Riviera Live — February 10th

[Jim and Monika]

And here I thought they removed it from the menu because it was a slow mover...

[Jim and Monika]

7 hours ago, Jayne E said:

Last 3 Puerta Plata stops cancelled for same excuse and numerous others according to passengers and staff. The expected “high winds” didn’t materialize but decision to suspend is made early morning. Time to remove Puerta Plata and reinstate St. Martin which was never a problem. Reducing port times and extra sea days feels more like a crossing cruise 🙁

Last year, before all the reduced port times, we missed St Bart's because of wind/waves. We then went to St Martin.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, rbtan said:

 The GDR as far as I know, was open for Concierge & Suite guests for lunch on Embarkation day as usual.

Maybe for top suites  but never  have  had lunch in GDR  for concierge  that I am aware of on embarkation day

They do have  a lunch for B2B pax  by invitation

[MEFIowa]

19 hours ago, Jayne E said:

Last 3 Puerta Plata stops cancelled for same excuse and numerous others according to passengers and staff. The expected “high winds” didn’t materialize but decision to suspend is made early morning. ...

Yet oddly on Sirena 11/18-28/2022 we were at Puerto Plata TWICE! First time unscheduled on the way south, due to a passenger emergency. We stopped and took 4 hours to use Sirena's tender boat to take the passenger ashore. Cost us St. Kitts! BUT on the way back north we made the scheduled stop, at the originally scheduled time. Took an excursion driving up the mountain to the national park, 1/2-size Rio "Jesus" replica, and the cable car back down.

[What A Market]

Winging our way back to AZ. Easy disembarkation but there was a bit of a line with people waiting for the 7:30 start for getting off. 
 

It was easy to catch an Uber to MIA for our 10:00am flight. MIA was its usual s__t show though. 

[Acrusa]

16 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe for top suites  but never  have  had lunch in GDR  for concierge  that I am aware of on embarkation day

They do have  a lunch for B2B pax  by invitation

 Lunchtime was a Prvt. Function in Jaques looked to me like TA FDR  Function 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Acrusa

[LHT28]

54 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

 Lunchtime was a Prvt. Function in Jaques looked to me like TA FDR  Function 

?? not sure how this  relates to post #205  which I was replying to

 

Usually if they have TA  function onboard  it is a LARGE group  & they have a special lunch in the GDR  usually pax are not included

Some TA's will bring guests  but  must  leave before  sail away

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, What A Market said:

Winging our way back to AZ. Easy disembarkation but there was a bit of a line with people waiting for the 7:30 start for getting off. 
 

It was easy to catch an Uber to MIA for our 10:00am flight. MIA was its usual s__t show though. 

Safe  trip

 Thanks for your photos

[ORV]

1 hour ago, Acrusa said:

 Lunchtime was a Prvt. Function in Jaques looked to me like TA FDR  Function 

Did you see FDR in there? 

[mbiggers]

On 2/19/2023 at 1:10 PM, SSFrance69 said:

Thank you for looking! I wish the nightly GDR menus were available to view ahead of time. From what I've read elsewhere on here though, they are not the same rotation on every cruise. It would make it easy to plan the specialty nights, as there are some GDR menus I've seen that I would not want to miss. Looking forward to my first Oceana culinary experience on March 2! Are there any not to be missed items I need to try?

 

We’re onboard next month and I will cancel any specialty reservation if the MDR has the special halibut.  It’s Jacques Pepin’s tribute to Paul Bocuse. Totally scrumptious, worthy of licking your plate! On a B2B they only offered it on the second leg.  Also, as others have mentioned, the sea bass in Red Ginger is wonderful.

[mauibabes]

If you like the Halibut, I have not had the one you are referencing,  but definitely order the Jacques Sea Bass in a Puff Pastry for 2. It AWESOME!  Like the RG Miso Glazed Sea Bass, it just melts away it is so perfectly prepared. Anytime I can get a guest at our table to share it with me, we order it.  My DW is not a sea food eater unless I have flown her to Maui and she could order fresh caught Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Lilikoi Sauce and Purple Mashed Potatoes. The dinner price is not bad but the transport costs can be 💵 😁🍹. 

ENJOY.

Mauibabes

[SSFrance69]

7 hours ago, mbiggers said:

We’re onboard next month and I will cancel any specialty reservation if the MDR has the special halibut.  It’s Jacques Pepin’s tribute to Paul Bocuse. Totally scrumptious, worthy of licking your plate! On a B2B they only offered it on the second leg.  Also, as others have mentioned, the sea bass in Red Ginger is wonderful.

What is the name of the Halibut dish? Thank you in advance!

 

[mbiggers]

1 hour ago, SSFrance69 said:

What is the name of the Halibut dish? Thank you in advance!

 

Sorry, not sure, but the menu does explain that the recipe was made by Pepin in memory  of his friend, Paul Bocuse. I think it was crab crusted with a rich sauce.

