Price Increase - Bistro on 5 & Specialities

[richstowe]

Food prices go up and who should pay??? Wonder if the majority would rather Celebrity raise the cruise fare to everyone or just raise the prices to those that use the specialty restaurants through a price raise to eat there.

I agree with your point and if I have to choose I'd rather have lower cruise prices and higher extras

BUT I wonder how successful these cash grabs are.

Even at $50 a head, partially filled specialty restaurants don't make sense to me.

Single use venues which take up a lot of space, require lots of staff and expensive ingredients seems like a bad idea.

Putting in more cabins instead ?

Then again I don't make millions in compensation so I must be wrong.

[wpgcycler]

Even with the food being (mostly) very good in the specialty restaurants $50 per meal is high. It would be different if they also included a bottle of wine but of course that will never happen. You can eat at very high end places on land for less. They are getting out of control with specialty dining prices. Hopefully the food in the main dining room will stay as good as my last Century cruise. Happy sails....

 

Haven't tried Murano but at $35 Tuscan is a steal. If I paid for the meal I ate there in a reasonably upscale Italian restaurant on land it would have been roughly $70.

[riredsox]

Haven't tried Murano but at $35 Tuscan is a steal. If I paid for the meal I ate there in a reasonably upscale Italian restaurant on land it would have been roughly $70.

 

I agree and ate there many times. However it is now $45. Not such a steal anymore...

[richsea]

Food prices go up and who should pay??? Wonder if the majority would rather Celebrity raise the cruise fare to everyone or just raise the prices to those that use the specialty restaurants through a price raise to eat there.

 

In case you haven't noticed, they have already raised the prices over last year's fares. And they have raised their drink prices. And the have raised their photo prices. $100 dollars to dine in Murano is way too high for me. It's only recently that they have raised it to $45 from $40. Remember when they told us that the additional cost of specialty restaurants was just a service charge? Please don't tell me it is because the cost of food is rising.

[wpgcycler]

I agree and ate there many times. However it is now $45. Not such a steal anymore...

 

Perhaps not, but still a good deal IMHO. BTW, still $35 on the website... :D

[vulcan1971]

I fully understood what you said, I just don't agree. You can do better onboard and get restaurants that you want and use OBC.

 

You may agree to disagree with me, but that is your prerogative. I certainly take no offense to your comments, but the posting that I made did not comment on whether the dining experience was paid for by OBC or not... only that it was a good value. You keep tossing in irrelevant pieces of information to make some sort of point when in fact those pieces of information were not being considered when I made my post.

 

A 5-dinner package on the Constellation is $129. This is a 37% savings overall. If you don't happen to like Ocean Liners or Tuscan Grill, then there are no other specialty dining options for you outside of Blu, but only if you are booked in an Aqua Class room (or suite).

 

My original post was not to address all ships and specialty dining options... only that there is value to be had in a dining package. My use of the Constellation dining package is only to further explain the logic applied in the original post. Whether you find a particular combo of restaurants in a dining package to be to your liking is a personal decision that had no bearing on my post.

 

I mean no disrespect, but if you are going to argue with me, argue on the basis of facts, not preferences. A 37% discount is far better than a 25% discount that may or may not be offered or even available.

[NLH Arizona]

In case you haven't noticed, they have already raised the prices over last year's fares. And they have raised their drink prices. And the have raised their photo prices. $100 dollars to dine in Murano is way too high for me. It's only recently that they have raised it to $45 from $40. Remember when they told us that the additional cost of specialty restaurants was just a service charge? Please don't tell me it is because the cost of food is rising.

Of course they have raised the prices, but it is still cheaper to cruise today than it was years ago. I would rather Celebrity raise the price of alcohol per drink, than charge me more to my fare to pay for what others drink. As well, I would rather them charge more for a specialty restaurant, than raise my fare to off set it. Because, if you think about it, you don't have to go to a specialty restaurant or have drinks on a ship, that is a personal decision. So, if you want those things, I don't have a problem with Celebrity charging more for them. FWIW, I wouldn't have a problem paying more for the specialty restaurants, but that is just me. $100 would not be out of line for 2 in a fine land based restaurant.

 

Everybody wants "everything at a cheap price" while still paying a low fare, well something has to give. It can either be an overall rise in the cruise fare to pay for these things or an increase in prices on those things that a passenger can choose or not choose to use. We can't have it both ways

Edited May 12, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[NLH Arizona]

I agree with your point and if I have to choose I'd rather have lower cruise prices and higher extras

BUT I wonder how successful these cash grabs are.

