"Food Porn"

[marylovestotravel]

I can't help it! They keep sending me brochures and just look... There's a luscious, or tasty or yummy... picture of someone's delicious dinner/appetizer/dessert???

 

My question is... Which menu is it on??? Is it Toscana? or Jacques? or...

 

And what is your experience with it???

 

Are there truly raw oysters at the Terrace Cafe? Or is it only under special circumstances? How about the foie gras?

 

Any answers out there?

 

Yearningly,

 

Mia

[LHT28]

What picture ??

They have several in their brochures

 

The Specialties have the same menu  so check each menu  & see what fit the photo

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/culinary

 

Yes they have Foie Gras  & Oysters  ..might be Polo  or Jacques 

maybe someone will know

[mauibabes]

Mia,

It is all real.  We will see you on Marina next month and make sure you get every one of those delicious creations you are yearning for. Let me see, Finest Cuisine at Sea or Home of Food Porn.  I think I will opt for the Finest Cuisine at Sea tag line. You will have the four Specialties to choose from, Gourmet dinners and wine pairings in La Reserve, special menus in Privee and the GDR and Terrace Cafe or Waves or just enjoy the appropriate dining choices via Room Service. I am sure I am missing some additional places for something tasty.  OK, add daily Afternoon Tea in Horizons for a little something to tide you over. 
 

Enjoy, Mauibabes

 

[Ride-The-Waves]

The food is good.  The ambiance sometimes not so much.  We recently experienced Jacques and Red Ginger on Marina.  Jacques is stuffed with tables sitting on hardwood floors which amplify sound throughout the restaurant.  We were at a two-top and could bared hear each other across the table.  Ate in Red Ginger twice, first time was good with the ship maybe half full.  Second time a two couples sat at the table next to us came in well oiled with one carrying three drinks.  Unpleasant.  Dinning is more than food. Ambiance is important.

 

We also need to remember that the slogan "Finest Cuisine at Sea" is a registered trademark and not an actual evaluation by any independent organization.

Edited December 10, 2022 by Ride-The-Waves

[ToxM]

The food is great, its a great chance to experiment with things you may not have had a chance to try before. Remember Terrace often has dining room choice in the evening. Waves is well worth checking out for lunch - I am a fan of the Cuban sandwich there. 

 

Lunchtime in the GDR on a sea day is also lovely. 

[pinotlover]

Foie gras is served fairly regularly in the differing venues . Certainly not every day. Raw oysters are a very rare treat. You have to be in the right restaurant, in the right part of the world, during the right season to get them. 

[pinotlover]

I have a true food porn question:

 

For those that have been on cruises post the Covid restart, have any of the ships you’ve been on had the special big Sunday Brunch in the GDR ?

 

I will also ask about the extravaganza Tea they once occasionally had. Not the normal tea, but the over the top Tea with 50-60 items.

 

We had a Sunday sea day and I enquired with the hostess that acted as if she’d never even heard of the Sunday brunch.

[ToxM]

10 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I have a true food porn question:

 

For those that have been on cruises post the Covid restart, have any of the ships you’ve been on had the special big Sunday Brunch in the GDR ?

 

I will also ask about the extravaganza Tea they once occasionally had. Not the normal tea, but the over the top Tea with 50-60 items.

 

We had a Sunday sea day and I enquired with the hostess that acted as if she’d never even heard of the Sunday brunch.

 

We had the Sunday Brunch on our Sirena TA. 

 

Christmas Day this year is a Sunday and we have a sea day on Riviera, I hope there is the brunch. 

[JeffElizabeth]

26 minutes ago, ToxM said:

 

We had the Sunday Brunch on our Sirena TA. 

 

Christmas Day this year is a Sunday and we have a sea day on Riviera, I hope there is the brunch. 

Wow! That sounds awesome! I hope we get it on our next Oceania cruise. 

[Robjame]

18 hours ago, marylovestotravel said:

the foie gras?

Yes 

Jacques as a classic fried foie gras and as a (cold) terrine 

‘Polo en croute with mushrooms

Also appears as a steak accompaniment and in sauces

Edited December 10, 2022 by Robjame

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

I will also ask about the extravaganza Tea they once occasionally had. Not the normal tea, but the over the top Tea with 50-60 items.

We were on Regatta during the Queen of England's funeral; there was an extra special tea that day, the "Queen Elizabeth II Afternoon Tea". Sorry I didn't get any photos, but along with the regular selections via tea cart, there were tables full of extravagant desserts and a large decorated cake.

[cswhistler]

We had the Sunday brunch on Sirena in March. It is not necessarily served on Sunday and usually only

on longer cruises or transatlantic.

