Lunch options question on not Arctic / Antarctic cruises

[YoHoHo]

Being as the Expedition cruises in the Arctic / Antarctic (I realize Atlas calls all their cruises "expeditions") have a ship full of captive pax at lunch time the main dining room is busy. Lunch was very good and a high point on our Antarctic expedition this year. 

 

But I don't know what they are doing for lunch on a port intensive cruise where most pax will be going ashore. Is lunch still offered in the main dining room? Is it scaled back. i.e. from what is offered on a sea day? What hours is it open? Our experience on other cruise lines is once the dining room / buffet is closed there is still meals on offer at a pool-side grill. Perhaps Atlas' Josper Grill Dining Experience at 7-AFT Grill wil be open (hope, hope)

 

We are looking at some half-day excursions that are to return to the ship at perhaps 12:30, or 1:30 or maybe 2. Was thinking of then having lunch on ship and heading out on foot, if the heat is not too exhausting, in the afternoon. But maybe that will not work depending on what is on offer.

 

I recognize it is difficult to manage with only 190 pax or so as a full complement but as this is marketed where we are ensured "you enjoy every comfort and that your every need is anticipated and fulfilled" (that IS a high watermark! :) I am simply hoping there will be some good lunch options for those returning from Atlas's shorex's.

 

Does anyone have information / experience on their lunch options on port days?
 

Edited July 20, 2023 by YoHoHo

[Primus]

Our World Navigator Antarctica lunches in February 2023 were better and more extensive than our World Traveller lunches on port intensive 2023 Epicurean cruises.  The Epicurean cruises still had a big buffet in the dining room but didn't have as many specialty stations and the dishes were more repetitive day-to-day compared to Antarctica.  There was no problem getting food at a restaurant after excursions.  Plus there is always the room service option which can also be delivered to the pool or other public spaces besides your stateroom. 

 

Here were the Traveller dining times across 21 days in May:

Breakfast buffet: 7:30 - 9:30, 7:00 - 9:30, 7:00 - 9:00, 8:00 - 9:30 (sea day), 8:00 - 10:00 (sea day)

Lunch buffet: 12:00 - 1:30, 12:30 - 2:00

Lunch for B2B transit guests: 12:00 - 1:00

Dinner: 7:30 - 9:30, 6:30 - 8:30

7 Aft lunch (small buffet and burgers):12:30 - 2:00, 1:00 - 2:00

7 Aft a la carte burgers: 2:00 - 4:00

Alma Al Fresco: opened occasionally 7:30 - 9:30

Josper Grill/7 Aft dinner: 7:30 - 9:00, 7:30 - 9:30

Paula's Pantry: 6:30 am - 6:30 pm, 6:30 am - 7:30 pm

[Primus]

Josper Grill/7 Aft dinner menu on World Traveller from May 2023:

 

[Primus]

7 Aft lunch included a small buffet until 2:00 plus the following a la carte burger menu until 4:00 on the World Traveller in May 2023:

[Primus]

Alma dinner menu on World Traveller in May 2023:

[ShopperfiendTO]

On 7/20/2023 at 3:55 PM, YoHoHo said:

Being as the Expedition cruises in the Arctic / Antarctic (I realize Atlas calls all their cruises "expeditions") have a ship full of captive pax at lunch time the main dining room is busy. Lunch was very good and a high point on our Antarctic expedition this year. 
 

 

Sorry to (hopefully only slightly) highjack your thread, but was your impression that lunch was better than dinner on your Antarctic expedition?

 

I think I have seen you on the Oceania board - how would you compare the food on O to your Antarctic expedition?

 

[YoHoHo]

On 7/21/2023 at 10:21 AM, Primus said:

Our World Navigator Antarctica lunches in February 2023 were better and more extensive than our World Traveller lunches on port intensive 2023 Epicurean cruises.  The Epicurean cruises still had a big buffet in the dining room but didn't have as many specialty stations and the dishes were more repetitive day-to-day compared to Antarctica.  There was no problem getting food at a restaurant after excursions.  Plus there is always the room service option which can also be delivered to the pool or other public spaces besides your stateroom. 

