Next Chapter in Its Culinary Story

[jonthomas]

40 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

Preparation intensive, It’s highly nutritious. Loaded with vitamins and minerals. Probably soothing to the quezzies too.

Really? Just looks like water with some coloring in it...but hey, they keep making it, so somebody might like it.

[clo]

3 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Yum!!!

Indeed. And I'm betting O's chefs are doing something similar. (I have a Bolognese recipe that probably has 20 ingredients and takes all day to make!)

[Kay S]

50 minutes ago, clo said:

Indeed. And I'm betting O's chefs are doing something similar. (I have a Bolognese recipe that probably has 20 ingredients and takes all day to make!)

Bolognese is my favorite. The best I ever had was in France in a town near the Italian border. I also love soup and I’m not a big fan of the watery ones. Give me lentil or chowder or broth just by itself without three strings of celery or something in it. Oh and Minestrone with the beans.

 

i have never been in a Golden Corral I don’t think. 

[Shipandshore]

10 hours ago, golfguyhhi said:

If you want an authentic Indian dinner, tell the Restaurant Manager, the F&B Manager, the Executive chef or the General Manager you want to meet with the senior Indian chef on board to request the dinner.  Discuss what you want, including the kinds of spices, and, if appropriate, the degree of heat.  Then agree on a date in the near future (allow a day or two) when you want the dinner, and where.

I've done this and had dinners prepared and served in the GDR, The Terrace, and in our Owner's Suite.  They have all been wonderful

The Indian chefs very much enjoy preparing their food for people who appreciate their food.

 

panceta.txt

[scooter6139]

20 hours ago, clo said:

I didn't know that Ember is one of the specialty restaurants.

I believe it is only on the Vista and Allura.

 

Ember
PURE AMERICAN TRADITIONS
Welcome to Ember, where savory American classics come to life with a modern twist. Our diverse menu showcases fresh, seasonal ingredients transformed into mouthwatering dishes by the finest culinary team at sea, while the atmosphere reflects the effortlessly laid-back nature of a family-run Sonoma tasting room. Try our blackened crab cake with corn salsa or savor the porcini-dusted bone-in ribeye with foie gras-truffle demi-glace. For dessert, indulge in a roasted apple tart with Humphry Slocombe sweet summer corn ice cream. In a warm enclave of graceful service and meticulous attention to detail, each of the timeless dishes shines. At Ember, delight in the pure and uncomplicated pleasure of delicious cuisine.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/vista/culinary-experiences

[MEFIowa]

21 hours ago, clo said:

I didn't know that Ember is one of the specialty restaurants.

It is quite the brilliant cost-cutting move. Remove Jacques and replace with Ember. And convince people that this is some culinary enhancement. O will likely save a significant amount on food over the 20+ years of Vista and Allura. They certainly will for those passengers who love to eat lots of bread, rolls, and pizza.

[Harters]

I'll be interested to try the Indian food, on the assumption that it's going to be better than the "curries" occasionally on the GDR menu. They have been very disappointing with none of the vibrancy of spicing you expect from South Asian food. As already noted on this thread, many Americans are not very familiar with traditional South Asian food, even Americanised versions. I suspect, therefore, that any traditional dishes will be heavily adapted to appeal to the palates of the majority customer base. I hope I'm wrong

[Thought2go]

WOW- literally in just a few months Jacques has gone from being available on Serina-to only being available in the GDR at lunch- to just plain gone!! But hey- there are hamburgers and Pizza- Continential fare (which you can get anywhere you travel in the US- it’s at every Hyatt). What more could you ask for on what is obviously becoming the step child!!?? 

You want European- you have to go to Marina

Was willing to accept the crappy bathrooms onboard in exchange for some European (especially French) cuisine. Even willing to get fresh fruit myself from Terrace since Waves no longer uses fresh fruit for smoothies. R class ships are now just a lot of hype. Next will find they are serving Tang…but it’s the best cuisine at sea??

[ORV]

11 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

WOW- literally in just a few months Jacques has gone from being available on Serina-to only being available in the GDR at lunch- to just plain gone!! But hey- there are hamburgers and Pizza- Continential fare (which you can get anywhere you travel in the US- it’s at every Hyatt). What more could you ask for on what is obviously becoming the step child!!?? 

You want European- you have to go to Marina

Was willing to accept the crappy bathrooms onboard in exchange for some European (especially French) cuisine. Even willing to get fresh fruit myself from Terrace since Waves no longer uses fresh fruit for smoothies. R class ships are now just a lot of hype. Next will find they are serving Tang…but it’s the best cuisine at sea??

