Specialty restaurant questions!!

[June Bug]

At Sabatini's and Sterlings...

 

1. do you make reservations the day of embarkation? Or can we make those now, somehow?

 

2. Is proper dress for these restaurants whatever the ship dress is for that evening...or are they formal every night?

 

3. Does anyone have any access to the menu's for both places?

 

4. Are these like the regular dinners where if you want two of something instead of something else, they will bring it....or is it strictly following the menu..?

Thanks for answering all my questions!

June

[LARGIN]

At Sabatini's and Sterlings...

 

1. do you make reservations the day of embarkation? Or can we make those now, somehow? You make them while on-board

 

2. Is proper dress for these restaurants whatever the ship dress is for that evening...or are they formal every night? The same dress code for the evening.

 

3. Does anyone have any access to the menu's for both places? Not me

 

4. Are these like the regular dinners where if you want two of something instead of something else, they will bring it....or is it strictly following the menu..? They usually follow the menu..

Thanks for answering all my questions!

June

 

See my answers... Enjoy your cruise..

[June Bug]

Now anyone with menus please let me know where to find them!

Thanks,

june

[spongerob]

You can make reservations for each the day you embark. There is normally a table set up in front of Sabatini's that takes care of both choices. You can also book later in the cruise. It's normally no trouble getting into Sabatini's, but Sterling is often booked up, particularly on the night the "Continental" menu is offered in the main dining rooms.

 

Dress is the same throughout the ship. Formal dress on formal nights, and casual on other nights.

 

Sabatini's has a set menu that is a tasting menu. In other words, you get rather small portions of a large number of appetizers and pasta dishes, your choice of main course, and dessert. Sterling has a set menu with limited selections for each course. I'm not sure that substituting is easy or even necessary, but can possibly be arranged.

[June Bug]

your answer was so informative! I appreciate the details about sampling and all, I was unaware of that. In that case, substitutions would be unnecessary!

I can't wait till our cruise!

Thanks,

June

[Stimack]

Sorry, this has been probably asked before but what is the cost for both Sabatini's and Sterlings?

 

Also we had friends that when on a Celebrity cruise and I guess it took about 3 hours to get through dinner at their specialty restaurant. Should we be expecting the same here?

 

Thanks,

Stephen

[June Bug]

15$ for Sterling's and 20$ for Sabatini's.....I have been told 2-3 hours for Sabatini's dining, but unsure of Sterling's time frame.

[June Bug]

And still wanting menu's if anyone has one! Thanks a bunch!

June

[Toto2Kansas]

There are lists from different ships of all the menus located here: http://cruiseclues.com/menus.htm

As for price, my experience has been $15 for Sterlings Steakhouse and $25 for Sabatinis. This might depend on which ship you are sailing on.

Sabatinis means 'don't eat lunch before you go there in the evening". There are so many small coarses that you can easily not have room for dessert afterwards. They come around with trays and they serve you as little or as much of each item as you would like. As stated, your main coarse and dessert are what you order, the rest is just a type of 'pick and choose'. It can easily take 2 1/2 - 3 hours for your meal that evening.

[bjkTX]

I take it from some of the replies, and from my last cruise (Diamond Princess where Sterling was free) and my next cruise (Grand - where Sterling is extra) that it varies from ship to ship - or do they all charge for Sterling now?

[Lou Lu]

The price for the specialty restaurants are usually 1/2 price on the first night of the sailing and any nights you are in port. Helpful if you're looking to save a few $$.

[Pam in CA]

I take it from some of the replies, and from my last cruise (Diamond Princess where Sterling was free) and my next cruise (Grand - where Sterling is extra) that it varies from ship to ship - or do they all charge for Sterling now?

On the Diamond, one of the regular PC dining rooms is called the Sterling. This is quite different, and confusing, from the specialty Sterling Steakhouse restaurant.

 

When we were on the Caribbean Princess over New Years, the Sterling Steakhouse was completely booked for the entire week within 24 hours, so if you want to go, make sure you make your reservation when you board.

[cherylandtk]

And Host Caroline, on the Diamond now, reports that THIS week, the new Specialty Sterling restaurant is aft of Horizon Court (everyone is wondering where exactly that is and what was taken away to make room for it), and the former PCnon-specialty room called "Sterling" is now named the Savoy. I suspect too many folks were confused with the restaurant of the same name being specialty on some ships and regular PC dining on the Sapphire and Diamond.

[bjkTX]

When we were on the Diamond they called it the Sterling Steakhouse - but the pictures I've seen of the "new" Sterling menu items look much better!

[Toto2Kansas]

None of the specialty restaruants have been half price on any of the nights we have ever sailed. In fact, a friend checked on one ship and they though she was totally crazy, said they never have any nights where it is half price. So, not sure which ship/ships they offer the half price for the first night and port days but not on the ones we have sailed on.

[pj-atsea]

I have been on HAL Zuiderdam and they offer 1/2 price specialty dining on the first night, maybe that is what your friend heard about. pj

[spongerob]

The price for the specialty restaurants are usually 1/2 price on the first night of the sailing and any nights you are in port. Helpful if you're looking to save a few $$.

 

I don't think this is true on Princess.

[Toto2Kansas]

I have been on HAL Zuiderdam and they offer 1/2 price specialty dining on the first night, maybe that is what your friend heard about. pj

 

That is possibly what others are thinking of. All lines do things differently and I had never heard of Princess offering a half price special on any of their alternate restaurants.

[Figsgrandma]

We ate in Sabattini's one night on our recent Alaska cruise. The service was excellent. At the end of the meal we were confused about whether, and how much, to tip the wait staff. In a restaurant on land, we figure the tip on the cost of the meal, but we didn't have a cost basis in this case - certainly not just the $20 upcharge. We finally estimated what we would tip in a similar restaurant, for a similar meal, on land. I still wonder, however, what other people do about tips in the specialty restaurants.

[dbmiller1956]

While I have never dined in one of the restaurants on Princess cruise lines, I have on Carnival numerous times. My husband and I do a rough calculation of what the meal would normally cost us and tip accordingly. We decided to do this when we spoke with the Sommelier in the restaurant about tips. She explained that since they do not serve in the regular dining rooms, they are not eligible to be included in the automatic tips that each passenger pays. They rely completely on the tips they receive. Because of this, we definitely tip!

My feeling with tipping on a ship is the same as on land. I don't mind tipping when the service is good :D and I have never had bad service in the 5 times I have dined in a specialty restaurant. So, for our meal that would have cost us about $75, we tipped $20.

Deena

[Figsgrandma]

While I have never dined in one of the restaurants on Princess cruise lines, I have on Carnival numerous times. My husband and I do a rough calculation of what the meal would normally cost us and tip accordingly. We decided to do this when we spoke with the Sommelier in the restaurant about tips. She explained that since they do not serve in the regular dining rooms, they are not eligible to be included in the automatic tips that each passenger pays. They rely completely on the tips they receive. Because of this, we definitely tip!

 

My feeling with tipping on a ship is the same as on land. I don't mind tipping when the service is good :D and I have never had bad service in the 5 times I have dined in a specialty restaurant. So, for our meal that would have cost us about $75, we tipped $20.

 

Deena

 

You seem to have tipped about the same as we did. I wasn't aware that the wait staff in these rooms didn't share the general dining room tips, so I'm glad we tipped what we did.