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LIVE - Marina Jan 22-Feb1 - Back to the Future

sldispatcher

By sldispatcher,
in Oceania Cruises

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blambition

blambition

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I just told my husband to buy bug spray! In case we get off in this port, is there any other port that I will need it? If there is a mosquito within 10 miles of me, I become lunch!

Dying to hear what you thought of your dolphin encounter! Love reading your reports, as we are counting the days until we get on the ship!

 

 

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sldispatcher

sldispatcher

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Returning to the ship from the delightful Anthony’s Key dolphin action swim encounter, we encountered a full pool area and a hopping Waves Grill at 2pm. The grilled Mahi Mahi was a new favorite of mine. I also mixed the green apple and fruit salads together to make a concoction reminiscent of southern home classic.

 

Tonight, we hit the Terrace for some crab claws prior to dinner in the main dining room. Several of the dishes tonight were unassuming on the menu but were well presented and artistically assembled in the kitchen. The shrimp salad in avocado, asparagus soup with smoked salmon, and the chocolate crème brulee cake were nicely done. The BBQ pork chop was cooked a nice medium and had no dryness. A sample of the pasta again proved that Oceania does pasta better than anyone else.

 

Menu pics and food pics arriving to a post near you shortly.

 

Because I’m writing this means that I am not sitting next to Davey Jones locker while dolphins laugh over in the corner by the coral. Instead, it was a great experience with animals in a very natural setting led by qualified trainers and staff who concentrated on providing a quality experience in a serene setting. The dolphins had to drop it into second gear to get me across the water but they needed the challenge.

 

After a while, the superlatives and descriptions of the ship get repetitive so I’ll not go into graphic detail tonight about any particular item.

 

Instead, we’ll move into salesman mode and try to help those sitting on the fence to make the jump. The secret is that Oceania is really one of the best values at sea. The frequent guests know it and understand it. I believe that the management knows it but has to be careful not to present an Oceania cruise as a “bargain”. Cruising in and of itself is one of the easiest travel decisions to make in terms of dollars per day spend. The question is what sort of experience you want to have and how does that translate into dollars you are willing to spend?

 

As we quietly slipped away from the rather modern facilities at Mahogany Bay, even Marina’s sail out was without horn sounding, fanfare or flash. The sea waters were very still with just a slight breeze. Night time lights were beginning to flicker on across the small bay. With very little thrust we headed out into the openness and inky blackness of our watery route. Roatan left me intrigued and I could see giving some hints and tips on how to handle things there. But it was an extremely limited experience and therefore a trip back would be worth it some time. Obviously, I had been nervous about the dolphin encounter but then discovered it had been a priceless experience. Wading into the water and having a limited experience would have been okay, but the swimming with the dolphins was of far greater value. I would have been willing to have paid more for lesser experience and not realized it. So we had gotten a bargain by going for the small group / closer encounter and didn’t fully appreciate that fact until it was over.

 

But therein lies the analogy that you fence sitters need to grab hold to and run with. The ship is quiet but modern enough. It doesn’t take much effort to get to where you need to be on the ship and you hardly ever run into a crowd. And yes, a single cruise will most likely leave you wanting more and willing to return.

 

So instead of continuing to pay less and get less, step out and spend a little more and see what a real cruise bargain looks like.

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Paulchili

Paulchili

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David,

I continue to enjoy your style of reporting. I agree with your assessment of an Oceania cruise experience - that is why we have returned 20+ times (and will continue to return unless it changes - which hopefully it will not in the near future :))

Paul

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sldispatcher

sldispatcher

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Subtle overcast skies with the usual vibrations and gyrations of steering into port this morning as we glided into the shipping container area here is St. Something or Other in Guatemala. Did not venture off today. Only 5 shore excursions offered by Oceania here if that tells you anything. I had originally looked at a river cruise/exploration. We did meet someone in the elevator going in that direction and another that had taken it. Apparently lots of birds seen. I picked up on the dress code that he was expecting insects as well.

 

I pass.

 

Being from Louisiana, we have more insects than people by a 1000:1 ratio, and that’s just in the garage.

 

Entertainment today has been provided by a very busy container port. I suggest you pull up a chair and watch the action. One traveler did get off to do a taxi tour. Poverty was the name of the game from start to finish.

 

Lunch was Caribbean themed today. I lounged on the heated chairs in the spa. Well, I TRIED to lounge on the heated chairs. People were going in and out of the door to the ‘private’ area forward of the spa. It was lightly used, but the people were heavily slamming the door either intentionally or unintentionally. Door slamming is a pet peeve of mine. There is no reason to do it except for laziness or forgetfulness.

