Tried Oceania once, but not again

[canuck.qc]

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.

 

How does tendering factor in. Don't most ships mentioned on this thread tender? What am I missing :confused:

[StanandJim]

How does tendering factor in. Don't most ships mentioned on this thread tender? What am I missing :confused:

 

Oregon50 is a Silversea/Seabourn fella, and I believe that his post was a subtle hint that they never have to line up for anything.....

[LHT28]

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.

 

Not even sure what that means :confused:

 

Have seen passengers standing in lines for tenders for many cruise line

[TrulyBlonde]

I actually cruise to see the world, and am wondering how many people actually cruise just to "eat"? O provides us with enough choices and food is not #1 on my list of things to do on a cruise.

[canuck.qc]

I actually cruise to see the world, and am wondering how many people actually cruise just to "eat"? O provides us with enough choices and food is not #1 on my list of things to do on a cruise.

 

+1 The fact I am not cooking makes the food tastier to me! Itinerary is #1

I am always amazed that for many the ship is their destination, some never leave the ship:eek:

 

Re: Oregon50s comment..if it was about the age and looks of O passengers...oh no he didn't!

Edited February 5, 2015 by canuck.qc

[Mura]

I took Oregon 50's comment about watching the people lined up for tenders as a critical comment on how they appeared. I don't mean it was obvious that he thought they were all too old or too ugly to too something else, but that it was a value judgment on what or who they were based on how they looked.

 

Then again, maybe Jim is right and he was criticizing the line itself.

 

Interesting that when we had the same itinerary as Regent's Navigator in Nov '13 (Barcelona to Rio), we gave some of the Regent folks a ride in our van to the port at one of our stops and their comment was that the Oceania passengers looked a lot livelier than those on Regent. (That also could have been a comparison of the passengers on those two specific itineraries and not a general comment about the difference between the two lines.)

 

We all live to differ ...

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

 

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....

 

Now you are being quite unfair.

There is no doubt that top notch restaurants in major cities (like the ones you had mentioned earlier) will provide better dining experiences than those on ANY ship. They have access to fresher ingredients DAILY, better trained kitchen staff (at least I would hope so) and seldom have to cook for 1000+ people (in several different kitchens). Also, their local competition is much stiffer than that on the seas.

The only fair comparison of Oceania food would be to the food served on other ships and not land based restaurants. In that comparison, Oceania will do very well, IMO.

Of course, food likes and preferences are the most individual and least objective (and least measurable) aspect of cruising. Thus, the opinions on which cruise line's food is best are likely to vary quite a bit.

I know that after cruising on all major and minor cruise lines (except Crystal), Oceania comes clearly on the top for us. That is not to say that there were no misses on Oceania, but overall they please me the most. Everyone needs to find a cruise line that suites them the best - for food as well as all the other aspects of cruising.

As always, YMMV :)

Edited February 6, 2015 by Paulchili

[Paulchili]

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.

 

Good move. I think that this will please not only yourself but those cruising with you.

You know what you like and should stay with that.

[roothy123]

It never ceases to amaze me how some people can come to a quick decision about a cruise line without even trying it. We are die-hard O fans, but signed up for a Viking Ocean cruise this fall. The ship isn't even completed yet and not all details have been worked out - and many of them not published until a few weeks ago. There were more than a few people signed up for the spring inaugural cruises that were really concerned because the times in port, port location, cost and start times of excursions and other bits of information weren't posted yet for the spring (and beyond) cruises. That didn't seem like a reason to bail to me, but they did. I guess people want to be on inaugural cruises, but expect everything to be written in stone, and go flawlessly, months before the ship becomes a ship.

 

But given oregon's cold feet, I suppose it's better that he/she is bailing. There are plenty of other cruise lines to try, after all.

Edited February 6, 2015 by roothy123

[Kevnzworld]

Now you are being quite unfair.

There is no doubt that top notch restaurants in major cities (like the ones you had mentioned earlier) will provide better dining experiences than those on ANY ship. They have access to fresher ingredients DAILY, better trained kitchen staff (at least I would hope so) and seldom have to cook for 1000+ people (in several different kitchens). Also, their local competition is much stiffer than that on the seas.

The only fair comparison of Oceania food would be to the food served on other ships and not land based restaurants. In that comparison, Oceania will do very well, IMO.

Of course, food likes and preferences are the most individual and least objective (and least measurable) aspect of cruising. Thus, the opinions on which cruise line's food is best are likely to vary quite a bit.

I know that after cruising on all major and minor cruise lines (except Crystal), Oceania comes clearly on the top for us. That is not to say that there were no misses on Oceania, but overall they please me the most. Everyone needs to find a cruise line that suites them the best - for food as well as all the other aspects of cruising.

