Grand Dining Room aboard Oceania Marina

The food in the Grand Dining Room can be great but the staff allows kids to crawl around on the floor. Stick their fingers into the wine buckets sit on the tables with their dirty diapers. Yes it may be the parents responsibility but the staff just ignored the behavior therefore we left before finishing and went to the terrace café where it was more controlled. Franc’s potatoes are the best

Oceania Cruises focuses upon fine dining and widely advertises that it offers «the finest culinary experience at sea.» As a result, its discerning passengers expect to enjoy memorable dining experiences aboard its vessels. Jacques Pepin is the line’s Executive Culinary Director, and, as the author of numerous cookbooks and service as the executive chef for three French presidents, almost no one alive today is as well versed in preparing food as he is. Under his direction, the food lives up to its billing. 2011 was the maiden year for Oceania’s newest ship, Marina. The ship boasts four fine specialty restaurants for which reservations are required but there is no extra charge beyond the cruise fare. Yet the ship’s main restaurant, the Grand Dining Room, is equal to the best of them. This is a review of that dining venue, based on four great dinners and one lunch enjoyed there aboard ship during a recent Western Mediterranean cruise.
Steamed Shanghai Dumplings, stuffed with ground seasoned pork and shrimp in reduced chicken broth, arrived in a basket with a cute, little lion-​headed sauce bowl sitting on 2 bok choy leaves. The potstickers were excellent dipped in the potsticker sauce, which was a little spicy. A big assortment of breads was also offered in a bread basket. We learned that all bread products are made fresh daily aboard ship using only the finest flour from France. A fine French roll tasted great with the very smooth butter accompanying it. Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Chicken Quenelle featured very smooth cauliflower, a chicken dumpling, and minced chives in a broth that was real creamy and rich, with a light but creamy cauliflower flavor. Risotto allo Zafferano con Spuma di Parmigiano Reggiano, basically Risotto Milanese with Parmesan Foam, featured creamy saffron risotto. Veal Oscar Medallions with asparagus spears, Snow Crab Claw, and glazed with Hollandaise Sauce were very good; the medallions were medium rare but it seemed that medium would have been more suitable for veal. Diane’s medallions got a haircut. Asparagus spears were removed as she requested, but so was the wanted crab! This entrée was accompanied by soft French fries and al dente carrots. A dessert of Crème Brulee was an excellent end to this meal.
Double Consommé with Liver Toast that had unusual gold and pink coloring was very good, with the Liver Toast tasting just like a melting croûton. A Caesar Salad with sheets of fresh Parmesan and anchovy was very good, as was Rotisserie Chicken accompanied by excellent creamy mashed potatoes, and pan gravy. Green beans were only lukewarm, but I pointed this out and they were quickly replaced by piping hot green beans. Moist Sea Bass with Lemon Butter Sauce was quite fine, and I liked the turnip medallions that accompanied this entrée. This meal ended on a fine note with Banana Macadamia Nut Pudding with Hot Chocolate Sauce and an exquisite multi-​layered Key Lime Pie with a great, moist graham cracker crust.
Cream of Sweet Potato Soup with Chorizo Fritters was smooth and creamy but I could have done without the fritter. Marinated Norwegian Salmon Gravlax with Celery and Apple Mousseline was fine and lean Nova Scotia salmon served with colorful red and green roughage. Assorted greens with Hass avocado and Ginger Grenadine Vinaigrette consisted of small cubes of avocado, radicchio, arugula, and more tossed in a tasty, oily vinaigrette dressing. Grilled Whole Dover Sole with Tarragon Butter and Artichokes «Barigoule» was great served with a Lemon Butter Sauce, carrots, and boiled potatoes. Deboned tableside by our expert server Julio from India, the Dover Sole was even better than I recalled when dining at the Savoy Grill in London decades ago. Diane enjoyed 8 grilled shrimps when just 3 or 4 would appear to be adequate. Grandmother’s Lemon Meringue with an excellent graham cracker crust was delightful, and Warm Chocolate Bouchon was like a delicious warm chocolate lava cake.
A great presentation of a trio of Scallop Sashimi, California Roll, and Nigiri on seashells tasted very good. Gnocchi ai Quattro Formaggi, delicate Potato Dumplings tossed in Four-​Cheese Cream Sauce, were nicely finished and excellent. Philadelphia Pepper Pot with diced potatoes, Andouille Sausage bites, and julienned peppers was excellent, and a well-​pounded, thinly sliced Veal Weiner Schnitzel with capers, Lemon Sauce, and buttered Half-​Moon Spring Vegetables was delicious, capped by a moist, caramelized Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Cake with Chocolate Sauce.
For lunch, Cream of Halibut Soup was piping hot and smooth. Salmon Puff Pastry was good but the salmon was covered by sesame and poppy seeds that I found to be very distracting. A Caramelized Banana Tart was very tart, and Sabayon consisted of refreshing cold fruit hidden under a covering of delicious Sabayon.
All were very memorable meals!