THE “TIDES” DINING ROOM

Before you even step foot into the Dining Room you are greeted by the “Purel” lady.  Everyone entering any of the eating areas is required to “sanitize” their hands.  This is proven to be a very simple and effective way to stop the spread of shipboard illnesses.  Trust me, everyone is quite willing to comply.  With a quick squirt under the automated dispensers, and a rub together of our hands, we were ready for dinner.

We would quickly be shown to our table – #123.  Our waiter, Marvin, from the Philippines, and Assistant Waiter Eder, from Peru, greeted us, asked our names, and got us seated.  After placing our linen napkins on our laps, Marvin delivered our menus, and Eder the bread.

Each evening, a solo guitarist or pianist provided music for our enjoyment while dining.  Both were very good, and it seemed a very fitting background for our evening meal.  They played many of the standards; stuff you would expect: Just the Way You Look Tonight, Misty, the love theme from Beauty and the Beast, More, and the Girl From Ipanema.  However, I was really surprised when Anna, the pianist, started playing “Back Home Again in Indiana”.  I didn’t get the chance to ask her how that song made the play list.

SATURDAY EVENING MENU

HORSERADISH-CRUSTED ATLANTIC SALMON  -  DEEEELICIOUS

CARROT CAKE

You might find reviews online that suggest problems in the Dining Room.  I have to wonder if those reviews were surreptitiously written by RC’s competitors.  I found absolutely nothing to complain about.  Our waiters, Marvin and Eder were fantastic.  In fact, and we have noticed this on other cruises, the best and most personable service came from Eder, the “assistant” server.  There is a life / economic “lesson” buried in here for those who care to figure it out.  They were both quick to learn our names, and our preferences.  They were constantly attendant to our table, but not in a way that seemed intrusive.  

The Tides Dining Room décor seemed “just right” to me.  On some ships the atmosphere is, by design, a bit gaudy, a bit too “over the top festive”, a bit too “Mardi Gras-ish” for my preference.    On others it can be a bit “artsy fartsy”, “high fa lootin’-ish”.  I am not “snobbish-bring-me-my-tea,-dear” royalty.  I’m just a normal guy that doesn’t mind getting formal on occasion.  The Tides atmosphere seemed to find the sweet spot for me.  It was elegant without being over done.  It was formal, but not pretentious.

SUNDAY NIGHT MENU

NEW YORK STRIP STEAK