Ain’t No Thing, Like a Chicken Wing - Review

[New2cruise2022]

Just returning from the Bliss last week and wanted to review and weigh in on the much discussed chicken wings offered at The Local/O’Sheehans. I will presume that the offering is the same across the fleet, but this is the perfect forum for contributors to report otherwise. 
Availability

We visited The Local on the first night with the intent to try the wings. There weren’t enough wings prepped so they weren’t available. My best guess, the ship received provisions on Sunday morning and there was not enough time to bake the wings. By the next day, wings were available for the rest of the trip. 
Size and Quality

I own and manage a pizzeria that marinates and twice-bakes wings for service. I have handled the ordering and procurement throughout the pandemic and the chicken wing shortage over the past few years. We received many shapes, sizes, and qualities throughout this period. The wings we had on the Bliss were high quality, bone in, nice sized wings. There was good meat on the bones and the wings were always sold in a fair split of drumettes and wingettes. (I prefer the wingettes and don’t love it when I get an order of all drumettes.)

Bake and Crisp

The wings were indeed baked and they were not at all breaded. Unfortunately, by all tests, the wings were only baked once and then warmed. The skin lacked any crisp at all. Whether other cruisers agree or not, I hold the cruise ship to a lesser standard than land-based restaurants, particularly restaurants that specialize in specific menus. Because of that, I still believed the wings could be tasty without the crisp finish that so many people want in a fried wing. The wings at our shop are double baked to give the crisp, this is not the case at the Local. Still, the wings were cooked throughout (no evidence of undercooking) and they were still juicy and tender (no evidence of overcooking). The lack of crisp on the skin was substantial enough that the texture was somewhat gummy and the fat had not rendered much at all. 
Taste and Conclusion

As stated earlier, the wings are high quality. The taste of the chicken was good and it was enough that the effort was worth it. I felt it was a shame to have high quality wings but have a treatment that left them less than what they could be. From an accounting perspective, it is a costly item to purchase and then miss the mark. The sauces were just okay. The wings could be improved dramatically with the right sauce. The BBQ was lacking. The sweet chili sauce was better and the Buffalo was ok. Again, if you are going to work that hard and spend that much money, make sure the sauce is great. 
I am glad the wings are offered. The Local is late night (all night, I think, but I was never there past 2 AM) and even ok wings are pretty good to end a long day. I prefer bone in wings 100%, but I feel like NCL could have a tastier product with a cheaper, breaded, boneless fried chicken product. 

[rxlowry]

They used to have great wings imo. It was so great hitting up the Local after a fun late night.  Sauce was better too.  It is a real shame to waste the quality product with that preparation and sauce.  The Buffalo tasted nothing like a Buffalo sauce to me. But I’d pass on the boneless ones most likely especially with the sauces. 

[DCGuy64]

15 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Just returning from the Bliss last week and wanted to review and weigh in on the much discussed chicken wings offered at The Local/O’Sheehans. I will presume that the offering is the same across the fleet, but this is the perfect forum for contributors to report otherwise. 
Availability

We visited The Local on the first night with the intent to try the wings. There weren’t enough wings prepped so they weren’t available. My best guess, the ship received provisions on Sunday morning and there was not enough time to bake the wings. By the next day, wings were available for the rest of the trip. 
Size and Quality

I own and manage a pizzeria that marinates and twice-bakes wings for service. I have handled the ordering and procurement throughout the pandemic and the chicken wing shortage over the past few years. We received many shapes, sizes, and qualities throughout this period. The wings we had on the Bliss were high quality, bone in, nice sized wings. There was good meat on the bones and the wings were always sold in a fair split of drumettes and wingettes. (I prefer the wingettes and don’t love it when I get an order of all drumettes.)

Bake and Crisp

The wings were indeed baked and they were not at all breaded. Unfortunately, by all tests, the wings were only baked once and then warmed. The skin lacked any crisp at all. Whether other cruisers agree or not, I hold the cruise ship to a lesser standard than land-based restaurants, particularly restaurants that specialize in specific menus. Because of that, I still believed the wings could be tasty without the crisp finish that so many people want in a fried wing. The wings at our shop are double baked to give the crisp, this is not the case at the Local. Still, the wings were cooked throughout (no evidence of undercooking) and they were still juicy and tender (no evidence of overcooking). The lack of crisp on the skin was substantial enough that the texture was somewhat gummy and the fat had not rendered much at all. 
Taste and Conclusion

As stated earlier, the wings are high quality. The taste of the chicken was good and it was enough that the effort was worth it. I felt it was a shame to have high quality wings but have a treatment that left them less than what they could be. From an accounting perspective, it is a costly item to purchase and then miss the mark. The sauces were just okay. The wings could be improved dramatically with the right sauce. The BBQ was lacking. The sweet chili sauce was better and the Buffalo was ok. Again, if you are going to work that hard and spend that much money, make sure the sauce is great. 
I am glad the wings are offered. The Local is late night (all night, I think, but I was never there past 2 AM) and even ok wings are pretty good to end a long day. I prefer bone in wings 100%, but I feel like NCL could have a tastier product with a cheaper, breaded, boneless fried chicken product. 

