Cost of Specialty Dining

[Gitana]

What is the cost of the specialty restaurants?  Thank you!

Gitana

[emmas gran]

If you log into your booking or the app it should show the costs, different places have a different price 

[mahdnc]

Here is a flyer (a portion of which is in the screenshot below) that Celebrity published which tells you which restaurants are on what ships as well as the pricing: link.  The flyer has a Mar 6 2023 publication date.

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

2 hours ago, Gitana said:

What is the cost of the specialty restaurants?  Thank you!

Gitana

Too much 😁

[mahasamatman]

9 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Too much 😁

 

Plus 18%.

[Bo1953]

9 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Too much 😁

Not for some of us who like a change in eating venues!!! LOL

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

[mickey89]

Look out for their SALE when prices are reduced significantly.  Just recently prices were reduced by 30% in the WAVE Sale, now it's just 8% discount.

[Cruise a holic]

We usually take the Unlimited package- even through we are in a suite.  While the service in Luminae is great- we prefer dinner in the specialty restaurants, especially on S and Edge class ships.  Cost will vary depending upon the ship, date of travel and length of cruise.  IMO worth it, especially if you do not have access to the suite dining room.

[Octavias]

In fine cut steakhouse, the menu has a premium section (where the tomahawk for two is).  Is there an up charge for these items?  

[jelayne]

3 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

We usually take the Unlimited package- even through we are in a suite.  While the service in Luminae is great- we prefer dinner in the specialty restaurants, especially on S and Edge class ships.  Cost will vary depending upon the ship, date of travel and length of cruise.  IMO worth it, especially if you do not have access to the suite dining room.

I thought the Ultimate/Unlimited package ended.  That was a great deal, as I recall $30 pd and included dinner and lunch.  
I haven’t seen an Unlimited package offered, just the 3+ night packages.  What the cost of the Unlimited and does it include lunch?

[Cruise a holic]

15 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I thought the Ultimate/Unlimited package ended.  That was a great deal, as I recall $30 pd and included dinner and lunch.  
I haven’t seen an Unlimited package offered, just the 3+ night packages.  What the cost of the Unlimited and does it include lunch?

They only offer a limited amount of these packages for sale.  We purchase quickly after we book the cruise.  You might be able to do on board if they still offer it. We are on a 9 night silhouette cruise and paid $329.99 pp.  Good luck.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[PMT51]

11 hours ago, Octavias said:

In fine cut steakhouse, the menu has a premium section (where the tomahawk for two is).  Is there an up charge for these items?  

We did not get up charged on Edge in February.  It was yummy. Get the lobster ravioli with it.

[D. B.]

8 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

They only offer a limited amount of these packages for sale.  We purchase quickly after we book the cruise.  You might be able to do on board if they still offer it. We are on a 9 night silhouette cruise and paid $329.99 pp.  Good luck.

I do less specialty dining now that the prices are higher and they added the 18% tip. But the recent wave (or Flash?) sale made it more reasonable, so I added some to our future cruises.

   If you want to convince yourself that specialty dining is Not worth the extra charge just add the money you Already Paid for your meal in the MDR that you will Not be eating to what you are spending.................

   

[swjumbo]

20 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Not for some of us who like a change in eating venues!!! LOL

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

Totally agree.

We’re now of the opinion that the specialty restaurants are so good that there’s no need to book a suite as Luminae wasn’t to our taste on both Edge and Silhouette.

The saving on not booking a suite and eating in a venue of our choice makes the cruise experience much better and cheaper!

[Cruise a holic]

10 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Totally agree.

We’re now of the opinion that the specialty restaurants are so good that there’s no need to book a suite as Luminae wasn’t to our taste on both Edge and Silhouette.

The saving on not booking a suite and eating in a venue of our choice makes the cruise experience much better and cheaper!

I agree about the dining and if we had to choose would do the same- However the suite perks and size of the cabin IMO worth the extra money- We love the suite lounge, deck on the edge class especially, and other perks- we even get a nice cash bonus for booking a suite-. Also breakfast in Luminae is much better then the MDR.

Edited June 7, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[mickey89]

20 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

They only offer a limited amount of these packages for sale.  We purchase quickly after we book the cruise.  You might be able to do on board if they still offer it. We are on a 9 night silhouette cruise and paid $329.99 pp.  Good luck.

The Unlimited Dining Package has ended not even limited amount.

Your 9 night package will not include Lunch

[artvlay]

I don't like that they add 18 percent on the bill for gratuities. Isn't it double dipping in that we already pay $35 per day?

[mahdnc]

41 minutes ago, artvlay said:

I don't like that they add 18 percent on the bill for gratuities. Isn't it double dipping in that we already pay $35 per day?

 

In my mind, yes, but for different reasons. When the first specialty restaurant was introduced (The Olympic on Millennium in 2000), the original basis for the upcharge was for gratuity reasons. Back then the concept of paying onboard for food (or room service for that matter) was unheard of. I think it was a $12 pp charge. 

Edited June 7, 2023 by mahdnc

[jromeroslc]

2 hours ago, artvlay said:

I don't like that they add 18 percent on the bill for gratuities. Isn't it double dipping in that we already pay $35 per day?

Not really. You’re not paying $xx for your meal when you book specialty dining, you’re paying $xx MORE for your meal than you have already paid.  

[artvlay]

I'm tipping the waiter and assistant waiter.

In the specialty restaurant i am also tipping the waiter and his assistant. In my book that is paying twice. If my $35 daily gratuities are pooled it should cover the service there also.  

[Mark_T]

Personally, I’ve just regarded the 18% as a price increase, I think it was a mistake to label it as gratuity as it pushes the wrong buttons… 

 

The only problem now though is deciding if it is worth the price anymore…

[Ex-Airbalancer]

28 minutes ago, artvlay said:

I'm tipping the waiter and assistant waiter.

In the specialty restaurant i am also tipping the waiter and his assistant. In my book that is paying twice. If my $35 daily gratuities are pooled it should cover the service there also.  

If you check Celebrity website , speciality restaurants are not covered , and I don’t remember a time when it was 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/faqs/gratuity-program

[RichYak]

33 minutes ago, artvlay said:

I'm tipping the waiter and assistant waiter.

In the specialty restaurant i am also tipping the waiter and his assistant. In my book that is paying twice. If my $35 daily gratuities are pooled it should cover the service there also.  

When you eat in a specialty, you're only tipping one waiter and one assistant waiter--the ones that serve you. On a night that you do not eat in the MDR, none of your standard gratuities are allocated to the MDR for that night, they are allocated to the specialty. 

[Mark_T]

9 minutes ago, RichYak said:

When you eat in a specialty, you're only tipping one waiter and one assistant waiter--the ones that serve you. On a night that you do not eat in the MDR, none of your standard gratuities are allocated to the MDR for that night, they are allocated to the specialty. 

This was obvious when we spent over half the nights on our last cruise in the specialities instead of the MDR, our absence was noted and questioned…

[mickey89]

On 6/7/2023 at 5:15 PM, RichYak said:

......On a night that you do not eat in the MDR, none of your standard gratuities are allocated to the MDR for that night, they are allocated to the specialty. 

Are you sure?  How do you know?  Someone told you, can you believe?

Gratuities are steeped in mystery, is it another revenue stream for the cruise line?

NO ONE really knows..... its just hearsay !