Manfredi’s

[Clay Clayton]

3 hours ago, richardbohn said:

Next year, we will do doing our first ocean cruise on Viking. After seeing the new menu at Manfredi’s we are not thrilled with it. Does The Restaurant offer many tables for 2? I understand reservations are not available. This being said, are tables for 2 hard to get? In addition, can you order room service for dinner from The Restaurant menu?

 

2 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Tables for two are readily available. But some are about three inches from the neighbors. 😎🥃

As Jim noted, there are lots of tables for two, but I have to disagree with his three inch comment.  Most are far enough apart that a regular sized person can slip between them. We find them the perfect distance apart-close enough to chat if you wish, far enough apart that you aren't being rude of you don't. 
 

If you find them too close together, just ask when you step up to the podium that you'd like to have a private table.  #1 is very private for example. 

[Jim Avery]

You are tough Clay.  No allowance for exaggeration for effect...🤪

[Clay Clayton]

7 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

You are tough Clay.  No allowance for exaggeration for effect...🤪

Well only since it was a response to a first timer.  😂

[KBs mum]

On 7/9/2023 at 7:29 PM, Squawkman said:

On our British Isles cruise last month, we had cold seafood in the WC every night, surf & turf with cold water lobster tails one night, and a jumbo warm water tail in the Restaurant one night. Not cheap.

The WC seafood is frozen and relatively inexpensive. OK but not special. Lobster tails can cost a bit, but one/two pp per week at Viking prices is nothing. 

 

[DRJVH]

We have just come back from a cruise with Viking and found the food in WC , Manfredis ,the pool bar and the restaurant to be somewhat tasteless  except for perhaps one night in the restaurant. Our meal in Manfredis was absolutely woeful to the extent that we complained and spoke to the chef as well. If I was in a restaurant that served up a meal like that I would not have paid for it. The meal was lamb cutlets on a bed of white bean mash. 
thin cutlets, tough and chewy and all you could taste was the bean mash. 
The ship was outstanding but staff, service and food well below a cruise line that is supposed to be a premier line. Entertainment was very good. But Viking cruises, not for us again!

[CannotSwim]

21 hours ago, Murt22 said:

This is our first ocean cruise on Viking and I anxiously awaited our booking time and planned everything out. After seeing the new menu (and hearing about the steak disappointment) and seeing that several of the Chef's Table menus are seafood heavy - not sure i can drag my DH to either of them. Of course, he hates to wait in line too.... so maybe he will starve!

I'm a vegetarian -- I don't eat any meat or seafood -- and I drag my spouse to Chef's Table. They are willing to accommodate me, often with items that look very much like the standard items, and I enjoy the style of dining at CT. My spouse gets occasional substitutions as well.

[May B]

21 hours ago, Murt22 said:

This is our first ocean cruise on Viking and I anxiously awaited our booking time and planned everything out. After seeing the new menu (and hearing about the steak disappointment) and seeing that several of the Chef's Table menus are seafood heavy - not sure i can drag my DH to either of them. Of course, he hates to wait in line too.... so maybe he will starve!

The line, when it even existed, at The Restaurant, was the absolute quickest line I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. It disappeared … well, there’s a great Shawshank quote that applies.

[May B]

8 hours ago, richardbohn said:

Next year, we will do doing our first ocean cruise on Viking. After seeing the new menu at Manfredi’s we are not thrilled with it. Does The Restaurant offer many tables for 2? I understand reservations are not available. This being said, are tables for 2 hard to get? In addition, can you order room service for dinner from The Restaurant menu?

We ate at a two-top, all ten nights. No wait whatsoever.

[KBs mum]

8 hours ago, DRJVH said:

We have just come back from a cruise with Viking and found the food in WC , Manfredis ,the pool bar and the restaurant to be somewhat tasteless  except for perhaps one night in the restaurant. Our meal in Manfredis was absolutely woeful to the extent that we complained and spoke to the chef as well. If I was in a restaurant that served up a meal like that I would not have paid for it. The meal was lamb cutlets on a bed of white bean mash. 
thin cutlets, tough and chewy and all you could taste was the bean mash. 
The ship was outstanding but staff, service and food well below a cruise line that is supposed to be a premier line. Entertainment was very good. But Viking cruises, not for us again!

