Is the Oceania menu as limited as their website says?

[CaptainCook808]

Hi all;

 

We are considering Oceania because they focus on having the best food of any line and the food is a big deal to us. But I went and looked at the menus on the Sirena which has:

• The Grand Dining Room - lunch
• The Grand Dining Room - dinner
• The Terrace Cafe - lunch
• The Terrace Cafe - dinner
• The Waves Grill - lunch only

 

So The Grand Dining Room has nothing that appeals to us. The Terrace Cafe has some things that are ok (pasta, burgers) but nothing great. And we'll get very tired of that over time. The Waves Grill looks great - but lunch only and not that many choices so for anything over a week long cruise, way too repetitive. (Tuscan Steak we would happily hit every night, but it's a one night only restaurant.)

 

Are the menus in the above links accurate? I assumed a focus on food would deliver a much wider selection. The Regent has an incredibly wide selection (all good to great) and Viking has a pretty wide selection (2 - 3 times the number of choices on Oceania). So if it's this limited, I'm very surprised. Hopefully these menus are inaccurate and there are additional choices.

 

thanks - dave

[ORV]

Hi Dave, what you're seeing there is one day's menu. I think there is a 14 day rotation. Bear in mind on most port days the GDR will be closed for lunch, so if you're wanting to eat on board those days then your choice will be Waves Grill or Terrace Cafe. 

Edited June 16 by ORV

[golfguyhhi]

Orv meant to say the GDR is closed for lunch on most (if not all) port days.

[Sthrngary]

12 minutes ago, CaptainCook808 said:

Hi all;

 

We are considering Oceania because they focus on having the best food of any line and the food is a big deal to us. But I went and looked at the menus on the Sirena which has:

• The Grand Dining Room - lunch
• The Grand Dining Room - dinner
• The Terrace Cafe - lunch
• The Terrace Cafe - dinner
• The Waves Grill - lunch only

 

So The Grand Dining Room has nothing that appeals to us. The Terrace Cafe has some things that are ok (pasta, burgers) but nothing great. And we'll get very tired of that over time. The Waves Grill looks great - but lunch only and not that many choices so for anything over a week long cruise, way too repetitive. (Tuscan Steak we would happily hit every night, but it's a one night only restaurant.)

 

Are the menus in the above links accurate? I assumed a focus on food would deliver a much wider selection. The Regent has an incredibly wide selection (all good to great) and Viking has a pretty wide selection (2 - 3 times the number of choices on Oceania). So if it's this limited, I'm very surprised. Hopefully these menus are inaccurate and there are additional choices.

 

thanks - dave

@CaptainCook808 Hello Dave, first welcome to CruiseCritic.com.  I see you join mid-2023.  Great to have you.  The topic you are asking about food on Oceania has be hashed out several time.  The number one answer is food/dinning is subjective, like we all already don't know that.

 

Using Subjective as our foundation, allow me to give a personal Observation of the Oceania Food/Dinning.  First, I NEVER believe the marketing departments on cruise brands.  They do not understand the concept of Under Promise and Over Deliver.  

 

The Food/dining on Oceania in my humble option was not the best at sea. The best at sea for me (Subjective) was Crystal Cruises.  Was the Food / Dining good on Oceania, yes.  We had many good meals, several excellent meals and yes some bad ones.  

 

I am NOT a fan of the Grand Dining Room however I love it for breakfast.  That is my post and I am attempting to be balanced with my remarks. FYI, I study cruising and most brands.  It has come to my attention that the new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collect food / Dining is OUTSTANDING. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[ORV]

2 minutes ago, golfguyhhi said:

Orv meant to say the GDR is closed for lunch on most (if not all) port days.

Oops, I fixed it now, thanks for catching that. 

[EJL2023]

Having a hard time understanding that if burgers and pasta are ok on the TC……how could the items in the GDR and specialty restaurants and the grill station in the TC  not at least be a bit interesting.  🤷🏻‍♂️

[AMHuntFerry]

@CaptainCook808 see the menus on the Preisman blog for examples of some of the GDR menus (Terrace will also change daily as ORV indicated except when there is a Chef's Special which runs 2 nights so no one misses if they have a specialty booked):

https://www.thepreismans.com/riviera_24_menus.htm

Riviera is larger so has more specialty restaurants, but otherwise the menus will be the same/similar.

[CaptainCook808]

3 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

@CaptainCook808 see the menus on the Preisman blog for examples of some of the GDR menus (Terrace will also change daily as ORV indicated except when there is a Chef's Special which runs 2 nights so no one misses if they have a specialty booked):

https://www.thepreismans.com/riviera_24_menus.htm

Riviera is larger so has more specialty restaurants, but otherwise the menus will be the same/similar.

