LaChampagne

[Atomica]

Debbie; They will cook all of the food for you in Seishin if you prefer.

 

That's great to know. Like Debbie, my fiancee won't touch it if it's not cooked. It's nice to know we might both be able to enjoy Seishin now.

[Travelcat2]

I would like for Seishin to go to a la carte and not a set menu. Yes, you can chat with the manager, etc. and she is even kind to allow a sake taste or two. However, I'd like a fully cooked meal with nothing raw without begging and just a couple of sakes and not the whole experience they are doing. There is no way Todd would go there with the current setup. I am not going to abandon him at dinner and go on my own.

 

Debbie, we are going on our very first SS cruise next month (on the Silver Spirit). I am really hoping that you will be posting so that we can get some questions answered. Trying a cruise other than Regent is quite a leap of faith for us. Do you plan on posting from the Spirit? We also have a Whisper cruise booked for May. . . . have you sailed on the Whisper? I have confidence that you will post honestly and look forward to your input.

 

Thanks a bunch!

[lord of the seas]

Doug,

 

I agree completely that there should be no charge for Seishin. If the space is too small to handle guests on an all inclusive ship it shouldn't be on there.

 

Even at Le Champagne imo the meal should be free and if someone wants the wine pairing, charge for that. Again, if it's too small to allow all guests to use it then don't have it. After all, La Terrazza only allows a small amount of passengers per night and it doesn't charge. Either a line is all inclusive or it isn't.

 

Henry,I couldn't agree more.

Luxury lines should not charge extra for any dining venue,they should incorporate it in the cruise charge.

[MARIANH]

Henry,I couldn't agree more.

Luxury lines should not charge extra for any dining venue,they should incorporate it in the cruise charge.

 

Thats why for example Cunard Queens Grill dining is so pleasant and attracts mostly discerning, mature passengers who expect the best. There is no " cover" charge" and they have a good wine list ( admittedly you pay for the wine; but by restaurent standards it is good value).

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

We made the mistake of sailing in the Grand Suite (most expensive suite) on Queen Victoria during her maiden season in the Med.

 

Air conditioning didn't work, jacuzzi tub didn't work, private balcony was varnished (floor and railings) so you couldn't use it all week. Housekeeping never vacuumed the suite in 12 days, etc. and you saw cleaning carts cluttering up the hallways 24 hours per day.

 

Service in general, was terrible.

 

Personally, we didn't think Queen's Grill was anything special at all. Didn't seem any better (service or otherwise) than a Chops Grille specialty restaurant on Royal Caribbean. I will take a Silversea main restaurant (400 seats) any day over the smaller, Queen's Grill.

 

Queen's Grill was okay, at most, but outside the Queen's Grill, the rest of the ship was a Carnival ship, and it showed.

 

I also agree that the Silversea "specialty" restaurants should be no charge (and in Le Champagne you can decide if you want a premium wine or wine pairing).

 

We were given both Seishin and Le Champagne as part of our American Express benefits (the benefit in Le Champagne was quite generous -- dinner plus a $100 wine credit). However, I don't think they were really extra special so as to warrant an additional charge.

 

The wine pairing charge being a separate matter, I was always led to believe that the mass market cruise lines charge for their specialty restaurants because what you are actually paying are the gratuities and costs of setting up the specialty restaurant as opposed to the main dining room, and you are not really paying for the food.

 

However, if Silversea is already an all-inclusive (including gratuities) cruise line, where is the logic for charging for these two restaurants?

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[lord of the seas]

Thats why for example Cunard Queens Grill dining is so pleasant and attracts mostly discerning, mature passengers who expect the best. There is no " cover" charge" and they have a good wine list ( admittedly you pay for the wine; but by restaurent standards it is good value).

 

Yes,as a past regular of Cunard I agree,the problems start when you venture out and away from the luxury part of the ship into the mass market non luxury part of the ship.

[wripro]

I have done two crossings on the QM2 and personally, I thought the food and service in the QG was excellent. However, I was appalled by the rest of the ship, especially King's Court which resembled a high school cafeteria with people carrying their trays around searching for an empty seat.

