Formal Dining

Formal Dining

The Food

 The food is excellent and the service is superb.

There are fixed reservations for either 1^st (5.45PM) or 2nd sitting (8.00PM) Silver Service Dining in the Regency or Marquis Dining Rooms (Both identical) each evening. One always has the option to  go elsewhere such as to the Horizon Court buffet or other eating venues around the ship for any of the meals if formal dining is not your scene.

Passengers are not permitted to entre the dining rooms 10 minutes after opening.

The Service

The food service is so well organised and smooth – everyone’s dinner (on your table) gets brought out at the same time. Our waiters were well trained, poured the wine impeccably and ensured no one had an empty glass at any time. Chairs, serviettes, table cleanliness, and attention to cleaning up little spills and crumbs was excellent.

The Waiters

We had the same 2 waiters for the voyage. One was from Thailand, and the other from the Philippines. Both had been at sea for nearly 9 months and were leaving the vessel at the end of the voyage for 3 months leave.

Having been on the ship for so long they were well trained, a little reserved initially, however as the cruise progressed they opened up and became quite entertaining and we had some real good laughs with them, particularly when discussing ship board romances amongst the ship's crew. We became quite friendly with both of them and almost offered to show them around Perth while they waited for the flights back home.

The wait staff are from all around the world, are truly international,  and they work long hours (11 hour shifts) 6.00am to 1.30 and then from 5.30pm to 10.30pm and they work 9 -10 months away at sea then they have 3 months off.

The Wine

Wine is served by the glass or bottle and the price list can be seen here. A unfinished bottle can be re-corked, stored and brought back out at your following meals.

Others at your Table

Tables in the two main dining rooms have 2,4,6, & 8 places. Some couples prefer to eat alone, others prefer company. Seating is allocated for all evening meals except when there are evening departures from Ports.

Breakfast and lunch seating was "as you come" and we invariably found we were placed at a 6 or 8 place table with strangers when we had these meals. Some meals of these meals were highly entertaining and interesting, others were subject to incessant complaints from passengers whose only form of conversation was about things that went wrong, or could go wrong.

We had two other couples who we knew on the cruise and sat at a table for six, thus we were not with strangers at all, however the dynamics of friends and their relationships with their partners can also be an issue on long cruises.

Formal Nights

On a 21 day cruise there is normally 2 formal nights where a dinner suite or lounge suite is required.  All other nights were "Smart Casual" which means long trousers for men with closed shoes, and no t-shirts. We did on occasions see passengers refused entry into the formal dining rooms for not meeting this dress standard, however occasionally some do slip through the watchful eye of the Matre'D when he is not greeting passengers at the dining room entrance.

 

What are the other Dining options?

The Horizon food court buffet –there is a veritable smorgasbord of foods on offer – hot meals, roast beef & vegetables, chicken cacciatore, pasta dishes, curries, soups, squid balls, chips, trays of various wurst and cheeses, pastries, little desserts, fresh fruit and so on!!!  So much to choose from.

Special ethnic buffet lunches featuring "Sushi & Oriental", "Pancho's Cantina" Mexican, "La Dolce Vita" Italian, Executive Chef's Extravaganza, International, Caribbean Buffets and Fruit Jamboree at the Poolside ensured variety and your very own little culinary "Round the World Trip."

The plates to dish your meals up on are huge – the size of a platter –  it is an embarrassment to see just how high some of the people stack these platters full of food….and it is women too!! It occurred to us later that the reason for the massive plates was not so that you could pile then up with food, but such that they could serve as side plates to for bread rolls, toast and other side dishes to go with a meal, as it is not really practical to mange to plates in this area. 

Other dining options include:

Verdi's Pizzeria and Trattoria

On Deck 7 overlooking features a  "La Bella ltalla" atmosphere, "home style cooking,"  oven baked pastas and  Neapolitan style plated pizzas and focaccias freshly prepared to order.

Sterling Steakhouse

The alternative Restaurant with a $20 surcharge. The Port side of the Horizon Court is partitioned off in the evenings and the steak house offers various cuts of steak, however we did not have the time to dine there. it would be recommended to dine there while in scenic ports as the views would be very impressive at night.

 

The Menus are always posted outside the Formal Dining Rooms and are a popular read

 

Bistro

Provides late dining option into the wee-small hours!

What is the food like?

 

We found the food very well presented, lots of variety both in the formal dining rooms and in the more casual eateries although at times perhaps a little "bland" for our now spicy palates. The Executive Chef advised that this was necessary because of the widely varying age range and international flavour of the passengers, some of the older more conservative passengers being very vocal if a dish was had the slightest hint of chilli.

We purchased fresh chilli at our first port of call (Vung Tau) chopped it and soaked it in a gravy boat of olive oil. The table waiters (both from Thailand and fully used to hot Thai food) obligingly sealed this with alfoil at the end of each meal and we would take this to our stateroom for storage between meals as the ship has a policy of no food is to be re-served once it has been into the dining rooms. We will be taking sachets of chopped fresh chilli on our next cruise

Is there any service is Casual Dining?

Bar Service is available in the Horizon Court as well as tea and coffee service by the ever attentive waiters. Used dishes and cutlery are quickly whisked away and one must make one's intention clear that you have not finished a plate if you leave the table for any reason - such as to get a coffee etc.

 

 

Menu in the Formal Dining

The menu changes every evening although the same menu is run over several cruises.

There is always a "Signature Dish" and a selection of "Always Available" and on cruise S219 was as follows:

• Classic Caesar Salad
• Prawn Cocktail with Lemon Myrtle Dressing
• Fettuccine Alfredo, The All-Time Favourite from Rome
• Lemon Scented Salmon Fillet
• Herb Marinated Breast of Chicken
• Aged New York Sirloin Steak
• Beef Fillet Tournedos, Barolo Wine Reduction
• Artisan Cheeses, Fig and Walnut Bread
• Chilled Seasonal Fruit Plate

A choice of  3 Appetisers

A choice of 4 Soups & Salads

and usually a choice of 6 Mains followed by Deserts.

 

Presentation and plating are excellent

The Gallery below shows the range and presentation of food in the Regency Dining Room on our recent cruise