Ocean liners - is it worth the extra $ ?

[on my way]

Hi! We are leaving on a cruise aboard the Constellation soon, our first Celebrity cruise. We have taken 2 Princess cruises before, and have always been very impressed with the food in the main dining room. This time we thought we would try the alternative dining one night. Is it worth the extra expense?

[danblinn]

Absolutely; top notch!

[gofigure49]

Excellent Foix Gras, Lobster Risotto, Chef's chocoate dessert tray.....you betcha...worth every penny...

[MSBYRDY]

YES

Marilyn

[lysolqn]

Yes, yes, yes - the food, service and ambiance are worth a lot more than the $30 charge. Enjoy!

[Fang]

I agree YES, it is worth the extra price.

 

I have had dinner on the Olympic, SS United States and Ocean Liners. Each one was fantastic.

[aloanldy]

Where could you eat out for $30.00 with all the courses and exceptional food? I think it's well worth the money.

 

Most Definitely!!!

[BSeaBob]

The money is definitely worth the whole experience. The food is not bad either but I have never found it to be all that much better than the main restaurant. The money you pay is for the tip.......

[gregg4]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Been to all 4 of them and tehy are all worth it. Go on formal night for their specials.

[Germancruiser]

If you´ve gone one time to the Olympic, The United States, The Normandie or to Ocean Liners, you sure ask for a table another evening, you really miss something if you are not going!

Michael

[bigreckster]

Absolutely, Yes! We just returned from Connie a week ago and enjoyed our dinner in Ocean Liners. Harp music in the background, impeccable service with a nice touch of elegance yet not "stuffy" or aloof at all. The food was to die for...the best veal chop I've ever had anywhere! It's definitely worth the extra money for this experience!

[WeBeCruisin']

It's excellent! We went to the Normandie on the Summit, and when we were on the Constellation, we went to Ocean Liners twice. On the repeat visit, they gave us an extra complimentary amuse bouche for our "loyalty".

 

Unless you're some kind of impossible-to-please cheapskate wacko, you'll love it! :D

 

Allen

[Brad1185]

When they limit you to 3 courses, and cant throw in a bowl of soup, a ripoff in my opinion. $57 if you want 5 courses is crazy.

[tuggers]

As the OP said they had been on 2 Princess cruises and were impressed with the food, I submit that they are going to be so pleased with the X dining room cuisine that they should leave the specialty restaurant for another trip. There is no comparison between the X and P dining room food!

[WeBeCruisin']

When they limit you to 3 courses, and cant throw in a bowl of soup, a ripoff in my opinion. $57 if you want 5 courses is crazy.

 

Brad, it's far from a rip-off, as virtually all of the posts on this thread attest. It's hard to get a meal at TGIFriday's or Chiles for less than $30, much less one with exceptional food, service, and ambience that lasts for two to three hours.

[WeBeCruisin']

When they limit you to 3 courses, and cant throw in a bowl of soup, a ripoff in my opinion. $57 if you want 5 courses is crazy.

 

Brad, I am a large man with a very big appetite and I had trouble finishing the meal each time, especially when they bring an unexpected tier of truffles and petit fours at the end of the meal.

 

Also, if you haven't experienced a meal in Ocean Liner's, then you really don't have a basis to have an opinion. If you did eat there, and didn't like it, then I have to consider you as being gastronomically-challenged. Enjoy your double quarter-pounders with cheese at MacDonald's. :D

 

Allen

[on my way]

Hello everyone!

 

Thanks for all of your advice. We did go to ocean liners and we had a fantastic meal. I don't think we will ever see service like that again in our lives. At each course some part of our meal was prepared right at our table. The food was incredible. We were definitely impressed.

 

However, when we went to the main dining room for the rest of our meals we were disappointed. We had previously been on two princess cruises and enjoyed eating in the main dining room very much. We had heard great things about the food on celebrity and had high expectations. The presentation of the food was lacking. Many times I felt like I was merely being served food from the buffet. The salads were particularly pathetic. The service was great, but time and again the menu was underwhelming.

