Supper Club....Is it worth it?

[Tina0922]

Hello to all.

I have tried the alternate dinning options on Celebrity & NCL and they were not as expensive. SO, 1- Is Carnival's Supper Club that good? and 2- Is it worth the extra cost if this is an el-cheapo cruise for myself & mom? I have a couple upcoming sailings and debating if I sould spend the $60. I usually don't spend that at home either. Please give any info/ advise. Thanks in advance for replies.

 

Tina

[KatSt]

My DH and I have been to the Supper Clubs on the Spirit, Pride, Liberty and Miracle. All of them have been excellent and we really enjoyed them.

 

It's still a personal decision if you want to spend the money. If you are trying to stay within a budget then don't do it. On the Glory we decided not to do it and never felt deprived.

[Planer's Edge]

The one time I tried it, on my one and only Carnival cruise, I did not think it was worth as much as it cost. If it was about half the price it would have probably been okay.

 

PE

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

The one time I tried it' date=' on my one and only Carnival cruise, I did not think it was worth as much as it cost. If it was about half the price it would have probably been okay.

 

PE[/quote']

 

Wow. My DW and I can go to Perkins and spend $30. Are you saying that the SC is comparable to Perkins??

[cathyz]

Wow. My DW and I can go to Perkins and spend $30. Are you saying that the SC is comparable to Perkins??

I don't know what Perkins is, but here in California, the same food, ambiance, and service would cost you at least $100/person.

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

Wow. My DW and I can go to Perkins and spend $30. Are you saying that the SC is comparable to Perkins??

 

LOL. That is not a proper analogy afterall one has ALREADY paid for dining in their cruise price. So in essence one is paying twice for the supper club. It is really a matter of choice to paying twice or not so to speak. Many folks think it is worth the $$$, some do not and would rather spend the extra $$ elsewhere. I will say this the service is very good and the food was very good as well. I don't know if we would do it all the time as it is not about the extra $$ for us but the principle of it all I guess. To each his own.

[mtchg]

..are well worth it. Try it at least once.

 

Mitch

[taffylouwho]

We would like to try Davids on-board the Pride next week. Should we make reservations on-board or do it now on-line.

[Sherman Oaks]

I don't know what Perkins is, but here in California, the same food, ambiance, and service would cost you at least $100/person.

At least $100pp probably more, plus tip...

[cathyz]

We would like to try Davids on-board the Pride next week. Should we make reservations on-board or do it now on-line.

They always have a table set up on embarkation day to make reservations for the (now called) Steakhouses, so you could do it then with no problems. We usually make the reservations ahead of time on-line, but then they lose some of them too so I've heard.

[Megnolia]

If you are in the habit of eating in extremely upscale places, you probably won't be impressed. If you're like me, and a "nice dinner out" means Kelsey's or Red Lobster, then you'll be very impressed. Having the attentive service is a real treat (although the main dining room service is a treat, too) and the presentation is really the best part of the meal for me. It just looks and feels so fancy, and the appetizers and desserts are truly exceptional, in my opinion, taste-wise.

 

So the supper club (or Steakhouse as they are now called) is an incredible evening for us! Service and presentation we would never choose to pay for otherwise. We've only done it once, but will do it once per trip whenever we have the opportunity, so long as the next experience is good.

[Name Of The Game]

Will they seat you with other passengers like at My Time Dining or does your party get its own table with the reservation?

[jordanaire]

My wife and I tried the Supper Club one time and really enjoyed it. The food was extraordinary and the service was super! However, the cost was quite high for us.

 

Would we do it again? Probably not. Once is enough. I can get quite full eating in the diningroom for nothing!

 

:cool:Bill

[royd1968]

Will they seat you with other passengers like at My Time Dining or does your party get its own table with the reservation?

 

you are at your own table.....not forced to sit with strangers

[cathyz]

Will they seat you with other passengers like at My Time Dining or does your party get its own table with the reservation?

They seat you at your own table, like a restaurant.

[royd1968]

Hello to all.

I have tried the alternate dinning options on Celebrity & NCL and they were not as expensive. SO, 1- Is Carnival's Supper Club that good? and 2- Is it worth the extra cost if this is an el-cheapo cruise for myself & mom? I have a couple upcoming sailings and debating if I sould spend the $60. I usually don't spend that at home either. Please give any info/ advise. Thanks in advance for replies.

 

Tina

 

I ate at the steakhouse on the ncl star...the food there was great, and it was only $20 pp I believe.....but the atmosphere and the service was much better at the supper club/steakhouse on the splendor....if you have the extra $30 pp, I would highly recommend it...but on the other hand, its not gonna ruin your cruise if you cant make it

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We have enjoyed the supper club (now being referred to as the "Steakhouse") on Carnival dozens of times. If it's offered on a ship we are sailing on we will book it for at least 2-3 nights. For the $30 pp it is a VERY substantial "upgrade" from the standard dining room fare. You receive superior personal attention along with improved attention to detail, vastly improved ambiance (for several reasons), and simply a "better" quality food.