 

Thank you - that blog with the menus was really helpful. It's still a pretty small selection every night, but the rotation means it won't be repetitive.

 

One problem I have is my cancer treatment killed all my saliva cells. That limits what I can eat. For example, the only steak I can eat is filet, anything else is 3 - 5 minutes of chewing per bite (not fun).

 

Again - thanks

[CaptainCook808]

19 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Having a hard time understanding that if burgers and pasta are ok on the TC……how could the items in the GDR and specialty restaurants and the grill station in the TC  not at least be a bit interesting.  🤷🏻‍♂️

 

My cancer treatment destroyed all my saliva glands. It turns out digesting food starts with saliva. Without that, a lot of food becomes very difficult. So I can eat a burger (if medium rare) but the only steak I can eat is a filet.

 

And there are pastas I like, but chick pea fusilli pasta - yuck. The GDR has only that as a pasta.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 minute ago, CaptainCook808 said:

 

My cancer treatment destroyed all my saliva glands. It turns out digesting food starts with saliva. Without that, a lot of food becomes very difficult. So I can eat a burger (if medium rare) but the only steak I can eat is a filet.

 

And there are pastas I like, but chick pea fusilli pasta - yuck. The GDR has only that as a pasta.

They have regular pasta. The chickpea is for the vegan/GF needs.

[AMHuntFerry]

6 minutes ago, CaptainCook808 said:

 

Thank you - that blog with the menus was really helpful. It's still a pretty small selection every night, but the rotation means it won't be repetitive.

 

One problem I have is my cancer treatment killed all my saliva cells. That limits what I can eat. For example, the only steak I can eat is filet, anything else is 3 - 5 minutes of chewing per bite (not fun).

 

Again - thanks

Contact (or have TA contact) O special services for dietary needs at least 60 days before embarkation. They will work with you to make sure every meal accommodates your needs.

[EJL2023]

1 minute ago, CaptainCook808 said:

 

My cancer treatment destroyed all my saliva glands. It turns out digesting food starts with saliva. Without that, a lot of food becomes very difficult. So I can eat a burger (if medium rare) but the only steak I can eat is a filet.

 

And there are pastas I like, but chick pea fusilli pasta - yuck. The GDR has only that as a pasta.

The additional information makes it more understanding.  But as others have noted that is just an example of their menu for one evening.  And Red Ginger is also good. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said:

Hi all;

 

We are considering Oceania because they focus on having the best food of any line and the food is a big deal to us. But I went and looked at the menus on the Sirena which has:

• The Grand Dining Room - lunch
• The Grand Dining Room - dinner
• The Terrace Cafe - lunch
• The Terrace Cafe - dinner
• The Waves Grill - lunch only

 

So The Grand Dining Room has nothing that appeals to us. The Terrace Cafe has some things that are ok (pasta, burgers) but nothing great. And we'll get very tired of that over time. The Waves Grill looks great - but lunch only and not that many choices so for anything over a week long cruise, way too repetitive. (Tuscan Steak we would happily hit every night, but it's a one night only restaurant.)

 

Are the menus in the above links accurate? I assumed a focus on food would deliver a much wider selection. The Regent has an incredibly wide selection (all good to great) and Viking has a pretty wide selection (2 - 3 times the number of choices on Oceania). So if it's this limited, I'm very surprised. Hopefully these menus are inaccurate and there are additional choices.

 

thanks - dave

Dave

 

Perhaps you don’t realize that the GDR and Terrace menus you’ve posted are for a single night. Those menus change daily! 

 

Also, you’ve neglected to post the specialty restaurant menus, which are varied and include daily specials. AND, your mention of a “one night only” specialty restaurant reservation erroneously suggests that you can only eat in those venues once during a cruise!
 

There’s no charge for O specialty restaurants and you can eat in them nightly (space available).

 

Finally, you mention dietary restrictions. If you contact O at least a month prior to embark, they’ll arrange a meeting with dining managers/chefs to start the process of custom tailoring your menu options.

 

In all honestly, it sounds like you’ve not had much extensive experience with premium/luxury cruise lines like O. Certainly, none of the ones you mentioned can compare to O.

 

But, it’s your choice. That said, however, you really need to do your homework regarding Oceania.

[Redtravel]

Oceania has great food.  There are lots of choices. You can get steak in most venues.  Waves has surf and turf sandwich…filet and lobster. It’s excellent.  You can just get the filet.  

[1985rz1]

@CaptainCook808:  @Flatbush Flyer gave the details; the limitation on number of reservations at specialty restaurants applies only to online bookings in advance.  Once on board you can request more, some available.

[CaptainCook808]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Dave

 

Perhaps you don’t realize that the GDR and Terrace menus you’ve posted are for a single night. Those menus change daily! 

