Do you eat at specialty restaurants? What time?

[Look2Sea]

As a solo traveler, do you dine at the specialty restaurants?

 

What time?

Specialty restaurant time is 6-10pm.

 

I am not particular about when I eat, but wondering if 6pm would be more comfortable for solo diner (less likely to feel out of place, not that I would).

I am planning specialty restaurants on sea days.

[Lois R]

As a solo traveler, do you dine at the specialty restaurants?

 

What time?

Specialty restaurant time is 6-10pm.

 

I am not particular about when I eat, but wondering if 6pm would be more comfortable for solo diner (less likely to feel out of place, not that I would).

I am planning specialty restaurants on sea days.

 

Hi:) I never eat at 6...Specialty or Main Dining room. The wait

staff in the Specialty Restaurants are awesome (in my cases

anyway:D). They always make my experience fantastic and

I never feel out of place.

At 6:00? I have not even gone back to my cabin to shower and

change for dinner;)......I would probably have my reservations

for 7:30 or so.

[kitty9]

Generally, 7 or 7:30. I love dining in the specialty restaurants.

[crystal blue]

I dine at the speciality resturants at least two times per cruise. The food is always wonderful as well as the service. I make dinner reservations for 7pm.

[yellowbird23]

I have never dined in the specialty restaurants. Am I missing something? I think the food in the main dining room is good enough. Is it the experience or what?

[Lois R]

I have never dined in the specialty restaurants. Am I missing something? I think the food in the main dining room is good enough. Is it the experience or what?

 

Hi,:) it is totally different than the main dining room.

I love the main dining room as well but I always treat myself

to the Specialty Restaurant.:D

It is truely like a 5 star restaurant (the ones on Celebrity anyway).

They have their own galley and yes, it is a full experience:)

Many items are cooked tableside. They are only cooking for a

few 100 people as opposed to the MDR...which is more like a few

thousand;)

[crystal blue]

I like the fine dining experience and the one on one service that you get in the specialty resturants. The meals you have in these resturants would cost hundreds of dollars at a 5 star restaurant at home. $25 to $30 dollars, what a deal.

[airlink diva]

I cruise solo often and depending on my mood, will eat in the specialty restaurant.

I enjoy eating at the steakhouse because that small price of $20 or $30 dollars, is a bargain compare if I go to a steakhouse at home.

The food and the service is excellent.

I normally go around 8 p.m. If you like to eat early, by all means go at 6 p.m.

There are some who question why spend more when the meals are included in the price of the cruise. I look at it as a treat. Also, on my longer cruises, it was nice to get a break out the dining room.

Happy sailing!!

[kitty9]

QUOTE=yellowbird23;20720207]I have never dined in the specialty restaurants. Am I missing something? I think the food in the main dining room is good enough. Is it the experience or what?

 

You have no idea what you're missing. The food is absolutely off the chart amazing. The quality of ingredients, preparation and presentation is wayyyyyy beyond what they have in the main dining room. And the service is so awesome. I just love being pampered in the specialty restaurants. To be honest, if you dine in any of specialty restaurants on Celebrity, it is the kind of food you'd have every night on Seabourn or Crystal. It's really worth it to experience what cruising on a luxury line might be like.

[mtwingcpa]

I generally prefer to eat early (whether on a cruise ship or not), usually before 6:00 PM. I've eaten in specialties in the past, but didn't do so on my last cruise and might not on my next. Meanwhile, I've fallen in love with the buffets aboard NCL ships, especially the Pearl. To each his own, I guess... :-)

[Solo1959]

I'm sure that, as everyone has written, the food in the specialty restaurants is excellent. But the meal is said to take quite a long time. When going solo, is this too long to just sit alone and wait? What do you do between courses or while waiting for your food to come?

 

Naive question, I'm sure, but... do you have the option when you arrive to share a table? Or do you have to make those plans with people you meet on board before dinner?

[katree]

I had a problem with my table, and the Matre'd couldn't/wouldn't help me fix it, so I ate in the specialty restaurant every night. I don't like buffets, and I always feel that I'm causing trouble when I try to order dinner from the main diningroom for delivery in my steerage ;) cabin.

[Lois R]

I'm sure that, as everyone has written, the food in the specialty restaurants is excellent. But the meal is said to take quite a long time. When going solo, is this too long to just sit alone and wait? What do you do between courses or while waiting for your food to come?

 

Naive question, I'm sure, but... do you have the option when you arrive to share a table? Or do you have to make those plans with people you meet on board before dinner?

 

Hi,:) you are asking about the Specialty Restaurant? Those are by

reservations only and it is like a 5 star restuarant. So, no you would

not be sharing a table. If you meet others on your cruise and want

to go together? Then one of you would go to the Maitr'd and

make a reservation for you and your friends. Each cabin would

pay their own way.

