Embarkation dinner in specialty restaurant on Emerald Princess

[Debbdo]

We are in a suite on our September Alaska cruise and one of the 'perks' is embarkation dinner in one of the specialty restaurants. Anyone have any experience of this in either Share or Crown Grill? Having never cruised on a ship with these two specialty restaurant options, I am not sure which is the better option. I have looked at both menus so I more looking for advise as far as quality of food and service.

Thanks!

[TheRabbit]

We are in a suite on our September Alaska cruise and one of the 'perks' is embarkation dinner in one of the specialty restaurants. Anyone have any experience of this in either Share or Crown Grill? Having never cruised on a ship with these two specialty restaurant options, I am not sure which is the better option. I have looked at both menus so I more looking for advise as far as quality of food and service.

Thanks!

Not Familiar with Share, but we have eaten at the Crown on several cruises, and will go back there again as the food is great. Every steak I have had there was a 10+.

[moki'smommy]

Crown Grill was really good. I've never eaten at Share.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I loved Share when it was the older menu but haven't tried the new one. We eat at The Crown Grill at least 2 times on each sailing so really enjoy that as well. Very different menus with The Crown Grill being your typical steakhouse menu. I do so love the black and blue soup.

 

Have you looked at the Share menu to see if anything on there appeals to you?

[KevintheIrishDJ]

Just got back from a B2B. There was a BOGO coupon for the Crown Grill for Embarkation day only.

[XBGuy]

We dine often--multiple times per cruise--in the specialty restaurants. Last month we were on the Emerald Princess, and, as is our usual, dined in both SHARE and Crown Grill multiple times.

 

I have to say, I prefer SHARE. I just enjoy the food better. My wife does not care for SHARE as much as I do, because she just thinks there is too much to eat. This, of course, makes no sense to me. You can decline courses, and nobody forces you to eat everything off your plate. The food is rich, though, and, so, I can see how that is filling to her.

 

The Crown Grill on the Emerald Princess was also good. In all honesty, I can't give unequivocal raves to Crown Grill steaks like many do. I have had some excellent steaks, there, but I have also had some pretty mediocre ones--chewy and lacking in flavor. I have to say that the Porterhouse that I had on our last cruise was quite good. The best meal I had at the Crown Grill last month, though, was the Chilean Sea Bass--very tasty.

 

A shout out to the Crown Grill chef from our last cruise--a very gregarious and engaging guy. He actually came out of the galley and chatted with the diners. Sadly, I can't say that I have seen that very often, before, on Princess cruises.

 

My biggest complaint about the Crown Grill, and this is really a nit, was one server, who, while friendly and courteous, always seemed to be rushing our meal. The main reason we have most of out dinners in the specialty restaurants is because we like to dine, not just eat. I am very happy to sit for a few minutes between courses to chat and sip my wine. It seems that the millisecond I put down my fork on my appetizer plate, it was swept away with one hand and with the other hand the salad was placed in front of me. First world problem.

 

I'm confident that you will have a great cruise, Debbdo.

[abbydancer2003]

On our upcoming Alaska cruise we actually have two free specialty - one for the suite and one for booking this in the first two weeks of the Sip and Sail. If you have that, go to Share for the freebie on Embarkation night because the Sip and Sail one is only worth 29.00 so there would be an upcharge in Share, but not in the Crown Grill.

 

(And if you are considering both - do Share on Embarkation because it's 10.00 more).

[honeyclair]

Just got back from a B2B. There was a BOGO coupon for the Crown Grill for Embarkation day only.

 

Where did you find the BOGO coupon?

[Debbdo]

Thanks y'all! Love all the advise/recommendations I can get here from seasoned cruisers. I think we will do the freebie embarkation night at Share and then go to Crown on another night when we have to pay...saves $20.00, which I HAD not even thought about!! Thanks to abbydancer for that info!