Later years have seen the cupcake special afternoon tea but not the large type.

Usually there will be a special dessert as crepe suzettes or something fancy. 

[tigerfan75]

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I have a true food porn question:

 

For those that have been on cruises post the Covid restart, have any of the ships you’ve been on had the special big Sunday Brunch in the GDR ?

 

I will also ask about the extravaganza Tea they once occasionally had. Not the normal tea, but the over the top Tea with 50-60 items.

 

We had a Sunday sea day and I enquired with the hostess that acted as if she’d never even heard of the Sunday brunch.

Was on the Marina from Oct. 15 to Dec. 4, cruising around the Med, and then the transatlantic to Miami.  No Brunch was offered.  No Extravaganza Tea.  There was a special Cupcake Tea, however.

[bob brown]

On the Around The World cruises, they have a few special brunch buffets for the ATW passenger's.   They make a big production out of it, starting in the theater, then they escort everyone back to the Grand Dining Room, past a line on both sides of the passageway of the cooks and waiters applauding the passenger's, as they pass by.  Naturally, the passenger's respond in kind...

[mountain grandma]

We had the sea day Sunday Brunch on the Riviera last October/November and on the Sirena’s eastbound TA last spring but not on the Sirena’s TA this November going westbound.  We did have a WONDERFUL special chocolate-lovers’ tea on this last cruise, however.  All were great!

 

Billie
 

Edited December 11, 2022 by mountain grandma
Typo

[mauibabes]

Ditto with Billie.  We were with her on Riviera and O’s Special Brunches are AMAZING. My guess would be that there will be an “Event” for your Christmas Day.  As I recall, the Pastry Chefs spent two weeks preparing for all they created for the Brunch. 
ENJOY WHATEVER HITS YOUR TABLE!

Mauibabes

[ORV]

8 hours ago, bob brown said:

On the Around The World cruises, they have a few special brunch buffets for the ATW passenger's.   They make a big production out of it, starting in the theater, then they escort everyone back to the Grand Dining Room, past a line on both sides of the passageway of the cooks and waiters applauding the passenger's, as they pass by.  Naturally, the passenger's respond in kind...

Do the segmenters not get to partake in these? 

[bob brown]

32 minutes ago, ORV said:

Do the segmenters not get to partake in these? 

No, they do not, unfortunately.

 

I have mixed feelings about this…

While it is certainly a nice perk for full ATW passengers, that with the huge fare they are paying, Oceania recognises that, and tries to reward them accordingly, on the other hand, it could make those excluded feel resentful, and treated like “second class citizens”.

 

This is not nearly as much a problem, when just a small portion of passengers receive special perks, such as suite passengers having access to exclusive areas or events on some ships, but when half the ship (or more)  get to participate and the remainder do not…well I can see how it could be.

[pinotlover]

I was once a Segmenter. Never again. However, nothing in this instance has anything to add to the decision.

 

Segmenters need to realize they are exactly that. There will be functions for which they are not invited and only for those on the ATW. I don’t see the problem.

[bob brown]

I have been on some other lines (HAL in particular), when there were very large groups on board, that tended to dominate the facilities.   It really annoyed and disappointed me when popular venues, such as the "Crow's Nest" (observation lounge), were often closed for "private events"...

 

I can see how some "segmenter's" might share that feeling....

[Guppy99]

On 12/10/2022 at 2:21 PM, ToxM said:

 

We had the Sunday Brunch on our Sirena TA. 

 

Christmas Day this year is a Sunday and we have a sea day on Riviera, I hope there is the brunch. 

I hope so. This is on my personal daily excel sheet for things to do

[JoePDX]

On 12/10/2022 at 11:09 AM, pinotlover said:

I have a true food porn question:

 

For those that have been on cruises post the Covid restart, have any of the ships you’ve been on had the special big Sunday Brunch in the GDR ?

 

I will also ask about the extravaganza Tea they once occasionally had. Not the normal tea, but the over the top Tea with 50-60 items.

 

We had a Sunday sea day and I enquired with the hostess that acted as if she’d never even heard of the Sunday brunch.

We were on Riviera for 19 nights in September/October and no Brunch or Special Tea.   It was a very port intensive itinerary with originally only one sea day…with two more due to missed ports…

 

Joe

[Mura]

On 12/10/2022 at 2:21 PM, ToxM said:

 

We had the Sunday Brunch on our Sirena TA. 

 

Christmas Day this year is a Sunday and we have a sea day on Riviera, I hope there is the brunch. 

Those Sunday brunches (which don't happen all the time) are indeed fabulous!!!

 

Mura