X Reflection Dining Options

[royalcruz]

Have a question

At Bistro on Five and The Porch the fee is $5?

Can you eat as much as you like off the menu? Soup/salad/sandwich?

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[royalcruz]

I love Tuscan Grill and Murano. We haven't tried Lawn Club Grill because we aren't fans of basic grilled meats and the casual ambiance for dinner. We love the Porch and Bistro.

 

Qsine is just ok...I'm glad we tried it, but have no desire to go again...it was fun and gimicky but not high quality. We were expecting tapas, but the portions were ridiculously large and heavy and we were too full after sharing 2 things to enjoy anything else. They didn't give us a choice of the order in which to receive the selected items, so we were left waiting until we were full to receive the item we really wanted the most, and then had to cancel the other things we ordered. A lot of the items were unhealthy junk food (not fit for foodies really).

[Cruise a holic]

I love Tuscan Grill and Murano. We haven't tried Lawn Club Grill because we aren't fans of basic grilled meats and the casual ambiance for dinner. We love the Porch and Bistro.

 

Qsine is just ok...I'm glad we tried it, but have no desire to go again...it was fun and gimicky but not high quality. We were expecting tapas, but the portions were ridiculously large and heavy and we were too full after sharing 2 things to enjoy anything else. They didn't give us a choice of the order in which to receive the selected items, so we were left waiting until we were full to receive the item we really wanted the most, and then had to cancel the other things we ordered. A lot of the items were unhealthy junk food (not fit for foodies really).

Give the lawn grill a try! Has become our favorite! You can eat other grilled entrees.

Enjoy you cruise!:)

[dkjretired]

We will be sailing on a 7 day cruise in mid-Dec. First time on X. I am a "foodie" (hate that word but what better word is there?) and dining is important to me; sweetie to a lesser extent, but she likes to eat well too, tho she must avoid gluten.

 

We will be in AQ so will have access to Blu. I figure we will eat there maybe 3 nites, and the MDR at least once. I definitely want to try the other special dinner options, especially Qsine. Preferably I'd like to check the menus in the various restaurants each day and decide what we want to do each nite as we go along. How feasible is that? How much variation is there in each restaurant from day to day? If we go with the 3 nite package I understand we would lose some flexibility as to where and when we can dine. So for example, if we decide we want to go to, say, Qsine 3 nites, can we do that, without the package or with? Are there other packages available that we should know about that would give us more flexibility but yet save a few bucks? Any and all help greatly appreciated.

 

I think you have a misconception about Blu and the MDR. Blu replaces the MDR for for AQ customers, that is your assigned dining room. You will probably be able to eat in the MDR on a space available basis but you are not assigned a seat in the MDR.

 

Don't forget to try some of the smaller places for breakfast and lunch such as Aqua Spa café and Bistro on Five.

[jan-n-john]

I think you have a misconception about Blu and the MDR. Blu replaces the MDR for for AQ customers, that is your assigned dining room. You will probably be able to eat in the MDR on a space available basis but you are not assigned a seat in the MDR.

 

Don't forget to try some of the smaller places for breakfast and lunch such as Aqua Spa café and Bistro on Five.

 

dkj

 

Thanks for the tips. I understand that being in AQ means that Blu becomes our assigned dining room -- the thought about eating at least once in the MDR would be mainly in order to try it out for future reference. We may not always want to sail in AQ, nor pay extra to eat in the specialty restaurants every night. This first voyage will be in part for us to "learn the ropes," not least since we are already thinking about a much more involved trip with Celebrity in 2015.

 

Actually, that raises another question, namely, in anyone's opinion, if one does have access to Blu (and has also perhaps already arranged for specialty dining), would dining in the MDR ever make sense? Is there some aspect of the dining experience in the MDR that might make it preferable on, say, a particular evening, aside from the obvious fact that it doesn't involve an extra charge?

