I finally tried the Canaletto

[absolutboy20]

Thanks Sail7 for confirming the restaurant is on the Oosterdam. IIRC, on the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Canalleto restaurant was situated at the end of the lido, closest to the central elevators. This may be a strange question, but how intrusive is the cross traffic that I would imagine happen with people coming and going to get to the Lido?

[In Toronto]

Thanks, SeaBands.

Have read good reviews of the Canaletto wines and so will try to order even if we are not in Canaletto.

Thanks for your recommendation.

 

BTW. I did not take offense to the comment that I should "ask nicely".

 

Cheers,

Ellen

[sail7seas]

Thanks Sail7 for confirming the restaurant is on the Oosterdam. IIRC, on the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Canalleto restaurant was situated at the end of the lido, closest to the central elevators. This may be a strange question, but how intrusive is the cross traffic that I would imagine happen with people coming and going to get to the Lido?

 

 

All of the Canaletto Restaurants are a section of Lido. During breakfast and lunch, those tables are used for regular Lido seating. In the evening, that section is reserved for Canaletto only.

 

Our table was beside the windows and though I suppose there might have been folks walking by, we really didn't notice and weren't bothered. Service was very good and we had an enjoyable evening with our friend. Enough so that we would return.

 

We're used to outstanding Italian food in Boston and I don't pretend that Canaletto is at that level but it was a pleasant change of pace from MDR and Pinnacle. (We were aboard for 14 days so the variety was nice.)

 

[lovetocruise2020]

I don't think you are going to win this one, Surfergirle; not that I disagree with you, I just don't think you're going to win.

 

I agree as well, I was just resoponding to CowPrincess statement:

(not sure what "extra niceness" is to be honest)

 

In how I would go about asking for a favor from a cocktail waitress or a bartender. That is how I would go out of my way to be extra nice.

 

Not that I expect everyone to ask in that manner, but I do not think it could hurt. :)

[lovetocruise2020]

Thanks, SeaBands.

Have read good reviews of the Canaletto wines and so will try to order even if we are not in Canaletto.

Thanks for your recommendation.

 

BTW. I did not take offense to the comment that I should "ask nicely".

 

Cheers,

Ellen

 

Great Ellen!

I did not mean it to be rude in any way. :) Enjoy the wine its great. For only $4 more than the corkage fee, its a no brainer! :)

[lovetocruise2020]

No, I'm not saying that you use it a lot. I just don't care for it. I deal with problems that our clients are having with our joint venture billings for 80% of my job. Whether someone is nice or "extra" nice they get their problem dealt with. As a matter of fact if they are "extra" nice it just seems phony to me and it puts me off. YMMV.

 

Thanks for clarifying!

 

I do try to go the extra mile when asking for something our of the ordinary, and 99.5% of the time it works. It never hurts. :) I also tip well, and that probably helps.

[lovetocruise2020]

Do they still bring around a large platter with various salamis, cheeses, olives & Marinated peppers & eggplant that you choose your own antipasti from? No other appetizers? And, I don't see any calamari or parmesan eggplant on the menu, can't remember what else was on the menu when we ate there, but this one seems totally different.

 

They also have some soups and maybe a salad as well.

[peddieplease]

I think DH and I are probably not the clientele expected for this restaurant. Sooo pretentious. Oh well. We loved other areas for diining, IMO.:)

[Topsham]

I think DH and I are probably not the clientele expected for this restaurant. Sooo pretentious. Oh well. We loved other areas for diining, IMO.:)

 

 

The clientelle that are expected to dine in Canaletto are those in the Penthouse Suites and those that occuppy inside cabins on Dolphin Deck.... AND EVERYONE ELSE IN BETWEEN!

 

 

Pretentious it is not!

 

It is just like any Italian restaurant you willl find in any place on earth that charges $10 for dinner. Sooooo Pretentious? No!:eek:

 

It simply offers a moderate seletion of Italian dishes and makes an easy alternative to the dining room or the Lido.

