Restaurant/Food Options

[mresera]

I have seen lots of posts about the different food options and restaurants. What isn't clear to me is how much everything costs. Which restaurants are free? Which are not free? Which are low price? We are traveling on the Equinox. Thanks.

[ellay864]

I've just come back from my first ever cruise and had the same questions - we were also on Equinox.

The restaurants you pay extra for are Silk Harvest (Asian), Murano (French) and Tuscan (Italian). The charge varies from 20-40$ per person and there are discounts available eg on first night I think they all offer 20 or 25% off. That is a flat charge and makes no difference to your actual menu choice.

The Bistro on 5 does crepes (very nice, well worth a visit for lunch) for just $5 per person.

Otherwise it's all included.

Main dining room is the more formal for evening meals (and has actual formal nights, number depends on length of your cruise) but no charge there. You can also have breakfast and lunch inclusive there

Oceanview is the buffet and that's not only included but you can get something there most times of day. It took me a while to realise it was OK to go for my 2nd breakfast there, and that I could just take cookies whenever I wanted!

Cafe al Bacio does charge for it's coffees but you can get the cakes/sandwiches for free at any time

Mast Bar does gorgeous burgers - they're open from lunchtime til 6pm

[TLCOhio]

Excellent summary by ellay864. Here are more details listed below on the speciality dining places from our experience last June on the Solstice in the Baltics. Plus a few sample pictures to give a better idea of what's there.

You don't have to pay extra! You won't go hungry!! But, the speciality places add some nice variety on your cruise, if that's of interest. There's also room service. We liked the Oceanview Cafe, especially sitting nearby on the outdoor back deck area to enjoy the air, views, etc. See more details from my live/blog connected below.

 

Speciality Dining Photos/Tips:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1434523&page=2

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 87,006 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here is an overview for this wonderfully-appointed, speciality Murano dining room with nice wood, ceiling, glass, etc., details.* Maximum capacity for seating in 90.* For the last night, they have 30 people on a waiting listing.* We booked ahead which was smart in order to get a specific date on a sea day.:

 

 

 

For the handy and quick Oceanview Cafe buffet, here are two visuals samples, including getting items from the pizza-pasta bar area. The pizza is very good when it is hot and coming fresh right out of the oven.:

 

 

 

 

 

This is an overview for how the whole main part of the open, central MDR was taken over by the various stations of food, ice carving, treats, etc., for a special mid-day brunch on a sea day.:

 

 

 

Doing dining “family-style” is especially fun in an Asian-style setting such as Silk Harvest. That sharing of the experience adds to the fun and interest. For sushi, they put together a nice variety of options and the waiter did an added sauce option that was great to test and vary the flavors. Liked it LOTS here at Silk Harvest!! Testing new things is a good value/purpose for such cruises and these types of dining options. Fun, also!!:

 

 

 

This was the Tuscan Grille “Signature Creme Brulee” that I enjoyed. A key tip for the Tuscan Grille is to “pace yourself” as the portions are large (and good). You need to save room for the desserts, etc.:

 

[mresera]

Thank you all! That answers my questions perfectly!

[mresera]

OK. One more question. Are children allowed in the specialty dining rooms?

[Gonzo70]

OK. One more question. Are children allowed in the specialty dining rooms?

 

I believe that Murano is the only one with an age limit.

[ellay864]

There were certainly children in Tuscan and Silk Harvest when we went. Murano isn't really the place for youngsters...heck, I felt it was a bit posh and grown up for me and I'm 47 :D

[bigkids]

Don't pre-book your specialty restaurants online before your cruise. We did and when we arrived onboard we were offered 50% discount at all of the restaurants. So we had to get customer service to cancel our reservations, re-imburse us our pre-purchased fees and then got 30% discount at all 3 restaurants (Murano, Tuscany & Q-Sine).

Don't waste your time going to Q-Sine unless you're 18 years old....$40 (the same as Murano) for a $10 meal? No wonder their pushing this restaurant. First you have to choose a table captain who will order for all of you then you have to decide from a gimiky iPad menu as to what you want and then the food is sub-par.

We highly recommend Murano and Tuscany Grille. If you go to Murano with 6 people, ask for the Wine Cellar room...it was a dining experience.

[dkjretired]

If I missed anyone's comment, I'm sorry but there is also Aqua Spa cafe which is a free alternative located in the Aqua Spa. Open to everyone it serves breakfast and lunch and is an excellent alternative.

 

Heres the link to the age limits..

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/footer/faqResults.do?faqSubjectName=Specialty+Dining&faqId=3371&faqSubjectId=350

 

Children may eat in Blu if they are staying in and AQ cabin.

 

Also, if you have an AQ cabin, Blu is your designated dining room however if in a suite you may eat there on a space available basis for a $5.00PP charge. Blu is only open for full breakfast and for dinner...

[hcat]

Could someone pls post a link to the current Murano menu?

