Specialty Restaurant

What is your opinion about paying extra for Dining for 1st time cruiser...should we splurge or not?

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What is your opinion about paying extra for Dining for 1st time cruiser...should we splurge or not?

 

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It depends if you are celebrating a special event.

You usually get a more intimate experience and nicer surroundings and food.

For me at least once is a nice treat.

43 cruises and counting.

If you can afford the prices, it never hurts to try one or more of the specialty restaurants. We did on our first cruise and have on each one since, at least 2 or 3 times during the week, depending on the restaurants. We're not big alcohol drinkers so we aren't spending a lot of extra money that way. We also do not personally care for the Main Dining Room so specialty dining is our little splurge instead.

It has to be your choice, but consider what else you could spend the money on (shore excursion, souvenirs, deposit on another cruise while onboard!). My fear is with many other cruisers that MDR food will decline driving revenue more and more to additional upcharge specialty restaurants. However, with the ships as big as they are these days, it's kind of like eating at the casual restaurant of a land based resort most nights and then going to their better experience one evening. Difference is, with many land based restaurants you have the flexibility to go off property for it, instead of being a captive audience. I would recommend, depending on any ports and hours in said ports, looking to see if there was an authentic dining experience possible on shore for similar or greater experience and value.

We enjoy our MDR experience. We like traditional dining with the same tablemates and wait staff each night. We enjoy the food, and find there is more than enough to eat that satisfies us. We look at the menus of the specialty restaurants and many of them have little that attracts us. And the portions are so large that we would be full before the entree arrived. Since we have already paid for more food than we can eat, we don't see any need to pay even more for even more food than we can eat. Yes, we have eaten at specialty restaurants, but both times were comped, once by our TA and once by the cruise line because we were doing a B2B. I realize that we are not the norm. But I suggest you play it by ear. Try the MDR. Usually they will post that night's menus outside the door to the dining room after breakfast. You can see what they are offering, and if nothing attracts you, then try a specialty restaurant. Keep in mind that in the MDR, you do not need to order an appetizer, a soup, a salad, a main dish, and dessert. You can order as many of each as you want.We have ordered double orders of an appetizer as out entree. Or a smaller portion of a main, such as pasta, as an appetizer. And there have been times that there are so many appetizers we wanted to try that we ordered one for dessert. Chilled fruit soups are good then. EM

What is your opinion about paying extra for Dining for 1st time cruiser...should we splurge or not?

Seems you're on a Royal Caribbean ship. RCCL has wonderful cost restaurants! (y)

What is your opinion about paying extra for Dining for 1st time cruiser...should we splurge or not?

 

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You will certainly get a wide variety of opinions. My wife and I enjoy the MDR very much and have few complaints. HOWEVER, we almost always spurge on night (usually the steak house) as a special treat. The service IS often nicer and the atmosphere far less hectic. Food is often a cut above as well. We treat it like a date night in the midst of a vacation. But in my opinion, if you don't try it, you will still have a great time.

I would suggest that you try out any and all of the offerings that your ship offers. We enjoy specialty dining restaurants and many ships offer wonderful dining experiences in their many dining options.

If you can afford to try a specialty restaurant -- do so.

We love the specialty restaurants -- it is a way different experience. Not as fast paced as the main dining room. More quiet. Special attention by the wait staff.

I believe in trying as much as you can.

Certainly no need on a first cruise.

I always considered it an upgrade worthy only for birthday or anniversary or whatever, but nowadays some folk choose it as a norm.

Don't decide now, you can usually book a day or two ahead.

If you're allocated a shared table in the main dining room and decide to try a speciality restaurant it's common courtesy to let your table-mates know you won't be joining them that night. And they'll doubtless want to know all about it next night.

JB :).

Certainly no need on a first cruise.

I always considered it an upgrade worthy only for birthday or anniversary or whatever, but nowadays some folk choose it as a norm.

Don't decide now, you can usually book a day or two ahead.

If you're allocated a shared table in the main dining room and decide to try a speciality restaurant it's common courtesy to let your table-mates know you won't be joining them that night. And they'll doubtless want to know all about it next night.

 

JB :).

Best to see how your cruise dining is like in the main dining room.Have a look in the specialty restaurant and if you fancy it you might be offered or ask for a decent discount i got 30% discount for chops grill on Vision.

43 cruises and counting.

We totally agree with Essiesmom (post #5 above).

Yes, everyone should try a specialty restaurant at least once, just for the experience.

But the offerings in the MDR have always been excellent. After our last two cruises where we decided to give three specialty restaurants a try we concluded they weren't really worth the money and we missed our table mates in the MDR. The only memorable meal of the bunch was in the steakhouse and that was because they offered popovers and a memorable gorgonzola sauce for the steak.

We've never felt a need to go to one of the Specialty restaurants or to go to the buffet for dinner. We love the MDR experience and we have never had a bad waiter so we just don't see the need. Others feel they can't cruise without it. Try out the MDR and see if it suits your appetite and needs. If it doesn't give the specialty restaurants a go.

As a first time cruiser with no prior reference point with which to compare, the MDR most likely will be very good. But in our experience the specialty restaurants are well worth the upcharge for the higher quality of food, atmosphere, and service and probably should be experienced at least once on your cruise.

In our early years of cruising there were no specialty restaurants. The MDR was it and the overall experience was excellent, but there was no other option to try. When they first started adding them we never saw the reason to spend more than we already did for the food included in the MDR and never tried them, stil satisfied with the MDR. But we said someday we would at least try one. IMO, over the years, the overall quality and experience, as well as the selection of food in the MDR has declined so we decided it was time for a change, and a number of years ago tried our first specialty restaurant.

Long story short, we have completely flipped our dining style and, with rare exception, no longer eat in the MDR at all, and only eat in the specialty restaurants. As we have evolved in our cruising style over the past 25 years, so have we evolved with our on board dining, I guess.