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

[laughing husky]

I probably would try it once....I usually eat in a specialty restaurant once or twice during a cruise....and I gave up the chef's table when it hit $95.00...however, I don't think that no matter how good it is, I would do it more than once on a cruise. I think that $49.00/pp is just a bit much for the cruising masses when there is a lot of good food, if not gourmet food, included in the cost of the cruise.

[Shelly97060]

No we wouldn't pay 49 pp for Share. We usually eat in specialty dining a couple of times per seven day cruise.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Shelly97060

[4cats4me]

No, we won't be inclined to pay $49 per head to dine in a specialty. We feel that $20-25 pp is a reasonable amount for Crown grill but wouldn't really want to pay much more

 

 

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[notentirelynormal]

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

 

Bob

 

That is part of what throws me off. I don't want to be forced to share my food as part of the experience. It is one thing to say, "do you want to try a bite" and another to say you will share. If you check out the pictures on the website, there is barely enough for one person let alone two and I'm a small eater. The menu for SHARE though just didn't excite me and the portions were small. Have you guys seen the pictures. The salad was about 10 bites max. So you spend $100 to come away hungry. Not for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I rarely go to the pay restaurants as I feel there is enough food on board to keep me happy although last cruise we were going to go to the steakhouse but ran out of time. Sabatinis was too much seafood and we didn't enjoy the experience. We barely had enough to fill anyone of the four of us at the table but I think we had a bad experience. We weren't given choices. They brought stuff to the table and told us that was what we got.

 

I do like the Chef's table and would do that again in a heartbeat though.

[GUT2407]

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. ;);)

 

 

I didn't think the food was too bad, pity about loosing other Always available though, but $49 no way.

[GUT2407]

thought the quality mproved in the 2nd week or so that it was on the menu, maybe a bit of bedding in required, but still not $49 when say Stirling s $25.

[Colin B]

I assume that is $USD49? That makes it $AUD70 each :eek:which will buy me a meal to remember and wine to match at any one of a dozen top-class restaurants here in Perth. I can't see me paying that much for a meal on my cruise and I don't care who is banging the pans in the kitchen.

[GUT2407]

I don't care who is banging the pans in the kitchen.

 

 

And it wont be Curtis, just some Princess cook following a recipe

[floridalover5623]

I didn't think the food was too bad, pity about loosing other Always available though, but $49 no way.

I guess I should have stated that they used curry + some other spices which on his dishes which turns me off. The food was prepared OK. It was the taste that turned me off. Make sense.

I guess you can't please everyone.

On this past trip on the Royal we had all intentions of going to both Sabatini's and Crown Grill once but the food was so good in both the DR & buffet we did feel the extra cost was worth it.

[GUT2407]

I guess I should have stated that they used curry + some other spices which on his dishes which turns me off. The food was prepared OK. It was the taste that turned me off. Make sense.

I guess you can't please everyone.

On this past trip on the Royal we had all intentions of going to both Sabatini's and Crown Grill once but the food was so good in both the DR & buffet we did feel the extra cost was worth it.

 

 

I wonder if all ships had the same CS dishes added,

 

we had

 

Chicken Pot Pie (it improved first day I think they lost the chicken.

Pork Belly

Veal (or so they said) Occo Busso

[f15258]

We usually attend a specialty restaurant once during the cruise on formal night or when we can't get into the regular dining room. Would never even consider paying $98.00 on dinner for two on a cruise ship in a specially restaurant.

[pablo222]

A year or two ago, Princess raised the price for the chefs table.

 

There were many, many posts here about how no one would go

because it was to expensive.

 

There was one poster who returned from a cruise and announced

that the chef's table on his cruise was not full. Therefore, it

was too expensive, and (I guess) all future cruises on all princess

ships would suffer the same fate.

 

Now, things are back to normal, and people post lamenting that

they have to race on board to be the first to book the sanctuary

and chef's table. The price increase was never rolled-back.

(seems like there is room for princess to raise those prices)

 

So, $49 for share? Princess can adjust the price as needed.

If the restuarant is full at $25, and only half full at $50, the

$50 is probably a better price point. Lower food costs, and

less labor.

Edited December 1, 2015 by pablo222

[IECalCruiser]

I wonder if all ships had the same CS dishes added,

 

we had

 

Chicken Pot Pie (it improved first day I think they lost the chicken.

Pork Belly

Veal (or so they said) Occo Busso

Do you remember what other options were on the anytime menu in addition to the CS dishes? Recently they have typically had salmon, chicken, beef medallions, tri-tip and a hamburger.

[tampacruiser]

If you have sailed on any or Royal Caribbean Oasis class ship and ate at 150 Central Park, that too had a 50.00 cover. It was a much more personalized service, with a celebrity chefs name behind the menu. With that being said we dined there and it was one of our most enjoyable meals. Again as others have said, pricing will depend on how it does. If they fill seats at 49.00 then 49.00 it will be. If they consistently have empty tables, they may rethink their pricing....Either way even at 100.00 a couple in the grand scheme of all you paid for the cruise, airfare,etc...is that extra 100.00 really going to break the bank? If so then there is always the MDR.

[floridalover5623]

Either way even at 100.00 a couple in the grand scheme of all you paid for the cruise, airfare,etc...is that extra 100.00 really going to break the bank?

