Terrace Buffet question

Is seating at the Terrace Buffet at your discretion or does Oceania staff make you sit with others. If I want to on some night just escape and eat dinner alone with a book, would I be able to do this (Regatta)? My cruise is over 3 weeks long

 

I was extremely disappointed when trying to reserve the specialty 45 days out, all was left was 8:30 and 9 pm dining. So this is a luxury cruiseline, I couldn't even book a normal time. Anyway, I'm thinking while my friends eat late, I can just go to the buffet. I'm not so into four course meals as others and nor do I like a 2 or 3 hour meal.

Well you can book much eariler if you are staying in an upper class cabin ! And Yes I think its a Luxury ship to me. The terrace as well as the dining room is first come first served for the specialties, You cannot make grand Dining room reservations as all .

Of interest is that the buffet/grill offers most of the dishes that are served in both the specialities and Grand Dining room. The advantage is you can mix and match to your hearts content.. Say a smoked duck sausage, Escargot en croute or Calamari and Scallop salad, A grilled Lobster tail and a Tureen of wild forest mushrooms Followed by Appel Strudel. Cant get all those options in the other places Too they offered a Tappas bar for even more variety.....It aint you mothers buffet

We preferred Terace Cafe to the MDR for all meals. Also used specialities.

 

Terrace has lots of choice for seating, more selection of food than the MDR and is less formal. Ideal.

Our last cruise included our 16 year old son. After 2 really long meals at the MDR, he opted to eat most meals by himself at the Terrace unless we were celebrating something special and asked him to eat with us. One night he ate at both... oh to have that kind of metabolism again.

I don’t understand these comments about 5:30 pm dining! It’s never an option, because the restaurants don’t open until 18:30 (6:30). The 6:30 reservation received in the earliest available. Was the poster confusing Oceana with another line?

When eating out, I greatly prefer being served from a menu over any buffet line. The Terrace Cafe on the O ships is far superior to those on the R ships. Just a matter of scale and size. Outside of breakfast, the only time we typically eat in the Terrace is on the last night of the cruise when we are busy getting everything packed away and ready to disembark the next morning. Only my opinion on the issue

I don’t understand these comments about 5:30 pm dining! It’s never an option, because the restaurants don’t open until 18:30 (6:30). The 6:30 reservation received in the earliest available. Was the poster confusing Oceana with another line?

When eating out, I greatly prefer being served from a menu over any buffet line. The Terrace Cafe on the O ships is far superior to those on the R ships. Just a matter of scale and size. Outside of breakfast, the only time we typically eat in the Terrace is on the last night of the cruise when we are busy getting everything packed away and ready to disembark the next morning. Only my opinion on the issue.

It's good that we all like eating at different venues or there'd be a huge line to have to wait in! :')

I don’t understand these comments about 5:30 pm dining! It’s never an option, because the restaurants don’t open until 18:30 (6:30). The 6:30 reservation received in the earliest available. Was the poster confusing Oceana with another line?

 

When eating out, I greatly prefer being served from a menu over any buffet line. The Terrace Cafe on the O ships is far superior to those on the R ships. Just a matter of scale and size. Outside of breakfast, the only time we typically eat in the Terrace is on the last night of the cruise when we are busy getting everything packed away and ready to disembark the next morning. Only my opinion on the issue

FWIW..Specialty restaurants now open at 6...

6:00 pm opening must be really new! I left the Nautica on 2/19/18 and Restaurant openings were at 6:30, the same as always. Are you aboard now?

6:00 pm opening must be really new! I left the Nautica on 2/19/18 and Restaurant openings were at 6:30, the same as always. Are you aboard now?

Disembarked Riviera this morning. Specialty restaurants opened at 6 every evening. Heard staff commenting that it is a new effort to add capacity to meet high demand.

Edgee;

Thanks, very interesting. The Specialties have never suffered from a lack of capacity to seat more people, just from a lack of staff to serve more people at a high service level. Not sure on how making the staff work 30 more minutes is going to alter that?? Will the new plan become to “flip” tables as rapidly as possible to increase through put?

