MLinFL Posted September 15, 2018 #1 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I'm posting this as I am wondering if any others have found that the Oceania experience has changed in the last year or so. This cruise (out of a total of over 70) was our 6th on Oceania and our 3rd on Regatta. Let me say that I still love the small size of the ship and the food for the most part was good. But the one thing that I noticed this time were the frequent announcements by the Cruise Director regarding Bingo and Slot Tournaments. Actually, I was surprised at how many times during the day she came on to remind us of the activities. We did receive the ship's paper, "Currents", each night, so didn't think all the announcements were necessary. I don't remember so many announcements from previous cruises. Also, this cruise was the first one where they rolled out their new dinner menus - each night featuring a different country - but we rarely ordered from these items. I did find that the portions seemed quite large on some dishes. Since there are so many courses, I don't personally think that large portions are needed, but others may find this a positive thing. A couple of examples - in Toscana, I ordered a breaded veal chop. It was so huge that it covered the plate. I ended up sharing it with my 3 dining companions. For dessert one night in the main dining room, I ordered the Profiteroles (cream puffs) and received 3 of them and they were quite large. Lest you think I'm just an old complainer, I'm just stating my observations. Again, this may seem like a good thing to many, but it just doesn't seem like upscale dining to me. Lastly, I know that they are going to be refurbishing these ships but the bottom line is that they are OLD and it appears that most of the refurbishing will be cosmetic. The plumbing is old - on the last two cruises we experienced problems with the toilets not working for a few hours. Also, on the last two Regatta cruises, we had an aft-facing balcony on Deck 6. The hallway between the back of the ship to the aft elevator is very uneven. You feel like the carpet is covering up dents and dips in the flooring. Very strange. I would like to see what is under that carpeting when they pull it up. :( Mary Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Noxequifans Posted September 15, 2018 #2 Share Posted September 15, 2018 We were on the Insignia in July. The ship was in excellent shape .... well maintained. O is about to spend $100M on refurbishment and doubt this sum would be committed if the age of the R ships meant they should be retired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted September 15, 2018 #3 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I'm posting this as I am wondering if any others have found that the Oceania experience has changed in the last year or so. This cruise (out of a total of over 70) was our 6th on Oceania and our 3rd on Regatta. Let me say that I still love the small size of the ship and the food for the most part was good. But the one thing that I noticed this time were the frequent announcements by the Cruise Director regarding Bingo and Slot Tournaments. Actually, I was surprised at how many times during the day she came on to remind us of the activities. We did receive the ship's paper, "Currents", each night, so didn't think all the announcements were necessary. I don't remember so many announcements from previous cruises. Also, this cruise was the first one where they rolled out their new dinner menus - each night featuring a different country - but we rarely ordered from these items. I did find that the portions seemed quite large on some dishes. Since there are so many courses, I don't personally think that large portions are needed, but others may find this a positive thing. A couple of examples - in Toscana, I ordered a breaded veal chop. It was so huge that it covered the plate. I ended up sharing it with my 3 dining companions. For dessert one night in the main dining room, I ordered the Profiteroles (cream puffs) and received 3 of them and they were quite large. Lest you think I'm just an old complainer, I'm just stating my observations. Again, this may seem like a good thing to many, but it just doesn't seem like upscale dining to me. Lastly, I know that they are going to be refurbishing these ships but the bottom line is that they are OLD and it appears that most of the refurbishing will be cosmetic. The plumbing is old - on the last two cruises we experienced problems with the toilets not working for a few hours. Also, on the last two Regatta cruises, we had an aft-facing balcony on Deck 6. The hallway between the back of the ship to the aft elevator is very uneven. You feel like the carpet is covering up dents and dips in the flooring. Very strange. I would like to see what is under that carpeting when they pull it up. :( Mary Lou To each, his/her own. Too bad about chatty cruise director. Hopefully you said something. And you are correct that what you see as "too much" food may be "too little" for someone else. Upcoming retrofit of the R ships will probably take care of your other issues. IMO, If you want to see real "disappointments," try a mass market line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted September 15, 2018 #4 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Thanks for your review. It's my opinion that announcements have increased quite a bit in the last couple of years, regardless of the CD. In my observation, which is only that, is that this is coming from Miami, and not a personal choice by the CDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted September 15, 2018 #5 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Thanks for your review. It's my opinion that announcements have increased quite a bit in the last couple of years, regardless of the CD. In my observation, which is only that, is that this is coming from Miami, and not a personal choice by the CDs. Another reason no one should ever classify Oceania as a luxury cruise line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted September 15, 2018 #6 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Thanks for the review. I too think that Oceania has changed some over the years but for me not in the way you describe it. Your complaint about the food was more about large portions rather than quality. That can be easily remedied - I would be more concerned if the quality was poor. We have long ago discovered that the breaded veal in Toscana is huge - when we get it we always order just one and split it for the 2 of us. I too would not care for many announcements about activities that are clearly noted in the Currents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted September 15, 2018 #7 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Thanks for your review. It's my opinion that announcements have increased quite a bit in the last couple of years, regardless of the CD. In my observation, which is only that, is that this is coming from Miami, and not a personal choice by the CDs. I dont think Miami cares about announcements Orv but I will check.. Miss seeing you.when can we cruise together?? Jancruz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted September 15, 2018 #8 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I think most time the portions are fine but do agree on the Profiteroles Three at dinner ordered them ...all of them left one two would have been fine Announcements seem to be hit or miss some CD just talk too much others do what they need to do Maybe some of the bingo games are not well attended or people forget what time it is after all most people are 80 + according to some reports here If I am not sure of the portion size I ask then maybe ask for a smaller portion & choose something different So far the quality of the food is still good IMO Oceania is not perfect they have some hits & misses just like everything in life YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted September 15, 2018 #9 Share Posted September 15, 2018 The frequent announcements would be annoying. We were on Regatta in June , and there were hardly any announcements. So I think it is this particular CD. The veal chop in Toscana has always been huge, which is why I never order it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted September 15, 2018 #10 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I dont think Miami cares about announcements Orv but I will check..Miss seeing you.when can we cruise together?? Jancruz1 It really does appear to be more to me, and these are from the same CDs I've cruised with in the past. Or maybe now that I'm getting old I'm just more cranky. Jan, you guys can join us on the Jacques Pepin cruise in 2019. That should be a good one. Or Montreal to Miami this Nov. Overnight in NY and Charleston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arima22 Posted September 15, 2018 #11 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I think most time the portions are fine but do agree on the ProfiterolesThree at dinner ordered them ...all of them left one two would have been fine Announcements seem to be hit or miss some CD just talk too much others do what they need to do Maybe some of the bingo games are not well attended or people forget what time it is after all most people are 80 + according to some reports here If I am not sure of the portion size I ask then maybe ask for a smaller portion & choose something different So far the quality of the food is still good IMO Oceania is not perfect they have some hits & misses just like everything in life YMMV 3 Profiteroles is common in the land restaurants where I or my party has had them. It does allow for sharing- 1 would seem skimpy, 2 being an even number is not visually attractive for plating, while 3 does look very nice on the plate- as in this photo. In many arrangement concepts from Japan, odd numbers are more pleasing to the sight with many types of objects, not just food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted September 15, 2018 #12 Share Posted September 15, 2018 (edited) It really does appear to be more to me, and these are from the same CDs I've cruised with in the past. Or maybe now that I'm getting old I'm just more cranky. Jan, you guys can join us on the Jacques Pepin cruise in 2019. That should be a good one. Or Montreal to Miami this Nov. Overnight in NY and Charleston. Hi Orv, Cant this November expecting a great grandson..(unless beginning of November) whats the date???) but will look into the JP cruise in 19..We are going Jan 26,19 Miami/Miami with one day in Havana, May 25, 19 NCL Joy to Alaska, April 1 2020 Miami/Miami Jancruz1 Edited September 15, 2018 by Jancruz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macmarsue Posted September 15, 2018 #13 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I too just got off the Regatta and I will say that something was off with the food. It definitely was not up to the quality that had been on previous cruises with Oceania. In fact I would say that certain things were not up to par for a cruise line that sells itself as the "finest cuisine at sea". I ordered veal piccata in the dining room twice at lunch. The first day I received a breaded veal cutlet with brown gravy on it. I thought maybe I read the menu wrong and I was mistaken. The very next day in the dining room again, there it was on the menu and the same thing happened. Veal cutlet with brown sauce was served. Again at the start of this cruise they proudly announced that this was the first cruise with the new menus. I don't know if the chef is just not used to the new menus or what, but piccata was described as a lemon caper sauce on the menu not brown sauce. I didn't want to complain at the time because we were with friends who were experiencing Oceania for the first time. I had been singing the praises of this cruise line to them and how wonderful the food is. Things just weren't up to par. The Kobe burger at Waves grill was definitely different from previous cruises. It used to be a hand made patty now it is a simple ready made patty and doesn't taste any different than the regular classic burger that they serve. Our friend ordered the sirloin in the dining room and he had to send it back because it was very tough. The last night we all ordered the veal on the Maitre D' recommendation and it was so chewy that we couldn't eat it. While the food was good it just wasn't like it had been. They other thing we noticed was how many times they repeated the same things on the new menu. They had mushroom soup everyday in the dining room at lunch. Lobster Bisque was served almost every night in the dining room at dinner. Food that was described in the menus were served missing things. It was very strange. Pasta that should have been on the plate came out with something else entirely. The service is still outstanding and I thought the ship was in great shape. The cabin was just as it always is and we had no complaints about any of that. Our friends balcony door was very hard to open and after they mentioned it, it was replaced very quickly with a new door. The entertainment was very good and the guest lecture was very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted September 15, 2018 #14 Share Posted September 15, 2018 3 Profiteroles is common in the land restaurants where I or my party has had them. It does allow for sharing- 1 would seem skimpy, 2 being an even number is not visually attractive for plating, while 3 does look very nice on the plate- as in this photo. In many arrangement concepts from Japan, odd numbers are more pleasing to the sight with many types of objects, not just food. I would agree 3 would look like a good portion size but these were very large & ice cream in the middle If this was all you were having it would be fine but after a 3 + course dinner a little OTT for some I am glad I chose a smaller dessert for me ;) JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted September 15, 2018 #15 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Hi Orv, Cant this November expecting a great grarndson..(whats the date???) but will look into the JP cruise in 19..We are going Jan 26,19 Miami/Miami with one day in Havana, May 25, 19 NCL Joy to Alaska, April 1 2020 Miami/Miami Jancruz1 OMG where do you get the energy LOL Hi to Stu Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted September 15, 2018 #16 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I too just got off the Regatta and I will say that something was off with the food. It definitely was not up to the quality that had been on previous cruises with Oceania. In fact I would say that certain things were not up to par for a cruise line that sells itself as the "finest cuisine at sea". I ordered veal piccata in the dining room twice at lunch. The first day I received a breaded veal cutlet with brown gravy on it. I thought maybe I read the menu wrong and I was mistaken. The very next day in the dining room again, there it was on the menu and the same thing happened. Veal cutlet with brown sauce was served. Again at the start of this cruise they proudly announced that this was the first cruise with the new menus. I don't know if the chef is just not used to the new menus or what, but piccata was described as a lemon caper sauce on the menu not brown sauce. I didn't want to complain at the time because we were with friends who were experiencing Oceania for the first time. I had been singing the praises of this cruise line to them and how wonderful the food is. Things just weren't up to par. The Kobe burger at Waves grill was definitely different from previous cruises. It used to be a hand made patty now it is a simple ready made patty and doesn't taste any different than the regular classic burger that they serve. Our friend ordered the sirloin in the dining room and he had to send it back because it was very tough. The last night we all ordered the veal on the Maitre D' recommendation and it was so chewy that we couldn't eat it. While the food was good it just wasn't like it had been. They other thing we noticed was how many times they repeated the same things on the new menu. They had mushroom soup everyday in the dining room at lunch. Lobster Bisque was served almost every night in the dining room at dinner. Food that was described in the menus were served missing things. It was very strange. Pasta that should have been on the plate came out with something else entirely. The service is still outstanding and I thought the ship was in great shape. The cabin was just as it always is and we had no complaints about any of that. Our friends balcony door was very hard to open and after they mentioned it, it was replaced very quickly with a new door. The entertainment was very good and the guest lecture was very interesting. That does sound bad :eek: I think in some cases it is the cooks that make their own version of a dish We had a problem in Red Ginger .. will not be going back there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potterhill Posted September 15, 2018 #17 Share Posted September 15, 2018 We cruised on Regatta in May. We won’t cruise on Regatta again. Have 2 7 day cruises booked on Sirena. They are now under review. This was our 11th I think. Things have most definitely changed. Many annoying announcements about activities that are money makers. The people who do these are well aware when they happen. Food was ok but not the standard we have been used to. We were told there were engine problems. Later that was denied. We missed ports. Were late at others. About 10 hours late arriving in San Francisco. Disembarkation was a mess. I think we may focus on land travel in the near future. Mo Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPR Posted September 15, 2018 #18 Share Posted September 15, 2018 OP: The huge breaded pounded veal chop Milanese is the only reason I eat at Toscana! A chacun son gout... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanine Posted September 15, 2018 #19 Share Posted September 15, 2018 We will be on Nautica in 2020 for 14 day Asia cruise. Hopefully everything will be as wonderful as our Riviera cruise in May Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted September 16, 2018 #20 Share Posted September 16, 2018 I posted after our February SE Asia trip about the veal picatta that wasn’t. Head chef told me that was their interpretation of veal picatta! Nothing picatta about it at all! Food is subjective, but I feel quality is slipping a bit. I don’t understand the huge portions either. We’re not fattening hogs! We’re off the ship, when in ports, so can’t comment on the announcements. Not around to hear them. On our few sea days I mostly zone out the announcements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanine Posted September 16, 2018 #21 Share Posted September 16, 2018 I would probably talk to the chef! i would definitely send it back to the kitchen and ask where are the capers and lemon butter sauce!! Maybe i will bring my favorite recipe to show him! Such a basic recipe should be made correctly on a cruise line like Oceania!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sny Posted September 16, 2018 #22 Share Posted September 16, 2018 We probably did the same cruise on Regatta one year ago. Dottie was the cruise director and she made WAY too many announcements. Not all Oceania cruise directors do that. I agree that the endless announcements are very annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pet Nit Noy Posted September 17, 2018 #23 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I posted after our February SE Asia trip about the veal picatta that wasn’t. Head chef told me that was their interpretation of veal picatta! Nothing picatta about it at all! Food is subjective, but I feel quality is slipping a bit. I hate when the version on the plate bears minimal resemblance to the classic version. If I order Veal Picatta, it is precisely because I want veal with white wine and a generous squeeze of lemon. I may prefer more lemon than a particular chef typically uses or I may prefer a version that adds more/fewer capers or leaves in thin slices of lemon, but the essential flavor is veal and lemon. If a chef wants to serve a version that strays far enough from the accepted classic, then call it Chef's Piccata, or even Veal "Piccata." (I'd react to seeing a quotation marks name as "Whoops! Better inquire precisely what the chef means.) But if the menu states Veal Piccata and some surprise rendition arrives at the table I'm left with the unfortunate choice of eating something I didn't want or throwing off the pace of my meal while I wait for a waiter to bring a replacement dish. Pinotlover, by any chance, did you ask the chef why he kept the standard name if he wasn't going to make the standard recipe? If so, what was his answer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted September 17, 2018 #24 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Pet Nit Noy; Those of us st the table had a an excellent conversation with the Head Chef on the subject. I was not the only one upset that my Veal Picatta was more like veal Parmesan! His comments were essentially that a chef has full latitude in creating their own interpretation of any dish . Standard interpretations such as we have with “ picatta “, is only one interpretation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate-AHF Posted September 17, 2018 #25 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Pet Nit Noy; His comments were essentially that a chef has full latitude in creating their own interpretation of any dish . Standard interpretations such as we have with “ picatta “, is only one interpretation. Their prerogative I guess. To me that's like saying "our interpretation of a red sweater is actually yellow". But Chef should then not get irritated when plates get returned to the kitchen, because if I order veal piccata and it doesn't have lemon in it, it's not piccata and it's going back.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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