Marina's New Dining Spots

[sldispatcher]

After I started the thread, something struck me. Not being an EOC ....yet.

 

I have to assume that Jacques Pepin will be overseeing Red Ginger as well. With that in mind, I'm much more comfortable with the idea of what will come out of the kitchen of Red Ginger.

 

I'll have to wait to see the full menu before I bite.

 

Thankfully, the Marina has more dining venues than a cat has lives...we won't be going hungry :)

[happy cruzer]

I get nervous with all this talk of reservations.

 

Oceania has been promoting that they have open seating in all their restaurants.

 

Mixing the concept of reservations and open seating (as it currently is defined, we had that discussion before) may be troublesome.

 

We'll see.

[JimandStan]

I get nervous with all this talk of reservations.

 

Oceania has been promoting that they have open seating in all their restaurants.

 

Mixing the concept of reservations and open seating (as it currently is defined, we had that discussion before) may be troublesome.

 

We'll see.

 

The reservation system makes most of us less "nervous" than the "first come, first served" scenario which would be the other option.....

[neepawa]

Just received the 2011 European Collection brochure which outlines the sailings for Marina, Insignia and Nautica.

 

In the section for Marina, the following amenity is available for Owners, Vista, Oceania and Penthouse Suites and for Concierge Level:

 

" Priority Restaurant Reservations in Toscana, Polo Grill, Jacques and Red Ginger".

 

I look forward to our 8 reservation on the London Knights cruise next year.

 

Don

[happy cruzer]

So why does O lead out with listing all dining venues as open seating?

 

Then mention reservations for suites only in their newer literature?

 

Having it both ways, perhaps? There will be folks who see the open seating and be very disappointed when they show up to any venue and are unable to be seated that evening at any time.

 

I still think this may cause problems. But the old timers know how to work the system.

[JimandStan]

So why does O lead out with listing all dining venues as open seating?

 

Then mention reservations for suites only in their newer literature?

 

Having it both ways, perhaps? There will be folks who see the open seating and be very disappointed when they show up to any venue and are unable to be seated that evening at any time.

 

I still think this may cause problems. But the old timers know how to work the system.

 

You are completely wrong about this.

 

Every Marina Brochure, from the very beginning has had the same information about the restaurants. Further, Oceania has run their specialty restaurants on a reservation basis since the line started sailing.

 

"Priority reservations" are a benefit to booking a more expensive cabin, which Oceania, naturally, would like us all to do. Nevertheless, any passenger in any cabin has access to booking in any of the restaurants.

 

That, in conjunction with the "no additional fee" restaurant policy reads as open seating to me.

 

I'm sorry if you assumed something different.

[Friscorays]

The Marina brochure I have does state "Our restaurants are all open-seating...." but I think most people will realize / understand that reservations are required in the specialty restaurants in order to guarantee everyone at least one visit to each.

 

It can be argued that this is still open seating in the sense that you get to pick the time you dine and with whom as opposed to traditional seating with its assigned dining times and tables. All that one need do is place a reservation at the specialty venues, which I think most passengers will not find particularly burdensome.

 

A little bit of thought makes it clear that things could not possibly work otherwise. After all the ship holds over 1200 passengers and the smaller dining venues only accomodate 116 people. Perhaps Oceania could improve the verbiage in the brochure a little bit but I really doubt that they will have an angry mob on their hands. After all, the same system has worked on Oceania's existing ships since the line came into existence. I for one am very pleased I get to experience all the venues at no additional charge.

[wripro]

Let's hope we don't have the same scenario as was played out when the QM2 first debuted and Todd English did not charge for meals. Fist fights broke out among passengers while waiting on line to make reservations. They quickly instituted a charge and now there is no problem getting in. But of course, O passengers are much more civil!!!1

[StanandJim]

Let's hope we don't have the same scenario as was played out when the QM2 first debuted and Todd English did not charge for meals. Fist fights broke out among passengers while waiting on line to make reservations. They quickly instituted a charge and now there is no problem getting in. But of course, O passengers are much more civil!!!1

 

This sounds almost surreal, but I have spoken (through Cruise Critic) to the injured parties, and as we are discussing restaurant behavior, this bears repeating:

 

In 2004, on one of the QM2's first voyages (It was a cruise from New York, either to nowhere or to the Bahamas, I cannot recall which); a group of first time passengers who were unfamiliar with shipboard protocol simply "took over" one of those prime Ocean view tables in the upper Britannia restaurant and refused to leave it.

