Specialty Restaurants. Worth the cost?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Now, is the Chef's table worth it? Cost?

 

If you're a "foodie" and enjoy have a long, multi-course meal and excellent service, then it is, IMHO. We enjoyed it. I've experienced better on land and would prefer it were an genuine CT where the chef designs a menu of his or her choosing, but it was still a good experience that we're doing again on our upcoming cruise. If the Inspiration had a steakhouse, however, we wouldn't be doing CT again.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We sorta agree. Actually the MDR food is not really "Free", we already paid good money for it. If it's around the $12 mark, then we think it's worth it. But if it's $35 pp X 4 (w/ our 2 teenage kids) = $140, do they add 15% gratuities to that also? My prefers to go shopping with that $$$ instead...

 

 

They do not add gratuities to it--the gratuities are included in the $35 surcharge. That said, most people will tell you that they personally choose to tip additional. There is a "tip" line on the receipt you sign.

[mrsd912]

DH and I will be eating at the steakhouse on Liberty on our anniversary. Since we usually spend about $110 on dinner for our anniversary I can already tell you this will be worth it before even stepping foot on the ship.

In all seriousness, I have heard the food is wonderful. Depending on the age of your children I would probably go on a night they can hang at Camp Carnival.

[papa deuce]

I am planning on making reservations for our first night at the Steakhouse. I know we will receive a free bottle of wine:) My question is, if we don't finish the wine at dinner, can we take it with us back to our cabin to enjoy later? It takes us a while to finish a bottle of wine.

 

You absolutely can take it to your cabin...

 

A couple a few tables from us made a big stink about not liking the the steak, and Carnival gave them a free bottle of wine.... well, when we left the restaurant, the were on the elevator with us, and other folks.... they told everybody that even the free bottle was bad, and they gave it to other people on the elevator.

[RWolver672]

We aren't foodies. Tried it once and that was enough. Food was OK but did not like being bothered constantly. Bring us our food, leave us alone so we can eat it in peace.

[crusinpsychRN]

$35 is the gratuity. You can give more if you like.

[Shipbound]

I have not eaten at the steak house on the CCL ships but since I'm at Diamond level I get a dinner at the steak house so I'll have to try it. Hope they have fish (grouper!!!!)

 

Gary

[Quilting_Cruiser]

$35 is the gratuity. You can give more if you like.

 

 

Clarification: the gratuity is included in the $35, but the entire $35 isn't the gratuity. Carnival is very close-mouthed about how much of that $35 the servers actually receive.

[Ron_L]

Is it the same as Ruth Chris or Sizzler, NO, someplace in the middle

 

We ate at the steakhouse on the Valor in 2009 and I would rank it well above Ruth Chris, but, I'm not impressed with Ruth Chris :roll eyes: It will be interesting to see how it is when we are on the Breeze in December.

[katiel53]

$35 is the gratuity. You can give more if you like.

 

You are so wrong about this. I can guess where you read it and she posts wrong info 99% of the time. Go look at the Carnival site and you will see it says it includes gratuity, not that the charge is the gratuity.

 

If what you posted is true, why would the same quality food not be served in the MDR? The quality is better all around! I get so upset when people post wrong info and do it with authority. Enough said.

[novalab]

You absolutely can take it to your cabin...

 

A couple a few tables from us made a big stink about not liking the the steak, and Carnival gave them a free bottle of wine.... well, when we left the restaurant, the were on the elevator with us, and other folks.... they told everybody that even the free bottle was bad, and they gave it to other people on the elevator.

 

Thank you papa deuce! That is good news!

[novalab]

A couple a few tables from us made a big stink about not liking the the steak, and Carnival gave them a free bottle of wine.... well, when we left the restaurant, the were on the elevator with us, and other folks.... they told everybody that even the free bottle was bad, and they gave it to other people on the elevator.

 

Isn't it sad that they had to share that negativity with other cruisers (in the elevator and possibly elsewhere) that saved their hard earned money in anticipation of having an enjoyable vacation?:rolleyes:

 

Just goes to show that no matter how hard you try, you just can't please all of the people all of the time. As for DH & I, we're just thrilled that we can even go on a cruise!

[Waterloomarc]

We ate at the steakhouse on the Valor in 2009 and I would rank it well above Ruth Chris, but, I'm not impressed with Ruth Chris :roll eyes: It will be interesting to see how it is when we are on the Breeze in December.

 

We've tried it twice on the Valor, in September and again this past April, and both times the service has been terrible. Terrible. I complained the first time and Carnival was gracious about it. The chef came out to apologize, and guest services rang my room the next day to apologize again - which is why we tried the second time. But when it was just as bad in April I decided to just live with it. It wasn't worth complaining again. But the food was good!

 

Our only other time was on the Legend and the food and service was great.

 

Personally for an extra $70 on top of the embedded cost of MDR food I don't think we'll try it again for quite some time. But we're fortunate to have several local restaurants to have prime beef and excellent seafood so it's not that big of a deal for us. If (as was the case in other areas where we've lived) the only option for a steak locally was the Texas Roadhouse or Logan's I might feel differently :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[novinha]

We ate at the Steakhouse twice on our last cruise with our group of six. That was our first time eating there, and our first time on Carnival too. I think we will eat there on our next cruise, just DH and I, but maybe only once for a treat. I suppose I'd like to go on our first night and get the free bottle of wine but I won't. That first day on the ship is for the lido deck, just a burger and fries. I don't want to be tied down with a 2-2 1/2 hour meal on day one.

 

I'm not a steakaholic, like my DH, and I'd rather have a burger. That being said, I've been to most of the upscale steakhouses in the DC area and I think the steakhouse is every bit as good, and much more relaxing as it's quieter and you can have a real conversation without yelling. The only thing that was a bit off and I would change is the musak they play. They are just really weird covers, I mean...really, really weird. It was distracting. Just play some nice jazz. That would be a perfect fit.