Specialty restaurants, I don't get it

[cruisinmama]

Well I know RCI does a vegetarian menu....so I might do a bit better this trip...

Again I'm not a big food eater so I can get by on little here and there... :smiley:

Thanks for the post :smiley:

[hazelson]

Love the main dining room - but then I love anything I don't have to cook or wash the dishes after. Don't see paying extra - paid enough in the first place.

ttfn Jennifer

[JoeyandDavid]

We have eaten twice in specialty Restaurants on HAL the first time was on the Ryndam, then Hal Charged $20. pp, however if you will be their first nights guests you will receive a fifty percent discount. The Second Time was also on HAL it was Aboard the Oosterdam, The cruise Line TA Arranged the dinner in appreciation of the booking, I think that it was like 30 pp then but the same deal prevailed with first night discount. On the Oosterdam as A matter of Fact the food in the Dinning Room paled in comparison.

Specialty Restaurants normally have their own Chef and Staff, so the experience is unique to each ship . Our next cruise Our First is on the Century Classic, so no specialty Restaurant will be available to us. However we will enjoy the experience one night when we set sail on the Millennium in October 06.

To me it’s a well spent excursion money , especially if your just a couple. It could be kind of pricey if you were to be with a large group.

I just find it romantic......But then again I'm Joey

:wink:

[Lisa63]

We dined in alternative restaurant only once -- on HAL -- and it was a gift. I would, however, have no qualms about dining in one of the specialty restaurants on Celebrity's M-class ships, but that is because of the historical ambiance, not the food. (I can't wait to "meet" Olympic on my upcoming Celebrity cruise.)

[JohnG]

The best meal I have ever had on a cruise ship was in th Golden Fleece specialty restaurant on the Carnival Legend. With music and dancing during the meal, it was exquisite. Food they don't serve in the dining room. It was worth every penny of the cover charge. On Norwegian Dream we ate in Le Bistro for a $10 cover charge per person. Service far exceeded the dining rooms. It typically costs us over $100 to go to a restaurant with food and service like that, so for us, paying only a cover charge is great. Different strokes for different folks.

[gymbrat33]

I've never eaten at the Specialty Restaurants. I think that the food in the dining room is delicious. I rather spend my money at the gift shops and at the ports of call.

[jtutak]

Le Bistro now $20pp. Maxims $25.00pp., plus you have to add the value of the meal you didn't eat (my guess about $60 to $75 +tip)to get the true cost. I did eat in the Le Bistro on the Norwegian Spirit and really did not think it was worth the extra charge. Thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it! :grin:

[Dan]

Yeah, but if you are going to count the $60-75 for the meal you skipped in the main dining room, then you have to add that to the cover charge for the meal you paid for in the alternative restaurant, so it balances out anyway. Besides, while the main dining room might be a $60-75 meal at a land based restaurant (which I think stretches it a tad, given the nature of the way the food is prepared on ship), that isn't what you are paying for it on the ship. I doubt the overall cost of food on the ship, when mass acquired, and mass prepared the way it is goes much higher than $70 per person for the week.

[jbond]

I think that's about right. Come on folks, the atmosphere is great, the service is good, but the food is just mass prepared convention/wedding style. $60 to $70 pp in the dining room, I don't think so. Try asking for a plate without certain things, doesn't happen. If I'm in a restaurant that charges $60/70 for dinner, I'd expect a lot better quality of food.

Thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it! 

I've dined in a lot of five star restaurants in my working life, and believe me, the regular dining rooms on RCI, NCL and Princess don't even come close. Check out the specialty restaurants, if you haven't tried them, you really can't give an honest opinion.

[Dan]

And what I forgot to add to my earlier post, is when you dine in a so-called "fine dining" land based restauarant, mostly what you are paying for is atmosphere and reputation. The food costs aren't that much different from one restaurant to the next. That's what I liken the $20 or $30 fee on the ship to, the atmosphere of the small venue.