La Veranda to be Italian Restauant

[MKMC]

Anyone else unhappy that La veranda will be an Italian Restauant rather than the present buffet for dinner after June 2012>

[Travelcat2]

I am assuming that you are referring to the buffet in the evening on the Navigator because La Veranda is a sit-down restaurant on the Mariner and Voyager in the evening (with a buffet for appetizers and dessert). The reason the Navigator has buffet only in the evening was due to losing part of their kitchen to Prime 7 a couple of years ago. Prior to that it was an Italian restaurant called Portofinos.

 

Personally I love the idea of keeping the antipasti and dessert bar and having made to order Italian meals in La Veranda (although I wonder how that will work on the Navigator). I am curious why you are not happy with the new restaurant:confused:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

La Veranda on Voyager (and I believe Mariner) has been predominantly an Italian restaurant in the past. Nothing much has been changing, so I agree, you must be talking about Navigator?

[MKMC]

Loved the La Veranda buffet on the Navigator. Don't like Italian food

[pierrem]

Loved the La Veranda buffet on the Navigator. Don't like Italian food

 

I guess that's your main reason for not travelling on Costa ships !

But seriously, how can you not like Italian food - there's so much more than pasta and pizza. Also, it seems that only Navigator will have a real change. La Veranda on Mariner and Voyager has had the combination of buffet (antipasto and dessert) with table service on main courses for quite some time. The menu was changed periodically from Italian to French and I hope that practice continues to give some variety.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Not really a change - it used to be called Portofino and the food was delicious.

[wripro]

Let's hope they don't revive the singing.

[Hambagahle]

This topic has been addressed on at least two other threads...

 

What a dreadful thought! That singing!!

 

Personally we have never liked la Veranda in the evening on any of the ships though I have read it has improved lately. I love Italian food but it has to be "high end" Italian and not lots of red pasta sauce from the Mezzogiorno! we are willing to give it another try on our upcoming cruise.

 

I really do not see how "Sette Mari" is going to be any different from what is currently offered at la Veranda though.

[journeyfan]

We are currently on the Mariner and tonight they had strolling musicians in Compass Rose. Fortunately, we finished eating and managed to escape just as they were getting to our table.

[OrpingtonT]

We are currently on the Mariner and tonight they had strolling musicians in Compass Rose. Fortunately, we finished eating and managed to escape just as they were getting to our table.

 

Really? In Compass Rose? I wouldn't have thought there is enough room between the tables. I find it embarrassing to be sang at, or to, whilst dining.

[Hambagahle]

Totally agree, Tom! (You can imagine my face!!) What on earth are they thinking of??

 

Now a nice quiet piano player in the background when eating is lovely. That would remind me of Rhodesia in the '50s!! Or the old Café Royal...

[journeyfan]

Yes, there were 3 of them I believe.... one was a guitar player wearing a sombrero. We were running too fast out of Compass Rose to get a good look although I came close to running down the guitar player so I did notice him.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I don't mind strolling musicians, as long as they're not doing it for tips!

 

The time I remember most fondly was back in the "old days" on the Paul Gauguin, when the Gauguines sang and danced their way through L'Etoile at dinner time. They stopped doing that a few years ago. (Ask me about the Gauguines if you don't know.)

[wripro]

And as long as they stroll in the other direction.

[Travelcat2]

I'm not a fan of in-your-face music either. Even on the PG, we enjoyed the Gauguines very much -- but not in Compass Rose.

[RachelG]

Please, no strolling musicians. Doesn't it seem that they always play the worst song right in front of you and are smiling the whole time while you (aka, the victim) are miserable?

[DaveFr]

I doubt I would like frequent strolling musicians in Compass Rose but IMHO there is a time and place for them. On our cruise from Rio to Ft. Lauderdale in December 2010, the Nature's Rhythm Trio strolled the two main aisles of Compass Rose on New Year's Eve and sang several songs at each place they stopped along the aisles. I thought their participation was perfectly appropriate and only added to the festivities of that night.

[Travelcat2]

Apparently the new dining venue will not debut on the Voyager and Mariner until July. Here is the article. http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/03/regent-seven-seas-dining-restaurant-sette-mari/650750/1?csp=34travel&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TP-TheCruiseLog+%28Travel+-+The+Cruise+Log%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

[TheSeaAroundUs]

I doubt I would like frequent strolling musicians in Compass Rose but IMHO there is a time and place for them. On our cruise from Rio to Ft. Lauderdale in December 2010, the Nature's Rhythm Trio strolled the two main aisles of Compass Rose on New Year's Eve and sang several songs at each place they stopped along the aisles. I thought their participation was perfectly appropriate and only added to the festivities of that night.

We had Nature's Rhythm stroll through CR on one night only of a 21-day cruise (two years ago, Voyager, I think) ... it was a pleasant diversion, given the frequency of occurence! I would not like to deal with that on a daily basis (lemme eat with a little bit of privacy), but it was very well done, and was charming.