a few Portofino questions

[DesertArtist]

We'll be sailing the western caribbean for Thanksgiving and it'll be our first time on RC. My understanding is that if you want to eat at Portofinos you should make your reservations as soon as you board. You can not book before boarding right?

 

I believe it is $20 pp for anything on the menu. I have read here that some tip some do not. We probably will if the service is good. Now, is a certain dress code suggested here? How do most people dress? Jackets? Nice pants and golf shirt? Thanks in advance for your input!

[Merion_Mom]

We'll be sailing the western caribbean for Thanksgiving and it'll be our first time on RC. My understanding is that if you want to eat at Portofinos you should make your reservations as soon as you board. You can not book before boarding right?

 

I believe it is $20 pp for anything on the menu. I have read here that some tip some do not. We probably will if the service is good. Now, is a certain dress code suggested here? How do most people dress? Jackets? Nice pants and golf shirt? Thanks in advance for your input!

Correct, you must book after you board. If you go straight to the restaurant, you can consult with the Maitre D' there to find the best night and time for your visit. The fee IS $20 per person, except that past passengers have reported $25 on the Navigator. Supposedly, the $20 includes a gratuity for the staff, but I would guess that well over half of the passengers tip above and beyond that. I do. Dress is "smart casual", but in general, it's whatever the dress code is for the ship that evening. You would think that people would "dress up" for this special place, but I didn't usually witness that.

[TheBeachBears]

You cannot book till you are in ship, and if you want a specific “around dinner” time I would rush right down there. Last I checked it was $20 and worth every penny. It is I think formal suggested, that being said I have see all manor of dress and children mentioned on these boards. If you do not want to dress up I would suggest a high end restaurant in port that might have a less stringent code. I envy you LOS does not have any specialty restaurants on board.

 

Be sure to check out my podcast at http://www.crowncast.org all about cruising RCI

[shalee1377]

We were on the Navigator last month and both Chops and Portfinos were $20 per person. That does include a tip but in Portfinos we tipped extra because the service was GREAT. Not the case in Chops where we waited for over 30 minutes before the waiter came to take our order. I believe the dress code was smart casual. Most people were in pants. I don't recall seeing any of the men wearing ties and no formal dresses on any of the women.

[rubrrick]

The dress code is smart casual, unless it's formal night. The times that we have eaten there, we think is worth every penny of the $20.00.

 

Rick

[DesertArtist]

Thanks for the replys. Smart casual it will be then, as I think we will want to be in the dining room with the rest of our group on the formal nights. I am anxious to check it out, as I have seen the menu and heard great reviews about it. Where else can you get such a five star menu for $20 ?!

[cb at sea]

No need to tip additional amounts--the tip is included. I'm not sure how "above and beyond" they would have to go to merit extra!

You don't need to rush to make reservations! Have yet to see a full rooms--at any time of the evening!

They will take "walk-ins" if you decide at the last minute to eat there.

[katiel53]

Once again I disagree with you C B. The waiter gets approximately $3 tip for the service of your dinner. That's what I was told by the Maitre D at Portofino. I don't know how anyone could say that is enough tip for the wonderful service that is given. I know it is an individual decision to tip additionally, but you are always telling people not to tip. I don't know why you do that, maybe it's just your nature not to feel that people should be tipped additionally.

 

As far as reservations, please do make reservations. They will only take a certain number of people per night and even if the restaurant doesn't look full every night, or at all times during the night, it doesn't mean that anyone can just walk in whenever they want. I am not saying that at times they don't take walk-ins, but I have seen people turned away. I think you give people the wrong impressions.

 

(My friend dates a Maitre d on RCI and that's how I got info from the Maitre D.) Enjoy your dinner at the specialty restaurants.

[CUinSeptember]

one of the best meals I've ever had! we tipped extra. Dress code is neat casual.

[BillfromWV]

I too have heard from the staff that most of the $20 cover charge goes to RCI and only a small percentage goes to the staff to split. I always leave an additional cash tip to my server and asst. server as the service they provide is the best that you would find in any 5* resteraunt on shore.

