Two foodie Oceania Loyalists coming to X for the first time

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

Murano hu? Not very original if you ask me but I guess it's all about the ambiance. :confused:

 

[keithm]

3 of us tried the upcharge dry aged porterhouse in Tuscan on our April Solstice cruise and all of us had the charge removed. Primarily because they overcooked all three steaks however even the small portion of mine that wasn't overcooked wasn't very impressive. I get better steaks at Costco for WAY less. I've tried Tuscan a half dozen times now on 3 different ships and been less than impressed when considering the amount they charge. We usually only go if we can get it $30 or less and even at that I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth returning. We always have good service and the starters are very good but other than the fillet the beef has never impressed me. I was a little disappointed in the beef carpaccio last cruise, it used to be a large plate with beef some parm and a few drops of sauce. Last time is was a huge pile of greens covering a few slivers of beef. The beef carpaccio was actually better in the MDR. So many first world problems;p

Shame they ruined the steaks. True about Costco. We get a Prime tenderloin the last few years & Richard turns it into an incredible Beef Wellington.

[TeeRick]

I recently went to a steak cooking demo on Summit. The chef explained that they cannot use flame of any type cooking the steaks so that makes some difference in flavor vs. land-based steakhouses. Also, the dry-aged steaks like all other beef on the ship is frozen then thawed. Dry-aged steak on land at finer restaurants is never frozen and thawed. Just aged!

[Gonzo70]

I recently went to a steak cooking demo on Summit. The chef explained that they cannot use flame of any type cooking the steaks so that makes some difference in flavor vs. land-based steakhouses. Also, the dry-aged steaks like all other beef on the ship is frozen then thawed. Dry-aged steak on land at finer restaurants is never frozen and thawed. Just aged!

 

Yes, those are true points - just more constraints that impede a mass market cruise ship restaurant from being able to compete with good quality land venues. I too tried the dry aged steaks at Tuscan (two cruises ago on Summit) and was quite disappointed. Both my wife's steak and mine were cooked well past medium-rare (blasphemy for prime dry aged steaks). They certainly did not have the intense beefiness generally associated with dry aging. It could have stemmed from these other factors (overcooking, previously frozen, lack of ideal cooking equipment), but I do have some suspicion the steaks may have actually been wet aged (a much easier, faster and less expensive process; for those not familiar with the difference, both wet & dry aging improve the texture of beef, but only dry aging significantly improves the flavor). Hard to tell for certain because of the other factors involved.

[TFLG]

Murano hu? Not very original if you ask me but I guess it's all about the ambiance. :confused:

 

[ATTACH]420905[/ATTACH]

 

Seriously? you gotta work on your photoshop skills:')

[K12Guy]

About the size of Pinslvania. I'm sure Henny Youngman is looking down & saying "Boy, I thought my jokes were bad!"

As one pin might say to another, "you have made your point". :cool:

[K12Guy]

You didn't look hard enough because a simple Cruise Critic search shows they got that too. :p:champagne-toast:

 

[ATTACH]420904[/ATTACH]

Oy, Doug. You killed me with that one. I obviously walked right by and didn't see it. I think that might have been by intent!

[ORV]

Oceania is NOT twice the price of Celebrity. Yes it's more. I'd say about 50% higher. Murano is very good, but after nearly 10 times in Murano, we found the specialty rest. on the Riviera far superior! First off since when is "Choice" & "Select" (the beef grades on Celebrity) better than "Prime" grade on the Riviera. When was the last time you could get "cold" water lobster on any Celebrity ship??? You can have it nightly in the Terrace Café, if you wish. Celebrity may have more "selection" in Horizon due to it's size, but quality is no where near what it was just 3 years ago. For some one who says "You can listen to me 'cause I know". So just "what" do you know? I personally doubt you've even been on Oceania. We did three 14 day cruises over 3 years on the Eclipse. Quality decreased slowly until 2017, when we thought, did someone murder the chef? No, actually he was "paraded" around the diningroom by the Maître D to explain the poor quality of food from a cruiseline that markets itself as "premium". The food was never inedible, but certainly nowhere near as good as before. THAT is the reason we switched to Oceania in 2018. We cancelled both cruises(2018 & 2019) & will be back on board Oceania next Jan.