I actually believe this change falls in line with other comments made by O staff, including a Social Director that has little to do with increasing capacity. I typically see high demand for the Specialties on 10-12 day or less cruises. On longer cruises, such as my last 15 day cruise, after the first week to 10 days one can get a reservation in the Specialties anytime they want. The restaurants often send staff to intercept diners going into the GDR to ask if they want to eat in their Specialty.

Well you can book much eariler if you are staying in an upper class cabin ! And Yes I think its a Luxury ship to me. The terrace as well as the dining room is first come first served for the specialties, You cannot make grand Dining room reservations as all .

 

Of interest is that the buffet/grill offers most of the dishes that are served in both the specialities and Grand Dining room. The advantage is you can mix and match to your hearts content.. Say a smoked duck sausage, Escargot en croute or Calamari and Scallop salad, A grilled Lobster tail and a Tureen of wild forest mushrooms Followed by Appel Strudel. Cant get all those options in the other places Too they offered a Tappas bar for even more variety.....It aint you mothers buffet

OMG ... you have described an eclectic dining experience! Can’t wait for our TA March 28.

I don’t understand these comments about 5:30 pm dining! It’s never an option, because the restaurants don’t open until 18:30 (6:30). The 6:30 reservation received in the earliest available. Was the poster confusing Oceana with another line?

 

When eating out, I greatly prefer being served from a menu over any buffet line. The Terrace Cafe on the O ships is far superior to those on the R ships. Just a matter of scale and size. Outside of breakfast, the only time we typically eat in the Terrace is on the last night of the cruise when we are busy getting everything packed away and ready to disembark the next morning. Only my opinion on the issue.

Is it not good on R ships? What is the difference? I was actually kind of excited for a good buffet after mass market cruising.

Is seating at the Terrace Buffet at your discretion or does Oceania staff make you sit with others. If I want to on some night just escape and eat dinner alone with a book, would I be able to do this (Regatta)? My cruise is over 3 weeks long

 

I was extremely disappointed when trying to reserve the specialty 45 days out, all was left was 8:30 and 9 pm dining. So this is a luxury cruiseline, I couldn't even book a normal time. Anyway, I'm thinking while my friends eat late, I can just go to the buffet. I'm not so into four course meals as others and nor do I like a 2 or 3 hour meal.

Absolutely you can sit yourself at the Terrace- inside or out. When you board check with the specialty restaurants in person - they might be able to seat you early - passengers do cancel. There is always the main dining room - no reservations needed in there.

Is it not good on R ships? What is the difference? I was actually kind of excited for a good buffet after mass market cruising.

It IS good on the "R" ships. It's a matter of size and space. The "R" ships just don't have the room that the "O" ships do. Even so, they have been reconfigured so that the "grill" options are available on all ships. You just have far more choices on the "O" ships because the space is so much larger.

You will not suffer if you are in the buffet on the "R" ships. At least, WE never have!

Mura

GOOD NEWS: you have a pleasant surprise ahead....the food in the Terrace Cafe (buffet) is just as good as the MDR and the specialty restaurants. Everyday has different foods or themes, it is fresh delicious food, and they will freshly grill you steak, lobster tails, chicken, pork chops, etc.! Breakfast and lunch can be busy at peak times, but dinner was never more than half full between 5:30-7:30pm. And there's plenty of seating inside and on the outdoor deck. We were able to eat in a decent amount of time and have great food.

From our fellow Ohio State Buckeye fans, I appreciate reading this posting and the other varied postings. Am getting ready for our first Oceania sailing. In mid November, 2018, just seven months away, we are doing an Athens to Dubai, 20-day cruise with Oceania on the Nautica. This will include our first visits to the Holy Lands, Egypt, Middle East, etc. Like getting these insights and tips for a first-timer with this cruise line.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 199,806 views for this posting.

Is it not good on R ships? What is the difference? I was actually kind of excited for a good buffet after mass market cruising.

