Star enroute to Hawaii some issues.

[PGI GUY]

We are on the Star enroute to Hawaii.We have had some issues, this our 9th VO cruiseand things are not going well.Im writing this on my phone in hvy seas, so please excuse  my errors. We had dinner in Manfredies and experienced the "new" menu and not in a good way. There is no veal itms of any kind, no lasagna, no osso bucolic, how can they call it an upscale italian restaurant with out any veal items. I ordered the mushroom powder rubbed rib eye. What I was served was a very thin ribeye that was ordered med rare, it was a grey sad looking piece of meat. My wife ordered chicken parm, it came out looking like it came from the supermarket freezer section. I requested to speak with the wine steward,he appeared with two bottles of house wine, Isaid we had the beverage package and would like a recommendation for a wine. We'll he walked away and returned with the wine list and walked away not saying one word.

The next day I went to guest services and spoke to a supervisor who said the head chef would contact me very soon, that was 3 days ago, nothing yet from him. The head of the beverage dept did contact me and wine problem has been resolved.

Last night I did speak with a manage at Manfredies who said that the current menu has not been well received and anew menu will be introduced in 1 or 2 months.

Remember the thick burgers at the pool grill? They have been replaced with a very thin frozen Patty and are not chargrilled. They are cooked on a flat opener grill and they load up the grill with frozen meat and as it defrost on the grill and starts to cook in excess water the boil on the grill resulting in a grey thin disc which was then served on a cold untrusted bun. The menu has been downsized and the hot isn't much better.

 

Yesterday the sewer backed up in our shower and we had to change cabins. We usually book another Viking Cruise while on board,  I think we will not be doing that on this trip and await to see how things play out.

 

[PGI GUY]

Sorry for some of the sloppy wording,the grill should a flat to grill. I also tried to say the hot dog was not much better. I also meant to say an untrusted bun.

 

Sorry

[PGI GUY]

Toasted bun....sheesh!!!

[cruisinchrissy]

I’m just glad that bucolic is off the menu.😂😂😂 Sorry couldn’t resist.

[deec]

how is the tuna at the grill?

so sad to hear about the disappointments.

[Zippeedee]

This is a huge change from the ship I stepped off three days ago. Important to note that 150 crew members, including the Executive Chef, disembarked on Tuesday. There has to be a learning curve as everyone gets used to working together. 
I guess one of the benefits of being new to Viking was that Manfredi’s was my favorite restaurant, my ribeye was thick and perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the burgers at the pool grill. I also heard people raving about the tuna made there. 
I hope your experience improves. 

[PGI GUY]

Me too. This is not what we have come to expect from Viking. We are disappointed to say the least.

[AZ_Tim]

This does not sound like the ship we just spent 32 days on.

 

The burgers at the Pool Grill were not thin, gray discs, but nice thick and well grilled. They are cooking on an electric flattop, so you can't expect to get the same flavor as from a wood or charcoal grill. Every time I got a burger, the bun was nicely toasted.

 

The only issue I had was one evening in the Restaurant, I ordered the New York strip steak medium well and it came out on the rare side of medium. I had to send the second one back, too as it was even less cooked than the first. They finally got it right on the third try. On all previous VO cruises, the steak always came out exactly the way I ordered.

 

There will be hiccups occasionally, just don't let it be the dominant thing that you take away from your cruise.

 

Kate, the Cruise Director, was the best we have had yet. I loved her Scottish accent.

 

[PGI GUY]

In reply to the above post  this our 9th Viking Cruise and I think by now I know what to expect. Kate is not on this cruise so I can't comment on her merits.

In my original I mean to say ossobuco. We have 40 knot plus wind and 30 ft plus waves. Fat fingers on a cell phone Kay board do not always get the desired results.

They still have a 4 Oz tuna steak at the pool grill to answer a previous question posted.

[wildcat68]

We were booked on this cruise and had to cancel due to illness.  I’d appreciate any updates you have about the seas, weather and the cruise in general.  Sounds like we are missing some rough seas for now.  

[oakridger]

It's good you reported your concerns to the Manfredi's manager right away.  Knowing the problems upfront will give them the opportunity to correct them.  If they aren't improved immediately then you have reason to escalate up the management ladder.  I certainly hope that isn't needed and the rest of your cruise is back to Viking standards!  That goes for the weather too!

 

Please let us know how things go for you.

 

~Nancy

[FetaCheese]

Will be on this ship/cruise 28 December.