Even at $50 a head, partially filled specialty restaurants don't make sense to me.

Single use venues which take up a lot of space, require lots of staff and expensive ingredients seems like a bad idea.

Putting in more cabins instead ?

Then again I don't make millions in compensation so I must be wrong.

I agree, I don't think a half filled restaurant makes sense, but Celebrity probably has a business model for each restaurant and they know what they have to take in each cruise to make a profit, etc. If people don't go, then I would assume that Celebrity would lower the prices or change to possibly cabins, but I would doubt the latter.

 

As you said, the restaurants require expensive ingredients, so how does that get paid???

[richsea]

Of course they have raised the prices, but it is still cheaper to cruise today than it was years ago. I would rather Celebrity raise the price of alcohol per drink, than charge me more to my fare to pay for what others drink. As well, I would rather them charge more for a specialty restaurant, than raise my fare to off set it. Because, if you think about it, you don't have to go to a specialty restaurant or have drinks on a ship, that is a personal decision. So, if you want those things, I don't have a problem with Celebrity charging more for them. FWIW, I wouldn't have a problem paying more for the specialty restaurants, but that is just me. $100 would not be out of line for 2 in a fine land based restaurant.

 

Everybody wants "everything at a cheap price" while still paying a low fare, well something has to give. It can either be an overall rise in the cruise fare to pay for these things or an increase in prices on those things that a passenger can choose or not choose to use. We can't have it both ways

 

I agree with everything you say, except I do have a problem with paying $100 for Murano. $100 at a land based restaurant is not unusual. However, the cruise lines have been telling us that the upcharge is a service charge; you are not buying your dinner.

[NLH Arizona]

I agree with everything you say, except I do have a problem with paying $100 for Murano. $100 at a land based restaurant is not unusual. However, the cruise lines have been telling us that the upcharge is a service charge; you are not buying your dinner.

That is what is great, you don't have to go to Murano, it is your choice. It would be a different story if they forced you to go.

[wpgcycler]

I agree with everything you say, except I do have a problem with paying $100 for Murano. $100 at a land based restaurant is not unusual. However, the cruise lines have been telling us that the upcharge is a service charge; you are not buying your dinner.

 

I'd say, it's highly unusual. A cursory perusal of French restaurant menus in any major city will reveal that 5 courses (e.g. Soup, appetizer, main, cheese and dessert) for two will easily top $200 - and then there's tax and tip...

[ghstudio]

I don't mean this to be flip.....but does anyone actually pay the full price at specialty restaurants? We don't eat at them often, but with the exception of bistro on 5, we seem to constantly get offers on our cruises in the range of 20-25% off. That doesn't necessarily change the arguments here....but if you want to talk value vs MDR and such, then I'd figure Murano/Tuscan/.... at least 20% off the "posted price"

[CruisingChick]

I don't mean this to be flip.....but does anyone actually pay the full price at specialty restaurants? We don't eat at them often, but with the exception of bistro on 5, we seem to constantly get offers on our cruises in the range of 20-25% off. That doesn't necessarily change the arguments here....but if you want to talk value vs MDR and such, then I'd figure Murano/Tuscan/.... at least 20% off the "posted price"

 

We have not been to a specialty restaurant since they were $35. On our last Summit cruise last September they asked my DH if we would come and the price would be $35 since we told them we have not gone since the price had been raised from that. My DH said no, that he did not want a deal that he wanted the price to be lowered for everyone not just us. If everyone is getting deals then why don't they just lower the price back down to $35?

[insidecabin]

you have to price at the level that the popular cruises where the specials are full even if that is only a few cruises.

 

you then manage capacity with discounts and packages.

 

having lower prices with some cruises being higher prices causes more issues.

