Why do Oceania’s cookies have no taste?

[AMHuntFerry]

As another poster said, it's not the sugar content (American cookies are too sugary for me). We have a James Beard nominated Israeli-trained baker within walking distance of our house; I like her cookies which are made with the best butter in the world. The butter is the problem; I don't think they use butter at all (maybe vegetable shortening?). The Barristas biscotti comes from a bag and is OK for a packaged cookie. The little rum(?) cakes are usually tasty. Every cookie I tried on Riviera and Regatta got thrown away after one bite.

[basenji56]

10 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

As another poster said, it's not the sugar content (American cookies are too sugary for me). We have a James Beard nominated Israeli-trained baker within walking distance of our house; I like her cookies which are made with the best butter in the world. The butter is the problem; I don't think they use butter at all (maybe vegetable shortening?). The Barristas biscotti comes from a bag and is OK for a packaged cookie. The little rum(?) cakes are usually tasty. Every cookie I tried on Riviera and Regatta got thrown away after one bite.

I may be wrong but I don't think it's too much to expect a cruise line that bills itself as having the "Finest Cuisine at Sea" to have cookies more tasty than Keebler.  Not a huge deal but a real one.  

 

The Finest Cuisine at Sea® & Culinary Cruises - Oceania Cruises

 

The Finest Cuisine at Sea® & Culinary Cruises - Oceania Cruises

Edited June 4, 2023 by basenji56

[AMHuntFerry]

4 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I may be wrong but I don't think it's too much to expect a cruise line that bills itself as having the "Finest Cuisine at Sea" to have cookies more tasty than Keebler.  Not a huge deal but a real one.  

 

The Finest Cuisine at Sea® & Culinary Cruises - Oceania Cruises

 

The Finest Cuisine at Sea® & Culinary Cruises - Oceania Cruises

Luckily for us there are plenty of super yummy non-cookie ways to get a dessert fix on O 😉
Anything with fruit and lemon curd will be taste tested by me (where's the drooling emoji when you need it?!?)

[halfapair]

@shepherd reallyI make a to-die-for Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal cookie! Raisins are trash and should be outlawed.

[LuAnn]

Funny you should bring this up!! I had a chocolate chip cookie at tea in Horizons just about 1 week ago and I really didn't think it tasted like anything!! ?? Guess I'm not the only one.

[mphsp]

I enjoy the cookies on Oceania, especially the cranberry ones.  I agree they aren’t super sweet but everyone has different tastes. 

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, halfapair said:

@shepherd reallyI make a to-die-for Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal cookie! Raisins are trash and should be outlawed.

 

Oh dear.

 

Is white chocolate *really* chocolate!?   😕

Shouldn't it have a slightly different name?

Or, I suppose I should refer to myself as "addicted to cocoa", not "addicted to chocolate"?

 

GC

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

Okay, we are now really looking forward to finding out who's got the best taste! Notice I didn't say "who's right". My wife is an expert cookie eater, and loved the cookies (and the crab legs!) on Viking, but I'll have to wait until December to find out whether Oceania is on the wrong boat (sorry).

 

Almost any cookie tastes good to me, so I'm a poor judge, and looking forward to the whole dinners!

[AMHuntFerry]

3 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Okay, we are now really looking forward to finding out who's got the best taste! Notice I didn't say "who's right". My wife is an expert cookie eater, and loved the cookies (and the crab legs!) on Viking, but I'll have to wait until December to find out whether Oceania is on the wrong boat (sorry).

 

Almost any cookie tastes good to me, so I'm a poor judge, and looking forward to the whole dinners!

Let's take a look at the different tastes in chocolate ship cookies as a single example (vote if it seems fun):

- cakey, chewy, or crispy

- chips or chunks

- milk, dark, or white (or ruby...now that's just crazy 🙃 )

- nuts or dried fruit or oatmeal or other additions

- brown sugar or white sugar

- cookies or bars

- anything else that might vary

Fun vote, nothing serious!

[YourWorldWithBill]

19 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Let's take a look at the different tastes in chocolate ship cookies as a single example (vote if it seems fun):

- cakey, chewy, or crispy

- chips or chunks

- milk, dark, or white (or ruby...now that's just crazy 🙃 )

- nuts or dried fruit or oatmeal or other additions

- brown sugar or white sugar

- cookies or bars

- anything else that might vary

Fun vote, nothing serious!

- crispy, maybe with a slight cakey texture

- big chips or small chunks

- dark!

- maybe some nuts, not overpowering

- I can't tell the difference just by tasing, but brown if asked!

- cookies (we're talking about cookies, not watermelons!)

- I just don't know what makes some cookies so much better!

[cruisemom42]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

 

  DH complained about the scones one year as they had changed the recipe  & the new version was not good

The Exec Chef  called then we met with him to discuss  the problem

 

 

Do tell -- what was the result of the Great Scone Summit? I hope it was actionable because I love a good scone.

[cruisemom42]

49 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Let's take a look at the different tastes in chocolate ship cookies as a single example (vote if it seems fun):

- cakey, chewy, or crispy

- chips or chunks

- milk, dark, or white (or ruby...now that's just crazy 🙃 )

- nuts or dried fruit or oatmeal or other additions

- brown sugar or white sugar

- cookies or bars

- anything else that might vary

Fun vote, nothing serious!

