My Experience at SHARE - Ruby 3/10/16 Sailing

[lespetites]

Yes, they do charge for additional dishes.. Our experience was very disappointing. There was just the two of us and really to "share our dishes" which we do all the time when we dine out, was quite comical. My husband got the duck and I got the lobster. The duck was 1/2 of the breast. Which is 1/4 of the two breasts on a duck. I received 1/2 of a small lobster tail for a main course. The sides we each choose came in a small ramekin that was no bigger than 2 to maybe maybe 3 inches across. We did "share" these dishes an they were OK but nothing extraordinary for the price of $39. My own feelings are bring back Sabatini's, the price was much better and the food was excellent. The Menu there was very diverse and delicious. We would eat there at least twice a cruise..My husband and I dine at the Crown Grill at least 2 times a cruise at $25 a meal the price its much better and also we have never!! received a bad meal. We have tried most everything on the menu and have been most pleased with it all... I think Share is pretensious and over done! The restaurant reminded me of a cafeteria in New York we went to and was not very good.. We both like warm and inviting atmospheres and this was not one of them.. Just go and look at the venue, it is cold, too much bare wood and chrome more like a doctors office than a restaurant also because there was no carpet or drapes it was very very noisy in the venue.. thank goodness my husband and I sat next to each other instead of across from each other at the table.... The wait staff were wonderful as usual in the specialty restaurants. Its just not their fault what kind of food they are required to serve. Hope I haven't taken up too much space but one last thing.. Most people we met that had tried Share were not going to go again.. The price was way too much for the food you were given and the menu was very very limited..

Edited June 19, 2016 by lespetites
left something out...

[RocketMan275]

Yes, they do charge for additional dishes.. Our experience was very disappointing. There was just the two of us and really to "share our dishes" which we do all the time when we dine out, was quite comical. My husband got the duck and I got the lobster. The duck was 1/2 of the breast. Which is 1/4 of the two breasts on a duck. I received 1/2 of a small lobster tail for a main course. The sides we each choose came in a small ramekin that was no bigger than 2 to maybe maybe 3 inches across. We did "share" these dishes an they were OK but nothing extraordinary for the price of $39. My own feelings are bring back Sabatini's, the price was much better and the food was excellent. The Menu there was very diverse and delicious. We would eat there at least twice a cruise..My husband and I dine at the Crown Grill at least 2 times a cruise at $25 a meal the price its much better and also we have never!! received a bad meal. We have tried most everything on the menu and have been most pleased with it all... I think Share is pretensious and over done! The restaurant reminded me of a cafeteria in New York we went to and was not very good.. We both like warm and inviting atmospheres and this was not one of them.. Just go and look at the venue, it is cold, too much bare wood and chrome more like a doctors office than a restaurant also because there was no carpet or drapes it was very very noisy in the venue.. thank goodness my husband and I sat next to each other instead of across from each other at the table.... The wait staff were wonderful as usual in the specialty restaurants. Its just not their fault what kind of food they are required to serve. Hope I haven't taken up too much space but one last thing.. Most people we met that had tried Share were not going to go again.. The price was way too much for the food you were given and the menu was very very limited..

 

Appreciate your "sharing" that with us. Not surprised. Give a choice between a ship with SHARE and a ship with Sabatini's, we would, without doubt, go for the ship with Sabatini's.

[abbydancer2003]

Thanks to the OP for the review. We're going in December with a friend who at there twice on her last cruise, and she wants to go again. To me, the mains didn't sound all that good, but I'll try something. We've got, due to assorted OBCs about 70.00 a day to spend after tips, and all we pretty much spend on is tips and a small amount of drinks, so why not?

 

We get Blue Apron (meal delivery - if anyone wants to try it - PM me, I have free deliveries to give away), and our first week we had a choice of fish, which I don't eat, or eggplant, which DH doesn't eat for one of the meals. We went with the eggplant, since his issue is more texture than taste. We discovered he's just fine with it if it's highly cooked.

 

So, maybe I'll try duck, or beef cheeks, or have lobster - which I don't hate but don't particularly like.