[dkjretired]

dkj

 

Thanks for the tips. I understand that being in AQ means that Blu becomes our assigned dining room -- the thought about eating at least once in the MDR would be mainly in order to try it out for future reference. We may not always want to sail in AQ, nor pay extra to eat in the specialty restaurants every night. This first voyage will be in part for us to "learn the ropes."

 

Actually, that raises another question, namely, in anyone's opinion, if one does have access to Blu (and has also perhaps already arranged for specialty dining), would dining in the MDR ever make sense? Is there some aspect of the dining experience in the MDR that might make it preferable on, say, a particular evening, aside from the obvious fact that it doesn't involve an extra charge?

 

To answer your question, I would suggest checking the menus each day.. They are posted outside the dining rooms. I liked the Lobster in Blu however while on Summit I had a Beef Torenados in the MDR that I would definitely try and find again. The MDR also gives you more opportunity to meet some new people.

 

As many have said, don't forget all the little places, sometimes you can find something that just hits you right. As an example we have on this board our famous poster Texed. He is know to be a waffle addict. By the way the waffles in the buffet are excellent but you have to get them right off the grill, not the ones in the pan. Lots of people like the Muesli in Blu. Also, just an FYI, Blu is not open for lunch.

[Lsimon]

....Preferably I'd like to check the menus in the various restaurants each day and decide what we want to do each nite as we go along. How feasible is that?

 

...5. If we plan to pay as we go, is it likely we will be able to get into whichever restaurant whenever we want or do they fill up? We can be flexible on the specific times....

 

The demand for seating in the specialty restaurants varies substantially on different cruises. With rare exceptions, you do need reservations at the specialty dining restaurants. On some cruises we've found that the restaurants were completely booked several days in advance an on others we've found that you could make last minute reservations on almost any night. This depends a lot on how full the ship is and the length of the cruise. Generally, the longer the cruise the easier it is to get reservations but even with long 14 night cruises the demand and availability can very quite a bit.

 

Because of this you might have difficulty making a last minute decision to go to a specialty restaurant.

[baggal]

Best guess anyone? We are in San Juan from 3 - 10 p.m. on the 2nd full day of our Eastern Car. cruise in December. I would like to book dinner at the Lawn Grill for that night since its our anniversary. But I prefer to book once on board in order to use OBC.

 

I've never been in a Caribbean port that late in the evening and don't know what to expect - whether people will stay on shore for dinner or will there be a mad dash for the Lawn Grill?

 

Thanks,

[Feelin' Nauti']

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Oooh Yum,.yum, yum!

 

Thanks :D

[akowilm]

Best guess anyone? We are in San Juan from 3 - 10 p.m. on the 2nd full day of our Eastern Car. cruise in December. I would like to book dinner at the Lawn Grill for that night since its our anniversary. But I prefer to book once on board in order to use OBC.

 

I've never been in a Caribbean port that late in the evening and don't know what to expect - whether people will stay on shore for dinner or will there be a mad dash for the Lawn Grill?

 

Thanks,

 

Make the reservation as soon as you board. We chose the Lawn Club Grill for dinner while in PR and we loved it!

[Miss SeaBee]

My only complaint is that there is so much good food to eat at all times of the day. I have yet to make it to dinner when I'm really, really hungry! :p I have no self-control, and late lunches, afternoon ice cream, cookies and coffee from the butler, all conspire to keep me full all day. Any suggestions? :)

[baggal]

My only complaint is that there is so much good food to eat at all times of the day. I have yet to make it to dinner when I'm really, really hungry! :p I have no self-control, and late lunches, afternoon ice cream, cookies and coffee from the butler, all conspire to keep me full all day. Any suggestions? :)

 

Stay away from the buffet if you feel you have no self-control. Skip one meal a day - if you're having a late breakfast - no need for a full lunch. Pass on the ice cream and cookies in the middle of day. You can always have dessert later on in the evening but by then you won't really want them. Get some exercise.