How does La Cucina compare to Onda?

[spookylu]

I am traveling on my second Norwegian cruise in April, on the Joy. On my first cruise I was on the Escape, and we used our two included specialty meals at Onda and Cagney"s. Both were amazing and we're definitely eating at Cagney's again on the next cruise on the Joy. However, I'm still trying to decide where to use my second meal on the next cruise. Joy has La Cucina instead of Onda. What are your thoughts on La Cucina vs. Onda? Is La Cucina as good?

Edited November 28, 2023 by spookylu

[Daruma]

I can't speak to that specifically, but take this as you will...

 

Onda is no longer on the Escape, the Italian restaurant on the Escape is now La Cucina... so my guess, operative word being, "guess," is that it's all the same.

[Karaboudjan]

I would say that in theory Onda is a bit more 'special.'  It seems to have a somewhat larger and more adventurous menu than La Cucina.  However, the food at La Cucina can be excellent.  The last time I ate there the lamb Osso Bucco was one of the highlights of the cruise.  If I recall correctly the beef filet that my wife had was also excellent.

[Karaboudjan]

5 minutes ago, Daruma said:

I can't speak to that specifically, but take this as you will...

 

Onda is no longer on the Escape, the Italian restaurant on the Escape is now La Cucina... so my guess, operative word being, "guess," is that it's all the same. 

 

Onda has never been on Escape.  It was introduced on Encore, added to Spirit during her major refurbishment and is on both of the Prima class ships, so it is clearly the Italian restaurant of choice at the moment for NCL.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

We ate in Onda on the Prima recently and nothing sticks in my memory!!   Yet I can remember quite a bit of the times we have eaten in La Cucina on a number of ships.   I would say that la Cucina would be my choice.

[spookylu]

13 minutes ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

Onda has never been on Escape.  It was introduced on Encore, added to Spirit during her major refurbishment and is on both of the Prima class ships, so it is clearly the Italian restaurant of choice at the moment for NCL.

You're right, I was on the Encore. I made a typo 🤡

[vacation44]

We always enjoy La Cucina and it is always one of our choices.

[Daruma]

54 minutes ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

Onda has never been on Escape.  It was introduced on Encore, added to Spirit during her major refurbishment and is on both of the Prima class ships, so it is clearly the Italian restaurant of choice at the moment for NCL.

 

I'm not the one who said it was... the OP did. 

[valleyvillage]

I like them both, choices are similar, however the bread at Onda puts it over the top for me! Instead of the usual basket of bread, you get three different kinds of bread and three different dipping options!

 

 Scarpetta's bread basket with stromboli, plus butter and mascarpone, caponata, lemony olive oil.

[Pitzel]

If you are looking for other suggestions, Le Bistro has always been a favorite of ours across the fleet. We will be sailing on the Joy next April. Since my DH and I have 4 dining credits each (the 2 FAS dining credits as well as 2 dinners for 2 from being platinum), we are planning on dining at Le Bistro, Ocean Blue, and La Cuccina. We will likely use our final credits at Q or Food Republic

[spookylu]

13 minutes ago, valleyvillage said:

I like them both, choices are similar, however the bread at Onda puts it over the top for me! Instead of the usual basket of bread, you get three different kinds of bread and three different dipping options!

 

 Scarpetta's bread basket with stromboli, plus butter and mascarpone, caponata, lemony olive oil.

Yes, when I went I thought the bread basket was incredible.

[debenson0723]

I am Onda all the way. I have only had what I consider a great meal at La Cucina once and that was on the Jade. The bread at Onda is amazing and there is a white pizza that is crazy good. Food is so objective so you will get many fans of both restaurants.I can't wait to be on the Viva next week and go to Onda.

[ColdCruise]

I like both La Cucina and Onda. However, if I had to choose …. Onda.

 

we just got off Viva in Miami, are there 2x in 11 day cruise. The “star” pizza however wasn’t as good as on Prima - topping were skimpy.

OTOH, the filet at Onda was the best steak on board Viva!

And, as others mentioned, the “bread service” is great!

 

we were informed that the Onda team were trained by Scarpetti staff to ensure they accurately replicated the recipes, as well as table service and uniforms.