[Ginnyfyr]

We have only been on one ship that had Share and, while the food was good, I felt it was better suited to larger groups. It was just my husband and I and I felt it was too much food for the two of us. I would opt for the Crown Grill - we have eaten there many times and have never been disappointed. If you go, try the "Crown Dependence" sampler for dessert...it's amazing and gives you a nice taste of their best desserts! And, since you're in a suite, be sure to take advantage of breakfast at Sabatini's! It's a treat!

[abbydancer2003]

We have only been on one ship that had Share and, while the food was good, I felt it was better suited to larger groups. It was just my husband and I and I felt it was too much food for the two of us. I would opt for the Crown Grill - we have eaten there many times and have never been disappointed. If you go, try the "Crown Dependence" sampler for dessert...it's amazing and gives you a nice taste of their best desserts! And, since you're in a suite, be sure to take advantage of breakfast at Sabatini's! It's a treat!

 

And on ships with Share, breakfast is in the Crown Grill. I learned on my last cruise that the contract with Curtis Stone doesn't allow for Share to be used for anything else (and for that matter, his entree's aren't supposed to be on the MDR menu).

[Debbdo]

We have only been on one ship that had Share and, while the food was good, I felt it was better suited to larger groups. It was just my husband and I and I felt it was too much food for the two of us. I would opt for the Crown Grill - we have eaten there many times and have never been disappointed. If you go, try the "Crown Dependence" sampler for dessert...it's amazing and gives you a nice taste of their best desserts! And, since you're in a suite, be sure to take advantage of breakfast at Sabatini's! It's a treat!

 

 

We were in a suite a few years ago when we did the Panama Canal...breakfast at Sabitini's was one of the highlights. I sure hope the Crown breakfast is as wonderful!

[Debbdo]

And on ships with Share, breakfast is in the Crown Grill. I learned on my last cruise that the contract with Curtis Stone doesn't allow for Share to be used for anything else (and for that matter, his entree's aren't supposed to be on the MDR menu).

 

 

What was your opinion of breakfast at Crown?

[abbydancer2003]

We were in a suite a few years ago when we did the Panama Canal...breakfast at Sabitini's was one of the highlights. I sure hope the Crown breakfast is as wonderful!

 

Should be the same. The only difference really should be the location (and if you got to Share, the tables, IMHO, are less suitable for the suite breakfast. We'll be doing our first Crown Grill suite breakfast on the Emerald the week before you.

[Debbdo]

Should be the same. The only difference really should be the location (and if you got to Share, the tables, IMHO, are less suitable for the suite breakfast. We'll be doing our first Crown Grill suite breakfast on the Emerald the week before you.

 

 

Oh great! Please come back and tell me about it! Are you going to Alaska also?

[abbydancer2003]

Oh great! Please come back and tell me about it! Are you going to Alaska also?

 

Yup. We're on the 9/2 sailing.

 

By the way, we were on the Emerald to Alaska last month (roundtrip LA) and we thought Club dining was excellent. (We had a club class mini, so no Crown Grill breakfast). Most nights there was an extra entree and the headwaiter was additionally doing something such as a special dessert or salad. He also did a pasta at lunch each day.

[azbirdmom]

We dined in Share for our freebie suite embarkation dinner in October on the Emerald. Very happy we gave it a try as it was a truly enjoyable evening. Share wasn't crowded at all on the first night either so we got to talk quite a bit to the waitstaff between courses. For the rest of the cruise they had quite a crowd there. We also had a comped specialty restaurant dinner as part of our cruise perks and used that for Crown Grill which is also excellent. But as others have pointed out, they don't charge you extra for dining at Share for the embarkation dinner but you will have to pay $10 each for using the booking specialty restaurant perk there.

[caribill]

Where did you find the BOGO coupon?

 

It would be in an onboard coupon booklet.

 

Princess has two types.

 

One everyone gets. It might be in your cabin when you board. It might be handed to you when you embark. It might be given to you at check-in. It seems to vary.

 

The other one is provided by Princess but is associated with Travel Agent promotions. So some bookings with a TA will cause you to get one. This one would be in your cabin on embarkation day.

 

I do not know which of the two type coupon books will have this coupon.

