dining room only, no chops or portofino's

[A&S]

I asked my husband if he was more interested in chops or portofino's as I assumed we'd try both. He just wants to stick to the dining room, he is looking forward to all the options and doesn't want to miss anything! He also said why pay $40 when we have already paid to eat elsewhere.

This is our first cruise, sailing NOS in a month, is he crazy? or is his strategy a good one for our first cruise?

[rsscaptain]

It's personal I would suppose, but I would add that if I wanted to eat there once or twice I would, and he would go with me. I don't understand when husbands or wives dig their feet in the sand over such issues. On Princess we enjoyed the alternative restaurants, and I'm told it's well worth the extra $$ for Chops and Portafino's. I suppose if money is an issue then that's another thing.

[BobBeaSea]

It is entirely up to you and your husband. Personally, we like the additional restaurants, both are good to very good, JMO. Yes, you have "paid" for the food but, honestly, is the $20.00 per a deal breaker for your husband? On embarkation day visit the 2 pay restaurants and have a look, they really are nice.

 

There is no good or bad strategy for a first cruise :). The goal is to enjoy yourselves as much as possible. Have a great cruise.

[teacherkim]

Agree with the above posters. Go visit the first day and check out the menu with your DH. When he sees the restaurant and the menu choices he may change his mind.

My DH was kind of apathetic about it and went to Portofinos because I wanted to. During the meal he admitted that the extra $ was totally worth it because the food was so outstanding. His quote " there is just something about perfectly prepared food that is intoxicating" He is now a huge fan!

[vmom]

I agree with your husband. Its your first, so enjoy the dining room experience. Try out the alternate dining experiences after you have him hooked. Many people never try out the alternate dining.

 

Just as an aside, we never have tried the alternate dining yet. We always plan on it, but enjoy going to the dining room so much we just never bothered. We always enjoy visiting with our tablemates that we don't want to miss a night. Maybe on our next cruise.

[cb at sea]

There is absolutely NO NEED to spend the extra $$$! The dining room is fine. The specialty restaurants are nice--but it won't make or break the whole cruise experience!!! Have fun with your tablemates and enjoy!!

You will be cruising again (that's a guarantee!!!!) and you can try them then!

[little britain]

Go here http://www.thepreismans.com/Freedom_menus.htm to read a typical example of the weekly menus and also the Portofino/Chops menu.....please let us know if he then changes his mind about spending the extra $20 ;)

[ORANGEinINDY]

Both my wife and I agree with the OP's husband... we figure it's and extra $50 (with tips)... that's a LOT of margarita time! We really joy the food in the main dining rooms too.

My worry that they may "dumb down" the food in the main dining room, so it specialty ones are better.

[Lightsluvr]

 

My worry that they may "dumb down" the food in the main dining room, so it specialty ones are better.

 

Methinks that is already happening...

 

LL

[Host Kewlguy]

The food is most definitely better in the specialty restaurants compared to the main dining room. The service is comparable IMHO. It all depends if you want to spend the extra cash or not. It's a personal decision.

[bfos]

On our New Years Cruise this year we had such a great time with or tablemates that we didn't want to miss anything and the food was awesome. They had to kick us out everynight!

[Happy ks]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with not dining in the specialty restaurants, if that is your choice.

 

I'll have to agree with the others who say it is well worth the few extra $$ for the better food and quiet, more peaceful atmosphere. There is no way you could upgrade your meal from a land restaurant, say a chain restaurant, to a five star restaurant for merely $20-30 per person. So, we consider it a pretty good value.

 

I don't agree that the food has been, or will be dumbed down. I've never found cruise ship food to be any better than a wedding banquet. It's never been cooked to order, it's all pre-prepared and held hot until serving time. It's not inedible, it's just not fine dining and never has been. There is no way to prepare meals for thousands of people and have gourmet, or even close to gourmet food.

 

The alternative restaurants cook to order, the food is fresher, better cuts of meat and elegantly served. If a person cannot tell the difference I really have to wonder about their taste buds ;) .

[Host Kewlguy]

There is absolutely NO NEED to spend the extra $$$! The dining room is fine. The specialty restaurants are nice--but it won't make or break the whole cruise experience!!! Have fun with your tablemates and enjoy!!

You will be cruising again (that's a guarantee!!!!) and you can try them then!

