We Walked Out of Tuscan Grille - Silhouette

[OzKiwiJJ]

Oz, I don't think you're too far off in your time, but I'd add in an additional 30 minutes for the entire meal because people do tend to talk. ;)

 

I factored in a certain amount of talk time in my ideal timeline but, of course, it does vary according to the size of the group. A good restaurant should be able to be flexible with their timing to suit the dynamics of the diners. Note: the key words are to suit the diners, not the restaurant staff.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Absolutely, I would have been all over it after 5minutes of not receiving a menu. Sitting for 20 minutes without being acknowledged is ridiculous at the prices they are charging for specialty restaurants. I would have walked out after 10 minutes. By that time the moment has passed and the dining experienced ruined.

 

Me too. Five minutes is plenty long enough for all the guests to get comfortable, then they need menus and wine lists, and to be asked if they would like a drink to start with.

 

I have very low tolerance for poor service in supposedly good restaurants.

[LA_Design]

Me too. Five minutes is plenty long enough for all the guests to get comfortable, then they need menus and wine lists, and to be asked if they would like a drink to start with.

 

 

 

I have very low tolerance for poor service in supposedly good restaurants.

 

 

we noticed that your fellow countrymen seemed to be in a rush to get in and out very quickly at Edgbaston & Trent Bridge [emoji12]. is this a new craze sweeping your fine Country ? Few years ago they would stay in for ages [emoji12][emoji41][emoji41]

[MicCanberra]

Everyone wants a great dining experience, the problem is that everyone has differing requirements when it comes or how fast or slow. If the waiters do not seem to be getting this message, they need to be told.

[keesar]

Everyone wants a great dining experience, the problem is that everyone has differing requirements when it comes or how fast or slow. If the waiters do not seem to be getting this message, they need to be told.

 

You are correct. When people come in larger groups, it is often assumed that there will be a fair amount of conversation. However, if the group wants a quick bite and leave, that needs to be communicated as soon as possible.

 

We have been to Tuscan Grill numerous times and NEVER had a problem. I do recall a couple of nights when we wanted to catch the late show. We communicated that to our server and also told him we did not want the "surprise" antipasto and ordered our desserts early. We asked for the check with the dessert. This worked out real well and everyone was happy. You just have to communicate politely. Grandstanding is not our way.

[dazey]

I know that when we have dinner for work with 12-22 people we always keep the servers waiting and we are not even aware of it. I am always embarrassed when a couple sits near our table because a large group can be so loud. Should be in a private room.

 

Now on to Tuscan Grille, we are doing 4 specialty dinners and Celebrity insisted that we go to Tuscan on the first of second night. Now I know why.

[keesar]

I

Now on to Tuscan Grille, we are doing 4 specialty dinners and Celebrity insisted that we go to Tuscan on the first of second night. Now I know why.

 

We always go to Tuscan on the first or second night and the food and service have been top notch each time. Never had a problem in Tuscan on any of the ships.

 

On the Reflection, there was a party of 6 or so that was so loud that our server and the maitre d' came over to apologize. They were real loud. Luckily, we were finishing our meal. Beverage package gone bad...

Edited August 14, 2015 by keesar

[MicCanberra]

We always go to Tuscan on the first or second night and the food and service have been top notch each time. Never had a problem in Tuscan on any of the ships.

 

On the Reflection, there was a party of 6 or so that was so loud that our server and the maitre d' came over to apologize. They were real loud. Luckily, we were finishing our meal. Beverage package gone bad...

 

If a group is loud it is not always the alcohol that causes it, they may be loud people anyway. The drinks certainly help it get louder though.:o

[Tommy3putts]

If a group is loud it is not always the alcohol that causes it, they may be loud people anyway. The drinks certainly help it get louder though.:o

 

 

Guilty! Loud by nature. Enhanced by beer!

 

Cheers

[Tommy3putts]

On our 11 night 2014 med cruise On Reflection, I enjoyed our dinner in the Tuscan Grill in an spite of the fact that my Ribeye was paper thin and well done. I ordered a Medium Rare. The Apos and my wife's Strip steak was great.

