Terrace Cafe Question from Oceania Newbie

[ORV]

23 minutes ago, cbb said:

check Terraces port entrance when it opens for breakfast/lunch. 

 

On the R ships, pre-covid,  a staff member would be standing at a podium to check availability of the specialty restaurants for that night and could often find openings for dinner that night. 

 

 

On the O ships this is in the main lobby where Guest Relations is. Deck 4 maybe. 

[clo]

16 hours ago, espmass said:

CintiPam, that sounds heavenly!  Guilt free (lobster and salad) is the way to go!

Like this.

 

 

[libert1]

mauibabes

 

Any chance you could post some updated menu photos.  Just curious.  

Enjoy your cruise.

[pinotlover]

8 hours ago, ORV said:

On the O ships this is in the main lobby where Guest Relations is. Deck 4 maybe. 

On our last R ship cruise, Aug 2019. They were doing this in the mornings at the desk normally occupied by the OCA on Deck 4 or 5. The Terrace was deemed to busy for additional activities other than breakfast.

[KatieBelle]

13 hours ago, mauibabes said:

All I can say is we are on Riviera right now, docked on a lovely 74 degree day in Rhodes, gorgeous. Food, oh yes, Waves is ready for you and thesurf and turf and burgers are just waiting for you. With less than 500 guests on board,, there was no availability in the Premiums tonight so the lucky diners are having a feeding frenzy. Ate in Red Ginger last night and it was even better than BC, aka Before COvid. Testing Polo tonight and Toscana tomorrow. 
start your diets now and you will be ready to sail by Spring. 
mauibabes

Hello mauibabes.  Absolutely love Rhodes.  Care to share what you did on that gorgeous island? 

 

I wanted to email you but can't find the post where you shared your address.  So I must ask this question publicly.  Can one get a dip manicure in the salon?  We will be on Riviera for over a month next year and will be in need of some manicure assistance.   Thank you in advance.

Katie

[LHT28]

21 hours ago, ORV said:

On the O ships this is in the main lobby where Guest Relations is. Deck 4 maybe. 

Deck 5  on O class

[mauibabes]

Katie,

You should be able to get any service you need in Aquamar. We are on for 46 days and Bonnie will be getting nails and haircut and who knows what else. Male or female haircuts and other services. 
Feel free to email, but I am sure it will take a little time to reply. Time just gets away from us at sea and email is not a top priority. 

gerryesker@gmail.com

Ciao,   Gerry

[jeno]

On 10/20/2021 at 8:33 AM, mauibabes said:

All I can say is we are on Riviera right now, docked on a lovely 74 degree day in Rhodes, gorgeous. Food, oh yes, Waves is ready for you and thesurf and turf and burgers are just waiting for you. With less than 500 guests on board,, there was no availability in the Premiums tonight so the lucky diners are having a feeding frenzy. Ate in Red Ginger last night and it was even better than BC, aka Before COvid. Testing Polo tonight and Toscana tomorrow. 
start your diets now and you will be ready to sail by Spring. 
mauibabes

Gerry, no availability in the premiums makes me think the capacity is much lower.  Is that the case?

[RJB]

30 minutes ago, jeno said:

Gerry, no availability in the premiums makes me think the capacity is much lower.  Is that the case?

Sure sounds like it is the case.

[mauibabes]

When you talk to the person who handles dinner reservations down in the Reception area, we were told there was nothing available that evening. We got back to our room and ran into our Butler asked if he could find a reservation in any restaurant. He later handed me a card with three more days of premium reservations. We are quite fortunate as this will be our 9th night in a premium restaurant but we are not dining at “prime” times, taking what is available. The Terrace Cafe and GDR for dinner have gotten great reviews as well.  It’s a tough life but someone has to do it.  
From day 1 aboard, there are many tables everywhere food and drink are provided that have signs for “distancing” so yes there is reduced capacities everywhere but it never hurts to ask the question, even many times. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

[LHT28]

I have heard those in top suites can dine in the Specialty restaurants every night if they choose to

 Their Butlers can arrange it  no need to line up for extra seatings

 

I find the food in most of the venues on O to be much better than some of the main stream lines 

 

 YMMV

 

[DENIE]

On 10/20/2021 at 5:33 AM, mauibabes said:

All I can say is we are on Riviera right now, docked on a lovely 74 degree day in Rhodes, gorgeous. Food, oh yes, Waves is ready for you and thesurf and turf and burgers are just waiting for you. With less than 500 guests on board,, there was no availability in the Premiums tonight so the lucky diners are having a feeding frenzy. Ate in Red Ginger last night and it was even better than BC, aka Before COvid. Testing Polo tonight and Toscana tomorrow. 
start your diets now and you will be ready to sail by Spring. 
mauibabes

 

Oh, that sounds amazing!  Enjoy!! 🙂  Glad to hear this cruise sailed, I know you had some cancelled ones....

[cbb]

* Terrace  not TerraceS ---sorry!