 

It does disappoint in many respects but if you just want a casual Italian dish or two served by Luigi or Mario,it is fine. By day Luigo, and Mario revert back to their Indonesian names Alian or Ade.;)

 

Stephen

[cruz chic]

I think DH and I are probably not the clientele expected for this restaurant. Sooo pretentious. Oh well. We loved other areas for diining, IMO.:)

It's not fancy, trust me.

[scamper]

I agree with the "extra niceness" comment, however, my "en" would be slipping the sommelier a $10 if that person demurs or has to make a trek all over the ship to get what I want. I have worked in the service industry for decades and in most front-of-the-house positions and I can tell you that green gets what it gets. Or the green goes back.

[sail7seas]

I think DH and I are probably not the clientele expected for this restaurant. Sooo pretentious. Oh well. We loved other areas for diining, IMO.:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

:confused: Huh?

 

There truly is nothing pretentious about Canaletto. It's a part of Lido..... how pretentious could it be? :D

 

Try it once. It's a nice alternative. It is what it is and that is not fantastic to blow your socks off but we have a most pleasant evening there on our recent cruise.

 

 

 

Topsham

The clientelle that are expected to dine in Canaletto are those in the Penthouse Suites and those that occuppy inside cabins on Dolphin Deck.... AND EVERYONE ELSE IN BETWEEN!

 

 

Pretentious it is not!

 

It is just like any Italian restaurant you willl find in any place on earth that charges $10 for dinner. Sooooo Pretentious? No!

 

It simply offers a moderate seletion of Italian dishes and makes an easy alternative to the dining room or the Lido.

 

It does disappoint in many respects but if you just want a casual Italian dish or two served by Luigi or Mario,it is fine. By day Luigo, and Mario revert back to their Indonesian names Alian or Ade.

 

Stephen

 

 

Hi Stephen, Nice to see you posting.

 

Well said about Canaletto. :) I fully agree.

 

 

 

[SeaBands]

if you don't like the dining room menu but it's not great Italian food. Most local places are better with more of a selection and also the big chains like Carrabbas. They can't do anything that isn't on the menu since they are limited to the Lido kitchen.

[Topsham]

I don't see a problem gettng any wine from an restaurant in any other dining area on the ship. Just don't expect a steward to run to another restaurant to fetch for you at the last minute. The correct way to do this is talk to any of the wine stewards or bar tenders early in the day and request that a certain bottle be at a particular restaurant at a given date.

 

Eg... Say to the bartender or wine steward at lunch time.... "I'm dining in Pinnacle Grill tonight. Would it be possible to buy a bottle of Canaletto wine 'now' and have it put into the Grill for this evening?" I'll bet teh answwer is "Yes!". Likewise if you are ordering wine from one of the Navigator's or Admiral's packages you can request that a bottle of it be at your table at any restaurant... just do it well before hand. And an extra dollar or two is the nice way to thanks him for his help!

 

Stephen

[lovetocruise2020]

I agree with the "extra niceness" comment, however, my "en" would be slipping the sommelier a $10 if that person demurs or has to make a trek all over the ship to get what I want. I have worked in the service industry for decades and in most front-of-the-house positions and I can tell you that green gets what it gets. Or the green goes back.

 

I agree completely!

[kazu]

I don't see a problem gettng any wine from an restaurant in any other dining area on the ship. Just don't expect a steward to run to another restaurant to fetch for you at the last minute. The correct way to do this is talk to any of the wine stewards or bar tenders early in the day and request that a certain bottle be at a particular restaurant at a given date.

 

Eg... Say to the bartender or wine steward at lunch time.... "I'm dining in Pinnacle Grill tonight. Would it be possible to buy a bottle of Canaletto wine 'now' and have it put into the Grill for this evening?" I'll bet teh answwer is "Yes!". Likewise if you are ordering wine from one of the Navigator's or Admiral's packages you can request that a bottle of it be at your table at any restaurant... just do it well before hand. And an extra dollar or two is the nice way to thanks him for his help!

