Odyssey Dec.3rd: Regression Analysis

[writer100]

December 3rd cruise on Odyssey: Regression Analysis

 

My wife and I just returned from a 12-day cruise on Odyssey. Although there were many satisfying Seabourn moments, the overall sense was of a cruise line floundering in perhaps the most crucial arena: food service.

 

We are not novice cruisers, nor new to SB—this was our 6th Seabourn cruise. Many of the elements of a satisfying SB experience were present. Foremost among these was the crew, whose individual good spirits and positive attitude was precisely as expected. The cruise director was talented and infectiously good humored, which made trivia (we lost badly) a most pleasant diversion. Odyssey herself is in remarkably good shape, although signs of age and wear are visible. As when the temperature/volume control for my sink came off in my hand. And while there are some chips and nicks here and there along the corridors and in the suites, the ship still presents well. Boarding and disembarkation were smooth and swift.

 

My friend MarianH and LadyM were on the previous leg of this Caribbean cruise and graciously emailed us a list of the best free wines. (I think there is a separate thread devoted to this.) They seem a significant upgrade over the often dreadful pours previously offered. Sadly, the early morning coffee and muffins once available in the Observation Lounge are no more. You can get similar fare from the barista at Seabourn Square, but it is not the same experience as sipping coffee while gazing over the bow as the ship moves towards the horizon.

 

Not to beat a round the bush, or the galley, the food was mostly a bitter disappointment. I don’t want to generalize, so let me absolve Restaurant 2—our tasting menu was quite satisfying—and occasionally the Colonnade. The Patio Grill served a Thomas Keller burger clearly superior to the previous offering. But for many, the dining highlight should be dinner in The Restaurant—the end of the day tribute to appetite and chefdom.

 

Alas, it was neither.

 

Our saga begins on the first night: we chose to order from the Thomas Keller restaurant, beginning with the appetizers. We sat down at 7:30. At 8:15—after too many bread sticks and a glass of wine—I flagged our waitress and asked the whereabouts of our food. At 8:30, she reported that the kitchen was out of the TK appetizers, so could we choose from the regular offerings? We could and did so immediately. Our first course finally arrived --at 9:00pm, 90 minutes after we sat down.

 

Being social folk we usually offer to share a table. Many of the people we were paired with were on their first SB cruise. Which put me in the embarrassing position of defending the kitchen for its errors, and assuring newbies that “it isn’t usually like this.” Let us pray that this is so.

 

Here is a partial list of culinary crimes. Soup was always initially served at room temperature. (On one occasion I had to send it back twice to get it warmed.) If meat was ordered medium it came rare. If ordered well done it came rare. And rarely, very rarely, at higher than room temperature. Side orders of vegetables arrived in cute little domed dishes; the dome preserved only their tepid temps. Fish ordered cooked through never was. Repeat, never. (To be fair, on one occasion on the second attempt the kitchen got my wife’s fish done right and served hot.) Somehow the lamb chops escaped the kitchen’s confusion and arrived perfectly done. Not so a NY strip which made up in toughness what it lacked in flavor. A restaurant manager observed me sawing away with a steak knife, and offered a replacement. But having waited almost an hour for the meat’s appearance I decided to quit while ahead. Early in the cruise I requested venison for an evening meal 3 days hence to permit marinating. It was perfect in taste, texture and color. Later, venison appeared on the standard menu and I asked for it. It arrived blood rare, tough and clearly without benefit of marinating. The offered shrimp appetizer consisted of smallish shrimps artfully arranged on a plate with spots of cocktail sauce flanking each one. And a good thing too, as the shrimp had little taste. (The Colonnade version was slightly more familiar, with one very large shrimp reigning over a collection of micro-sized ones.) An attempt to save money? I wonder.) Service took forever, the wait between courses was often interminable.

 

Part of the explanation for this exceedingly disappointing experience may be that the kitchen was struggling to adjust to a new ordering system. At least some waiters were using mini-pads, and while that might speed up the process for standard orders, if you requested more of this or less of that, the waiter would freeze as he tried to find how to enter your nonstandard request. No one that I observed blamed the wait staff, as the problem clearly lay in the galley.

 

But the result was that The Restaurant experience was approached with apprehension—a feeling that too often proved justified.

 

My wife chatted with some very experienced Seabourn cruisers who opined that they could detect a general reduction in the quality in the ensuite bed linen and paper goods, a view to which my wife also subscribes. (As an insensitive brute, I have no comment.)

 

I liked Seabourn a lot. I trusted Seabourn to deliver an exceptional experience. Which they did, though not one to be proud of.

 

Dining used to be among the special pleasures of a Seabourn cruise. Perhaps in the future it will be again.