Tell us again how many Oceania cruises you've been on? Here's a tip, don't believe everything you read, especially on FB. They've got people posting there with Oceania Expert by their name that's only been on about 3 of their ships and have never eaten in the GDR. Go figure. 

 

I don't want to disappoint you more, but on Regatta you had to ask for fresh squeezed OJ or they would serve you some kind of reconstituted stuff. They really need to rethink that one. I'm pretty sure Serena does not have the evening pizza at Waves. But things change quickly, maybe they do now.

[EJL2023]

12 minutes ago, ORV said:

Tell us again how many Oceania cruises you've been on? Here's a tip, don't believe everything you read, especially on FB. They've got people posting there with Oceania Expert by their name that's only been on about 3 of their ships and have never eaten in the GDR. Go figure. 

 

I don't want to disappoint you more, but on Regatta you had to ask for fresh squeezed OJ or they would serve you some kind of reconstituted stuff. They really need to rethink that one. I'm pretty sure Serena does not have the evening pizza at Waves. But things change quickly, maybe they do now.

I think they would get along handsomely. 

[Thought2go]

18 minutes ago, ORV said:

Here's a tip, don't believe everything you read, especially on FB. They've got people posting there with Oceania Expert by their name that's only been on about 3 of their ships and have never eaten in the GDR

This literally came from the Oceania web site - Serina, Menus -I looked at every restaurant to try to find even a Whiff of Jacques. For example, The Escargot is no longer available except in some ground up casserole recipe in Tuscan.

Yes, when I booked I literally screenshot each restaurants menu. A couple months later I saw their change in the restaurants but Jacques was at least advertised as being in the GDR for lunch. Ok- no problem I’m flexible. But now it is Gone. I suspect they will move it out fleet wide by the end of the year.

for $400pp per night +++ my travel and other expense outlays I must take care for, I expected better than a bait and switch.

it is what is is but I’m disappointed- maybe those who drink themselves into bed it’s not a big deal. 

Edited Sunday at 06:49 PM by Thought2go

[Kay S]

1 minute ago, Thought2go said:

 

for $400pp per night +++ my travel and other expense outlays I must take care for, I expected better than a bait and switch.

Is it too late to cancel the cruise?  Sounds like you would be happier elsewhere.

[terrydtx]

22 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

This literally came from the Oceania web site - Serina, Menus -I looked at every restaurant to try to find even a Whiff of Jacques. For example, The Escargot is no longer available except in some ground up casserole recipe in Tuscan.

Yes, when I booked I literally screenshot each restaurants menu. A couple months later I saw their change in the restaurants but Jacques was at least advertised as being in the GDR for lunch. Ok- no problem I’m flexible. But now it is Gone. I suspect they will move it out fleet wide by the end of the year.

for $400pp per night +++ my travel and other expense outlays I must take care for, I expected better than a bait and switch.

If you saw the menus on the O website, those are only sample menus not the ones for every night in the GDR. Until you board, menus can change at any time. I would not trust any menu you see on the O website.

Edited Sunday at 07:07 PM by terrydtx

[Thought2go]

3 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

If you saw the menus on the O website, those are only sample menus not the ones for every night in the GDR. Until you board, I would not trust any menu you see on the O website. 

Yes, Thank you. I’m aware of that. But the culinary change over is definitely moving Jacques out. Even my TA is aware.

Oh I will definitely continue with Oceania- just not on the R class anymore.

Besides I want to see if Goosestepping is becoming mandatory by the Oceania Club guests judging by some of the responses (not yours) I’ve seen on this site. Maybe Find some observant fellow cruisers-They and I need a few good laughs!!

[EJL2023]

54 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

WOW- literally in just a few months Jacques has gone from being available on Serina-to only being available in the GDR at lunch- to just plain gone!! But hey- there are hamburgers and Pizza- Continential fare (which you can get anywhere you travel in the US- it’s at every Hyatt). What more could you ask for on what is obviously becoming the step child!!?? 

You want European- you have to go to Marina

Was willing to accept the crappy bathrooms onboard in exchange for some European (especially French) cuisine. Even willing to get fresh fruit myself from Terrace since Waves no longer uses fresh fruit for smoothies. R class ships are now just a lot of hype. Next will find they are serving Tang…but it’s the best cuisine at sea??

Why is it when I look on their website for Sirena, the Jacque items are available in the GDR under the dinner menu.  Not sure they were ever available for lunch in the GDR. It does seem to be more of a dinner style menu and the GDR is open for lunch on a very limited basis. 

[terrydtx]

6 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

Yes, Thank you. I’m aware of that. But the culinary change over is definitely moving Jacques out. Even my TA is aware.

Oh I will definitely continue with Oceania- just not on the R class anymore.

