Speciality restaurants

[shot2bits]

I read that I can buy a speciality restaurant package. Is it worth having? On our last celeb cruise we ate in the MDR most nights and found it more than adequate. On our next cruise, it's a sort of celebration for us, 50 years married so I'm thinking maybe I aught to splash out a bit. What do you all think?

 

 

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[TeaBag]

Congratulations on your upcoming 50th anniversary. I think a special dinner would be very nice. They will make you a cake if you tell them ahead of time.

 

I copied this off a page dated 2013 so prices may have changed.

 

• Three Dinner Package: This option costs $85-$109pp depending on the ship,providing a 9-11% savings. Includes cover charges and dining gratuities in three dining venues such as Murano, Tuscan Grille, Silk Harvest and Qsine.
  
  • Available on all ships except Celebrity Silhouette & Celebrity Reflection.
    

   

  [*]Four Dinner Package: This option costs $125pp proving a 17% savings. Includes one dinner in each restaurant - Murano, Tuscan Grille, Qsine and Lawn Club Grill.

  • Exclusively on Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette.
    

   

  [*]Five Dinner Package: This option costs $119-$149pp depending on the ship, providing a 21-31% savings. Includes cover charges and dining gratuities for five dinners in venues such as Murano, Tuscan Grille, Silk Harvest and Qsine.

  • Available across Celebrity’s fleet.
    

   

  [*]Ultimate Specialty Package: This comprehensive package can only be booked onboard, and features unlimited dinners in specialty restaurants of guests’ choice, at least one specialty restaurant lunch, one admission to Champagne High Tea, and unlimited breakfasts, lunches and dinners in Bistro on Five and, on Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette, also at The Porch.

If you are in Aqua class you will likely get a coupon in your room for 50% off a Sp restaurant the first night of the cruise.

 

 

I believe the Ultimate Specialty package is still $29pp/day. Someone will correct me if it has gone up. Really a bargain if you want to eat in those places all the time.

 

 

 

We have enjoyed Qsine and Tuscan, Murano not so much...too rich.

 

 

You don't say which ship you are considering.

Edited October 14, 2014 by YVR cruiser

[Artemis]

What ship? We have had mostly very positive experiences dining at X specialty restaurants. It might be a lovely treat in honor of your milestone anniversary. Congratulations and best wishes!

 

 

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[vulcan1971]

I read that I can buy a speciality restaurant package. Is it worth having? On our last celeb cruise we ate in the MDR most nights and found it more than adequate. On our next cruise, it's a sort of celebration for us, 50 years married so I'm thinking maybe I aught to splash out a bit. What do you all think?

 

 

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In the event you have any questions on how to get a dining package or whether to buy now or on the ship, this thread is helpful.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2090061

 

I have had dining packages on past cruises and enjoy having a special evening to look forward to. The food is wonderful and service is outstanding. It's nice to mix it up with my nights in either the MDR or Blu (when staying in Aqua Class).

 

 

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[shot2bits]

Congratulations on your upcoming 50th anniversary. I think a special dinner would be very nice. They will make you a cake if you tell them ahead of time.

 

I copied this off a page dated 2013 so prices may have changed.

 

• Three Dinner Package: This option costs $85-$109pp depending on the ship,providing a 9-11% savings. Includes cover charges and dining gratuities in three dining venues such as Murano, Tuscan Grille, Silk Harvest and Qsine.
  
  • Available on all ships except Celebrity Silhouette & Celebrity Reflection.
    

   

  [*]Four Dinner Package: This option costs $125pp proving a 17% savings. Includes one dinner in each restaurant - Murano, Tuscan Grille, Qsine and Lawn Club Grill.

  • Exclusively on Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette.
    

   

  [*]Five Dinner Package: This option costs $119-$149pp depending on the ship, providing a 21-31% savings. Includes cover charges and dining gratuities for five dinners in venues such as Murano, Tuscan Grille, Silk Harvest and Qsine.

  • Available across Celebrity’s fleet.
    

   

  [*]Ultimate Specialty Package: This comprehensive package can only be booked onboard, and features unlimited dinners in specialty restaurants of guests’ choice, at least one specialty restaurant lunch, one admission to Champagne High Tea, and unlimited breakfasts, lunches and dinners in Bistro on Five and, on Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette, also at The Porch.

If you are in Aqua class you will likely get a coupon in your room for 50% off a Sp restaurant the first night of the cruise.

 

 

I believe the Ultimate Specialty package is still $29pp/day. Someone will correct me if it has gone up. Really a bargain if you want to eat in those places all the time.

 

 

 

We have enjoyed Qsine and Tuscan, Murano not so much...too rich.

 

 

You don't say which ship you are considering.

 

 

Sorry, Eclipse

 

 

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[Dowunder]

I certainly would not buy a pre cruise Specialty restaurant package. First the MDR food is excellent and now there are crew members flogging specialty restaurant deals seemingly everywhere. Even before you get on the ship in the terminal there is a Specialty restaurant discount stand. In the main entrance of the ship pre cruise there are crew members with deals. Then when you enter and leave the MDR there is some one with deals. Then again when you return from shore excursions there is someone on the ship with deals. Commonly it is 50% off for Quisine, 30% for Murano and $30 p.p. For Tuscan Grille. These were pointed out by the crew members to be better deals than any package.

