specialty dining experience limits

[longhorn54321]

Hi cruise critic family, First timer on MSC. Sailing on Seashore in July '24.

 

I'm looking to go purchase the dining experience package. Is there a limit on how many times we can go to a certain restaurant? ie: can we go to Butchers Cut 4 times with the specialty dining experience? 

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

16 minutes ago, longhorn54321 said:

Hi cruise critic family, First timer on MSC. Sailing on Seashore in July '24.

 

I'm looking to go purchase the dining experience package. Is there a limit on how many times we can go to a certain restaurant? ie: can we go to Butchers Cut 4 times with the specialty dining experience? 

 

 

You get different restaurants depending on the package you purchase with a mix of experiences. So no you can’t choose the same one 4 times.

 

If you look at your cruise personaliser it describes which restaurants or shows each individual package includes.

[gizfish]

I believe the packages now tell you exactly which restaurants they are for, no longer giving you the choice of where to use them.  Also be aware that each restaurant in the package has a special, limited, menu from which you may order.

[mcoler181]

Yeah as gizfish says if you purchase the package it is a set menu.

 

On Seascape we purchased the two restaurant one, it entitled us to Butchers Cut and Teppanyaki. Teppanyaki I think was their midrange menu (there was the option to upgrade) and Butchers Cut was a 3 course menu, only steaks were 8oz filet and 14oz new york strip (which was really good), again in butchers cut you could upgrade and buy a more expensive steak for 50% of the al a carte price if on the package. 

[GPPhilly]

We find the dining experience at Butcher's Cut to be too limited.  

[nferr]

11 hours ago, mcoler181 said:

Yeah as gizfish says if you purchase the package it is a set menu.

 

On Seascape we purchased the two restaurant one, it entitled us to Butchers Cut and Teppanyaki. Teppanyaki I think was their midrange menu (there was the option to upgrade) and Butchers Cut was a 3 course menu, only steaks were 8oz filet and 14oz new york strip (which was really good), again in butchers cut you could upgrade and buy a more expensive steak for 50% of the al a carte price if on the package. 

 Yes, the strip I had at Butchers Cut was excellent. Well worth it. When I ordered the package it was $71 for three  dinners and the only limitation was you could only go to Butchers cut once. I found the "Experience" menu to be fine at all three restaurants. I used them at Butchers Cut, Ocean Cay and the Teppenyaki hibachi. Unfortunately now they've raised the price a lot and pick the restaurants. They include Hola which is only $19 anyway.

[gizfish]

Just to add, NY strip was one of the regular (not steakhouse additional charge selections) always available items in the MDR, and was also offered twice in the "daily specials" section on our 8 night Meraviglia cruise in September.  It was quite good.

[mcoler181]

2 hours ago, gizfish said:

Just to add, NY strip was one of the regular (not steakhouse additional charge selections) always available items in the MDR, and was also offered twice in the "daily specials" section on our 8 night Meraviglia cruise in September.  It was quite good.

My daughter got the NY strip in the MDR once or twice, it was OK, not a patch on Butchers cut. I also paid the $20 for the upgrade one, I cant remember which cut it was, I want to see T Bone but again it wasn't as good as Butchers Cut, not bad but not great. 

[GatorMomInNC]

Slightly off topic, sorry.  For HOLA, can you walk in any time, or do you need reservations?  I would like to eat there frequently and pay the ala carte but don't want to have to make reservations. 

[Cflcruise]

We are sailing July 27 on Seascape.  We purchased dining experiences for all 4 of us and then cancelled because of the limited menu.  Hola for example has an all you can eat menu for under $20 a person which is less than what the dining experience charges you and you are not limited to a specific menu.  So we are going to give it a try and see how much we spend vs. the $500 we spent on the experience for all the restaurants.

[DaKahuna]

On 5/23/2024 at 2:43 PM, GPPhilly said:

We find the dining experience at Butcher's Cut to be too limited.  

 

 We quite enjoyed the quantity and selections when we dined at Butcher's Cut on Divina in February.  The only thing I noted was the filet was not as good as either of the ones I had in Le Muse. 

 

[dbrown84]

I had the lamb chops at butcher's cut and they were very good.  What I surprisedly really liked was the grilled cheese wedges that came with the tomato soup starter 

[Best Cat Mom]

When we were on Divina with Maurizio as Le Muse's manager (we had 2 sailings with him on Divina), he would special order lamb for me -- because I could not have the "regular" pistachio-crusted lamb as it was not gluten free -- from Butcher's Cut. Each time, our server made sure that we knew that Maurizio ordered extra and that he and our server would have the leftovers after service ended that night. Gotta order extra just in case, right? And wouldn't want it to go to waste, right? I think I had lamb 4 times on each of those sailings. 😉

 

Sorry, I digress. The special order lamb -- and filet a few times -- was always from Butcher's Cut according to our server. So if one is better than the other, I would guess it might be who picked it / ordered it from BC's inventory.

[no1talks]

21 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

"I think I had lamb 4 times on each of those sailings."

I very much enjoy MSC's lamb. I could never request it four times, though.

I'm too sheepish.

[DaKahuna]

28 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

The special order lamb -- and filet a few times -- was always from Butcher's Cut according to our server.

 

I had no idea that was the case.  All I know is what I was served in Le Muse was more tender and flavorful that what I had in Butcher's Cut. 

 

5 minutes ago, no1talks said:

I very much enjoy MSC's lamb. I could never request it four times, though.

 

Cruises and occasionally when we dine out are the only changes I get to eat lamb.  I cooked some at home once and my DW did not like the smell so it is forbidden in our house. 

 

[Morgsmom]

13 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

When we were on Divina with Maurizio as Le Muse's manager (we had 2 sailings with him on Divina),

OMG< Maurizio was the BEST!!!!! The champagne was always flowing 

[chrisgp999]

On 7/6/2024 at 4:59 PM, GatorMomInNC said:

Slightly off topic, sorry.  For HOLA, can you walk in any time, or do you need reservations?  I would like to eat there frequently and pay the ala carte but don't want to have to make reservations. 

Reservations are recommended .  They fill up quickly, at least for the cruises I was on.