 

[mjox32]

On 10/21/2021 at 2:48 AM, libert1 said:

Any chance you could post some updated menu photos.  Just curious.  

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Here are the Polo and Toscana menus as of today on the Riviera.   

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by mjox32

[CAG]

Polo menu doesn't look like it has changed very much if at all, but the Toscana menu looks very interesting.  That has always been my least favorite speciality so I am pleased to see some new items.

Thank you for providing these.  I'll be onboard Riviera on November 17.

[Clutj]

Thanks for the new menu posts!!L

 

Toscana menu had far fewer changes than I had inferred from the O publicity about it.  Which is fine, I like many of its dishes as it was.  Lamb loin stuffed with sausage replaces lamb rack wrapped in prosciutto.  Roast suckling pig replaces pork chop.  Carbonara gets its own entry (rather than only as part of trio) with a switch to tagliolini rather than fettuccine.  Glad to see the octopus carpaccio seems similar, although Amalfi lemon vinaigrette replaces the Champagne vinaigrette.
 

Odd that they rewrote almost all of the descriptions, most of which appear to have the same ingredients; generally leaner, less descriptive IMO.  “Baby spinach with crumbled Sardinian goat cheese, tomatoes and Kalamata olives in a delicate lemon-oregano vinaigrette” has turned into “baby spinach, goat cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives”.

Edited October 28, 2021 by Clutj

[libert1]

Thank you for the menu's. 🙂  Much appreciated. Now I can dream in more detail. 

[clairol]

My recent take on food experience… We are just off Riviera and I would say the food was generally very good. In some cases maybe not as great as in the past (I don’t mean preCOVID I mean like 10 years ago in the past). But still very good.
 

In the past, I always wanted to like Toscana more than I did and with the menu adjustments I now do. Red Ginger was delicious as always. Jacques better at our second dinner than the first - which was the first night so perhaps growing pains? Polo much better than in the past. Grand Dining Room some hits some misses - like a truffled macaroni and cheese that seemed to have neither truffle or cheese but it did have a lot of turmeric?!? Waves lunches delicious (huge Waygu burger fan) and they’ve added a extra little special of the day feature in a cart separate from the grill that each day offered something different like tandoori chicken sandwich, pulled pork, nachos , jambalaya and sloppy Joe’s. Terrace breakfasts and the odd lunch there were plentiful and incredibly satisfying.
 

The staff in each venue could not have been more enthusiastic, accommodating, attentive, caring or pleasant. Consistently going above above and beyond beyond. 
 

We were so sad for our trip to end. 

[ORV]

12 hours ago, clairol said:

and they’ve added a extra little special of the day feature in a cart separate from the grill that each day offered something different like tandoori chicken sandwich, pulled pork, nachos , jambalaya and sloppy Joe’s. 

Thanks for the update, makes us excited about our upcoming cruise in 23🤩. Might have to go on one sooner.

 

The part I quoted I believe they had started doing shortly before the shutdown. I remember that on our B2B on Riviera in Dec of 19.

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Thanks for the update, makes us excited about our upcoming cruise in 23🤩. Might have to go on one sooner.

 

The part I quoted I believe they had started doing shortly before the shutdown. I remember that on our B2B on Riviera in Dec of 19.

Orv, Stu and I are going January 4 and 14 RVA come with us..

Jancruz1

[ORV]

1 hour ago, Jancruz said:

Orv, Stu and I are going January 4 and 14 RVA come with us..

Jancruz1

Unfortunately we already have a condo rented at Gulfshores for the month of January that we're locked into. If it wasn't for that we would consider it. You'll definitely be warmer than we are. 

[clairol]

On 10/29/2021 at 2:44 PM, ORV said:

The part I quoted I believe they had started doing shortly before the shutdown. I remember that on our B2B on Riviera in Dec of 19.

Oh really! We were on Marina in Nov 2019 and they didn't have it... perhaps only Riviera has it?

 

Regardless, it is a great addition - especially when there are a lot of folks clamoring for the grill in the ports we could only get off with a cruise excursion (Italy). 

Edited November 1, 2021 by clairol

[RJB]

On 10/28/2021 at 6:59 PM, libert1 said:

Thank you for the menu's. 🙂  Much appreciated. Now I can dream in more detail. 

Both of us

[Jancruz]

On 10/29/2021 at 2:47 PM, ORV said:

Unfortunately we already have a condo rented at Gulfshores for the month of January that we're locked into. If it wasn't for that we would consider it. You'll definitely be warmer than we are. 

LOL

Jancruz1

[mexicobob]

On 10/29/2021 at 4:47 PM, ORV said:

Unfortunately we already have a condo rented at Gulfshores for the month of January that we're locked into. If it wasn't for that we would consider it. You'll definitely be warmer than we are. 

We recently returned from a trip to Fort Morgan. Close to Gulf Shores but less people. Closest we got to folks on the beach was over 100 yards away the week we were there. Serious beach time so may not be for everyone.