasoning, so there are certainly some slight "misses" when it comes to O's food. Then again, maybe others wouldn't like Old Bay in their crab cakes, so you can't please everyone. However, the good thing about cruises is that you can always order something else if you really don't care for what you receive - something we had to do a couple times when we took a chance and cruised on Celebrity - ugh! (And you talk about heavy on the meat, Celebrity's food offered little besides red meat, and when I tried the salmon, it was dry and tasteless. Oh well, I didn't starve, so it was OK!) I do, however, agree that some of the dishes on O could be described more simply without trying to impress us...

 

Not to bash Celebrity, since they are a bit cheaper than O (but not that much once you factor in the not included items), but I also thought the servicing of our stateroom on Celebrity was much worse than we've ever had on Oceania. The cleaning was up to O's standards, but usually it took most of the day before it took place. I didn't really mind, as I don't spend much time in the room anyway (especially on port days) but have to admit that it was not used to what I was used to on Oceania. There, they seem to clean your room almost immediately when you leave, and it's seldom still not clean by lunch time. We usually cruise in inside cabins, too, so you can't say we got any special service! We've always meet our cabin attendants the first day on an Oceania cruise, so it surprises me that you met yours so late. Maybe he/she was new. Ours have been exceptional.

 

Yes, O attracts an older crowd than Celebrity, although I don't think the average age is actually 75, but more like 65. It does matter which size ship you travel (Insignia versus Marina, for example), and the itinerary, as I've noticed some differences in age due to those factors.

 

Anyway, it's good we have a large variety of cruise lines and ships to choose from. I'll stick with O until I find one I like better! Everyone's different.

Edited February 5, 2015 by roothy123

[JPR]

+2

 

I'm a Los Angeles native and my wife and are big foodies. We always enjoy Jacques, Polo, and Red Ginger. Toscana does not match up with top Italian restaurants but it's not bad. If it were, we'd gain even more weight!

 

We are taking our third Riviera cruise on June 1. By far our favorite cruise ship. Food isn't everything! We love the PH suites, having course by course meals in our suite, spacious spa, pool area, teaching kitchen, Barista's, artists loft, putting course, etc. if only it had a cigar lounge like the Regent ships do!