Izumi Set Menu Price vs. A La Carte

[andrewwilliamnewman]

Hi all,

Just a quick question I was hoping that somebody could clarify for me…

If I was to pre-book to guarantee a set time for Izumi sushi on the cruise planner (and pay the $39.99 each now)…

Can I then just order à la carte, and get the difference refunded?

We are 4 people, and I’d assume we’d only spend $80-100. We don’t want to pay $160 and get excess food we won’t eat. 

Any help/tips, greatly appreciated. Thanks. 

[molly361]

Yes you can

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, andrewwilliamnewman said:

Any help/tips, greatly appreciated.

Book/pay it just for two and ask for a table for four when you actual go there.

Edited August 3 by Biker19

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, andrewwilliamnewman said:

Hi all,

Just a quick question I was hoping that somebody could clarify for me…

If I was to pre-book to guarantee a set time for Izumi sushi on the cruise planner (and pay the $39.99 each now)…

Can I then just order à la carte, and get the difference refunded?

We are 4 people, and I’d assume we’d only spend $80-100. We don’t want to pay $160 and get excess food we won’t eat. 

Any help/tips, greatly appreciated. Thanks. 

It's not too bad. Take the dessert or a appetizer to go for later if that's too much to eat. One soup is included, miso I think. One small, 2 large and a dessert included. And hot tea of course.

[artvlay]

On UDP in Izumi what can you order for lunch on sea days?

[wallyj]

4 hours ago, artvlay said:

On UDP in Izumi what can you order for lunch on sea days?

I believe for Izumi, lunch menu is the same as dinner as is the price?, unlike other specialty venues like Hooked, Chops and Jamie’s that have a modified smaller menu and a reduced price for lunch.
 

There has been a change where the portions were reduced if using the UDP.
 

The sushi rolls used to be 8 pieces now only 4 if your order the ‘set’ menu as part of the UDP.

 

I have seen it is recommended you order ala carte instead using the $ allowance instead and you will get 8 piece sushi rolls.

 

I know I have seen YouTube videos discussing this subject for more detailed info.

[firefly333]

46 minutes ago, wallyj said:

I believe for Izumi, lunch menu is the same as dinner as is the price?, unlike other specialty venues like Hooked, Chops and Jamie’s that have a modified smaller menu and a reduced price for lunch.
 

There has been a change where the portions were reduced if using the UDP.
 

The sushi rolls used to be 8 pieces now only 4 if your order the ‘set’ menu as part of the UDP.

 

I have seen it is recommended you order ala carte instead using the $ allowance instead and you will get 8 piece sushi rolls.

 

I know I have seen YouTube videos discussing this subject for more detailed info.

The sit down dinner sushi rolls for the sit down set price lunch or dinner the sushi is now 4 pieces...not specifically because its UDP. The set price sjt down dinner. 1 choice from small, 2 from large and 1 dessert. The endame salted beans are included and miso soup and hot tea besides the choices. I dont order sushi any more. Other portions imo are huge. I like the poki bowl. It comes with that green seaweed salad. Or the bowl with the stir fried whatever. Huge for me. I cant eat that much food and it comes to much more than if I were to pick those choices ala carte. The poke bowl alone is over $20 ? I dont remember but easy to get over $40 of food were I to order ala carte. 

 

Now you have me wanting some.

[wallyj]

@firefly333, I was replying to the post asking what is offered at Izumi for lunch with the UDP and I was letting the person know the ‘set’ menu has been reduced as previously you got 8 pieces per roll and now only 4. 
 

I believe I saw a YouTuber post the opinion if you had the UDP plan, you would get better value at Izumi to order ala carte as you would get 8 pieces per roll ordered for your $40 allowance.

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, wallyj said:

@firefly333, I was replying to the post asking what is offered at Izumi for lunch with the UDP and I was letting the person know the ‘set’ menu has been reduced as previously you got 8 pieces per roll and now only 4. 
 

I believe I saw a YouTuber post the opinion if you had the UDP plan, you would get better value at Izumi to order ala carte as you would get 8 pieces per roll ordered for your $40 allowance.

I dont think you get a $40 allowance either. Isnt it like $25? Idk but it's never been as high as $40. That's the cost if you use UDP to sit down, not the allowance to order ala carte. Idk as I try and do it with bogo. Or I've booked it as lunch to sit down. I admit I've never done it ala carte. I want to sit down and eat and be waited on.

[wallyj]

48 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I dont think you get a $40 allowance either. Isnt it like $25? Idk but it's never been as high as $40. That's the cost if you use UDP to sit down, not the allowance to order ala carte. Idk as I try and do it with bogo. Or I've booked it as lunch to sit down. I admit I've never done it ala carte. I want to sit down and eat and be waited on.

I just double checked the details for the UDP for my upcoming Navigator sailing. For Izumi Sushi you have choice of the prix fixed menu or $39.99 credit for ala carte. If you want sushi rolls, going ala carte will give you more. 
 

I believe this reduction also coincided with the changes at Playmakers, cost of items increased, so your $20 credit does not go as far with UDP.
 

I think the changes were around beginning of 2023?

Edited August 8 by wallyj

[artvlay]

1 hour ago, wallyj said:

I just double checked the details for the UDP for my upcoming Navigator sailing. For Izumi Sushi you have choice of the prix fixed menu or $39.99 credit for ala carte. If you want sushi rolls, going ala carte will give you more. 
 

I believe this reduction also coincided with the changes at Playmakers, cost of items increased, so your $20 credit does not go as far with UDP.
 

I think the changes were around beginning of 2023?

How does the credit work at Playmakers? On the UDP do you have to go in for "lunch" or "dinner"? Suppose that you wanted to go in for wings a nachos to watch a football game later?