[mickey89]

It's all about choice, I for one are very glad we have these options. I have been cruising for many years and believe the quality of the food in the MDR has deteriorated, albeit still better than many hotels ashore. I would recommend that you visit the speciality restaurant at least once on your cruise. Variety is the spice of life !

The answer to your question is only YOU can judge.

[johncandt]

I certainly would not buy a pre cruise Specialty restaurant package. First the MDR food is excellent and now there are crew members flogging specialty restaurant deals seemingly everywhere. Even before you get on the ship in the terminal there is a Specialty restaurant discount stand. In the main entrance of the ship pre cruise there are crew members with deals. Then when you enter and leave the MDR there is some one with deals. Then again when you return from shore excursions there is someone on the ship with deals. Commonly it is 50% off for Quisine, 30% for Murano and $30 p.p. For Tuscan Grille. These were pointed out by the crew members to be better deals than any package.

We had a 4 night package and enjoyed the venues although i was not too keen on Qsine , however with the 4 night you have to go to 4 different venues , i would have preferred to go to Murano and Tuscan a couple of times and not bothered with Qsine.As regards discounts if you check out the cost of individual restaurants on Celebrity website you will find that there are now two different price lists , one for pre cruise booking and another more expensive for on board booking so any discount you get is only what pre bookers are getting !!! and you can choose where and when you go.All this of course is personal choice....

[TN Vol Fan]

A special dinner for a special occasion. You don't necessarily need a multi package to make your special day great. It might also depend on the length of your cruise. Shorter cruises= less need for specialty dining. Longer cruises make the packages worth while.

What we've done is make a reservation for the restaurant we want at the time we want pre-boarding. You will have to pay full price with the reservation. Once on board, you can check if there are any specials that apply to your night and restaurant. The ship will adjust the price at that time for you.

Enjoy your special day aboard!

[daninwi]

Looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise in November. We booked that 4 dinner package. It's not obvious how to make reservations for the various restaurants before boarding. Is it necessary?

 

Thanks for the advice

[Sloop-JohnB]

Congratulations on your 50th Anniversary !!

 

I don't believe I would want to dine in a Specialty Restaurant every.single.day especially considering the food tends to be more calorie ridden... And the additional charge... In that with my cruise fare I've already paid to eat elsewhere

 

Read recently that the upcharge for an everyday Specialty Dining Pkg is $ 29 US per person (but they dictate how often / when you can eat in each venue :( )

 

Mr Sloop & I are quite happy with the food served in the Dining Room... MDR on past cruises... And looking forward to the Blu DR for our next cruise

 

We do however visit a Specialty Restaurant a few times each cruise (typically 1 Lunch and 1 Dinner)

 

That works well for us

 

Special Occasions tho I agree, a Specialty Restaurant is a nice option / change of pace

 

 

Looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise in November. We booked that 4 dinner package. It's not obvious how to make reservations for the various restaurants before boarding. Is it necessary?

 

Thanks for the advice

 

Reservations are a nice thing to have in hand, as space is limited, and some nights on a cruise are more popular than others (or times can be in demand too)

 

Otherwise, I suggest that you hit up the Specialty Dining Restaurants once you are onboard to make your Reservations

 

Advantage here is you will be able to confirm what nights will be Formal Night etc

 

(although if you have pre-booked, you can do what we do... Visit the Specialty Restaurants and Confirm our booking or change them if there is a conflict with Special Nights aboard)

 

Cheers!

Edited October 15, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[bplazo]

I found the food better in the mdr room.

[cynbar]

I should add that you can't always count on getting deals on the specialty restaurants during your cruise. We were AQ on Reflection in May, and the only deal we were offered was the first night (50% off) which seems pretty standard. Other nights, it was full price --- they must have been heavily booked on that sailing. So, while you may be able to get a discount if you wait, it's not guaranteed by any means.

[notjaded]

Whether to do speciality dining is all about expectations, and moderating them. If you regularly dine in your own community in very nice restaurants with great chefs, you are bound to be dissappointed in the specialty dining--that is, if you expect the same level of gastronomy and service.

 

I've done the MDR, speciality, and have eaten at Blu. My recommendation would be that --if you can afford it--make this trip a bit special by getting an Aqua cabin and eat at Blu every night. It is not fine dining, but is a pretty good option when you are in the middle of the ocean.

 

Enjoy

[shot2bits]

Whether to do speciality dining is all about expectations, and moderating them. If you regularly dine in your own community in very nice restaurants with great chefs, you are bound to be dissappointed in the specialty dining--that is, if you expect the same level of gastronomy and service.

