Mumbling about Marina

[LuAnn]

Do they still have the "Art Hunt" where you go around trying to ID the items? They had that on Vista in October and it was fun!! 🙂

[EJL2023]

21 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

Do they still have the "Art Hunt" where you go around trying to ID the items? They had that on Vista in October and it was fun!! 🙂

They had it on Sirena last month. 

[SophieM]

30 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

Do they still have the "Art Hunt" where you go around trying to ID the items? They had that on Vista in October and it was fun!! 🙂

They do!

[FetaCheese]

22 hours ago, LuAnn said:

Do they still have the "Art Hunt" where you go around trying to ID the items? They had that on Vista in October and it was fun!! 🙂

They had it on Regatta last Sept.  Later in voyage, a 2nd Art Hunt was added, so I think, 120 photos to identify.  Was really lots of fun.

Edited March 20 by FetaCheese

[Francesca 7667]

On 3/19/2024 at 5:09 PM, ORV said:

We were dining with a group at Jacques and someone asked if we could have our dessert delivered to the room. They took everyone's room number and delivered it around the requested time. We all wanted to hit the evening trivia and didn't have time to wait for dessert. First time I've ever done something like that. They came about 20 minutes later than requested. No big deal. Only thing I didn't like is there was no ice cream with my Jacques Favorite Apple Tart. Blasphemy. 

That sounds like a wonderful idea

[Francesca 7667]

On 3/19/2024 at 3:25 PM, KS&JW said:

Yes, that is a no no. 

I would Never think of doing a leftover baggie at a buffet. But, I was thinking that the restaurants would be like the restaurants at home where I always request a “doggie bag” 

[Francesca 7667]

On 3/19/2024 at 5:18 PM, 1985rz1 said:

 

Mine, too.

That just seems so wasteful not to finish my plate, leaving perfectly good food which I could gladly eat later on only to then order from room service.  I guess I’m just a product of being raised by a depression-era mother, but I hate to be wasteful.

[1985rz1]

32 minutes ago, Francesca 7667 said:

That just seems so wasteful not to finish my plate, leaving perfectly good food which I could gladly eat later on only to then order from room service.  I guess I’m just a product of being raised by a depression-era mother, but I hate to be wasteful.

I also hate to be wasteful ( my upbringing, too), but one can always order half portions to help reduce it and only order one or two courses that meet your appetite.

[Francesca 7667]

On 3/19/2024 at 3:59 PM, clo said:

But if you carry some ziplocs and a bigger bag and are discreet about it, sure.  A few years ago on a Hurtigruten cruise there lunches were the equivalent of dinners. Their breakfasts were a buffet with a few cooked to order things. A couple of times I took a couple of slices of bread, some ham and cheese and later made myself a sandwich for lunch. I mean really, who loses?

 

I’ll try that, because I really don’t see the reason why not to,  I get “doggie bags” all of the time in restaurants because I can’t eat a lot at one time. I once had someone ask if I’d had gastric bypass. No, I haven’t.  I’d be a lot thinner if I’d had! But that is just the way I eat. Not on purpose; it’s just the way my body works. 

[Francesca 7667]

2 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

I also hate to be wasteful ( my upbringing, too), but one can always order half portions to help reduce it and only order one or two courses that meet your appetite.

I think I will order half portions. I love tapas, where I can try many things in small portions. 

[clo]

1 hour ago, 1985rz1 said:

I also hate to be wasteful ( my upbringing, too), but one can always order half portions to help reduce it and only order one or two courses that meet your appetite.

As I've mentioned my husband and I share all our food, BL&D. On, say, Marina, we essentially got at least four course and still had some trouble eating every bite. I especially remember the lobster mac and cheese.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Francesca 7667 said:

I think I will order half portions. I love tapas, where I can try many things in small portions. 

TOTALLY. I still remember sea cucumbers in Barcelona.

[1985rz1]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

As I've mentioned my husband and I share all our food, BL&D. On, say, Marina, we essentially got at least four course and still had some trouble eating every bite. I especially remember the lobster mac and cheese.

We too often share dishes in restaurants...even down to the desserts, to my grumbling, sometimes 😉.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Francesca 7667 said:

I’ll try that, because I really don’t see the reason why not to,  I get “doggie bags” all of the time in restaurants because I can’t eat a lot at one time. I once had someone ask if I’d had gastric bypass. No, I haven’t.  I’d be a lot thinner if I’d had! But that is just the way I eat. Not on purpose; it’s just the way my body works. 

As I've gotten older (dammit!) I'm the same. And really why would they care? It's not like your causing your cabin steward extra work. It's already paid for and will be tossed if you don't eat it. Hmm, maybe I'll carry a plastic plate and fork 🙂

[1985rz1]

4 hours ago, Francesca 7667 said:

I think I will order half portions. I love tapas, where I can try many things in small portions. 

I think most of us have been thinking about strategies when in the MDR or in the specialties, but in the Terrace (O's version of a buffet, but served by the staff), you can adjust the amounts of any dish to your liking.  And the menu is more or less the same as the MDR, but with the grill option added. That may be a good option for you to consider.

