SHARE: Are you ready for a $49 cover charge?

[PenguinLife]

2PBears beat me to the comment, although it is not just on Grand it is industry wide. As it stands now I can get better tasting food within walking distance of my house than most of the stuff served in the MDR's and at a price that is far less than the upcharge currently in discussion for the speciality dining. What the cruise lines and the passengers need to remember is these charges are an upcharge on top of what the passengers have already paid to get MDR quality level of food.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Share will have been added to the Coral when we sail in January, and no way will we pay a $49 up charge per person. We will most likely do the Bayou Cafe, that is it.

[XBGuy]

Nope: that's not for a couple. $49 is the cover charge per person. For a couple that would be $98.

 

Want an additional entrée? There's a charge for that too!

 

I disembarked from Emerald on 11/21 and had visited Adagio nightly and Sabatini's twice for dinner.

 

My information came from several staff members -- who despite my dumbfounded stare-- assured me they weren't joking.

 

When I reminded myself that I saw online the GastroPub lunch menu with a $19 cover, I reasoned that maybe the staff was sincere.

 

For those who dine in Princess Specialty Restaurants, what are your thoughts? Will you visit Share with a $49/pp cover? Just once to try it? Eat there regularly if you like it? Not even once?

 

In your reply, please include your past frequency of use (i.e. "I always eat in Crown Grill/Sabatini's/Sterling/Bayou each at least once, only for a special occasion, multiple times, etc.")

 

If you NEVER eat in Specialty Restaurants, please start your own thread explaining your reasoning, rather than cluttering this one up. Thank you.

 

We dine in the specialty restaurants 60-70% of the time. The other days we dine in our room. We love the UBD and, while the room service menu is pretty weak, it's nice to have a simple meals every now and again. (My carried-on wine makes any meal enjoyable.) We just do not like the production oriented ambience of the dining rooms, and my wife, the germophobe, will not do any buffet, whereas, I am in the HC, solo, for every breakfast. We will visit the Alfredo's pizzeria if it is available, but it was not on our last couple of cruises.

 

So, that is where I am coming from.

 

To the OP, help me out a bit. It sounds like you did not ever pay $49 pp on your visits to Sabbatini's. Do I have that correct?

 

Regarding the $49 pp rate that the staff told you about, was that for the new Shares restaurant, or would that be for the Crown Grill and surviving Sabbatini's, also?

 

I guess I can see Princess wanting to give the new Shares restaurant, which they are already pumping with a fair amount of pre-opening publicity, more of a Thorstein Veblen appeal by pricing it higher. If people pay it, then they are right. If people don't pay it, then they can back off a bit.

 

I agree with the poster who said something to the effect that Princess will pay whatever the market will bear.

 

On the other hand, though, my experience is that I have never seen either Crown Grill or Sabbatini's "fully engaged." On formal nights they will come close to having all the tables filled, but, if one is willing to be a bit flexible on the reservation time, a table can be had. Typically, both rooms are about half full. If they can't fill it at $25 pp, I don't see how they can attract more guests at $49 pp. Of course, maybe they don't want to attract more guests. Maybe, they just want to increase their margin. If the number of guests declines, they can cut the number of servers.

 

Anyway, if the $49 pp charge is for all their restaurants, I agree that it would be a negative effect on the frequency of my visits. As somebody has already mentioned, that is the same price as the UBD. I might as well do that twice instead of only once on a cruise. The appeal for me in the specialty restaurants is the service level and the ambience. At $25 pp Sabbatini's or Crown Grill can meet my expections. I would be OK with $30 pp. I have a built-in expectation that each year everything is more expensive. I think I have problem at $49 pp for one of the Crown Grill's chewy steaks no matter how charming the server may be.

[WISH84]

We always eat at the Crown Grill.. we plan to eat there three times next week.

 

I would not however even venture into Share at that price.

[jlf1]

Princess sent s survey out last week asking if people would be willing to pay $30 something for it so hopefully the $49 is just a rumour

 

Princess sent me a survey last week and the suggested cover charge was $49 for the new Curtis Stone "Share" restaurant. The survey included a menu that was not exciting at all. Wine would be extra.

 

I indicated that there was no way that I would go to that restaurant and that they better rethink the menu.

 

sorry, I didn't think to keep a copy of the menu.

 

Judy

Edited November 30, 2015 by jlf1

[XBGuy]

Doh!

 

:mad:

 

Sometimes, I swear I'm taking stupid pills. I just noticed the title to this thread, and, clearly, the OP was stating that the cover for the Share restaurant would be $49, and he did not state anything about the cover for Crown Grill or Sabbatini's (if it survives in any form) would change.

 

So, to answer his question, directly, while I have not read anything that excites me about this new restaurant concept. I would spend $98 for my wife and I to try it once. That result of that test would determine whether I would do it again.

[RocketMan275]

From what I've read and heard about Share, I think 99 cents would be a fair price. Normally, we do Sabatini's once if we also do a UBD, twice if no UBD.

[USNUZULOOSE]

To me that is a steep price. I would not do it. We tried Crown Grill and enjoyed the food. I would do CG again first.

[Astro Flyer]

Princess sent s survey out last week asking if people would be willing to pay $30 something for it so hopefully the $49 is just a rumour

 

Princess sent me a survey last week and the suggested cover charge was $49 for the new Curtis Stone "Share" restaurant. The survey included a menu that was not exciting at all. Wine would be extra.

