Bayou Café & Sabatini’s questions

[Love Cruis'n]

On the Coral

 

First – is live jazz available at the Bayou Café even if you don’t eat dinner there? If so, how / when – do you have to wait till they are done serving, or is there some other arrangement?

 

Now Bayou Café & Sabatini’s - what is the consensus out there in CC land as to which is better – or perhaps I should ask – the pros and cons of each. We’ll probably do one but not both on our cruise. Only experience with a specialty restaurant was the SS United States on the Celebrity Infinity - and it was WONDERFUL. :)

 

Thanks,

Terry

[LARGIN]

I prefer the Bayou myself. A great steak and 8 oz lobster tail.. As for listening to jazz without eating, yes you can as there is a separate area near the bar with small round tables and chairs.

[seadrifter]

DH and I had lunch at the Bayou Cafe and dinner at Sabatini's on our January 2005 Coral Princess Panama Canal cruise. Both meals were excellent. My only problem, if you could call it a problem, is that dinner at Sabatini's goes on and on. We were there for at least 2 1/2 hours and they just keep bringing food. Everything looks so good that it is hard to resist and by the time my entree arrived (which you select prior to the antipasti and salad, etc.), I was too full to really enjoy the main course. Absolutely no room for dessert! If you go to Sabatini's, pace yourself with the early courses. At least that is what I will do if I ever get a second chance.;) -G.

[sunshine426]

We really enjoyed the trio that played in Bayou cafe on the Island Princess in April. We had predinner coctails quite often just to relax and enjoy the music.

[Kaylas Mom]

Are both places formal on formal night?

 

Have anyone done brunch there instead of dinner?

[LARGIN]

Are both places formal on formal night?

 

Have anyone done brunch there instead of dinner?

 

The nightly dress code for the dining rooms also applies to the Bayou and Sabitini's. As for Brunch, I do not think either offers it..

[Italy52]

Does anyone know where I can view the Bayou Cafe menu? Sailing the Island next May and would like to see what is offered. Thanks in advance for your help.

[CanuckCruizer]

Love Cruis'n,

 

We just got back from the Coral at the end of April. We basically booked that ship JUST for the Bayou Cafe. We love New Orleans style jazz and hot cajun food. We planned on hanging out there every night. Well...we DID NOT hang out there at all after having a drink in the bar the first night and waiting, waiting, waiting for the band to play. We were told that they were on "a break". Well, they never came back from their break!! We went there again the next night and they did eventually play but we were very disappointed. They were excellent musicians BUT we were expecting sort of a Dixieland/New Orleans style jazz and it was very subdued, like MUSAK(spelling) from an elevator. It didn't seem to fit with the New Orleans theme. The bartenders were great and very friendly, but the two or three times we went there we were the only people at the bar and having walked by nightly, we found that the bar was empty nearly every night (this is probably why the band was "on a break" as there was no one to play for.

 

Now about the restaurant, it was THE BEST MEAL WE HAD ON THE WHOLE SHIP IN TEN DAYS!!!! The only negative thing was the appetizer of the Alligator Ribs - kind of tough and chewy and not very good (not completely awful, just not good). The roasted red pepper butter for the bread is to die for!!! The roasted red pepper salad dressing on the "Southern Greens Salad" was excellent. We had the filet and it was superb!! The dessert was unbelievable - the "Fried Yellow Peach Pie" and hubby had the "Chocolate Pecan Fudge Cake" which was very decadent!! The head waiter, I think his name was Hassan or something like that was absolutely fantastic. We were so pleased with the meal and the service that we left a large additional tip (I wrote it - added it on the bill). Gratuity is supposed to already be included, so this was an extra gesture on our part because we were very pleased with our waiter. Well, our nice little waiter approached us and proceeded to tell us that we probably didn't realize it, but that he would have to split our tip with all of the servers, so really he wouldn't benefit from it and THEN HE TOLD US "NEXT TIME, BRING CASH". We were so SHOCKED at his behaviour, we couldn't believe it. Here we were leaving a generous tip where gratuities are already included and this guy has the balls to complain to us! We never carry cash on a cruiseship unless we are planning to go to the casino. So, after a wonderful meal, we left with a real sour taste in our mouths!

