Vista. Waves has Pizza

[ORV]

1 minute ago, MEFIowa said:

Really, so you think you can equate Ember to Jacques? Now we can quibble if Ember is more akin to Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday or some other generic American restaurant chain, but O won't get anywhere in the real world trying to convince passengers that their dining experience on Vista has been elevated if they've already eaten at Jacques. I can't tell what Ember truly adds, menu wise, that you can't get in Polo or the GDR.

 

O has this on their web site, BUT people who have been on Vista can't seem to agree if Ember actually always has...tablecloths!

 

"EMBER Elegant American Traditions

When the fuel of classic American dishes meets the fire of culinary masters in a sophisticated setting reminiscent of a Napa or Sonoma tasting room, Ember is the glorious result."  

 

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

 

The picture on the page shows tablecloths, but does it have them?

 

And you really think that adding pizza to ships is somehow a significant improvement in the culinary experience? As if Americans and Canadians, the two biggest demographic groups on most cruises, don't get their fill of pizza weekly or monthly? Check out the data on pizza consumption. See weekends.

 

I guess if O wants the new ships to have a Pizza Hut and an Applebee's then that's objective culinary progress? Will a Denny's or Perkin's be next?

 

See the entire thread on NOISE in Vista. There may be more than one. That's coming from a plethora of passengers. On a variety of cruises and cabins.

 

As for sight lines and other issues in the Vista theatre, I didn't make that up. Repeatedly brought up as an actual problem over and over. I'm just shocked that whoever designed it apparently screwed up an easy thing.

 

And it is an OBJECTIVE fact that people are paying more to cruise on Vista compared to the other O ships.

Ok

 

I have no opinion personally on Vista, I haven't been on it. I've read all the same things you have about it, but that's someone else's perspective. I've also read reports from people that really like Ember, and some reports from people that haven't had any noise issues. I've also read some reports from people that liked the theater room better than the O ships. When and if I actually cruise on Vista then I'll have an opinion on it.

[MEFIowa]

7 minutes ago, ORV said:

... I've read all the same things you have about it, but that's someone else's perspective. ...

And we start with some salient facts. First, Vista is the "hot new ship", "the cool new toy". Second, she is more expensive to cruise on than other O ships. Now, take into account the psychology of these two facts. That do alter peoples' perception. See, for example, the concept of cognitive dissonance. Anyone who knows they paid more, wants more/better. They can alter their perceptions just on the basis of having to subconsciously defend the decision already made and the action already taken. Not all do and it can be subtle. But it is a real psychological phenomenon.

 

So objectively I struggle to understand any claim that adding pizza, a common mundane heavily consumed food in America, seriously enhances an O cruise where a highly salient selling point hammered home is "The finest cuisine at sea."  What does Ember truly bring that wasn't at the GDR, TC, or Polo? Pizza Hut and Applebee's ain't that!

 

AND can YOU tell us, does Ember even have tablecloths? I half expect to see crayons and something for people to draw on or color on the table! Like we can find at many American chain restaurants.

[MEFIowa]

22 minutes ago, ORV said:

Ok .... 

One small thing OBJECTIVELY about the pizza operation on Riviera. On our recent 20-night B2B on Riviera in the Med (Oct-Nov) the pizza operation in Waves forced the MOVE of the smoothie, yogurt, ice cream, etc. stand that had been there. Moved forward. Past Waves. Where the cold wind and rain pummel the worker and the customer. Was MISERABLE a few mornings in bad weather at 0700. With the worker bundled up and dripping wet. I was apologizing to him for how rotten this experience was for both of us. (Of course, he was always a trooper. After about 2 morning visits he knew my morning routine. The Sun Salutation smoothie and yogurt dish with the almonds and other "condiments" I preferred. We had many enjoyable morning chats.)

[Harters]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

does Ember even have tablecloths?

Where I am in the world, tablecloths (or absence of) are no indication about the quality of a dining experience. High end restaurants wanting to convey a traditional image will have them, high end restaurants wanting to convey a modern image won't. Of course, I'm not American nor live in America where things may be different. 

Edited March 13 by Harters

[MEFIowa]

10 minutes ago, Harters said:

Where I am in the world, tablecloths (or absence of) are no indication about the quality of a dining experience....

Still begs the original question. The O page for Ember shows tablecloths. Reviews and comments by passengers have discussed a lack thereof. So, does it even have tablecloths?

[IDL]

1 minute ago, MEFIowa said:

Still begs the original question. The O page for Ember shows tablecloths. Reviews and comments by passengers have discussed a lack thereof. So, does it even have tablecloths?

Here is the answer; Who cares?  If you don’t like Embers because you don’t like the menu, the food selection, the chef, the way the table is set, etc. then don’t eat there-problem solved.  Additionally is you don’t like the Vista ship for any or no reason than don’t sail on it.  

[Harters]

2 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

So, does it even have tablecloths?

My comment was that it really doesnt matter to me one way or the other. That said, I am interested to know why it's of interest to you. Do table cloths have a significance in your part of the world?

