Portofino Italian Restaurant is it worth it?

[MTLcroisiere]

I was wondering if it is worth it to pay extra to eat at the Portofino Restaurant?

 

I have heard two different opinions from friends so far:

 

-1- "There is no point going and pay extra for something that will not be any better than the meal you already paid for in the regular restaurant. Use the money on drinks instead."

 

-2- "You should book early at the reception, to make sure you get a table one night in the Portofino restaurant, because it is popular and extra special, and it will be a good experience."

 

Thank you for your good advice :)

[TheBeachBears]

We did Portofino on VOS and loved it. Soo worth the $20. The service is very attentive and the food is better than the regular dining room. I would do it again. We are going on Jewel and are going to try Chops this time.

[1corona4u]

-1- "There is no point going and pay extra for something that will not be any better than the meal you already paid for in the regular restaurant. Use the money on drinks instead."

 

 

I don't think I will go back again. It was good, but not much better than what I had in the dining room, in my opinion. Presentation was nice though...

[sgttami]

We did Portofino on Radiance last year and it was good but we liked Chops much better (Serenade and Radiance)...the whole presentation is a lot more personal than being in the dining room...(for both)

 

Yes, it's worth the extra $$...we compare it to dropping 20 bucks each in the casino and getting nothing back...at least for this our money goes a bit further!!!

 

It's also a nice diversion from eating in the dining room every night...

[isujim]

We did Portofino's and Chop's on the Brilliance last year and I liked Chops better and my wife liked Portofino's better:p .......best advice is to try it and see for yourself. I don't care for Italian that much which tainted my view I'm sure. The steak was great at Chop;s..........

 

Enjoy

[rfendt]

We did portofino on Voyager of the Seas on our July 30 - Aug. 8th cruise and are definitely planning to go again this week! We felt that the presentation and quality of food was better than the regular dinners. (not that the regular dinners were bad). Portofino's had something extra there.

[hdawson]

I've done both Chops and Portofino's on Brilliance. Also the Olympic on Celebrity's Millenium and also the specialty restaurant on HAL's Zuiderdam.

It's now a permanent plan for me on any future cruise. How does anyone think that the mass produced food in the main dining room (not that it's bad) can be as good as a dinner that is prepared for you individually?

[SuzieQ123]

If you really like Italian food, then go, if you are more of a Steak & Potatoes type eater then go with Chops. I am not much of a fan of Italian food however my husband is Italian, so we went, I don't like pasta at all, but the Focacia and the breads are great, I always get the Shrimp Scampi and its great, and for desert (leave room) the flourless chocolate cake is awesome, I'm a chocolate lover....the sevice is great and the food is definately better then the dining room food (don't get me wrong, I have no problem w/RCCL food)

[PhoenixCruiser]

We did both, will definitely go back to Chops, not so sure about Portofino's. It is $25 pp on the Navigator.

 

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[Sovren]

I will start by saying I have been on 17 cruises and until now have been opposed to paying any more for food once aboard a cruise ship.

 

That being said, we were on the Navigator 2 weeks ago and my son wanted to eat with the kids program. I looked at the menu in the main dining room and didn't see anything great for that night, and in a moment of weakness I booked a table for 2 by the window at Portofino's.

 

I was blown away. The service was impeccable. The food was hot, fresh and presented like a 5 star restaurant. The taste was excellent and you could ask for small portions of items if you just wanted to try something.

This may have been the best meal I have ever had on land or sea. For 20 bucks.... yea you should definitely try it. In fact, if the menu changed every night at Portofino's, I would consider eating there every night.

 

PS. Try the Tiramsu..... Unreal, and you get a shot of Baily's with it!

 

Try it. You won't be sorry

[MrsPete]

If it were JUST $20, I'd say "yes" without hesitation. But -- someone correct me if I'm wrong -- it's $20 PER PERSON. Since essentially everyone goes as a couple, it's really $40. Plus the tip.

 

I think that's a bit steep since you've ALREADY PAID for your meal in the main dining room, and you're expected to tip the main dining room waiters as if you're there each evening.

[SeaBaby]

I agree with Sovren. It is a very special meal with outstanding service and amazing food. We find it hard to miss a meal in the dining room on a 7 night cruise, especially if we enjoy our tablemates. On our last cruise, all our tablemates (8) came with us to Portofino's one night and we had a fantastic time together.

 

MTL croisiere, since you are from Montreal too and know what great restaurants are like, you should give Portofino's a try.

 

SeaBaby

(Suzanne)

[redeyedfrg]

Definitely try Portofinos! We ate there on our honeymoon aboard VOS. We made our reservation early in the week, since I was also celebrating my birthday while onboard. The water was very rough that night (sailing away from hurricane Claudette), but we hated to cancel. I ate very little, as I felt seasick, but the view was fabulous, the service impeccable. The waitstaff went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable, bringing me crackers and giving me advice to combat the seasickness. Hands down, it was the best service we received anywhere on the ship. DH said his food was fantastic (he never raves,as he's not picky, so it must have been beyond great!). I second the other posters advice to try the Tiramisu, which despite the huge waves and the roll of that mammouth vessel, I ate every bit of ;)

[cincicruisers]

I loved both Chops and Portifino's. Very personal service, quiet dining experience. Two servers just working with you and making your the dinner is not only delicious but an experience. The presentation and service are exemplary. Both Chops and Portifino's are worth the extra 20 pp IMO.

The deserts are to die for in both places. I never eat desert, but had it at both places. Enjoy.

[AugustHoneymoonCruiser]

Yes! Pay it and you'll never regret it!

[Rich And Sylvia]

It shouldn't matter what anyone else is willing to use their money for - if you want to try it then you should. I have friends who would never gamble but that doesn't stop us because we enjoy it.

 

It's your vacation - enjoy it as you will.

[BobbyK]

Both restaurants are great. In fact, we did the Murder Mystery at Portofinos on the Radiance. Not only was the food wonderful there but the murder mystery was great and a lot of fun. It was kind of pricey but well worth it.

Robin :cool:

[Pumbaamd]

You can't go wrong. We did Chop's on the Brilliance and it was fantastic! Had to cancel on Port's because DW gotta a little ill. We'll try Port's, and Chop's again on the Brilliance in January. You're spending many $$$ on this cruise. What's a few more $$ for an excellent dining experience? You only go around once. . .

[dgund]

We went to both Chops and Portofinos on the Navigator last year. On that ship the cost is $25.00 per person. I don't know why it is more expensive than the other ships. We thought the experience was well worth the money. You can reserve a table for two and enjoy a much more intimate evening. The food and service were excellent at both places.

[cruise memories]

We went to both Chops and Portifinos on our October cruise on the Jewel and loved both of them. The staff was wonderful. It was definately worth it! I can't wait to go back. We are cruising with friends in July and we can't wait for them to try both restaurants.

[spammie]

We tried Portofinos on Voyager. The food and service were excellent. There were plenty of tables available which I guess is why they allowed a family with lots of kids to eat in there. Not exactly the "atmosphere" we were looking for. Once again an example of RCCL not enforcing the "rules".