Do you think the unlimited dining package is worth it?

[gmerick]

Oh come on, folks.  UDP is an experience.  You're already blowing wads of cash vacationing.  The purpose of a cruise is to conspicuously consume ship fuel, service employee time, food and drink.  

This is a vacation, enjoy yourself.  Don't obsess over whether you've paid slightly less than your cabin neighbors for overpriced food. (same goes for drinks, beach loungers, bus rides at foreign ports ...)

 

[RKHOOKER]

IMHO it’s only worth it at $20 USD a night extra.  Remember you’ve already paid for all your food on the cruise, in a way that’s unlimited.

[goldfish65]

Seems to me not worth it as much on smaller ships with few specialty dining outlets.

[LadyBeBop]

It depends. 
 

On our last RCCL cruise (7-day Alaska in 2019), my husband and I got it on a Black Friday sale for $125. Well worth it. 
 

This time, my husband isn’t coming; just my daughter and granddaughter. 4-night Bahamas cruise. I think the BF price was about $100. My daughter didn’t want it. 
 

If you’re paying about $25/night, I’d go for it. More than that, no. 

[Ashland]

No way is it worth it to us. It might have been years ago when we could do Chops at $20pp. We find the included dining options onboard just fine now.

[misguy]

We used it on Symphony of the Seas in September, and we loved it, I think we paid $189 pre-cruise, and we ate at Hooked 2 X, Chops 1 lunch and 1 dinner, Jamie Olivers, Wonderland, 150 Central Park, and Izumi.  We never ate at the MDR for dinner and used specialty dining for lunch on all the sea days.

[kleibo]

New to Royal - when looking at the Unlimited Dining Package - it states:

 

Savor the savings with the Unlimited Dining Package. For one low price, you can enjoy multiple entrees and visit multiple specialty restaurants every night of your sailing. And as an added perk, this unlimited package also applies to lunch at specialty restaurants on sea days.

 

Just checking that we can order a steak and lobster tail (two entrees at once).  Also Lobster tail states $21 extra - do we have to pay that when we have the Unlimited package.  Thanks.

[rudeney]

The lobster tail and any other extras like the seafood tower would still have upcharge even with UDP.  If you want lobster, just make sure you go to the MDR on that night.  They will serve you as many as you ask for (well, IME, at least 3) for no additional charge.

[kleibo]

2 minutes ago, rudeney said:

The lobster tail and any other extras like the seafood tower would still have upcharge even with UDP.  If you want lobster, just make sure you go to the MDR on that night.  They will serve you as many as you ask for (well, IME, at least 3) for no additional charge.

 

We are just doing a quick 5 night to Bermuda - will they have lobster on the 5 night?

[rudeney]

23 minutes ago, kleibo said:

 

We are just doing a quick 5 night to Bermuda - will they have lobster on the 5 night?

 

Hmm, I'm not sure on a 5-night.  We always do 7+, so lobster is the 2nd "formal" night, which is night 6.  You can check the MDR menus on the smartphone app to see  if lobster is served on your cruise.

[johnjen]

As I've booked Chef's Table, and the Chops +1 package for our upcoming cruise, I'm inclined to think it is worth it, we have never done it, but we enjoy being seated at the tables for 10 to meet people. However, the regular MDR food is just fine as well. 

[DCPIV]

On 5/23/2022 at 9:44 AM, goldfish65 said:

Seems to me not worth it as much on smaller ships with few specialty dining outlets.

 

I disagree.  We've done it on Liberty more than once and always been glad we've done it.  We're a bit done with the MDR, so we're in a specialty restaurant every night (and also enjoy the lunches in specialty dining or Johnny Rockets).

[kleibo]

2 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

Hmm, I'm not sure on a 5-night.  We always do 7+, so lobster is the 2nd "formal" night, which is night 6.  You can check the MDR menus on the smartphone app to see  if lobster is served on your cruise.

 

Thanks - just checked - they do serve it on night 3.  Seems like a weird choice as that is the 1st night in Bermuda.  I'm pretty sure we'll be having dinner on the island that night.  Oh well.

[Ky Bill]

We bought the Ultimate package on a March, 2022 EOS cruise.  This was the first time we've ever bought the ultimate package.  We both agreed at the end of the cruise not to purchase the ultimate plan in the future.  Frankly it was just too much food and we like the variety offered at other dinning venues offered throughout the ship.  On our August, 2022 cruise on AOS we have purchased the three dinner special at $101 each.  I'll let you know after the cruise how we liked it.

Bill