 

So we were very happy with the food, just disappointed with the music and ambiance. Maybe you will have a different experience. I haven't done a review yet but we were not thrilled with the Coral Princess. We had a lot of mishaps and we found that the Coral had the worst entertainment at sea that I have ever seen and I have been on 15 cruises!! Every sailing is different so maybe they will have new bands when you go. Also, everyone has different tastes, so what I found bad, you may like!

 

Have a nice dinner at the Bayou! Just watch out for "greedy" waiters!

[roohound]

I also prefer Bayou to Sabatini's (keep in mind I am not a seafood lover)

 

The steak I had there was the best I've ever had on a Princess ship, including steak from Sterling's Steakhouse

 

Plus, I love the theming and the jazz....just a great experience all around!

[LARGIN]

On my last 3 sailings on the Coral, the Bayou had a jazz singer and combo. They did not play Dixie, but modern jazz which I prefer anyway.

 

CanuckCruiser.. I would love to read on why you did not like the Coral.. I found the ship to outstanding and the staff very professional..

[CanuckCruizer]

Largin,

 

There was no jazz singer on our sailing! That would have been good.

 

I have written a VERY detailed letter to Princess explaining what went wrong on our honeymoon cruise. We got married while on the Navigator and then honeymooned on the Coral. I haven't had the time to do my review yet but we found the Coral to be VERY SMALL compared to the Navigator - it was quite shocking. I was a Princess girl through and through and never had a "bad" thing to say about Princess, but things have changed since my last Princess cruise. The food was excellent - that was the only consistent thing. They certainly had the worst staff, Cruise Director and entertainment on any ship I have ever been on. To make a long story short, we were treated badly by staff members, had a few "mishaps" in the dining room etc. etc. But, we are trying again - going on the Sapphire back to back to see if things are any different.

 

If only you could have Princess food on the Royal Caribbean's Voyager Class ships - it would be a perfect world!

[LARGIN]

Perhaps you were looking for the wrong cruise experience when you booked the Coral.. The Coral is not a small ship.. She is around 50 feet shorter, not as wide or high as the Navigator with no rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, in-line skating area, etc. What the Coral has is 1144 less passengers and a better crew to passenger ratio. 1 crew member per 2.2 passengers for the Coral vs 1 crew member per 2.6 passengers for the Navigator. I agree that the Coral is not as "Glitzy" as the Navigator however for my tastes, I prefer the understated looks of the ship..

As for the dining mishaps and staff problem, can you be a bit more specific?

[Love Cruis'n]

Thanks for the input everyone. Looks like the reviews are a “mixed grill.”

 

Seadrifter – I love a long, leisurely, 2.5 hour dinner. I’ve had 4 hour meals that were most memorable. We are a group of 6, so there will be lots of relaxed conversation – “and waiter, another bottle of this delicious wine please.” In fact, to me it’s more like grazing than eating. ;) My kind of meal – so thanks.

 

Sunshine & Largin, thanks for letting me know to suggest to our group that we meet at the Bayou bar for a pre dinner drink. I love live jazz. :cool:

 

CanuckCruizer – I don’t know what to say. Sounds like that famous novel that starts: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Great food (ex the gator), great service (ex the tip comment), and some intermittent musical selections. :confused:

 

Roohound, not certain what you mean as I’ve never been to either. Which is the seafood restaurant?

 

Largin, Do I recall that you were just on the Coral for an Alaska trip recently – and I guess that would make your input the freshest – anyone?

 

Once again, thanks to all. Additional comments are welcomed.

[Italy52]

Love Cruis'n,

 

We just got back from the Coral at the end of April. We basically booked that ship JUST for the Bayou Cafe. We love New Orleans style jazz and hot cajun food. We planned on hanging out there every night. Well...we DID NOT hang out there at all after having a drink in the bar the first night and waiting, waiting, waiting for the band to play. We were told that they were on "a break". Well, they never came back from their break!! We went there again the next night and they did eventually play but we were very disappointed. They were excellent musicians BUT we were expecting sort of a Dixieland/New Orleans style jazz and it was very subdued, like MUSAK(spelling) from an elevator. It didn't seem to fit with the New Orleans theme. The bartenders were great and very friendly, but the two or three times we went there we were the only people at the bar and having walked by nightly, we found that the bar was empty nearly every night (this is probably why the band was "on a break" as there was no one to play for.

