Thank you for the update Dottie. So glad to hear that most evening dinners were order off the menu, not buffets. Sad to hear that Arthurs was not an option for breakfast or lunch on the Savor. I’m still hoping that might change for my June Douro cruise. Arthurs on the new Andorinha is a different configuration compared to the other Tauck/Scylla ships. Reviews of current tours are appreciated. Thanks again.
I agree Patrice. Hopefully the fact that the Arthurs on the Andorinha is mostly an outdoor venue will spare it from this change to other ships. The only reason I opted for a cheaper Emerald deck cabin on this trip was the anticipation of being outside or at least in areas with loads of windows and light.
Before the Inspire class ships (Inspire, Savor, Joy and Grace) came out the older ships (Emerald, Sapphire, Espirit and Treasure) had small bistros at the aft end of the ships. They didn't have their own kitchens. They mainly provided early cold continental breakfast items, a fancy do it yourself machine for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and in the afternoons cookies. Those ships also had mostly 150 sqft cabins on the Ruby deck - the same layout as the current Cat 1 cabins. That's what we had on our Rhone cruise.
When they designed the Inspire class ships they beefed up the bistro with it's own kitchen and bar and renamed them Arthur's after the chairman. In addition to what the old bistro offered, they offered lunch and dinner from a menu that differed from the Compass restaurant. Then starting in 2017(?) Tauck and Scylla redesigned the older ships. They combined almost all Ruby deck 150 sqft cabin space into what are now the Cat 6 225 sqft cabins so that deck would be similar to the newer ships. They also retrofitted the bistro with a kitchen and bar also renaming it Arthurs's.
Unless they have since ripped out those bars, they likely weren't open on your cruise gourmet girl due to staffing. Hopefully that gets resolved soon. The bar there was just a single counter.
I find it interesting to hear about the history of Tauck/Scylla ships. I’m new to Tauck. First cruise was September 2019 Rhône cruise, Savoring France, on Emerald. I enjoyed Arthurs daily for breakfast and lunch with its kitchen and wines available. Every aspect of the Savoring France tour was excellent… excursions, dining, TD’s, fellow guests, and the weather! Fall 2021 was a Tauck cruise shared with Windstar guests on a “small ship” cruise. These 2 Tauck tours were superior to my earlier small ship and river cruise experiences offered by other companies. Thank you Claudia for your informative post.
Comments
Thank you for the update Dottie. So glad to hear that most evening dinners were order off the menu, not buffets. Sad to hear that Arthurs was not an option for breakfast or lunch on the Savor. I’m still hoping that might change for my June Douro cruise. Arthurs on the new Andorinha is a different configuration compared to the other Tauck/Scylla ships. Reviews of current tours are appreciated. Thanks again.
I agree Patrice. Hopefully the fact that the Arthurs on the Andorinha is mostly an outdoor venue will spare it from this change to other ships. The only reason I opted for a cheaper Emerald deck cabin on this trip was the anticipation of being outside or at least in areas with loads of windows and light.
Yes Claudia. Looking forward to dining alfresco or with windows all around for maximum viewing and dining pleasure.
That's a real disappointment about Arthur's. So was the Bar in Arthur's closed also ?
I never knew there was a bar in Arthur’s.
Yep, it's quite handy if you're getting a drink on your way up to enjoy the hot tub.
There was definitely not a bar in Arthur’s on MS Emerald. Perhaps only on certain ships?
A little history for those who care.
Before the Inspire class ships (Inspire, Savor, Joy and Grace) came out the older ships (Emerald, Sapphire, Espirit and Treasure) had small bistros at the aft end of the ships. They didn't have their own kitchens. They mainly provided early cold continental breakfast items, a fancy do it yourself machine for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and in the afternoons cookies. Those ships also had mostly 150 sqft cabins on the Ruby deck - the same layout as the current Cat 1 cabins. That's what we had on our Rhone cruise.
When they designed the Inspire class ships they beefed up the bistro with it's own kitchen and bar and renamed them Arthur's after the chairman. In addition to what the old bistro offered, they offered lunch and dinner from a menu that differed from the Compass restaurant. Then starting in 2017(?) Tauck and Scylla redesigned the older ships. They combined almost all Ruby deck 150 sqft cabin space into what are now the Cat 6 225 sqft cabins so that deck would be similar to the newer ships. They also retrofitted the bistro with a kitchen and bar also renaming it Arthurs's.
Unless they have since ripped out those bars, they likely weren't open on your cruise gourmet girl due to staffing. Hopefully that gets resolved soon. The bar there was just a single counter.
The kitchen was there but no bar AFAIK.
I find it interesting to hear about the history of Tauck/Scylla ships. I’m new to Tauck. First cruise was September 2019 Rhône cruise, Savoring France, on Emerald. I enjoyed Arthurs daily for breakfast and lunch with its kitchen and wines available. Every aspect of the Savoring France tour was excellent… excursions, dining, TD’s, fellow guests, and the weather! Fall 2021 was a Tauck cruise shared with Windstar guests on a “small ship” cruise. These 2 Tauck tours were superior to my earlier small ship and river cruise experiences offered by other companies. Thank you Claudia for your informative post.