Grand Dining Room Menu

[Flatbush Flyer]

What's so "interesting" in this thread is the complaints about food that is anything other than "interesting."

Who goes to a fine dining restaurant in any cosmopolitan city and orders hackneyed dishes like Beef Wellington and Chicken Kiev?

Today, on Sirena, someone was complaining that they hadn't yet seen Escargot on the menu. Really? Is this the 1970s?

Look at the inventive world cuisine items on the menus!

Does Oceania fall short on occasion? Absolutely. But, the contemporary cuisine still far outweighs what is available on other cruise lines.

As far as we're concerned, we want to be (re) introduced to a eclectic mix of worldwide cuisines. Oceania fills that bill. 

[RJB]

10 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I agree: "to each his own."

However, there's more to the traditional "heat" of certain Thai and other Asian foods than just flavoring- https://thaisq.com/why-is-authentic-thai-food-spicy/

If you want authentic ethnic dishes along the lines of green curries (or green salsa et al.) recognize that what is "mouth burning" to some of us is the everyday norm of the folks whose cultures embrace that cuisine.

One of my favorite "hidden gem" restaurants sadly closed earlier this year. It was celebrity chef Ric Orlando's "New World Home Cooking" in Saugerties NY (yes, the "middle of nowhere").

Ric featured several traditionally "spicy hot" ethnic dishes from around the world and each was notated on the menu with one to five chilis

🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 that alerted you to the "heat" factor and informed you that, unless you indicate to the waiter that you want it toned down, it will be prepared authentically. Ric also took some inventive liberties in erasing geographic boundaries. I can still taste (and feel) the "burn" of his (five chili) Penang Bolognese sauce as I wiped the perspiration from my brow. But, oh-so-good and uniquely flavorful was that dish as I washed it down with some ice cold Pilsner Urquell beer.

 

Hmmmm.... i think I'll ask the chef to make some Aragosta Fra Diavola  🌶🌶🌶 for our next visit to Tuscan Steak.

I guess he could not make it on just your dining there.  Everyone else must have walked.  Too bad.  Hate to see people close up.

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

What's so "interesting" in this thread is the complaints about food that is anything other than "interesting."

Who goes to a fine dining restaurant in any cosmopolitan city and orders hackneyed dishes like Beef Wellington and Chicken Kiev?

Today, on Sirena, someone was complaining that they hadn't yet seen Escargot on the menu. Really? Is this the 1970s?

Look at the inventive world cuisine items on the menus!

Does Oceania fall short on occasion? Absolutely. But, the contemporary cuisine still far outweighs what is available on other cruise lines.

As far as we're concerned, we want to be (re) introduced to a eclectic mix of worldwide cuisines. Oceania fills that bill. 

 

Yes, but there are some "old favorites" that are VERY MUCH favorites, and getting harder and harder to find anywhere.

We are, after all self-declared "geezers" (or "in training"; someone complained to us once that we really didn't yet qualify!), so we do have some "old" favorites.

 

It's nice to have some of them available, too.

 

GC

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, RJB said:

I guess he could not make it on just your dining there.  Everyone else must have walked.  Too bad.  Hate to see people close up.

Quite the opposite. He was/is extremely successful (including the always crowded Saugerties restaurant and another one in Albany). Other additional expanding ventures just started eating up his time. So, he decided to close that location. 

It never hurts to go out on a high note....

Edited November 14, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[Redtravel]

We just sailed 14 nights on Marina. We were unaware that the 14 day cruise was really a pair of 2 seven day cruises. Each cruise was exactly the same as far as menus in the Grand Dining room and in the Terrace buffet.  So not only are the dining room menus repeating, we also had repeats of the same offerings in the buffet. It was dull to keep seeing same things many times. I prefer the older menus that seemed fresh with a new variety of offerings every day.  Also, the specialty restaurant menus could use some updating. I was given old torn menus that looked old and sad.  Previous to this cruise, we have taken longer continuous cruises that really had different menus each night.  We enjoyed some lunches in the dining room. Those menus also repeated several items.  Food quality is still good with a few exceptions. Toscana was a disappointment. Several dishes were overcooked or served cold. The service was poor. They knew that they had ruined our dining experience. They just said sorry and offered us another reservation. We should have passed. The next time was slightly better. Toscana was by far my least favorite dinner. They overcook the pasta. I had better pasta at the buffet.  Last year, I really liked Toscana.....it was also on Marina.  It is obvious that there has been a real shift in attitude and a decrease in staff.  it seemed that there were fewer people serving more tables.  

