Emeril's on Mardi Gras....please go

[RoperDK]

I feel Emeril's on Mardi Gras is in trouble.  It shouldn't be. It is a great venue.  Extra charge where there are many free meal options, but so much quality.  The small plate options are inexpensive, but so tasty.  I think that because of the free options, it is being squeezed out.  Sometimes quality should trump quantity.  Negatives...it is a bit out of the way and the posted on site menu is hard to read because of the mirrored background. They need to change that for sure.  We were on the Halloween cruise and were asked at Cucina if we had gone there and what our experience was.  I have to admit that we only ate there once for dinner.  There are so many options right now.  My husband had gumbo and I had jambalaya.  What a treat.  Inexpensive, tasty, and a large portion.  We ate at Rudi's one night and Emeril's was better for us.  Disclaimer....we are not being compensated for this review.  Would just hate to see a quality option being lost because folks don't want to pay extra.  On Mardi Gras, Cucina, Chibang, and Pig and Anchor, are "free" but don't have the same menu that other ships do.  Those ships have minimal upcharges, but have better quality options.  Sometimes free is not better.   

[Saint Greg]

It is good and inexpensive. People should eat there. 

 

[BlerkOne]

I plan on trying several things there, but our Mardi Gras cruise is still a few months away.

[DGP1111]

23 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

It is good and inexpensive. People should eat there. 

 

I agree that it is both good and inexpensive, but the overall marketing is weak (bordering on a suck factor) and until they find way to overcome that, it is definitely in jeopardy of being removed/replaced when a  dry dock occurs in the future.

The surveys they were doing again this past week seems to garner mostly negative answers about passenger plans to visit the venue.  I made a suggestion about an easy change to the breakfast menu that could make an impact, but I don't know how interested they truly are about suggestions.

For me it was a one and done.

 

.

[Saint Greg]

27 minutes ago, DGP1111 said:

 

I agree that it is both good and inexpensive, but the overall marketing is weak (bordering on a suck factor) and until they find way to overcome that, it is definitely in jeopardy of being removed/replaced when a  dry dock occurs in the future.

The surveys they were doing again this past week seems to garner mostly negative answers about passenger plans to visit the venue.  I made a suggestion about an easy change to the breakfast menu that could make an impact, but I don't know how interested they truly are about suggestions.

For me it was a one and done.

 

.

I think it’s mostly about people not wanting to pay extra. If Emeril’s wasn’t an upcharge it would be loaded. Chibang is what should be replaced. Bring back JiJi’s.

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Saint Greg

[Earthworm Jim]

1 hour ago, RoperDK said:

On Mardi Gras, Cucina, Chibang, and Pig and Anchor, are "free" but don't have the same menu that other ships do. 

 

Why are those surcharge restaurants quote/unquote "free" on Mardi Gras? The Mardi Gras page at Carnival lists them as "Additional $".  Am I to assume the quotes around "free" imply it really isn't free?

[Saint Greg]

15 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Why are those surcharge restaurants quote/unquote "free" on Mardi Gras? The Mardi Gras page at Carnival lists them as "Additional $".  Am I to assume the quotes around "free" imply it really isn't free?

They are free. They are a part of YTD. And after a certain time are open to assigned dining people as well. They say it’s a limited time deal but I don’t believe they have the dining room space to accommodate assigned dining and YTD. I believe they will remain free.

 

I can’t speak for roper but i think the quotes were because people say free but you pay for it with the cruise. I prefer to say included.

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Saint Greg

[RoperDK]

9 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Why are those surcharge restaurants quote/unquote "free" on Mardi Gras? The Mardi Gras page at Carnival lists them as "Additional $".  Am I to assume the quotes around "free" imply it really isn't free?

At this time, Cucina, usually $15, is free but has a pared down menu.  Also the same at Chibang and Pig and Anchor.  Chibang is a new venue.  Most people wish they would bring back JiJis and charge $15.  Pig and Anchor (on only a few ships for dinner) is a la carte pricing, but free on Mardi Gras.  The point being that these venues are not as special as they are on other ships.  It is nice to have them free for now, but wish the specialty restaurant extras were available.  Mardi Gras is just different than other ships and takes getting used to. 