 

Now about the restaurant, it was THE BEST MEAL WE HAD ON THE WHOLE SHIP IN TEN DAYS!!!! The only negative thing was the appetizer of the Alligator Ribs - kind of tough and chewy and not very good (not completely awful, just not good). The roasted red pepper butter for the bread is to die for!!! The roasted red pepper salad dressing on the "Southern Greens Salad" was excellent. We had the filet and it was superb!! The dessert was unbelievable - the "Fried Yellow Peach Pie" and hubby had the "Chocolate Pecan Fudge Cake" which was very decadent!! The head waiter, I think his name was Hassan or something like that was absolutely fantastic. We were so pleased with the meal and the service that we left a large additional tip (I wrote it - added it on the bill). Gratuity is supposed to already be included, so this was an extra gesture on our part because we were very pleased with our waiter. Well, our nice little waiter approached us and proceeded to tell us that we probably didn't realize it, but that he would have to split our tip with all of the servers, so really he wouldn't benefit from it and THEN HE TOLD US "NEXT TIME, BRING CASH". We were so SHOCKED at his behaviour, we couldn't believe it. Here we were leaving a generous tip where gratuities are already included and this guy has the balls to complain to us! We never carry cash on a cruiseship unless we are planning to go to the casino. So, after a wonderful meal, we left with a real sour taste in our mouths!

 

So we were very happy with the food, just disappointed with the music and ambiance. Maybe you will have a different experience. I haven't done a review yet but we were not thrilled with the Coral Princess. We had a lot of mishaps and we found that the Coral had the worst entertainment at sea that I have ever seen and I have been on 15 cruises!! Every sailing is different so maybe they will have new bands when you go. Also, everyone has different tastes, so what I found bad, you may like!

 

Have a nice dinner at the Bayou! Just watch out for "greedy" waiters!

 

Wow! I can't believe the waiter said that to you. That comment was really in poor taste. You mentioned gratuities were included, did you mean gratuities were in addition to the per person fee charged for the Bayou? Or did you mean the gratuities were part of the per person fee charged for the Bayou?

 

Thanks for your reply.

[Sunviking]

We were on the Island Princess 3/20 and ate at both Sabatinis (2 times) and the Bayou (3 times). We thought the Bayou was the most enjoyable place we have ever eaten on a cruise ship and we've been on 20+. The food was very good, not the best we've ever had in a restaurant, but the entertainment and service were wonderful. We had a fantastic trio playing on our cruise and the service each time was outstanding. One of the reasons we booked our next cruise on the Coral Princess was because it too has the Bayou Cafe.

[crusdiva]

Does anyone know where I can view the Bayou Cafe menu? Sailing the Island next May and would like to see what is offered. Thanks in advance for your help.

I have the menu in my photo link. Check it out.;)

 

You mentioned gratuities were included, did you mean gratuities were in addition to the per person fee charged for the Bayou? Or did you mean the gratuities were part of the per person fee charged for the Bayou? Thanks for your reply.

The per person fee takes care of the gratuities, unless you want to leave an "above and beyond"

 

Roohound, not certain what you mean as I’ve never been to either. Which is the seafood restaurant?

Neither is a "seafood" restaurant per se, but Sabatini's menu is seafood heavy (or as DH says seafood heaven);)

[CanuckCruizer]

Italy52,

 

I meant the gratuity is included in the dining charge - it is written somewhere that you are not required to leave an additional tip.

 

LoveCruis'n,

 

Sorry you didn't like hearing about my dining experience at the Bayou. It is interesting on these cruise forums that a lot of people seem to get upset when everything is not all rosy...You asked for input - I gave you my honest opinion of my meal. It seems like if there are any negative comments made about ANYTHING, there are certain people that will come and attack you. If you really wanted to know about the restaurant, you should be interested in the good and the bad. I wonder how you would have felt if the waiter had said that to you? That still did not change the fact that we had a lovely meal.

 

Largin,

 

I think I will keep my Coral review between myself and Princess. Everyone is entitled to their OWN opinion as you have stated yours. Unfortunately, we did not have the best cruise. I am not DOWNING Princess as we are booked to go again! I enjoy reading everyone's experiences and opinions and I appreciate any information, whether it be positive or negative. It is sad that some people only want to HEAR POSITIVE THINGS.

