Why do Oceania’s cookies have no taste?

[bob brown]

7 hours ago, sidwich said:

 

I second that the Insignia cookies from yesterday were better.  I still don't think that they're using best quality butter, but they made up for it with copious amounts of good quality chocolate and the texture was improved for some reason.  (I know this is a personal preference thing, but I like a moist and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie and that was the style yesterday).

 

Besides better butter, I'd probably also suggest using more brown sugar vs white sugar in their recipe, but yes, the cookie was definitely much improved yesterday.

Just had some more for dessert, and they were as good as yesterday’s.  So good, I even asked for a couple more to take “home” to my cabin.🙂

[mbiggers]

On 6/4/2023 at 7:01 AM, Hanoverian said:

I have to agree with the OP, I have always thought that Oceania could do much, much, better in the cookie department.  Certainly a far cry from what is available at Seabourn Square or the Arts Cafe on Silversea.  I am betting that BarbaraM is correct as to why this is so.  But, our complaints over the years have fallen on deaf ears.  There are days when I would have been happy just to find a bag of Oreos on the counter.

 

Oceania is definitely aware of their cookie quality. Frank del Rio came to our Meet n Greet before ours TA on Marina last year. Someone asked a question about a feature on Regent. His answer was that you’re going to pay a lot more for Regent than O. He mentioned the delicious cookies on R. Basically his response to all the points that were raised was that you get what you pay for, and the company has a responsibility to use their funds wisely.  His talk and responses to questions were very open and informative. We really appreciated his taking the time to come talk to the CC group.

Michele

[YourWorldWithBill]

6 hours ago, babysteps said:

Are we related? 

 

Family lore is my grandmother's maiden aunt lives to make delicious and huge sugar cookies for breakfast when her grand nieces stayed over (without parents). 

Yes, a similar story. When my great aunt came for dinner, which was very, very often, we always got a great desert. Her lemon meringue pie was hard to beat.

[Harters]

On 6/5/2023 at 2:42 AM, YourWorldWithBill said:

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

The bugler who sounded the charge is buried a few miles from my home.

[basenji56]

29 minutes ago, mbiggers said:

Oceania is definitely aware of their cookie quality. Frank del Rio came to our Meet n Greet before ours TA on Marina last year. Someone asked a question about a feature on Regent. His answer was that you’re going to pay a lot more for Regent than O. He mentioned the delicious cookies on R. Basically his response to all the points that were raised was that you get what you pay for, and the company has a responsibility to use their funds wisely.  His talk and responses to questions were very open and informative. We really appreciated his taking the time to come talk to the CC group.

Michele

I love good cookies but not enough to spend thousands more on Regent. 
 

And are the Regent cookies better than Costco?

[YourWorldWithBill]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

The bugler who sounded the charge is buried a few miles from my home.

That is interesting. I've always been a Tennyson fan.

[LuAnn]

9 hours ago, bob brown said:

Just had some more for dessert, and they were as good as yesterday’s.  So good, I even asked for a couple more to take “home” to my cabin.🙂

Maye the chef has read this "thread"!!! 🙂

[bob brown]

5 hours ago, mbiggers said:

Oceania is definitely aware of their cookie quality. Frank del Rio came to our Meet n Greet before ours TA on Marina last year. Someone asked a question about a feature on Regent. His answer was that you’re going to pay a lot more for Regent than O. He mentioned the delicious cookies on R. Basically his response to all the points that were raised was that you get what you pay for, and the company has a responsibility to use their funds wisely.  His talk and responses to questions were very open and informative. We really appreciated his taking the time to come talk to the CC group.

Michele

Nice that Mr. Del Rio responded to the criticism, although his response indicating that you had to pay more to get better tasting cookies doesn’t ring true to me. Maybe comparing Oceania and Regent, but if that is the case, why then did NCL have better cookies then Oceania?

 

Anyway, if the last two days aboard Insignia are what will be the new standard, I am quite satisfied…🙂

[vlthom]

5 hours ago, basenji56 said:

I love good cookies but not enough to spend thousands more on Regent. 
 

And are the Regent cookies better than Costco?

We sailed for the first time on Regent earlier this year and during that cruise, I can say that Regent's cookies were almost identical to those on O.  Definitely not a high point on either line.  

[basenji56]

37 minutes ago, vlthom said:

We sailed for the first time on Regent earlier this year and during that cruise, I can say that Regent's cookies were almost identical to those on O.  Definitely not a high point on either line.  

Glad I didn't to learn the hard way!  Thousands more and still crummy cookies!  

[Harters]

15 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

I've always been a Tennyson fan.

Back in 1965/6, when I was studying for my GCSEs (school leaving certificates), our English Literature book was Cecil Woodham-Smith's "The Reason Why". It discusses the history between the two commanders at the battle , culminating in the disaster. I re-read it about 10 years ago and it was still a fascinating account of 19th century upperclass Britain.

 

By the by, English Literature was one of my several GCSE failures. As was history. Who would have thought that, some 50 years later, my new paying hobby would have seen me write and have published four books on military history. 😀

[jondfk]

I’ll add my underwhelmed voice to the cookie debate, on the other hand it’s not entirely bad that O found something I wouldn’t care for more of.  The vast majority of what we’ve eaten has been good to excellent, alas, not the cookies.  If money is the explanation it’s hard to understand the vastly superior cookies we’ve had on Princess over the years.