 

Dinner back in the MDR tonight with a zinger run just prior to that in the Terrace Café. Has been a laid back day all the way around. Entertainment continues to be typical O offerings. That has not attracted us but I’m sure several on board have enjoyed the choices.

 

This has been the most foreign port of all in terms of the feeling of remoteness and culturally distinct. Not sure if this was meant to be a port of call or a mission trip today.

 

The weather has been surprisingly pleasant. Marina continues to be consistently uncrowded, well staffed, and over feeding us. The quiet is calming and pleasant.

 

So the afternoon lasted all day. I love that. So little crammed into such a large amount of afternoon.

 

There will be an evening report centered solely on the main dining room coming in 3-4 hours. I did not want to do too much with that until we had a few of those under and lapping over our belts.

 

Suppose this came across as not much of a report with very few tidbits if any. Anchors being pulled up even as I speak. Away we go. Not much to report about our Guatemalan day.

 

We’ve just been sittin’ on the dock of the bay.

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Paulchili

Paulchili

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Love it! :D

Is there smoked salmon in the mornings?

 

Yes - every morning - as well as different types of herring.

Unfortunately, the bagels are not up to par compared to all other baked goods.

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sldispatcher

sldispatcher

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This forum is no stranger to controversy when it comes to food or otherwise.

 

Assumptions are frequently made without all of the information. Opinions are strong. Experiences can vary from table to table.

 

I’ve got my hip weighters on, flame retardant suit on, and face mask.

 

Main Dining Room

 

Grade = Inconsistent with a leaning towards Good to Great

 

Makes no sense does it?

 

The food items have tended to be delivered well presented for the most part and good temperatures. Only tonight did we run into problems with food temp being off target. Hot soup served luke warm. Entrees could have been 20 degrees warmer on arrival. The MDR did seem a bit busier than it has been. However, the fish soup had small crunchy items that turned out to be shells or ground bones that were in every bite. Additionally, more than one bite revealed a small bone about 1 inch long. I decided against going the Indiana Jones route and not risking further adventures into eating that one. Alternatively, the salad with red apple, pancetta, and almonds was very tasty as was the steak diane, veal rack, and Lobster Thermidor.

 

The inconsistency hit again with a foul up with the dessert order. A missing cheese plate. However, the small cookie and petit fors plate ordered for the first time was said to be wonderful.

 

Tomorrow night is Red Ginger and a much needed change in the food flavor line up.

 

Okay, so the MDR overview. Inconsistent service is probably the biggest area that I can see. Sometimes the orders are taken spot on. Other times there have been long pauses between seating and order taking. Courses come out, but at times, they have been helter skelter as well.

 

The staff, is also nowhere near as warm as one might expect, but at the same time that may be what Oceania is attempting to create. Efficient, unobtrusive service. I believe some of that is due in part to the cultural background of the staff that hails a good bit from an eastern bloc of countries. Some of it is due to expectations set by other cruise lines in how they want their staff to interact with guests.

 

For me, it points out how challenging it is for any service industry to find someone who can do their job efficiently AND be warm and ingratiating at the same time. We’ve probably all had good staff, great staff, and never-want-to-sit-at-their-table again staff.

 

The relative cruise newbies have commented more than once that there is just not the same level as experienced with a talented waiter on the Celebrity Infinity.

 

The night before, the sommelier made all the difference because of his fun, smart attitude about his job. The wait staff last night was efficient, but weren’t going to win any Dale Carnegie awards. Tonight, it looked like one too many tables had hit this different group’s section.

 

So overall, the MDR experience is a few notches below the prior Oceania cruises based on recollection. Now immediately the crows will start crowing about “cutbacks”, etc. I see no apparent cutback in staff. In fact, it seems like there are more white jackets than ever before. Dining managers were involved everywhere trying to keep things going.

 

Ingredients are still of high quality and often unusual combinations of flavors that work well. Many of these dishes would not be served in the MDR on any other cruise line. You would be paying extra in a specialty restaurant for them.

 

At the end of the day, the meals are real bargains and you really can’t start the argument about “well I paid so much for that meal”…blah blah blah. As mentioned yesterday, you really are getting more for your money from the get go IF you can see it. No way you could get away staying and eating this cheaply in shore side major cities in the US or Europe at the least.