Thank you for this review, especially coming from someone who knows the chicken wing business firsthand. I think the quality of some items at The Local/O'Sheehan's could be improved, but I'm also of the view that "beggars can't be choosers," and many lines have NO sit-down restaurants open at 2 AM at all, so I'm grateful to get anything that late at night.

[CaptainBazz]

Thanks for the review...we were on the Bliss last September and the wings in the Local were very good and comparable to any local bar / chain restaurant that we visit. Could they be crispier..yes..could the sauce be a little better...maybe...but at the end of the day it is good for what it is...ship food that is not costing you anything extra.

[Oxo]

Wings on Prima 2 different cruises in Local.

 

Very small 6 little pieces not crispy.

 

Three sauces water. Yes, I Could have asked for more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Travelicious]

Can you expand on the double baking technique?  I've taken to cooking my wings in the air fryer so they get nice and crispy.  I also tend to overcook, as I don't like mushy, which is why I usually don't order wings out.

[New2cruise2022]

7 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Thank you for this review, especially coming from someone who knows the chicken wing business firsthand. I think the quality of some items at The Local/O'Sheehan's could be improved, but I'm also of the view that "beggars can't be choosers," and many lines have NO sit-down restaurants open at 2 AM at all, so I'm grateful to get anything that late at night.

I agree. It is an offering fairly unique to NCL and a much better option than room service that you have to wait for and will stink up your room or wake up your roommate. 

[New2cruise2022]

15 minutes ago, Travelicious said:

Can you expand on the double baking technique?  I've taken to cooking my wings in the air fryer so they get nice and crispy.  I also tend to overcook, as I don't like mushy, which is why I usually don't order wings out.

First bake is best as a low and slow. It will make more tender fall apart wings. Second bake is hot. Like 500*F to broil. Watch closely so you don’t over cook. And I always flip half way between the second cook. Note: Depending how hot the oven is and how hot the wings are, the second bay may be a number of minutes and no more than that. 

[New2cruise2022]

1 hour ago, rxlowry said:

They used to have great wings imo. It was so great hitting up the Local after a fun late night.  Sauce was better too.  It is a real shame to waste the quality product with that preparation and sauce.  The Buffalo tasted nothing like a Buffalo sauce to me. But I’d pass on the boneless ones most likely especially with the sauces. 

I agree. Improve the sauces. It’s so easy to do. There are plenty of good commercial, ready-to-use sauces out there. 

[ColdCruise]

5 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

First bake is best as a low and slow. It will make more tender fall apart wings. Second bake is hot. Like 500*F to broil. Watch closely so you don’t over cook. And I always flip half way between the second cook. Note: Depending how hot the oven is and how hot the wings are, the second bay may be a number of minutes and no more than that. 

Thanks for the twice back info!

 

I paid my first year through college cooking chicken wings at a bar in the Buffalo area …. before they became a nationwide food, so I consider myself a fair judge of wings. 
 

The ones we had in Prima last fall were just ok - not crisp enough nor well sauced. Both issues easily addressed. A shame as I remember the ones from O’Sheehans as better (esp on Gem). But … hey … sit down bar food on a cruise ship in the middle of the night … I can deal with it

[logan25]

IMO the current wing offering pales in comparison to the version of yesteryears.  Buffalo, NOT!  
 

I am confident my opinion matters to NCL not at all.  So, another food item done well bites the dust.  Don’t bet started on the fried fish at The Local.

[New2cruise2022]

40 minutes ago, logan25 said:

IMO the current wing offering pales in comparison to the version of yesteryears.  Buffalo, NOT!  
 

I am confident my opinion matters to NCL not at all.  So, another food item done well bites the dust.  Don’t bet started on the fried fish at The Local.

I actually had a pretty good bite of some fish and chips on the last cruise. And surprisingly warm!

[RadioPeri]

Currently on the Getaway and tried the wings at the beginning of the cruise. Tasty but soggy. Sadly, not worth the calories, IMO.

[DCGuy64]

44 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I actually had a pretty good bite of some fish and chips on the last cruise. And surprisingly warm!

^^^ This. The one thing that never disappoints is the fish 'n chips at O'Sheehan's. Delicious every time.

[logan25]

56 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I actually had a pretty good bite of some fish and chips on the last cruise. And surprisingly warm!

The fish I was served at The Local on the Joy this cruise was not battered.  I suspect popped from the freezer to the fryer.  I would describe them as crumb coated.

 

Shockingly, one day at lunch, beer-battered and fried fish fillets were served at the buffet.  They were hot and crispy.  Just once during this two-week cruise, however.