[BEAV]

I don't mean this to be flip.....but does anyone actually pay the full price at specialty restaurants? We don't eat at them often, but with the exception of bistro on 5, we seem to constantly get offers on our cruises in the range of 20-25% off. That doesn't necessarily change the arguments here....but if you want to talk value vs MDR and such, then I'd figure Murano/Tuscan/.... at least 20% off the "posted price"

 

We were on Solstice in February for 18 nights. I thought being a long voyage we might be successful at nailing down some discounts, but the two times I inquired, none were offered (this was in both Murano and Tuscan). We ended up in Specialty restaurants 8 nights out of 18. Two nights were complimentary since we were in a Sky Suite, and we ended up buying the 3 night package twice for the other 6 nights. It was later in the voyage after we had had our two complimentary nights and completed the first 3-night package that I inquired about future nights at a discount. When that didn't happen, we ended up buying another 3 night package. So to answer your question, 'no', we never paid the full, single visit price, opting for packages, instead. With all the stories of discounting, I was a little surprised given the length of voyage. But we were a party of five, and most tables are for parties of two or four, so that may have played a role. Also, who knows what kind of response I may have received had I inquired about discounts to Silk Harvest! :rolleyes:

[citruscruiser]

I always thought the charge for specialty restaurants was intended to cover the gratuities for the staff vs "paying" for a meal. That way the "additional" tip line was for extraordinary service.

[vulcan1971]

I always thought the charge for specialty restaurants was intended to cover the gratuities for the staff vs "paying" for a meal. That way the "additional" tip line was for extraordinary service.

 

On the main page of the Cruise Critic website, there has been some links to discussions about "tipping etiquette". Your comment is similar to many made and answers have been supplied at the following link where a bit more discussion about the "service charge" that the specialty restaurants (in general) charge when you dine in their restaurants.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/25/tipping-points-ive-already-paid-30-do-i-have-to-tip-at-the-for-fee-alternative-restaurant/

Edited May 12, 2014 by vulcan1971

[Gracie115]

I always thought the charge for specialty restaurants was intended to cover the gratuities for the staff vs "paying" for a meal. That way the "additional" tip line was for extraordinary service.

 

I did too and we always wound up tipping more.....but @$45 for Tuscan and $50 for Murano per person we probably wouldn't tip more....well we wouldn't go to Murano at all, but we do like Tuscan but $90, I don't know anymore....I wonder how much the wait staff REALLY gets from that $45.....

 

Maybe Celebrity Cruises can step in here and tell us definitively how much the wait staff REALLY gets....cause I'd bet A LOT that they aren't getting it all...:eek::)

Edited May 12, 2014 by Gracie115

[mcrcruiser]

Take off the missed meal price from the special restaurant price & then all of us could afford it :D:p

[jackaboo]

They should call it bistro on 7 now :D

[Ship's Wake]

They should call it bistro on 7 now :D

 

Nice one!

[Mr&MrsBee]

We have not been to a specialty restaurant since they were $35. On our last Summit cruise last September they asked my DH if we would come and the price would be $35 since we told them we have not gone since the price had been raised from that. My DH said no, that he did not want a deal that he wanted the price to be lowered for everyone not just us. If everyone is getting deals then why don't they just lower the price back down to $35?

 

 

We no longer visit the speciality restaurants. The last good meal we had was with you and Frank. The two after that were not the same quality so why spend $100 plus tip. Our food and service as been excellent in the MDR. In two weeks we will report back.

[skittl1321]

You are so right. Jack Daniels was $6.00 on Summit in January, & $8.50 on Silhouette last week. That's over a 40% increase!

 

The Bistro on 5 change is 40% too- $2 might not seem like much; but percentage wise that is a HUGE increase. (Where the other restaurants seem to have gone up about 11%, though it could be argued they were overpriced to begin with.)

 

We had hoped to try Qsine when we finally do a 'regular' cruise on Celebrity (after our Galapagos trip)- but I'm thinking it isn't going to be worth it for us. We could do a phenomenal excursion for that money instead.

[CruisingChick]

We no longer visit the speciality restaurants. The last good meal we had was with you and Frank. The two after that were not the same quality so why spend $100 plus tip. Our food and service as been excellent in the MDR. In two weeks we will report back.

 

Hi Larry and Karen. Yes, Frank and I went one more time in 2011 to Normandie, but have not gone back since. Every cruise we take they are always offering specials of some kind.

 

We are sailing in 2 weeks on Summit to Bermuda. Have a great time in Alaska. Talk to you when you get back.

[BILLP1]

We just came back from Bermuda on the Summit and ate in the Normandy on Monday the first formal night and it was maybe one third full while we ate there at 700PM. Service was not great the food was nothing special. The dining experience that we were promised when the Summit first introduced the Normandy is no longer an experience . It is just a dinner. Blu was much better with better service .