[Earthworm Jim]

6 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

They are free. They are a part of YTD. And after a certain time are open to assigned dining people as well. They say it’s a limited time deal but I don’t believe they have the dining room space to accommodate assigned dining and YTD. I believe they will remain free.

 

I can’t speak for roper but i think the quotes were because people say free but you pay for it with the cruise. I prefer to say included.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe I have to rethink my choice to do assigned dining then.

 

Odd that the Carnival site doesn't seem to mention this, at least not that I've noticed.

[cruizinisthebest]

I wish we had gone there two weeks ago instead of wasting time trying the completely overhyped Chibang. Total Chibust! Granted my food was pretty tasty but nobody else at the table liked theirs. Plus it was packed, so service was slow. We were asked to do a survey while we waited to debark about Emerils. 

 

It's set up as a Bistro, instead of a full service restaurant. That and being upstaged by Chibang is hurting it IMO. Everyone who did go on our trip said the food was good. 

[RoperDK]

2 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe I have to rethink my choice to do assigned dining then.

 

Odd that the Carnival site doesn't seem to mention this, at least not that I've noticed.

Yes, to fully experience the dining options on Mardi Gras you must choose YTD.  If you have YTD you can request a table at any of the restaurants (MDR, Cucina, Chibang) and go there when a table is ready.  Pig and Anchor is open to everyone, just show up.  Those with assigned dining have to wait until late to request a table.  Mardi Gras is just different and there is a learning curve.

[Virga]

I assume they don't yet know if they'll keep all or some of them free, so they're erring on the side of caution and warning potential passengers that they should plan as if they were paid specialty dining options.  

 

I'm also of the opinion that the MDR won't comfortably handle everyone, so I expect some or all of them to remain free - or at least, cheaper than on older ships.  Time will tell!

 

As for Emeril's, I was determined to try their shrimp and grits, but I was a little disappointed.  The flavor was pooled around rather boring (though perfectly cooked) grits - just not what I was looking for.  There are a couple other items I'm looking forward to trying next time around, I hope they figure out a way to keep it up and running.

[Earthworm Jim]

13 minutes ago, cruizinisthebest said:

It's set up as a Bistro, instead of a full service restaurant. That and being upstaged by Chibang is hurting it IMO. Everyone who did go on our trip said the food was good. 

 

I admit the Emeril's menu on Carnival.com had me befuddled. There is the "Small Plates" section, are they supposed to be appetizers? And then "A Little More", are those supposed to be the main course? A Little More makes it sound like they still aren't that big, though some of the dishes listed sound big enough. Do you typically order one from each list?

 

Also, since no prices were listed on their menu, I assumed it was a single price meal. But RoperDK said the small plates are inexpensive, so it must really be ala carte. Carnival didn't make that obvious on their website.

 

If it's less than a full meal, that alone might be enough to dissuade people from going there for dinner.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Earthworm Jim

[RoperDK]

2 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

I admit the Emeril's menu had me befuddled. There is the "Small Plates" section, are they supposed to be appetizers? And then "A Little More", are those supposed to be the main course? A Little More makes it sound like they still aren't that big, though some of the dishes listed sound big enough. Do you typically order one from each list?

 

Also, since no prices were listed on their menu, I assumed it was a single price meal. But RoperDK said the small plates are inexpensive, so it must really be ala carte. Carnival didn't make that obvious on their website.

You are not alone in being befuddled.  I feel that is the problem.  The a la carte pricing is between $3 and $8 approximately.  They are small plates, but actually light meal servings.  On our trip, husband had gumbo and I had jambalaya. We shared, but each was a good meal portion in our opinion.  Didn't feel we needed more.  I guess they need to align with normal meal ideas (appetizer, entree, desert).  It is like a tapas menu.  Not a traditional meal, but for us it is plenty.  In trying to explain it, I actually see the problem.  If people don't get the idea, then why would they go there?     

[Saint Greg]

16 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

I admit the Emeril's menu on Carnival.com had me befuddled. There is the "Small Plates" section, are they supposed to be appetizers? And then "A Little More", are those supposed to be the main course? A Little More makes it sound like they still aren't that big, though some of the dishes listed sound big enough. Do you typically order one from each list?

 

Also, since no prices were listed on their menu, I assumed it was a single price meal. But RoperDK said the small plates are inexpensive, so it must really be ala carte. Carnival didn't make that obvious on their website.