[LHT28]

30 minutes ago, mbiggers said:

Sorry, not sure, but the menu does explain that the recipe was made by Pepin in memory  of his friend, Paul Bocuse. I think it was crab crusted with a rich sauce.

Is this  the one  under entree?

 

[mbiggers]

54 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Is this  the one  under entree?

 

That’s it! Good job. You can always depend on Cruise Critc members!

[susiesan]

How would anyone know what that is? Who would know what Alaskan Halibut Viennoise is without a description? Probably why hardly anyone has ever had it.

 

Here's the recipe from Oceania. 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/oceania-experience/post/recipes/recipe-chef-paul-bocuses-crusty-halibut-viennoise

[Acrusa]

16 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Is this  the one  under entree?

 

Tonight's menu is exactly the same,except it's monk fish not halibut 

[marieps]

4 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

Tonight's menu is exactly the same,except it's monk fish not halibut 

It was fun reading this "live from" after the fact, as we were on the same cruise.  It was explained to us the snails delivered by the vendor were of poor quality, hence no escargot.  Same with arugula.  My beef carpaccio came smothered in field greens!

 

We also experienced the jam shortage, although I found one jar of cherry on disembarkation morning.  

 

I mentioned on another thread our we had to refire three bowls of mussels and two lobster bisques on night one over temperature issues.  My wife was quite acutely ill the next morning.  While we could certainly not prove a causation, the Sr. Exec Chef and Restaurant Mgr insisted on meeting with us to discuss it.  They were very attentive and offered an extra night at Jacques.  Two nights of goat cheese souffle, my single favorite item on the ship.  The OP mentioned early on where O outshines =X=, but the wifi is a miserable failure when you compare the two.

 

=X='s "free" laundry is also far quicker to return.  

 

We were in a PH and found so much storage and the room so well laid out we left more than a half dozen drawers empty.   None of that silly brick a brack found in Revolutionized =X= suites.

 

Just my two cents.  Enjoy your cruises, future Riviera travelers.

[rbtan]

18 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Is this  the one  under entree?

 

We had both the Fish soup & Lobster Bisque. Both were excellent, but being in the industry there is some hint of " It's an excellent base that many fine restaurants use.Minors Lobster Base" in both. I did the Duck ala Orange instead of the Halibut. Will try the Halibut on our next cruise on the Vista.

Edited February 22, 2023 by rbtan
additions

[chloemonkey]

On 2/19/2023 at 7:56 AM, rbtan said:

Either remove the articles(which we've done with chair hogs) or get a pool attendant to do it.We had little hogging on our trip before yours, except for like you the last sea day. One woman did try it & actually tried to get me & my spouse to vacate our loungers.Really? She was from Germany. I told her you can't just reserve chairs & then go to lunch. We had the pool attendant remove her stuff from the ones she was reserving.

I thought that saving them for a quick trip to lunch was acceptable?  But maybe this goes back a while....Not for a LONG lunch of course....but I hate eating in the sun....hence like to leave my lounge to enjoy lunch in the shade or inside....

[shepherd really]

2 minutes ago, chloemonkey said:

....hence like to leave my lounge to enjoy lunch in the shade or inside....

As soon as you get up, it is no longer your lounge.   Enjoy your lunch, then find an unoccupied lounge.

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, chloemonkey said:

I thought that saving them for a quick trip to lunch was acceptable?  But maybe this goes back a while....Not for a LONG lunch of course....but I hate eating in the sun....hence like to leave my lounge to enjoy lunch in the shade or inside....

Used  to be  if they were vacant for 30 or 45 mins  the belongings were removed  by the staff

Depends on what people call a quick lunch ??

 

 I love the couple that reserved the lounger in the Sanctuary & went ashore for the day 

[Jayne E]

Getting up for lunch should not be a lounge loss.  Same as getting up for the bathroom!! And shouldn’t have to make lunch “quick”.  Some have lunch in MDR and can easily take an hour.  As long as you’re at the pool for the day, should be your lounge.  
It’s those who go off for an excursion and return hours later that are unfair to fellow passengers, not someone who needs to “get up” for a good reason.

[jennybenny]

The lounge police always freak me out. I want a lounger when I'm at the pool, I may spend a lot of time IN the pool, but I still want that lounger when I get out. I'm not one to leave to eat, but I am one to use the pool and barely use the lounger. However, if I got a lounger, I WANT that lounger

[What A Market]

Time to swing my thread off the topic of chair hogs…… LOL

 

Back home for about a week. Boo. Back at work. Double Boo!

 

Our last evening of the cruise was dinner at Jacques. Lovely dinner and wine service. Our entrees and sides were over salted. Not had that happen before at Jacques. Appetizers were all fine.  Waiter, wine steward, and assistant waiter were all concerned over the unfinished plates in front of us, but we gorged on starters so didn’t go hungry.

 

A few photos: foie gras with grilled pineapple (really excellent), my veal chop (cooked perfectly, but over salted), and an excellent and very well priced French red (when in Rome, so to speak. Ha!)

Edited February 24, 2023 by What A Market