As always, YMMV :)

 

Re: me being unfair when I wrote :

" 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...."

 

I'm not referring to the preparation of the food. Most of what I ate was prepared properly ( for ship food ) except for an overcooked pork chop and lobster.

I'm talking about the style of food, the menu.

As I wrote, my friend who was on the previous cruise mentioned to me that he thought that the menus were something out of a Gourmet cookbook circa 1975.

I commented that though there's nothing wrong with that, cuisine , style and technique has progressed a LOT since then.

Regarding comparing food across comparable cruise-lines, hands down Seabourn is better IMO using my comparison to big city modern high end restaurant cuisine.

[Paulchili]

Re: me being unfair when I wrote :

" 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...."

 

I'm not referring to the preparation of the food. Most of what I ate was prepared properly ( for ship food ) except for an overcooked pork chop and lobster.

I'm talking about the style of food, the menu.

As I wrote, my friend who was on the previous cruise mentioned to me that he thought that the menus were something out of a Gourmet cookbook circa 1975.

I commented that though there's nothing wrong with that, cuisine , style and technique has progressed a LOT since then.

Regarding comparing food across comparable cruise-lines, hands down Seabourn is better IMO using my comparison to big city modern high end restaurant cuisine.

 

Funny - I don't remember eating Pork Luc Lac, miso glazed Sea bass, slow roasted pork belly with honey sauce, trilogy of sliders (like Kobe beef and crab cake tartar), Crispy duck and watermelon salad and such in 1975. Maybe it's my Alzheimer's - or perhaps you had them in places I did not dine in 1975 (around which time, incidentally, I spent 10 years in NYC). I am not saying that every item on the menu is "nouvelle" and innovative - there are plenty of old classics on all menus but I think the majority of passengers want to have the mix of the new and the old - as long as they are prepared well.

As far as Seabourn food goes - we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Paulchili

[Mrs Miggins]

I tried Oceania in October 2014 after 3 blissful Azamara cruises. The food on O was OK but not great. I agree it is silly to cruise just for the food - try a "foodie' trip in Italy or France if this is really your 'thing'. Dishes prepared lovingly using local fresh ingredients are not the same as those that come from a Cruise ship's kitchen.

I did find the age demographic older than on Azamara and our other fantastic experience on Royal Clipper in May. In general the people we met on O were rather 'dour' and not nearly as much fun as we had met before. Everyone went to bed at 10 p.m. Ship was lovely but will not be rushing back. (although itinerary and price may change this)

There is no way I would pay anything like $1000 per day for this experience (is this quoted figure per person ?)

I do of course realise that my comments only relate to our one cruise.

Also when asking newbie questions on the O board many answers were not always helpful and in a couple of cases rather nasty.

 

We are booked on Star Clipper in the south of France in Sept 2015 and Viking Ocean in June 2016. Variety is the spice of life and we may try river cruising next.

[DavidTheWonderer]

There is no doubt that top notch restaurants in major cities (like the ones you had mentioned earlier) will provide better dining experiences than those on ANY ship. :)

 

Well ... certainly the logistics of getting good ingredients and preparing them on a ship has unique challenges. But for me the food and service at La Reserve on Rivieria is as good as any land-based restaurant that I've ever been to. Your mileage may differ.

[Floridiana]

As to 'dour' passengers, I don't have as much cruising experience as many others here, but on each cruise the passengers were different. On 'destination' cruises, they were more compatible with DH and me than on our few 'sail around the Caribbean' trips. That was true for several cruise lines, not only Oceania. Also, in my limited experience, Canadians and Australians are less likely to complain and rather go with the flow. Sorry, fellow US Americans. ;)

[kimanjo]

What I find most interesting is the "hows and whys" of finding our best fit.

 

Celebrity was fine when the children were little because it met the need of our family. Large enough for activities, but not so big as to have rock-climbinig walls. We sailed when the numbers of children on board was what we thought was perfect. But when the children grew up, looked for a smaller ship experience.

 

Moved to Azamara, nice ship, nice size, good food, but didn't care for the passengers.

 

Tried Oceania last year. We have another planned for this June. We liked the food, the size, the other pax. We don't drink, and DIY our own excursions, so that works for us, and the country club casual is perfect too. Right now, its our line of choice.

 

Finding the best "fit" probably wont happen the first try, and it will probably change over time.

[BillPizzaiolo]

I tried Oceania in October 2014 after 3 blissful Azamara cruises. The food on O was OK but not great. I agree it is silly to cruise just for the food - try a "foodie' trip in Italy or France if this is really your 'thing'. Dishes prepared lovingly using local fresh ingredients are not the same as those that come from a Cruise ship's kitchen.