Bill

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

It is surprising how much difference in opinion there is about Portofino and Chops. We make it a habit to eat in these restaurants on formal nights and choose to dine as soon as the restaurants open, so our experience may be different than that of those who eat later.

 

We make reservations when we first board the ship. On our very first cruise when we really didn't know much, we tried to eat at Portofino and couldn't get reservations at all. That was on a fully loaded Mariner of the Seas at spring break three years ago. We've never had difficulty since, but I guess that on fully loaded ships, the reservations might be harder to get on certain popular nights. The maitre d' on one ship told us that formal nights and the first night, it is easiest to make reservations.

 

We do wear formal attire on formal nights, but honestly, few guests are wearing formal attire early in the evening in the premium restaurants. That may not be so later in the evening...I really don't know. The typical attire is smart casual or country club casual, but I have seen shorts!

 

On Freedom of the Seas, I noticed that Chops was a bustling place and watched as tables filled up fast. As soon as one party left, the waiters cleaned the table and immediately seated another party. If you want to eat at Chops, better make reservations as soon as convenient for you to do so or you might not get the itme or day you want or may be closed out completely.

 

We leave extra tips over and above what is included. I don't understand the reluctance to leave a little extra for these hard working and attentive waiters. Some of the best waiters on the ship are in the premium restaurants and they try hard to make the experience memorable and one diners would like to repeat. Last February when we sailed on Majesty of the Seas, there was no premium restaurant and we really missed being able to eat there.

[Lowcountrygal]

Hello,

 

As best as I can recall from sailing the Mariner this past June, Portofino charges $15 per person and Chops is $20.

 

We sail again in December and I can hardly wait to dine at Portofino again! It's a special treat for us; such elegant dining at a very reasonable price. We've always been impressed!

 

It wouldn't be right if I didn't mention the Flourless Chocolate Cake available only at Portofino. ;) The main dining room has a bite size portion as part of a dessert sampler, it just can't compare to what is served at Portofino.

 

Cheers!

Rose

[eloyps]

We'll be sailing the western caribbean for Thanksgiving and it'll be our first time on RC. My understanding is that if you want to eat at Portofinos you should make your reservations as soon as you board. You can not book before boarding right?

 

I believe it is $20 pp for anything on the menu. I have read here that some tip some do not. We probably will if the service is good. Now, is a certain dress code suggested here? How do most people dress? Jackets? Nice pants and golf shirt? Thanks in advance for your input!

 

Hi:

Me and my DH will be on the Adventure for thanksgiving as well.We might be in the same cruise.If it is so,maybe you want to consider signing up for "Meet & Mingle".It is a site that puts you in contact with other fellowcruisers.It is fun to get to know some of them beforehand.If there are at least 25 people registered,the cruise will throu a get together for the group.

We are also very much interested in trying Portofino,I am particularly interested because i lived a big chunk of my life in Italy,and of course I never get enough of italian food if it is good !!.I also thought about the possibility of making reservations before boarding.Somebody have answer that question for us.Too bad,we will have to wait until we get there.

[DesertArtist]

Hi:

Me and my DH will be on the Adventure for thanksgiving as well.We might be in the same cruise.If it is so,maybe you want to consider signing up for "Meet & Mingle".It is a site that puts you in contact with other fellowcruisers.It is fun to get to know some of them beforehand.If there are at least 25 people registered,the cruise will throu a get together for the group.

We are also very much interested in trying Portofino,I am particularly interested because i lived a big chunk of my life in Italy,and of course I never get enough of italian food if it is good !!.I also thought about the possibility of making reservations before boarding.Somebody have answer that question for us.Too bad,we will have to wait until we get there.

 

Hi eloyps-

We'll be on the Explorer of the Seas for the Thanksgiving sailing but it is our first RC sailing too. I like the idea of a specialty restaurant and I agree about never getting enough of great Italian food. I'll have an expert with me for the real review of the food - I married Italian!

