Which has better specialtiy dining: RCI or Celebrity?

[gdpups]

Celebrity has an ultimate dining package that is only available when you board the ship, so that might be something you might want to consider if you pick a Celebrity ship. I've had it two times, but I'd only recommend it on one of the ships that has 4 specialty restaurants, Reflection and Silhouette.

 

We're sailing on the RCL Anthem in September and after reading reviews about the included restaurants we've booked specialty restaurants for the all nine nights. I tend to prefer the ships with lots of speciality restaurant choices, but then I also pick cruises based on itinerary. If that's the case on a Celebrity ship without 4 specialty restaurnts I'll book an Aqua cabin and dine in Blu or a suite and dine in Luminae.

[Aquahound]

My opinion...I think Celebrity has the better steakhouse and RCI has the better Italian restaurant.

[TLCOhio]

While we have not yet sailed on RCI, I can submit to the "Court of Food Tasting" some of my "photo evidence" for a little of what we sampled on the Celebrity Solstice in two of the speciality dining locations. Look good?? More food, entertainment, ship life, etc., can be seen below on the live/blog for this "down under" adventure.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 151,312 views for this posting.

 

 

For dining in Tuscan Grille on the Solstice in January 2014 while sailing from Australia to New Zealand, we started with a nice glass of sparkling Italian wine (Prosecco Spumanti). Fun, especially as the glass kept being re-filled!! Only one bread stick (got to save room for the later “good stuff). My first choice for “primi piatti” was this pictured crab cake with a good sauce. It’s called Polpette do Granchio. Roasted pepper caponata and basil emulsion. The main course was Lobster Papardella Alfredo (not shown here). But, the best is always saved for last . . . a nicely designed and super tasting of this Italian favorite, Tiramisu. I also had some Limoncello to top off the dining delights. Did we like it all? Absolutely!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My wife and I ordered Châteaubriand for two at Murano. Here is it being prepared table-side. The second pictures shows how it looked on my plate with its fricassée of baby vegetables. There were the options of Béarnaise & Cabernet sauce. I had to be fair and could not choose between these two great options. Solution? How to decide? Have BOTH!! Great decision!!:

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, the choice was Grand Marnier soufflé. The sauce? Crème Anglaise á la Gousse Tahitienne.:

 

[shipshape sam]

The "Ocean Liner" restaurants (Normandie, Olympic, Ile de France and United States) are no more on Celebrity. They have been replaced with the grill.

 

Such a shame! We had many a great dinner there, mostly in United States with cruising friends and friends we just met on our cruises. Loved the quiet, elegant atmosphere. Loved the service and conversations. Food for us was always very good.

 

Can only hope replacements are as good.

[vespertino]

Such a shame! We had many a great dinner there, mostly in United States with cruising friends and friends we just met on our cruises. Loved the quiet, elegant atmosphere. Loved the service and conversations. Food for us was always very good.

 

Can only hope replacements are as good.

 

I'm disappointed also, while I understand change is the nature of things, I can't help feeling remorse over losing something good that probably didn't need to be replaced. I'm glad I bought the book with the recipes for the five spice encrusted venison tenderloin and the mushroom capuccinos.

[vespertino]

@TlcOhio:

 

Many thanks for the food porn! I went and followed the link to your complete review. And while it probably won't factor into my decision I must admit that it's good to know Celebrity has some very handsome waiters :)

Edited August 1, 2016 by vespertino

[ATLgirl15]

I'd also agree with the suggestion to book a suite or aqua class for the private dining room (I think on Royal its only the Oasis and Quantum class that has Coastal Kitchen). The food is a step above the MDR, service very personalized and quiet.

 

Our last Celebrity cruise they were in the process of building Luminae and offered suite guests complimentary specialty dining for every night in order to avoid MDR crowds (I really lucked out with that timing!) We tried all the restaurants but Murano and Tuscan Grill were favorites.

 

On Royal we have tried various restaurants but none recently to give an accurate opinion. I think Celebrity wins out especially if you are on S-class. But they are pricier than Royal with the per person charges.

 

I'd stay away from the steakhouses on any ship. Its not in the same league as Lugers or Del Friscos - I'd say closer to a Longhorn. My big issue is that they always overcook the steak - we like medium rare and its like they don't know what this means.

[Cruizen Susan]

Indeed this is a subjective topic. However for DH and I, Celebrity S Class specialties are superior.

[wallie5446]

DH is considering going on his first cruise with me and I'm a bit torn between Celebrity and RCI. We don't plan on eating at the MDR at all and plan to have every meal at a specialty dining venue.

 

I've only cruised once on RCI but didn't try the specialty dining. However, on Celebrity I did and I have fond memories of Normandy and Ocean Liners but that was many years ago and I don't know if it's realistic for me to expect the same experience.

 

All cruise lines have been adding a lot of specialty dining options, and I was wondering how RCI's specialty dining compared to Celebrity's. Has anyone here dined at both RCI and X's specialty restaurants and have some opinions on the food quality?

