Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Steak House vs. cucina del capitano

amy2313

By amy2313,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

 Share

Recommended Posts

amy2313

amy2313

Posted
Posted

We are going on the Sunshine soon and are debating going to one of the specialty restaurants one night. I know they are completely different but which do people prefer and why on the Sunshine??

 

Also, after 15+ Carnival cruises we have never gone to one of the specialty restaurants (love the main dining room & getting to know our dining room team). I've looked at the menus, but for the surcharge at each restaurant what exactly do you get? Is it one item from each section of the menu? One app, one entree, one desert?? What happens if you want to try different items?

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
daniella1279

daniella1279

Posted
Posted (edited)

We loved the Italian restaurant on the Sunshine.

 

The apps comes family style. You can order as many apps as you would like . We ordered 3 for the table. My husband had the steak and he loved it and he loved that it only costed him $15.

Edited to add my son and I had the chicken parm it had a little kick to it. Red pepper flakes so it you don't like that maybe ask for no pepper flakes.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by daniella1279
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Clt9488

Clt9488

Posted
Posted

I've only done the steakhouse once on our very first cruise and plan on doing it again this upcoming April. My understanding is they do not limit your starters or sides but you are allowed to order one entree which if they are anything like they they were in 2008 you really couldn't eat more than one! If you're on the fence about it they usually do a tasting thing on embarkation day and you can watch cooking demonstrations and sample some great food.

 

If you are worried about not liking something I would't be - my cousin ordered the fish entree and did not care for it and we had the server, maitre'd and chef come out to see if they could get her something else. It wasn't a big deal she just tried something new and didn't care for it. The ongoing joke was that the captain would be out to check on her next - they were so attentive and so concerned that she didn't like her meal.

 

We have done Cucina three times and LOVE it. The price is very reasonable and the atmosphere is fun. The food was excellent and the portions are HUGE. Definitely try it you will love it!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jenniferop

jenniferop

Posted
Posted

DH and I did both (and Jiji's) on the Sunshine last year - I would recommend Cucina or Jiji's before 555 - Although the Steakhouses on Freedom and Dream were excellent we were disappointed by the one on Sunshine. The meat seemed chewy and of less quality than we were expecting for an upgrade restaurant. My DH's filet had a large piece of gristle running though it and even with a complaint they didn't offer to replace. I found that the new upgrade option in the MDR was better than the 555. Just my opinion on what we experienced - but We loved Jiji's and Cuncina.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amy2313

amy2313

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank you everyone! All of this is very helpful!

 

And yes, we are concerned that if we get something (I have one very picky eater in the group) and someone doesn't like it we are sunk. At least in the MDR, it isn't such a big deal. I will say I am very surprised by the one poster's comment that the steak in 555 was gristly and they wouldn't replace. I know this can sometimes happen with a piece of steak but especially when you are paying extra for the specialty restaurant for them not to get you a new, better cut is very surprising to me.

 

Thanks for the info!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
zumbaguy

zumbaguy

Posted
Posted

Last month on Breeze we ate at Cucina and the steakhouse for dinner. The steakhouse was a much better experience. The food at Cucina was good, but they are 2 different classes of dining. With that said, I suggest you try them both!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Topo Gigio

Topo Gigio

Posted
Posted
DH and I did both (and Jiji's) on the Sunshine last year - I would recommend Cucina or Jiji's before 555 - Although the Steakhouses on Freedom and Dream were excellent we were disappointed by the one on Sunshine. The meat seemed chewy and of less quality than we were expecting for an upgrade restaurant. My DH's filet had a large piece of gristle running though it and even with a complaint they didn't offer to replace. I found that the new upgrade option in the MDR was better than the 555. Just my opinion on what we experienced - but We loved Jiji's and Cuncina.

