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On the Riviera half way through Miami/Miami

palamoh

By palamoh,
in Oceania Cruises

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YoHoHo

YoHoHo

Posted
Posted
We just got off the Riviera on the 22nd and "the finest cuisine at sea" it wasn't, despite Oceania's claim. This was our first and last cruise with Oceania. I guess it was a matter of expectations and ours were not met. The ship by the way was beautiful.

Sorry the food was so bad that you will not cruise on O again. I can understand the cuisine not meeting expectations, and over promising and under delivering is a recipe for failure, and have some recent reports on bland food. I know food is very subjective but for me I cannot imagine O's food so bad as to switch cruise lines. Sorry you were so disappointed. Good luck on your future cruises

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Braveheart11

Braveheart11

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Posted

"Sorry the food was so bad that you will not cruise on O again. I can understand the cuisine not meeting expectations, and over promising and under delivering is a recipe for failure, and have some recent reports on bland food. I know food is very subjective but for me I cannot imagine O's food so bad as to switch cruise lines. Sorry you were so disappointed. Good luck on your future cruises."

 

 

It was indeed about expectation and ours were far too high when the picture is painted as "the finest cuisine at sea". I would not even rate O in my top three based on the very uneven performance of the kitchen on this particular cruise. To each his own I guess. Many passengers were delighted with the offerings, just not us. And thank you for your kind words and Happy Holidays and happy sailing.

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docmark

Posted
Posted
Sorry the food was so bad that you will not cruise on O again. I can understand the cuisine not meeting expectations, and over promising and under delivering is a recipe for failure, and have some recent reports on bland food. I know food is very subjective but for me I cannot imagine O's food so bad as to switch cruise lines. Sorry you were so disappointed. Good luck on your future cruises

 

I, too feel bad you had a bad experience....just to help those of us who are curious about detail,would you be more specific about your disappointments? Was it all related to food,and if so, was it quality,lack of choices,"blandness" (or opposite) ? Also was it GDR and Terrace or specialty restaurants too

 

Also curious what other cruise lines you compared the food with?

 

Thanks in advance...and Have a great holiday

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docmark

Posted
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Bravehart

Sorry I quoted wrong entry)



I, too feel bad you had a bad experience....just to help those of us who are curious about detail,would you be more specific about your disappointments? Was it all related to food,and if so, was it quality,lack of choices,"blandness" (or opposite) ? Also was it GDR and Terrace or specialty restaurants too

Also curious what other cruise lines you compared the food with?

Thanks in advance...and Have a great holiday

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Braveheart11

Braveheart11

Posted
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"I, too feel bad you had a bad experience....just to help those of us who are curious about detail,would you be more specific about your disappointments? Was it all related to food,and if so, was it quality,lack of choices,"blandness" (or opposite) ? Also was it GDR and Terrace or specialty restaurants too

 

Also curious what other cruise lines you compared the food with?"

Our primary cruise lines are Crystal and Celebrity. We book suites on Celebrity because of the separate dining room (and kitchen) for suite guests. This I feel provides better service and food quality.

The food on O was so inconsistent I don't know where to begin, so I will begin with the embarkation lunch in the Terrace Cafe. We boarded at 11:30 and were immediately directed toward the Terrace and told lunch was being served. They were not ready for us at that time so the boarding passengers all grabbed tables and had to wait for the line to open. When an attendant came around with water, the water was tap water warm, I kid you not. That was the first meal. Bad first impression.

The meat was not cooked to requested doneness in Terrace and Waves (filet/lobster sandwich), and hamburger. The Ribeye at Terrace was too tough to finish. Filet ordered from room service way overcooked.

In Toscana I ordered Tuscan Trio, one of the items was carbonara and they served fettuccine Alfredo instead, and I guess they thought it ok to sub without asking. Suffice to say that didn't go over too well with me. In addition, though we had a table for two, we were wedged in between two other tables for two and it might as well have been a table for six as these tables were 18-24" apart with my poor wife being backed up to a wall. This was not a romantic or, for me, a comfortable atmosphere. After the entrees, we decided to leave. Nino, the maitre'd, saw us leave and to his credit called me up the next eve to find out what the matter was. He invited us back and saw to it the second time we were served a meal he could be proud of. This included carbonara, a window table for two, and biscotti and cannoli plate to our room. Kudos to Nino.