 

Also, you’ve neglected to post the specialty restaurant menus, which are varied and include daily specials. AND, your mention of a “one night only” specialty restaurant reservation erroneously suggests that you can only eat in those venues once during a cruise!
 

There’s no charge for O specialty restaurants and you can eat in them nightly (space available).

 

Finally, you mention dietary restrictions. If you contact O at least a month prior to embark, they’ll arrange a meeting with dining managers/chefs to start the process of custom tailoring your menu options.

 

In all honestly, it sounds like you’ve not had much extensive experience with premium/luxury cruise lines like O. Certainly, none of the ones you mentioned can compare to O.

 

But, it’s your choice. That said, however, you really need to do your homework regarding Oceania.

This post is me doing my homework. Because I was surprised by the limited menu their website listed.

 

Their website shows the single menus with no mention of a rotation. I assumed they would list it if they offered more.

 

The speciality restaurants are available for additional nights - if space is available. I don’t want to go on a 2 week cruise assuming we can get additional nights in the steak restaurant when that is a maybe.

 

Finally I find it interesting that you think Oceania is substantially superior to Viking and Regent. You of course are entitled to your own opinion on this but I think most would agree with me that Viking is comparable to Oceania and Regent is superior.

[sunlover12]

@CaptainCook808  The menus on Oceania’s website are samples only.  As has been mentioned, it is going to change every day. If your cruise is less than 14 days, the menu in the GDR will be different every day. The menus will be posted outside the restaurant and will also be on the TV in your cabin. 
 

The Terrace Cafe has a made-to-order grill station in addition to a variety of entrees, pastas, salads and much more. The offerings also change daily. Look for the Chef’s Special which will be 2 nights in a row and feature dishes from the country you have just visited. 
 

When you board the ship, go to the dining reservation desk to request additional specialty dining reservations. 

[kibutzer]

8 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said:

This post is me doing my homework. Because I was surprised by the limited menu their website listed.

 

Their website shows the single menus with no mention of a rotation. I assumed they would list it if they offered more.

 

The speciality restaurants are available for additional nights - if space is available. I don’t want to go on a 2 week cruise assuming we can get additional nights in the steak restaurant when that is a maybe.

 

Finally I find it interesting that you think Oceania is substantially superior to Viking and Regent. You of course are entitled to your own opinion on this but I think most would agree with me that Viking is comparable to Oceania and Regent is superior.

Perhaps if you stated what you prefer, or can eat we can be more specfic in letting you know if these choices are available.  The Terrace Cafe is open for lunch and dinner has several salad and soup choices, at least one pasta, several entrees, veggie choices, apps, grilled fish, shellfish, meats, and sushi ever night. GDR generally has three to four app, salad choices,  4-5 entree choices, veggies and vegan and Veggie choices. If you want you could have pizza or pasta every night if that is your preference. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said:

This post is me doing my homework. Because I was surprised by the limited menu their website listed.

 

Their website shows the single menus with no mention of a rotation. I assumed they would list it if they offered more.

 

The speciality restaurants are available for additional nights - if space is available. I don’t want to go on a 2 week cruise assuming we can get additional nights in the steak restaurant when that is a maybe.

 

Finally I find it interesting that you think Oceania is substantially superior to Viking and Regent. You of course are entitled to your own opinion on this but I think most would agree with me that Viking is comparable to Oceania and Regent is superior.

If O listed everything they serve for dinner during an approx. 18 day menu rotation, it would take up way too much website real estate

And, while a “steak” restaurant has a certain degree of appeal for folks who may not “get out much” at home (or who live in a culinary desert), Oceania has far more interesting menu offerings across its full array of dining venues.

As for comparing O to Viking and Regent, let’s get real: Viking Ocean is nothing more than a competitor of upper end mass market lines like Celebrity and HAL. Where Viking “shines” is in its strategy of buying a ton of self-aggrandizing advertising that pretty much guarantees it glowing magazine reviews. As for Regent, it is quite similar to O except for its all-inclusive pricing. That said, however, most food oriented publication (and major metro news food reviews) have always placed O at the top of their cruise ship accolades list (and way ahead of Regent).

[edgee]

44 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

most food oriented publication (and major metro news food reviews) have always placed O at the top of their cruise ship accolades list (and way ahead of Regent).

Not sure what you mean by "most" reviews, but IME, Regent's Compass Rose main dining room far exceeds Oceania's Grand Dining Room in terms of both service and its much much more diverse menu options. Specialty dining on Regent is equal to Oceania. O's Terrace Cafe "buffet" is probably a little better than Regent's equivalent venue known as La Veranda. I do like Oceania's Wave's (Sandwich, Burger bar area) better than equivalent area on Regent, but not by much. One advantage of Oceania is that they offer a very good buffet area with Lobster/steak grill each evening. It is wonderful for a casual evening meal after a hard day of touring, for example. Regent has no such equivalent evening dining option, since their buffet turns into a sit down Italian restaurant in the evening. Regent has promised a casual dining option on their two upcoming new builds which will debut in 3 and 5 years.

