Why are the Specialty Restaurants so Popular?

[Leesie6351]

Hi everyone-- I'm sincerely asking this question so please don't flame me. For several years I've felt that one of the contributing factors to the decline of the food quality, selections and service in the MDR is the advent of the specialty restaurants and the added revenue accruing to X as a result. I boycotted going in the belief that if everyone stopped supporting them, X would consider closing them and then the service, food etc in the MDR would rise again. Because we didn't bring formalwear on our 5/24/13 Millenium Alaska Cruise (we went on a pre and post tour and didn't have room in the luggage) we finally gave in and ate in the Olympia Restaurant (sic?) Honestly it was NOT worth the $45/pp upcharge. Yes it was good but we've had equal and better in upscale land restaurants where we live in the metro Atlanta area.

 

Why pay extra for something that is included in your cruise fare? a $45 per person upcharge is quite high?

 

Other than perhaps not having to dress for formal night (which by the way I'm sure X did intentionally as a draw for passengers not wanting to dress up), please explain the rationale for spending money in the specialty restaurants?? (I'm not talking about Bistro on 5)

 

Thanks and I hope we can have an informative discussion.

[Aquahound]

I like the solitude and more personal service. For me, sometimes it's nice to get away from the banquet hall feeling in the MDR for a more quiet experience. That said, I think Celebrity is over the top with charging $45 pp.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I don't know that they're "so popular." If they're so popular, why do they have to offer deals? I go if invited or if included in the price of my suite. I would not pay $45/pp to dine in one of them.

 

And, in my view, the food in the MDR is just fine.

[flames9]

We only ate in Qsine and it was fine, but nothing that special and would not pay $45 pp for it --we got it at 50% off--and still not worth it.

 

No where scientific--but when I looked into Qsuine and the other right by BLU--they never seemed that busy. I know they offered 50% the first night for all of the specialty restaurants---and 50% off Qsine another night

[Karynanne]

Even though the MDR is included in your cruise fare, it's nice to have other choices. We feel this broadens our total cruise experience. We're big fans of Bistro on Five for a casual lunch, and Muranos never fails to make that evening's meal very special.

 

We too live very near a large metropolitan city (San Francisco) and have many fine dining restaurants.

[Cruising89143]

I much prefer the specialty restaurants to the MDR. It is much more quiet, food and service is better and one is not as rushed. :)

[Keith1010]

They are a very unique experience. The food is made cooked to order, the cuisine is more in keeping with an upscale restaurant, and the ambience and service are terrific. Since they are a lot smaller it is just an experience that cannot be provided in a large dining room.

 

Keith

[cruiser87654321]

I think it is nice to have choices, that said, I agree that when looked at as a $45 addition to what you have already paid to dine, it is steep.

 

We will probably use some OBC to dine in a couple during our trip, but we don't always bother.

[Hlitner]

There has obviously been a lot of price resistance to the high prices in specialty restaurants. Celebrity kept raising the prices and we think they have reached the breaking point which is evident when you see many empty tables in the various restaurants. So X is now trying different types of discounting including packages you can book pre cruise or on the ship. And when that still does not provide enough business they will often quietly discount (up to 50%) on the ship. Finding out about these unannounced discounts is sometimes a matter of being in the right place at the right time...or quietly approaching the Maitre'd and making an inquiry.

 

As to the restaurants on the S class ships we think that Murano is great...but not worth the current price. Sometimes there are significant discounts...especially on the first night of a cruise (often 50% off for Aqua Class). DW and I really love Qsine and this is best enjoyed with at least one other couple. We have managed to snag 50% off in Qsine......but that is a matter of luck and timing. DW is not a fan of the Tuscan, and although we have had numerous offers to dine there for $15.....we normally pass.

 

Hank

[royalcruz]

"I boycotted going in the belief that if everyone stopped supporting them, X would consider closing them and then the service, food etc in the MDR would rise again."....seriously, Leesie????? You actually believed that?

 

We always dress up to go to the specialty restaurants. We go because it is boring to eat in the same place every night, and I prefer to dine in a smaller room. It's also fun to try new places. I find the food is quite acceptable in X dining rooms, and even better in the specialty restaurants.

[Keith1010]

I think the specialty restaurants are some of the best places we have ever eaten at including on land.

 

Keith

[Karynanne]

I think the specialty restaurants are some of the best places we have ever eaten at including on land.