 

Some of us prefer a table for two. It doesn't mean we're anti social. To each their own. :)

[negc]

There is absolutely NO NEED to spend the extra $$$! The dining room is fine. The specialty restaurants are nice--but it won't make or break the whole cruise experience!!! Have fun with your tablemates and enjoy!!

You will be cruising again (that's a guarantee!!!!) and you can try them then!

 

And if the husband digs his heels in again and refuses to eat anywhere than in the main dining room, what then? :rolleyes: While I agree that dining in the alternative dining rooms isn't an essential part of the cruise experience, a bit of compromise between the two parties might be advisable. I suspect that once onboard, the husband may mellow a bit and be willing to give one of the alternative restaurants a chance. Check out their menus and ask to see the dining room menus for the various nights of the cruise and there may be at least one night that he would prefer to spend in Chops or Portofino, even considering the extra cost.

[negc]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with not dining in the specialty restaurants, if that is your choice.

 

I'll have to agree with the others who say it is well worth the few extra $$ for the better food and quiet, more peaceful atmosphere. There is no way you could upgrade your meal from a land restaurant, say a chain restaurant, to a five star restaurant for merely $20-30 per person. So, we consider it a pretty good value.

 

I don't agree that the food has been, or will be dumbed down. I've never found cruise ship food to be any better than a wedding banquet. It's never been cooked to order, it's all pre-prepared and held hot until serving time. It's not inedible, it's just not fine dining and never has been. There is no way to prepare meals for thousands of people and have gourmet, or even close to gourmet food.

 

The alternative restaurants cook to order, the food is fresher, better cuts of meat and elegantly served. If a person cannot tell the difference I really have to wonder about their taste buds ;) .

 

Good post and you make some excellent points. I think some have romanticized the quality of the food and service in the dining rooms of years past.

[BayMan123]

We were on the Navigator last April and we tried Portofino's and loved it. The food and service was just outstanding, I thought much much better than the dinning room, and we had a great server there.

 

Instead of trying both restaurants, why not compromise and pick one?

 

You'll love the ship and cruising, have a wonderful time.

[vmom]

And if the husband digs his heels in again and refuses to eat anywhere than in the main dining room, what then? :rolleyes: While I agree that dining in the alternative dining rooms isn't an essential part of the cruise experience, a bit of compromise between the two parties might be advisable. I suspect that once onboard, the husband may mellow a bit and be willing to give one of the alternative restaurants a chance. Check out their menus and ask to see the dining room menus for the various nights of the cruise and there may be at least one night that he would prefer to spend in Chops or Portofino, even considering the extra cost.

 

Sorry but don't agree. :) Its their first cruise. Its a great time to just see what cruising is all about. Its a time to relax and have fun with one another, and ...get hooked on cruising. There's plenty of time to check out the alternate dining on future cruises. I'd concentrate first on making sure her husband has a great time with minimal stress and conflict so that he'd be willing to book another cruise or two. If he's set on no alternate dining, go along this time. Try the alternate dining after he's discovered what a great deal cruising can be.

 

I guess for me the most enjoyable part of the dining experience is the conversation and company of the other table mates.

[39august]

I agree that for a first cruise, there is no need to try either Chops or Portofino. We feel the dining room food has improved in the past 2 years and don't think we want to spend the extra money for MORE food. Although each cruise we consider doing one of these restaurants, in 15 cruises, we never have! Our first time will be Oct. on Freedom, as our group is being treated to a dinner in the restaraunt of our choice by our TA, who will be cruising with us. Maybe that will make us believe that the difference is worth the price.

[Bluenose Sandy]

I vote for going alone with Dh's wishes... and use that as leverage to get him to do something else you really want to do but he's lukewarm about! ;)

[DON M.]

1st cruise our 30th,if anyone is a steak lover like me, you cannot compare the filet at Chops to the "strip steak" served in the dining room, which I really believe is a reinvention of the "ranch steak" featured a few years back. For what you get, Chops is definetly the best value on the ship.

By the way, something you may want to try. On our Jewel cruise a few years ago I gave the maitreD " a few bucks" and told him I wanted the same filet I had at Chops in a few nights. He said, " I will see want I can do". Well, while I was having my delicious prime filet, our tablemates were trying to cut through this "strip steak" and wondered where I got my steak. Not only the meat quailty at Chops but the entire menu, is what the food in the dining room used to be like 10-12 years ago. As an example, I also got the fabulous onion soup they serve in Chops vs. the dining rooms tasteless onion broth. They have to save money somewhere.

