Vision of the Seas, Nov. 2-12, 2012
The Food

If you want a sit-down meal on Vision of the Seas, you go to the dining room. Otherwise, the Windjammer Café on the pool deck serves a buffet three times a day plus afternoon snacks between 3 and 5 pm. You could also get pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches at a grill outside the Solarium. There’s also a specialty coffee bar with cookies and pastries.

The food was okay but was not as impressive as on the Allure. The choices didn’t seem as upscale as on past cruises and some of the menus were mediocre at best. Even the garnishes seemed lacking. My husband’s dinner would come with one or two broccoli florets instead of a generous portion. You could do better at the Red Lobster. Not so for those lucky folks invited to the Captain’s Table. We sat right next to this special group, and I almost bumped chairs with Captain Lis herself. These guests were served a feast. Their selections were very different from our simple choices.

I liked the veal shank, the lobster tail and garlic shrimp, the roast duck, and the turkey dinner. The daily alternate choices weren’t as appealing as on other cruises. And we were disappointed there was no Baked Alaska on the last formal night. The waiters did sing that one time, but it wasn’t the same as in the old days when the dining rooms were decorated according to a different theme each night, and the waiters wore matching outfits. Times have changed, and not for the better. Generally we’d rate the food on this ship as average.

The coffee throughout the ship was Seattle’s Best, and it was better than on most ships. No complaints there. Creamer is offered at the buffet in non-perishable cups. There are no specialty restaurants yet on this ship, which is scheduled for refurbishment. Hopefully a couple of additional restaurants will be added along with a Diamond Club lounge.

We loved the free drinks and appetizers we’d earned with our Diamond status and frequented the Viking Crown Lounge every evening where this event took place. Between this perk, the Welcome Aboard Party, bottles of wine from our travel agent and a friend, plus two repeat cruisers parties, we saved money on the bar bill. And that’s without getting the free champagne at the art auctions! I miss the nightly Diamond Club appetizers the most.

Also notably lacking were the chocolates on our pillows at evening turn-down service. This omission was a disappointment, no doubt a cost-cutting measure but a come-down all the same. It went along with the more plebian food choices. Even the breakfast buffet had little variety. It would have been nice if they’d offered fried eggs and premade omelets like on Princess. You could get them only if you stood in line for the chef.

Despite the shortcomings, it was still great to have food available at all hours and in various locations around the ship. We found plenty of tasty choices to enjoy. Fortunately, stair climbing and walking around the decks helped to counteract the extra calories.

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