[caviargal]

Hi eloyps-

We'll be on the Explorer of the Seas for the Thanksgiving sailing but it is our first RC sailing too. I like the idea of a specialty restaurant and I agree about never getting enough of great Italian food. I'll have an expert with me for the real review of the food - I married Italian!

 

I am a second generation Italian and really enjoy Portofino for the food, ambiance, service.

 

My favorite is the halibut:), yummmy.

 

I prefer Portofino over Chops and dined there 3x last cruise on Serenade. I always tipped extra as the service was excellent and made each evening special.

[danajjj]

Hi:

Me and my DH will be on the Adventure for thanksgiving as well.We might be in the same cruise.If it is so,maybe you want to consider signing up for "Meet & Mingle".It is a site that puts you in contact with other fellowcruisers.It is fun to get to know some of them beforehand.If there are at least 25 people registered,the cruise will throu a get together for the group.

We are also very much interested in trying Portofino,I am particularly interested because i lived a big chunk of my life in Italy,and of course I never get enough of italian food if it is good !!.I also thought about the possibility of making reservations before boarding.Somebody have answer that question for us.Too bad,we will have to wait until we get there.

 

We ate at both Portofino's and Chops last week for the first time. I was hesitant about trying Portofino's since I don't like Italian food. It was awesome. It wasn't what I considered to be traditional Italian food, but it was very good. We had the seafood kabob (I can't remember exactly what it was called). Oh my! It was delicious! The Flourless Choc. Cake is to die for!

 

I would highly recommend getting reservations as quickly as possible. On our first Mariner cruise, we waited until a few days into the cruise to try for reservations and could not get into either Portofino's or Chops. This cruise, we went to both shortly after we boarded (before 2:00) and Chops was already limited in their availability. We couldn't get the night we wanted. While dining at both, neither seemed overly crowded though. We noticed empty tables while there, particularly at Portifinos -- not sure why.

[BobBeaSea]

Thanks for the replys. Smart casual it will be then, as I think we will want to be in the dining room with the rest of our group on the formal nights. I am anxious to check it out, as I have seen the menu and heard great reviews about it. Where else can you get such a five star menu for $20 ?!

 

A good night for Chops/Portofinos is the ever popular Caribbean night....if the main dining room has a weak night, this is it. As others have mentioned, make reservation(s) when you board. I am a male and have dressed in collared shirt and slacks each time...have yet to wear a sports jacket- no problem. if it was a formal night, I would be dressed for formal, by choice. Like a lot of people I leave a tip, $10.00 - $20.00 for the two of us. The gratuity is included, anything extra is entirely at your discretion. Enjoy...:)

[DesertArtist]

A good night for Chops/Portofinos is the ever popular Caribbean night....if the main dining room has a weak night, this is it.

 

So when can you find out the formal nights & themed nights so we can pick the best night for Portofinos? Can you get that info in advance or do they have a calendar of events when you board?

[MrChuckFL]

Just a tip....

 

If you try and book Chops or Portifino (2 people) for a certain night and they tell you they are full or try and push you to a different night.

 

Don't do it. Ask to be put on the wait list.

 

We found out that they have few small tables and purposly hold out the reservations for larger parties (revenue management).

 

When they do not fill the larger tables they will call you and tell you (conveniently) that a reservation has opened up.

[AdGuyMike]

The waiter gets approximately $3 tip for the service of your dinner. That's what I was told by the Maitre D at Portofino. I don't know how anyone could say that is enough tip for the wonderful service that is given...

 

(My friend dates a Maitre d on RCI and that's how I got info from the Maitre D.) Enjoy your dinner at the specialty restaurants.

I've seen this Specialty Restaurant tip topic come up so many times on CC and wanted to jump in because it covers a couple of areas.

 

But before any flames start coming I want to say

1) I have eaten at Chops on the Enchantment and between the food, ambiance and great service it is well, well worth the $20 pp surcharge.