[LHT28]

25 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

.  It is obvious that there has been a real shift in attitude and a decrease in staff.  it seemed that there were fewer people serving more tables.  

I would  agree  there is  a shift in  staff  & their attitudes 

Most were fine  but there were some that  had attitude  this  was on Marina & Riviera  in the past  year

very few International staff  like before  & I think some are learning on the job  as they go ..not good  for people that expect better from Oceania

JMO

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 11/12/2018 at 3:58 PM, newbie60 said:

 Currently on Sirena on our 8th day of a 25 day cruise.  Although I don’t post often, I can assure you that I’ve been a longtime Oceania cheerleader.  That having been said....

 

The GDR menu has been remarkably redundant already!  The same shrimp cocktail and Serrano ham/marinated artichoke appetizers appear  on the evening menu daily.  Other dishes appear as often as every other day.  (Chicken liver pate on crostini notable example)  Soups, salads and entrees repeat regularly.  Some items have appeared on the GDR  dinner menu one day and on the lunch menu the next.  

 

It seems to have carried over to Terraces as well.  One evening I had an appetizer in the GDR and it reappeared the next day on the buffet.  This seems to be a drastic change from previous cruises.  Used to be you could count on the menu items being repeated every 14 days or so.  Were this a shorter cruise I might not even have noticed but with only two Specialty restaurants and 18 more days looming, DH and I trying to discover favorite dishes since it appears we will be having them often.

 

Wishing this weren’t true and I welcome dissenting opinions!

Bumping OP's original post since we're on the same cruise. I've posted previously on this thread. But, today, let me share today's Terrace Grill lunch menu. It is day 9 of a 25 day cruise and, while there are (have always been) standard "repeaters" like the burgers, some salads, pizza, etc. there have been zero repeats in the hot entrees to date with few repeats expected in the future 16 days.

i'd do the same for the GDR. But we only eat there a few times during cruises of any lengths.

Tonight is Toscana and we put in our special request several days ago. From our experience, I doubt we'll be disappointed.

[riandei]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

Tonight is Toscana and we put in our special request several days ago. From our experience, I doubt we'll be disappointed.

What exactly did you SPECIAL REQUEST...do tell

[DeanoNorthPerth]

On 11/13/2018 at 11:23 AM, LHT28 said:

well I would disagree  about the spicy food on O

the dish I had in Red Ginger was so spicy  my whole mouth was anesthetized 

They took it back & added more coconut milk to try to diffuse the level of heat ..barely worked ..

waitstaff said "well it has 1 chili pepper next to the description"

 

I have  had this dish in a local Thai restaurant many times  ..it has some heat but I can still feel my mouth 

I am sure some of you who complain about the bland food would have loved  that offering ...if you want more heat/spice  then ask for it 

if they can added to other dishes  without asking how you prefer it I am sure they can add extra spice to your dish if you ask

JMO

 

Unless you live in Bangkok I'm not sure there is any relevance in using your "local Thai restaurant" as a guide.

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 hours ago, riandei said:

What exactly did you SPECIAL REQUEST...do tell

The combination of Polo Grill and Toscana on Sirena (to make room for the addition of a Red Ginger restaurant) has the downside of reducing the number of menu items compared to the separate menus on the other R ships. 

When I learned that one of the dishes eliminated  was a childhood (and Oceania) favorite of mine- Aragosta Fra Diavola, I mentioned it to Claudio (the GM) and he saved me the trouble of approaching the chef on the morning of my dining reservation by offering to do that himself.

Remember, however, that my "special" request was for an item that is an Oceania standard in Toscana on all the other Oceania ships. So, IMO, no big deal.

As a follow up, I have recommended (on comment card and in person) that Tuscan Steak be disaggregated on Sirena leaving only Toscana and Red Ginger on the "specialty restaurant" deck 10 while adding the most popular "Polo Grill" items to the daily GDR dinner menu (similar to the addition of "Jacques" (Bistro) items  to the GDR lunch menu.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

Unless you live in Bangkok I'm not sure there is any relevance in using your "local Thai restaurant" as a guide.

Listen to Deano - he'll eat anything! 👀

Edited November 15, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

6 hours ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

Unless you live in Bangkok I'm not sure there is any relevance in using your "local Thai restaurant" as a guide.

true 

i guess maybe the owners of the  restaurant  toned down the spices  for us sissy Canadians 

They were from Thailand  & Mom did the cooking  in the family run business

 

[pinotlover]

LOL, I used to travel to Korea a lot on business. So when a local Korean restaurant, ran by Koreans, opened up I was excited. The food was rather bland and disappointing. When I told the waitress about the preparations of those dishes I had enjoyed her response was “ Oh, that’s how we eat it at home but people here don’t want spicy food and make us take the dishes back.”

