On that first night, three of us dined at Polo Grill, one of the three "specialty" restaurants on board the Regatta. There is no additional charge to dine at the specialty restaurants but reservations are required... and necessary, as we found out several times during our voyage.

Polo Grill's fare is best described as "U.S. Steakhouse" at its finest. Serving a variety of prime-cut, aged steaks and chops in a warm atmosphere, the restaurant is very popular on the ship. One of my companions had a filet; two of us had New York Strip. All of our main dishes arrived together, all were perfectly prepared, and all were hot when they were placed before us. The meat dishes come à la carte so each of us selected some sides to accompany them. I had creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes, both of which were so delicious I could have made a meal of just the veggies alone. A variety of breads and rolls were offered, there was a wine steward who told us what was being specially presented that evening, and a solicitous group of waiters and bus-persons kept our water glasses full throughout the meal.

The dessert offerings were fairly simple: cheese cake, ice cream, apple pie... but presented beautifully. I had a capuccino which was served with a little almond merengue cookie and a rock-sugar stick. I was surprised when I had to sign for it as I had assumed it would be part of the dinner, but it was charged to my account at about $4 US. Considering the fact that the specialty restaurants require no surcharge, I thought that was pretty fair and reasonable for such a delightful meal.

During the course of my 14-day voyage I was lucky enough to be able to sample all of the dining venues aboard the Regatta, including afternoon tea and room service. With rare exception, every meal and every dish was presented beautifully and perfectly prepared to order. The range of offerings was impressive, whether the choice was a simple steak or fish dish or a more elaborate French or Mediterranean selection. Everything on board is prepared fresh, from the breads to the sauces. Oceania's commitment to fine dining was evident at every meal.

THE GRAND DINING ROOM: