Steakhouse

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

I was told the Gratuities for the specialty restaurants were included in the price. It look like it is not.

Please note: Requested dates and times will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Dress Code is Cruise Elegant. Dress jeans are allowed on Cruise Casual evenings. The fee includes an appetizer, entree, dessert. Gratuities are optional and may be extended in cash or to the guest's Sail & Sign Account, at the guest's discretion. The reservation fee does not include any beverage that is normally ordered through the bar service such as wine, liquor, soda and bottled water. All dining rooms are smoke-free. Please allow 1 to 1 1/2 hours for dining experience.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I believe that most people add a little something to the bill.

[ProgRockCruiser]

20 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

Can you please explain your logic? MDR is included. Steakhouse is an option you can decline. Do you put a dollar value on the buffet or pizza?

 

I understand the logic.  The $38 + tip is the cost of the differential, not the total incurred cost.  The MDR is a "pre-paid sunk cost", so it holds some notional value.  Look at it this way: if you had a lower cruise fare but meals weren't included, how much would you pay to eat in the MDR?  $20 / night?  $10?  Whatever value you assign, add that to the $38 cost of the Steakhouse for a true reflection of the incurred cost.

 

We like the Steakhouse, I am considering booking it again for our next cruise.  But the cost is additional to the (what I consider) very good meals available in the MDR.  On top of that base cost, we will very likely indulge in a bottle upgrade if we book that first or second night, even though we have Cheers typically - so another differential cost.  But we enjoyed the Steakhouse, and are not adverse to doing it again, as mentioned.

Edited June 19, 2019 by ProgRockCruiser

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Locally at the least expensive steak house you pay $29.00 for a 12 oz NY Strip. Want an appetizer another $7.00 or so, want a cup of coffee another $2.50 or so, want a desert another $5.00 or more. Now the tax. Ours is 7% $2.55

$46.00 You do not get anywhere near the quality of steak  nor the amount of everything else as you do on the Carnival ship. The dining experience and the service is premium also. It is a very good deal and the steaks have always been excellent. It is like dining in a very exclusive steak house. Without the high price. Yes you can get a steak in the MDR. Not anywhere near the quality. remember, for that price you can get the very best steak. What does a 9oz filet mignon cost at your local steak house?

[ProgRockCruiser]

14 hours ago, twodaywonder said:

Locally at the least expensive steak house you pay $29.00 for a 12 oz NY Strip. Want an appetizer another $7.00 or so, want a cup of coffee another $2.50 or so, want a desert another $5.00 or more. Now the tax. Ours is 7% $2.55

$46.00 You do not get anywhere near the quality of steak  nor the amount of everything else as you do on the Carnival ship. The dining experience and the service is premium also. It is a very good deal and the steaks have always been excellent. It is like dining in a very exclusive steak house. Without the high price. Yes you can get a steak in the MDR. Not anywhere near the quality. remember, for that price you can get the very best steak. What does a 9oz filet mignon cost at your local steak house?

 

I guess I might sound like I'm beating a dead horse, but:

 

Imagine right next door to your steak house (where the bill is $46) is an Outback (or similar), where the entire meal is free.  Indeed, the steaks aren't as good, and the crowd is noisier, but it is free.

 

That is the comparison you need to make.

 

And as mentioned, I'd still visit the Steakhouse on occasion.

[thesmiths]

55 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

 

 

 

Imagine right next door to your steak house (where the bill is $46) is an Outback (or similar), where the entire meal is free.  Indeed, the steaks aren't as good, and the crowd is noisier, but it is free.

 

 

 

I'd pay the $46.00 if that is what I wanted to do for better food and quiet!

 

To me the cost is a choice, my choice.

Very rare for me to get out with my wife in a quiet environment and just the 2 of us.

Can't put a price on that.

 

Hell I may schedule a 2nd night now at the Steak house now that I said that..

 

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by thesmiths

[Bases5]

It's more of a Steakroom than a Steakhouse don't you think?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

37 minutes ago, thesmiths said:

I'd pay the $46.00 if that is what I wanted to do for better food and quiet!

 

To me the cost is a choice, my choice.

Very rare for me to get out with my wife in a quiet environment and just the 2 of us.

Can't put a price on that.

...

 

 

... which is why we're there every night 🙂

 

Though, on ships with other specialty options, we play the field  😄

 

Tom

[moondog73]

We have been 4 times to the steakhouse and it has never been the quiet environment everyone talks about.  Sure it is a bit quieter than the MDR but far from the quiet , relaxing meal everyone seems to talk about.  Plus as slow as the service is in the MDR, it is way slower in the Steakhouse...at least for us it was.

[thesmiths]

29 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

... which is why we're there every night 🙂

 

Though, on ships with other specialty options, we play the field  😄

 

Tom

Good for you guys!

Enjoy as you should!

 

As do we. Last 8 day we hit the dining rooms 2x.

This Sept first Steak House meal we will be celebrating my 60th...departing Grand turk

All Day at Jacks and a nice meal to end the day...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

"Imagine right next door to your steak house (where the bill is $46) is an Outback (or similar), where the entire meal is free." Please explain FREE?

