Clutj

It’s just cultural. Europeans are not raised with the concept of “dirty” dishes after you eat. Remains of food don’t suddenly become dirty in their minds. On the flip side, they are raised that it is rude to finish eating, give up your plate, before all are done. I am American but find the Euro customs more to my liking as I grew up and ate out more, but there isn’t a right or wrong, it’s just how you were raised.

Our butlers always get us extra rez in the specialties, and they move the times if we discover a show we want to catch and our dinner rez is too late. This is all with a regular PH, not one of the named suites. I cracked part of my hose on a CPAP machine and he got it patched up by one of the ship electricians. We got a small fan. We had a course by course room service meal from a couple specialities (I think we mixed Polo and Toscano), complete with full bottles of wine on our BTG plan so we could pour our own. We got beers in our fridge; again we were both on the full drink plan.

Maybe they intentionally mix them so the texture is horrible, knowing they have to check the box and supply cookies or else people will complain, but they make terrible ones to keep consumption low and thus save costs. They do have to make a lot of most of the other baked goods (croissants etc…), resulting in higher costs in that area…

One of our cooking class chefs on Oceania once told us that she also thought the cookies were terrible and she told us why. They mix everything together at once. Any good cookie maker creams the butter and sugar together, then the eggs and other liquid ingredients. Then you put the flour and other dry ingredients in. She told the bakers that many times, but for some reason I don’t recall, they won’t change.

I don’t follow the management reasoning of changing the French-Italian-Asian-Steak/American foursome of specialties into a foursome of Italian-Asian-Steak/American-Steak/American. The Oceania site itself recommends a dinner of crabcake, beet salad and grilled ribeye as the example of an great Ember experience; how did they not say “oh, wait, that’s the Polo experience also!” 1. Teach the bakers to mix the cookie dough soft ingredients first, then fold in the dry ingredients. 2. Replace the plonk that is Germain Champagne. 3. Turn Embers back into Jacques. My new mantra of Oceania helpful and constructive suggestions.

There is a Prosecco, also on the sweet side, and I recall another French but it is sparkling rather than from Champagne and I don’t recall what it is like. Maybe Louis P-something…

Sorry I didn’t check in before this thread had grown to 7 pages!

Okay, I know only a few are interested in this topic (but I do see references to it on this board every couple weeks), but I had really hoped that when Vista was rolled out that at least that ship would go back to a decent Champagne, like in the olden days. The Germain is way too sweet and just … yuck. Regent switched over to it the same time as Oceania, but there was a passenger revolt, and Regent changed back in a few short months. Unfortunately, I think Regent then solved their problem by dumping all that they had purchased into Oceania! And also unfortunately, there’s been no corresponding Champagne revolt by Oceania customers. We’ve suffered long enough. Who’s with me?

One of our cooking class chefs on Oceania once told us that she also thought the cookies were terrible and she told us why. They mix everything together at once. Any good cookie maker creams the butter and sugar together, then the eggs and other liquid ingredients. Then you put the flour and other dry ingredients in. She told the bakers that many times, but for some reason I don’t recall, they won’t change.

I have only been on Splendor but I found it to be very luxuriously appointed. Really just beautiful. And the spa was amazing. The public areas were very open and spacious. I’d think there would be lots of upgrades over the other ship based on years of experience since it was built. I found the cooking classes to be great, and you have lots of sea days to fill.

Our TA got the class schedule from O, and we had her book a couple already. Don’t know why they aren’t on the site.

and order grilled lamb chops for breakfast

Can anyone tell me when/how one reserves for The Grill on the Origin ship? Also, I have seen comment that the kayak reservations sometimes fill up; how is that done? Thanks.

I have had room service in a Penthouse on Oceania, and we also had the Premiere Drinks package, and a couple times our butler found it easier to bring us a bottle rather than have to come back 3-4 times with additional glasses of wine... I never asked for it because it is "against the rules", and I'm not much on flagrant rule violating, but I think you can ease into it by asking "any way you could bring us each 2 glasses of the [syrah]?" and see what he says/does. It's not like those bottles are very expensive. Went on Regent just once (thus far) earlier this year and also had a butler bring us a bottle when we had room service; again, it's easier than running back and forth several times...

The smaller penthouse suites seems to have the surround shower with three heads on either side of you plus the rain showerhead on top. Odd that the larger Splendor Suite was designed without that (of course, you get the tub that PH doesn’t have).

While true that Splendor has no open forward views, it does have two open views aft, at the horizon pool outside the spa on 4, and the whole veranda on 11. And while you cannot do a whole lap around the ship, you can cover 60-70% or so outside on both 4 and 5, and behind high anti-wind rails on 12 (and behind glass on 11). It isn’t exactly a closed-in ship.

They are a bit overstuffed with creme for my taste. Has anyone had ones on RSSC that aren’t filled?

Thanks. Hidden away! I also see on the Pool Grille menu Chateau d’Esclans “The Palm” by Whispering Angel, Provence, France Cantina di Soave Le Poesie, Veneto, Italy (never heard of)

No included rosé? That seems surprising.

My Splendor cruise in August has a separate heading for Culinary Classes on the same page where there are headings for Excursions. You click the Customize red button. Don't forget to look for excursions that include the chef taking you to a couple markets or a farm and then cooking back on the boat. Those have been some of our favorite excursions over the years, many with Chef Kelly when she is on Oceania ships.

Price goes up to $39 if your order the surf & turf.

The Princess materials describe a Club Class benefit that is "Priority Specialty Dining Reservations -- Receive special assistance with priority reservations at your favorite specialty restaurants." Anyone have experience with how this works?