Solis Experience on Quest

[Ceepot]

We had a so-so meal at Solis the other night. I don’t think they’ve nailed it yet. 
 

The first waiter explained the menu, saying on most dishes no side orders were needed. The second waiter said side orders were needed on all dishes, not just the grill menu. 
 

Our salt baked fish was poorly filleted, and did not live up to the hype. 
 

Our empty wine glasses were ignored and it was difficult to get someone’s attention. 
 

Our black cherry dessert was prepared at our table with little care or theatre. One of us got most of the cherries, one got most of the kirsch, and one of us got mostly ice cream! 
 

On the positive side, the bread sticks were lovely, and the lobster was amazing. 
 

Day 7 and we still haven’t been addressed by name anywhere on the ship. In Solis we were greeted by our suite numbers! 
 

However we are not letting this affect our cruise, we are having fun! 

[alexandria]

Our experience with Solis on a recent Quest sailing was also disappointing.  We had a server who abruptly and officiously "corrected" me when I decided to order two appetizers in lieu of a main, telling me that the menu required me to order one appetizer and one main.  This was my first time on Seabourn so, foolish me, I thought perhaps the Solis dishes were paired as in a tasting menu.  Nope. 

 

We also found that glasses were not kept filled (wine for DW and sparkling water for me) and I twice had to ask for more water.  The food was fine, about dining room quality, but the service....below par.

 

I did encounter our Solis server again a few days later when I ordered a scoop of sorbet at the coffee bar.  The fellow behind the gelato counter who was otherwise unoccupied grabbed a container, rinsed the scoop and was about to dish up my sorbet when our Solis server, who had been preparing a coffee order for another passenger, stepped over and grabbed the scoop from his hand telling him she needed to finish the order she was working on.  She then scooped a few different cups of gelato before handing him the scoop back.  She was the single example of quite poor service we encountered.

 

There were a handful of wonderful crew who did address us by name and were very attentive, but most did not call us by name.  The aspect of that I found most unexpected was the restaurant seating host who asked every night (but the Solis night) for our suite number before sending us to a table.  You'd think that on an 11 night sailing that was only 75% full he might be more attentive and personal.  I'll be posting a review in the near future once I put my thoughts together, but your post on Solis did prompt me to share our experience as well.

 

Hope you enjoy the remainder of your sailing!

[cruiseej]

6 hours ago, alexandria said:

The aspect of that I found most unexpected was the restaurant seating host who asked every night (but the Solis night) for our suite number before sending us to a table.  You'd think that on an 11 night sailing that was only 75% full he might be more attentive and personal.

 

I've found that they always need to record the suite number for some aspect of their information/data management. On recent cruises, I've sometimes been greeted by name by the maitre d' or seating host, but asked for my suite number: "Good evening, Mr. ---, could you please remind me of your suite number." (I'd rather have them remember my name than my suite number! 😂)

[alexandria]

Just now, cruiseej said:

 

I've found that they always need to record the suite number for some aspect of their information/data management. On recent cruises, I've sometimes been greeted by name by the maitre d' or seating host, but asked for my suite number: "Good evening, Mr. ---, could you please remind me of your suite number." (I'd rather have them remember my name than my suite number! 😂)

That makes sense, however, the seating host never addressed us by name.  Not a big deal, just surprising considering how much contact we had with him during the sailing.  On the other hand, some crew with whom we had not had any previous interaction did address us by name when we encountered them which was a nice touch.  🙂

[Robisan]

7 hours ago, alexandria said:

We had a server who abruptly and officiously "corrected" me when I decided to order two appetizers in lieu of a main, telling me that the menu required me to order one appetizer and one main.

This is ridiculous. They hand you a wide-ranging menu that requires a multi-lingual cryptologist to decipher and then they restrict your choices? Other than chef's prix fixe menu dining there isn't a fine dining restaurant in the world that would impose this restriction. At this price point unless the request is untenable the customer should never hear "no."

[alexandria]

1 minute ago, Robisan said:

This is ridiculous. They hand you a wide-ranging menu that requires a multi-lingual cryptologist to decipher and then they restrict your choices? Other than chef's prix fixe menu dining there isn't a fine dining restaurant in the world that would impose this restriction. At this price point unless the request is untenable the customer should never hear "no."

I agree and at first thought she was trying to be helpful with a "recommendation" poorly expressed, but later allowed that she may have just been having a bad week or something going on back at home (based upon our other experience with her in Seabourn Square).  I mentioned the Solis experience to another passenger onboard and before I got halfway through, that passenger correctly named the server involved!  So if our experience with her was in fact not an aberration, I suspect that Seabourn will address it appropriately.

 

I don't like to waste food and didn't have a strong appetite that particular night so the two appetizers would have suited me fine.  Instead I only ate half of the main (and found that it didn't taste nearly as good as it sounded on the menu).  But it was still better than anything I would have prepared at home and I didn't have to cook or clean up!  😄

[lincslady]

It sounds a bit like when TK started -staff, some of them new and young, being 'trained' to serve in a certain way and not being confident enough to deal with passengers in a relaxed manner , therefore coming over as stiff and bossy.  It should settle down, though of course in the meantime passengers are not getting a good experience .It also applied to some of the putting together of dishes in TK; I had an appalling caesar salad made at the table by a poor girl who had obviously never made one before.