[ready2cruzagain]

12 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

I would say that in theory Onda is a bit more 'special.'  It seems to have a somewhat larger and more adventurous menu than La Cucina.  However, the food at La Cucina can be excellent.  The last time I ate there the lamb Osso Bucco was one of the highlights of the cruise.  If I recall correctly the beef filet that my wife had was also excellent.

I would absolutely get the Osso Bucco if it was lamb but now the menu says it is a veal shank and that is not a very tasty piece of meat to me.

 

[BirdTravels]

13 hours ago, spookylu said:

I am traveling on my second Norwegian cruise in April, on the Joy. On my first cruise I was on the Escape, and we used our two included specialty meals at Onda and Cagney"s. Both were amazing and we're definitely eating at Cagney's again on the next cruise on the Joy. However, I'm still trying to decide where to use my second meal on the next cruise. Joy has La Cucina instead of Onda. What are your thoughts on La Cucina vs. Onda? Is La Cucina as good?

This year, we were on the Encore twice (ate at Onda both cruises), The Escape once (ate at Cucina) and the Joy (ate at Cucina). We are on the Viva next month and have decided to pass on both Onda and Palomar. 
 

We greatly prefer  La Cucina over Onda. While Onda tries to make “fancy food”, none of it is really appealing or tasty. The food always disappoints. 
 

The restaurant design on the Encore is poor. The hard laminate floors and the lack of any soft surfaces reflects sound and makes it a very loud, obnoxious restaurant. The curved walls act as parabolic reflectors so you spend the evening listening to the conversations of the people across the restaurant from you. 
 

La Cucina is more of a traditional Italian restaurant. 
 

That being said, if I hand only two specialty dining meals, I would not go to either. There a red Italian restaurants on every corner back home.  I would go to Le Bistro and Ocean Blue. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by BirdTravels

[Karaboudjan]

56 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

I would absolutely get the Osso Bucco if it was lamb but now the menu says it is a veal shank and that is not a very tasty piece of meat to me.

 

 

That's interesting.  When I had the lamb was during COVID, so maybe there were sourcing issues with veal and they had to substitute.  I found the braise and sauce to be so flavorful that I'm not sure you could really recognize what the meat was.  I would love to try it again with veal.

[ready2cruzagain]

2 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

That's interesting.  When I had the lamb was during COVID, so maybe there were sourcing issues with veal and they had to substitute.  I found the braise and sauce to be so flavorful that I'm not sure you could really recognize what the meat was.  I would love to try it again with veal.

Oh I would love with veal, just not the shank😞

[sid_9169]

Just my opinion, but I find Onda better than La Cucina... More options...

[DCGuy64]

The difference between Onda and La Cucina is the following:

Onda means "wave" and La Cucina means "the kitchen." Glad to have clarified that. 🤣😉

[david_sobe]

Kmart and Neiman Marcus

[skeeter195]

From a chef's perspective I would choose Onda.  While there is more of a classic Italian setting in La Cucina, the technical aspects of the dishes are "sharper" at Onda.  Plus Onda has octopus.

 

We have eaten 15 plus times at La Cucina and 4 times at Onda.  

[UKstages]

onda all the way,

 

yes, it's "fancier," but the truth is the level of expertise in the kitchen is several notches higher than at la cucina and they offer many dishes that are not traditionally italian. onda is not a "red sauce" restaurant. then again, neither is la cucina, either, strictly speaking, but la cucina has many more traditional dishes, such as lasagne (which is excellent, by the way). they have chefs in onda, whereas, in my opinion, la cucina has paint by numbers line cooks.

 

la cucina might have a slight edge on pizza, but i like the pizza at both .they are just very different, with la cucina producing a more traditional neapolitan pie, and onda taking a more artisan approach. if using the dining plan, one advantage to onda is that the pizza is cosidered an appetizer, whereas at la cucina it counts as an entree.

 

i greatly prefer onda over la cucina. while la cucina is more traditional, they don't have chicken parm on the menu and they often stumble with non-italian dishes like the filet or the osso bucco,  the calamari somehow manages to be simultaneously greasy and dry. the veal scaloppini is pretty good. but if you stray from the pizza or pasta offerings or the lasagne, nothing at la cucina is terribly accomplished or tasty. the food almost always disappoints.