 

Actually the Lobster in the Terrace Grill on Oceania is warm water(Caribbean). The cold water is found in the Specialty restaurants and sometimes the MDR.

[Csardas]

We were on Riviera last July and I had a totally new “lobster” experience in Jacques. I ordered Lobster Thermidor, and apart from the very bland sauce, what was truly shocking were the perfect cubes of “lobster”. I have never seen anything like that before. American friends we made on board confirmed that re-formed and re-shaped lobster is a ‘thing” but not for me!

As with most of the meals in the dining room, it was also tepid. Our experience was not “the best food at sea” as Oceania state.

[Gonzo70]

I have never seen anything like that before. American friends we made on board confirmed that re-formed and re-shaped lobster is a ‘thing” but not for me!

 

FYI it is a French, not an American dish.

[Csardas]

Yes, Thermidor is a French recipe that I have eaten many times and even made myself but what they did to the Lobster meat I have never seen or heard of. Our friends confirmed that processed lobster, in cubes, is for sale in the US.

[Gonzo70]

Yes, Thermidor is a French recipe that I have eaten many times and even made myself but what they did to the Lobster meat I have never seen or heard of. Our friends confirmed that processed lobster, in cubes, is for sale in the US.

 

Hmm, have never heard of that. Many recipes for lobster thermidor call for cubing the meat after it is cooked, but not for already pre-formed cubes of lobster meat. That does not sound appetizing if the lobster had already been cubed well in advance. Lobster is one of those foods that loses a lot of quality when it is frozen; but processed cubes of lobster does not sound like something I would want to experience. Fortunately it is quite rare in the U.S. as this is the first I have heard of such a thing and just did an internet search and fortunately did not see anything like that. Any chance your friends were joking with you?

[TeeRick]

Yes, those are true points - just more constraints that impede a mass market cruise ship restaurant from being able to compete with good quality land venues. I too tried the dry aged steaks at Tuscan (two cruises ago on Summit) and was quite disappointed. Both my wife's steak and mine were cooked well past medium-rare (blasphemy for prime dry aged steaks). They certainly did not have the intense beefiness generally associated with dry aging. It could have stemmed from these other factors (overcooking, previously frozen, lack of ideal cooking equipment), but I do have some suspicion the steaks may have actually been wet aged (a much easier, faster and less expensive process; for those not familiar with the difference, both wet & dry aging improve the texture of beef, but only dry aging significantly improves the flavor). Hard to tell for certain because of the other factors involved.

 

On Summit the chef said that they purchase actual dry-aged beef on land then store it frozen on the ship. They do not try to dry-age on the ship. I am not familiar with the wet-aged beef technique.

[ORV]

Hmm, have never heard of that. Many recipes for lobster thermidor call for cubing the meat after it is cooked, but not for already pre-formed cubes of lobster meat. That does not sound appetizing if the lobster had already been cubed well in advance. Lobster is one of those foods that loses a lot of quality when it is frozen; but processed cubes of lobster does not sound like something I would want to experience. Fortunately it is quite rare in the U.S. as this is the first I have heard of such a thing and just did an internet search and fortunately did not see anything like that. Any chance your friends were joking with you?

 

The menu description says "baked in the shell". I'm sure my wife has had it, but I can't recall with any certainty. I don't think it comes in cubes.

 

I've travelled both lines quite a bit in the last 10 years, I enjoy the food on both, and with all due respect to Csardas opinion, I have to say Oceania definitely has higher quality food than Celebrity. I'm pretty sure their per passenger spending would also be higher.

