Favorite foods onboard

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, victory2020 said:

For all of you regular O cruisers, which nights on a 7 day cruise are the best nights for specialty restaurants? In other words, which menus in the dining room are the ones you would miss?

You really do not know what night they will be serving  things you may like in the GDR

I would just pick a night  that you can get the time you want in the Specialties 

JMO

[StanandJim]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

You really do not know what night they will be serving  things you may like in the GDR

I would just pick a night  that you can get the time you want in the Specialties 

JMO

+1

The menu rotations on Oceania are an entirely different world from the "if it is Wednesday Peach Melba will be served in the Dining Room" approach.

[ORV]

What everyone else has said. What is happening in the GDR is never a consideration for us on booking the specialties. Port or sea day, do I have a long tour that day, am I taking a long tour tomorrow, what times are available, those tend to be what we take into consideration. 

Edited August 26, 2019 by ORV

[victory2020]

OK, thanks. I'm used to Princess where day one they serve this, this & this, and day two they serve that, that & that (and certain days are better than others). Glad to hear Oceana has more imagination. Are the specialty restaurants hard to get into?

[LHT28]

37 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

OK, thanks. I'm used to Princess where day one they serve this, this & this, and day two they serve that, that & that (and certain days are better than others). Glad to hear Oceana has more imagination. Are the specialty restaurants hard to get into?

I would book online as soon as your date to book opens

 

You can always try for more once onboard  if there is availability

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, victory2020 said:

Are the specialty restaurants hard to get into?

Everyone is entitled to and guaranteed their allotment of specialty reservations.

What is not guaranteed is the date , time and table size.

The earlier you book, the better the chances you’ll get what you want (or close to what you want).

You can always try to change reservations if you are unable to get your choices once onboard as well as you might be able to get extra reservations.

[StanandJim]

4 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

You can always try to change reservations if you are unable to get your choices once onboard as well as you might be able to get extra reservations.

I agree with you in principle, Paul, but I also want to caution those reading this that swapping restaurant reservations between passengers is not a "thing" on Oceania.

Unused reservations may not even be used as  bargaining "chips" to obtain  more satisfactory arrangements on the ship. 

I know, because I've tried  

No Dice on ANY level

 

 

[Paulchili]

17 minutes ago, StanandJim said:

I agree with you in principle, Paul, but I also want to caution those reading this that swapping restaurant reservations between passengers is not a "thing" on Oceania.

Obviously I wasn’t as clear about this as I wanted to be.

I did NOT mean swapping reservations with another passenger - rather trying to change one’s own reservation at an “inconvenient” time/date for a reservation for oneself at a better time/date (if available).

This is done routinely when there are openings for such transactions. As you know, not all reservations are filled online - many spots are left open for those that are unable or unwilling to do so before boarding - thus leaving room for those that are looking to  possibly change their original reservation.

PS This detailed explanation is not for your sake as you know these facts - it is for those “newbies” you are referring to.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Paulchili

[JPR]

Usually (there are exceptions) the second and next-to-last nights in the GDR offer the gala menus with caviar, food gras, and the like. Many passengers do not book specialty restaurants on those nights.

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, JPR said:

Usually (there are exceptions) the second and next-to-last nights in the GDR offer the gala menus with caviar, food gras, and the like. Many passengers do not book specialty restaurants on those nights.

guess  I never noticed the Gala nights we do not eat Cavier or Foie Gras but do tend to eat in the GDR nightly

They did not seem much different than any other night   😲

We like the last night   as they usually have  the Veal Schnitzel  but it can be had in the Terrace as well

[ORV]

1 hour ago, JPR said:

Usually (there are exceptions) the second and next-to-last nights in the GDR offer the gala menus with caviar, food gras, and the like. Many passengers do not book specialty restaurants on those nights.

You mean those little bitty appetizers with a tiny crust of bread and a smidgeon of caviar? I don't eat caviar but my wife loves it. I'd guess you'd need about 6 or 8 of them to even make a snack. 

[JPR]

You can order double or triple orders, but in our ience the servings at the GDR are usually a bit more generous than that, served on potatoes.

[Paulchili]

4 hours ago, JPR said:

Usually (there are exceptions) the second and next-to-last nights in the GDR offer the gala menus with caviar, food gras,

This is my favorite auto-correct of all time - food gras in place of foie gras. What a difference a few letters make! 😀

A tough choice - eat grass or duck liver? 😀

[JPR]

Thanks, Paulchili. I hate autocorrect. (Literally, “food gras” would be “fatty food”.)

 

Anyway, the ship’s foie gras (and that served in Montreal’s restaurants beforehand, like the famous Au Pied du Cochon) is a treat for we deprived denizens of the People’s Republic of California...

[victory2020]

4 hours ago, JPR said:

Usually (there are exceptions) the second and next-to-last nights in the GDR offer the gala menus with caviar, food gras, and the like. Many passengers do not book specialty restaurants on those nights.

Thank you, yes looking for insight such as this. I love caviar & foie gras, & would hate to miss them - things like that is why I'm trying Oceana.

[babysteps]

2 hours ago, JPR said:

I hate autocorrect. (Literally, “food gras” would be “fatty food”.)

 

I too hate autocorrect. But I do enjoy fatty food... 

[Paulchili]

12 minutes ago, babysteps said:

But I do enjoy fatty food... 

Do I remember correctly that bacon is your favorite health food or am I quoting someone else? 😀

[babysteps]

1 minute ago, Paulchili said:

Do I remember correctly that bacon is your favorite health food or am I quoting someone else? 😀

Yup that is me - guilty as charged. 

 

Might be influence of where Iive - we had a serious sidetrack at adult Sunday School this week of how we could eat more bacon. Adding bacon to every potluck item or having bacon featured at coffee hour 1x per month were the leading ideas. 

[clo]

On 8/27/2019 at 3:03 PM, Paulchili said:

This is my favorite auto-correct of all time - food gras in place of foie gras. What a difference a few letters make! 😀

A tough choice - eat grass or duck liver? 😀

Laugh. Out. Loud.  I missed that!  My freezer is out of foie but not food.

[keithm]

On ‎8‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 7:25 PM, clo said:

I've not thought to ask, are O's lobsters from Maine?

Likely Canada, to save $$. Still the same type, though. Being from New England, we usually skip the Lobsters on board. They're good, but NO competition to what we have here at home. For me/us, we love the Foie Gras in Jacques/The Sea Bass in puff pastry/ Dover sole(anywhere on the ship!)

[clo]

2 minutes ago, keithm said:

Likely Canada, to save $$. Still the same type, though. Being from New England, we usually skip the Lobsters on board. They're good, but NO competition to what we have here at home. For me/us, we love the Foie Gras in Jacques/The Sea Bass in puff pastry/ Dover sole(anywhere on the ship!)

I'd take foie over just about any food any where.  When I cook it there's always a tiny bit of fat 'jus' in the skillet.  The following morning I'll add a little butter and fry up a couple of eggs. Mmm