Why is prime rib out of the Polo Grill menu on Vista?

[pinotlover]

3 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

We board Sirena in London on 8/28 for 22 nights in the Baltic. Hope the food is hot in the TC, since we love to eat there in the evenings. It was when we were on Sirena 11/2022. But I also always do breakfast in Waves, and the hot food there has been hot.

I believe the initial comment about the TC food not being hot was on the Nautica not Sirena. This has long been an issue on Nautica. If you remember Lynn , that used to post here frequently, she often complained about the food temperatures in the TC on Nautica specifically.

 

Second, the larger is consistently. If one is one of the many 6:30 , as soon as the buffet line opens, eaters; they may indeed find the buffet food hot and appealing. The comment made was that those that prefer to eat at 8:00-8:30 believe they should likewise find the hot foods hot and visually appealing. Their experience on the Nautica was that wasn’t the case. Having chosen to eat later on occasion, I can verify that it is likewise not the case.

[MEFIowa]

7 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I believe the initial comment....

Ended with the following words: "... We do have another cruise booked in January on Sirena and we'll be going to the dining room."

[Harters]

I've only the experience of one dinner in the TC on Nautica (much prefer the GDR for dinner) but my notes don't indicate any issues with food temperatures then, or the several times we had lunch there. We would have been eating dinner around 8pm. 

[ORV]

20 hours ago, iowananny said:

They had some problems with serving hot foods hot at the TC on the Nautica. 

 

3 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Ended with the following words: "... We do have another cruise booked in January on Sirena and we'll be going to the dining room."

Yes but, the second paragraph above makes it sound like they were on Nautica. The future one is apparently on Sirena. 

[iowananny]

Yes but, the second paragraph above makes it sound like they were on Nautica. The future one is apparently on Sirena. 

 

We were on Nautica and our next cruise in on Sirena but we'll still eat in the dining room.  The older we get the more we enjoy sitting down and having someone serve us.  Also, the hostess will know we like to share a table and find people who also enjoy this option.  That's a real plus for us and something that Terrace does not provide because they don't have the opportunity to do so.  We usually ate between 7:30 or 8:00 and I know at least one of our table mates still had time to make it to the show.  

 

I realize not everyone can eat in the same place at the same time, but we found the dining room to be a good place for us.  Even at 9:00 it was a vibrant place with plenty of guests left enjoying their evening.  

[MEFIowa]

19 minutes ago, ORV said:

 

Yes but... 

Pedantry? Someone mentions sailing in the Baltic with a future cruise on Sirena. And a response, since by George, we're going to be on Sirena in the Baltic in 2 weeks.

[iowananny]

Pedantry? Someone mentions sailing in the Baltic with a future cruise on Sirena. And a response, since by George, we're going to be on Sirena in the Baltic in 2 weeks.

 

I just don't understand this.  I don't think ORV was trying to put you down.  He just pointed out a detail.  It may be minor but it sure should not affect you.  

[clo]

1 hour ago, iowananny said:

and something that Terrace does not provide because they don't have the opportunity to do so.

But when you talk in to TC and see two people at a 4-top can't you ask if you can join them? 

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, clo said:

But when you talk in to TC and see two people at a 4-top can't you ask if you can join them? 

Much more difficult than that. If two tops are unavailable, then some couples will take a 4 top and quickly have the staff take away the additional settings, thus bogarting a 4 top. So what one must do is to find a 4 top that hasn’t been cleared o the additional settings and ask if they can join.

 

Kind of a pet peeve of mine, twosomes bogarting 4-tops in the TC, especially during busy breakfast time. There were even twosome bigarting a six top during Boardamania in April. Stacked the extra chairs with all their carryon. Having spent several years living in Germany, I just smile and say “ May we join you”, and sit down anyway. I consider an empty chair an empty chair and don’t recognize anyone’s ability to hog a table especially during busy times.

[clo]

7 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Having spent several years living in Germany, I just smile and say “ May we join you”, and sit down anyway. I consider an empty chair an empty chair and don’t recognize anyone’s ability to hog a table especially during busy times

Another reason I like you 🙂 You kinda remind me of myself...except you're better.

[MEFIowa]

34 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

... Kind of a pet peeve of mine, twosomes bogarting 4-tops in the TC, especially during busy breakfast time. There were even twosome bogarting a six top during Boardamania in April....

Always nice to be able to enjoy hot food freshly made (an omelet, for example) in Waves at breakfast, staring out over the water, at a 2-top. Studying my Currents.

 

Though, at least for lunch on one day last Nov in the Med, Riviera extended TC lunch for 2 hours because the TC turned insanely overcrowded around 1:30 PM one day when all sorts of excursions and other all suddenly came back.

 

Haven't heard that old phrase "Bogarting" for a long time. What does Humphrey B think?

[iowananny]

While in the TC we always ask people to sit with us if we're on the terrace or anywhere and someone is looking for a seat.  Even if we're about to finish, we let people know we may leave but they're welcome to join us for a while and then the table is theirs.  If the table is only set for us the servers are glad to prepare the table for them.  We've met some great people that way and I remember on one cruise we asked a couple to sit with us during embarkation and no tables were available on the terrace.  We ended up staying and talking while they finished their meal and had several more meals with them that were planned during the cruise.  It's a great way to meet people.  