 

I see you have only sailed on the M-Class with Celebrity. The S-Class venues are more varied. Chops on RCCL had been our go to favorite for years, till we went to the Lawn Club Grill on the Reflection in 2013. We have sailed the Equinox the last 2 years, and dinned in all 3 restaurants, and the ala-carte in the GastroBar.

 

Friends have said the new Sushi 0n 5 is absolutely wonderful, greta choices and over the top in quality.

 

We like the pax ratio on the S-Class compared to 5000 ish on the new big RCCL ships.

 

ps: IMHO, putting him on a ship with a lot of others for a first cruise would spell disaster for getting him to go a second time.

Edited August 1, 2016 by wallie5446

[TLCOhio]

@TlcOhio: Many thanks for the food porn! I went and followed the link to your complete review. And while it probably won't factor into my decision I must admit that it's good to know Celebrity has some very handsome waiters :)

 

Appreciate this cute follow-up. Personally for me, I am not looking out for the cute male waiters. That's just me!! BUT, yes, your "eye" has caught and summed up well that situation/benefit as expressed in that picture. Yes, also, I do plead guilty to posting such "food porn"! It's fun to do these kind of dining visuals.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 215,053 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[keesar]

Appreciate this cute follow-up. Personally for me, I am not looking out for the cute male waiters. That's just me!! BUT, yes, your "eye" has caught and summed up well that situation/benefit as expressed in that picture. Yes, also, I do plead guilty to posting such "food porn"! It's fun to do these kind of dining visuals.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Your pictures bring back memories. I also have photos of the table side food preparers. They love to have their pictures taken!

 

Each ship is different and the dish in the menu tends to vary due to the chef preparing the dish. I think of the dish Salmon Hawaiian as an example.

[TLCOhio]

Your pictures bring back memories. I also have photos of the table side food preparers. They love to have their pictures taken! Each ship is different and the dish in the menu tends to vary due to the chef preparing the dish. I think of the dish Salmon Hawaiian as an example.

 

Great to bring back nice memories. Yes, there can be some variations, depending on the chefs working at that time of your cruise. BUT, on many dishes, the staff have pictures that show the "look" that is supposed to be achieved. Below are a few added "bonus" eye-candy samples.

 

THANKS for your follow-up and good comments! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 201,545 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

This bread item in Murano had a very unusual shape and tasted wonderful, too! Great way to start our dining experience here.:

 

 

 

Doing "quality control"? Here is the Executive Chef and the Maître D' dropping by our table to make sure that we enjoy our dining experience. The Maître D' is giving credit to the chef. Yes!!:

 

 

 

From dining in Tuscan Grille on the Solstice in January 2014 while sailing from Australia to New Zealand,here is the “warm-up dish” of Pomodora Mozzarella di Bufala. The main course was Lobster Papardella Alfredo.:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are two examples from what we tested and did during our January 2014 Silk Harvest visit. The last picture is dessert, of course!! Four different types of ice cream toppings! But, there was fruit there in the middle to keep it healthy!:

 

 

 

[vespertino]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I also re-posted this in the Royal forum and I've gotten similar opinions and suggestions on both threads: while Royal isn't bad by any means the needle is swinging in favor for Celebrity for quality/consistency in non-MDR venues. It's also a better fit in terms of ambiance, while I liked the M class back in the day I'm leaning towards S class for the extra dining options. Our schedules are up in the air for the next few months but we're hoping to be able to commit to a winter holiday cruise.

[2calgarycruisers]

If you are sailing on Oasis or Quantum Class ships I would say Royal Caribbean has better speciality dining than any Celebrity ships. If on S class I would say Celebrity is better than RC ships - other than OA or Q class.

 

It would help if you could mention which ships you are considering.

 

Just in MHO, which again is just an opinion like anyone else's, on the Oasis we ate at Chops, The Solarium and another restaurant that has been replaced. We were less than wowed, both on the food and service side - so much so that on the Explorer we only ate in the MDR and fully enjoyed it. Fully enjoyed it as in, it was exactly what we expected and was fine. We had amazing wait staff in the MDR. We are considering a 5 night dining package on our upcoming 14 night Silhouette as we haven't cruised with X before and 14 nights is a long time in the MDR with I'm guessing, repeatable menus.

[kelmac]

DH is considering going on his first cruise with me and I'm a bit torn between Celebrity and RCI. We don't plan on eating at the MDR at all and plan to have every meal at a specialty dining venue.

 

I've only cruised once on RCI but didn't try the specialty dining. However, on Celebrity I did and I have fond memories of Normandy and Ocean Liners but that was many years ago and I don't know if it's realistic for me to expect the same experience.

 

All cruise lines have been adding a lot of specialty dining options, and I was wondering how RCI's specialty dining compared to Celebrity's. Has anyone here dined at both RCI and X's specialty restaurants and have some opinions on the food quality?