[BobN]

Brad' date=' I am a large man with a very big appetite and I had trouble finishing the meal each time, especially when they bring an unexpected tier of truffles and petit fours at the end of the meal.

 

Also, if you haven't experienced a meal in Ocean Liner's, then you really don't have a basis to have an opinion. If you did eat there, and didn't like it, then I have to consider you as being gastronomically-challenged. Enjoy your double quarter-pounders with cheese at MacDonald's. :D

 

Allen[/quote']

 

Allen: everyone is entitled to his oponion as to his experience, I dont think that he should be flamed for it. If everyone was of the same mindset we would all be traveling on Carnival or one of their subsideraries. I for one have always found some things that I did not care for on celebrity but always enough to please me to keep me comming back.:rolleyes:

 

Happy cruising

Bob Nathan

[Brad1185]

Well said BobN

[lmmn]

It is definitely worth it if you're a person who really enjoys their food. I went because my friends wanted to try it. The food and service was wonderful, but it was way too much food for me. Personally, I would have been just as happy eating in the regular dining room.

[WeBeCruisin']

Allen: everyone is entitled to his oponion as to his experience

 

Bob, my point was directed at those who will vehemently put something down that they've never experienced. I've never experienced the pains of childbirth, so I don't think I have a right to have an opinion about it. I can sympathize and empathize, but I can't flat out state that it's not very painful or that women over-exaggerate the pain. :)

[Cruise Arizona]

We did the United States specialty rest. on the Infinity

 

The service was fantastic, the food was fantastic, but in our opinion, it was not $30 per person better than the regular dining room. Which means the dining room was pretty darn good.

 

So, give it a try but you may find that you enjoy the main dining room enough that its not really worth the extra money per person.

[spearmint]

We did the United States specialty rest. on the Infinity

 

The service was fantastic, the food was fantastic, but in our opinion, it was not $30 per person better than the regular dining room. Which means the dining room was pretty darn good.

 

So, give it a try but you may find that you enjoy the main dining room enough that its not really worth the extra money per person.

 

We did the Normandie room on Summit and initially, I thought that it would not be worth the extra cost. The service and the ambience were great, and the food was fabulous; superb lobster bisque, excellent flambeed shrimp, my first chocolate souffle with creme anglais (it was sooooo good, and I could not even finish it), followed by a cheese course and petit fours. My wife had goat cheese souffle, lamb wellington, and Normandie chocolate bombe which she said were just wonderful. I agree, though, that the regular dining room was pretty darn good, but changed my mind about the extra cost of the specialty restaurants. We cannot wait to go to Ocean Liners in August on our 30th wedding anniversary. By the way, we did NOT go the Olympic dining room when on Millenium, and after the Normandie room on Summit, we were sorry that we had not.

[more mangos please]

Is it worth it?

 

It all depends.

 

Do you love food?

 

Do you go out of your way to visit a Zagat rate place when you travel (on land)?

 

Do you enjoy cheese but rarely buy some that sells for over $30/lb because you might not like it?

 

Do you care if everyone at the table is served at the exact same moment?

 

Do you expect your waiter to watch how fast your table is eating and advise the chef as to how quickly each course should come?

 

Would you like to try a lobster bisque that has been stired and reduced for 7 hours?

 

Will you be delighted when the chef provides 2 extra course (a light starter and extra sweats) for everyone at your table?

 

Does it matter to you if your steak diane is prepared at your table and served to you the second it come off the fire vs. prepared en masse and held in cue until your waiter brings it and a tray of other food?

 

Do you cherish the chance to advise exactly how much or how little garlic and anchovy is used on your caeser dressing?

[FISHHOOK1]

Oh Y E S, :D it's great fun, my better half and I will be doing it twice in Sept on the CONNIE TA!!!