At Jacques my filet was not as tender as I hoped and my wife's lamb as dreadfully overseasoned with rosemary. She did not eat it all. The maitre'd, Anna, went out of her way to see my birthday and our anniversary was properly celebrated. Kudos to her.

Good meal a Polo. Food and service.

High tea a disappointment.....scones far inferior to Crystal or Cunard. We came in one day about five minutes before shutdown and they were already starting to break down the tables and displays. We sat for a while before one poor server came over to us. It was not a welcoming feeling.

Cookies....disaster. Same bland cookies every day at buffet, in concierge lounge, at Baristas. Best cuisine at sea? Hardly.

Ice cream....icy, low butterfat content. Obviously not high quality stuff.

Grand Dining Room not bad service, bur wife's veal piccata was tough and bland. We didn't eat there often, but we did notice some menu items were sometimes repeated the next day. I did not take these to be items you could always order either.

Casino.....problem there too. Went to cash slot ticket and no cashier. Was told she would be back in 10 or 15 minutes. That didn't work as we had a dinner res. So I got the manager. The manager said he couldn't do her work and she couldn't do his, so I'd have to wait. So much for cross-training, right? When my wife heard this, she headed straight to hotel manager and believe me he got the money in a hurry. Let's just say we didn't spend one dollar more in there. So much for good service or even proper service.

About the crew, and this is the toughest thing to write about. I must give mixed reviews. Some were great, accommodating, friendly, and smiling as it should be on a luxury or near luxury product. Others, including some officers, would not return greetings, or smiles, let alone conversations. Often times I found myself standing around waiting for help while two staff socialized. This does not make the passenger feel special or even welcome. Let's just say there is a lot of room for improvement here.

There is more I could say, but perhaps I have already said too much.

Lastly, I want to say there were many satisfied and happy customers...just not us. This is primarily from expecting "the finest cuisine at sea" which in my humble opinion was not delivered, not even close. Shan't be back.

Happy sailings to you all.

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Mura

Mura

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We all have different tastes and expections, and when so many people here praise the food on board to the skies, it certainly can lead to disappointment. I will admit that I have been surprised by recent comments about blandness of the food because that certainly wasn't our experience on Marina in November (our 15th on O).

 

We happen to like spicy food, hence our personal disappointment most of the time with Red Ginger, so I have to question whether I would agree with the accusations of blandness we have seen. (Likewise, I don't salt my food very much, even when I'm cooking, and we've never found O's dishes to be either too salty or not salty enough.)

 

I'll have to see what we encounter on Riviera in May. (So far we've been on all the ships except for Riviera.)

 

I'm always sorry to see that people were so disappointed that they won't return. I agree with those who have asked for more specifics. But I can understand why being disappointed with a relatively expensive cruiseline would lead you to say "never again".

 

Mura

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Mura

Mura

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Braveheart, had we experienced what you describe we wouldn't be back either!

 

Regarding the three tables for two close to each other, were you on one of the "R" ships? I know that configuration in the GDR since in 2005 I managed to tear my meniscus trying to squeeze into the window table when all seats surrounding were full! But I haven't seen that configuration on the "O" ships. I agree that it isn't optimal. Sometimes I like it because we LIKE to share, and it's easier to do so when the tables are that close ... OTOH, whenever we have been seated there the other two tables were already chatting away so we were left out in the cold.

 

I don't expect that you'll be avidly following this thread given your decision, so if I don't see an answer my feelings will NOT be hurt!

 

Mura

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Braveheart11

Braveheart11

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"Braveheart, had we experienced what you describe we wouldn't be back either!

 

Regarding the three tables for two close to each other, were you on one of the "R" ships? I know that configuration in the GDR since in 2005 I managed to tear my meniscus trying to squeeze into the window table when all seats surrounding were full! But I haven't seen that configuration on the "O" ships. I agree that it isn't optimal. Sometimes I like it because we LIKE to share, and it's easier to do so when the tables are that close ... OTOH, whenever we have been seated there the other two tables were already chatting away so we were left out in the co".

 

 

 

 

Mura,

 

 

We were on the Riviera, one of the two big ships. The squished in tables for two were in the Italian restaurant. All the restaurants on this ship have tables for two and I must confess I thought In Toscana the tables for two were along the window and I was disappointed to see where they put us. It only got worse when two other couples arrived on each side of us and I could hear every word of their conversation as I am sure they could hear ours. So much for my "sweet nothings" I had planned. Haha. Unfortunately, I don't enjoy dining with strangers, I am sad to say. The other tables for two we had were much more comfortable than this one. I hope you can understand.