 

Many dishes aren’t done by the original recipes even ones that aren’t spicy. We’ve discussed the Caesar Salad dressing without the anchovies or the grossly overbreaded overcooked Weiner Schnitzel before. That may be an Omaha Schnitzel or a Miami Schnitzel they serve aboard ship, but it has little resemblance to a Weiner Schnitzel! I’ve heard it before “ chef’s interpretation “!

[warburg]

On 11/12/2018 at 7:33 PM, Mura said:

Yes, but in our experience it comes out earlier than truly "mid-cruise".

I am glad to read this thread. We depart on Riviera March 6th. We have a double significant event on March 9th, and originally booked Explorer for the same date. Unfortunately, I didn't know pre existing insurance rules, and had to cancel that one because we didn't insure it within 21 days. It was no hardship to replace it with Riviera, since the date is much better, The Explorer sailed on March 9th from LA to MIami for another trans Panama Canal trip. That day isn't the best choice for a celebration, anyway. We have another Riviera TA to Rome booked for March 2020. If the food has deteriorated as described, that one will be cancelled. Thanks, All, for the info. We noticed that food on Insignia in 2015 had slipped in quality, but we love Panama Canal cruises, so we overlooked it. I assumed the kitchen was inferior the ones on O ships.

Mary

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, warburg said:

I am glad to read this thread. We depart on Riviera March 6th. We have a double significant event on March 9th, and originally booked Explorer for the same date. Unfortunately, I didn't know pre existing insurance rules, and had to cancel that one because we didn't insure it within 21 days. It was no hardship to replace it with Riviera, since the date is much better, The Explorer sailed on March 9th from LA to MIami for another trans Panama Canal trip. That day isn't the best choice for a celebration, anyway. We have another Riviera TA to Rome booked for March 2020. If the food has deteriorated as described, that one will be cancelled. Thanks, All, for the info. We noticed that food on Insignia in 2015 had slipped in quality, but we love Panama Canal cruises, so we overlooked it. I assumed the kitchen was inferior the ones on O ships.

Mary

Not all insurers require purchase w/i 21 days of deposit for PEC waiver. There are several whose deadline is prior to final payment.

As for Oceania's food: it's still the best at sea IMO. I do admit that we seldom eat in the GDR unless we really like the entrees on any given night. Mostly, we dine in the specialties and the Terrace and I am convinced that Insignia has the consistently best cuisine, in no small part due to needing to cater to world cruisers and those who do multiple world cruise segments.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Here's tonight's Terrace Grill menu on Sirena. Day 13 with no main entree repeats there and quite a few very fresh local sourced options whenever possible.

[warburg]

17 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not all insurers require purchase w/i 21 days of deposit for PEC waiver. There are several whose deadline is prior to final payment.

As for Oceania's food: it's still the best at sea IMO. I do admit that we seldom eat in the GDR unless we really like the entrees on any given night. Mostly, we dine in the specialties and the Terrace and I am convinced that Insignia has the consistently best cuisine, in no small part due to needing to cater to world cruisers and those who do multiple world cruise segments.

Thank you, Flatbush Flyer, for the insurance tip. Now that I only insure the deposit, the cost in negligible. On Regent, there are repeat items every day in MDR, and a list of items that can be mixed and matched. This is in addition to selections that change daily. Both lines have the same parent, so  this may be intentional.

[Tansy Mews]

On 11/12/2018 at 3:37 PM, sammiedawg said:

However, the GDR food was very good and portions were ample, except for vegetable bouquet type accompaniments.  I have no idea why they skimp on a few grilled veggies. 

 

We always order vegetables on the side. Apart from those at the bottom of the menu (last time I sailed), they usually have other veg like creamed spinach and asparagus. Check any vegetable side on another dish. 

I agree that the frou-frou veg accompaniments are too little!

 

Frances

[Classiccruiser777]

Just off Insignia and there was a bit of a repetitive theme in the GDR. Lobster Bisque, shrimp cocktail and Ceaser salad was available every evening we ate there. Since I love all three I have no complaints.

 

We did learn that green beans, grilled asparagus and spinach were also always available and they were all delicious.

 

IMO, the food in all the dining venues was just as good as we’ve experienced and this was our seventh O cruise.

[Flatbush Flyer]

45 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

Just off Insignia and there was a bit of a repetitive theme in the GDR. Lobster Bisque, shrimp cocktail and Ceaser salad was available every evening we ate there. Since I love all three I have no complaints.