 

I had the same experience @ 555 on the Sunshine. I told the waitress that I had the same meat a couple of months before on the Breeze and that it was of a much better quality. I no time the cook was at my table apologizing and asking me if I wanted something else to eat. Was way to stuffed already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bjd2

bjd2

Posted
Posted

We normally aren't ones to pay extra for dinner as we have always been happy with the MDR. On the Sunshine, we paid to eat at JiJi's, Cucina and Bonsai. Cucina remains the outstanding memory of excellent food for us on that trip! It was so excellent. Bonsai was very good if you like sushi. JiJi's was just ok for us and probably would pass it by next time in favor of the others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pirate4me2 "Live from...." Rare

pirate4me2

Posted
Posted

We did both on the Sunshine and loved them both, but if I had to choose, I would say the Steakhouse. You get an appetizer, salad, entrée, and sides. Oh, dessert too! I have gotten 2 sides before with no problem, because I was not sure if I would like one of them. The portions are huge, you will not leave hungry. The service on the Sunshine was the best we have had on any of our cruises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hbrote

hbrote

Posted
Posted

I would suggest you visit the 555 steakhouse and I will go along with JiJi's. We have eaten at both on the Sunshine and they were fantastic. Now when it comes to "Cucina del Crapitano" run in the other direction. The food isn't very good, in my opinion. My wife makes better Italian food (she is a great cook). I remember saying this about Cucina before and the next poster said I didn't know good Italian food. We were in Italy at that time and I can say "it's definitely not like meals there".

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sh1035

Sh1035

Posted
Posted

I wish I could answer but I ate at jiji every night it was so good. I have eaten at the steakhouse on many ships and I can't take the hurry up and wait for next course anymore. I also prefer the upgrade option in the MDR. We like to joke everyone in the steakhouse must be related or sleeping with the senior officers. Appears all they do is chat and occasionally serve something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Topo Gigio

Topo Gigio

Posted
Posted
I wish I could answer but I ate at jiji every night it was so good. I have eaten at the steakhouse on many ships and I can't take the hurry up and wait for next course anymore. I also prefer the upgrade option in the MDR. We like to joke everyone in the steakhouse must be related or sleeping with the senior officers. Appears all they do is chat and occasionally serve something.

 

Yep, Jiji was excellent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amy2313

amy2313

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Ok not sure why my post was deleted?

 

All I said was...why not do both?

 

Cucina is free during lunch...so you can go there for lunch then the Steak House for dinner.

 

 

We were thinking about this exact option!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FlyingCruiserNJ

FlyingCruiserNJ

Posted
Posted (edited)

My experience is on the Breeze, the Sunshine's sister ship, but I would say go with the Cucina if the Sunshine is anything like the Breeze. Not that the steakhouse was bad, but the Cucina was superior when we went there for lunch last September, and was well worth the $15 a person for dinner when we went for dinner (although they accidentally charged me for a soda even though I had bottomless bubbles, which was corrected and credited back to my s/s account later that evening). I had been to the steakhouse on Freedom a number of years ago when the steakhouse upsell concept was still in its earlier stages on Carnival and it was very, very good. For $35 upcharge, you do get a nice appetizer and entree with a huge dessert, but in my opinion on this last trip, the steak was only average to slightly above. I got the ribeye. Very gristly although pretty tasty. Crabcake app was ok, as was the chocolate delight dessert. I didn't like how the steakhouse was set up though, I felt like it was more cramped there than in the regular dining room. It shouldn't be that way. So sure, try both if you want to and both would be worth the money but I felt we got the better value at the Cucina, at least on the Breeze. And finally, I must add that as others have said, you will NOT leave hungry from either place if that is a concern to you. Tons of food at both places and I did not finish my entree from the Cucina when we went there for dinner.

Edited by FlyingCruiserNJ
Link to comment
Share on other sites
daniella1279

daniella1279

Posted
Posted
It's NOT the same stuff you get in the evening!

 

 

I will have to agree with this. We got pasta for lunch when we got on the ship and it was so-so. When the kids wanted to try something other then the mdr I want to try Jiji's thinking the pasta would be the Quality but am very happy to say dinner was MUCH better.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...