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Mura

Mura

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Disappointing! We were just in Polo and Toscana on Marina last month and I didn't see that configuration in that restaurant. In Polo, we were at a window table for two. In Toscana we were at the back at a table for four. So the fact that I didn't notice this configuration could simply be that we didn't see it! I wouldn't have been happy that way either.

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gabelle

gabelle

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Posted

Braveheart, we were on the cruise prior to yours. It was decidedly less successful than previous cruises on Oceania. Our other least favorite cruise on O was also on the Riviera, also in the Caribbean, and also in December. Consequently, we will not cruise on the Riviera again in the Caribbean in December. Actually the Caribbean, never again!! That being said, your experience mirrored ours very closely. Bad experience in Toscana. Exceptional recovery with terrific meal and service. Exemplary service and food in Polo twice. Terrific Jacques. Red Ginger as always amazing. Main Dining Room, for the most part, a disaster from raw eggs to cold food to slow service. Waves was wonderful at first, and then went downhill. They couldn't figure out by the end of the cruise how to correctly cook meat. The officers were invisible. The entertainment staff was very green but very friendly.

We have had fabulous cruises on O with exemplary food and service on their other ships in other parts of the world, but not on Riviera in the Caribbean.

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Braveheart11

Braveheart11

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Gosh, you'd think we were on the same cruise. Something else that bothered me was one show at 9:30 and if you have late dinner reservations, like one at 8 and 2 at 9 (the price you pay for a table for two) you miss the shows. We only went to 2 shows in 10 nights.

I also thought it peculiar that NO dining room was open until 6:30 unless you count room service.

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LHT28 Holiday Sharing Rare

LHT28

Posted
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with only 1 show nightly not sure what time would be best to have it

There will always be someone who will be annoyed

It is well noted here that the show is later & restaurants open at 6:30

 

We were on the same cruise as Gabelle & yes the food was hit or miss

we did speak to the Executive chef about the cookies & scones & they did improve a bit but not up to their regular standards

Seemed to be a lot of new crew that were not trained to O standards of the past

Hope this trend does not continue

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DOJO466 Holiday Sharing Rare

DOJO466

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Oh my, you guys are starting to scare me.

We have sailed with Lyn and Gabelle on previous cruises and consider them to be up front on things. We did the Riviera transatlantic in November of this year and had absolutely no problem with food, service or anything? I am perhaps wondering if there was a major turnover in Miami after we arrived?.....

We go on Riviera in Feb and really hope things are up to snuff.

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Winters Gate

Winters Gate

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We just got off the Riviera on the 22nd and "the finest cuisine at sea" it wasn't, despite Oceania's claim. This was our first and last cruise with Oceania. I guess it was a matter of expectations and ours were not met. The ship by the way was beautiful.

 

Do you know who the Executive Chef was on your sailing?

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Braveheart11

Braveheart11

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A little perspective for you all.....the food was not horrid. It was about expecting "the finest cuisine at sea" and discovering the hard way that clearly it is not. I am disturbed that people are being sold this bill of goods by O. It is what got us to book them. Still, with all the inconsistencies, disappointments, and training issues, I still managed to gain 4 pounds in 10 days! Lol.

 

I am sorry I don't know who the executive chef was on this cruise.

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Braveheart11

Braveheart11

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"We have been on marina since dec 3. Food has been excellent in every venue. What a difference the chef makes."

 

 

This could well be true but it is too late now to save our business. Is no one out there besides me bothered by O unabashedly claiming "the finest cuisine at sea"?

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bitob

bitob

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"We have been on marina since dec 3. Food has been excellent in every venue. What a difference the chef makes."

 

 

This could well be true but it is too late now to save our business. Is no one out there besides me bothered by O unabashedly claiming "the finest cuisine at sea"?

 

 

 

You simply cannot judge a cruise line based on a single cruise. Every line has cruises that are atypical. Eg. I had extremely poor service on my first seabourn Cruise. I know that is not the norm. Going back on seabourn next month

 

We are on a b2b on marina. The two cruises have been very different in many respects (although food has been consistently good)

 

You have other options of course

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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