[MARIANH]

I have done two crossings on the QM2 and personally, I thought the food and service in the QG was excellent. However, I was appalled by the rest of the ship, especially King's Court which resembled a high school cafeteria with people carrying their trays around searching for an empty seat.

 

But if you were in Queens Grille there was no reason to use Kings Court nor even to visit and observe the cafeteria in action. You could ( should?) have stayed in and enjoyed the excellent food , service and great surroundings you were privileged to as a Grille passenger. So why the beef?

[TLCOhio]

However, if Silversea is already an all-inclusive (including gratuities) cruise line, where is the logic for charging for these two restaurants? Gunther and Uta

 

La Champagne, as I understand, is designed to be a very specialized, limited-focus type of dining experience. If it was open all of the time at no extra cost, you would have unhappy people in that they couldn't get in and/or that it was too crowded and less in quality/service. This is offered as an added, extra for those who find that of interest or need.

 

At dinner in the main dining room, the wine is served at no extra cost. BUT, if you want some specialized selections that are of a high, high quality level, those are available at an added cost. Those are called the Connoisseur's Wine List and most run in a cost range from $55 to $220 a bottle. A good selection of Scotches are provide on the ship, but if you have a very, very high-end need or interest, that might be a little extra in charge. We were happy with the complimentary wine selections. If you had "extra" money, they were happy to help you be given "relief" from that burden.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 19,900 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[CruisinGerman]

After our horrendous experience, the "excellent food, service, surroundings" of the Queen's Grill is certainly a matter of subjective opinion.

 

Cunard obviously realized something was wrong on our cruise -- they ended up refunding more than 50%.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[DebbieH103]

Doug, I know they will cook but if you do not like half the menu, you have to meet ahead and order something specific, etc. I just would like an a la carte menu and the bento boxes that they are still advertising. I know they do them when they have a group.

 

Jackie, some of my Whisper reviews should be here or on my luxurycruiseandland blog. We have been on Whisper 4 times at least. We got back on her in March.

 

I always post live. Will do my best this time. It's port insensive, and funds are tighter. We spent $1000 on internet last time.

[coverpoint]

It is very interesting to read opinions on La Champagne (and Silversea restaurants in general) and views on Cunard Grills. We have just returned from a 7-day Silver Spirit cruise and have previously sailed with Cunard. We did not use the speciality restaurants on Spirit as we think a fully inclusive ship should have no extra charges for food. The Grill restaurant on Queen Victoria was, in our opinion, better than the main Spirit dining room, which we found rather soulless and rather too dark. Highly subjective, I know!

 

I intend to write a review asap

[TLCOhio]

It is very interesting to read opinions on La Champagne (and Silversea restaurants in general) and views on Cunard Grills. We have just returned from a 7-day Silver Spirit cruise and have previously sailed with Cunard. We did not use the speciality restaurants on Spirit as we think a fully inclusive ship should have no extra charges for food. The Grill restaurant on Queen Victoria was, in our opinion, better than the main Spirit dining room, which we found rather soulless and rather too dark. Highly subjective, I know! I intend to write a review asap

 

We were very, very happy with the variety, quality and service from our experiences in the main dining room on the Silver Cloud in early July. In fact, we loved it. Things all worked well. Even on a 15-day cruise, we didn't feel it was the same thing, over and over. It also helps in traveling with our friends/neighbors from Columbus, plus meeting and connecting with many others on the ship. It all worked very well. Below are a couple more visual samples of the dining delights on the ship. Don't worry, these pictures have no calories. Just fun for the brain and eyes!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 19,900 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

For our final dining the main dining room, here is that visual report. First, is the salmon trilogy sampler with a tartare, salmon-crab roulade and salmon rilletts. There were also appetizer options this night for goat cheese and cherry tomato tian and veal sweetbreads with crayfish sauce.:

 

 

 

Second, is this pasta . . . cannelloni with a herb and Parmesan filling, plus purple artichokes. There were also “intermezzo” options this night for crumbled blue cheese salad or dumpling soup with black rye bird dumplings and soured cabbage and caraway. :

 

 

 