[MyAuntFanny]

I didn't mind the wings being baked.  But I did mind the Buffalo sauce.  It was weird, almost smoky ? not at all tangy and barely hot. I wondered if they gave me the wrong sauce, but others at the table had the Chili and BBQ and mine had to be the Buffalo by process of elimination.  The Chili was the best of the 3 for sure.  I love wings, and did not have them a 2nd time.

[logan25]

Considering the increasing cost of chicken wings, NCL is saving a mountain of cash on my husband NOT eating the wings.

[geo.mac]

I sent the following email to Wes Cort (wcort@ncl.com) Vice President of Food and Beverage.   Who knows if it'll go anywhere, but it seems like an easy way to make many NCL customers happy.

EDIT:  I have no idea if that's his email address,  but first initial, last name seems to work as a default with many companies. 

 

Subject: Hey Wes. Is there any way we can fix the wings?

 

Hi Wes, 
 

I've been prepping for our first NCL cruise in June to Alaska on the encore.  I'm a HUGE wing lover and am really bummed that the wings onboard get a HARD PASS from all reviews I've seen.   Its seems like a QUICK WIN with little to no additional incurred cost to NCL.   
 

It sounds like the major issue is missing a second bake or broil to crisp the wings up and then some work on the sauces. Is there any way operations can be adjusted to turn wings into a home run?

Here's an example of a review if you want your team to check it out.  (linked to this thread)
 

In a time where Food and Bev onboard are being cut and hit with supply chain issues, this seems like a real easy way to win some customer sentiment.  
 

Thanks for your consideration

Edited January 31, 2023 by geo.mac

[Bruce Knight]

Just had wings from OSheenans on the Jade last week - definitely definitely baked and not nearly as yummy as they used to be.  Unbelievably, the main dining room had a wing appetizer on one of the nights with a hot honey sauce and they were fried and hot and saucy and completely awesome, I would have easily ordered them every day as a dinner appetizer if I could of and in fact would have had two orders as a dinner that night if I knew they were going to be that good.  

[CaptainBazz]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

The one thing that never disappoints is the fish 'n chips at O'Sheehan's.

Disagree...its the Ruben sandwich...and the Coney Island hot dog...😊

[chillyw]

1 hour ago, MyAuntFanny said:

I didn't mind the wings being baked.  But I did mind the Buffalo sauce.  It was weird, almost smoky ? not at all tangy and barely hot. I wondered if they gave me the wrong sauce, but others at the table had the Chili and BBQ and mine had to be the Buffalo by process of elimination.  The Chili was the best of the 3 for sure.  I love wings, and did not have them a 2nd time.

 

I agree, last time I was on NCL I ordered Buffalo and thought I had gotten the wrong sauce.  Ordered it again and realized nope, that's just the way the sauce is.  What the heck?

[chillyw]

20 minutes ago, Bruce Knight said:

Just had wings from OSheenans on the Jade last week - definitely definitely baked and not nearly as yummy as they used to be.  Unbelievably, the main dining room had a wing appetizer on one of the nights with a hot honey sauce and they were fried and hot and saucy and completely awesome, I would have easily ordered them every day as a dinner appetizer if I could of and in fact would have had two orders as a dinner that night if I knew they were going to be that good.  

 

Fried hot honey wings?  Sign me up! 

 

I'm normally a sticker for Buffalo sauce, but Hot Honey is delicious, and the best wing of all-time is probably the Cajun Honey Butter BBQ at Bar-Bill.  Honey with heat and spices is sooo good.

[drwbrt]

As a former Rochester resident and regularly frequented Jeremiah's Tavern (IYKYK), I have a high bar for praise but very low expectations for wings. Its just rare to get something spectacular. Getting to good is not hard though. The chicken did most of the hard work. The twice bake and a passable sauce (of which acceptable sauces abound in food service) is all that is needed. There is an opportunity to make a special sauce, but it feels like we are running before hold our head up straight here.

 

The chicken tenders are above average in the buffet, it would seem a sauced boneless is an easy win too. 

[chillyw]

16 hours ago, drwbrt said:

As a former Rochester resident and regularly frequented Jeremiah's Tavern (IYKYK), I have a high bar for praise but very low expectations for wings. Its just rare to get something spectacular. Getting to good is not hard though. The chicken did most of the hard work. The twice bake and a passable sauce (of which acceptable sauces abound in food service) is all that is needed. There is an opportunity to make a special sauce, but it feels like we are running before hold our head up straight here.

 

The chicken tenders are above average in the buffet, it would seem a sauced boneless is an easy win too. 

 

How about a Nick Tahoe's plate in The Local next?

[dbrown84]

the wings used to by goto late night snack, usually between 2 and 3AM.  On my last cruise in October I order the wings as usual and was disappointed.  Mostly because I had been used to how good they were in the past.  I then ordered a burger and asked to put some corned beef on it.  It was amazing.  That became my goto late night meal for the rest of the trip, except for the night they had tandoori chicken skewers in the casino