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Dining question

skid10

By skid10,
in Royal Caribbean International

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skid10

skid10

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There have been so many varying opinions about food and it is certainly a subjective topic. We have been on 5 cruises, always used the MDR and fortunately have never been disappointed. Sooo....are the specialty restaurants really THAT much better than the MDR? We are cruising again in May on Adventure OTS and will be considering the dining plan. Thanks!

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Clarea

Clarea

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Thanks Bob. You are probably the most respected poster on this board, so we really appreciate your quick response.

Food is totally subjective, take my opinion with a grain of salt.:)

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skid10

skid10

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quote=FOXTROT;53562675]We enjoy eating in one on the first day. We get a BOGO so we only pay for one dinner. I have eaten one of my top 5 dinners in Chops. Have also eaten a few not worth the money.

 

We like the dining package, but find whilst chops might be good on one ship and Giovanni's not so good, go on another ship and it can be the total opposite.

 

Thank you both. The BOGO may be worth a try.

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dplusd

dplusd

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There have been so many varying opinions about food and it is certainly a subjective topic. We have been on 5 cruises, always used the MDR and fortunately have never been disappointed. Sooo....are the specialty restaurants really THAT much better than the MDR? We are cruising again in May on Adventure OTS and will be considering the dining plan. Thanks!

 

Since you enjoy the MDR don't rush into a big dining package. Try it one night and see how you like it. The First Night Done Right (if offered on your sailing) is a great way to try it...usually $15.00 per person for dinner on the first night.

 

We enjoy the MDR too and usually enjoy only one or two night a week in a specialty restaurant. We find dinner in the specialty restaurants to be quieter and more relaxing with more personalized attention and a bit better quality food.

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skid10

skid10

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Since you enjoy the MDR don't rush into a big dining package. Try it one night and see how you like it. The First Night Done Right (if offered on your sailing) is a great way to try it...usually $15.00 per person for dinner on the first night.

 

We enjoy the MDR too and usually enjoy only one or two night a week in a specialty restaurant. We find dinner in the specialty restaurants to be quieter and more relaxing with more personalized attention and a bit better quality food.

Good advice. Thanks.

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skid10

skid10

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we did Chops on Anthem last year for our 25th. Not worth the price we paid. I think we would have liked MDR just as well. My one spurge I can't help is Johnny Rocket s

Thanks. We do love the Rocket shakes!

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grapau27

grapau27

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There have been so many varying opinions about food and it is certainly a subjective topic. We have been on 5 cruises, always used the MDR and fortunately have never been disappointed. Sooo....are the specialty restaurants really THAT much better than the MDR? We are cruising again in May on Adventure OTS and will be considering the dining plan. Thanks!

The crew often approach you on the ship to go to chops etc.

If you can get a good discount and a couple of free drinks thrown in too it is worth trying one night and you might then want to do it more often.

They are usually much less hectic and great for a special occasion.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

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skid10

skid10

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The crew often approach you on the ship to go to chops etc.

If you can get a good discount and a couple of free drinks thrown in too it is worth trying one night and you might then want to do it more often.

They are usually much less hectic and great for a special occasion.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

Thanks for that tip.

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bbdscruise

bbdscruise

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Just off of Harmony. We purchased a 3 night specialty dining package. Chops was just okay. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there again. However, Izumi (on the non-hibachi side) was excellent and the meal we had at 150 Park was, hands down, the best meal I have ever had at sea.

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Adventures ahead

Adventures ahead

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We've cruised many times and eaten in a specialty restaurant only once. While it's unfair to form an opinion based on a single experience, I found the service too attentive to the point of being bothersome. Yes, I could have said something but went along with it rather than making a scene. I felt that the server was trying too hard to make it 'special' : )

 

On another cruise, we traded in our complimentary specialty dining for an OBC. This was after checking their menus and realizing that the experience would have been wasted on me. I have some food sensitivities and can always find something in the MDR that I enjoy.

 

It's great that so many people love it... it's just not for me.

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gliles

gliles

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We really enjoy the dining room, including dining with other guests but we normally will do one specialty since we often cruise around our anniversary but I have to be honest, whenever we do specialty dining, we hurt ourselves from eating too much! We've never done Chops though and booked it for our anniversary this year and are looking forward to hurting ourselves :) We also did FNDR just for kicks, the rest of the time we'll be in the MDR. We don't prefer the MDR because of money, vacation money doesn't count! We'll spend more than we should on vacation and be frugal the rest of the year :)

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Renken

Renken

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Just off the Adventure and tried the BOGO- Giovanni's the 1st night, Chops the 2nd. Totally unimpressed with both. Giovanni's was like Olive Garden on an off night. And Chops was nothing special.

 

I was a little embarrassed in Chops because I requested 3 appetizers (soup, salad, and something else), and the waiter told me I could only have 2. :o For a minute there, I wished I were in the Windjammer.:D

 

I am glad, however, that we did the BOGO, as it satisfied my curiosity, and at a relatively inexpensive price.

 

I honestly didn't see taste any difference between the specialty restaurants and the MDR; the only difference was the more exclusive atmosphere of a smaller restaurant.

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Lovesealife

Lovesealife

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I found the specialty restaurants to be just okay on RCCL. There was no significant difference in quality between them and the MDR with one exception- the Chef's Table. If you like wine and food this is an outstanding experience - one of the best meals we have ever had. They showed us how the food changed the taste of the wine. Highly recommend, it's worth every penny!

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

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skid10

skid10

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We've cruised many times and eaten in a specialty restaurant only once. While it's unfair to form an opinion based on a single experience, I found the service too attentive to the point of being bothersome. Yes, I could have said something but went along with it rather than making a scene. I felt that the server was trying too hard to make it 'special' : )

 

On another cruise, we traded in our complimentary specialty dining for an OBC. This was after checking their menus and realizing that the experience would have been wasted on me. I have some food sensitivities and can always find something in the MDR that I enjoy.

 

It's great that so many people love it... it's just not for me.

And also great that there are always things for to enjoy in the MDR.

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skid10

skid10

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Just off the Adventure and tried the BOGO- Giovanni's the 1st night, Chops the 2nd. Totally unimpressed with both. Giovanni's was like Olive Garden on an off night. And Chops was nothing special.

 

I was a little embarrassed in Chops because I requested 3 appetizers (soup, salad, and something else), and the waiter told me I could only have 2. :o For a minute there, I wished I were in the Windjammer.:D

 

I am glad, however, that we did the BOGO, as it satisfied my curiosity, and at a relatively inexpensive price.

 

I honestly didn't see taste any difference between the specialty restaurants and the MDR; the only difference was the more exclusive atmosphere of a smaller restaurant.

This is exactly why we haven't tried them yet. And our last cruise and upcoming cruise are both on Adventure, so your input is really appreciated!

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