 

(we have booked it in advance for our upcoming Ecipse cruise)

 

Thanks

[Hlitner]

Thought we would come to the "rescue" of Qsine after reading a prior post. DW and I absolutely loved Qsine and thought it was the most innovative restaurant (and menu) we have ever seen on a cruise ship (and we have been on more then 60 different cruise ships). Yes, we understand that many folks do not like change and prefer traditional restaurant experiences....but Qsine is a fresh idea and many of the menu items are quite unique. You might want to think of Qsine as a modified "tapas" restaurant where you can sample many different dishes (our table had more then 10). We also think that Qsine is best suited for small groups (4 -8) which seems to make the experience more fun. DW and I will be back on the Silhouette for 25 days in a few months and Qsine will be our top priority among the alternative restaurants (and we have previously dined at all the options).

 

Hank

[caripoo]

TOTALLY AGREE with you response on Qsine.........I think it is the most fun and unusual at sea....LOVED it:p:p

[Lsimon]

Could someone pls post a link to the current Murano menu?

 

(we have booked it in advance for our upcoming Ecipse cruise)

 

Thanks

 

There is one on this page: http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard/level3Type1.do?pagename=onboard_celebrity_restaurants_cafes_murano&parentpage=onboard_celebrity_restaurants_cafes

 

And on this page: http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard/tabLanding.do?pagename=onboard_dining#onboard_specialty_dining_tab/onboard/asrPanel.do%3Fpagename=onboard_specialty_dining_menu&ProductCode=MURADINNER&componentType=3%2BDining&shipCode=RF

 

Note that the Five Senses menu includes a wine pairing with every course and has a cost of about $40 extra. Also, everyone at the table must order from the Five Senses menu so it is an all or none option.

 

 

I've just come back from my first ever cruise and had the same questions - we were also on Equinox.

The restaurants you pay extra for are Silk Harvest (Asian), Murano (French) and Tuscan (Italian). The charge varies from 20-40$ per person and there are discounts available eg on first night I think they all offer 20 or 25% off. That is a flat charge and makes no difference to your actual menu choice.

The Bistro on 5 does crepes (very nice, well worth a visit for lunch) for just $5 per person.

Otherwise it's all included.

Main dining room is the more formal for evening meals (and has actual formal nights, number depends on length of your cruise) but no charge there. You can also have breakfast and lunch inclusive there

Oceanview is the buffet and that's not only included but you can get something there most times of day. It took me a while to realise it was OK to go for my 2nd breakfast there, and that I could just take cookies whenever I wanted!

Cafe al Bacio does charge for it's coffees but you can get the cakes/sandwiches for free at any time

Mast Bar does gorgeous burgers - they're open from lunchtime til 6pm

 

Pretty good summary! I see someone already posted about the Aqua Spa Cafe (no charge). I'll add that there is an extra charge gelateria at Cafe al Bacio, or near it, but they have a great no extra charge ice cream bar in the buffet area.

[Lois R]

Thought we would come to the "rescue" of Qsine after reading a prior post. DW and I absolutely loved Qsine and thought it was the most innovative restaurant (and menu) we have ever seen on a cruise ship (and we have been on more then 60 different cruise ships). Yes, we understand that many folks do not like change and prefer traditional restaurant experiences....but Qsine is a fresh idea and many of the menu items are quite unique. You might want to think of Qsine as a modified "tapas" restaurant where you can sample many different dishes (our table had more then 10). We also think that Qsine is best suited for small groups (4 -8) which seems to make the experience more fun. DW and I will be back on the Silhouette for 25 days in a few months and Qsine will be our top priority among the alternative restaurants (and we have previously dined at all the options).

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank:) thanks....I haven't been 18 in .....(forever) and have

eaten in Qsine twice and loved it both times...I am sailing Summit

in November and will be going again:D........

[Lois R]

Don't pre-book your specialty restaurants online before your cruise. We did and when we arrived onboard we were offered 50% discount at all of the restaurants. So we had to get customer service to cancel our reservations, re-imburse us our pre-purchased fees and then got 30% discount at all 3 restaurants (Murano, Tuscany & Q-Sine).

Don't waste your time going to Q-Sine unless you're 18 years old....$40 (the same as Murano) for a $10 meal? No wonder their pushing this restaurant. First you have to choose a table captain who will order for all of you then you have to decide from a gimiky iPad menu as to what you want and then the food is sub-par.

We highly recommend Murano and Tuscany Grille. If you go to Murano with 6 people, ask for the Wine Cellar room...it was a dining experience.

 

Hi, I haven't been 18 in forever:eek: and love Qsine.....been twice and

will be going again in November.:) So to me, it is not a waste of time

or money. And I think the I-Pad is alot of fun:D.......

Different strokes for different folks.

 

I also love Tuscan and Murano and would recommend all 3 restaurants.