[MicCanberra]

Guilty! Loud by nature. Enhanced by beer!

 

Cheers

 

Yep, I am so loud I am making myself deaf.:eek:

[benchdex]

On our 11 night 2014 med cruise On Reflection, I enjoyed our dinner in the Tuscan Grill in an spite of the fact that my Ribeye was paper thin and well done. I ordered a Medium Rare. The Apos and my wife's Strip steak was great.

 

We find, in general, we prefer the specialty restaurants on Princess newer ships to the Silhouette. I don't think we are biased, being Elite with both lines.

 

At the same time, we think the MDR and the buffet, both in layout, service and food quality on the Silhouette are excellent.

 

In fairness, I think the chef on the particular ship, the venue and many other factors pay a part. The large number of respondents who indicate the food and experience on the Silhouette in the Tuscan SR was mediocre is telling. I have to agree. I doubt we will ever go to the Tuscan again. We will be doing a B2B on the Silhouette this fall in the Med. other than the comp SR credits, we will likely use the MDR, Buffet and spa restaurants, exclusively. Great food and ambiance, so why pay more for less?

 

Just got off the Golden Princess. Recently remodeled and the steak and halibut dinners at the Crown Grill were world class in every respect. Service in the MDR not quite on par with Celebrity, it wasn't bad by any means, but some of that is due to the better design and food delivery technology from galley to table side on the new Celebrity ships. The MDR's on new Celebrity ships are very beautiful. striking.

 

In both lines certain ships and chefs are our favorites. Just like on land, we all have our own experiences, good and bad. The next person may have a completely opposite personal experience.

 

Certain things we like better on Princess and same with Celebrity. We have narrowed our own selections to these two as best fitting our style. We have friends who really rave about HAL (for unique itineraries) and RCCL (for entertainment and friendliness of staff). If the right cruise comes along, we will probably consider, particularly if proposed by one of our friends from past cruises to join them.

 

Happy cruising!

[keesar]

I have ordered identical dishes on different ships and they are made somewhat differently. Some tend to please my palate more than others. That is due to the chef. Each chef tends to add a different signature to dishes.

[affishman]

I know this thread is long done but for record we had a similar experience in Tuscan on the Silhouette. Only we weren't offered a free meal and wine; just crepes on Five. We were hounded by days by the maitre'd to find out when were going to get the crepes and we finally had to tell him we had no interest in the crepes. We had planned our anniversary dinner at Tuscan and it was one disaster after another. They couldn't make it right that night and we, too, headed to Oceanview. The maitre'd made it clear that a bad review would be very bad for him and we understand that his ministrations to us were motivated by fear of administrative retribution. This wasn't a matter, as is often the case, of a kitchen being off one night or crisis in a kitchen. This is a restaurant on a well-oiled machine that sells and delivers stress-free experiences at a reasonable but not insignificant price. When they fail to deliver on the basics: a well-timed meal ordered from a well honed menu in a controlled environment that is supposed to have some elegance? Not okay.

[4774Papa]

Eating after 10 pm, you would think you were in Spain.

 

We don't eat often in the X specialty restaurants, since the MDR is so good, but waiting that long is ridiculous.

[BosoxI]

Bad service, miscommunications, seems like a series of mistakes were made by both parties.

 

The only mistake the OP made was not complaining or walking out sooner. Sometimes both parties are not at fault; sometimes only one party is responsible and this applies to all things in life, not just restaurants.

[hcat]

Not a fan of the new Tuscan menu so if it goes fleet wide, we'll pass anyhow!

[ICANTWAITTOCRUISE]

We had a similar experience last spring. Unfortunately, we neither walked out or complained. It was the first night and I guess too late for their liking as not only was service horribly slow and terrible, but we weren't offered dessert and when we inquired we were told they had to see if we could get it. Why take a reservation if it is too late for their liking?