 

I indicated that there was no way that I would go to that restaurant and that they better rethink the menu.

 

sorry, I didn't think to keep a copy of the menu.

 

Judy

There's no way I'd pay $49/pp for SHARE and based on the proposed menu we wouldn't even dine at SHARE for $25/pp. :eek:

 

On the Crown in October the $19/pp menu for the Salty Dog is another thing we'll never do.

 

I'm for changing things but neither of these changes are an improvement for us. :( We go to the Crown Grill on each cruise & sometimes to Sabatini's so we don't mind paying a reasonable amount for a menu we enjoy. We even enjoyed the $20/pp Crab Shack but SHARE & Salty Dog are nothing we'll ever do.

 

The $40 Winemakers Dinner on the Royal & Regal is great and they should expand it fleetwide. The Chef's Table succeeded before the Lumiere dining area & the Winemakers Dinner would also succeed even without the wine cellar area of the dining room.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[KiwiFunCruiser]

I'll try not to clutter up the thread! Vote is no.

[dandonna]

$49 per person for Curtis Stone???

Who is he? Will he personally be there cooking for me???

Why would I pay this?

We have enjoyed both Crown Grill and Sabbatinis one night each on our cruises but once they go beyond $25 per person we will be passing on specialty restaurants. :(

[Husky61]

We dine on a regular basis at Ruth's Chris and the bill is always significantly more than $49 a person. If the new Share restaurant is as good Ruth's Chris, then we would certainly dine there on a regular basis.:)

[sail7seas]

I most certainly would want to see the menu, see at least photos of the restaurant and know what is so special about it before choosing to spend $49 pp for specialty restaurant. That being said, my late DH and I always went to alternative restaurants at least 3 times a week while on most of our cruises.

 

If it was on a par with a Ruth's Chris, Morton's, Capital Grille or the like, it would be worth it. (but it likely will not be).

 

If the menu is special enough and reports about it are raves, then I would go. :)

Edited December 1, 2015 by sail7seas

[IECalCruiser]

Some one earlier had posted that a $39/person charge was being considered for SHARE and now that might be $49/person. It was a no for us at $39/person and is a double no at $49/person. We have done the $20 Crab Shack twice, we often eat at least once at the Crown Grill at $25/person and we will probably try the Salty Dog Gastropub at least once at $19/person but I don't want to spend $98/couple for dinner unless it is another $100/couple ultimate balcony dinner.

[Mommypig]

$49 per person is a tad steep for us. On a couple of short cruises if our dining companions wanted to go to Crowne Grill as a group we would do it, but generally we don't spend the extra money. On long cruises we might do it a time or two, but I prefer to do the Chefs Table over the specialty dining.

 

I did however spring for the Ultimate Dining Package on Norwegian that for $80 pp gave us a reserved seating in any of their 6 specialty restaturants for the entire cruise. Since Norwegian has no traditional dining, all anytime, this was the only way we could do dinner reservations based on when we wanted to eat.

 

Linda

[floridalover5623]

I don't know how many of the posters here have tried the 3 Curtis Stone meals they now offer on the standard menu but I've had 2 of the 3 and they were both terrible. I couldn't force myself to order the third meal.

Plus the fact they they've removed the always available items to boot. :(

They now expect me to spring for $49 per person for the new restaurant?

Good luck with that one. ;);)

[clairebearinaus]

Here in his native Australia, Curtis Stone is best known for promoting a supermarket chain and their 'feed your family on a budget' campaign. If he has a restaurant here somewhere, I've never heard of it.

 

I'm struggling to associate him with fine dining and anything I'd be willing to part with that kind of money for. UBD sounds like a much better buy.

 

ETA: and the Curtis Stone dish I ate in the MDR was very ordinary.

Edited December 1, 2015 by clairebearinaus

[lovevacadays]

Very doubtful that I would pay 49.00. I think 30.00 would probably be my limit.

[mr green]

I hate to say it, but, IMO Princess seems to be getting worse!

Or, is this @49.00 bit just a 'Trial Balloon?'

 

john

[ccruisequeen]

I never pay for food, except for a sodas and more card. Too much free food available.

I did pay for lobster on carnival, but that's because they don't have any on shorter cruises.

 

 

 

I still cruise for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake (with 2 sugar free ice creams), lobster, and Creme brulee!

[Paula_MacFan]

We usually eat at the CG once or twice on a 7-day cruise. There's no way I would pay $49 pp to try Share.

[sonomaphil]

I must admit that even though I consider myself a "foodie" when I read the name Curtis Stone my reaction was "Who?".

 

I did my search and best I can come up with is he is a TV personality who does bits on the "Today" show in the USA. It appears his claim to fame is being good looking and got himself on TV.

 

I'll put him in the category of a mildly upscale Guy Fieri or Rachel Ray or Giada. In other words, appealing to the great masses who cruise and don't post here.

Edited December 1, 2015 by sonomaphil

[riclop]

No thanks.

[Woobstr112G]

A $49.00 cover for communal food:eek:, I think not.....

 

Bob

[shredie]

Guess I'd better be careful not to "clutter up the thread." :rolleyes: Nope. Won't spend $49 to eat in SHARE. Not gonna happen.