TK to Go, Solis the New Innovation.

[stan01]

I hope they back off the "for two prepared tableside" theme.  Spouse and I often don't want the same thing or in the case of steak want it cooked differently, so several of the featured dishes become unavailable.  If ordered for one are they going to say "sure" or "no"?  Would be nice if they offered a one person version, even if it is somewhat modified and less theatrically prepared back in the kitchen instead of tableside.

[BasandSyb]

Thanks for posting the sample menu. Looks good. I would normally be concerned given it’s heavily Med and could start leaning to Italian, but I think there’s enough of Yottam O at the moment to keep it interesting and fresh.

As already said the absolute proof will be on the table. Fingers crossed.

 

Roll on changes to remove TK from the patio menu. 1 type of burger and hot dog is enough for any lunch menu given it can be made to order. The patio is such a lost opportunity.

[hoya68]

13 hours ago, T^2 said:

I guess we will be one of the first ones to tryout this new restaurant since we are on the January 4th cruise.  Look forward to trying it.

We are boarding the Quest in late January.

[jjs217]

Everybody else is chiming in, so I will too:  MEH!!!  Personally, I would have preferred Pan-Asian/Indian.  All the items on the sample menu sound "over-composed", just like in the dining room.  Every now and then, I would like something simple, but devine - a steak, a veggie, a starch, period.  Sometimes phoo-phoo is just pooh-pooh.

[whystayhome]

"Prepared table side" probably means they carve it or slice it up in front of you. How will we survive without béarnaise?

[johng75370]

Other Thomas Keller tie-ins were the caviar source and the evening turndown service chocolate.  Changing to other suppliers shouldn't be too hard, but will one or both of these go away or be diminished?  

 

Also, may have missed this but sounds like Odyssey is not being converted to Solis.  Is that the case, and if so will TK continue to sail with Odyssey until it's handed over?

Edited October 18, 2023 by johng75370

[T^2]

At the risk of being "old school," wouldn't it make sense for Seabourn to have a page or two about this new restaurant on their website that can be searched.  Yesterday when I got the first notification I did a search and just did another one.  Nothing found.  Probably operator error on my part.

[kej1]

Will miss the delicious Caesar salad in TK.  So many are now made with what I’d call “fake” Caesar dressing ( creamy vs the original real thing).  I will miss the TK burger as well as we thought much better than the regular Seabourn burger.  Quality of meat and cheese just seemed so much better but hopefully that can continue without the “TK”.  Also would be great if Seabourn could do a real Caesar salad as that in the real world is not just a Thomas Keller thing although you see it less today. 
 

The new menu looks ok for a change  - not fabulous or earth shattering but fine.  We are always happy to try something new and different.   I’m wondering if some of these dishes can be offered on the Pursuit and Venture even though there is not a separate dining room.  Would be nice and since it seems possible since there is no celebrity chef involved.  

[jjs217]

10 minutes ago, T^2 said:

At the risk of being "old school," wouldn't it make sense for Seabourn to have a page or two about this new restaurant on their website that can be searched.  Yesterday when I got the first notification I did a search and just did another one.  Nothing found.  Probably operator error on my part.

I just checked and they do have a little write-up with a picture under dining.

[caviarforme]

11 minutes ago, T^2 said:

At the risk of being "old school," wouldn't it make sense for Seabourn to have a page or two about this new restaurant on their website that can be searched.  Yesterday when I got the first notification I did a search and just did another one.  Nothing found.  Probably operator error on my part.

If you search Solis you get nothing, but if you go to https://www.seabourn.com/en/gb/onboard-experiences/gourmet-dining you get full details

[Hlitner]

We look forward to the change, although a complete revamping of the TK Grill menu would have also satisfied our craving for a change.  Just last week, we returned from 18 days on the new Explora 1, where we thought all the food blew SB out of the water.  On EJ, they do not even have a main dining room (i.e. The Restaurant) but rather 4 separate dining venues (no charge) plus an additional small venue that has menus curated by Guest Chefs (this does involve significant extra cost).  The Asian-fusion restaurant (Sakura) had an amazing and excellent array of Sushi items (freshly made by the two Sushi chefs) which some thought was far better than the popular venue on Crystal (i.e. Uma).