I did find the age demographic older than on Azamara and our other fantastic experience on Royal Clipper in May. In general the people we met on O were rather 'dour' and not nearly as much fun as we had met before. Everyone went to bed at 10 p.m. Ship was lovely but will not be rushing back. (although itinerary and price may change this)

There is no way I would pay anything like $1000 per day for this experience (is this quoted figure per person ?)

I do of course realise that my comments only relate to our one cruise.

Also when asking newbie questions on the O board many answers were not always helpful and in a couple of cases rather nasty.

 

We are booked on Star Clipper in the south of France in Sept 2015 and Viking Ocean in June 2016. Variety is the spice of life and we may try river cruising next.

 

Well on port intensive cruises we have spent a few late nights at "...another busy night in Horizons" to quote the bar staff. Yes, hitting the sack early is a necessity if you want to get up, hit the treadmill in the gym, or stretch class, grab a cup of coffee and be on the dock to meet an 8 AM tour that will bring you back as they are pulling up the gang plank. On days like that we tend to go to bed early. The days of drinking and dancing all night are reserved for days we can sleep in. We like to see the exotic ports of call and not the insides of our eyelids in bed. O is our cruise ship of preference due to ports of call and a comfortable fit for us. We have made some very strong international and national friendships with other like minded folks cruising. No regrets, no complaints we thoroughly enjoyed our past cruises and look forward to new ones to come. Only advice is find a place that you fit into and enjoy and not bitch about places that you don't fit into.

[LHT28]

If only I could remember what type of food I ate in 1975 :D

 

From my limited memory it was burger & pizza :eek:

 

If we all like the same type of food or the same cruise experience how boring life would be

 

 

 

Enjoy life, it has an expiry date

[TrulyBlonde]

Funny - I don't remember eating Pork Luc Lac, miso glazed Sea bass, slow roasted pork belly with honey sauce, trilogy of sliders (like Kobe beef and crab cake tartar), Crispy duck and watermelon salad and such in 1975. Maybe it's my Alzheimer's - or perhaps you had them in places I did not dine in 1975 (around which time, incidentally, I spent 10 years in NYC). I am not saying that every item on the menu is "nouvelle" and innovative - there are plenty of old classics on all menus but I think the majority of passengers want to have the mix of the new and the old - as long as they are prepared well.

As far as Seabourn food goes - we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

 

I would bet that if choice was old fashioned Meatloaf with mashed potatoes or Pork Luc Lac, majority would choose that old staple of meatloaf. I love to cook and experiment but still go back to my Betty Crocker cookbook my Mom gave me in the 70's. Try getting to gourmet at Thanksgiving and all of the kids complain and want the real stuff.

[Toranut97]

I would bet that if choice was old fashioned Meatloaf with mashed potatoes or Pork Luc Lac, majority would choose that old staple of meatloaf. I love to cook and experiment but still go back to my Betty Crocker cookbook my Mom gave me in the 70's. Try getting to gourmet at Thanksgiving and all of the kids complain and want the real stuff.

 

True! I have wondered if much of the debate in this thread is generated by the idea of the upscale, innovative urban restaurants that the OP favors? For folks like me (and I suspect, you) a cruise on O is a chance to indulge in some cuisine that really differs from our own kitchens!

 

I watch the Food Network, but rarely do I use their recipes. Outside of Pioneer Woman, that is....LOL

 

This is definitely a case of "YMMV!"

 

Donna

[TrulyBlonde]

If only I could remember what type of food I ate in 1975 :D

 

From my limited memory it was burger & pizza :eek:

 

If we all like the same type of food or the same cruise experience how boring life would be

 

 

 

Enjoy life, it has an expiry date

 

Burgers, pizza, and Boones Farm Apple wine for me...and underage;-)

[Kevnzworld]

Funny - I don't remember eating Pork Luc Lac, miso glazed Sea bass, slow roasted pork belly with honey sauce, trilogy of sliders (like Kobe beef and crab cake tartar), Crispy duck and watermelon salad and such in 1975. Maybe it's my Alzheimer's - or perhaps you had them in places I did not dine in 1975 (around which time, incidentally, I spent 10 years in NYC). I am not saying that every item on the menu is "nouvelle" and innovative - there are plenty of old classics on all menus but I think the majority of passengers want to have the mix of the new and the old - as long as they are prepared well.

As far as Seabourn food goes - we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

 

I WASN'T referring to what I ate in 1975, it was pizza or food at Trader Vic's.( I was 19 )..

My friends first cookbook was Gourmet's cookbook circa 1975, he thought that the food in the GDR reminded him of food from that era out of that cookbook.