For our final dining main course, after the strawberry sorbet serving, I had in the main dining room, this Angus beef that was called “Entrecote Rossini”. It was served with fois gras, a crispy potato galette and truffled jus. There were also main course options of sautéed sea scallop and shrimps, slow-cooked pigeon “Souvaroff” or summer lasagna without meat in it. There would be a Relais & Chateaux chef-suggested way to pick a selection for these three courses based on their “collection” of menu items for Silversea. Wellness and vegetarian options were noted on the menu. You could do menu special orders with a day’s advance notice to the kitchen. We did this as a group with a special Thai dinner that evening. If you had special diet needs, the kitchen should be advised in advance and they adjust well.:

 

[sfvoyage]

La Champagne, as I understand, is designed to be a very specialized, limited-focus type of dining experience. If it was open all of the time at no extra cost, you would have unhappy people in that they couldn't get in and/or that it was too crowded and less in quality/service. This is offered as an added, extra for those who find that of interest or need.

 

For comparison, Restaurant 2 on Seabourn is also a specialized tasting menu restaurant (however, the one time I dined there, I was not impressed by the menu), and it has no surcharge but requires reservation. There does not seem to be any problem with disappointment or booking difficulty, as the menu remains the same for one week at a time, and thus most passengers only book it once during that duration, and others skip it altogether.

 

At dinner in the main dining room, the wine is served at no extra cost. BUT, if you want some specialized selections that are of a high, high quality level, those are available at an added cost. Those are called the Connoisseur's Wine List and most run in a cost range from $55 to $220 a bottle.

 

That is exactly the point: why can't La Champagne offer the choice of the normal complimentary wine selection vs. a premium selection for purchase?

[wripro]

For the same reason they are charging for Seishin. To make money.

[sfvoyage]

For the same reason they are charging for Seishin. To make money.

 

Sure, that's obvious! However, that is also an unfortunate money-making move for an all-inclusive cruise line. Why force your customers to pay an exorbitant amount (i.e. $200-30=170) for wine pairing (or buy a bottle) or get no wine at all?

 

For comparison, Masa's in San Francisco charges $59 for wine pairing of 4 courses or $89 for 7 courses. Gary Danko charges $67 for wine pairing of 5 courses.

[kathy16]

One should at least have the option to choose the"free wine of the day" included in the "all-inclusive fare" or choose to select an optional "deluxe" wine at an additional charge. That's why we travel on the "inclusive" cruise lines- don't want to bother with slips for alcohol purchase.

[wripro]

I agree completely. Charging for any restaurant on an all inclusive line goes against the nature of the claim "all inclusive."

[TLCOhio]

I agree completely. Charging for any restaurant on an all inclusive line goes against the nature of the claim "all inclusive."

 

I understand the term "all inclusive", but we had an extra cost to get from our hotel to the ship, from the ship to the airport. Ship tours have inflated prices. There are costs for having laundry done. They can include more and more as "all inclusive", but we all pay for it one way or another. One person in our group did not drink alcohol. Should he have a lower price or discount? It's one of those things where you know upfront what is their policy or way of doing things. We did the speciality dining on Seabourn and it was nice without added costs. Crystal has a wine-paired "special" dinner than includes extra costs. What's the Italian for "what will be, will be"?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 19,900 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[lord of the seas]

K Sir Ahhhhhhhhhhh

[newlondon]

Lord, Great but you left out the second sir ahhhh:D

[lord of the seas]

Lord, Great but you left out the second sir ahhhh:D

 

Whatever.:rolleyes:

[wripro]

Terry,

 

Ships tours and transfers are off the ship, not on, where the all inclusive designation is applied. Laundry has never been included except as a perk (on SS after 100 days i.e.)

Food, however, has always been considered part of the all inclusive package, no matter where it is consumed.

[DebbieH103]

The main reason they charge for Seishin is the size of the venue. I'd rather see a lunch bento box situation and an a la carte menu at night with the understanding that you may not get in on any particular cruise (first come first serve). Silversea really wants to make sure all guests get into the included venues, such as STARS, La Terazza, pool grill, etc. and then those where they may not, they put on a charge.

[Scotspea]

:rolleyes: I honestly did not know that these restaurants were mandatory! I must now join the fuss about paying for something I didn't want and don't even have to pay for!