As for what to do between courses....you could bring a paperback.

I have also talked to folks who bring a journal and catch up on

writing about their cruise.

Personally, I enjoy people watching and the wait staff is always

very friendly as well:)

[Look2Sea]

A tip from another thread:

 

If you are too stuffed to have dessert, order it "to go", and take it back to your cabin for a little later. That should also help with dinner being long.

[jpg1747]

I have never eaten in a specialty restaurant and probably never will. First of all, I'm perfectly happy with the food in the dining room and don't want to pay anything extra for a meal. Secondly, there is no way I could possibly eat everything (I had gastric bypass surgery) and it would be a waste of money for me. Lastly, I like having company at dinner and don't want to sit alone or even read a book. While I don't mind doing that at breakfast or lunch, I really like conversation at dinner. And, no, I probably wouldn't even go if I was invited to join others and they paid for my dinner. It just doesn't interest me.

[airlink diva]

I'm sure that, as everyone has written, the food in the specialty restaurants is excellent. But the meal is said to take quite a long time. When going solo, is this too long to just sit alone and wait? What do you do between courses or while waiting for your food to come?

 

Naive question, I'm sure, but... do you have the option when you arrive to share a table? Or do you have to make those plans with people you meet on board before dinner?

 

When going solo, is this too long to just sit alone and wait? What do you do between courses or while waiting for your food to come?

I normally take a book or magazine with me to enjoy. But then again, I take a book with me everywhere in my purse!!

Also, the meal is normally so good that I don't rush eating,but savor each and every bite.

When you make your reservation,they ask you how many people at that time. Now on one sailing I did have dinner with a dining room tablemate (we each paid for our own meal),but I never been ask to share a table.

[bunnydickson]

Hi, I'm going on my first solo cruise (a b2b, lucky me!), and may try the specialty restaurant. Do you recommend leaving an additional tip when you sign for your $30. I have already prepaid my gratuities, but I usually like to leave a better tip if the service is excellent.

 

Thanks for your advice!

[BlueC5Kitten]

I almost always give an additional cash tip to my wait staff, regardless of whether they are in the specialty restaurant or in the ship's main dining room. I have never felt the service in either place was anything less than exemplary!

[Traveler353]

I have never eaten at the speciality restaurants. I can not seeing paying more for a meal that I have already paid for. They charge you $30 plus for the privilage. No credit is given for the meal that is already paid for. That makes the cost of the meal something like $45 to $50. Not right to me.

[flag fan]

I always try specialty restaurants. I eat early to avoid the crowds (6:00pm or 6:30pm) and to feel less conspicuous when dining alone.

[cascole]

Over New Years, I'll be doing my first solo since 1995 (my very first cruise, well before specialty restaurants)... I fully intend to enjoy the specialty restaurant. While I would prefer to meet another solo onboard to dine with, I will completely enjoy myself either way! :)

 

For those who have done this solo - how do you find the wait staff and sommelier response?

[Lois R]

Over New Years, I'll be doing my first solo since 1995 (my very first cruise, well before specialty restaurants)... I fully intend to enjoy the specialty restaurant. While I would prefer to meet another solo onboard to dine with, I will completely enjoy myself either way! :)

 

For those who have done this solo - how do you find the wait staff and sommelier response?

 

Hi, I have found them wonderful:):D:)

Hope you have a fantastic cruise!:)...I have been sailing solo

for 6 years and absolutely love it. I leave in 3 weeks for another

one too!

[cascole]

Hi, I have found them wonderful:):D:)

Hope you have a fantastic cruise!:)...I have been sailing solo

for 6 years and absolutely love it. I leave in 3 weeks for another

one too!

 

Thanks Lois! I am looking forward to it!

[Kween Karen]

I have never eaten in a specialty restaurant. I love the dining room experience and haven't seen the need to pay extra for something else. My next cruise, however, will be very long AND I will have a birthday on it. Maybe! But then............I don't want to go to a different dining area alone when I have already gotten to know my tablemates in the dining room. I think it would feel like starting all over. We'll see though.

[Lois R]

I have never eaten in a specialty restaurant. I love the dining room experience and haven't seen the need to pay extra for something else. My next cruise, however, will be very long AND I will have a birthday on it. Maybe! But then............I don't want to go to a different dining area alone when I have already gotten to know my tablemates in the dining room. I think it would feel like starting all over. We'll see though.

 

Karen,:) since you are going on such a lengthy cruise, you might

end up talking to your "regular dining room tablemates" about it and

possibly see if they would like to go with you.

Who knows? But it seems to me on such a long cruise, should you

and your tables "click" it might be fun doing the Specialty Restaurant

together:).

As for starting all over? The Specialty Restaurants (for me anyway)

are not in that genre...you are not starting all over but only going

once or twice for a beautiful dining experience:)

Anyway, see how you and your tablemates get along first:D