Specialty dining perk ?

[bkrickles1]

I'm sailing (hopefully) Joy in January and we have the specialty dining perk for 2 meals for my wife and I, just like we had for our Encore sailing in January 2020, except that was 3 meals.

My 21 yo daughter will be joining just like last time and here's where I have my question.

Last time I purchased the 3 meal package for my daughter to go with our perk and it worked out fine. 

This time I feel like the 2 meal package is a little expensive, $47 per meal. I don't exactly recall but I thought I paid under a $100 for 3 meals last time.

I'm looking for an opinion of whether I should purchase the package or pay for her ala carte.

We're probably going to Cagney's and Ocean Blue (Cagney's is a definite) and my daughter likes to eat.

At the end of the day it probably doesn't matter much , but I was just wondering what others are doing.

[All-ready2cruise]

Well, both of your choices have quite expensive menu items so, if your daughter likes to eat, I'd definitely get the 2 meal package.  Each item without the package gets charged so it could be a lot more than $40 each meal.  JMO

 

Your choice though.  Enjoy your cruise. 

[SSFun]

Another thought, if you choose to buy the package for her, for another $24 you can get the 3 meal package and you could use her extra meal to get appetizers to share at one of the venues (maybe Food Republic). That could make for a nice way to try it out for less than you'd pay for the items individually at menu prices...

[AndyCapn]

$79 USD for the two meal package, or just under $40. Most entrees at Cagney's start at $30 and appetizers start at $10. Add a soup, salad or dessert and you're already saving. 

 

(The 20% gratuity applies whether you pay a la carte or with a package, so I left that out of the calculations.) 

[complawyer]

if you do the math, and depending on which specialty restaurant you are considering, there isnt much difference price-wise if you pay ala-carte or get the package

[casofilia]

Look at it another way.   If you buy for your daughter at $40 a meal then it works out at $13 for each of you when you add in the free meals.