 

If it's less than a full meal, that alone might be enough to dissuade people from going there for dinner.

Its a la carte but very affordable. I got the red beans and rice “small plate” thinking it would be a side. It was big enough to be the main course. I had ordered jambalaya as well. I left a lot of food because it was too much. The nice thing is there was a day I just wanted a little l snack so I stopped by and got the boudin balls. 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

For us, this venue felt more like a snack venue vs any type of main meal option. It also seemed out of the way from our typical routines everyday and also way out of the way if one person wanted that for say lunch and the other person wanted something up on lido.  It all looked good but we didn’t try anything there on our cruise. 

[CoasterGuy]

I never seriously considered eating there. But they definitely need to do something about that awful menu presentation the OP mentioned.

Edited November 14, 2021 by CoasterGuy

[HappySails4U]

3 hours ago, RoperDK said:

I feel Emeril's on Mardi Gras is in trouble.  It shouldn't be. It is a great venue.  Extra charge where there are many free meal options, but so much quality.  The small plate options are inexpensive, but so tasty.  I think that because of the free options, it is being squeezed out.  Sometimes quality should trump quantity.  Negatives...it is a bit out of the way and the posted on site menu is hard to read because of the mirrored background. They need to change that for sure.  We were on the Halloween cruise and were asked at Cucina if we had gone there and what our experience was.  I have to admit that we only ate there once for dinner.  There are so many options right now.  My husband had gumbo and I had jambalaya.  What a treat.  Inexpensive, tasty, and a large portion.  We ate at Rudi's one night and Emeril's was better for us.  Disclaimer....we are not being compensated for this review.  Would just hate to see a quality option being lost because folks don't want to pay extra.  On Mardi Gras, Cucina, Chibang, and Pig and Anchor, are "free" but don't have the same menu that other ships do.  Those ships have minimal upcharges, but have better quality options.  Sometimes free is not better.   

We ate at Emeril's for breakfast one morning and had the shrimp and grits. 🦐  It was delicious  and the cost was $5.00.    Would have eaten there more but just ran out of time !!  

[IntrepidFromDC]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

I can’t speak for roper but i think the quotes were because people say free but you pay for it with the cruise. I prefer to say included.

 

Leave it to the silver-tongued, eloquent, gifted orator Saint Greg to find the perfect word.

[dbrucern]

We ate there for lunch and it was very good as was the service

[crewsweeper]

Can't wait to eat there, charge or included.  But I suspect that the addition of Rudy's has taken the shine off Emeril's  as a special option.  But RCCL's 150 Central competes with Giovanni's and Wonderland on some Royal ships.  But Royal offers a specialty dining option that gives you the opportunity to try all three, as well as Hooked, Chops, and Izumi.   Carnival should offer something like that...3-5 dining packages.

[Homosassa]

The idea of "small plates" and "a bit more" is a carry over from prepandemic menus at Emeril Lagasse restaurants on land.

 

Those of us that haven eaten in those restaurants knew that a "small plate" was just the right size to follow an appetizer and salad and still allow room for sharing a dessert.

 

 

[Joebucks]

I'll be interested to see how it does. I've heard great things. I think the niche and cost could prove tricky. Although, I do feel the French Quarter brings a vibe to the ship that some people crave.

 

With the amount of included venues, it makes it tougher to justify this. There's already a bunch of go-to things that I can't miss. Breakfast burritos, tacos, Guy's burger (breakfast and lunch), lobster night, brunch steak and eggs, to name a few. Now we have added venues like Big Chicken and street bites. Then also Chibang, Cucina, and Pig and Anchor all included. How do you fit it all in? If I was going to pay for something, Steakghouse or Teppanyaki are probably my go-tos. Although, I do need to try that Muffaletta.

 

I'll also be interested to see what happens with Chibang. General consensus tends to be meh. Could it possibly survive as a paid option? Does it stay free? Does paid Jijis return?

[rebeccac]

For myself, I am unlikely to eat at Emeril's since I don't eat meat and it seems like most everything has some sort of meat product snuck in there.  

[1025cruise]

Personal opinion. First, I'm not paying anything extra for breakfast (minus a tip for room service). Second, with so many other included options on Mardi Gras, if I'm going to pay for a meal, it will be either the Steakhouse or Rudi's. I'm sure Emeril's is good, but with so many other food options, I'd probably skip it.