So what do you think of the new a la carte menus? (links inside)

[dijid]

Two people currently on the Escape have posted pictures of the new a la carte menus:

 

https://instagram.com/freestylenovice/

 

https://instagram.com/keith_jenner/

 

I am providing the links only, because I didn't want to post someone else's photos.

 

What do you think?

[dijid]

This might make it easier:

 

Cagney's:

 

Le Bistro Page 1:

and Page 2:

 

La Cucina 1:

and 2: https://instagram.com/p/9RMUUcTWer/?taken-by=freestylenovice

 

There are other for-fee dining menus posted, but these are the ones that are supposed to be fleet-wide.

[Mack704]

Two people currently on the Escape have posted pictures of the new a la carte menus:

 

https://instagram.com/freestylenovice/

 

https://instagram.com/keith_jenner/

 

I am providing the links only, because I didn't want to post someone else's photos.

 

What do you think?

Yes yes yes

[tampadee]

I'm wondering how you order if you have a free speciality restaurant. Can you order anything you want and as much as you want?

[LMaxwell]

The choices look great, but if you want a full meal it sure does add up in a hurry and becomes much more expensive than typical cruise line flat cover charges.

 

However, for things like tapas bar that means we can try a few things before heading to MDR.

 

I think the variety is very enticing. No matter how much I dislike the all a la carte concept on a cruise ship I am sure I'll try a few things here and there. I cruise in 1 year so I am sure prices will go up at least once by then.

Edited October 26, 2015 by LMaxwell

[hawkeyetlse]

Looks like they actually got someone who knows French to check over the Le Bistro menu this time! :D I only spotted one mistake.

[grouchomarx]

Wow thanks for posting these I've been wondering how the new a la carte pricing will work out. Looks like it will now cost a bit more to eat in the specialty restaurants than it was before with just the cover charge. Oh well, these are the times we live in I guess.

[maywell]

Loving it - actually comes out completely cheap and lower price than the old cover charges for me, even with the 18% autotips.[emoji7] Can't wait to dining in those places next year!

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

[LrgPizza]

I'm most excited about the changes at La Cucina, which appears to have been greatly upgraded. Then again, even the previous dishes that sounded good tasted like dog butt, so we shall see.

[NMLady]

Loving it - actually comes out completely cheap and lower price than the old cover charges for me, even with the 18% autotips.[emoji7] Can't wait to dining in those places next year!

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

 

You must eat very little in order for this to be true. For us it would be much more expensive to have two appetizers, an entree, and dessert. So we're hoping that our platinum perk means we do not have to pay a la carte pricing.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm very excited that I could eat at Cagney's for less than the old cover fee of $30. I usually have the small filet (now $16), a baked potato (now $2) and wedge salad (now $4), which ads up to $22 and with an 18% gratuity it is $26. It is still, however, more beneficial for me to purchase the SDP for a seven day cruise, which nets out to only $20 per meal, since I only eat in the specialty restaurants.

Edited October 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[maywell]

You must eat very little in order for this to be true. For us it would be much more expensive to have two appetizers, an entree, and dessert. So we're hoping that our platinum perk means we do not have to pay a la carte pricing.

Yes because 4 apps and 1 dessert or just 1 main entree with 2-3 sides, is eating little at Cagney or Le Bistro....

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

[jaja]

Thanks for the links.....

 

I am anxious to see what they do for those of us who have UDP already booked...(us in May 2016).

[NLH Arizona]

Thanks for the links.....

 

I am anxious to see what they do for those of us who have UDP already booked...(us in May 2016).

I thought it said in the press release that they put out, that our UDP's will be honored just as they always have been. Did that change?

[LMaxwell]

Yes because 4 apps and 1 dessert or just 1 main entree with 2-3 sides, is eating little at Cagney or Le Bistro....

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

 

Yes, if you just want to pop in for a sampler of different things, the new a la carte costs are lower.

 

If you want a comprehensive dining experience such as under the old price fix method, the new a la carte ends up costing a lot more.

 

So it works for some people, doesn't work for others.

 

I'd be inclined to try some stuff at Food Republic / Tapas bar a la carte, but not likely to dine in any of the full on restaurants with a la carte pricing as the value proposition goes out the window for me. I'm not likely to skip the MDR for dinner to go sample appetizers somewhere. But I may go before dinner and buy an app or two.

 

Each person has different tastes and considers value differently. Cagneys would be significantly more expensive for us to dine at with a la carte pricing.

[hawkeyetlse]

I'm very excited that I could eat at Cagney's for less than the old cover fee of $30. I usually have the small filet (now $16), a baked potato (now $2) and wedge salad (now $4), which ads up to $22 and with an 18% gratuity it is $26.

I have to say, charging for the sides is so incredibly ungenerous of them. If they are trying to recreate the menu of a steakhouse on land, this is not how most steakhouses on land do things…

[LMaxwell]

I have to say, charging for the sides is so incredibly ungenerous of them. If they are trying to recreate the menu of a steakhouse on land, this is not how most steakhouses on land do things…

 

In the US high end steakhouses charge for each side, and significantly more than $2 each.