 

2 Both times I ate at Chops I left an additional $10 gratuity for me and DW.

 

Long time members and readers of this board I think all have come to the conclusion that tipping is a personal matter. I totally agree and there is not much more that can be said about this issue.

 

The thing that bugs me about the Specialty Restaurant tipping is that there is always a post that says the server receives $3 per person for serving you dinner. This kind of leaves the impression that at the end of a long night, if you don't tip, your server washes up and goes back to his lowly crew cabin with 6 or 7 bucks in his pocket.

 

Although I can't say exactly how many tables a server handles in 1 evening I gotta think it's more than one. In fact I think our server in Chops had 3 or 4 tables with parties of 2, 4, and 6. (We were a party of 4) And the tables turned over at least once between 6 and 10PM.

 

So I would think that a server would handle at least 20- 24 people in a typical evening. And they work 7 nights per week. No days off on a cruise ship.

 

Assuming nobody tipped additionally at all, 20-24 dinners per night at $3pp would be $60-$70 per night X 7 nights for a total of $420-$500 per week. Not a King's ransom but I know people who work in the US with big personal overhead and manage to get by on this type of money.

 

Besides, in the main dining room if you tip according to guidelines, your waiter gets $3.50 pp. Not much of a difference. And in most cases your waiter is providing you excellent service as well.

 

So I'm not saying not to tip additionally in the Specialty restaurants, it's just that the "waiter only gets $3" argument paints an incomplete picture of a hard night or week's labor.

[Merion_Mom]

In an equivalent "fine dining" restaurant here at home, a good waiter will go home with $200-$400 in his pocket. :rolleyes: :)

[AdGuyMike]

In an equivalent "fine dining" restaurant here at home, a good waiter will go home with $200-$400 in his pocket. :rolleyes: :)

 

I'm sure that is the case. But when dining at home in a US restaurant the customary (15-20%) tipping procedure and server compensation is different and clearly understood by the vast majority of those of us who dine out.

 

And again, personally, I did tip more at Chops because I felt the overall experience was well worth it and deserving of a nicer tip.

 

The point of my post was that every time a "Specialty Restaurant Tipping" post comes up there is innevitably a "the poor server only gets $3" response.

 

This setup is obviously equitable to the servers who work there otherwise the Specialty Restaurants would be considered the "punishment" room for the waiters. Instead, Chops and Portofino's seem to get the best level of hospitality and apparently the staff seems very, very happy to be there despite the fact that some passengers are not clear of the tipping guidlines and will walk away leaving no additional gratuity.

[SeaSprayTB]

Portofino is not "adults-only"??

 

I've only sailed on RCI's Empress back when it was the Nordic Empress and therefore had no specialty restaurant, and have twice sailed on Disney's Magic which has the adults-only "Palo" specialty restaurant. Next October will be my first time back on a Royal Caribbean ship and I'm looking forward to trying out Portofino. I was under the impression that it was an adults-only venue. Is this not the case?? Thanks!

 

 

P.S. Incidently, this same exact topic always appears on the DCL threads; whether or not to tip above the per-person charge for Palo. My husband and I *always* tip an extra $30 on top of any fee, as we've always had above-excellent service, and the meal would probably cost in the $150 range at a land restaurant. So count me in as one of the "extra tippers". :D

[caviargal]

Portofino is not "adults-only"??

 

 

13 and over and apparently inconsistently enforced on some ships:(.

[BobBeaSea]

A good night for Chops/Portofinos is the ever popular Caribbean night....if the main dining room has a weak night, this is it.

 

So when can you find out the formal nights & themed nights so we can pick the best night for Portofinos? Can you get that info in advance or do they have a calendar of events when you board?

 

You can get the info when you make your reservation, just ask the person making your reservation OR, you can get the info on this board. As your sailing date gets closer just ask on the board for the dining room schedule for your cruise, I GUARANTEE someone here will have it :)