Onda. Did you love it?

[weltek]

We ate there twice on our Dec. 2022 cruise. In short: I'd put it in the top half of my favorite specialties across fleet and would pick it again for one of my 4 specialty meals each sailing.

Hits:
-House cocktails-all of them
-Short ribs app
-Braised octopus app
-Budino
-Panna Cotta

-Pappardelle Bolognese
-Short Rib Ravioli
-Mezzelune
-Branzino, though it wasn't particularly "exciting"

Not bad, but "Meh":
-Beef carpaccio (made me miss the one from Bayamo, when it was the original Bayamo)
-Burrata
-Scialatielli...just didn't have much flavor, but everything was well prepared

Did not try the pizza, but it looked awesome at other tables.

Edited January 6, 2023 by weltek

[schmoopie17]

I almost got seasick looking at those Onda Prima pictures with all the wavy lines...and I'm not even on the ship. 

 

Probably best to avoid anything with mushrooms. They might be the same type the designer was smoking...

Edited January 6, 2023 by schmoopie17

[melodyesch]

My DH and I really liked it on Encore.  If it was noisy I don’t remember or I’ve just forgotten it.  I don’t remember specifically what we had, but we both thought it was really good.

 

As far as Cagney’s goes, we had crossed them off on our previous cruise but decided to give it another try since we both wanted steak.  We were both incredibly surprised because the food was excellent.  So much that we went back a few days later.  Hopefully we didn’t just hit them on a good week.

[david_sobe]

Extremely good.  Fresh home made sauce and pasta compared to the fake stuff from La Cucina.  Just as good as a real home town Italian restaurant.  Its my favorite NCL specialty restaurant.  This sounds crazy but the bread is so freaking good its like a meal itself.  Baked in salami and cheese.

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 1/5/2023 at 5:21 PM, BirdTravels said:

Not really.

 

We really wanted to like this restaurant as an upgrade to La Cucina. We have dined there 3 times on the Encore and 2 times on the Prima. 

 

On the Encore, the restaurant is very noisy. They have linoleum floors with nothing on the walls or ceiling, so the sound just bounces around the space. The dishwashing station is just inside the door of the galley, and the sounds of plates and silverware being thrown around echo in the restaurant (at least in the back). 

 

We have not tried the pizza,,, figuring I can get a free slide of cheese pizza in the buffet without paying $15. 

 

We have tried 6 of the 8 appetizers. A lot of them come off as mass produced galley food that has been sitting since they were prepped hours before. Something you would expect in the MDR, not in a Specialty Restaurant. 

 

We may have tried 1 out of the 6 pasta dishes. 

 

We have tried 5 of the 6 entrees. The most disappointing was the Veal Milanese which was all breading. 

 

We have tried 4 of the 5 sides. O.K., nothing special

 

We have tried 4 of the 5 desserts. O.K., nothing special

 

It sure doesn't look very appetizing in the pictures.

[BirdTravels]

21 hours ago, davencl said:

I too would be interested in the definition of "much"? 

Ranking is totally by preference 

 

Le Bistro

Ocean Blue

Los Lobos

Food Republic

Teppanyaki

Cagney’s
Onda

American Diner 

Q

[Travelling2Some]

5 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I almost got seasick looking at those Onda Prima pictures with all the wavy lines...and I'm not even on the ship. 

 

 

I had the exact same reaction!

[Sea saw 56]

We prefer the old La Cuccina.  Were on the Spirit in September and tried Onda for the first time.

Hubby didn't care for their options at all, I preferred the options at La Cuccina as well.

[Greenpea2]

11 hours ago, Sea saw 56 said:

We prefer the old La Cuccina.  Were on the Spirit in September and tried Onda for the first time.

Hubby didn't care for their options at all, I preferred the options at La Cuccina as well.

I'm so with you on this! I figured I was in the minority (and suppose I am, based on the comments). I loved La Cuccina. Onda's selections do not appeal. In general, seems like most/all the newer restaurants have focused way too much on seafood. The Mediterranean one had nothing that appealed to either of us. Oh well! There is plenty else to choose from.