[rsscaptain]

Sorry but don't agree. :) Its their first cruise. Its a great time to just see what cruising is all about. Its a time to relax and have fun with one another, and ...get hooked on cruising. There's plenty of time to check out the alternate dining on future cruises. I'd concentrate first on making sure her husband has a great time with minimal stress and conflict so that he'd be willing to book another cruise or two. If he's set on no alternate dining, go along this time. Try the alternate dining after he's discovered what a great deal cruising can be.

 

I guess for me the most enjoyable part of the dining experience is the conversation and company of the other table mates.

 

I agree with the other poster's who choose to dine with my own party or just my hubby. I see him so little as it is, I don't need to share. It's my time!

 

And you haven't been to compare right? I'm amazed at people who feel they have to "make sure her husband has a great time with minimal stress and conflict so that he'd be willing to bookk another cruise or two." Wow! If one can afford it and one of the parties would like to try it, then the other should comply. Comments like that really make me apprieciate my husband, who likes to please me as much as he likes to be pleased. (LOL I wasn't really going there, but...)

[dan40]

Don't know the exact numbers but I'd guess that the speciality restaurants can only handle 25 to 50% of the total cruisers in any given week [if that many]. So, many, many pax take all their dinners in the dining room. We have done the alternate dining venues in the past and yes they are better than the dining room but the dining room fare is quite good too. After 47 cruises we rarely choose anything else but the dining room. Or, after a late or tiring excursion, we might just do a buffet. First cruise, I don't think I'd give Portofino's or Chops a single thought. They're definitely not worth a hassle.

 

Dan

[Magicat]

A&S: Been to Saskatoon and loved it! Ate at the Station house! Loved it! On our first cruise we thought people were crazy for paying to eat at the specialty restaurants and eating in port. Now as seasoned cruisers we now enjoy and look forward to eating at the specialty restaurants and lunch in ports. Tell hubby that Chops will deliver him one of the best steaks he may have ever have. They say they use Triple A or Quaduple A USA prime steak, but after a little proding they admitted it was Alberta Beef! At least the cruise out of Vancouver was. From fellow Canadians and ones who have eaten Alberta beef...it's worth it!

[MrsPete]

Several comments, quite random in nature:

 

It's not just $20. It's $20 per person plus tip -- more like $60 for a couple -- so a trip to a specialty restaurant equals all the alcoholic drinks I'll consume in a week, or a compact rental car on one of the islands, or a new bathing suit for me. For some cruisers, $60 is real money, and it's wrong to insult people by insinuating that they're cheapskates if they can't /won't spring for an "above and beyond" dinner.

 

For me, eating in the dining room at the same time is a little repetative. My family will probably eat in the dining room 3-4 times -- more if we get great tablemates -- and we'll either go to the buffet or specialty restaurants a couple times. We are most likely to choose a non-dining room venue on port days, when we'll probably be among the last ones back on the ship.

 

At the same time, I do have an issue with the concept of having already paid for dinner, then being asked to pay for it again. Details of the meals not withstanding, it seems wrong in principle. That doesn't mean that we won't pay it -- just that it seems kind of wrong.

[rsscaptain]

Several comments, quite random in nature:

 

It's not just $20. It's $20 per person plus tip -- more like $60 for a couple -- so a trip to a specialty restaurant equals all the alcoholic drinks I'll consume in a week, or a compact rental car on one of the islands, or a new bathing suit for me. For some cruisers, $60 is real money, and it's wrong to insult people by insinuating that they're cheapskates if they can't /won't spring for an "above and beyond" dinner.

 

For me, eating in the dining room at the same time is a little repetative. My family will probably eat in the dining room 3-4 times -- more if we get great tablemates -- and we'll either go to the buffet or specialty restaurants a couple times. We are most likely to choose a non-dining room venue on port days, when we'll probably be among the last ones back on the ship.

 

At the same time, I do have an issue with the concept of having already paid for dinner, then being asked to pay for it again. Details of the meals not withstanding, it seems wrong in principle. That doesn't mean that we won't pay it -- just that it seems kind of wrong.

 

Wrong in principle? It's just another option, you don't have to do it! I enjoy the specialty restaurants, and don't mind paying the extra! Again, if money is the issue, then by all means save and go to the meal that you have pre-paid for. There is no shame in that. I just happen to enjoy the option, and find it a nice change.