 

We have also enjoyed dining at both Murano and Ocean Liners when sailing on Celebrity. As I recall their pp "up-charge" is $25. They also offer a wine pairing option for an additional $100. We have tried both a couple of times.

 

It's difficult to compare between the two lines. Frankly - from ship to ship, and even sailing to sailing both have their ups and downs. I would say the feeling is slightly more "formal" on Celebrity and their selections are more varied... perhaps why Carnival is now calling theirs a Steakhouse. Even with the more varied selections - I would almost have to say (with a couple of isolated exceptions) that I prefer the taste of the Carnival offerings.

 

Think of ways which you may have spent $30 (many times) and received very little for it. In this case, you are receiving something special which will be remembered. Granted, you can achieve the same "fullness" in the main dining room, and save the $ - but you are indeed missing out on something. We felt that, given the service and quality of the food we were enjoying on the Pride (first ship we sailed on w/Supper Club) in the main dining room that it was foolish to pay another $60 (actually $50 then) for the two of us. When we were next on a ship which offered it - we gave it a try and virtually kicked ourselves for skipping it previously.

 

So... in summation... DO NOT PASS UP a chance to enjoy the STEAKHOUSE!

 

Tom

[Froufie]

Some more 'opinions' here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1043320

[Max Circus]

I think it is well worth it. What we have done is fine out in advance what the MDR menus are for the week and pick a night where the items don't suit your taste.

 

Whenever this comes up on the boards (and it does ALOT), the argument is made that you are already paying for food in the MDR. And that is true. But how much are you paying? Certainly alot less than an equivalent meal in an average restaurant onshore.

 

We'd all agree that regardless of your cabin, everyone is eating the same meals in MDR. So there is a "fixed" cost associated with the MDR. What is that fixed cost? Would be interesting to figure it out. Take a cheap fare out of Miami on Valor. OV cabin for $509 (Jan 2010 departure). $72/day. Figure $145 for double occupancy. How much of that is for the cabin and fuel? Maybe $90? Leaving $55 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Could you eat the same type of food onshore for that amount for two people? Not sure you could.

[Shipshape7]

If you are in the habit of eating in extremely upscale places, you probably won't be impressed. If you're like me, and a "nice dinner out" means Kelsey's or Red Lobster, then you'll be very impressed. .

 

Exactly. I think it depends on who you are, where you live normally and how much you can eat. You have to factor in not just the extra cost but the "loss" of a meal you've already paid for. It's kind of like excursions in that if you have the opportunity to do the same thing at home then do it at home rather than spend your vacation time on it. But if this is a rare opportunity then sieze the moment and do it. I'm from New York, so I don't normally spend time shopping in ports or pay extra for fancy dinners. If I lived in a rural area I'm sure I'd feel differently. If I lived in Florida I wouldn't be paying people to take me snorkeling. I'm also not interested in bigger portions. One of the things I love about cruising is the little portions so you can enjoy the variety without getting too stuffed.

[inforem]

The last two times we sailed on the Miracle we very much enjoyed N and N/Steakhouse/Supper Club. Both times we were five people and with drinks and additional tips it cost over $200.00. Remember you are on vacation enjoy yourself. I would rather spend the $$$$ on excellent food and terrific service then pay for an overpriced excursion to swim with the dolphins or feed the stingrays.

 

When you order filet mignon you actually get filet mignon, not filet of mystery meat.

[halos]

It's weird how it varies from ship to ship.

On CCL I can say that the $30 pp was SO worth it on the Legend. We're going to give Nick and Nora's on the Miracle a whirl this weekend :)

 

On NCL, we did specialty restaurants on 3 different ships (the same 3 restaurants on each ship)......one one of the ships (NCL Spirit) they weren't nearly as great as the ones on the other 2 ships.

 

Bottom line for us is that we do enjoy the specialty restaurants.

[dan40]

For me the PRIME reason to dine at the Steakhouse is the USDA PRIME GRADE meat. If you do not eat beef, skip the Steakhouse. If you know and appreciate USDA PRIME GRADE meat, do not miss it.

RCL, X, NCL DO NOT serve PRIME meat. Most likely USDA CHOICE, but usually say "Black Angus" which only means it came from that breed. It could even be SELECT grade, but I'm sure it better than that. CCL is the only line that serves PRIME.

 

What is the price of a dinner in the MDR? Who cares?

[B&JHall]

We tried it on the Miracle back in March. Although VERY nice, it was a little too high end for us (we don't do fine dining). Another thing, probably best not to book it on the formal night (what we did). The place was empty, and no live music as we had seen advertised.

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

DW and I rarely do a nice dinner by ourselves. In the MDR we don't want a table for 2 as we like to socialize and get to know other people. This time we are going to do one nice dinner by ourselves.