The food Paul mentioned above is primarily in Red Ginger, not the GDR. I did have the acclaimed miso seabass, it was good. It's a staple at many sushi places I eat at. The duck/ watermelon salad was too heavy on the duck vs watermelon, but was pretty good. It was actually one of the better things I ate. I followed it that night with the red curry chicken. AWFUL.

Sliders ( mini burgers ) aren't exactly cutting edge cuisine, and not what I want for dinner ( Polo Grill ). I did think that the fois gras in the puff pastry was good, the escargot much less so. ( Celebrity's is better )

Anyway, I also mentioned ( to be fair ) that La Reserve was really good. They pored the wine liberally, and it was much better than most of the swill they serve by the glass. The food and service in La Reserve was excellent.

Remember, I sailed on Oceania on a fairly last minute booking to try it out. I've become disenchanted and bored with Celebrity ( suite/Aqua class ) and want some new fresh cruise alternatives .

I was going to book Oceania's Papeete to Sydney for 1/6? But am now opting for the Paul Gaugin instead. That was the first ship I sailed on from back in my Regent sailing days.

Conversations like this one is part of what makes cruising in the social network age fun !

Edited February 6, 2015 by Kevnzworld

[travellerin1984]

I tried Oceania in October 2014 after 3 blissful Azamara cruises. The food on O was OK but not great. I agree it is silly to cruise just for the food - try a "foodie' trip in Italy or France if this is really your 'thing'. Dishes prepared lovingly using local fresh ingredients are not the same as those that come from a Cruise ship's kitchen.

 

I start to be a bit nervous after all the comments. We have booked our honeymoon cruise on Riviera for next summer. We have done 6 cruises on Celebrity and 4 of them in Aqua class and want something more luxurious for our honeymoon. We dont mind the older passengers but we booked this cruise because of the FOOD. I hope we won't be dissappointed! :)

[Paulchili]

I start to be a bit nervous after all the comments. We have booked our honeymoon cruise on Riviera for next summer. We have done 6 cruises on Celebrity and 4 of them in Aqua class and want something more luxurious for our honeymoon. We dont mind the older passengers but we booked this cruise because of the FOOD. I hope we won't be dissappointed! :)

 

The GREAT majority of people (at least those posting on this thread) are not disappointed in Oceania food, while, of course, some are.

If you are a betting man, your odds of being happy with their food are pretty good :D

Do yourself a favor and go with an open mind and realistic expectations and your odds will get even better.

Congrats and enjoy your cruise.

[Mrs Miggins]

Well BillPizzaiola, sorry I didnt realise I was "bitching". This is rather an example of the tone of some of the replies on this board that I experienced previously.

I enjoyed our cruise and wrote a review comparing our experience on our one O cruise with Azamara. We were on Riviera but perhaps one of the R class ships would have suited us more. We have cruised on a variety of cruise lines over many years. I love port intensive cruises and dislike sea days. But I still, even at my advanced age, enjoy the odd late night. I found the Azamara experience more friendly and congenial

I would not pay $1000 per day for Oceania or any cruise line which I believe was quoted by the O P.

I have never had a bad cruise but some were better than others

Looking forward to our next Star Clipper cruise which is certainly a very different experience, Food was excellent and we understand some is actually locally sourced.

We may well return to Oceania but why is everyone so angry?

[BillPizzaiolo]

Well BillPizzaiola, sorry I didnt realise I was "bitching". This is rather an example of the tone of some of the replies on this board that I experienced previously.

I enjoyed our cruise and wrote a review comparing our experience on our one O cruise with Azamara. We were on Riviera but perhaps one of the R class ships would have suited us more. We have cruised on a variety of cruise lines over many years. I love port intensive cruises and dislike sea days. But I still, even at my advanced age, enjoy the odd late night. I found the Azamara experience more friendly and congenial

I would not pay $1000 per day for Oceania or any cruise line which I believe was quoted by the O P.

I have never had a bad cruise but some were better than others

Looking forward to our next Star Clipper cruise which is certainly a very different experience, Food was excellent and we understand some is actually locally sourced.

We may well return to Oceania but why is everyone so angry?

 

Sorry for that last sentence. We seem to have a similar mind set. The "bitching" statement was not directed at people that were happy with their experiences just to those complainers that spoil the ambiance of others experiences. Mea culpa Mea maxima culpa.

 

 

As far as another note, directed to those interested parties. I can see why "sliders" were on the menu in Polo. I love a juicy rare prime rib steak or roast. My wife of many years, likes extremely well done hamburgers. At Polo therefor we can both dine together enjoyably. You see if you just pick and choose items off a menu that displease you and criticize them for it you are just taking the entire experience out of context. If it were real journalism, it appears very slanted and one sided. Much like most of what is on the net today. For all those trying to make up their minds try to read everything and especially between the lines.