 

I'm not sure what beef checks is like, though. Is it like innards, or meat I wonder.

[Aussieflyer]

Thanks for your review of Share. I would point out that the menu on Sun Princess is nothing like that:

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/curtis-stone/SHARE-by-Curtis-Stone-Menu-Sun.pdf

Much more limited. The uncooked items were great but the others were pretty ordinary to be honest.

It's location on Sun as well leaves a lot to be desired - in a walk through area - so not a premium dining experience at all.

I wouldn't bother going back on Sun.

[Chris86]

Thanks for your review of Share. I would point out that the menu on Sun Princess is nothing like that:

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/curtis-stone/SHARE-by-Curtis-Stone-Menu-Sun.pdf

Much more limited. The uncooked items were great but the others were pretty ordinary to be honest.

It's location on Sun as well leaves a lot to be desired - in a walk through area - so not a premium dining experience at all.

I wouldn't bother going back on Sun.

 

Looking at the pricing. Even if you choose the most expensive item for each section you don't clear over $39. Taking my party of 5. If we ordered individual items. 5 of the starters @ 18. 1 each of the salads (3 total). One each of the mains (7 in total). 2 each of the desserts ( 6 total). this equals to around $27 pp.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I do not think that is how they do it.

 

There have been a number of posts on Cruise Critic saying essentially "I wanted to make a reservation at the Crown Grill for 7 PM, but I was told there was nothing available until 8:30 PM." This points to having at least two seatings.

 

No, staggered bookings are quite common in top restaurants. They spread the bookings out throughout the night so that the kitchen has a steady work flow, not everything happening at once.

 

Dishes in the speciality restaurants are typically better presented and more complicated than in the MDR and the kitchen can presumably only handle a certain number of each course at one particular time.

[Aussieflyer]

Looking at the pricing. Even if you choose the most expensive item for each section you don't clear over $39. Taking my party of 5. If we ordered individual items. 5 of the starters @ 18. 1 each of the salads (3 total). One each of the mains (7 in total). 2 each of the desserts ( 6 total). this equals to around $27 pp.

 

It cost was printed as $39 but actually was only $29 pp - maybe because there is not the choice of dishes.

 

All dishes are very small - for starters if you are on the prix fixe you choose 2 per person - it is basically one slice of jamon per serve, 2 slices of cheese, salad is suitable for one person. The mains are OK at one per person but certainly not large; the chicken was a chicken breast with wing bone (like in a kiev but not stuffed) sliced into 3. Deserts are the usual size for onboard.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Aussieflyer

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thanks for your review of Share. I would point out that the menu on Sun Princess is nothing like that:

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/curtis-stone/SHARE-by-Curtis-Stone-Menu-Sun.pdf

Much more limited. The uncooked items were great but the others were pretty ordinary to be honest.

It's location on Sun as well leaves a lot to be desired - in a walk through area - so not a premium dining experience at all.

I wouldn't bother going back on Sun.

 

I can't figure out why they have such a different menu on Sun. The mains, in particular, aren't grabbing me at all so I'm still dithering over whether to try it on our upcoming Sun cruise. :confused:

 

Now if they'd had the duck on the menu I'd be there like a shot. :D

 

Aussieflyer - do they have the tables railed off like they have with Kai Seafood, or do other passengers just walk past right next to your table?

[Aussieflyer]

I can't figure out why they have such a different menu on Sun. The mains, in particular, aren't grabbing me at all so I'm still dithering over whether to try it on our upcoming Sun cruise. :confused:

 

Now if they'd had the duck on the menu I'd be there like a shot. :D

 

Aussieflyer - do they have the tables railed off like they have with Kai Seafood, or do other passengers just walk past right next to your table?

 

The tables are like at Kai with a balustrade between diners and walkway but you still feel a bit like a shag on a rock. Especially as it seems very few people dine there so everyone has a good look as they go past.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thanks, Aussieflyer, that makes it a bit better, but still not the greatest dining experience I would imagine. Oh well, I'll see it for myself in less than three months time. :D