 

We did learn that green beans, grilled asparagus and spinach were also always available and they were all delicious.

 

IMO, the food in all the dining venues was just as good as we’ve experienced and this was our seventh O cruise.

The nightly repetition of several non-main course items is by design in order to cater to less adventurous eaters. There's always lobster bisque and franck's mashed potatoes et al. In the GDR. There's also the daily basic Jacques Pepin entrees of fish, beef and chicken.

But, then there's a vast array of seldom repeating "international" entrees for the more adventurous diners.

We're just finishing a 25 day Amazon River cruise on Sirena. When it came to entrees (in both the GDR and the Terrace Café), there were almost no repetition across the non-standard, daily items. Of course, the specialty restaurants menus are unchanging except for any nightly specials.

And "a la minute" prep of lobster, steak, wok and pasta dishes in the Terrace Café is without equal.

BTW, here's a few pix of today's midweek brunch:

[commodore2010]

Leave in a couple weeks to sail on the Marina for 20 nights.

As food is soooooo subjective, I rarely pay attention to food reviews and would encourage others to take all food reviews with a giant grain of salt. 

 

We have been to many many michelin star restaurants.  Most I thought were fabulous. Others I wondered if the michelin reviewer was so drunk that even a Waffle House meal would earn a star. 

Edited November 30, 2018 by commodore2010

[tine-tine]

Excuse my ignorance, is it only the R class ships that do the "Midweek Buffet"? My cruises have always been on 'O' ships and this is something of which I was totally unaware! 😕

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, tine-tine said:

Excuse my ignorance, is it only the R class ships that do the "Midweek Buffet"? My cruises have always been on 'O' ships and this is something of which I was totally unaware! 😕

If you're referring to my pix above, that was a "brunch" held on a midweek sea day since every Sunday over the 3+ weeks of the recent Amazon cruise was a port day.

 

When it comes to dining venues, Sirena is different from the other R ships in that the GDR incorporates the newer Jacque's "Bistro" menu at lunch (no "Jacques" on R ships) and the two specialty restaurants are Red Ginger and Tuscan Grill (a combination of Toscana and Polo Grill). Other R ships have Polo Grill and Toscana restaurants along with changing Red Ginger items and several Jacques Pepin standards offered on the GDR dinner menu.

 

We are not big fans of Tuscan Grill since some of our favorite items from the two joined restaurants are not listed on the combined menu. Of course, with advanced notice, you can request some of the missing items (e.g., aragosta fra diavola). My preference would be to have Toscana and Red Ginger as the R ship specialty restaurants and modify the GDR menu to have three components: Abbreviated Polo Grill items, the already existing Jacques Pepin standards and the newer, everchanging International selections.

BTW, there are no "buffets" on Oceania ships. There is the Terrace Café (both O and R ships) with its cafeteria style setup including a la minute preparations and staff served plates, bar service and the option for al fresco dining.

Edited December 2, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[tine-tine]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

If you're referring to my pix above, that was a "brunch" held on a midweek sea day since every Sunday over the 3+ weeks of the recent Amazon cruise was a port day.

 

When it comes to dining venues, Sirena is different from the other R ships in that the GDR incorporates the newer Jacque's "Bistro" menu at lunch (no "Jacques" on R ships) and the two specialty restaurants are Red Ginger and Tuscan Grill (a combination of Toscana and Polo Grill). Other R ships have Polo Grill and Toscana restaurants along with changing Red Ginger items and several Jacques Pepin standards offered on the GDR dinner menu.

 

We are not big fans of Tuscan Grill since some of our favorite items from the two joined restaurants are not listed on the combined menu. Of course, with advanced notice, you can request some of the missing items (e.g., aragosta fra diavola). My preference would be to have Toscana and Red Ginger as the R ship specialty restaurants and modify the GDR menu to have three components: Abbreviated Polo Grill items, the already existing Jacques Pepin standards and the newer, everchanging International selections.

BTW, there are no "buffets" on Oceania ships. There is the Terrace Café (both O and R ships) with its cafeteria style setup including a la minute preparations and staff served plates, bar service and the option for al fresco dining.

Apologies Flatbush Flyer I was confused by the pictures as they had  Oceania Sirena on the bread table and I presumed the whole buffet was on the Sirena. I thought maybe on my previous cruises on O ships the buffet might have passed me by and I don’t like to miss out on a food opportunity while on board!

[babysteps]

The pictures reflect the special (sometimes Sunday) brunch that O does on select voyages - in the GDR and usually (always?) on a sea day of a longer itinerary. 

 

tine-tine you may not have missed anything - some shorter port-intensive cruises may not have a brunch at all.