Opinion generally seem to be devided  by nationality, US people being happy, the rest not so much. The food seems similar to that available in the US. May be a cultural thing. We think most of it is way too sweet. 

The food is a known Viking weak point, The staff are usually good though

 

[duquephart]

13 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Opinion generally seem to be devided  by nationality, US people being happy, the rest not so much. The food seems similar to that available in the US. May be a cultural thing. We think most of it is way too sweet. 

The food is a known Viking weak point, The staff are usually good though

 

 

So ----- you can be pleased with the staff while eating mediocre food?

[CDNPolar]

3 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Opinion generally seem to be devided  by nationality, US people being happy, the rest not so much. The food seems similar to that available in the US. May be a cultural thing. We think most of it is way too sweet. 

The food is a known Viking weak point, The staff are usually good though

 

 

This comment I find interesting, but perhaps because we have only sailed Viking.  We are very happy with the food on Viking and we pride ourselves on our knowledge of food.  We have obviously had an occasional less than adequate food item on Viking, but in general we find the food quite enjoyable and of high standards.  (Especially The Chef's Table)

[KBs mum]

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

This comment I find interesting, but perhaps because we have only sailed Viking.  We are very happy with the food on Viking and we pride ourselves on our knowledge of food.  We have obviously had an occasional less than adequate food item on Viking, but in general we find the food quite enjoyable and of high standards.  (Especially The Chef's Table)

A small example would be the cheese on the buffet, the cheddar was orange (similar to the burger cheese) rather than the mid to dark yellowy/orangey cream of genuine cheddar from Somerset. 

Many people were happily munching it, but we gave it a miss. 

This, of course, is trivial in the great scheme of things, but is a bit annoying at the time, when wanting to take a snack to the room for later

 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by KBs mum

[duquephart]

5 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

A small example would be the cheese on the buffet, the cheddar was orange (similar to the burger cheese) rather than the mid to dark yellowy/orangey cream of genuine cheddar from Somerset. 

Many people were happily munching it, but we gave it a miss. 

This, of course, is trivial in the great scheme of things, but is a bit annoying at the time, when wanting to take a snack to the room for later

 

 

 

"genuine cheddar" is white. Anything else is colored cheddar.

[KBs mum]

27 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

"genuine cheddar" is white. Anything else is colored cheddar.

I'm using colour descriptions as in how paint may be described, not as in wine or cheese classifications, sorry, thought context would clarify.

Very few cheeses are white, even soft cheese such as Brie is more often pale cream. 

In the UK processed cheese, such as burger slices is dyed, the rest, particularly small producer aged unpasteurised, isn't. It's the ageing/curing that produces the flavour 

Cheap pasteurised cooking 'white' cheese such as Wensleydale and Lancashire is white, they arn't aged, and don't taste of much. The good unpasteurised aged versions of them are cream tinted yellow or orange and have a medium strong taste and scent. 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by KBs mum

[duquephart]

2 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Very few cheeses are white, even soft cheese such as Brie is more often pale cream. 

In the UK processed cheese, such as burger slices is dyed, the rest, particularly small producer aged unpasteurised, isn't. It's the ageing/curing that produces the flavour 

Cheap pasteurised cooking 'white' cheese such as Wensleydale and Lancashire is white, they arn't aged, and don't taste of much. The good unpasteurised aged versions of them are cream tinted yellow or orange and have a medium strong taste and scent. 

 

 

If you want to know what color cheese is ask yourself "What color is milk."

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, duquephart said:

 

If you want to know what color cheese is ask yourself "What color is milk."

Read a book about cheesemaking. 

Also milk from a Jersey cow is pale cream rather than white

[CCWineLover]

23 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

As Jim noted, there are lots of tables for two, but I have to disagree with his three inch comment.  Most are far enough apart that a regular sized person can slip between them. We find them the perfect distance apart-close enough to chat if you wish, far enough apart that you aren't being rude of you don't. 
 

If you find them too close together, just ask when you step up to the podium that you'd like to have a private table.  #1 is very private for example. 