[Snaefell3]

Just now, Harters said:

My comment was that it really doesnt matter to me one way or the other. That said, I am interested to know why it's of interest to you. Do table cloths have a significance in your part of the world?

My 2¢:

• "Tablecloth" is/was a hallmark of "fine dining".

• "Tablecloth" doesn't make the food taste any better.

• "Tablecloth" is more related to signalling than savoring.

 

Oh!  And...

• "Tablecloth", unless changed for each seating, is less sanitary than a bleach-water wipe.

[Harters]

As ever, Google is your friend in the Great Tablecloth Debate 2024. 

 

A quick look at online photos of Ember show that those originating from Oceania show tablecloths, while photos posted by actual individual cruisers for websites or their own travel blogs do not show tablecloths. The former are staged publicity photos and the latter "real" ones. Which, I'd suggest, means there are no tablecloths.

 

It's a slow news day here at Harters Hall. Otherwise I wouldnt have bothered taking the five minutes out of my day to look for evidence. As IDL succinctly puts it, "who cares". 😀

[makai 7]

I have to laugh at this discussion….  First, I found the food at Ember to be a poor excuse for American cuisine, unless you classify mushy, frozen vegetables as “elevated American “.

 

I Don’t care if the table has a cloth, a place mat, or a sheet of paper covering it, but I do prefer something to a completely bare table that may or may not have been properly cleaned before I put my fork and knife on it.  Or maybe at least give me a bread plate to put them on?

 

We did not enjoy the atmosphere or the food, except for dessert, and we canceled the second reservation so someone who did want to eat there had the opportunity.  I don’t eat at Applebees at home, so why would I pay huge sums of money to do so on a cruise?

 

On the other hand, the evening pizza was a nice add on feature for a casual dinner at the buffet.  And there are place mats and table cloths used at Waves and the buffet at dinner!

 

[MEFIowa]

5 hours ago, Harters said:

... A quick look at online photos of Ember show that those originating from Oceania show tablecloths, while photos posted by actual individual cruisers for websites or their own travel blogs do not show tablecloths. The former are staged publicity photos and the latter "real" ones. Which, I'd suggest, means there are no tablecloths....

So... O apparently wants the world to think there are tablecloths. "Staged publicity photos". Yet there aren't. Why is that? Tells us something. And O knows why. As do we. 

[MarkWiltonM]

I'm so glad so many people don't care for Ember. We were able to get seated at a prime time (7 pm) table for two without a reservation.  

[LuAnn]

6 hours ago, makai 7 said:

I have to laugh at this discussion….  First, I found the food at Ember to be a poor excuse for American cuisine, unless you classify mushy, frozen vegetables as “elevated American “.

 

I Don’t care if the table has a cloth, a place mat, or a sheet of paper covering it, but I do prefer something to a completely bare table that may or may not have been properly cleaned before I put my fork and knife on it.  Or maybe at least give me a bread plate to put them on?

 

We did not enjoy the atmosphere or the food, except for dessert, and we canceled the second reservation so someone who did want to eat there had the opportunity.  I don’t eat at Applebees at home, so why would I pay huge sums of money to do so on a cruise?

 

On the other hand, the evening pizza was a nice add on feature for a casual dinner at the buffet.  And there are place mats and table cloths used at Waves and the buffet at dinner!

 

We really enjoyed the pizza and the "starters" in Waves on Vista as well...we went 3X I think on the 16 night cruise. And it was so nice eating outside!! Ember didn't really "float my boat" but it wasn't bad!!! And re tablecloths..this was in October and there were no tablecloths. So.....???? And we were in a veranda with no TV noise from next door. In the theatre we always sat down front for Trivia so can't comment on that. But IMO I do think it's good to be on a ship prior to giving your opinions about it. 🙂

[basor]

I share you sentiment but, unfortunately, as our 32 days onboard continued we found people actually ate in Ember and enjoyed it so extra reservations became more difficult.  There are few on here, who have never sailed on Vista, that feel compelled to continue to express disdain about Ember.  I find that there are many more, who have actually sailed on Vista and eaten at Ember, that do not share their opinion.  They also have strong views on a few other topics but it appears the real issue is they had sailed under OLife and are still unhappy about the implementation of Simply More.  The rest of us will continue to book which ever cruise line, ship, itinerary, cabin, etc. that works best for us based upon our own requirements...

[IDL]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

So... O apparently wants the world to think there are tablecloths. "Staged publicity photos". Yet there aren't. Why is that? Tells us something. And O knows why. As do we. 

You remind me of Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny trying to determine who stole the strawberries.  Maybe you should write a book once you solve the great tablecloth mystery. 

 

[iowananny]

O didn't take those photos.  They hired a company to come in and take photos in the most flattering way possible.  They (the company they hired) decided tablecloths would look good.  O is not trying to pull the wool over your eyes. If you're so upset about the tablecloths you should be just as upset that all the people in their ads are handsome and beautiful.  I've taken quite a few O cruises and I've got news for you, they are not your typical O customers.  It's called marketing and it's used everywhere.  Most of us are smart enough to know not to believe everything you see in an ad.

