Is Speciality Dining Worth It?

[Jerzy Traveler]

We just returned from the cruise you will be going on. We loved the cruise and am sure you will go home with great memories.

Don't book specialty restaurants in advance. You can't use your OBC on advance bookings. We bought the 5 night package which saves 30% when we got on board. If you do this, you will be able to get the times you want for your reservations. We are happy we took this plan at an additional $318 for both of us. We are a couple that dines out frequently and enjoyed the restaurant quality at these restaurants. Remember, the MDR is serving several thousand meals. The service was spotty and what you would expect from servers who are getting paid based on your set gratuities. The specialty restaurants serve food made to order. Qsine can either be fun but if you are not into small plate sharing, or are a picky eater this might not be for you, though they will try to accommodate.

The one night I would say you should go to the MDR is the second formal night. It is lobster night, though it is warm water lobster. The lamb chops were even better.

What ever you decide, I am sure you will enjoy. If you can afford it, go for it. It's your honeymoon.

[shainky84]

Jerzy,

 

Welcome back!

 

So you can book the 4- or 5-night specialty dining when you get on board at the same rate as you would a pre-purchase? It sounds like you still had lots of options to chose the dates and times at that point; is that correct? We definitely plan to go specialty for some of the nights, just a question of which ones and how many nights we want to opt for this. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Do you have any other suggestions, recommendations, etc. from your recent cruise: Pre-cruise plans in Rome, shore excursions, things to do or avoid on the ship? My fiance and I are first-time cruisers, so we'd welcome any and all advice!

 

Thanks,

 

Barry

[Jayneykul]

We book Aqua for Blu restaurant but last cruise on Summit we had a suite so got to eat in Normandie. It was sublime a fabulous experience so we will def be trying Murano on our upcoming cruise on Equinox

[A Sixth?]

As another poster mentioned, if you purchase a package ahead of time you cannot use your OBC to defray the cost. If it were me, I would wait until getting on board and see what deals were on offer. Quite frankly, I think the specialty restaurants are overpriced.

 

Linda

 

 

I like them but agree, I can dine at home at a nice local resto for less than the extra cost of a ship specialty restaurant.

Edited July 22, 2015 by A Sixth?

[SantaFeFan]

As another poster mentioned, if you purchase a package ahead of time you cannot use your OBC to defray the cost. If it were me, I would wait until getting on board and see what deals were on offer.

 

Don't book specialty restaurants in advance. You can't use your OBC on advance bookings. We bought the 5 night package which saves 30% when we got on board. If you do this, you will be able to get the times you want for your reservations.

 

Well, yes and no. We booked all of our specialty restaurants reservations months before the cruise. We planned them for days we would be getting back to the ship on a late excursion so we wouldn't have to rush for our early seating in the MDR. When on board, we went to the hostess desk at the first restaurant we saw and cancelled our pre-booked reservations for each restaurant, and re-booked the same exact time at the discounted price that was being offered, which we then had applied to our OBC. The cancelled reservations went back onto our credit card since that is how they were paid for.

 

The result is that we were able to guarantee in advance the exact dates, times and choice of restaurants we wanted, and then when on board were able to convert those reservations to the discounted price offered after boarding, all paid for from our OBC. At the end of each day we had a reservation, our shipboard account displayed on our stateroom TV showed a refund for the original charged amount, and the new discounted cost charged to our shipboard account, reducing our OBC by the appropriate amount.

Edited July 22, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[gizmodog]

Overpriced, good food, but for a cruise ship overpriced

[seapals2]

Cruising used to be special ... Dining rooms and food used to be special ... Now we have to have 'speciality' restaurants.

Lower prices .. Lower standards all round. Feel the price you pay is more for the dining experience than the food itself.

[SantaFeFan]

Cruising used to be special ... Dining rooms and food used to be special ... Now we have to have 'speciality' restaurants.

Lower prices .. Lower standards all round. Feel the price you pay is more for the dining experience than the food itself.

 

Yes, you are absolutely correct. When cruises cost the equivalent of many thousands of dollars per person (with inflation factored in) the amenities were a bit nicer. Now, when we can cruise for less than half the cost of even 20 years ago, some unrealistic people still expect the same quality food, service, etc. Strange that they will happily pay a much lower cruise fare, but somehow can't quite figure out how that lower fare is made possible. :rolleyes:

 

If you want higher standards and "special" dining rooms and food, pay the higher prices that the luxury lines charge. They are more in line with what prices would be today if cruise prices had kept up with inflation. Your choice - pay more and get what you used to get for the same relative price, or pay half and accept that there will be some things that will not be so "special" as you remember.