[Emperor Norton]

Who was the chef for the cruise?

[mraven]

We were on the Odyssey on the 1st Caribbean cruise at the end of October. We met the IT guy who was training the staff on the new ordering system. I asked about special orders and he saaid it was 'built into the app'. I guess not.

 

I also asked where else there system was deployed. He said HAL.

 

Fortunately for us, the electronic ordering system was not implemented on our cruise.

[writer100]

Don't remember his name, a German chap. I ran into him at the entrance to The Restaurant after my first (very good( venison experience and complimented him.

[Ithaca]

Writer100, the title of your report harked me back to several economic theory courses, long past. However, the regression in food preparation quality you've described is of significant concern to those of us considering a cruise in the Odyssey. Thank you for your input.

[MARIANH]

Don't remember his name, a German chap. I ran into him at the entrance to The Restaurant after my first (very good( venison experience and complimented him.

 

Could have been Manfred Schaller. Yes, that compliment cost you deer.

 

Apropos your problems with the food and service, I suspect you may have been the victim of the law of unintended consequences due to Seabourn trying to introduce two variables at the same time .Viz electronic recording of orders and Kellerisation. Each by itself could be a recipe for problems. In combination you have the potential for a perfect storm. But there again you could just have been unlucky. Regression analysis indeed!

 

Certainly on the cruise before yours there were problems with the Galley coping with Keller ( with knock on consequences); but overall the food was OK if you stuck to the normal menu. In fact I had the best Chateaubriand ever at sea.

 

BTW did you make your displeasure known to members of the Management Team?

 

It would be interesting to hear if there are food/service problems on Odyssey currently.

 

And plagiarising an apposite phrase - " Other than that, how was the cruise , Mrs Lincoln"

[Chairsin]

Oh deer! Too funny (Marianh, not writer100).

 

As to Writer100's problems with the food it is quite distressing and I am sorry for you experience as the food is a very important part of what has always made us keep coming back to Seabourn. Perhaps it is as Marianh says the perfect storm of two new forces, Nonetheless this is cold comfort for the OP. I do not know the Chef Manfred but do remember a German one named Martin.i will also be watching to see if this a learning curve issue or a regression as we we have a June Odyssey cruise booked. We have friends who will join the ship on Jan. 4 so will look forward to feedback to see if the situation has improved.

[NZbelle]

Sounds like it is still the same as when we cruised 2 months ago. We encountered exactly the same problems and indeed the chef was German. We had to wait many many times for well over an hour to get our main course. Fish was often raw as well and hot food very often cool.There is a major problem on the Odyssey which may be related as others have said to Kellerisation or electronic ordering, but friends just back from the Quest on a 35 day cruise reported no problems at all, though they did say their experience on the Odyssey a year a go was way below their Quest experience.

 

It was our first experience of Seabourn and we were so disappointed. We are booked on the Sojourn in 3 months time for a 32 day cruise from Hong Kong to Dubai and are very nervous about what will happen.

[PaulaJK]

Writer100, Thank you for your simultaneously comprehensive and concise review of your recent travels on Odyssey. Your bitter disappointment with the MDR service and foods is well substantiated. You are not the first person of recent experience to report repeated food temperature issues, long delays in service and other issues. These are unacceptable at the 'luxury' or even lower level.

 

We,too, are fans of SB but are apprehensive about a reservation on hold for a March cruise on Odyssey. We certainly would not be content sailors with the MDR issues. This is without parsing possible/probable cutbacks in other areas.

 

I would think that issues regarding temperature cannot all be attributed to Keller's menu...or if everything that is going wrong in the MDR is due to Keller's menu, then disembark it. It's never going to be a real Keller experience anyway. Earlier pre mini pad posters also complained about long delays. Another recent poster noted that his SB ship had run out of all juices except cranberry a few days prior to disembarkation.

 

Were the HD & F&B manager out and about?

[Roxburgh]

If food is going out at the wrong temperatures, tough meat, not cooked to order or poor quality ingredients then that is down to the Chef. End of story.

 

Delays in service could be down to organizational issues with new technology, lack of staff, etc.. But I would still expect the Chef to do something about it. It is his kitchen and his reputation and if he has to back out certain dishes then so be it.

[Emperor Norton]

Could have been Manfred Schaller. Yes, that compliment cost you deer.

 

...

Ouch:eek:

 

If food is going out at the wrong temperatures, tough meat, not cooked to order or poor quality ingredients then that is down to the Chef. End of story.

 

Delays in service could be down to organizational issues with new technology, lack of staff, etc.. But I would still expect the Chef to do something about it. It is his kitchen and his reputation and if he has to back out certain dishes then so be it.

 

This bears repeating.

