Are specialty restaurants getting too dear?

[MicCanberra]

But you don't HAVE to pay any extra to get something. Just eat in the dining room or buffet;)

If you have a special occasion the specialty restaurants come into their own.:D

[MicCanberra]

Salt Grill is good but there is no way I could ever justify a $49 cover charge for the experience, for only a small amount more you can just dine at Luke Mangans restaurant in Sydney where mains are around $50-80. When we tried Salt Grill it was $30 for dinner and as much as I enjoyed it I probably wouldn't do it again.

 

The way I see it you're already paying in your cruise fare for dinner so the cover charge should be considered more as a supplement on top not charging near what you nearly would pay for the same experience at a restaurant at home.

 

Also, I know Mangans restaurant is expensive but even in Sydney you can go to a lesser known restaurant that still has excellent food for less than $49.

 

At $49 I would much prefer to do the chefs table at $75 which includes a galley tour, photo with head chef, 7 course degustation (delicious) paired with wine and is just a totally unique experience.

 

All cruise ships are pushing these specialty restaurants these days and I'm worried that the MDR food is going to suffer as a result to try and force you to pull out your wallet, for that reason tend to avoid them now.

Chefs tables are great for the access to the more expensive wines.:D

[NSWP]

Personally, I fail to see why people fork out extra money to go to these speciality restaurants, when you pay a lot of money to eat the perfectly good cuisine in the MDR and Buffet.

 

They are just a money making thing for the cruise lines.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

[MicCanberra]

Well -- anyway -- we are all here only for a good time and a short time. So don't sweat the small stuff -- like whether or not you think the addon restaurants are too expensive or not! :) Just don't go -- as somebody implied, it isn't compulsory!

 

We like to try out these specialty restaurants once on each cruise -- just for something different to do. As I said elsewhere, Luke Mangan probably is the most expensive add-on we have dined in (including the one on QM2 which we didn't think was all that great anyway -- but we are still happy we did it)

 

The food in the various MDR's is OK and perfectly satisfactory -- however it pales in comparison to that served in Luke Mangan restaurant on PD. I would sell my first born if that is what I had to do to have another plate of their scallops!! And there also is no comparison between the steaks served there and what is served in the MDR (on PD at least) -- even if they are all cooked in the same place by the same chef (which by the way-- they aren't!!!!!)

 

 

Barry

Agreed, it was what I was thinking. Definitely separate galleys for the specialty restuarants on X.:D

[Aus Traveller]

Agreed, it was what I was thinking. Definitely separate galleys for the specialty restuarants on X.:D

Also on Princess. :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The day will come, (and I believe its already on the way) when the cruise lines will sink to the same depths as the air lines.

Budget fares ......then pay for whatever add ons you want.

 

The days of one payment covers all are gone as they pander to the mass market.

You might as well just go to your local Mall and eat in the Foodhall.

 

Now what else could the cruise lines start charging the gullible public?

 

Overweight luggage?

Portage of bags to your cabin?

The shows in the theatre?

Use of pools? They are already charging for the spa areas

Use of sunloungers? They are already charging for sanctuary areas.

I am sure there are lots more that you can think of......

 

 

[MicCanberra]

Personally, I fail to see why people fork out extra money to go to these speciality restaurants, when you pay a lot of money to eat the perfectly good cuisine in the MDR and Buffet.

 

They are just a money making thing for the cruise lines.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

2 cents won't even get you an After dinner mint. :eek:

We use them for special occasions (anniversaries, etc).:D

[joejoe 59]

The day will come, (and I believe its already on the way) when the cruise lines will sink to the same depths as the air lines.

Budget fares ......then pay for whatever add ons you want.

 

The days of one payment covers all are gone as they pander to the mass market.

You might as well just go to your local Mall and eat in the Foodhall.

 

Now what else could the cruise lines start charging the gullible public?

 

Overweight luggage?

Portage of bags to your cabin?

The shows in the theatre?

Use of pools? They are already charging for the spa areas

Use of sunloungers? They are already charging for sanctuary areas.

I am sure there are lots more that you can think of......

 

 

Oh how depressing:mad: i hope it never comes to that.

[Aus Traveller]

The day will come, (and I believe its already on the way) when the cruise lines will sink to the same depths as the air lines.

Budget fares ......then pay for whatever add ons you want.

 

The days of one payment covers all are gone as they pander to the mass market.

You might as well just go to your local Mall and eat in the Foodhall.

 

Now what else could the cruise lines start charging the gullible public?

 

Overweight luggage?

Portage of bags to your cabin?

The shows in the theatre?

Use of pools? They are already charging for the spa areas

Use of sunloungers? They are already charging for sanctuary areas.

I am sure there are lots more that you can think of......

 

Way back in the "good old days" before we started cruising the cruise lines used to charge for the use of sun loungers and all sorts of add-ons. When we first cruised on the Fairstar, they announced that it was 'all-inclusive' because people hated putting their hands in their pockets all the time.:)

 

Now I am noticing an increasing amount of optional extras. Items such as speciality coffees and Lemoncello offered at the dining table come to mind. The 'special offers' from the spa and the advertised deals in the shops have increased. We can still have a great cruise without any of these extras if we want to.

[NSWP]

2 cents won't even get you an After dinner mint. :eek:

We use them for special occasions (anniversaries, etc).:D

I have tried a couple of them on Princess and P&O UK, ok, but nothing flash.

[MicCanberra]

I have tried a couple of them on Princess and P&O UK, ok, but nothing flash.

 

Some are better than others but it is the occasion as I said that makes it worth it.:D

[MicCanberra]

The day will come, (and I believe its already on the way) when the cruise lines will sink to the same depths as the air lines.

Budget fares ......then pay for whatever add ons you want.

 

The days of one payment covers all are gone as they pander to the mass market.

You might as well just go to your local Mall and eat in the Foodhall.

 

Now what else could the cruise lines start charging the gullible public?

 

Overweight luggage?

Portage of bags to your cabin?

The shows in the theatre?

Use of pools? They are already charging for the spa areas

Use of sunloungers? They are already charging for sanctuary areas.

I am sure there are lots more that you can think of......

 

 

 

Charge for the use of the tender to get ashore?

Charge for ice in your drinks?

Charge for room service?

Charge for activities such as trivia, zumba, and attending the auctions?

the list is endless.:eek:

[Aus Traveller]

Charge for the use of the tender to get ashore?

Charge for ice in your drinks?

Charge for room service?

Charge for activities such as trivia, zumba, and attending the auctions?

the list is endless.:eek:

Your suggestions could be tongue in cheek, but I will make comments anyway. :)Charge for room service would be reasonable. Charge for tender wouldn't be reasonable because it would be the only way to reach an advertised port. They wouldn't want to charge people to go to art auctions because they make money on those. Maybe they could charge for zumba because they already charge for yoga classes etc. Charge for trivia - I don't think so. Charge for Ice - I don't think so.

[MicCanberra]

Your suggestions could be tongue in cheek, but I will make comments anyway. :)Charge for room service would be reasonable. Charge for tender wouldn't be reasonable because it would be the only way to reach an advertised port. They wouldn't want to charge people to go to art auctions because they make money on those. Maybe they could charge for zumba because they already charge for yoga classes etc. Charge for trivia - I don't think so. Charge for Ice - I don't think so.

 

They were tongue in cheek but then stranger things have happened. In our experiences we have been charged:

• for ice (in a hotel);
  
• for room service (different hotel and it was separate from the food cost);
  
• charged for shuttles that took you to the shops etc as the hotel was in the middle of nowhere (a bit like a tender type situation); and
  
• fro activites, as you mentioned they already charge for some of the other activites.
  

:D

[The_Big_M]

Some cruise lines already charge for room service.