Edited July 22, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[grandgeezer]

Yes, you are absolutely correct. When cruises cost the equivalent of many thousands of dollars per person (with inflation factored in) the amenities were a bit nicer. Now, when we can cruise for less than half the cost of even 20 years ago, some unrealistic people still expect the same quality food, service, etc. Strange that they will happily pay a much lower cruise fare, but somehow can't quite figure out how that lower fare is made possible. :rolleyes:

 

If you want higher standards and "special" dining rooms and food, pay the higher prices that the luxury lines charge. They are more in line with what prices would be today if cruise prices had kept up with inflation. Your choice - pay more and get what you used to get for the same relative price, or pay half and accept that there will be some things that will not be so "special" as you remember.

 

We've been cruising for twelve years now, and find the current pricing higher than we paid in 2003. We have found the service has gone down hill as well as the food quality. We still cruise but less often and spend a lt less money on the ship. We've tried the specialty restaurants and feel the food is better than the main dining room but not worth the surcharge. We would not frequent any of them if the were land based.

[SantaFeFan]

We've been cruising for twelve years now, and find the current pricing higher than we paid in 2003. We have found the service has gone down hill as well as the food quality. We still cruise but less often and spend a lt less money on the ship. We've tried the specialty restaurants and feel the food is better than the main dining room but not worth the surcharge. We would not frequent any of them if the were land based.

 

Yes, I would expect prices to be higher today than in 2003. With inflation, something that cost $1,000 in 2003 would now cost $1,296.95 (source: http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=1000&year1=2003&year2=2015). That's about 30% increase in cost for the exact same thing just due to inflation (29.7%, actually). But, cruise prices have held very steady over the last 12 years, and during the last four years, have actually gone down due to a slowing economy. Now that the economy in the US is improving, more people can again afford to take vacations, including cruises, and prices are going up accordingly. That is supply and demand, the centerpiece of a capitalistic economy, at work.

 

Add the fact that most new ships today have many more amenities than those even in 2003, you are getting even more for that increase. Plus, older ships are almost always refurbished with many of the amenities that their newer siblings have received, making them an even better value than when they were new.

 

I have very little sympathy for the woeful cries of lower service levels and food quality. We are still getting wonderful value for our money, much more than if prices had kept up with inflation.

Edited July 23, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[grandgeezer]

Yes, I would expect prices to be higher today than in 2003. With inflation, something that cost $1,000 in 2003 would now cost $1,296.95 (source: http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=1000&year1=2003&year2=2015). That's about 30% increase in cost for the exact same thing just due to inflation (29.7%, actually). But, cruise prices have held very steady over the last 12 years, and during the last four years, have actually gone down due to a slowing economy. Now that the economy in the US is improving, more people can again afford to take vacations, including cruises, and prices are going up accordingly. That is supply and demand, the centerpiece of a capitalistic economy, at work.

 

Add the fact that most new ships today have many more amenities than those even in 2003, you are getting even more for that increase. Plus, older ships are almost always refurbished with many of the amenities that their newer siblings have received, making them an even better value than when they were new.

 

I have very little sympathy for the woeful cries of lower service levels and food quality. We are still getting wonderful value for our money, much more than if prices had kept up with inflation.

I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm stating my views on what has happened to cruising over the last few years. I don't see any increased value for the price paid. There are no amenities that are of any value to us.

[shainky84]

Thanks, SantaFe! Very encouraging to see that such a thing can be done! Probably the route we will take...

[Mermen]

We met people at the beach in Bermuda from our ship. They sat down next to us w/ their celebrity towels unpacked their cooler & had these delicious looking sandwiches...we had already been at the beach for a few hours and were getting quite hungry so I asked them if they purchased them from the snack shack. The wife looked at me and said "oh no these are from the ship" I must have given her an odd look because I was totally confused :confused: so she said "I pack my own Ziploc bags when we sail and then I order room service before we leave to go on shore and pack the food in there. I've already paid for food in my cruise ticket price so I'm not going to pay for it again"

 

I always thought you weren't supposed to take food off the ship but apparently theyre not really enforcing that rule!

 

I soooo badly also wanted to ask her if the smuggled her cans of beers on board that they were drinking but I didn't have the nerve :eek::eek:

 

LOL! I probably would have asked, your story made me crack up. Slightly off-topic, but we have smuggled once or twice...if there's an excursion with no stop for meals, we'll smuggle some fruit or cold cuts, cheese and rolls from the buffet. Never beer though! :)

[Mermen]

Merman,

 

Thanks for your feedback. I'm finding that past experiences are very mixed, but everyone seems to agree that the cover charges are steep. The question is whether or not they are worth it - for either the quality of the food and/or the experience of dining in that restaurant. I'm sure we will do one or two of them, just trying to figure out if we want to do all 4 and purchased the pre-cruise package. Of course, this is our first-ever cruise, and our honeymoon, so I want to make the most it and try and get in everything that we can!

