How many times do you frequent the specialty restaurants?

[enna77]

I haven't been to a speciality restaurant yet but plan on going to Crown grill in a few weeks. I also wanted to try the crab shack. Will it be on the Emerald Oct 24-29?

[akeasley]

Crown Grill once a cruise if I'm with DH. If I'm with my mom, than we don't go at all. I've been to Sabatini's twice and didn't care for it either time.

[NavyVeteran]

Going on a 10 day royal princess cruise. Look to maximize my culinary experience. What is your routine for visiting specialty restaurants?

 

Do you go to each on once, one twice, none at all? What do you all recommend doing?

 

If you want to maximize your culinary experience, I would definitely recommend you go to the Chef's Table once during the cruise. It is a large step above the specialty restaurants.

[capriccio]

If you want to maximize your culinary experience, I would definitely recommend you go to the Chef's Table once during the cruise. It is a large step above the specialty restaurants.

 

I agree (we done it 3 times) and on the Royal and Regal there is also the Winemaker's Dinner. We haven't done that yet but plan to on our Royal cruise this month.

[OnVacation11]

Never. Dont feel the food is worth the upcharge

 

Same here.

[amscene1]

If you want to maximize your culinary experience, I would definitely recommend you go to the Chef's Table once during the cruise. It is a large step above the specialty restaurants.

 

 

I just personally hate sitting with strangers and prefer a table for 2.

[2 to cruise]

Is it ok too repeat crown grill, I've heard it will be my best meal, anyone do crown grill 2 or even 3 times???

 

Absolutely! On a 15 day cruise we may go 4 times, there is enough variety on the menu to try other entrees.

 

We just returned from a short 4 day on the Ruby and ate at Sabatini's once, Crown Grill twice and the Crab Shack once.

 

We frequent the specialty restaurants quite a bit on our cruises. We prefer the leisurely pace of those restaurants. Not everyone's choice of course.

[Happy2cruise]

We go once, usually the first formal night.

[dentagirl]

We're very content with the MD room. Therefore we have never eaten in an extra pay restaurant.

Ellie

[2pbears]

We usually go to the Crown Grill and Sabatini's once per cruise. On the Royal you have other options as well. As indicated by others the Crab Shack, Wine Makers Dinner and Alfredo's are good options. Personally we felt that the Crab Shack offered way too much food and the Wine Makers Dinner offered both too much food and too much to drink (and we're not really slouches when it comes to eating and drinking). We will do the Crown Grill and Sabatini's on our upcoming cruise as we don't plan to pack formal wear this time. Will probably do Alfredo's for lunch one day.

Edited October 3, 2015 by 2pbears

[BigGuy25]

Some have written ... "it's not worth the uncharge!" You wouldn't know that until you've tried it. We think it's well worth it!! Try it ... you might like it!!! It always amazes me that there are many who spend many 100's of dollars on alcohol but bemoan the $25 fee in a specialty restaurant.

Edited October 3, 2015 by BigGuy25

[IECalCruiser]

We will probably do the CG once and, if offered, the Crab Shack. We don't do Sabatini's any more. With the Crown and the Ruby on the West Coast, at least for now, we will probably give the Sabatini's replacement, Curtis Stone's SHARE, a try.

[Paula_MacFan]

We usually do Crown Grill twice on a 7 day cruise -- typically both formal nights. Most cruises we never go into the MDR -- food's not that great and it's way too noisy for me. The Crown Grill is quiet, upscale, and just more civilized in my opinion. It's well worth the $25 upcharge -- you'd pay far more in a land-based restaurant for the same things. We live in beef country (Kansas) and have had some wonderful steaks at the Crown Grill!

 

We've also done Sabatini's in the past, but just generally prefer the Crown Grill. Making reservations is one of the first things we do when we get on board.

[XBGuy]

Leaving on the Crown in a few hours for a 7-day Calif. Coastal cruise. We will probably dine at either CG or Sabatini's 5 of the evenings. I have already booked a UBD for another evening. We've never done the Chef's Table. We'll ask if that is available.

[Hav2cruise]

We have been on 10 cruises And only gone once to the crown grille and never again.

[AKman2495]

Some have written ... "it's not worth the uncharge!" You wouldn't know that until you've tried it. We think it's well worth it!! Try it ... you might like it!!! It always amazes me that there are many who spend many 100's of dollars on alcohol but bemoan the $25 fee in a specialty restaurant.

 

We've never been and have no reason to go-without a promo free pass.

 

There is simply a lot of good food that we can get free to be motivated to spend money to eat.

 

I have doubt that the restaurants have good food. But, as the old saying goes...why buy the cow when milk is (in this case) free!

[Kinkacruiser]

We've been once (2006) the service was so poor (understaffed) we said we'd never go back.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the MDR food.

[Izabelle]

Another cruiser who has never been to Specialty Dining as I am more than happy with MDR however we are cruising on Golden Princess in two weeks when she arrives in Oz and part of the deal when we booked was a voucher for a Specialty of our choice so I will get to see what it's all about.

[sawtooth]

On our upcoming cruises we have a lot of OBC, upwards of $700 per cruise from various promotions and our TA, so we will be using some of that for specialty dining and, hopefully, a chef's table night.

[BigGuy25]

We've been once (2006) the service was so poor (understaffed) we said we'd never go back.

 

Too bad you had this experience. Most ships put their best people in the specialty restaurants. We've never had bad service.

[Woobstr112G]

I like the CG better than Sabatinis. We usually like to try both however at least once a cruise. For our recent cruise we took advantage of the CG for our suite perk and Sabatini's once later during the cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[mek]

We occasionally go to specialty restaurants, but it depends on the cruise line and the itinerary - we usually eat in the MDR on 7 night cruises. One of the primary reasons we don't go to them more often is that too much food is served and unlike restaurants at home, there isn't anything to do with leftovers. We frequently go to nice places at home, so it really isn't that much of a treat to go to a speciality restaurant on a cruise. I find the food in the MDR to be just fine.