[clojacks]

On the Marina now during the heat wave in Brazil and we have had engineering to our room twice to see if it can be made tolerable. The first time, our room was at 85 with AC at its lowest setting. It came down a little, but still not even remotely comfortable. Anyone else experience extreme heat on Marina and not have it able to handle it? Ironically, the main area on 5 near guest relations is like a cooler.

[pinotlover]

I do paired multi course wine dinners for a couple of establishments on occasion. It’s happened too many times so My only condition is NO Bread! The Dinners normally start 6-6:30 so the working stiffs can come. That happens to be later than many of the retirees seem to eat. Give that little old lady a bread basket in an early course, and they will pound the bread. Then by the third of four courses, they’re just to full to eat , or drink, anything. Some will even want a doggie bag for the remaining courses and leave before the dinner is over.

Rule #1- No Bread!

 

Oceania always delivers a big basket of delicious breads to your table at every venue. Saves them from serving desserts!” Oh! I’m just so full I can’t eat another bite!” 😂😂. They made that decision when they hit the bread basket! 😂

[clo]

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I do paired multi course wine dinners for a couple of establishments on occasion. It’s happened too many times so My only condition is NO Bread! The Dinners normally start 6-6:30 so the working stiffs can come. That happens to be later than many of the retirees seem to eat. Give that little old lady a bread basket in an early course, and they will pound the bread. Then by the third of four courses, they’re just to full to eat , or drink, anything. Some will even want a doggie bag for the remaining courses and leave before the dinner is over.

Rule #1- No Bread!

 

Oceania always delivers a big basket of delicious breads to your table at every venue. Saves them from serving desserts!” Oh! I’m just so full I can’t eat another bite!” 😂😂. They made that decision when they hit the bread basket! 😂

I''m not a big bread eater anyway and certainly not with a multi-course meal. I honestly don't like to start with a soup or salad cause I'll fill up on either of those also.

[WayneLaR]

The O bread basket is too good to not indulge.  Resistance is futile. 

[durberville]

6 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I do paired multi course wine dinners for a couple of establishments on occasion. It’s happened too many times so My only condition is NO Bread! The Dinners normally start 6-6:30 so the working stiffs can come. That happens to be later than many of the retirees seem to eat. Give that little old lady a bread basket in an early course, and they will pound the bread. Then by the third of four courses, they’re just to full to eat , or drink, anything. Some will even want a doggie bag for the remaining courses and leave before the dinner is over.

Rule #1- No Bread!

 

Oceania always delivers a big basket of delicious breads to your table at every venue. Saves them from serving desserts!” Oh! I’m just so full I can’t eat another bite!” 😂😂. They made that decision when they hit the bread basket! 😂

Haha! I’m all about the bread on vacation - dessert doesn’t interest me, so bring on that basket! 👏🏻👍🏻🍞🥖

[KS&JW]

If we are dining alone, we refuse the bread basket while on Oceania. I know we won't eat it and it is wasteful to have it placed on the table knowing that we will not touch it. We enjoyed it on the first few sailings, but we enjoy dessert more than the bread, so the bread had to go. 

[pinotlover]

10 hours ago, KS&JW said:

If we are dining alone, we refuse the bread basket while on Oceania. I know we won't eat it and it is wasteful to have it placed on the table knowing that we will not touch it. We enjoyed it on the first few sailings, but we enjoy dessert more than the bread, so the bread had to go. 

That’s what I was saying: it’s all personal choice. Prefer the bread, then pound it because you’d rather have it than dessert and/or the main course. I’m not 16 anymore. I’m not working manual labor on the farm or factory floor. There’s only so much I can eat. I have to make decisions, we all do. I just think the sad part is when people eat the salad, pound the bread, then out comes the steak and they take one or two bites and send the rest to the garbage. They know when they ordered the steak they’d never eat it. They choose to eat lettuce and bread. That’s OK! I guess they have the right to order 3 mains and 4 desserts and throw them all in the garbage. It’s the same concept. It’s just a personal decision YWYW. 

[iowananny]

I wish they would serve the bread as they do the pastries at breakfast.  The waiter would come to the table and ask what you would like, and you'd take one.  If you'd like more you could ask for another.  When we're at a table for two there is no way we're even going to come close to eating all the bread in the basket, but both my husband and I do like to have bread with our dinner.

 

I do think Oceania is doing a good job at serving smaller portions most of the time.  They serve an older demographic, and the sad part is as we get older most of us just can't eat like we did when we were younger.  I've gotten to the point where I refuse to feel uncomfortable because I've eaten too much.

 

[JYDCruise]

24 minutes ago, iowananny said:

I do think Oceania is doing a good job at serving smaller portions most of the time.  They serve an older demographic, and the sad part is as we get older most of us just can't eat like we did when we were younger.  I've gotten to the point where I refuse to feel uncomfortable because I've eaten too much.

 

Off topic, but this can be a problem for me with tasting menus - even small portions add up when there are enough of them. At an absolutely marvelous kaiseki dinner in Japan, at one point I found myself thinking "I hope that there aren't any more courses".

[basor]

We either ask them to not eave the bread basket or ask them to serve us the one we want and take the remainder away - works well and no bread waster.  Of course, the one bread basket we can not refuse is Toscana but we know that and order the remainder of the meal accordingly.