 

Thanks,

 

Barry

 

Sorry I wasn't specific Barry, but yes, we do feel it's worth it. Especially if you have never tried the on-board specialty dining, definitely hit each one up! You only live once, and I would try them all out. I think the additional cover charge is worth it too. If you enjoy a particular restaurant, you will look forward to returning.

 

We were on a Princess cruise in the Amazon and though we were on the wait list, the Maitre'D could not accommodate our dining time and table. We ended up eating in specialty every night (with an occasional buffet / pizza / grill dinner thrown in).

 

Have fun and enjoy it all!

 

Gary

[crazycatlady82]

It's absolutely worth it to us, to try them once.

 

On the Summit in April, we ate at Qsine once, Normandie once and Bistro twice. We received a 20% discount for booking Qsine the night we came on board, and wow, it was awesome. We walked away, full, happy, and content--great food and great service.

 

Normandie was absolutely amazing. The apple and Roquefort cheese tart was just awesome. Great service. I wasn't a huge fan of the wine selections and noted that--the sommelier went out of her way to go to another bar for a wine she thought I would like...which I did.

 

For us, it's worth to try, especially with OBC. We tend not to do ship excursions unless we have a ton of OBC--we'd rather eat :D

[SantaFeFan]

I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm stating my views on what has happened to cruising over the last few years. I don't see any increased value for the price paid. There are no amenities that are of any value to us.

 

Like I said, just the reality of inflation would have increased the prices by 30% for the exact same product, with no increase (or decrease) in service levels of food quality. I suspect that you see the increased prices and are expecting everything to be of higher quality as a result, ignoring the inflation factor in your dissatisfaction, incorrectly associating the same levels as before a deterioration because of those inflation caused higher prices.

 

As for me, I have not seen what you have. I am enjoying the product now just as much as when I first started cruising. But then again, I am not a complainer for the sake of complaining. I don't go through life expecting to be disappointed, so I typically don't find much to complain about. I am just grateful to be able to afford to cruise at all, a luxury that the majority of people cannot afford to do.

Edited July 23, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[grandgeezer]

Like I said, just the reality of inflation would have increased the prices by 30% for the exact same product, with no increase (or decrease) in service levels of food quality. I suspect that you see the increased prices and are expecting everything to be of higher quality as a result, ignoring the inflation factor in your dissatisfaction, incorrectly associating the same levels as before a deterioration because of those inflation caused higher prices.

 

As for me, I have not seen what you have. I am enjoying the product now just as much as when I first started cruising. But then again, I am not a complainer for the sake of complaining. I don't go through life expecting to be disappointed, so I typically don't find much to complain about. I am just grateful to be able to afford to cruise at all, a luxury that the majority of people cannot afford to do.

 

Your suspect is wrong. I understand inflation and expect prices to go up. I don't expect service and quality to go down as prices go up. I was willing to pay the price, but unwilling to sacrifice what I had been getting for the past eleven years. There is nothing that can be said that will change my opinion, and I'm sure you feel the same. We should agree to disagree and let everyone make up their own mind. There is an expression that states, some people wouldn't say S_ _ T, if they had a mouthful, I'm not one of them.

[Jerzy Traveler]

Jerzy,

 

Welcome back!

 

So you can book the 4- or 5-night specialty dining when you get on board at the same rate as you would a pre-purchase? It sounds like you still had lots of options to chose the dates and times at that point; is that correct? We definitely plan to go specialty for some of the nights, just a question of which ones and how many nights we want to opt for this. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Do you have any other suggestions, recommendations, etc. from your recent cruise: Pre-cruise plans in Rome, shore excursions, things to do or avoid on the ship? My fiance and I are first-time cruisers, so we'd welcome any and all advice!

 

Thanks,

 

Barry

 

 

Barry

 

Same price as if you pre-purchased. I see someone wrote about booking and canceling once on board. I guess you can do that, but we just made arrangements once on board. Do it as soon as you can and you will get the times you want. We like to eat 8-8:30, so we don't feel rushed. There are shows at 8 & 10 or 7&9 depending on days. I would recommend the two Big shows. We didn't see a show every night. You will decide for yourselves

As far as pre-cruise, we spent one day/ night in Rome. Being it is your first time, you might want to add another day. We did not book through the ship. We booked transportation from Rome to the ship with https://www.civitavecchiashuttleservices.com.

75 euro for two of us. They sent a private Mercedes but you might share a van. We also used them back to the airport.

We met some nice people on Cruise Critic and booked small tours rather than ship excursions. Trip advisor can give you 5 star advice and prices.