 

The difference on Explora was that they opted for a more gourmet menu (along with plenty of more ordinary dishes).  As an example, our favorite starter was duck confit with watermelon, mint, and feta.  Simply off the charts wonderful and innovative.  A relatively simple caviar starter with a large portion of caviar over a kind of warm potato salad in a sour cream sauce.   Bottom line, for us, was that the ship had the best overall cuisine we have ever experienced in 50 years of extensive cruising.  So, perhaps SB is feeling the competition and upping its product.  We shall see.

 

Hank

[skybluewaters]

Menu looks fine to me, although I could do without the hyperbolic flourishes that are reminiscent of the Restaurant menu.  And they really do need to get a proofreader.

[CLOU]

I suspect the steak Florentine being served for two is to try and make it more authentic.  In Tuscany, steak is often served by the ounce, for at least two, and it is served blood rare.  My husband loves it that way and, while it is a little too rate for me, I have eaten it and enjoyed it as part of the local cuisine.

[geoffieg]

Should we be concerned about how TKG standards will be maintained for the remainder of its tenure?  We board Odyssey on Nov 23 and were looking forward to dining at TKG based on our several positive experiences there.  Hope the Caeser salad does not suffer.

[Coffee Pot Blvd]

So, new chef, new menu.  That's great.  The timing is vaguely worded.  It's being rolled out on the Quest in Jan. 2024.  That's a 31 day window.  We board the Quest on Jan 4.  I'd like to know that the changes will occur before then and not in the middle of my cruise.  I also feel some warning could have been given.  I might have considered delaying my trip had I known.

[SDuckers]

12 hours ago, kjbacon said:

And an afterthought about The Collonade … the TK special nights are bound to go as well? The fried chicken night, etc? And will there be special nights featuring a Solis Mediterranean dish?

I will really miss the Keller Fried Chicken!

[MightyQuinn]

Really. Good. News.  We welcome a change from TKG and have high hopes for Solis, under the direction of such proven culinary talent as Chefs Egger and Salein.  But nothing will replace R2 as our favorite dining space on SB.

[LMB01]

1 hour ago, geoffieg said:

Should we be concerned about how TKG standards will be maintained for the remainder of its tenure?  We board Odyssey on Nov 23 and were looking forward to dining at TKG based on our several positive experiences there.  Hope the Caeser salad does not suffer.

We just got off Odyssey last week and the quality of the Grill had declined from a few months prior.  While we are not fans of their Caesar salad, we did try to go as much as possible on past cruises - last week, once was enough!

[Westiesheepie]

Just spoke with Seabourn. Unfortunately for our sailing on Feb 17 Encore, they will be transitioning TK into Solis. So no TK nor Solis for us to book. Guest Relations have not been told what the plan if any is for those of us on this sailing. Bad timing for us! 

[SLSD]

13 hours ago, kjbacon said:

I hope so but I bet they would have a tough time legally. 

They would have to be careful---but fried chicken is everywhere.  It would not be difficult to come up with a great new fried chicken recipe.  Same with ribs.  

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, kej1 said:

Will miss the delicious Caesar salad in TK.  So many are now made with what I’d call “fake” Caesar dressing ( creamy vs the original real thing).  I will miss the TK burger as well as we thought much better than the regular Seabourn burger.  Quality of meat and cheese just seemed so much better but hopefully that can continue without the “TK”.  Also would be great if Seabourn could do a real Caesar salad as that in the real world is not just a Thomas Keller thing although you see it less today. 
 

The new menu looks ok for a change  - not fabulous or earth shattering but fine.  We are always happy to try something new and different.   I’m wondering if some of these dishes can be offered on the Pursuit and Venture even though there is not a separate dining room.  Would be nice and since it seems possible since there is no celebrity chef involved.  