[caribill]

And on ships with Share, breakfast is in the Crown Grill. I learned on my last cruise that the contract with Curtis Stone doesn't allow for Share to be used for anything else (and for that matter, his entree's aren't supposed to be on the MDR menu).

 

I have been assuming that the Curtis Stone entree's on the MDR menu are not the same as any in Share. Even the initial publicity of the Curtis Stone agreement said there would be some of his items available in the MDR.

[abbydancer2003]

I have been assuming that the Curtis Stone entree's on the MDR menu are not the same as any in Share. Even the initial publicity of the Curtis Stone agreement said there would be some of his items available in the MDR.

 

I've seen them on the Star and Crown, and not the same as Share. On our last cruise at the CC meeting some of the officers were there (Passenger services, entertainment and hotel I think) and a question was asked about Alfredo's in Sabatini's. They pointed out that the Emerald doesn't have Sabatini's and that they couldn't use Share for anything except being Share. That's when they said that they couldn't serve the Curtis Stone entrees on the ships with Share, only those without.

[abbydancer2003]

It would be in an onboard coupon booklet.

 

Princess has two types.

 

One everyone gets. It might be in your cabin when you board. It might be handed to you when you embark. It might be given to you at check-in. It seems to vary.

 

The other one is provided by Princess but is associated with Travel Agent promotions. So some bookings with a TA will cause you to get one. This one would be in your cabin on embarkation day.

 

I do not know which of the two type coupon books will have this coupon.

 

I got mine in TA promotion. I've never seen it in the "Passport to Savings" book everyone gets.

[XBGuy]

Thanks y'all! Love all the advise/recommendations I can get here from seasoned cruisers. I think we will do the freebie embarkation night at Share and then go to Crown on another night when we have to pay...saves $20.00, which I HAD not even thought about!! Thanks to abbydancer for that info!

 

Good strategy. I hadn't considered the price difference. That Abbey is pretty sharp.

 

The only time, so far, we've sailed in a suite, it was on the Ruby Princess--and where I met Abbey--which, also, does not have a Sabatini's. I'd forgotten about the Suite Breakfast which was held in the Crown Grill. In my opinion, the suite breakfast is the absolute best amenity that comes with a suite. It is just so civilized. My wife likes to sleep in. So, I always go to breakfast alone. The servers, and the headwaiter, would just go out of their way to pamper me.

 

We have a suite booked for our next cruise--also on the Ruby Princess--in December. I'm getting excited about the suite breakfast.

[Debbdo]

Good strategy. I hadn't considered the price difference. That Abbey is pretty sharp.

 

The only time, so far, we've sailed in a suite, it was on the Ruby Princess--and where I met Abbey--which, also, does not have a Sabatini's. I'd forgotten about the Suite Breakfast which was held in the Crown Grill. In my opinion, the suite breakfast is the absolute best amenity that comes with a suite. It is just so civilized. My wife likes to sleep in. So, I always go to breakfast alone. The servers, and the headwaiter, would just go out of their way to pamper me.

 

We have a suite booked for our next cruise--also on the Ruby Princess--in December. I'm getting excited about the suite breakfast.

 

 

I agree 101% about the sweet suite breakfast. It is so relaxed and stress free. A great way to start the day. My husband also likes to sleep in too, but that breakfast was one thing he got up for every day!

[abbydancer2003]

I agree 101% about the sweet suite breakfast. It is so relaxed and stress free. A great way to start the day. My husband also likes to sleep in too, but that breakfast was one thing he got up for every day!

 

One thing I really liked about it was that it was open an hour later than the dining room. We tend to sleep in a bit on cruises, so that's very nice.

[caribill]

They pointed out that the Emerald doesn't have Sabatini's and that they couldn't use Share for anything except being Share.

 

The reason Sabatini's could be used for Alfredo's at lunchtime is that the Sabatini's kitchen had the ovens that could be used to make Pizza. When converted to Share, those ovens were removed and thus Share cannot be used for the Alfredo's experience.