 

Manfredis seems to be a disappointment.  Not what I experienced on 2 prior cruises.

 

Website menu is not the new menu.  Hopefully crew/chef will correct things during your cruise.

 

Pool grill burger also a disappointment.  How are ribs, onion rings, fries, etc.  

 

Osso Bucco and Fiorentina Rib eye are my favs.  What happened?

 

Will be traveling with good friends, their 1st V, on my glowing recommendation.  They are HAL loyalists.  If husband not impressed, said he will not hold me responsible!

Edited December 16, 2023 by FetaCheese
Addl info

[Torquato]

We were on the Star two  months ago from Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale and will be on the Dec 28 cruise to Hawaii. After having been on 8 previous cruises with Viking, our experience at Manfredi's was also very disappointing. The menu has radically changed for the worse. Gone are my favorites like the Lasagna, Sole, Lamb chops, Veal, and may others.. The original rib eye has been replaced by two types of rib eye steaks (Why two relatively similar rib eye steaks on the same menu? I don't know.). Neither steak measures up to the original steaks that we have hade multiple times on previous cruises.

 

Our experience at the Restaurant was also disappointing and we ended up having most of our meals at the world cafe where the food seems to have improved relative to previous cruises in terms of quality and variety.

 

None of the above should reflect badly on the staff. I think these issues stem from corporate decisions. 

 

On the positive side, the crew on the Star was probably the best we've had out of all the cruises we've sailed with Viking. David Lecumberri, the Hotel Manager,  was the most attentive, approachable, and congenial HM we've had the pleasure to sail with. Unfortunately, he won't be on our next cruise. Kate, the Cruise director, was without reservation, the best we have ever had on any cruise ship we have ever been on. We won't forget them, and most of the crew anytime soon.

 

Viking should use the Star crew as the standard that crews on all Viking Ocean ships should aspire to and we're looking forward to seeing most of them on our next cruise...

[CCWineLover]

13 hours ago, deec said:

how is the tuna at the grill?

so sad to hear about the disappointments.

Dee - not every Viking veteran rants!

We are on VOC #15!

 

we are on Neptune.  The Ahi is fantastic.  We and friends had THE BEST meal ever at Manfredis and last night at CT the Asian panorama was the best and we,ve done both locations many times as you know.  
but we are glass half full people.

hopeful continued sensational service and cruising this week!!

Edited December 16, 2023 by CCWineLover

[deec]

Kent,

That eases my fears.  Looking forward to our British Isle Cruise but with only one sea day meals become less important for some reason!

You have passed us in number of cruises!!!

6 Rivers....( I am counting European Sojourn and France's Finest as two each since they can be booked individually)

7 Oceans plus the world cruise ( not sure what to count that)

Maybe I should count nights aboard a Viking vessel :)! 

 

Enjoy the rest of this cruise.

[CCWineLover]

56 minutes ago, deec said:

Kent,

That eases my fears.  Looking forward to our British Isle Cruise but with only one sea day meals become less important for some reason!

You have passed us in number of cruises!!!

6 Rivers....( I am counting European Sojourn and France's Finest as two each since they can be booked individually)

7 Oceans plus the world cruise ( not sure what to count that)

Maybe I should count nights aboard a Viking vessel :)! 

 

Enjoy the rest of this cruise.

Thx Dee - you would clearly win the number of nights!  We are rockin and rolllin now between Azores and Bermuda!  Whew Haw!!

 

just had one of the best Hamburgers at Pool Grill!  Definitely not grocery store frozen.  Cooke to perfection and melts in your mouth.  And Bacon crisp and perfect!  And wonderful sesame seed fresh bun!  And French fries perfectly done!!!

[deec]

surprised NO onion rings....NEVER had the hamburger always the tuna :)!  Hold on so you don't fall!  Are your friends enjoying the Viking Experience?

 

Hope you enjoyed your pre- cruise travels!

[makaha]

Did someone say that Verity is the cruise director on board the Star right now?  We are boarding in February and we think she is the best of the best!

[LindaS272]

Verity was doing fill-in when we were on the Saturn in July. I don’t think she’ll be doing regular stints since she got a job in corporate HQ in Switzerland. (Quite the trek—commuting from Mississippi to Basel!)

[whitbob]

We are on Mars now, Verity is the Cruise Director.  Returning to Florida from Panama City.  This is our 2nd cruise, we did British Isle on Mars in August 2022.  We think the Ribeye and Chicken Parm in Manfredi’s are much better than last year. The ribeye wasn’t steak house size cut, but tender and tasty.  
 