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, artvlay said:

How does the credit work at Playmakers?

It will lower the cost of whatever you order by the allowance amount.

[artvlay]

The Royal site stinks. It has such bad information. I didn't see anything about Playmakers and nothing about embarkation day for lunch. Thankfully there are Cruise Critic members.

[wallyj]

1 hour ago, artvlay said:

The Royal site stinks. It has such bad information. I didn't see anything about Playmakers and nothing about embarkation day for lunch. Thankfully there are Cruise Critic members.

I believe with Playmakers you are only allowed 1 visit per day to use your $20 allowance. Previously, you could tell them to close your tab and start a new one.
 

Now they notate/log your name and cabin number to keep track if you have used your daily allowance. Believe this started late 2022 ? You could use your allowance any time they had food service.

Edited August 8 by wallyj

[pcur]

6 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I dont think you get a $40 allowance either. Isnt it like $25? Idk but it's never been as high as $40. That's the cost if you use UDP to sit down, not the allowance to order ala carte. Idk as I try and do it with bogo. Or I've booked it as lunch to sit down. I admit I've never done it ala carte. I want to sit down and eat and be waited on.

You might be thinking of the C&A $25 coupon?

 

That worked out great for my travel companion and I early this year on the Anthem. We were stuffed ordering a la carte: I paid $2-ish extra, and she was just under $25.

[ARandomTraveler]

54 minutes ago, wallyj said:

I believe with Playmakers you are only allowed 1 visit per day to use your $20 allowance. Previously, you could tell them to close your tab and start a new one.
 

Now they notate/log your name and cabin number to keep track if you have used your daily allowance. Believe this started late 2022 ? You could use your allowance any time they had food service.

This change was supposedly happening during Thanksgiving week of 2022, but the memo didn't make it to all the ships by that time, so some people were being restricted to using only one $20 credit per day and others (like us on a Symphony) were still being allowed to use the $20 credit as many times a day as we wanted to.

 

I haven't been on a ship with a Playmakers since then, so I'd like clarification about whether you can only use the $20 credit once per day, PER a La Carte restaurant (because I think Mason Jar is also a La Carte, right?) or is it one $20 credit once per day TOTAL? So you have to choose whether to eat at Playmakers or at Mason Jar? Orrrrrr, can you use, say, $10 at playmakers and then the other $10 at mason jar?

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

This change was supposedly happening during Thanksgiving week of 2022, but the memo didn't make it to all the ships by that time, so some people were being restricted to using only one $20 credit per day and others (like us on a Symphony) were still being allowed to use the $20 credit as many times a day as we wanted to.

 

I haven't been on a ship with a Playmakers since then, so I'd like clarification about whether you can only use the $20 credit once per day, PER a La Carte restaurant (because I think Mason Jar is also a La Carte, right?) or is it one $20 credit once per day TOTAL? So you have to choose whether to eat at Playmakers or at Mason Jar? Orrrrrr, can you use, say, $10 at playmakers and then the other $10 at mason jar?

Its once per restaurant.  Per person. So a couple can go and use one $20 and go later and use the others $20 credit 

[artvlay]

5 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

This change was supposedly happening during Thanksgiving week of 2022, but the memo didn't make it to all the ships by that time, so some people were being restricted to using only one $20 credit per day and others (like us on a Symphony) were still being allowed to use the $20 credit as many times a day as we wanted to.

 

I haven't been on a ship with a Playmakers since then, so I'd like clarification about whether you can only use the $20 credit once per day, PER a La Carte restaurant (because I think Mason Jar is also a La Carte, right?) or is it one $20 credit once per day TOTAL? So you have to choose whether to eat at Playmakers or at Mason Jar? Orrrrrr, can you use, say, $10 at playmakers and then the other $10 at mason jar?

And is this $20pp attributed to UDP? And if so, can you go to Izumi for lunch, Chops for dinner and then Playmakers for a snack later?

[firefly333]

22 minutes ago, pcur said:

You might be thinking of the C&A $25 coupon?

 

That worked out great for my travel companion and I early this year on the Anthem. We were stuffed ordering a la carte: I paid $2-ish extra, and she was just under $25.

No I'm talking about his ala carte credit with UDP. 

[wallyj]

32 minutes ago, artvlay said:

And is this $20pp attributed to UDP? And if so, can you go to Izumi for lunch, Chops for dinner and then Playmakers for a snack later?

Yes. I believe one sea day on Navigator, I went to Hooked at lunch for a Lobster roll, then to Jamie’s for a full course lunch, then Chops for dinner and Playmakers for late evening snack having the UDP.

[ARandomTraveler]

4 hours ago, artvlay said:

And is this $20pp attributed to UDP? And if so, can you go to Izumi for lunch, Chops for dinner and then Playmakers for a snack later?

You can definitely go to multiple restaurants throughout the day, as long as they're part of the dining package and don't have the $20 spending credit. You can even do a lunch, and then TWO different places for dinner, or two lunches and two dinners, meaning you've gone to 3 or 4 restaurants in one day. I've done that.
 

Izumi and Chops are both places you can go with the UDP without a spending credit (although Izumi does give you the option to either pick a combination of foods from pre-determined menu sections, or buy anything you want, in any combination, as long as you don't exceed $39.99, which makes it seem like they're giving you a spending credit, but it's different than the $20 spending credit I'm talking about for playmakers and mason jar). 

 

I'm still not sure about the $20 credit though. @firefly333 mentioned that you can use one persons $20 credit for lunch and then use the other persons $20 credit for dinner. But can you use both people's $20 credit for brunch at Mason Jar, and then go to Playmakers for dinner and use both people's $20 credit again, since it's a different restaurant? 
 

*Im also not positive that Mason Jar is a $20 credit place but I thought I read somewhere that it is.