 

Keith

 

Especially in Muranos. Considering how many courses are served, and quality and presentation of the meal, it by far is less than a land restaurant at the same level.

[dkjretired]

We usually go once a cruise and will also hit Bistro. I would think there are a whole lot of reasons why people go to the specialty's. Clothing, special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, maybe to have a particular item on the menu, etc. One reason I go is nostalgia, the Specialty restaurants are what the MDR used to be every night 20yrs. ago.

[excitedofharpenden]

I'm afraid that over the past four or five cruises my impression of the food and service in Murano's has declined and I don't think it's worth $45 either. However it is a nice environment to sit and makes a change from the rush of the MDR. Our last trip on Silhouette provided us with excellent food in the MDR. I went to Murano for a dinner "hosted" by a wine speaker. I put that in inverted commas because he didn't do any hosting, but rather chatted all night with the women on his table. Very disappointing and an example of too much show and not enough go in that restaurant these days. I think this is especially true of the S-Class ships.

 

Phil

[greydog]

Especially in Muranos. Considering how many courses are served, and quality and presentation of the meal, it by far is less than a land restaurant at the same level.

 

I concur with Keith, Karynanne - also, as a 'best of both worlds, I get the Chops Filet for $15 upcharge in Royal Carib's MDR and wish similar was offered by Celebrity. Happy Cruising

[C 2 C]

I'm afraid that over the past four or five cruises my impression of the food and service in Murano's has declined and I don't think it's worth $45 either.

 

It is very strange but with every price increase it seems that the menu has been down-graded and the service less spectacular.

 

Eating in Murano or it's equivalent on various M-Class has disappointed us the last few visits. The cheese course, which used to be the highlight and an educational experience, has been downgraded and served by waiters who have no clue on what they are serving.

 

Our favourite Tuscan menu items have also disappeared.

 

We are very glad that our recent MDR experience has greatly improved and our visits to the alternatives reduced.

[kitty9]

We don't like the noise and mass confusion in the MDR so we prefer the quieter and more personal service in the specialties. We also feel that because they've reduced the number of servers and wine stewards in the MDR, the service isn't nearly as good as it used to be.

[OCruisers]

We don't like the noise and mass confusion in the MDR so we prefer the quieter and more personal service in the specialties. We also feel that because they've reduced the number of servers and wine stewards in the MDR, the service isn't nearly as good as it used to be.

 

Same reasons for us! Very happy to have the specialty restaurants option! :)

 

LuLu

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[SeagoingMom]

Hi everyone-- I'm sincerely asking this question so please don't flame me. For several years I've felt that one of the contributing factors to the decline of the food quality, selections and service in the MDR is the advent of the specialty restaurants and the added revenue accruing to X as a result. I boycotted going in the belief that if everyone stopped supporting them, X would consider closing them and then the service, food etc in the MDR would rise again. Because we didn't bring formalwear on our 5/24/13 Millenium Alaska Cruise (we went on a pre and post tour and didn't have room in the luggage) we finally gave in and ate in the Olympia Restaurant (sic?) Honestly it was NOT worth the $45/pp upcharge. Yes it was good but we've had equal and better in upscale land restaurants where we live in the metro Atlanta area.

 

Why pay extra for something that is included in your cruise fare? a $45 per person upcharge is quite high?

 

Other than perhaps not having to dress for formal night (which by the way I'm sure X did intentionally as a draw for passengers not wanting to dress up), please explain the rationale for spending money in the specialty restaurants?? (I'm not talking about Bistro on 5)

 

Thanks and I hope we can have an informative discussion.

 

Flame you? :eek: What on earth would give you the idea than anyone would ever flame you on Cruise Critic?? :D:rolleyes:

Moving on...

 

I agree with you that the specialty restaurants are not worth the extra cost. (OK, let me rephrase that or risk being flamed :eek: myself: based on one meal on Infinity, we agree with you.) We ate in the United States on Infinity (also the Pinnacle Grill on HAL's Zuiderdam) and were not particularly happy with either. We found the food and service in the United States to be not significantly better than the MDR -- as a matter of fact, I believe the menu at the United States offered some of the same entrees as had been offered in the MDR the night before, as if they were "leftovers."

 

Yes, my recollection is that the wine service was better in the United States, but that was my opinion only because we had very inadequate wine service in the MDR.

 

We chose to eat at both of these restaurants because it was a way to have an anniversary "dinner for two," which was not an option at our tables for 6 and 8, and that is a good reason to use these restaurants, I suppose. But I would not say they were worth the cost.