We are not fond of buffets, but ate in WC most dinners on BIE.  Part of it was long days off the ship, but we could not stand how loud the main Restaurant was.  We did eat 4 dinners in the Restaurant this cruise.  The food was good each time, and the staff have been over the top with good service. We found the starboard side, as well as the front area of the port side to be pleasant.  We were seated in the middle section of the port side twice and both times we could not talk without yelling.  I would have guessed it was alcohol fueled, but we arrived at 6:30 last night, and by 7 pm the room was full, and people were already yelling to hear each other.  The acoustics in that section are just bad.
 

Everything else about the cruise has been excellent.  Excursion availability was top notch.  We reserved all of the included and optional tours we wanted in advance.  Last year we had to waitlist for most excursions, which we now realize was probably Covid vendor related.

[fudgbug]

On 12/15/2023 at 9:31 AM, PGI GUY said:

We are on the Star enroute to Hawaii.We have had some issues, this our 9th VO cruiseand things are not going well.Im writing this on my phone in hvy seas, so please excuse  my errors. We had dinner in Manfredies and experienced the "new" menu and not in a good way. There is no veal itms of any kind, no lasagna, no osso bucolic, how can they call it an upscale italian restaurant with out any veal items. I ordered the mushroom powder rubbed rib eye. What I was served was a very thin ribeye that was ordered med rare, it was a grey sad looking piece of meat. My wife ordered chicken parm, it came out looking like it came from the supermarket freezer section. I requested to speak with the wine steward,he appeared with two bottles of house wine, Isaid we had the beverage package and would like a recommendation for a wine. We'll he walked away and returned with the wine list and walked away not saying one word.

The next day I went to guest services and spoke to a supervisor who said the head chef would contact me very soon, that was 3 days ago, nothing yet from him. The head of the beverage dept did contact me and wine problem has been resolved.

Last night I did speak with a manage at Manfredies who said that the current menu has not been well received and anew menu will be introduced in 1 or 2 months.

Remember the thick burgers at the pool grill? They have been replaced with a very thin frozen Patty and are not chargrilled. They are cooked on a flat opener grill and they load up the grill with frozen meat and as it defrost on the grill and starts to cook in excess water the boil on the grill resulting in a grey thin disc which was then served on a cold untrusted bun. The menu has been downsized and the hot isn't much better.

 

Yesterday the sewer backed up in our shower and we had to change cabins. We usually book another Viking Cruise while on board,  I think we will not be doing that on this trip and await to see how things play out.

 

We're on the same cruise and haven't encountered any of your problems.  Have had lunch at the Pool Grill and the burger was fine as was the hot dog.  Had dinner last night in Manfredi and the chicken parm was great as was the short ribs that was superb.  We have the SS package and just asked for the wine list and made our own choice.

 

Food choices and service throughout the ship has been wonderful.

 

I guess different strokes for different folks.

 

 

[GerryL13]

@PGI GUY FYI Last night on Star went to Manfredi’s. Instead of a fish special of the day, they were offering Osso bucco. Said it was because they had complaint about it no longer being on the menu.

 

Earlier in the week, someone said they had an excellent sea bass for the fish special.

[ropomo]

40 minutes ago, GerryL13 said:

Instead of a fish special of the day, they were offering Osso bucco.

 

That is curious. How can veal shank suddenly appear on a ship? Apparently could have been offered before if planned. 

[minka34]

It's not that they don't have it on board, it's just not on the new Manfredi's menu.  Ossobuco was my go-to at Manfredi's and I was so disappointed when they didn't have it on the menu anymore.  I told our waiter that I came to Manfredi's especially for the Ossobuco.  Hopefully, they are listening to the disappointment and will make the change fleetwide to bring it back.  However, in my case, I found it on the menu in The Restaurant two days later and it was wonderful.  The nice thing about having it as a menu item in The Restaurant is that you don't need reservations to go there.  Manfredi's can be difficult to get into.

[fudgbug]

On 12/15/2023 at 5:02 PM, wildcat68 said:

We were booked on this cruise and had to cancel due to illness.  I’d appreciate any updates you have about the seas, weather and the cruise in general.  Sounds like we are missing some rough seas for now.  

Yes, you are missing some very rough seas!  Sorry that you had to cancel due to illness.  I hope that you are feeling better now.