It is fine

There is just more on the larger ships

it s a larger space so more tables more serving areas

From our fellow Ohio State Buckeye fans, I appreciate reading this posting

The spring game sure was a doozie! Got me so excited for football season!! Just under 5 months to go. O-H.....:cool:

The other thing about the Terrace is that it is an attractive eating space. Nice comfortable chairs, curtains on upper part of windows.

The spring game sure was a doozie! Got me so excited for football season!! Just under 5 months to go. O-H.....:cool:

Right back at our friend from Cincinnati with a big, BIG . . . I-O!! Appreciate your follow-up. Glad you're a smart fan excited for the start of the college football season in late August. For Ohio State, that first game will be Sept. 1 with Oregon State visiting the "Horseshoe". The excitement is building!! The only challenge/down-side with our Athens to Dubai, 20-day cruise with Oceania is that we will be gone during the OSU-Michigan game.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 224,236 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

The Terrace is a lovely space. Marital Unit (who is notoriously difficult to please) on our first night on board upon entering The Terrace asked me if I was sure we were in the buffet as it looked so ... civilised! We ate there more than in the GDR - no problem with the GDR, but the selection and quality of the food in The Terrace was such that we wanted to try a lot of smaller plates of different things. The addition of the GDR menu on the TV is a great touch as this means I am able to stop going down to the dining room and taking a pic of the menu so MU and I can make a decision on where to eat! The addition of a number of dishes from the GDR in The Terrace makes it a winner most nights. Finding and reserving a table (splay the napkin) is a civilised and easy affair. Enjoy your cruise!

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The Terrace is a lovely space. Marital Unit (who is notoriously difficult to please) on our first night on board upon entering The Terrace asked me if I was sure we were in the buffet as it looked so ... civilised! We ate there more than in the GDR - no problem with the GDR, but the selection and quality of the food in The Terrace was such that we wanted to try a lot of smaller plates of different things. The addition of the GDR menu on the TV is a great touch as this means I am able to stop going down to the dining room and taking a pic of the menu so MU and I can make a decision on where to eat! The addition of a number of dishes from the GDR in The Terrace makes it a winner most nights. Finding and reserving a table (splay the napkin) is a civilised and easy affair. Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

 

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Agree with all of the above, but...

We just disembarked from a Nautica cruise and the Terrace was unusually busy for all 3 meals on most days. Seating was nearly impossible to secure - sometimes even when willing to share a table. If we wanted to eat with friends and wanted a table for 4 - good luck most of the time.

I am not sure why this was the case on this cruise as it hasn't been our experience in the past but it was very annoying.

On our recent Nautica cruise, in the Terrace there were far too many couples looking for two tops, than two tops exists. They would then take a four top and tell other guests they didn’t want people joining them, therefore hogging the Table.

Not only do we find the GDR food better than that in the Terrsce, which is subjective, we find it far more civilized. People are sat at tables based upon their preferences. There is no stumbling around, asking if you may join someone, and be replied “ No, we prefer to eat alone!” Or, trying to act polite “we’re saving these seats for friends “! Friends, you notice that never appear.

In the buffet we will typically look for a two-top but if there are many empty tables OR we can't find one, we'll take a larger table. But we always offer to share with others. I've never been in a situation as was quoted where people say they are waiting for friends who never arrive. I'm not saying that doesn't happen, just that we haven't seen it happen. It's incredibly selfish if people act that way in a crowded restaurant!

Mura

Right back at our friend from Cincinnati with a big, BIG . . . I-O!!

I'm not from Cincy.....I've lived in the heart of Buckeye Nation all my life. :hearteyes:

double post ... sorry.

Linda (Trekker954),

I hate to jump into your thread but there's no PMs here and I found your posting on using an AeroPress on a cruise in Dec 2013. You never finished up with a report - did you have any issues with it? Grinder or beans get confiscated? Would love a final word on that!

And since I'm here among the Buckeyes - GO BUCKS!