GDR Menus?

[SweetPease]

I am seeking help from all of you cruisecritic experts... I have tried every possible search I can think of, but have had no luck finding any postings of menus from past Alaska Cruises for the GDR. Any suggestions or is it likely there aren't any to be viewed? Our window for making specialty restaurant reservations is just a few days away and my daughter made a great suggestion... look at past menus for the cruise and try to get reservations based on that (in addition to port days vs sea days). Thanks for any help you might be able to offer!

[LHT28]

The GDR menus rotate on a 14 day schedule usually so you may or may not get the same dishes offered that have been on previous sailings in the same order

I have found the 1st night & the last night seem to be the same no matter the length of the cruise

 

Just choose the specialties for the nights you want

If there is something you really must have in the GDR the same night just go and cancel the specialty restaurant

 

JMO

[SweetPease]

Ah... good to know. Thanks!

[azam71209]

My recollection is that Alaska menus also took advantage of locally available fish. Maybe you could make your reservations based on the ship schedule and your excursions plans and then check with the concierge once you are onboard to verify that you won't be missing your favorite foods. Since the GDR menu always includes some variety, my guess is that you will always be missing something no matter where you eat.

Mary

[Glaciers]

Unless they are serving the exact same thing on the same day of the week as last year, using that as your guide would be a long shot. Can’t imagine Oceania would be so rote with their menus from season to season.

 

The food was wonderful on our Alaska Regatta trip last summer although most of the salmon was Norwegian salmon with a couple of nights of Alaska salmon. Even then, it was probably frozen and loaded in Seattle for the trip as with most of the lines.

 

Princess had started taking on salmon in Ketchikan. Maybe Oceania is doing it too?

[SweetPease]

Thank you for all the input. Will stick with original plan to make reservations based on each day's activity. As mentioned, if we see something we really like on the GDR menu, we can cancel our reservations. I believe I am overthinking this. Thank you for helping me put everything into perspective. :o

[Hawaiidan]

The night before they post the next days menus The will change every day and the Terrace and the Main Dining Room will have the same menu and theme . I think, possibly that your , like many, falling victim to I need to control everything on my cruise every day.. Its a common problem. My fervent suggestion is take every day as it comes, relax don't try to coordinate, plan, anticipate and detail out your cruise.... Let it happen....

 

Trust me there will be more than enough options every day, everywhere

If like some cruise lines, people wait plan and get excited waiting for "lobster Night" Well, kiddo, every restaurant on Regatta, including the pool grill, Waves serves lobster at every meal, every day except breakfast.....Ok

[wripro]

The night before they post the next days menus The will change every day and the Terrace and the Main Dining Room will have the same menu and theme . I think, possibly that your , like many, falling victim to I need to control everything on my cruise every day.. Its a common problem. My fervent suggestion is take every day as it comes, relax don't try to coordinate, plan, anticipate and detail out your cruise.... Let it happen....

 

Trust me there will be more than enough options every day, everywhere

If like some cruise lines, people wait plan and get excited waiting for "lobster Night" Well, kiddo, every restaurant on Regatta, including the pool grill, Waves serves lobster at every meal, every day except breakfast.....Ok

I couldn't agree more. Whatever happened to the element of surprise?

[Bootman4U]

I couldn't agree more. Whatever happened to the element of surprise?

 

 

For some folks at THIS cost: surprise is the very LAST thing they'd want.

[JimandStan]

For some folks at THIS cost: surprise is the very LAST thing they'd want.

 

A Word to the Wise:

It is my experience that people who cannot let go of how much any cruise costs are invariably disappointed by it

[SweetPease]

I think, possibly that your , like many, falling victim to I need to control everything on my cruise every day.. Its a common problem. My fervent suggestion is take every day as it comes, relax don't try to coordinate, plan, anticipate and detail out your cruise.... Let it happen....

 

If like some cruise lines, people wait plan and get excited waiting for "lobster Night" Well, kiddo, every restaurant on Regatta, including the pool grill, Waves serves lobster at every meal, every day except breakfast.....Ok

 

You are absolutely right! As I mentioned, I was overthinking the whole situation. We are on the cruise to relax and enjoy the scenery, ports, etc. We have never been disappointed with any of the food on Oceania, so, as you suggest, will take each day as it comes. As for lobster, I tried it several times, several ways on our last Oceania cruise and found I no longer care for the taste. So, no holding out for lobster in any venue at any meal :).

[Hawaiidan]

A Word to the Wise:

It is my experience that people who cannot let go of how much any cruise costs are invariably disappointed by it

 

Wise words..and reminds me of the I gotta eat or drink as much as I can to make my cruise worth what I paid...... maybe on Carnival. Let go...enjoy the discovery of life that you did as a child when every day was exciting and new...

 

This is all or should be all about the time you experience a cruise....you can always get more money.... but you can never get back time !!!!.....dont squander what little you have because you cant ever replace it

[Mura]

I have been wondering how many people missed OP's comment that "maybe I'm overthinking this" because some proceeded to say that she (?) was.

 

We book specialty restaurants ahead of time when we can, aiming for sea days rather than port days. If I come back from an exhausting tour, I really don't want to go into a specialty unless that was the only date I could get.