 

It's not that it will break us but the fact that they want $100 plus tip for that "special" meal while the regular dining room is perfectly fine with us. ;)

[RocketMan275]

If you have sailed on any or Royal Caribbean Oasis class ship and ate at 150 Central Park, that too had a 50.00 cover. It was a much more personalized service, with a celebrity chefs name behind the menu. With that being said we dined there and it was one of our most enjoyable meals. Again as others have said, pricing will depend on how it does. If they fill seats at 49.00 then 49.00 it will be. If they consistently have empty tables, they may rethink their pricing....Either way even at 100.00 a couple in the grand scheme of all you paid for the cruise, airfare,etc...is that extra 100.00 really going to break the bank? If so then there is always the MDR.

 

I have admit that I think the concept of Share is even more of a put off than the price quoted here. I'm so put off by the concept that I think it is over priced at 99 cents.

 

I would prefer to share a table with 12 strangers in the buffet more than I would enjoy sharing a table in this venue. All 12 of us could each fill a plate at the serving stations and then pass the plates around the table and save $49 per person.

[msmoger]

It's not that it will break us but the fact that they want $100 plus tip for that "special" meal while the regular dining room is perfectly fine with us. ;)

 

No tip is added to the surcharge in the specialty restaurants. Tipping extra if you choose is at your discretion.

[JimmyVWine]

A year or two ago, Princess raised the price for the chefs table.

 

There were many, many posts here about how no one would go

because it was to expensive.

 

There was one poster who returned from a cruise and announced

that the chef's table on his cruise was not full. Therefore, it

was too expensive, and (I guess) all future cruises on all princess

ships would suffer the same fate.

 

Now, things are back to normal, and people post lamenting that

they have to race on board to be the first to book the sanctuary

and chef's table. The price increase was never rolled-back.

(seems like there is room for princess to raise those prices)

 

So, $49 for share? Princess can adjust the price as needed.

If the restuarant is full at $25, and only half full at $50, the

$50 is probably a better price point. Lower food costs, and

less labor.

Huge difference between the Chef's Table and a Specialty Restaurant. The Chef's Table is offered once in a 7 day cruise. They need only find 8-10 takers out of 3,000-4,000 passengers to fill the table. If a Specialty Restaurant does 100 covers a night times 7 nights, they need to find 700 takers out of 3,000-4,000 people. Or perhaps 500 takers with some being repeat customers. (But the latter assumes that the food is good enough to draw people back more than once per cruise.) While I am not prepared to say that the small sample size represented in this thread portends doom for the $49 fee, I am prepared to say that the price hike at the Chef's Table is in no way indicative of what will happen with Share.

[JimmyVWine]

I have admit that I think the concept of Share is even more of a put off than the price quoted here. I'm so put off by the concept that I think it is over priced at 99 cents.

 

This, more than anything. I am willing to pay $25 for a menu that includes better cuts of meat, steaks, veal chops, lobster tails and the like. But I just don't see the "luxury" ingredients on the Share menu that would get me to bite (pun intended) at $49. The menu is "different" to be sure. But not particularly luxurious.

[gambit57]

It's beyond my price pain threshhold.

 

I basically compare it to prices on land. At $25/pp, that's still an incredibly good deal when compared to a shore based restaurant.

 

At $49/pp, you've just moved into the price range of good restaurants back on land. I never forget that I've paid a certain amount for food from my base fare, so $49 is too rich for me.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of foodies who will happily pay that though. It's just beyond my threshold.

[RocketMan275]

This, more than anything. I am willing to pay $25 for a menu that includes better cuts of meat, steaks, veal chops, lobster tails and the like. But I just don't see the "luxury" ingredients on the Share menu that would get me to bite (pun intended) at $49. The menu is "different" to be sure. But not particularly luxurious.

 

I don't remember seeing the actual menu for Share. Where might it be found?

[geoherb]

We might try it once at $49 per person. The Chef's Table has priced itself out of our range since we've had the experience.

[anthonyy7]

I will not pay $49pp for any specialty restaurant. I think $25pp is very reasonable for Crown Grill. I very much enjoyed my experience there and hope to eat there at least 2x on my next cruise. I will not miss Sabatini's

[JimmyVWine]

I don't remember seeing the actual menu for Share. Where might it be found?

I haven't read an actual hard copy of a menu, but here is an excerpt from one of the many press releases:

 

The SHARE dining experience encourages connecting with family, friends and other cruisers by offering intriguing dishes served family style. Designed by Chef Stone, the menu features dishes such as a Charcuterie starter course; Butter Roasted Lobster with Caramelized Endive and Endive Foam; Twice Cooked Duck Leg with Fennel, Bacon jus and Parmesan Crumb; Tagliatelle with Roasted Alaskan Crab, Chili and Parsley; and Dark Chocolate Cremeux with Toasted Hazelnut Feuilletine and Burnt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

While that does sound more appealing than the MDR offerings, nothing there screams "$24 more than what you pay at the Crown Grill for Ribeye and Lobster Tails". And the Norman Love desserts are free throughout the ship, and are very, very good. I don't need to pay extra for Curtis Stone's Burnt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. If he had all of the talent that we are supposed to believe he had, he would have taken the Vanilla Beans off the heat a little sooner before they became Burnt!

[dickinson]

I would not pay that much to eat in ANY restaurant… never mind on a cruise ship where I have technically already paid for a meal to eat in any of the no extra charge venues.

 

I have paid to eat in Crown Grill and will do so again at $25/person. (1x/cruise)