 

Here were the Traveller dining times across 21 days in May:

Breakfast buffet: 7:30 - 9:30, 7:00 - 9:30, 7:00 - 9:00, 8:00 - 9:30 (sea day), 8:00 - 10:00 (sea day)

Lunch buffet: 12:00 - 1:30, 12:30 - 2:00

Lunch for B2B transit guests: 12:00 - 1:00

Dinner: 7:30 - 9:30, 6:30 - 8:30

7 Aft lunch (small buffet and burgers):12:30 - 2:00, 1:00 - 2:00

7 Aft a la carte burgers: 2:00 - 4:00

Alma Al Fresco: opened occasionally 7:30 - 9:30

Josper Grill/7 Aft dinner: 7:30 - 9:00, 7:30 - 9:30

Paula's Pantry: 6:30 am - 6:30 pm, 6:30 am - 7:30 pm

Thank-you Primus for these details of the various venue opening times - you keep great notes 🙂

 

Summarize for our case, lunch buffet in main dining room is a maybe on some days available after 1:30 -2:00, 7 Aft small buffet to 2:00 then burgers to 4:00.

 

Paula's Pantry had excellent looking pastries, cookies and great looking healthy juice / tonic offerings but little in hot food on our sailing. Pizza a couple of times but always gone in a flash. The cold sandwiches looked simple and that is a positive thing as I am a sucker for a simple sandwich, great bread and high quality but simple filling.  But not worth returning to the ship for. Room service, other than an (untried) excellent breakfast selection, on our cruise consisted of four items, a bizarre "clubhouse" (in quotes because it had three slices of bread and that is the only part that resembled my expectation of a clubhouse sandwich despite the menu description), a chopped chicken wrap (Caesar dressing replacing the mayo in the clubhouse), a hamburger and something else (salad perhaps?) 

 

I have just learned that a number of the ports we will be tendering so I think we will plan instead to enjoy lunch in port rather than return to the ship. I was hoping for the nice lunch buffet and then perhaps dinner in port when we have the late night stays in several ports. We like to have a meal locally and on board I enjoyed lunch offerings so seemed like a good plan but re-thinking. 

 

Your details have been very helpful.

[YoHoHo]

On 7/22/2023 at 3:16 PM, ShopperfiendTO said:

 

Sorry to (hopefully only slightly) highjack your thread, but was your impression that lunch was better than dinner on your Antarctic expedition?

 

I think I have seen you on the Oceania board - how would you compare the food on O to your Antarctic expedition?

 

Yes, I spent time on the O board but not posted there in a while. I'll be back..

 

The food on O is generally better. I will keep this brief and avoid a review here as I (still!) intend to write a proper one and want to choose words carefully and not sound too harsh.

 

First off, as you mentioned it was an Antarctic Expedition so is different than a more normal cruise elsewhere. They have big supply chain issues with Ushuaia and have to scramble at the last minute to fill shortages. And the chef has to rework menus. They did an excellent job with that - full marks.

 

The meats and seafood were excellent (other than the odd sausages at breakfast). In general better than O. Also perfect, in season fruits, and like O wonderful European cheeses, a wonderful bakery with a constantly changing offerings of a variety of breads, Jamón Ibérico or Presunto tidbits sliced and laid out at lunch, a prepare/plate to order seafood or pasta station, etc., etc.

 

Breakfast and lunch buffets, with its carvery of perfectly prepared, changing daily offering were great (though the buffet layout is strange).

 

Skip dessert. Lunch has a station with a variety of "squares"/ All very colourful and attractive and equally tasteless. The ship made ice cream is excellent. I assume I had dessert at dinner but cant remember any. Sweets such as pastries and giant cookies available all day at Paula's pantry are good.

 

Dinner is more formal in appearance with tablecloths and table service but the service is very poor. The staff try hard but are not well trained and seem used to "mass feeding". Taking an order they prefer to want it ordered at once: which wine, appetizer, main, and dessert. Leave and drop and wont see them again. In fairness there were a couple of very good servers and I noted them on survey as they worked hard and had great interest.

 

The kitchen does a very good job and I noticed after a few days some tables (very large groups or those preferring ethnic / familiar choices) were given meals just for them. Very top notch.  This is what I would hope for from a small ship experience and they delivered. It is unfortunate service is not up to the same standard (nor the included house wines though a decent size selection and bottles for purchase at reasonable prices)

 

Oh see, I have gone on and on far too long. 

 

Bottom line is breakfast made to order eggs are table service and can add from the extensive buffet - all good. Lunches are buffet, fresh with ample selection and excellent quality meats, dinner is table service that needs someone to manage the front of house. Table service / dinner itself cannot compare to O. It will be fine but it not what I think Atlas thinks it is.

 

Edit: I am looking forward to the outdoor dining and specialty grill on an upcoming Mediterranean cruise and the specialty restaurant that are not open on the Expedition cruise. I expect they will both be excellent.

Edited July 24, 2023 by YoHoHo