I think an issue with the TK Grill has been inconsistency.  The caesar salad we were served was inedible.  We were so disappointed and were afraid to ever order it again.  We've had both the TK Napa Burger and the regular Seabourn burger and have always been great.  I could deal with the loss of the Napa Burger even though we have enjoyed it.  I don't think Seabourn needs to be paying for a name brand celebrity chef at this point in time.  Instead, I would like to see them spend money on quality ingredients and the brain power to achieve innovation and great food.  As an American, I am used to high end steak houses, but they are not the kind of restaurant we would want to frequent often--too heavy, too caloric, too dense.  Give me lighter far any day.  I look forward to this.  

[frantic36]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just last week, we returned from 18 days on the new Explora 1, where we thought all the food blew SB out of the water. 

 

 

I read through your blog on the Explora board and I will admit that that the food sounded amazing. However there were definitely service issues and a more rigid attitude you mentioned that gave me pause. Since you had such a low passenger count I would have thought they have bent over backwards to please but you seemed to encounter a number of "No we can't do that" episodes. 

 

Now you're home would you put your reaction down to being frustrated at the time but now you consider it not important?

[LMB01]

5 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

 

 

I read through your blog on the Explora board and I will admit that that the food sounded amazing. However there were definitely service issues and a more rigid attitude you mentioned that gave me pause. Since you had such a low passenger count I would have thought they have bent over backwards to please but you seemed to encounter a number of "No we can't do that" episodes. 

 

Now you're home would you put your reaction down to being frustrated at the time but now you consider it not important?

Our last two Seabourn cruises had a great deal of “No, we can’t do that”

[frantic36]

Just now, LMB01 said:

Our last two Seabourn cruises had a great deal of “No, we can’t do that”

Interesting. Mine in September was the opposite.

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, frantic36 said:

 

 

I read through your blog on the Explora board and I will admit that that the food sounded amazing. However there were definitely service issues and a more rigid attitude you mentioned that gave me pause. Since you had such a low passenger count I would have thought they have bent over backwards to please but you seemed to encounter a number of "No we can't do that" episodes. 

 

Now you're home would you put your reaction down to being frustrated at the time but now you consider it not important?

Not always frustrated and often somewhat amused :).  The management attitude is that they are somewhat full of themselves (in terms of the cruise line) and it can be amusing.  They have even invented their own language.  It is not a cruise "ship" but rather a "vessel."  They do not have any "entertainment" but do have "experiences."  There is no Cruise Director but they do have an "Experience Manager."  There is no crew, only "hosts."  And there are no passengers, just "guests."  When DW suggested to one of the suits from Geneva that they rename in the indoor pool (now called the Conservatory) the "Aquatic Immersion Experience" he loved the idea :).

 

Yes, we did experience the "No,"  "we will need to check," and "we don't know," enough times to see the humor.  This primarily happens at the guest relations desks or "destination manager" desk.  By the way, none of these desks is marked with any kind of signage (not even on the desk) as you are somehow expected to know.  There are also no port lectures, no port maps, and almost no port information.  When they do provide a shuttle (at ports) you may or may not know, will generally have no clue as to the schedule (until you get to the shuttle), etc.  After all, this is a very high class outfit where they expect you to know, or go to the Guest Relations desks so they can tell you "we don't know."

 

I do believe that these "hiccups" will eventually be resolved, but make no mistake, EJ will work hard to be "different" from any other cruise line.  We would happily go back on EJ (if we find the right itinerary and price) although the next time, we might have more fun if we uncounted a "no" or "we don't know."  I will add that since we were on a very special voyage (when they were preparing for the Naming Ceramony" we met several top management (from Geneva) and were impressed.  They are trying to reinvent the cruise experience are are generally off to a good start except for some folks needing an attitude adjustment.

 

This is not a line for everyone.  But for the kind of folks who enjoy the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, etc. they will find much to like.

 

Hank