My comparison is far more accurate than comparing the MDR to the Steakhouse on the ship. They do not compare. As for Outback. There steaks are about as good as the MDR. They are cheap steaks for sure and way to expensive for the quality. We no longer go there. The last expansive steak was terrible and the manager said. That is our best steak. Really. Needless to say you are correct. FREE in the MDR. Want a great steak. The steak house. When we started cruising in 1994 the MDR was totally different. The steaks, lobster, escargot, and any meal was excellent. Fast service also. Because of the cost of operating the ships and trying to keep the cost down to be available to many. There are fewer servers also. The cruise lines are offering OK dining included. Back then the massive water slides etc. were basically non existent. Adding to the fun to attract more customers. So if you want the same steak as you had back then, you will now have to pay for it. The cost on Carnival is the lowest in the industry. Other lines it is $50.00 and up.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

12 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

...When we started cruising in 1994 the MDR was totally different. The steaks, lobster, escargot, and any meal was excellent. Fast service also....

 

Very true - I can recall when we started sailing in '99 that the MDR experience was approaching "fine dining". Great service, multiple changes of plates and silverware. Back then, there was also still a sense of people dressing for the occasion, so it all went well together. Times have definitely changed - but like most "change", there's changes for the better and changes where something of value (real or perceived) is sacrificed.

 

Tom

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

I am replying to two posts. My TA told me yesterday they are included. I sent her what was on Carnivals web site. Not heard back at this time. When she gets back with me I will clear it up.

As for before, back in the good old days. remember them always cleaning ther table cloth off with that little scraper. Not happy if you said it was good. They wanted to hear excellent. The first few cruises we took we felt like Kings and Queens. That is what got us hooked on cruising. As when a child grows up. You do not notice the changes. It happens so fast. We accept it all and enjoy the changes also. But we do miss the first experience we had.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

26 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

I am replying to two posts. My TA told me yesterday they are included. I sent her what was on Carnivals web site. Not heard back at this time. When she gets back with me I will clear it up....

 

I think Carnival has sent out mixed messages over the years - so we just keep it simple, anywhere that we're paying for a meal, we tip accordingly. I know that it's appreciated, whether expected or not.

 

Tom

[rvsullivan]

The info I received this week included this:

" The Steakhouse: The dress requirements for the Steakhouse follows the dress code specified for the main dining room(s); if the evening is specified as “Cruise Casual,” shorts are not permitted. "

 

This is for an upcoming Freedom cruise but appears to be the same fleet wide.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

I know it should not, but it really does bother me when people show up at the MDR for dinner wearing a T-shirt, shorts , flip flops and a ball cap cockeyed on there head. Only one time I saw a person not able to enter. The other they told the guy to take the ball cap off. No self respect. It holds true to those that do this. I will never see any of you again so why should I care what anyone thinks.. I do not think anyone not in proper attire would be seated in any of the specialty restaurants. At least I hope so. Whatever dress is mentioned in the daily planner should be followed in the MDR or the Specialty restaurants. The buffet is a total different story.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Gratuities ARE included. What a great deal. 

[HillBilly Bob]

On 6/19/2019 at 1:14 PM, Micah's Grandad said:

sad but true. Hard enough to give good service but they are required to stop serving and perform for us 

I would rather have exceptional service rather than having them stop and force me to watch their "dog and pony" show....it really is quite boring.  

[coevan]

us too, we find it annoying, I don't remember a show with YTD. 

[Buckimion]

32 minutes ago, coevan said:

us too, we find it annoying, I don't remember a show with YTD. 

We do YTD and have seen the shows on elegant nights and the final night. Either we are out before it starts the rest of the time or they skip it. It is something we enjoy but we're not hanging around just for it.

[shof515]

i ate in the steakhouse for the first time on the sunrise. my only complaint is need to have a menu for people who have issues eating a big piece of meat. a 4oz filet mignon is better for me then the big ones they offer that is like 9oz.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

9 hours ago, shof515 said:

i ate in the steakhouse for the first time on the sunrise. my only complaint is need to have a menu for people who have issues eating a big piece of meat. a 4oz filet mignon is better for me then the big ones they offer that is like 9oz.

 

Cheryl loves the filet, but the large one was always too much. Sometimes she'd order the Surf & Turf in order to get the smaller filet (then eat some of the lobster - usually placing most of it on my plate). We tried on two different ships to see if they could just bring her the small filet (like usually comes w/the Surf & Turf) in place of the larger one. Both times they apologized, but said they could not do that due to inventory. Apparently there's a match between the number of lobsters and small filets... who knows!

 

Tom

[coevan]

13 hours ago, shof515 said:

i ate in the steakhouse for the first time on the sunrise. my only complaint is need to have a menu for people who have issues eating a big piece of meat. a 4oz filet mignon is better for me then the big ones they offer that is like 9oz.

 

 

Don't eat it all. The only time I have seen a filet that small was with the Surf and Turk. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

2 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

Don't eat it all. The only time I have seen a filet that small was with the Surf and Turk. 

Even a 6oz is small. It shrinks. 9oz is fine. Now a 14 oz NY Strip at my age is big.

[thesmiths]

8 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

Don't eat it all. The only time I have seen a filet that small was with the Surf and Turk. 

Is this served on Grand Turk night? 🙂