$8 charge for an extra dining night at Chibang/Cucina/pig and Anchor?

[Thenagers]

I just got off Mardis Gras 2 weeks ago. Someone in my Mardis Gras FB group posted this? I know I ate at Cucina 2 times without an extra fee? Curious how this is going to work especially since they try so hard to get people to eat at these restaurants on Formal night?

[Eli_6]

It looks like Carnival is transitioning to making them for pay restaurants.

[Thenagers]

I went back and checked and they have changed it since the info I was emailed before I boarded April 1? Crazy how they have snuck in another up charge?

[AtSeaWithChris]

19 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

I just got off Mardis Gras 2 weeks ago. Someone in my Mardis Gras FB group posted this? I know I ate at Cucina 2 times without an extra fee? Curious how this is going to work especially since they try so hard to get people to eat at these restaurants on Formal night?

Currently it’s only Chibang and only on the Mardi Gras. 

[Thenagers]

I know John has a lot going on but he usually gives a heads up to things like this? Especially after he answers almost daily questions about whether they are still complimentary? Not a big deal for me if just Chibang. Didn’t particularly like it myself. Now if Cucina I would be disappointed!

[BlerkOne]

Crazy smart. Brilliant. One way to get diners to rotate through the restaurants.

 

The screenshots seem to be from different dining options, since one specifically mentions after 7:45 (like traditional dining might be offered). Cucina is the better option, anyway.

 

On lobster nights, you can get lobster in the other restaurants, but not prime rib.

[1025cruise]

I wonder if Chibang was getting too many repeat people, thus turning people away that never got a chance to eat there. This might even things out for those people.

[Thenagers]

18 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

I wonder if Chibang was getting too many repeat people, thus turning people away that never got a chance to eat there. This might even things out for those people.

I think the space is smaller than Cucina? Tables felt really close together. I definitely wouldn’t pay $8pp for Chibang! Now we are the 1st night at Cucina on our April 1st cruise. The hostess for Chibang was walking from table to table offering reservations for the 1st formal night there? I wonder if the formal nights will be exempt since it isn’t as popular those nights? Probably going to make formal night even harder to be seated!

Edited April 23, 2023 by Thenagers

[BlerkOne]

4 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

I think the space is smaller than Cucina? Tables felt really close together. I definitely wouldn’t pay $8pp for Chibang! Now we are the 1st night at Cucina on our April 1st cruise. The hostess for Chibang was walking from table to table offering reservations for the 1st formal night there? I wonder if the formal nights will be exempt since it isn’t as popular those nights? Probably going to make formal night even harder to be seated!

I think Chibang is larger.

 

https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Images/Ships/MD/DeckPlans/mardi-gras-deck-plan-pdf

 

[staceyglow]

I don't really see anything wrong with this.  I am guessing it opens up tables so that everyone who wants to eat there has an opportunity to do so for free.  Why should a few people hog all of the specialty restaurant tables by booking them several times each during the cruise?

[AtSeaWithChris]

19 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

I don't really see anything wrong with this.  I am guessing it opens up tables so that everyone who wants to eat there has an opportunity to do so for free.  Why should a few people hog all of the specialty restaurant tables by booking them several times each during the cruise?

You can only book reservations the day of and during open hours. So anyone with the app open and looking for a reservation can get one. Nobody has an advantage. YTD diners can book anytime during dinner hours. Fixed dining diners have to wait until after 7:30. 

[mz-s]

Chibang has apparently been the one that is harder to get a table at so if they're going to charge for one, Chibang would be the one. I like that the first dinner is included and $8 is a pittance for the food by all accounts.

 

This makes $6 they charge for a PB&J seem even more ridiculous than it already is.

[ChinaShrek]

I just got off the Mardi Gras (sailed April15 - 22) and ate at Chibang 4 times. I had Anytime Dining. I was not charged any additional fees.

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

Chibang has apparently been the one that is harder to get a table at so if they're going to charge for one, Chibang would be the one. I like that the first dinner is included and $8 is a pittance for the food by all accounts.

 

This makes $6 they charge for a PB&J seem even more ridiculous than it already is.

Bingo!

[BlerkOne]

Carnival seems to have gotten another one right. Some will pay the $8, some won't.

 

$6 for a PBandJ is ridiculous, since the price is $5 and includes a cookie and chips! It is inline with what is charged for the other sandwiches.

[Illbcruzn4life]

10 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival seems to have gotten another one right. Some will pay the $8, some won't.

 

$6 for a PBandJ is ridiculous, since the price is $5 and includes a cookie and chips! It is inline with what is charged for the other sandwiches.

Come on now . We all know Carnival gets em all right! 🙂

[AnitaVacation]

I thought this was the plan all along. Complimentary for the annaugaral season (which is past now) and then it would become a specialty restaurant with a charge. We ate there twice on our Feb cruise and honestly, I was not impressed... the food was just, ok, not spectacular....and the second night, it was so busy in there, our waiter forgot to bring our dessert...we sat there for about 30 min waiting and then decided it wasn't coming...so we left...

[Thenagers]

9 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

I just got off the Mardi Gras (sailed April15 - 22) and ate at Chibang 4 times. I had Anytime Dining. I was not charged any additional fees.

It is starting with the sailing starting this week. I was just on 2 weeks ago and had anytime and it wasn’t the case. Supposedly John Heald confirmed it for Chibang and Mardis Gras for now. Limited to 1 time before the 8pp surcharge.

[KaiBlue]

This doesn't really surprise me as on our second trip aboard the Mardi Gras, Chibang was so packed, the meal service (and food) was probably the worst we've ever had on a Carnival ship.  And it wasn't like the servers weren't working - they were moving as fast as they possibly could, it just was too many people.  Now I'm looking at my upcoming Celebration cruise out of curiosity and it doesn't show Chibang anywhere on the 'explore the ship' section and yet it also has Cucina included but P&A as an upcharge at dinner.  Not sure what to expect at this point.  

[jimbo5544]

JH this morning discussed this.  MG only, not currently on Clebration.

[BlerkOne]

7 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Come on now . We all know Carnival gets em all right! 🙂

For once we agree. 😉

[Jamman54]

Once a week at Chibang is enough for us. It's okay, but certainly not Jiji's, and not even going to mention the Mexican side. 😎

[CruizinSusan70]

17 hours ago, staceyglow said:

Why should a few people hog all of the specialty restaurant tables by booking them several times each during the cruise?

They are not really specialty restaurants.  Chibang and Jiji's only have a few items that are identical like the spring rolls and the menus at Cucina on the Excel Class versus the Vista Class are different as well.

I would gladly pay 18.00 pp for Jiji's or the non Excel locations of Cucina.  Would not pay 8.00 pp for a second visit to Chibang.  One dinner and two lunches there over the course of a week is fine.

[staceyglow]

34 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

They are not really specialty restaurants.  Chibang and Jiji's only have a few items that are identical like the spring rolls and the menus at Cucina on the Excel Class versus the Vista Class are different as well.

I would gladly pay 18.00 pp for Jiji's or the non Excel locations of Cucina.  Would not pay 8.00 pp for a second visit to Chibang.  One dinner and two lunches there over the course of a week is fine.

They are specialty restaurants in the sense that they are not the MDR or the buffet and require reservations.

[CruizinSusan70]

25 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

They are specialty restaurants in the sense that they are not the MDR or the buffet and require reservations.

True, but the MDR requires a reservation and they are treated as additional places to eat that are included on the Excel Class ships.

It's just another way for Carnival to chip away at their billions in debt one cruiser at a time.