 

The problem is the marketing. Over promising must be met with over delivering. All cruise lines do it to some degree or another. But when you send out two brochures a week promising the best food and the best rooms, you MUST back that up 99.9% of the time or you will be overtaken like Vikings raiding a distant land. (hint hint)

 

With that aside, I am not saying that our experiences have been bad in the MDR. The point is that there is room for some mild improvement. Could be training. Could be turnover. Could be new crew after the Europe season.

 

With all of that said, let me close with some reassurances so that the parrots don’t start squawking and the rest don’t start worrying if they made the right choice.

 

1. The MDR has great things waiting for you. Try some of the options that might not first appeal to you.

 

2. Your own cultural/regional bias towards how much “flavor” (which usually means salt) needs to be added to a dish to make it acceptable. Personally, I’m usually appalled at how much salt is in our regional cooking when I return from a cruise. If you are used to needing saltier food, you’ll probably have to add it to the food on MARINA. Easier to add it than remove it.

 

3. I find many of the descriptions of the food items to be so over the top that it is hard to imagine the real dish. Aim for the ingredient/protein you want for the night and then just let it be a taste adventure.

 

4. The MDR is a fine establishment onboard and in regards to food types/ingredients and preparations, way above the most recent experience on Koningsdam or Celebrity. If you need a super seasoned sauce or gravy on everything from broccoli to the bread, you will probably have a different opinion. There are cruising options out there for you where the sauces are designed to overpower the dish to cover up the fact that you would need an NCIS team to discover the true quality of the ingredients.

 

5. Go take a peak in the Terrace to preview most of the dishes if you are a visual person and need to see what’s coming. Although the final presentation is not always the same (i.e. the lobster thermidor was still in its house in the MDR, it was served in flaky crust in the Terrace), you can get a general idea.

 

 

Well, this was long winded and it wasn’t meant to be. Food is extremely subjective. Each should make up his or her own mind.

 

Tomorrow is Harvest Caye. I love private island stops. Love ‘em!

 

Cabana rental made a few months back so will attempt to report on that for anyone interested and if anyone still reading along.

 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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Paulchili

Paulchili

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Your experience in the MDR mirrors ours more often than not. That is one of the reasons that on O class ships we very seldom have dinner in the MDR. Between the 4 specialties and the Terrace we rarely eat dinner in the MDR - mostly when dining with friends. On the R ships, where choices are a bit more limited, we will have dinner in the MDR more often.

I know that this is not what others like to do but - to each their own :)

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blambition

blambition

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I personally am hoping that they really do not add as much salt to their food as other Cruise Lines! Maybe I will not gain 8 to 10 pounds in a week just from water retention. I never add salt to my food at home, and therefore every time I eat in a restaurant I can guarantee that I will gain at least a half a pound and definitely have a problem with my ankles swelling up terribly on a cruise ship. I don't dare order French onion soup, which I love, for fear of making my feet and ankles even worse than what they would be normally. One of the reasons I am so thrilled about the idea of sailing on Oceania, is that I can really drink only bottled water, without having to sign a check for every single time I purchase it. I have to admit I am looking forward to grilled food, including the availability of surf and turf at lunch! I am dieting, right up until the time we leave next week so that I can go on the cruise and enjoy any and all dishes that look amazing. I can always diet when I get back home! I would just be happier if I don't have to pay the price of oversalted food. The discomfort from swollen feet and ankles is real. I know I could order a sodium restricted diet, but that sounds extremely boring LOL

Most meals that are cooked by other people, just taste better, than anything that I have to prepare for myself! I am sure that we will find all the food extremely delicious, and may have to actually do some exercise while on the ship! Unfortunately for me, the exercise I like best is to get to the lounge chair and reapply sunscreen, while not forgetting to turn over occasionally! If I don't go to tho gym at home why would I want to do it on a cruise ship! I don't think that taking a class at the artist loft is going to count as any type of real exercise[emoji4]

Have you seen anyone taking the art classes? I will say that is something that intrigues me!

Thoroughly enjoy all of your writing, thank you again.

 

 

 

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LHT28 Holiday Sharing Rare

LHT28

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I personally am hoping that they really do not add as much salt to their food as other Cruise Lines!

just ask for low sodium options

I find it depends who is in the kitchen sometimes things are salty & sometimes not so much

I get the sodium restricted diet I get the same menu as everyone else but 1-2 days prior

I choose what I want & they make it with no or low sodium

not boring at all

Not worth the pain in my legs by taking a chance

YMMV

Edited by LHT28
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