[tv24]

Writer100: Thanks for your review and posting. Very interesting and helpful in considering future bookings.

[Joywrk]

We were on the previous cruise on Odyssea and the food was served at the appropriate time and temperature. We enjoyed the food very much. I agree that the steak was served rarer than what was ordered on 1 occasion but the lamb was perfect. It was our first Sabourne cruise and we were impressed. I found it to be very similar to Crystal except I loved the ability to change time and place of eating instead of the fixed dining on Crystal

[Emperor Norton]

We were on the previous cruise on Odyssea and the food was served at the appropriate time and temperature. We enjoyed the food very much. I agree that the steak was served rarer than what was ordered on 1 occasion but the lamb was perfect. It was our first Sabourne cruise and we were impressed. I found it to be very similar to Crystal except I loved the ability to change time and place of eating instead of the fixed dining on Crystal

 

So you used the fixed time (early/late) dining on Crystal rather than what is it, dining by reservation?

[Suite Travels]

So you used the fixed time (early/late) dining on Crystal rather than what is it, dining by reservation?

 

Dining by reservation works real well for us on Crystal. I think most specialty restaurants on ships require reservations as well.

[Mr Luxury]

Dining by reservation works real well for us on Crystal. I think most specialty restaurants on ships require reservations as well.

 

 

Dining by reservation did not work for me at all on Crystal.

Until they launch a new ship the dining room will never be able to offer dine when and with whom you want.

The MDR on the Serenity was not good at all and I spent most evenings in the excellent Silk Road restaurant and the not so excellent Prego

[Joywrk]

Dining by reservation didn't work at all well for us. We did enjoy the specialty restaurants and went to both twice to avoid a rather awful table of 8

[wripro]

Dining By reservation is like trying to fit a square box in a round hole. You still need to tell them in advance what time you want and you can't change the number of people you are dining with. I know why they came up with it but it just doesn't work imo.

[freddie]

We, too, found that Dining by Reservation was something between an annoyance and a disaster. Further, at least on the Crystal Symphony, an unfortunate number of tables (often given to the lucky Dining by Reservation pax) are directly adjacent to the plate-scraping stations. What a distinct dining pleasure, to be having a meal within a few feet of the open bin into which the waiters are scraping table scraps in full view of the ill-fated diners who have been given those tables! It is a seriously revolting arrangement that we have not seen on any other luxury ship.

[PaulaJK]

Would 't it be more productive fort he's last several posts to become a topic on the Crysal board....and hope some other posters will return to posting their experiences on board Odyssey..?.

[tv24]

Well, yeah, this would probably be more appropriate for the Crystal posting. But get ready, any slightly negative comments on the Crystal boards will attract and immediate detailed response.

[tv24]

Thus I won't post my comments on Prego here.

[MARIANH]

Would 't it be more productive fort he's last several posts to become a topic on the Crysal board....and hope some other posters will return to posting their experiences on board Odyssey..?.

 

Agree entirely.

 

Perhaps Host Dan could remove them to another place so that thia important thread could refocus attention on the serious issues raised by the OP.

 

Comments from pax on the current Odyssey cruise would be particularly welcome. Anyone out there?

[lincslady]

Hear hear about Crystal.

 

I believe Nigella is currently on Odyssey, and hope that she will - at least afterwards if not while on board - let us have her views on the food and service.

[Nigella]

 

I believe Nigella is currently on Odyssey, and hope that she will - at least afterwards if not while on board - let us have her views on the food and service.

 

 

We're currently transitting the Panama Canal, giving me the opportunity to write a quick update.

 

Food and service I would sum up as inconsistent so far. We had superb service at dinner in The Restaurant the evening before last accompanied by very good food (Keller).

Overall the service is ok, but outside The Colonnade in particular, basics such as plate clearing as each course is finished, and refilling of water glasses are being overlooked. We have pointed this out a couple of days ago but have yet to see an improvement.

 

We've yet to experience the Ad Hoc Keller style meals, which are currently served on alternative evenings in The Colonnade, by reservation only.

 

A 3 course Keller menu is served on alternative evenings in the MDR. We've selected from that menu as often as possible, in order to try all that's on offer and get a good feel for the food, however our choices have often not been available, with the servers returning to our table and asking us to choose again after we've ordered. The Keller food itself has been very good.

 

Less choice available at Patio Grill in the evening, only two starters now, pizza recipe has changed and not for the better. Besides, pizza is no longer offered in the evening.

The Napa Burger is delicious, we have yet to try the Keller hot dog.

 

Fruit is appearing in the suite daily, as normal.

 

I've been to deck 4 a couple of times and neither seen nor heard any construction.

Ok, I don't want to hijack the thread and will start my own soon.