 

They did not care for the table to which they had been assigned; and felt that because this second table was still vacant when they first saw it, that it should available for their use

 

It gets worse......the "squatters" drank wine that had been ordered for that table, even though it was patently not theirs.

 

When the legitimate table holders for that seating eventually came into the dining room, they had to sit elsewhere as the trespassing group would still not budge.

 

The dining room staff were obviously badly shaken by the magnitude of the rudeness displayed, and they did not know what to do

 

The staff opted not to refuse service, or to call security in, and although it was only a one night event, the legitimate guests for that table were at a loss.

 

Yes, Oceania passengers are much more civil!

[Paulchili]

I am surprised they were not put off the ship in the next port (unless it was a cruise to nowhere) as we are aware of people having been put off a Cunard ship (QE2) for a fight in the laundry room.

Those table squatters should have been put off as well, IMO.

[wripro]

I would have put them off even with no port. Not even a life jacket! Then I would have sat at the ocean view table the commandeered and waved to them!

[Benita]

The first time I sailed on Oceania, there were two lines to make dinner reservations. One line was for the Concierge and Suites and the other line was for everybody else. Anyway, the Concierge line was much longer and one passenger came over to the man taking reservations for the lower level cabins and loudly insisted he leave the line and come over and take care of those on his line, stating that those in more expensive cabins deserved faster service. Everybody on both lines started laughing at him and yelling out that they did not want to share a table with him. He got red in the face and started cursing and the passenger in front of me on line "escorted" him out of the room.

[Oceans&Rivers]

I am excited about Red Ginger! I'd prefer good Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian to Chinese, but even better if they offer the best of all Asian cuisines. Asian fusion is generally pretty interesting too, even though very American in it's viewpoint.

 

I am really looking forward to Red Ginger and hope that it is more exotic than Chinese. We really enjoyed Vietnamese food when we tried it here in the SF Bay Area. Will there be any Japanese dishes included? Korean?

[hondorner]

First, no one has to worry about missing their chance at a specialty restaurant. Second, because the specialty menus rarely change and the Grand Dining Room changes every night, the actual difficult choice is which nights to skip in the GDR -- and don't the Tapas on the Terrace!

[StanandJim]

I am really looking forward to Red Ginger and hope that it is more exotic than Chinese. We really enjoyed Vietnamese food when we tried it here in the SF Bay Area. Will there be any Japanese dishes included? Korean?

 

It sounds like Red Ginger will be very sophisticated:

 

To complement the stunning interior, Red Ginger’s chefs have created a striking menu, noted for its contemporary interpretations of Asian classics. You might begin with a Salad of Roast Duck and Watermelon with Cashews, Mint and Thai Basil. Savor a Nutty Braised Beef Malay Curry with Coconut Rice and Paratha Roti. Or Asian-spiced Rack Of Lamb with Kohl Robi, Cream Spinach and Truffle Oil. For dessert, Green Tea Banana Cake with Toffee and Hazelnut Sauce Served with Coconut Ice Cream is the perfect ending. In Red Ginger, the gustatory pleasures are as striking as the visual ones.

[Oceans&Rivers]

It sounds like Red Ginger will be very sophisticated:

 

To complement the stunning interior, Red Ginger’s chefs have created a striking menu, noted for its contemporary interpretations of Asian classics. You might begin with a Salad of Roast Duck and Watermelon with Cashews, Mint and Thai Basil. Savor a Nutty Braised Beef Malay Curry with Coconut Rice and Paratha Roti. Or Asian-spiced Rack Of Lamb with Kohl Robi, Cream Spinach and Truffle Oil. For dessert, Green Tea Banana Cake with Toffee and Hazelnut Sauce Served with Coconut Ice Cream is the perfect ending. In Red Ginger, the gustatory pleasures are as striking as the visual ones.

 

Sounds very interesting. How is Oceania with substitutions? For example, I like naan, kulcha and puri (breads) and don't care too much for paratha (also an Indian bread).

[JimandStan]

Sounds very interesting. How is Oceania with substitutions? For example, I like naan, kulcha and puri (breads) and don't care too much for paratha (also an Indian bread).

 

The staff will attempt to accommodatee any request, provided that they have the provisions.

Most people wouldn't worry about substituting, though. It isn't much of an issue when the next meal is never more than a few hours away.

[wripro]

Or less with room service.