We toured Mt Etna and Taormina with another couple and a driver. He took us where we wanted

In Mykonos we took a public bus to the beach. Very easy for 1.60 each. You can wander around the town and then spend time at the beach.

Kusadasi. We booked a private tour with a guide and driver. 5 hours for $134 usd including admission to Ephesus. This was the best ruins you will see.

Rhodes is a walk from the dock. No need for a tour. There is a beach if you want.

Santorini. Just like the pictures. Cable car from the dock to Fira (or a donkey). Public bus to Oia. Have lunch overlooking the sea, high on a cliff. You will always remember that.

Athens. We again shared a driver with a couple. We also went to Cape Sunion with them. It was a long day but we again had lunch overlooking the blue waters. You may want a shorter tour but we enjoyed what we did.

Naples. We had been to Pompeii and Capri before so took a driver with another couple to the Amalfi coast. Positano is real pretty. You may be ruined out by now but Pompeii is interesting. Capri is very pretty and you can take a ferry by yourselves.

We just feel that small group tours are better for us and usually less expensive. You don't have to deal with 30 people getting on and off a bus.

Whatever you decide, you will do the right thing. Nothing is wrong, especially on a honeymoon. ENJOY!!

Remember it is very hot.

[shainky84]

Gary,

 

That's great! Thank so very, very much for the recommendation.

 

Barry

[shainky84]

crazycat,

 

Thanks so much for the recommendation. This will be our first cruise, so we certainly want to enjoy ourselves as much as we can!

 

Barry

[Cruizen Susan]

Yes, you are absolutely correct. When cruises cost the equivalent of many thousands of dollars per person (with inflation factored in) the amenities were a bit nicer. Now, when we can cruise for less than half the cost of even 20 years ago, some unrealistic people still expect the same quality food, service, etc. Strange that they will happily pay a much lower cruise fare, but somehow can't quite figure out how that lower fare is made possible. :rolleyes:

 

If you want higher standards and "special" dining rooms and food, pay the higher prices that the luxury lines charge. They are more in line with what prices would be today if cruise prices had kept up with inflation. Your choice - pay more and get what you used to get for the same relative price, or pay half and accept that there will be some things that will not be so "special" as you remember.

 

Eggs Act Lee! I've been saying this for some time. 20 years ago, we sailed on the Queen of Bermuda, a dinky little tug boat compared to today's ships (although I loved that sailing too) and it cost twice as much as today. And no balcony. And not nearly the amenities. And perks?? Fagget about it!! Dining? Very nice, but not as nice as Celebrity TODAY.

 

I roll my eyes too at the lack of logic!

Edited July 24, 2015 by Cruisen'Susan

[shainky84]

This will be the first cruise my fiance and I have ever taken, so we have no basis for comparison. With no disrespect intended, there is a reason we are sailing with Celebrity; we could have paid less for a lower-end cruise line, or more for one of the niche ships. In general you get what you pay for, but quality of service in almost every industry seems to decrease as time goes on - airlines charge more for less, companies assess surcharges for everything, travel agents charge YOU a commission since they can't always count one from the airline or hotel, etc. It's just a fact of life.

 

Some people are OK with paying more for the same quality of service they once got for less, and some people prefer to keep paying that same amount regardless of how far it goes. Just a matter of personal opinion and preference.

[shainky84]

Jerzy,

 

Thanks so much. I appreciate your advice tremendously! I will add your comments to our notes as we put our plan together. The Roll Call for our sailing is still pretty quiet, but I'm hoping it will pick up as we get closer; I'd love to put together some small group excursions instead of doing a big ship-sponsored one.

 

Yes, we will be doing 3 nights in Rome. Celebrity's pre-cruise package is astronomically expensive, so we will be putting something together on our own; between friends who've visited Rome for their honeymoons, and the recommendations here on CC, I'm confident we'll do fine.

 

Your shore excursions notes are great! I'll add them to the list options. The biggest challenge will be knowing when to quit. We want the trip to be a mix of sightseeing and relaxation, so we will have to pass on some things (i.e., a half-day excursion instead of a full day) in order to keep ourselves from overdoing it. We also want to enjoy all that the ship has to offer!

 

Barry

[rdler]

I am intrigued by the Ultimate Dining Package. If you buy this, can you select all your restaurants? For example, I would not want to go to Murano or Tuscan Grill more than once (if that). Could I substitute the other restaurants for that?

 

For example, on the five night package, you go to all four of the restaurants once and then are required to go back to Tuscan for the fifth night. My partner and I thought Tuscan was dreadful and would not go back unless we have to.

[mickey89]

I am intrigued by the Ultimate Dining Package........

 

See http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/11024491_CEL_SpecialtyDiningPck_Flyer2.pdf

You can only purchase onboard on Day 1 and they do limit the supply - need to be quick when you board if you intend to purchase.