 

Stephen

 

absolutely correct Stephen - we send our wine from our packages to the Pinnacle (or elsewhere) all the time. We just ask our wine steward the night before:) It makes everyone's life easier if it is arranged in advance.

 

As to the Canaletto - I'm not really a fan, but we will try it on the Prinsendam. Things are normally stepped up a notch on that ship. They had a Cannaletto tasting on our last cruise - and it was absolutely superb. Quite a difference from what I have seen before;)

[BJzink]

But do they let you choose your own choice of antipasti from the platter?

[sail7seas]

But do they let you choose your own choice of antipasti from the platter?

 

 

Your steward will bring the platter to your table and serve each whatever it is you want. We very much enjoyed our selections. :)

 

[mamaofami]

But do they let you choose your own choice of antipasti from the platter?

 

I've always thought that to be the best part of the meal. I like dining in Caneletto because it's a nice change of pace and at night, it doesn't feel like it's the Lido.

[Kay240]

For years I've proceeded on the basis of "the MDR is good enough for me."

 

On the last day of our most recent Prinsendam cruise, I allowed myself to be talked into the Canaletto. It was our best cruise dinner ever.

 

There were many exceptional factors, which, if absent, might make it difficult to replicate the experience:

1. It was the last day of the cruise,

2. We shared the dinner with a delightful new friend we had met in the MDR,

3. We were on the Prinsendam,

4. They had selected special recorded music to enhance the experience,

5. I had never previously had tiramisu so good it made me wish I hadn't eaten all of my osso buco.

 

I am anxiously awaiting my next cruise to see how it will be without some of those factors.

 

 

We were on the same cruise and also ate in the Canaletto. However, we have been to the Canaletto on many ships, going back to when it first emerged from the Lido! We have always loved it (with and without the cotton candy) and would gladly pay extra for the "special" dinner. However, our favorite items were removed from the menu, so we do not anticipate another dinner there, until when or if, the menu changes again.:(

[mamaofami]

We were on the same cruise and also ate in the Canaletto. However, we have been to the Canaletto on many ships, going back to when it first emerged from the Lido! We have always loved it (with and without the cotton candy) and would gladly pay extra for the "special" dinner. However, our favorite items were removed from the menu, so we do not anticipate another dinner there, until when or if, the menu changes again.:(

 

Karen, I remember you from last winter's Maasdam cruise. 2011 to be exact. We sat next to you in the MDR after the Meet and Greet. Hope you are both well.

[Topsham]

I would like to see Canaletto become more like what Marco Polo was... when it was first introduced in 1998.... before it was changed to become Pinnacle Grill. For those that didn't know Marco Polo... it was like Pinnacle but with Italian food. FANTASTIC!!!

 

Don't get me wrong the food in Pinnacle is good but a steak is steak but Italian food is LIFE!!!!!

 

 

Stephen

[Topsham]

Hey! I just had a most incredible idea.

 

Let's do away with Canaletto. :eek:

 

Instead... HAL should approach Giada de Laurentiis to bring her style of Italian cooking on board... to become her 'Signature Restaurant'. Call it Giada's. It would be a smash hit for sure!!!!

 

Stephen

[peddieplease]

Well, I was the one who posted the pretentious remark. Sorry, but it was really over the top when we went. I guess maybe I'm just a carnival girl? We even did the Pinnacle and never felt quite that way. Maybe it was that they weren't friendly at all when they served us but were seemed like we expected some special, overly formal treatment, when we just wanted a good Italian meal. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Everybody's got their own expectations, right? :)

[cruz chic]

Well, I was the one who posted the pretentious remark. Sorry, but it was really over the top when we went. I guess maybe I'm just a carnival girl? We even did the Pinnacle and never felt quite that way. Maybe it was that they weren't friendly at all when they served us but were seemed like we expected some special, overly formal treatment, when we just wanted a good Italian meal. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Everybody's got their own expectations, right? :)

Are you sure it was Canaletto? The Pinnacle is WAY more fancy. I reason I don't like paying for it is because it's just such a minimal step up from the lido.