[Italy52]

Thanks Sharon for the Bayou menu and the information on the gratuities.

[naplesam]

We "did" the Bayou on the Island in Apr 04. Liked it so much we went back again on the same cruise. Ahhhh steak & oysters!

[Love Cruis'n]

CanukCruiser -

I was by no means attacking you for your honest opinion. You may have read more into my comment than I had intended: “I don’t know what to say. Sounds like that famous novel that starts: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Great food (ex the gator), great service (ex the tip comment), and some intermittent musical selections.” Sorry if you took it that way. Certainly no offense intended.

I will be most disappointed if there is no live music when we go there for drinks. I think it was most magnanimous of you to add something for the extra service, and quite frankly, had I been on the receiving end of the comment you got, I may have asked for my charge slip back and removed what I had added, not to mention, tell the head waiter about it at once. But that's me - I'm usually a sweetheart, but rub me the wrong way and I can also be a real a$$sho1e. (Which is a side of me thet DW hates when I display in public - so I try hard to be on best behavior.) :)

[Mike2131]

I would rate Sabatini's as just OK. A couple of opinions:

 

1) There is too much food. They would be much better off if they offered a choice for each course instead of the tasing menu approach. A focus on quality vs. quantity would have been appreciated.

 

2) The entrees and desserts we excellent. The balance of the food was OK to pretty good. The pastas were universally disappointing on the Coral. I remember them as being excellent on the Dawn, so this was a real let down.

 

3) Service is uneven. There were long pauses that could not the attributed to pacing.

 

4) I thought being charged for a Cappucino was excessive. I expected to pay for it elsewhere on the ship, but not in Sabatini's.

 

Perhaps this was just an off night, but I don't think we will be back.

[sunprincess]

I have been on the Coral 3 times. The last time was 2004. There was an awesome jazz group playing there. I would go to the bar every night before dinner for cocktails.

 

As for Bayou & Sabatini I enjoyed both. They are totally different experiences to me. The food excellent in both. :)

[bdjam]

I think I will keep my Coral review between myself and Princess. Everyone is entitled to their OWN opinion as you have stated yours. Unfortunately, we did not have the best cruise. I am not DOWNING Princess as we are booked to go again! I enjoy reading everyone's experiences and opinions and I appreciate any information, whether it be positive or negative. It is sad that some people only want to HEAR POSITIVE THINGS.

Wow – it’s unfortunate that not all experiences at Bayou Café are as good as mine was – I was on Island Princess, and the food, service and entertainment were first rate. Sometimes, after this kind of an experience, it’s difficult to understand how things can go so wrong for other passengers and just a bit of explanation helps us to understand. I think that’s all anyone has asked for.

 

But seriously, now…didn’t you expect Coral Princess to be smaller than the RCI behemoth?

[CanuckCruizer]

Bdjam,

 

You posted a quote from my answer to Largin about my opinion of the Coral cruise as a whole - which had nothing to do with my experience in the Bayou Cafe, just to let you know. Totally out of context...

 

Of course, we knew the Coral was smaller than the NOS - what a ridiculous sarcastic statement! Unfortunately, the Voyager class ships are in a class of their own and nothing seems to compare - shipwise - in my opinion. It is not the rock climbing wall, in-line skating etc. as we didn't partake - it is THE PROMENADE that makes all the difference.

 

Anyway, all I was doing was answering a couple of questions very quickly that Largin had asked. Obviously, with people like you on these boards, who on earth would want to voice an opinion about anything?!

[bdjam]

Anyway, all I was doing was answering a couple of questions very quickly that Largin had asked. Obviously, with people like you on these boards, who on earth would want to voice an opinion about anything?!

My apologies if I took your quote out of context – and while my response had to do with Bayou Café, your quote about people only wanting to hear positive things did as well. Based on the post where you indicated how small Coral Princess was compared to the RCI ship, I didn’t know if “of course you knew” or if you were making an honest statement of disbelief. Apparently your post was sarcastic as well. As far as voicing opinions on this board with “people like me,” I would hope that my questions about posts would help to bring a greater understanding about what was posted. If that’s threatening to some people, then I again apologize. But as I say, when many have a totally excellent experience, it’s helpful to understand the details of a bad one – and many who post negative opinions don’t provide those details.

And if you think I only want to read positive things, check out any MUTS thread.