Sorry Clay - I'll disagree with you.  And maybe Saturn was squeezed together more in MDR.

The MDR tables for 2 were VERY tight together.  So tight I took pictures in case I need to show people.  I would avoid the middle seat of the 737 at all costs unless you are a party of 6 and then you can all sit together!!   But thanks for the advice on the table #1 being private.  Assume it's a 2 seater?

On our Saturn Iceland trip, the MDR was filled to max every dinner we went, and we likely won't be back as the sound and cacophony were nearly unbearable and you basically couldn't carry on a conversation.  Maybe though go earlier at 6:00 when people have not had quite so much to drink.

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by CCWineLover

[SJD117]

We’re on the Saturn right now and having a wonderful time in the far north of Norway. Nobody has complained about the color of the cheese (at least not in our presence). They’re too busy enjoying themselves in this fantastic part of the world.

[KBs mum]

26 minutes ago, stephenandrew said:

Your acknowledgment that the color of the cheese not being to your liking is “trivial” but still “annoying” maybe the most extreme example I have ever seen of of someone looking to find some fault, any fault, with a product or service.  And this goes beyond the confines of these Boards.  I really hope that most of the people I meet on my first Viking cruise have a more relaxed perspective on the supposed shortcomings of food and service than what you are sharing.  You are on a multi-million luxury ship in the middle of the ocean and you are “annoyed” with the color of the cheese….way, way too intense.

The colour is indicative of the cheese not being the genuine item, or being processed and of very poor quality. 

 

The annoyance is that something labelled as Cheddar cheese wasn't. 

 

Given that hard cheese does not need to be refrigerated, just cool, and should be brought up to room temperature before serving, there is no reason not to have decent quality on board. 

 

I mentioned it as an example of cultural differences regarding opinions of the on board catering. I intentionally chose something minor in the hope of avoiding a side debate. 

Should have known better. 

 

Being from the UK travel by sea is not a novelty, ferries are a routine way of going to another country. It is not unreasonable to expect that at Viking prices the catering be of good quality

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by KBs mum

[KBs mum]

4 minutes ago, SJD117 said:

We’re on the Saturn right now and having a wonderful time in the far north of Norway. Nobody has complained about the color of the cheese (at least not in our presence). They’re too busy enjoying themselves in this fantastic part of the world.

The complaint isn't about the colour, its that the cheese was not cheddar as claimed. Wrong colour to be cheddar 

[SJD117]

10 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Sorry Clay - I'll disagree with you.  And maybe Saturn was squeezed together more in MDR.

The MDR tables for 2 were VERY tight together.  So tight I took pictures in case I need to show people.  I would avoid the middle seat of the 737 at all costs unless you are a party of 6 and then you can all sit together!!   But thanks for the advice on the table #1 being private.  Assume it's a 2 seater?

On our Saturn Iceland trip, the MDR was filled to max every dinner we went, and we likely won't be back as the sound and cacophony were nearly unbearable and you basically couldn't carry on a conversation.  Maybe though go earlier at 6:00 when people have not had quite so much to drink.

 

We ate at Table #1 tonight to celebrate my birthday. 70 and counting!

 

BTW, our ship only has 760 pax, so it hasn’t felt crowded at all, even in the MDR.

[KBs mum]

Going to stop discussing cheese now, the All Blacks are 15 nil up against Argentina after 11 minutes. 3 tries! 

And a conversion, 17 now. 😀

 

TTFN while we watch the rest of the game 

 

[KBs mum]

11 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Do you ever have anything positive to say?  I dare you.

The basic design of the ships are nice, and the staff are usually good. Particularly housekeeping, the atrium bar staff and ships crew. World Cafe staff have improved of late

 

[jasardeax]

5 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Is about the sum of it, yes. But pearls are only suitable for formal. 

At half time Argentina have yet to score, ref has spoken to their Captain and they have a yellow card. What a shame. 

 

 

 

 

Are you watching the match that was played on Saturday?

[KBs mum]

Just now, jasardeax said:

Are you watching the match that was played on Saturday?

Yes, wasn't able to watch it at the time, recorded it