Luckily, we didn't let it ruin anything but in retrospect we should have made someone aware of it.

We have actually had two bad experiences on the first night of a Celebrity cruise. Of all nights, it is the one we "get going" the latest, and the other experience was our steward acting rude towards us about not leaving until about 8:30 for dinner. I realize they want to get in the cabin but it was uncalled for. She was fine the rest of the week, ad again, we didn't complain about it.

We're sort of paranoid now and afraid to unpack and enjoy our cabin on the first night!

[wwcruisers]

W

We have actually had two bad experiences on the first night of a Celebrity cruise. Of all nights, it is the one we "get going" the latest, and the other experience was our steward acting rude towards us about not leaving until about 8:30 for dinner. I realize they want to get in the cabin but it was uncalled for. She was fine the rest of the week, ad again, we didn't complain about it.

We're sort of paranoid now and afraid to unpack and enjoy our cabin on the first night!

 

Just curious -- what did your room steward do/say that was rude, and why did you decide not to say something about it? I definitely understand that "turnaround" day is very stressful for most of the crew. And, yes, getting 'turn-down' service completed is an important part of your room steward's day. But, there is absolutely no reason for any crew member to be rude to a passenger. For one thing, most folks who had late seating in the MDR wouldn't be going down to dinner until 8:30 (or close to it). It's not unusual for our butler or steward to inquire about our dinner plans -- but, it has never been done in a rude or intrusive manner.

(Sorry for veering OT!:o)

Edited January 18, 2016 by wwcruisers

[terigo]

We had the ultimate dining package on the Equinox and had planned to divide up our dining between Murano, Tuscan and Silk Harvest for the 2 weeks we were on the ship.

The first night we went to Murano, and it was superb, both in cuisine and service.

Second night at Tuscan, my husband ordered a rib steak medium rare(this is a steak house, no?) and after a long wait, having to request bread 3 times, and looking around for someone to bring us iced tea for the entire time, our dinners finally arrived. In fairness, the appetizer ravioli was very good. now we come to the entree. My shrimp was cooked to the rubber band stage, they were so over done, and my husband's steak was well done. My husband requested a replacement steak done correctly and the waiter actually told him that it was the lighting in the restaurant that made the meat look browner than it was. Did the lighting also make it tougher?

Neither my husband nor I enjoy sending food back, but between my shrimp and his steak, we just couldn't eat it.

You know what the worst part was? The chef came out and said he knew my shrimp were overdone and apologized. What? You KNEW the shrimp were wrong and sent them out anyway? So we're just stupid Americans who won't know the difference?

After that we ate once at Silk Harvest, and then the rest of our dinners at Murano. The waiter (we had the same one every night) said he knew it could get boring ordering for 12 days off the same menu, so he said the chef would make some special off-menu dishes for us for the remaining days. The Waiter, the food, the ambience, and the maitre d were 5 star all the way. I can't praise Murano high enough, and haven't a good thing to say about Tuscan except the Ravioli are good.

Oh yeah, I mentioned the ravioli to our waiter at Murano. the next night he brought both my husband and I the Tuscan ravioli. So now we missed NOTHING from the Tuscan Grill

[CruisinNole]

Our dining experience at Tuscan on the Silhouette this past Christmas was the best we have ever had. Food and service were exceptional. We have had poor service and food at Murano a number of times on other ships and no longer dine there on any ship. You would think that the service and food would be consistent across the fleet but sadly it's not.

[2CatsInFlorida]

I would have left sooner, when the menus took 20 minutes to arrive, and before my blood pressure came to a boil.

[ICANTWAITTOCRUISE]

Just curious -- what did your room steward do/say that was rude, and why did you decide not to say something about it?

 

We are just he type that usually would not say something unless it happened a couple of times. she was fine the rest of the cruise.

It was several years ago and she said something to the effect of "you're going out so late! I needed to get in here!"

The tone was rude as well. We scurried away and apologized!

 

Obviously it did not bother us too much as we are getting ready to take it annual Celebrity cruise.