[Csardas]

Hi Gonzo70. Lol, but I’m afraid they were not kidding. It was the most bizarre stuff I’d ever seen. Usually, as you say, the lobster is cooked first, meat removed from the tail and claws and then sauce made, lobster and sauce combined, put back in the shell and sometimes a breadcrumb/cheese mix put on top and grilled. It reminded me of the processed chicken ( in shape) that you can get in some salads. You would have needed a ruler to have hand cubed real lobster to those precise dimensions!

ORV, we haven’t sailed with Celebrity yet. Our decision to try them this year was, in large part, informed by our disappointment with Oceania. I appreciate that Celebrity comes under the “mass market” tag but we’ve got realistic expectations re the food. Reading on this board and elsewhere has made me aware of the many positives it seems to offer. Sorry to have perhaps hijacked this thread but food isn’t everything in a cruise experience unless it’s sold as the USP and doesn’t deliver!

Happy cruising to all on your next voyage.

[Luvcrusn]

Our decision to try them this year was, in large part, informed by our disappointment with Oceania. I appreciate that Celebrity comes under the “mass market” tag but we’ve got realistic expectations re the food. Reading on this board and elsewhere has made me aware of the many positives it seems to offer. Sorry to have perhaps hijacked this thread but food isn’t everything in a cruise experience unless it’s sold as the USP and doesn’t deliver!

Happy cruising to all on your next voyage.

It sounds as if you have realistic expectations, and a level head. Given that frame of mind you should have a lovely cruise. I think some cruisers (this isn't aimed at anyone) set up an unrealistic comparisons to land restaurants, cruises from days long gone, and more pricey cruises and set themselves up for disappointment. Some cruisers also seem to enjoy putting down whatever their current experience is as a way of making themselves feel or appear superior, i.e. above the current situation and fellow cruisers. I tend to favor enjoying the moment rather than musing that it could/should be better. Certainly I've had my favorites, and my future choices are made with past experience in mind. If we want to try something new, we do, but try to make the most of the current cruise for what it is and enjoy it. I don't understand getting enjoyment from constant complaining and putting down the current cruise. I know that if I don't like a particular meal, they are always happy to replace it, and I can honestly say we've never let a single dish spoil our vacation. The service we've had on Celebrity has always been wonderful in the MDR, Blu or specialty restaurants. We prefer a table for two and dining late, so perhaps that adds to the more relaxed dining experience we've had. We also tend to get to know our wait staff and this may also get us enhanced service, but in all of our cruises we've never had a server give us anything other than wonderful service.

[Csardas]

Thanks Luvscrusn! Like you we like to eat late and with the same staff so we’ve chosen the Late seating. We like a nice relaxed dinner, sometimes with a rest between courses, and it’s so much easier with the same waiters every night!

[Mr&MrsBee]

LUVCRUZN: Good comment Sue. I think the subject has played out with X cruisers and non X's voicing their opinions. I think it is time the moderator closes the thread as it has been beat to death. Although, I doubt it they close it.

[keithm]

Actually the Lobster in the Terrace Grill on Oceania is warm water(Caribbean). The cold water is found in the Specialty restaurants and sometimes the MDR.

We saw some cold water variety in the Terrace grill as well. Tails WERE pretty small. We're from New England, so yes we have a slight bit of knowledge of the differences between the two varieties of lobster!

[K12Guy]

Actually the Lobster in the Terrace Grill on Oceania is warm water(Caribbean). The cold water is found in the Specialty restaurants and sometimes the MDR.

 

I'm admittedly ignorant when it comes to lobster. I don't eat it often and have found that I rarely find it very tasty. That said it's obvious the water and cold water signifies where the lobster was trapped, but my question is how that might alter the taste of the two types. Anyone care to educate me on this so I might find lobster that appeals to me taste?

[keithm]

Hi Gonzo70. Lol, but I’m afraid they were not kidding. It was the most bizarre stuff I’d ever seen. Usually, as you say, the lobster is cooked first, meat removed from the tail and claws and then sauce made, lobster and sauce combined, put back in the shell and sometimes a breadcrumb/cheese mix put on top and grilled. It reminded me of the processed chicken ( in shape) that you can get in some salads. You would have needed a ruler to have hand cubed real lobster to those precise dimensions!