 

Chewy, with milk chocolate chips and shaved dark chocolate. Chopped pecans, brown and white sugar, real vanilla and premium salted butter.

 

Cookies, not bars -- we aren't talking about brownies here!

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Do tell -- what was the result of the Great Scone Summit? I hope it was actionable because I love a good scone.

They  still were not as good  as they were before they made some recipe changes

 

The scones were  good  for many years  so not sure why they felt the need to change the recipe 😲

If it ain't broke  don't  fix it

[bob brown]

10 hours ago, BarbaraM said:

After complaining several years ago, we were told that the base ingredients for all cookies are corporate determined-- bought as a mix, same as the pizza crust in Terrace.  Some things the chef on board has no control.  

Could be, but I find the chocolate chip cookies offered on corporate sister NCL,  to be superior.

They usually are devoured as quick as they are put out…

 

One day, I may bring aboard a 24-pack of Costco chocolate chunk cookies, and give them to the pastry chef, to taste what good is…🙂

[halfapair]

 

- crispy, but I love bar cookies, too.

- chips

- milk, dark, or white: it depends on the cookie and flavor combos

- I love nuts, especially walnuts in cookies and brownies

- brown sugar or white sugar: both for flavor and texture 

- cookies or bars: All! 

- I don’t prefer iced sugar cookies, and certainly no raisins!

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 hour ago, bob brown said:

One day, I may bring aboard a 24-pack of Costco chocolate chunk cookies, and give them to the pastry chef, to taste what good is…🙂

😆Great idea! Be sure to record the chef's reaction.

[basor]

7 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I think  the cookie situation can be hit or miss

some cruises the cookies in Barristas  were good  other times  not so much

I usually can find other things to load up my calories on

😄

I think in the interest of in depth research, we will have to spend lots of time in Baristas/Bakery checking out the cookies and other goodies this Fall.....tough assignment but we can do it 😃

[YourWorldWithBill]

Someone here needs to defend raisins, so I guess I'll be brave. Not with chocolate chips, of course, I can't even think of that. But in oatmeal cookies? Definitely.

 

I feel like the charge of the light brigade... "Into the Valley of Death Rode the 600."

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

😆Great idea! Be sure to record the chef's reaction.

The chef might say, "We are a Premium Line" and do not need to respond 🙂  I am also part of the anti raisin crowd

[Norseh2o]

Not much of a cookie fan, and have not tried the O cookies, but decades ago while living and working in Honduras, I often stopped on the way home from work at a bakery to buy a cookie or two. The best sugar cookies ever! I later learned that the deliciousness was due to the lard used in the recipe. Yes, lard. 🙂

[shepherd really]

8 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Someone here needs to defend raisins, so I guess I'll be brave. Not with chocolate chips, of course, I can't even think of that. But in oatmeal cookies? Definitely.

 

I feel like the charge of the light brigade... "Into the Valley of Death Rode the 600."

Forward the light brigade

was there a man dismayed?

Not that a soldier new

the pastry chef blundered

Theirs not to make reply

theirs not to raison why

theirs but to do, and die 

into the valley of death rode the 600 

 

There is no raison d'être for raisins in cookies.  😁

[sidwich]

13 hours ago, Norseh2o said:

Not much of a cookie fan, and have not tried the O cookies, but decades ago while living and working in Honduras, I often stopped on the way home from work at a bakery to buy a cookie or two. The best sugar cookies ever! I later learned that the deliciousness was due to the lard used in the recipe. Yes, lard. 🙂

Lard can make for good cookies, both in flavor and texture.  It's actually a key ingredient in Chinese almond cookies.

[sidwich]

16 hours ago, LHT28 said:

They  still were not as good  as they were before they made some recipe changes

 

The scones were  good  for many years  so not sure why they felt the need to change the recipe 😲

If it ain't broke  don't  fix it

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed that the scones are off.  Currently on Insignia, and the scones have a very odd, dry and crumbly texture and are strangely tasteless. 

 

I adore a good scone, and am pretty open to interpretations:   round, triangular, plain, raisin, flavored, whatever.  But these are just not very good.

 

In fairness to Oceania, the raisin cookies in Barista have been excellent, though.

[YourWorldWithBill]

5 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Forward the light brigade

was there a man dismayed?

Not that a soldier new

the pastry chef blundered

Theirs not to make reply

theirs not to raison why

theirs but to do, and die 

into the valley of death rode the 600 

 

There is no raison d'être for raisins in cookies.  😁

Thanks for a brilliant poem!

The age-old philosophical understanding of the universe is, "Everything happens for a raisin."

[zz19]

On 6/4/2023 at 4:59 PM, bob brown said:

Could be, but I find the chocolate chip cookies offered on corporate sister NCL,  to be superior.

They usually are devoured as quick as they are put out…

 

One day, I may bring aboard a 24-pack of Costco chocolate chunk cookies, and give them to the pastry chef, to taste what good is…🙂