 

In most venues, especially Martinis there are more tables for four or six than two and during busy times if some people aren't willing to share there would not be enough tables.  I've found most people are happy to share their table if asked but there are always a few who aren't.

 

 

[IDL]

4 minutes ago, iowananny said:

While in the TC we always ask people to sit with us if we're on the terrace or anywhere and someone is looking for a seat.  Even if we're about to finish, we let people know we may leave but they're welcome to join us for a while and then the table is theirs.  If the table is only set for us the servers are glad to prepare the table for them.  We've met some great people that way and I remember on one cruise we asked a couple to sit with us during embarkation and no tables were available on the terrace.  We ended up staying and talking while they finished their meal and had several more meals with them that were planned during the cruise.  It's a great way to meet people.  

 

In most venues, especially Martinis there are more tables for four or six than two and during busy times if some people aren't willing to share there would not be enough tables.  I've found most people are happy to share their table if asked but there are always a few who aren't.

 

 

It would welcoming if people had that attitude and approach on Celebrity as we were on the Apex and Beyond this year and the buffet area is a total free for all relative to finding a seat at peak times.  We were on the Vista last year and never had an issue finding a seat. 

[Thought2go]

On 8/9/2024 at 9:49 PM, ORV said:

Or maybe that was a joke, like Eddie Murphy in Trading Places. Groan.........

Like looking for snipes!!🤣😂🤣

chasing down those snails again!!

[islabahia]

Not everyone is comfortable sharing a table with people they don’t know.  Social anxiety is no fun and we always either request a 2 top or we will eat in our suite.  This is not selfish on my part just my way of coping.

[pinotlover]

4 minutes ago, islabahia said:

Not everyone is comfortable sharing a table with people they don’t know.  Social anxiety is no fun and we always either request a 2 top or we will eat in our suite.  This is not selfish on my part just my way of coping.

Easy Peasy, just stick with 2 tops or wait for one to open, and don’t take a 4 top in the TC or Waves. Gives you all the privacy you need.

Edited August 11 by pinotlover

[Vallesan]

11 minutes ago, islabahia said:

Not everyone is comfortable sharing a table with people they don’t know.  Social anxiety is no fun and we always either request a 2 top or we will eat in our suite.  This is not selfish on my part just my way of coping.

It’s a shame to be ‘forced’ to eat in your suite. We have never had an issue with getting a table for two in the GDR.

 

We’ve sailed on all the ships, apart from Insignia and Vista, since 2015 and have never had an issue.  The speciality dining is different but even then a ‘shared’ table often ends up as a ‘table for two’ but that’s not a guarantee.

[iowananny]

17 minutes ago, islabahia said:

Not everyone is comfortable sharing a table with people they don’t know.  Social anxiety is no fun and we always either request a 2 top or we will eat in our suite.  This is not selfish on my part just my way of coping.

 islabahia, thank you for sharing this.  This is why in the TC I hate to ask people to sit with us unless all tables are full.  That is why I like telling the hostess in the dining room that we like to share a table.  By the second night she knew we liked to share tables and the extra table settings were not removed right away.  A couple of nights no one wanted to share a table and that is fine with us.  There are people who like to visit with someone they don't know and some who don't.  She can ask and if the guests prefer not to it's so much easier for them to say no to her than have to say no personally to us.  Everyone has their own preferences which is why I like the hostess to ask.  That way we know we're sharing a table who enjoys it just as we do, and it was their choice.  

 

On our last cruise I don't think the dining room was full any night.  A lot of people but never full so those who wanted their own table had that option.  It's fun to sit at a table with those who chose that option because they like it.  Sometimes in specialty restaurant, they share a table because that is the only way to get a table.  

[Harters]

37 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

We have never had an issue with getting a table for two in the GDR.

Agreed. We do not want to share and will always wait for a two-top. Might occasionally have to wait a few minutes but that's all. 

 

Similarly, we've usually been able to find a two-top in the TC almost immediately. Although on occasions, we've taken a four-top. The ratio of two to four-top tables needs some adjustment, IMO. 

[iowananny]

The ratio of two to four-top tables needs some adjustment, IMO. 

 

Just remember, many of the two tops are very close to each other in the TC.  It's almost like you are sharing a table.  It's better on the terrace.  We were eating a table for two on our last cruise and someone we had met on board saw us.  She was traveling alone and asked if she could share our table.  It wasn't really our table; it was the table next to us but only about four inches away from ours.  If they put in more tables for two it will just be the same.  There just isn't room to have the tables set up like you would see on a restaurant on land.  If they did leave a lot of space between the tables, there would be a lot of unhappy people who wouldn't be able to find a spot to eat

[EJL2023]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

Agreed. We do not want to share and will always wait for a two-top. Might occasionally have to wait a few minutes but that's all. 

 

Similarly, we've usually been able to find a two-top in the TC almost immediately. Although on occasions, we've taken a four-top. The ratio of two to four-top tables needs some adjustment, IMO. 

Agree, have also taken a 4 top in TC if there are no 2 tops available. I guess some just expect you to keep circling the cafe for who knows how long until one becomes available and you just happen to be able to snatch it.  We’ve walked in before and staff has motioned us to a 4 top, perhaps knowing no 2 tops are available.