Besides I want to see if Goosestepping is becoming mandatory by the Oceania Club guests judging by some of the responses (not yours) I’ve seen on this site. Maybe Find some observant fellow cruisers-They and I need a few good laughs!!

I would never book any of the older R class ships for same reason I do not book Azamara, old small ships with smaller cabins and less dining options. We would only book Marina and newer class ships. On the Marina Jacques still has the traditional Escargo in the menu, I would hope every night.

 

We booked one Viking Ocean cruise and were totally dissapointed with the limited dining options. We would never book VO again.

Edited Sunday at 07:14 PM by terrydtx

[Thought2go]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

8 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

I would never book any of the older R class ships for same reason I do not book Azamara, old small ships with smaller cabins and less dining options. We would only book Marina and newer class ships. On the Marina Jacques still has the traditional Escargo in the menu, I would hope every night.

I’m coming to the same conclusion about the “R” class if the menus continue to go south. Hoping Jacques stays aboard Marina- but I will keep checking. I really don’t want to go up in passenger size from the O class. And until this culinary switch-a-roo-I wasn’t that impressed with the offerings on the luxury lines that sail the smaller ships.

[ORV]

20 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

I’m coming to the same conclusion about the “R” class if the menus continue to go south. Hoping Jacques stays aboard Marina- but I will keep checking. I really don’t want to go up in passenger size from the O class. And until this culinary switch-a-roo-I wasn’t that impressed with the offerings on the luxury lines that sail the smaller ships.

Let’s try this another way. Have you ever been on an Oceania cruise?

[EJL2023]

31 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

I’m coming to the same conclusion about the “R” class if the menus continue to go south. Hoping Jacques stays aboard Marina- but I will keep checking. I really don’t want to go up in passenger size from the O class. And until this culinary switch-a-roo-I wasn’t that impressed with the offerings on the luxury lines that sail the smaller ships.

But as I posted above, at least situation not as bad on Sirena with regards to Jacque items as you were posting!! So some good news. 

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

I would never book any of the older R class ships for same reason I do not book Azamara, old small ships with smaller cabins and less dining options. We would only book Marina and newer class ships....

Though Sirena is interesting since she has Red Ginger and combines two of the other specialty restaurants from the other O-class ships into 1 restaurant. So a bit like having "3" on her. We enjoyed our 10 nights on her 11/2022 and look forward to our 22 nights on her starting Aug 28th for a Baltic cruise.

 

And Riviera has the BIG therapy pool on the spa deck, which I have thoroughly enjoyed on 20 of my 30 nights cruising on Riviera. A fantastic place to relax at 5 pm after a hard day's excursion, esp. if there's just 1 or 2 other people in the therapy pool with you.

[clo]

3 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Though Sirena is interesting since she has Red Ginger and combines two of the other specialty restaurants from the other O-class ships into 1 restaurant. So a bit like having "3" on her. We enjoyed our 10 nights on her 11/2022 and look forward to our 22 nights on her starting Aug 28th for a Baltic cruise.

 

And Riviera has the BIG therapy pool on the spa deck, which I have thoroughly enjoyed on 20 of my 30 nights cruising on Riviera. A fantastic place to relax at 5 pm after a hard day's excursion, esp. if there's just 1 or 2 other people in the therapy pool with you.

Hey, did your OH take over the keyboard?!?!

[MEFIowa]

18 minutes ago, clo said:

Hey, did your OH take over the keyboard?!?!

Just curious, how many O cruises have you taken since COVID? And the number of nights?

 

So far 4 for us for 40 nights (off 2021, 2022, and 2023 cruises) and 22 nights paid for and upcoming (2024). (Gotta admit I thought it humorous when you wrote yesterday that you didn't realize Ember was a specialty restaurant.)

[clo]

3 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Just curious, how many O cruises have you taken since COVID? And the number of nights?

 

So far 4 for us for 40 nights (off 2021, 2022, and 2023 cruises) and 22 nights paid for and upcoming (2024). (Gotta admit I thought it humorous when you wrote yesterday that you didn't realize Ember was a specialty restaurant.)

I guess you don't know that R shiips have a few fewer. LOLOLOL.

[MEFIowa]

1 minute ago, clo said:

I guess you don't know that R shiips have a few fewer. LOLOLOL.

Do you realize the SIRENA is unique compared to Insignia, Nautica and Regatta? She has "2", but 1 of the 2 combines the two specialty restaurants on Insignia, Nautica & Regatta. Red Ginger and Tuscan Steak are unique to Sirena. Sailed 10 nights on her 11/2022 and have 22 more later this year.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/sirena/culinary-experiences