My recollection was that the United States was more formal (well, the dress code may not have said that, but the diners seemed dressier) than the MDR. Indeed, we dressed to the nines when going there, but it was our 20th anniversary.

Whether eliminating them would improve food quality in X MDRs, who knows? I found food quality on Infinity to be variable. Never really bad, but not consistently superior either.

 

The trend in cruising seems to be rather toward more varied restaurants and eateries than away from them, so perhaps that is the future for X, too. I would not expect MDR food to improve due to these kinds of changes.

 

 

 

[miched]

People go becasue they think that they are special.

 

The movie "Field of Dreams" has a line in it "Built it and they will come".

 

Plus they need something for passengers to celebrate that special occassion. On our last cruise on the Summit the CD said there were over 450 passengers celebrating a birthday, now throw in anniversaries, honeymoons, and etc and probably 50 to 60 percent of the passengers are celebrating something and that means that they need something to spend money on.

 

 

.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've never eaten in a specialty restaurant, but it seems to me that they are often quite empty, both on Celebrity and other lines, as we walk by. Maybe we are just missing the busiest times.

[cynalan]

We really enjoy the personalized attention and intimacy of the specialty restaurants. As others have mentioned... service is better, less institutional feel, quieter, etc. One of the best meals I've had anywhere, land or sea, was on the Allure of the Sea. It was a 5 course chef's table with wine pairings for 16 guests. The food was exquisite, wine paired well and the fellow guest were all foodies sharing a passion for a great meal. It was so much better than the cattle car feeling in the MDR. In fact, of our 7 night cruise, 5 were spent in speciality restaurants.

[dkjretired]

People go becasue they think that they are special.

 

The movie "Field of Dreams" has a line in it "Built it and they will come".

 

Plus they need something for passengers to celebrate that special occassion. On our last cruise on the Summit the CD said there were over 450 passengers celebrating a birthday, now throw in anniversaries, honeymoons, and etc and probably 50 to 60 percent of the passengers are celebrating something and that means that they need something to spend money on.

 

 

.

 

That was us, wife always says I don't want to go to a specialty because we already paid for our meals. On Summit last Sept. it was our anniversary and also wifes birthday. I just told her we are going to Summit on the night before your birthday. We had a great time but it is really difficult because the wife doesn't like cheese or wife. I love cheese enjoyed very much the goat cheese soufflé. Love Italian food but her not liking cheese makes it difficult. Kids and I just deal with it.

[Gracie115]

I actually agree with the OP that at least some of the Spec Rest are not worth the price....ie...Murano's, Qsine...

 

but we have found the MDR very loud and difficult to communicate in, while the food was pretty much okay.... so we found the answer in

 

BLU!!!! It's not a specialty restaurant and it's certainly not the MDR, but it is a more peaceful, serene environment, which is something the spec. rest. usually provide(not Qsine) and well worth the few extra $$ we've had to spend to sail in Aqua rooms... Since switching to Aqua we have felt little need to spend any $$ on spec rest and the few times we have we usually come away with the feeling that Blu would have been just as good that evening. So we're glad X came up with the concept, kind of an alternative to both options that works great for us!!

[KaththeTaff]

We feel that the price of the specialty restaurants is too high. We have tried Cagney's Steakhouse and le Bistro on NCL, and the Crown Grill on Princess. We enjoyed those experiences and thought they were a couple of levels higher than what was on offer in the dining rooms, but of course, we didn't know that before we went in for the first time!

 

We went to the specialty restaurants for various reasons - an anniversary, our honeymoon, a birthday, and because we liked the look of the menu (or rather, DH wanted to try the Porterhouse Steak!).

 

On our Silhouetter cruise last year we were not entice dby any of the added charge restaurants. This was for various reasons too. We had very warm weather, and we often just wanted to have a lighter meal in the buffet after a warm and busy day on shore. We also found that the food in the MDR was very nice, and we did not think that the prices we would have to pay were worth it (we didn't notice any discount offers, but neither did we attempt to seek any out). Finally, we have read quite a few negative reviews of Qsine, and we weren't really enamoured with the concept in the first place, so I don't think we would go there even if Celebrity were paying us!

 

We don't have any special occasions during our upcoming cruise, but if we wer eoffered a substantial discount for Tuscan or Murano, we would consider trying it out.