 

And I will give my review of Ember.  We ate there once on our last cruise and were pleased with our meal.  I really was ready for something a little lighter that night and my shrimp tacos fit the bill.  My husband was very happy with his meal too.  Good food and good service.  And I'm not a cheerleader (well I was but that was a long time ago, just a real person giving my real opinion.  Take it or leave it. 

 

But I hope you get to the bottom of the tablecloth conspiracy.  I was very happy with Vista, probably my best O cruise ever.  We had a nice quiet room.  Maybe we were just lucky.  We were right above Martinis and my husband said he could tell what the piano player was playing.  I couldn't but he said I could if I stood by the door and I could hear it playing very softly.  So, I guess it could have been a problem if I had decided to sleep by the floor right by the door.  I declined and went back to bed and slept fine.

 

Just have fun, that's what you take a cruise for.

[basenji56]

"If you're so upset about the tablecloths you should be just as upset that all the people in their ads are handsome and beautiful.  I've taken quite a few O cruises and I've got news for you, they are not your typical O customers.?

 

Thank you for giving me a chuckle in the morning.  So true.  Not one walker is seen in the ads.

[Harters]

14 hours ago, iowananny said:

you should be just as upset that all the people in their ads are handsome and beautiful

With the men always wearing a jacket for dinner. 😀

[MarkWiltonM]

Pizza is pretty good at Waves. Some love it, some don't. We have so many great pizzerias where we live that we usually don't eat much pizza on cruise ships. But whereas we will actually eat the pizza at Waves, we have found the pizza on most other cruise lines to be just plain bad (Celebrity, HAL, Virgin Voyages).

 

I haven't eaten at Applebee's since I was a teenager, but I find the comparisons to Ember to be ridiculous. In terms of quality, I would compare Jacques to Applebee's. I think it's the French words and air of pretension and formality that make people think it must be good. Certainly compared to actual restaurants in France (Paris, Lyon, etc.), the menu is extremely dated and mediocre.  

[iowananny]

I'm glad we're not the only people who feel this way.  Jacques is not that good.  It's old school French food from the 70s.  If you like it that's fine and please enjoy.  We had a few dishes that we enjoyed but not enough to make it a "let's get up at midnight and make sure we have a reservation for Jacques ".  The last couple of cruises we never went to Jacques so those who do enjoy it could have our reservations.  We liked Ember a lot.  Would I want to eat there every night?  No.  But it was a nice difference from some of the fancier foods we'd been eating.  I don't know if you could compare it to Applebee's because it's been years since I've been there but somehow I don't think so..

[IDL]

2 hours ago, iowananny said:

I'm glad we're not the only people who feel this way.  Jacques is not that good.  It's old school French food from the 70s.  If you like it that's fine and please enjoy.  We had a few dishes that we enjoyed but not enough to make it a "let's get up at midnight and make sure we have a reservation for Jacques ".  The last couple of cruises we never went to Jacques so those who do enjoy it could have our reservations.  We liked Ember a lot.  Would I want to eat there every night?  No.  But it was a nice difference from some of the fancier foods we'd been eating.  I don't know if you could compare it to Applebee's because it's been years since I've been there but somehow I don't think so..

We were on the Vista with 4 other couples and the majority of us, including myself, enjoyed Ember.  By the way I used to live in Urbandale, next door to West Des Moines.  

[basenji56]

2 hours ago, iowananny said:

I'm glad we're not the only people who feel this way.  Jacques is not that good.  It's old school French food from the 70s.  If you like it that's fine and please enjoy.  We had a few dishes that we enjoyed but not enough to make it a "let's get up at midnight and make sure we have a reservation for Jacques ".  The last couple of cruises we never went to Jacques so those who do enjoy it could have our reservations.  We liked Ember a lot.  Would I want to eat there every night?  No.  But it was a nice difference from some of the fancier foods we'd been eating.  I don't know if you could compare it to Applebee's because it's been years since I've been there but somehow I don't think so..

I have never been a big fan of Jacques either. And the last time I ate there, it was almost as noisy as Ember. 

 

 

[ORV]

6 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I have never been a big fan of Jacques either. And the last time I ate there, it was almost as noisy as Ember. 

 

 

It's always been a 3 out of the 4 for us, but I do enjoy a lot of the dishes there. 

[basenji56]

9 minutes ago, ORV said:

It's always been a 3 out of the 4 for us, but I do enjoy a lot of the dishes there. 

I wish there was a replacement for Ember--maybe something like a high end Modern Mexican restaurant.

 

[Vallesan]

4 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I wish there was a replacement for Ember--maybe something like a high end Modern Mexican restaurant.

 

I’m not a fan of Jaques but I really dislike Mexican!

 

“You can please some of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” !!!