[SLSD]

Hmm. I often order appetizers instead of main dishes.  I hope this is allowed by the time we sail in the summer.  

[lincslady]

Quite a lot of people love to have several courses, but find two appetizers is plenty for them. Me included, nowadays.  Of course it should  be 'allowed', and hopefully will be soon when the staff have settled down and are less afraid of doing the wrong thing.  'The customer is always right'  does actually apply in this sort of case.

[saminina]

20 hours ago, Ceepot said:

However we are not letting this affect our cruise, we are having fun! 

"But we had a good time anyway" is what you will be saying at end of cruise.   A quite common statement.

 

My Solis dinner on Quest was a non event.  Happy that they honored request for table 5, so at least it was a comfortable experience.   Overall, food was a disgrace here, there and everywhere. Exception being sushi.....more fun and filling.  And more fun and filling room service spaghetti.

 

Overall, I had a good time anyway.  100% improvement over previous time on Sojourn.

Edited April 12 by saminina

[caviarforme]

Are we on the same Seabourn Quest?

 

Our Solis experience was excellent - Salt Baked Fish was excellently filleted and tasty - never an empty wine glass - and wonderful polite service with humour (proper English spelling is a clue to my country of residence) - and also addressed by name. The menu can appear confusing, but once explained it all falls into place.

 

Looking forward to our second visit tonight!

 

On the question of knowing your suite number - I challenge the writers here to learn all 400+ guest names and suite numbers in a few days. We have been addressed by name throughout - we address staff by their names, take interest in them, and thank them at all times. Could be a link!!!

 

[Kane]

I agree that remembering room numbers of hundreds of guests is not a reasonable task.

 

Realize this:  once you are at your table, your waiter will have your name on his/her order tablets.  Further, he/she will have (and probably mention) any allergies that you may have identified.

 

Segue back to Solis: If you enjoy sessions with one or more of the "Conversationalists" on board, be aware that they cannot attend Solis unless invited by a passenger.  They are open to and appreciate such invitations.  It could even possibly even get you an additional Solis dinner.

[tv24]

We board the Quest in 2 weeks, so this information is useful.  My expectations for Solis are not very high.  I was not a big fan of TK, and I prefer the cuisine at Earth and Ocean.

 

In regards to the request for suite numbers at the reception, I was once told that one reason is to check to see if the passenger has registered a food allergy or restriction before boarding.

[nancygp]

30 minutes ago, tv24 said:

In regards to the request for suite numbers at the reception, I was once told that one reason is to check to see if the passenger has registered a food allergy or restriction before boarding.

I was told the same thing on another lux line

 

Nancy

[caviarforme]

16 hours ago, caviarforme said:

Are we on the same Seabourn Quest?

 

Our Solis experience was excellent - Salt Baked Fish was excellently filleted and tasty - never an empty wine glass - and wonderful polite service with humour (proper English spelling is a clue to my country of residence) - and also addressed by name. The menu can appear confusing, but once explained it all falls into place.

 

Looking forward to our second visit tonight!

Second visit also excellent - 36oz Porterhouse sharing steak cooked to perfection and so full of flavour. Almost did not need a knife. Best steak I have had for years, and a lot better than TK, which I never liked.

 

Service again excellent. Addresses by name,

 

Try Solis, and if something is not quite right tell the Maitre D' who will always try to correct the issue before complaining here

[SLSD]

On 4/13/2024 at 2:27 AM, caviarforme said:

Second visit also excellent - 36oz Porterhouse sharing steak cooked to perfection and so full of flavour. Almost did not need a knife. Best steak I have had for years, and a lot better than TK, which I never liked.

 

Service again excellent. Addresses by name,

 

Try Solis, and if something is not quite right tell the Maitre D' who will always try to correct the issue before complaining here

I am expecting to enjoy Solis in July and August. 

[Kilroyshere]

Regarding crew knowing guests names, one other cruise line I know of has facial recognition running everywhere in their ships. At dining venues and everywhere else you appear on their tablet and then are addressed by name, but with no credit to crew IMO!

[BuckGood]

On 4/14/2024 at 2:58 PM, Kilroyshere said:

Regarding crew knowing guests names, one other cruise line I know of has facial recognition running everywhere in their ships. At dining venues and everywhere else you appear on their tablet and then are addressed by name, but with no credit to crew IMO!

I don’t really Care if a crew member knows my name or not! We don’t like being the center of attraction sort to speak nor do we Have to have our pictures with the captain or officers or with our waiter or the chef! We are polite to the crew, unlike what we have seen on numerous cruises! 

[lincslady]

I can assure you that you would not be the centre  of attention , nor would you have a photo taken with the Captain or any other staff - unless you asked them for one of themselves, which some people who find their waiter/barman/suite attendant particularly charming do sometimes.

[kjbacon]

Just catching up on this but I’m thinking that it can’t be correct that one is not allowed to order two appetizers? Perhaps the server who advised that had a language barrier that hindered communication?

[highplanesdrifters]

2 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Just catching up on this but I’m thinking that it can’t be correct that one is not allowed to order two appetizers? Perhaps the server who advised that had a language barrier that hindered communication?

 

I would agree it would be a shocker. I often order just apps.  Sometimes staff gets directions incorrectly. One needs to politely push back. If that doesn't work Maitre'd time.