 

 

 

I've done the MDR, speciality, and have eaten at Blu. My recommendation would be that --if you can afford it--make this trip a bit special by getting an Aqua cabin and eat at Blu every night. It is not fine dining, but is a pretty good option when you are in the middle of the ocean.

 

 

 

Enjoy

 

 

Perhaps I should upgrade from my current C2 to Aqua then! Decisions, decisions!

 

 

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[Sloop-JohnB]

Perhaps I should upgrade from my current C2 to Aqua then! Decisions, decisions!

 

 

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Watch prices... Especially as you are a long ways off from Final Payment

 

Often Concierge & Aqua are not far apart.

 

Not uncommon for Aqua to even be priced lower if the demand is slow / down.

 

But not all Aqua Cabins are created equal... Be sure and check out the S-Class Cabin Spreadsheet STICKY at the top of this Forum for info.

 

Cheers!

[vadell]

We booked the ultimate dining package and there were no restrictions as to where and when we ate. We booked each night when we first arrived but changed our choice during the cruise which was easily accommodated.

[stillriverpotter]

We just returned from a cruise on Equinox. We opted to purchase the 3 night specialty dining ahead of time and they automatically then booked us for Murano for 6PM the first night of the cruise. We made our reservations for Silk and Tuscan Grill after we were on board.

 

Murano did not even come close to meeting my expectations for "outstanding" dining. Sure, they do some pretty fancy table side antics, but the food was really ho-hum and the space itself was cramped and there was no view - it was like we were in an on-land restaurant after just sailing away. The next night in the MDR was far superior for both genuine service and food - and view! Silk was a nice change of pace from the "normal" and was quite lovely.

 

Tuscan Grille was OUTSTANDING!! I can't rave about it enough. I'm assuming the set up on your ship will be the same as the Equinox - aft on deck 5. It is a superior location for wonderful views and the food was over the top.

 

Here's my suggestion... Tuscan Grille's first reservations are at 6PM. Make a reservation for 6PM on a day you are sailing away from port between 5 and 6PM. Since we were the first ones in the restaurant for a table for 2, we were seated in the center of the back windows and the view was amazing. That combined with wonderful service and lovely menu choices made the evening so, so special. They offered us a 30% discount to come back again and although I was tempted (especially since we opted for the day before our anniversary to do Tuscan Grille!), we also were pretty happy with the MDR.

 

Congrats on your 50th!! Make sure they know it's your anniversary during the reservation process so you will be invited to the anniversary and honeymoon celebration on the ship. Ours was at 10:15 on the 2nd sea day and although we were tempted to skip it, it really was an enjoyable event and quite entertaining. Also, they - without prompting - delivered a "Happy Anniversary" cake with dessert on the night of our anniversary in the MDR. A nice touch.

 

Enjoy!

Gayle

[purpletequila]

I certainly would not buy a pre cruise Specialty restaurant package. First the MDR food is excellent and now there are crew members flogging specialty restaurant deals seemingly everywhere. Even before you get on the ship in the terminal there is a Specialty restaurant discount stand. In the main entrance of the ship pre cruise there are crew members with deals. Then when you enter and leave the MDR there is some one with deals. Then again when you return from shore excursions there is someone on the ship with deals. Commonly it is 50% off for Quisine, 30% for Murano and $30 p.p. For Tuscan Grille. These were pointed out by the crew members to be better deals than any package.

 

Dependent on slow sales though.

I am on the REflection next month and just booked a 5 package. The only time available was 8:30 for the first night and when I played around online, 2 of the restaurants are sold out, at least for pre-sail sales.

 

It's a crap shoot. I'll take the roughly 20% discount in advance but that's me.

[blindrid]

It's all about choice, I for one are very glad we have these options. I have been cruising for many years and believe the quality of the food in the MDR has deteriorated, albeit still better than many hotels ashore. I would recommend that you visit the speciality restaurant at least once on your cruise. Variety is the spice of life !

The answer to your question is only YOU can judge.

 

I agree. I'm not a huge fan of the packages as that kind of forces you into some restaurants that are not to your liking or at the minimum of eating in them "X" number of times when you may not feel like it.

 

And depending on your habits, I eat a lot during the day so when I go to a pay restaurant, I normally do not get to enjoy the entire meal as it's a bit much for me and I hate wasting a good steak (or whatever) when I'm paying $50 for it. Now in saying that my friends loved one of them and wanted to eat there a lot so I sucked it up and went. At least I was with good friends, good company and good food.

 

First of all, congrats on the 50th and both of you deserve a night out doing something different. My recommendation would be select the type of dining the both of you prefer and don't listen to us :).

[vulcan1971]

I agree. I'm not a huge fan of the packages as that kind of forces you into some restaurants that are not to your liking or at the minimum of eating in them "X" number of times when you may not feel like it.

 

 

The point of a dining package is to provide variety and discounted prices on a grouping of dinners. You are not "forced" to go to any restaurant that you don't want to. You either buy a dining package because there is value and because you are interested in going to the options in the dining package, however, if that does not suit your taste, then you have the option of booking them independently at a much higher price.

 

 

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