 

Daily we check the Terrace and GDR menus for lunch and dinner to see which we will prefer. With so many options in each of those venues we are bound to find SOMETHING we want!

 

Just for the record, we are fans of the GDR so we don't feel we are punishing ourselves if that is where we end up.

[Bootman4U]

Sorry, but I think people who simply HAVE to eat thinking if they don't they aren't getting their money's worth are probably on every cruise at one point or another. In terms of dining we have usually looked forward to the interaction with others as those are often the most "memorable" moments on a voyage. I agree that they aren't always the most pleasant ones but memorable nonetheless.

 

And then there are times when you simply don't want to interact and that's OK, too.

[Mura]

Hoping I'm reading your comments right ... I think I am.

 

We prefer to share tables at dinner, even with strangers. We've had wonderful encounters that way. On occasion when we've arrived at the GDR and asked to share, they gave us a two-top because no others were waiting and they couldn't predict when others might arrive. They don't want to start a table for 4 or 6 and then have to clear most of the settings off. I get that.

 

Sometimes we haven't really been sympatico with the others but it was always pleasant.

 

One exception was when we replaced a Renaissance cruise for January 2002 (which obviously was cancelled!) with an NCL South America cruise that same month. We had dinner with two other couples one night, and one of the couples was a problem. (It was the wife who was the problem.) We had another dinner with them and our reservations were confirmed. Came a third night when I saw that we would again be seated with them, and we reversed course and went to the back of the line.

 

We didn't mind one or even two dinners with this couple (no common interests at all), but a third was out of the question.

 

That's the ONLY time we ever had a real problem with "risking" dining with strangers.

 

Yes, we'd prefer dining with people we've already met ... but that's not a requirement. We find dining with strangers is a great way to meet others on the cruise.

 

Mura

[LHT28]

The nice thing about Oceania is you can dine alone if you choose or share a table with others

We meet so many nice people by sharing a table

on occasion it does not work out but we are polite & just do not order dessert ;)

[Bootman4U]

The nice thing about Oceania is you can dine alone if you choose or share a table with others

We meet so many nice people by sharing a table

on occasion it does not work out but we are polite & just do not order dessert ;)

 

LHT, you are a MUCH better person than I will ever be! There is no way I am not ordering dessert:D. I may have to grit my teeth and stick a fork into my palm under the table but I AM having dessert:evilsmile:

[LHT28]

LHT, you are a MUCH better person than I will ever be! There is no way I am not ordering dessert:D. I may have to grit my teeth and stick a fork into my palm under the table but I AM having dessert:evilsmile:

OMG DH would never miss dessert either ;p

 

we just go to the Terrace if we have unbearable table mates

 

has only happened once though

[RCNslr]

Hoping I'm reading your comments right ... I think I am.

 

We prefer to share tables at dinner, even with strangers. We've had wonderful encounters that way. On occasion when we've arrived at the GDR and asked to share, they gave us a two-top because no others were waiting and they couldn't predict when others might arrive. They don't want to start a table for 4 or 6 and then have to clear most of the settings off. I get that.

 

Sometimes we haven't really been sympatico with the others but it was always pleasant.

 

One exception was when we replaced a Renaissance cruise for January 2002 (which obviously was cancelled!) with an NCL South America cruise that same month. We had dinner with two other couples one night, and one of the couples was a problem. (It was the wife who was the problem.) We had another dinner with them and our reservations were confirmed. Came a third night when I saw that we would again be seated with them, and we reversed course and went to the back of the line.

 

We didn't mind one or even two dinners with this couple (no common interests at all), but a third was out of the question.

 

That's the ONLY time we ever had a real problem with "risking" dining with strangers.

 

Yes, we'd prefer dining with people we've already met ... but that's not a requirement. We find dining with strangers is a great way to meet others on the cruise.

 

Mura

This has been our modus operandi onboard until my wife acquired Alzheimer's - now, because it is difficult for her to speak, we end up going for a table for two. We miss the interaction with the many wonderful people that sail on O at the restaurants and their delightful stories and conversation - but we will sail on and enjoy just being there as long as we can. :')

[Mura]

My sympathies, RCN. My mother died of Alzheimer's and so I do know how hard it is to watch the inevitable decline. We took her on an Oceania cruise before she was diagnosed but she was already exhibiting synmptoms -- such as forgetting simple words like "coffee" or "tea" but still familiar with 3 and 4 syllable words. The staff and other passengers were so kind to her.

 

Mura

[Bootman4U]

This has been our modus operandi onboard until my wife acquired Alzheimer's - now, because it is difficult for her to speak, we end up going for a table for two. We miss the interaction with the many wonderful people that sail on O at the restaurants and their delightful stories and conversation - but we will sail on and enjoy just being there as long as we can. :')

 

I can, in some ways, relate to this situation and the heartbreak that it causes. I know it is hard to even hope that others would be understanding, especially in a dinner situation, BUT we ARE out there, trust me, and may God bless you for what you provide, too. Best wishes.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Thank you for all the input. Will stick with original plan to make reservations based on each day's activity. As mentioned, if we see something we really like on the GDR menu, we can cancel our reservations. I believe I am overthinking this. Thank you for helping me put everything into perspective. :o

 

 

Overthinking

 

 

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