[karmac]

If you have a special occasion the specialty restaurants come into their own.:D

 

That's fair enough. I just don't see why people would complain about a cost that is optional. If you don't like the cost....don't go with that option:)

[cruisin-m]

That's fair enough. I just don't see why people would complain about a cost that is optional. If you don't like the cost....don't go with that option:)

 

Exactly right! :rolleyes: If people are happy to pay for food on what is already an all inclusive holiday and it keeps my cruise fare down lower I'm all for it :cool: As long as they don't make cuts to the MDR, but surely then people will turn to other cruise lines.

 

On my most recent cruise I could have thought they purposely made the waiter really bad and annoying to try and get us off to one of those specialty restaurants :p

[MicCanberra]

That's fair enough. I just don't see why people would complain about a cost that is optional. If you don't like the cost....don't go with that option:)

Exactly right.:D

[cassamanda]

Just off Rhapsody of the Seas and have to say that the speciality package for 3 restaurants at just $55 pp is well worth it. The meals are cooked in there own kitchen and the quality and quantity of food is far superior to that of the MDR which IMHO has gone downhill since last cruise in Feb.

Thanks to Darwin for such superb service at Chops.

Hugh

[NSWP]

Just off Rhapsody of the Seas and have to say that the speciality package for 3 restaurants at just $55 pp is well worth it. The meals are cooked in there own kitchen and the quality and quantity of food is far superior to that of the MDR which IMHO has gone downhill since last cruise in Feb.

Thanks to Darwin for such superb service at Chops.

Hugh

Maybe that is why RCI is ensuring the food in the MDR is going downhill, so pax spend plenty in the specialist food joints.

 

I confess I have not been with Royal Caribbean, but have cruised with Celebrity, the same stable.

 

Just my two cents worth.

Edited December 11, 2013 by NSWP

[Kiwi Kruzer]

We had friends who cruised NCL in the Med and they reported that the food in the MDR was fair to middling, but if you paid extra , in the plentiful speciality restaurants , the food was great.

They got the impression that thats the way NCL want to go.....bare minimum in MDR and its your choice if you want to pay for the good stuff.

 

 

[MicCanberra]

We had friends who cruised NCL in the Med and they reported that the food in the MDR was fair to middling, but if you paid extra , in the plentiful speciality restaurants , the food was great.

They got the impression that thats the way NCL want to go.....bare minimum in MDR and its your choice if you want to pay for the good stuff.

 

 

It is a money spinner for the cruise line. I have still found the food in the MDR on our last cruises to be of a high standard, time will tell though.:D

[Aus Traveller]

We had friends who cruised NCL in the Med and they reported that the food in the MDR was fair to middling, but if you paid extra , in the plentiful speciality restaurants , the food was great.

They got the impression that thats the way NCL want to go.....bare minimum in MDR and its your choice if you want to pay for the good stuff.

That sounds a bit like free-to-air TV. :)

[MicCanberra]

That sounds a bit like free-to-air TV. :)

Yes, great viewing if you want to watch quality shows like Today tonight and ACA. :rolleyes:

[bazzaw]

We cruised twice with RCI this year -- and thought the MDR food was much the same as the MDR food in all other ships we have been on (from P&O AUS to Cunard) .. I call it "International hotel food". I sometimes think that if somebody put a bag over my head while I am eating -- I wouldn't really know what it is that I am eating :)

 

It seems to be a common thing that people claim the standard of food in xyz cruisline is falling. Maybe it is falling in all of them - in accordance with the fall in cruise fares over the years. Perhaps people who used to cruise in a long ago "Golden Age" of cruising (when people like me would never have dreamt or even imagined doing such a thing) have very good memories to remember what they ate on some ship in 1966???

 

Ships today are part of the mass tourism -- they are basically not much more than floating Butlin's holiday camps -- in another era. But I will bet that the food in Butlin's camps wasn't as good as what you will find on RCL today! :)

 

Barry