 

My wife and I have dined in most of the alternative restaurants on both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. This is how I would rate them:

 

#1 Ocean Liners (X)

#2 Murano (X)

#3 Jamie's (RCL)

#4 Tuscan Grill (X)

#5 Lawn Grill (X)

#6 Giovanni's (RCL)

#7 Qsine (X)

#8 Chops Grill (RCL)

#9 all the others....,

 

MDR, Blu, and the buffet are much better on Celebrity. Central Park and Two70 has great stuff on RCL.

This way sound strange, but over all the alternative restaurants on NCL offer a much bigger bang for the buck compared to either X or RCL. We always eat every evening meal in their alternatives; breakfast/lunch in their MDR, and avoid the buffet completely. Don't like any of Princesse's alternative restaurants. Cunard's and HAL's alternatives are limited, and just ok. Oceania and Azamara have wonderful alternatives, but cruise prices are very expensive.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[kdawg954]

My one 3 day on Celebrity by far had better tasting food than any of my other cruises in terms of "free dining". Had no reason to look for anything paid.

 

I thought the Allure had the worst food for "free dining" of all my cruises but Chops, Izumi, Giovanni's and Sabor were fantastic. If I do Oasis again, I would only do it on the premise of speciality dining every meal. MDR was terrible.

[Andy]

My one 3 day on Celebrity by far had better tasting food than any of my other cruises in terms of "free dining". Had no reason to look for anything paid.

 

I thought the Allure had the worst food for "free dining" of all my cruises but Chops, Izumi, Giovanni's and Sabor were fantastic. If I do Oasis again, I would only do it on the premise of speciality dining every meal. MDR was terrible.

 

Hi Kdawg,

 

I agree. IMO, Celebrity's specialty dining is outstanding, and far better than RCCL. We sailed on Allure a few weeks ago, and rate the specialty dining as follows : Samba Grill (good not great), Chops (excellent) and Izumi (very good). With thst said, specialty dining was far better than the Main Dining Room on Allure, where we found the cuisine mediocre at best, and our wait staff was a huge disappointment. Celebrity beats them hands down !

 

If we ever sail Allure again - which is unlikely for the next 18 months, now that Celebrity will have a Summer Caribbean with Equinox.... I'd probably try to avoid Royal's main dining room at all costs.

[Oville]

Hi Kdawg,

 

I agree. IMO, Celebrity's specialty dining is outstanding, and far better than RCCL. We sailed on Allure a few weeks ago, and rate the specialty dining as follows : Samba Grill (good not great), Chops (excellent) and Izumi (very good). With thst said, specialty dining was far better than the Main Dining Room on Allure, where we found the cuisine mediocre at best, and our wait staff was a huge disappointment. Celebrity beats them hands down !

 

If we ever sail Allure again - which is unlikely for the next 18 months, now that Celebrity will have a Summer Caribbean with Equinox.... I'd probably try to avoid Royal's main dining room at all costs.

 

Hi Andy, you should have tried 150 Park, in our opinion the best speciality restaurant on the high seas.

 

And yes, if you are on Oasis or Allure there is no reason to step foot into the MDR or Windjammers for any meals. We also love Chops, Izumi and the tapas at Vintages for dinner. Breakfast at the Park Café is our choice.

 

Hope all is well with you,

 

Katie

[Andy]

Hi Andy, you should have tried 150 Park, in our opinion the best speciality restaurant on the high seas.

 

And yes, if you are on Oasis or Allure there is no reason to step foot into the MDR or Windjammers for any meals. We also love Chops, Izumi and the tapas at Vintages for dinner. Breakfast at the Park Café is our choice.

 

Hope all is well with you,

 

Katie

 

Hi Katie,

 

Always nice to hear from you. All is well here, other than my home being unliveable for over 4 months now.... but I'm hoping to be back in about a month. Can't wait !

 

I absoultely wanted to try 150 Central park, but was outvoted by my family members. They thought the menu was a little too much for them - and not things they would consider eating. I'm more adventurous - but I will absolutely try and convince them next time.

 

BTW, forgot to mention Windjammers. To say the food was horrible, isn't enough. Not only didn't many of the items taste good, but the lack of visual appeal, was nothing short of gross. We went once, took about 20 minutes to get a table - then had a horrible meal ! Every other day, we had lunch at the Park Cafe, and totally enjoyed the cuisine - gotta love the Kummelweck sandwich at the Park Cafe - it's not to be missed. I only wish that Celebrity would offer it on their ships.

 

All the best to you, and I hope to see you, on a future Celebrity cruise.

Edited August 6, 2016 by Host Andy

[riclop]

DH is considering going on his first cruise with me and I'm a bit torn between Celebrity and RCI. We don't plan on eating at the MDR at all and plan to have every meal at a specialty dining venue.

 

I've only cruised once on RCI but didn't try the specialty dining. However, on Celebrity I did and I have fond memories of Normandy and Ocean Liners but that was many years ago and I don't know if it's realistic for me to expect the same experience.

 

All cruise lines have been adding a lot of specialty dining options, and I was wondering how RCI's specialty dining compared to Celebrity's. Has anyone here dined at both RCI and X's specialty restaurants and have some opinions on the food quality?

 

RCI by a long mile.