[CaptainCook808]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

If O listed everything they serve for dinner during an approx. 18 day menu rotation, it would take up way too much website real estate

And, while a “steak” restaurant has a certain degree of appeal for folks who may not “get out much” at home (or who live in a culinary desert), Oceania has far more interesting menu offerings across its full array of dining venues.

As for comparing O to Viking and Regent, let’s get real: Viking Ocean is nothing more than a competitor of upper end mass market lines like Celebrity and HAL. Where Viking “shines” is in its strategy of buying a ton of self-aggrandizing advertising that pretty much guarantees it glowing magazine reviews. As for Regent, it is quite similar to O except for its all-inclusive pricing. That said, however, most food oriented publication (and major metro news food reviews) have always placed O at the top of their cruise ship accolades list (and way ahead of Regent).

• Speaking as someone with a lot of experience and success in online marketing, they absolutely should have all their menus up on the website. You need to do it thoughtfully so it doesn't overpower the page, but yes they should all be there. (And if not, the single menu should have in the top, in red lettering, that there is a 14 day rotation and this is one of those days.)
• For me heaven is breakfast at Denny's, lunch at Fuddruckers, and dinner at Ruth's Chris' Steak House. I've never liked fancy or weird foods. With that said, I love Chinese & Korean food (the beef dishes), Mexican, & Italian food.
• As to your comment about Viking - I agree 100%.

Edited June 17 by CaptainCook808

[CaptainCook808]

1 hour ago, edgee said:

...

I do like Oceania's Wave's (Sandwich, Burger bar area) better than equivalent area on Regent, but not by much. One advantage of Oceania is that they offer a very good buffet area with Lobster/steak grill each evening. It is wonderful for a casual evening meal after a hard day of touring, for example. Regent has no such equivalent evening dining option, since their buffet turns into a sit down Italian restaurant in the evening. 

...

I agree with you on this (not having been on Oceania but taking your word for it). Regent's hamburgers were a disappointment. They are ok, definitely not great. And Regent's Italian restaurant is mediocre (the rest of their dining options are excellent) - I'm with you wishing it remained a buffet in the evening.

[Yesimapirate]

5 minutes ago, CaptainCook808 said:

• Speaking as someone with a lot of experience and success in online marketing, they absolutely should have all their menus up on the website. You need to do it thoughtfully so it doesn't overpower the page, but yes they should all be there. (And if not, the single menu should have in the top, in red lettering, that there is a 14 day rotation and this is one of those days.)
• For me heaven is breakfast at Denny's, lunch at Fuddruckers, and dinner at Ruth's Chris' Steak House. I've never liked fancy or weird foods. With that said, I love Chinese & Korean food (the beef dishes), Mexican, & Italian food.
• As to your comment about Viking - I agree 100%.

From the Grand Dining Room description on the Oceania website:

 

"As variety is essential to your satisfaction, menus change daily with an expansive choice of at least 10 appetizers, soups and salads and 10 dinner entrées, along with healthy options such as Aquamar Vitality Cuisine, gourmet vegetarian selections and the most extensive array of plant-based dishes at sea."

 

To me, that's pretty clear.

 

Honestly,  I don't think O is right for you.  You seem to be fighting pretty hard to show there isn't enough variety and what variety there is, isn't communicated well enough for your needs.  Since good is entirely subjective,  it sounds like you would be disappointed on the ship.  O and it's competitors charge far too much for you to spend your time disappointed and unhappy.   If variety is important to you and the menus at O don't meet your needs, look at a cruiseline that does.  You deserve to enjoy your vacation. 

[ORV]

3 minutes ago, Yesimapirate said:

Honestly,  I don't think O is right for you.  You seem to be fighting pretty hard to show there isn't enough variety and what variety there is, isn't communicated well enough for your needs.  Since good is entirely subjective,  it sounds like you would be disappointed on the ship.  O and it's competitors charge far too much for you to spend your time disappointed and unhappy.   If variety is important to you and the menus at O don't meet your needs, look at a cruiseline that does.  You deserve to enjoy your vacation. 

Pretty much summed up what I was thinking. Good luck with finding what suits you. 

[SATaxman]

I thought I saw someone on CC post the 14 day main dining room menus.

On our first O cruise last October, we did not eat there; actually made a point of looking at the main dining room as we were leaving the ship. So many other great places to eat.

We did not turn on the TV so we never even saw the daily menus.