ORV, we haven’t sailed with Celebrity yet. Our decision to try them this year was, in large part, informed by our disappointment with Oceania. I appreciate that Celebrity comes under the “mass market” tag but we’ve got realistic expectations re the food. Reading on this board and elsewhere has made me aware of the many positives it seems to offer. Sorry to have perhaps hijacked this thread but food isn’t everything in a cruise experience unless it’s sold as the USP and doesn’t deliver!

Happy cruising to all on your next voyage.

That's pretty much how my spouse Richard does his Lobster Savanna. We'll steam it first, remove the meat from the shell/mix with sauce made from simmering the shells*(for stock) along with herbs, diced red & green peppers, add gruyere cheese, stuff back into the "body" add homemade seasoned bread crumbs & bake in the oven. The fun part is knowing the cooking time! You obviously want to cook the ingredients(you can partially cook the veggies first)just enough that you don't over cook the Lobster meat. Trust me, you'll know if you have. As to "cubed" Lobster meat..Never seen it here in N.E.

You can get it either fresh or frozen. The frozen still looks like Lobster that you would have pulled from the shell. I'm sure areas away from the coastal zones probably have that processed look. We tried frozen & (supposedly)fresh cooked meat. Not quite the same. You have to do the hard work yourself to get the required results. Yes, we have chefs in the house!

[Gonzo70]

I'm admittedly ignorant when it comes to lobster. I don't eat it often and have found that I rarely find it very tasty. That said it's obvious the water and cold water signifies where the lobster was trapped, but my question is how that might alter the taste of the two types. Anyone care to educate me on this so I might find lobster that appeals to me taste?

 

Cold water lobsters have a superior taste and texture. With regards to taste, in general cold water have a sweeter taste whereas warm water lobsters often have a bit of a fishy taste. With regards to texture cold water generally have a more tender and pleasant texture (mouth feel). With warm water lobsters only the tail is edible, whereas the claws have very good tasting meat in addition to the tails in cold water lobsters. Cold water lobsters are also far more likely to be shipped live and cooked while still alive - so super fresh (and fresh lobster has a much, much better taste and texture than previously frozen lobster - especially there were any missteps in the freezing, storing or thawing process). While cold water lobster is considerably more expensive, they are clearly superior to warm water lobster.

[TeeRick]

It sounds as if you have realistic expectations, and a level head. Given that frame of mind you should have a lovely cruise. I think some cruisers (this isn't aimed at anyone) set up an unrealistic comparisons to land restaurants, cruises from days long gone, and more pricey cruises and set themselves up for disappointment. Some cruisers also seem to enjoy putting down whatever their current experience is as a way of making themselves feel or appear superior, i.e. above the current situation and fellow cruisers. I tend to favor enjoying the moment rather than musing that it could/should be better. Certainly I've had my favorites, and my future choices are made with past experience in mind. If we want to try something new, we do, but try to make the most of the current cruise for what it is and enjoy it. I don't understand getting enjoyment from constant complaining and putting down the current cruise. I know that if I don't like a particular meal, they are always happy to replace it, and I can honestly say we've never let a single dish spoil our vacation. The service we've had on Celebrity has always been wonderful in the MDR, Blu or specialty restaurants. We prefer a table for two and dining late, so perhaps that adds to the more relaxed dining experience we've had. We also tend to get to know our wait staff and this may also get us enhanced service, but in all of our cruises we've never had a server give us anything other than wonderful service.

 

Thank you for your comment - well spoken!

[jody75]

A whole Nova Scotia Lobster is available in Murano albeit there is a surcharge of $29.

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

Oy, Doug. You killed me with that one. I obviously walked right by and didn't see it. I think that might have been by intent!

 

Thank you, and I'm getting back to the foodie threads and figuring out everything about this cruise line. At least 2016 vs 2018 MDR dishes aren't as controversial, and it's ok to like an items off the old menu. At least, if the food is edible. ;p