 

But, yeah, charging $2 for each side kind of strikes me as going a bit too far with the concept. Especially as seeing OTHER restaurants on the same ship offer their side dishes at no charge.

 

hopefully for the higher costs they've abandoned USDA Choice and upgraded to USDA Prime. I'm not aware of any land based restaurant that would serve Choice AND have the audacity to charge a la carte for sides. Any place that serves Choice is not a high end place.

[NLH Arizona]

I have to say, charging for the sides is so incredibly ungenerous of them. If they are trying to recreate the menu of a steakhouse on land, this is not how most steakhouses on land do things…

I beg to differ. Many steakhouse charge for sides. At Manny's in Minneapolis, one of my favorite steakhouses, they charge $9.95 for a baked potato and Morton's, Ruth Chris, Capital Grill and a lot of other steakhouse charge for sides as well. Chain restaurants, like Outback, etc., usually don't. Edited October 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[hawkeyetlse]

I beg to differ. Many steakhouse charge for sides. At Manny's in Minneapolis, one of my favorite steakhouses, they charge $9.95 for a baked potato and Morton's, Ruth Chris, Capital Grill and a lot of other steakhouse charge for sides as well. Chain restaurants, like Outback, etc., usually don't.

The question, as LMaxwell also suggested, is which category does Cagney's best fit into?

[LMaxwell]

The question, as LMaxwell also suggested, is which category does Cagney's best fit into?

 

First off, Outback, Chili's, etc., in the US are atrocious. Sure, people like them, but they are not anything resembling fine dining. Most food is portioned frozen food that is microwaved or deep fried. The steaks are typically at or below the quality one could purchase at any local supermarket for a modest price.

 

The other ones listed are higher end and offer better quality and selections of meat, and they price it to match. Those typically offer everything a la carte and for many people are not a regular dining experience due to pricing.

 

I think Cagneys falls into the middle. It is better quality than US chains (especially regarding things such as appetizers/sides/desserts) but does not compete with any of the high end places. But they try to pass it off as Faux-High end.

 

With a la carte pricing I estimate it would cost us close to $100 to eat at Cagneys.

 

That would be two appetizers to share. A salad for each. A main entree for each. Two sides for each. I did not see dessert pricing for Cagneys but other restaurants are +/- $5 for dessert. Add in 18% tip and you're getting close to $100 right there.

 

This very month we were on the Sky and Cagneys was a flat cover of $30 each. So $60 plus 18% tip, so about $71. And if we were hungry enough we could have more food than we could now get for 35% more cost. So, like I said, the value proposition is gone. Spending $90 to $100 to eat at Cagneys which doesn't offer as good a quality steak as a real steakhouse, and no better than an average supermarket steak, is too much for me to consider, expecially factoring in the cost and DSC paid for the dining room that we are skipping. Add it all up and it's Outback steak with Morton's Steakhouse quality sides, at a near Morton's price point.

 

Pass.

[NLH Arizona]

The question, as LMaxwell also suggested, is which category does Cagney's best fit into?

I think they are in between a chain restaurant, like Outback or Longhorn Steakhouse, and an upscale restaurant, like a Manny's or Morton's. Even if you look at the Outback, if I were to order a filet, which comes with baked potato and salad, the cost would be $19.99 and with 18% tip would be $24, which is only $2 more than what I would pay at Cagney's and at Cagney's you get better atmosphere and service, IMHO. BTW, at Manny's I would pay $75.85 for the same meal. Edited October 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[roger001]

I see that my usual meal at Le Bistro has zipped far past the previous $20 I paid. I'll just stick with the free stuff (MDR, etc. instead).

[Maddysdaddy]

I've only looked at the Cagney's menu, and if - as people have described it here - it's the equivalent a middle-of-the-road steakhouse, their prices are significantly less than what I would pay to eat at an 'ok' steakhouse at home.

 

Can't find the menu of my regular place online, but I just looked at my local Ruth's Chris menu, and just to pull a couple of examples, their petite filet without sides or sauce is $46 (Cagney's is $16) and their ribeye is $59 (Cagney's is $21). The steakhouse I go to is about $10 less expensive than Ruth's.

 

Even if the quality of meat isn't as good at Cagney's, it's still half to 2/3's less expensive than having a steak at home. Even going to my local butcher will cost me close to $20 per steak for a decent sized ribeye.

 

That being said, I appreciate that I am already paying for a meal in the MDR as part of my cruise fare, so to be fair, the a la carte prices aren't 100% reflective of the true cost of the meal, but even if you mentally add that amount into the cost of dining at Cagney's, it still seems like a very reasonably priced meal.

[spidybabe]

Don't forget, it is the price you pay, plus 18%, plus the price you paid already in your cruise fare, plus DSC.

Curious what will happen with platinum meal vouchers - anybody know?

Safe sailing

[jaja]

I thought it said in the press release that they put out, that our UDP's will be honored just as they always have been. Did that change?

 

I have seen nothing...BUT to be honest...I am never sure what NCL will do:rolleyes: