Marina Specialty Restaurants

[Larainerenee8]

If you were picking 2 specialty restaurants on the Marina, which would you choose?

[pinotlover]

There are four Specialties of the Marina, plus La Reserve and Privee. In eachof the four Specialties all guests are guaranteed at least one reservation in each of the four restaurants. There is no need to limit your selection to only two.

 

As to the question, the answers will be as varied as the number participating in answering it thus generating no consensus. My recommendation is to utilize your one guaranteed reservation in each venue then, from that singular ancedotal dinner, decide

which ones you might prefer.

[sail57]

Toscana and Red Ginger are my favorites .

We always have a least one dinner in all 4 specialties on the Marina.

[JPR]

Jacques and then Red Ginger, hands down. Then Polo.

[1985rz1]

Toscana and Jacques are my favorites.  Then Red Ginger.

Edited June 22, 2019 by 1985rz1

[Mura]

Too many different answers to really be helpful!  On the "R" ships of old we'd rank them Polo, then Toscana.  On the "O" ships it shifted to Jacques, Polo, Toscana and Red Ginger.

 

If you like Asian Fusion you're probably sure to like RG.  If you are interested in Szechuan and the like, probably not.

 

They all have their fans!  And as has already been said, there's no need to limit yourself to only two on Marina.

 

Mura

 

[clo]

Did I read here that you can make a res at one and then perhaps trade for another?

[Mura]

I remember that as well.  But there may not be a need to do that, unless you've made a reservation before the cruise just to have it and you don't intend to use it.  Depending on how many other  passengers want extra reservations (and the length of the cruise), it can be easy or difficult to get additional ones.  Those with a butler have an advantage in that they know the ropes and may get a reservation where you yourself could not.

 

If I sound jaundiced, it's probably because we rarely use all of our specialty restaurant reservations ... We have traveled with people who refuse to eat in the GDR, and if they can't have a specialty every night they will go to Terrace instead.  We are not in that group!

 

To each his own ...

 

Mura

 

 

[clo]

1 hour ago, Mura said:

I remember that as well.  But there may not be a need to do that, unless you've made a reservation before the cruise just to have it and you don't intend to use it.  Depending on how many other  passengers want extra reservations (and the length of the cruise), it can be easy or difficult to get additional ones.  Those with a butler have an advantage in that they know the ropes and may get a reservation where you yourself could not.

 

If I sound jaundiced, it's probably because we rarely use all of our specialty restaurant reservations ... We have traveled with people who refuse to eat in the GDR, and if they can't have a specialty every night they will go to Terrace instead.  We are not in that group!

 

To each his own ...

 

Mura

 

 

Thanks, Mura.

 

The GDR sounds just lovely and super food.  I'll make my four reservations when they open in early October but know I/we have little interest in RG.  I intend to try all the venues although with only one at sea day we may pass on something.  Thanks as always. Cath

[ORV]

I don't understand the point of this thread. Is it just to stir conversation? 

[clo]

17 minutes ago, ORV said:

I don't understand the point of this thread. Is it just to stir conversation? 

I was given the advice many years ago on a food board that if I read something I didn't care for to "avert my eyes."  I wasn't always successful but it does help.

[ORV]

It's not that I don't care for it, I just don't understand it. I thought maybe you had an answer. I guess I'll have to wait for the OP to answer to find out.

[LHT28]

On 6/22/2019 at 11:15 AM, Larainerenee8 said:

If you were picking 2 specialty restaurants on the Marina, which would you choose?

not sure  why my choices  would be of interest to you??

Just pick the ones  you  might enjoy

 

After several cruises on O  the menus rarely change  so we rarely go to the Specialties  anymore

last cruise  14 days on Marina we went to Toscana once

YMMV

 

[clo]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

It's not that I don't care for it, I just don't understand it. I thought maybe you had an answer. I guess I'll have to wait for the OP to answer to find out.

Because we have access to good to great Asian food I'm not interested in RG.  Quite interested in Jacques and Toscana as I like to prepare those cuisines at home.  And as Daddy used to say "no matter what's wrong with you a steak will make it better. 🙂  Happy now?