[YourWorldWithBill]

8 hours ago, Harters said:

Back in 1965/6, when I was studying for my GCSEs (school leaving certificates), our English Literature book was Cecil Woodham-Smith's "The Reason Why". It discusses the history between the two commanders at the battle , culminating in the disaster. I re-read it about 10 years ago and it was still a fascinating account of 19th century upperclass Britain.

 

By the by, English Literature was one of my several GCSE failures. As was history. Who would have thought that, some 50 years later, my new paying hobby would have seen me write and have published four books on military history. 😀

Now you've tempted me with reading that. Maybe when I get through my current pile of books.

[hankandteri]

Has anyone mentioned salt? Many cookie recipes call for salt and it’s absence might make cookies taste a bit bland. The only real criticism I had of the food on our recent O cruise was that many dishes seemed under salted. Salt is cheap, so I’m sure the reason has to do with many passengers preferring or needing a low sodium diet. It’s easier to add salt to your dish at the table than it is to remove it. That doesn’t work for cookies and might be the issue here. 

[babysteps]

3 hours ago, hankandteri said:

Has anyone mentioned salt? Many cookie recipes call for salt and it’s absence might make cookies taste a bit bland. The only real criticism I had of the food on our recent O cruise was that many dishes seemed under salted. Salt is cheap, so I’m sure the reason has to do with many passengers preferring or needing a low sodium diet. It’s easier to add salt to your dish at the table than it is to remove it. That doesn’t work for cookies and might be the issue here. 

One way to add salt to an already-cooked cookie is to butter it with salted butter. 

[D. B.]

On 6/4/2023 at 7:00 AM, basenji56 said:

I wish they would transfer the money from the endless catalog mailings into an improved cookie mix!

I tried eating the endless catalog mailings and they also have no taste. Well none resembling a cookie?

[GeezerCouple]

18 minutes ago, D. B. said:

I tried eating the endless catalog mailings and they also have no taste. Well none resembling a cookie?

 

More salt?

 

😆

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 6/4/2023 at 8:06 AM, Twiga said:

Many of the cookies on Oceania are sugar-free.  They have no flavor.  They are usually labeled as sugar-free, but not always.  There are delicious cookies available onboard in Baristas.  The chocolate chip are amazing!  I was recently on Sirena and Regatta and both had excellent cookies in Baristas.

Plus 1.

Cookies in Terrace are mostly “sugar free.” Barista’s are regular and far better in taste.

[sidwich]

18 hours ago, hankandteri said:

Has anyone mentioned salt? Many cookie recipes call for salt and it’s absence might make cookies taste a bit bland. The only real criticism I had of the food on our recent O cruise was that many dishes seemed under salted. Salt is cheap, so I’m sure the reason has to do with many passengers preferring or needing a low sodium diet. It’s easier to add salt to your dish at the table than it is to remove it. That doesn’t work for cookies and might be the issue here. 

 

From a cooking perspective, salting underseasoned food /= properly salting during the cooking process.  Properly salting during the cooking process brings out the flavor of food because it draws out water, for example when you sweat aromatics like onions.  Salting underseasoned food at the table just makes bland food salty, but doesn't fix the underlying issue which is often a sign of an inexperienced cook.

 

That being said, cookies are something that I've not had much problem cutting back the salt on.  The Insignia cookies taste like they're either not using butter or cutting the butter with a cheaper fat.  Perhaps a cheaper shortening?  The croissants have very little taste as well.  

 

Generally, I just think that Oceania is cheaping out on ingredients at this point.  Last night on Insignia, the wiener schnitzel had clearly not been cooked in butter (probably a much cheaper oil), beef with brandy sauce at been listed on the Terrace menu but turkey was a last minute substitute at the carving station, and Dottie was hyping the fact that we were getting "chicken fajitas on the grill!!!" like it was somehow the second culinary coming.

[Psoque]

16 hours ago, babysteps said:

One way to add salt to an already-cooked cookie is to butter it with salted butter. 

I’ve never done that, but that does not sound appealing to me at all.  Sounds a bit gross to me.

[calicakes]

On 6/4/2023 at 4:48 AM, Woodrowst said:

 Please understand that this is not a complaint.  It would take a lot more than cardboard cookies to ruin our cruise.  I am simply looking for an explanation.

I would love to know this answer too.  I'm an excellent baker, having attended culinary school.  So, I guess you can say I am complaining about the cookies.  Cookies are so easy to make.  I'm assuming O doesn't use real butter. 

[basenji56]

3 minutes ago, calicakes said:

I would love to know this answer too.  I'm an excellent baker, having attended culinary school.  So, I guess you can say I am complaining about the cookies.  Cookies are so easy to make.  I'm assuming O doesn't use real butter. 

I thought about the real butter issue too.  Real sugar too.

[YourWorldWithBill]

17 hours ago, D. B. said:

I tried eating the endless catalog mailings and they also have no taste. Well none resembling a cookie?

Did you use real butter and sugar in the catalog? I mean, on the catalog? 🙂

The real question: do other catalogs tastes better? Inquiring minds...

[calicakes]

5 hours ago, sidwich said:

The croissants have very little taste as well. 

We took our first O cruise in Feb 2021( only 338ppl on board).  I thought the almond/choc. croissants were very good.  I wonder if they've changed the product.  

[D. B.]

32 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Did you use real butter and sugar in the catalog? I mean, on the catalog? 🙂

The real question: do other catalogs tastes better? Inquiring minds...

My wife put me on A “no catalog diet” she substituted her homemade cheesecake!😘