[ORV]

1 minute ago, clo said:

Because we have access to good to great Asian food I'm not interested in RG.  Quite interested in Jacques and Toscana as I like to prepare those cuisines at home.  And as Daddy used to say "no matter what's wrong with you a steak will make it better. 🙂  Happy now?

Since you're not the OP I guess not. 

[clo]

Just now, ORV said:

Since you're not the OP I guess not. 

Are you always grumpy?

[Larainerenee8]

I have always found the people on the CC message board to be extremely helpful and respectful....

 

I am the OP and here is why I asked this question... we love the GDR, but on our 7 day cruise on Marina, we want to go to only 2 specialty restaurants.  We were on Sirena last fall, and there were only 2. I asked, because if there was an overwhelming response about any, either negative or positive, that would impact our decision on which 2  to choose.

Thanks to all of you who answered respectfully and honestly.

[Mura]

I hope you make the right decision for YOU given the multiplicity of responses!  Just because I would opt for Jacques and Polo doesn't mean that will be right for you.

 

On a short cruise I think that we also would opt for only two specialty reservations ... as I said above, we've rarely used all of our available reservations.  On longer cruises we've on a few occasions had a butler who would book us into specialties just about every night and we'd end up cancelling most of them.  Others would have loved all of those specialty reservations, but they were lost on us.

 

Have a great cruise,

 

Mura

 

 

 

 

 

[KatieBelle]

39 minutes ago, Larainerenee8 said:

I have always found the people on the CC message board to be extremely helpful and respectful....

 

I am the OP and here is why I asked this question... we love the GDR, but on our 7 day cruise on Marina, we want to go to only 2 specialty restaurants.  We were on Sirena last fall, and there were only 2. I asked, because if there was an overwhelming response about any, either negative or positive, that would impact our decision on which 2  to choose.

Thanks to all of you who answered respectfully and honestly.

 

So if you only want 2 specialties, look at the menus on the website.  Then choose the 2 that make you salivate the most!  Between me and my DH we could not agree on 2.  I would choose Toscana and Jacques, he would choose Polo x 2.  So asking all of us will only confuse your situation.  You all know your tastes best.  You probably won't be disappointed with whatever you choose.  Enjoy your cruise!  -Katie

[Paulchili]

18 minutes ago, KatieBelle said:

 

So if you only want 2 specialties, look at the menus on the website.  Then choose the 2 that make you salivate the most!  Between me and my DH we could not agree on 2.  I would choose Toscana and Jacques, he would choose Polo x 2.  So asking all of us will only confuse your situation.  You all know your tastes best.  You probably won't be disappointed with whatever you choose.  Enjoy your cruise!  -Katie

Agree with above. I know that I would choose by looking at menus rather than what “strangers” say as I do not know their tastes or preferences..

Edited June 24, 2019 by Paulchili

[pinotlover]

I’m the adventurous one. We all know which two restaurants are on Sirena. First, I’d pick Jacques because it’s not there. Second, I’d just choose steak house or Italian and make the decision. Done deal and simple.

 

We personally like RG, but since you’ve eaten there, try something you haven’t.

 

My thoughts without expressing any opinions on the individual venues themselves.

[Andee]

DH & I both love Toscana. 

Polo would be our 2nd choice. 

We had one really bad experience in RG; it was better the 2nd time, but we didn't love it. 

Jaques was good, not great, the 1st time; the 2nd time we had an awful waiter who spoiled the meal.

[tvmovielover]

We liked Toscana and RG but we had a bad experience in Jacques with a second one that was only a little better.  I like the sides etc at Polo but not the meat.  See?  Look at the menus and pick the two with the most dishes that appeal to you.  My favorite experience was when we booked Privee for 4 of us for our anniversary with our OBC (has to be done after boarding).  Your choices are anything from Tocana and/or Polo-you can mix and match.  However, I have read on CC that the Tuscan Steak House does not mix and match the right things!  Look at the menus.

[sunlover12]

We just got off Marina. We had one reservation in each of the 4 specialty restaurants. They were all very good but our hands-down favorite was Red Ginger. The food and the service cannot be beat. Polo was my least favorite. Of course, this is just my opinion and I recommend that you try each of them. 

[clo]

2 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

Polo was my least favorite.

Curious as to why please.