Is Murano really, really worth it ??

[Pier290]

Is the extra $50/pp REALLY worth the food at Murano?  We booked it already but using $150 of our OBC....that we can use for other things.

 

Just want to make sure Murano is absolutely worth it on a 10 night cruise on Equinox..... traveling with my mom and sister.....

 

We also booked Tuscan for the 1st night sail away at discounted rate....

[Gonzo70]

I enjoy Murano, but would not pay $50 per/person. I would try to negotiate a discount once onboard; if no discounts are offered - take a pass, if you receive a discount, great. Celebrity has gotten out-of-control with their specialty resto pricing.

[Pier290]

4 minutes ago, Gonzo70 said:

I enjoy Murano, but would not pay $50 per/person. I would try to negotiate a discount once onboard; if no discounts are offered - take a pass, if you receive a discount, great. Celebrity has gotten out-of-control with their specialty resto pricing.

Thank u for this! 

[roxievegas]

Agree with "Gonzo70" - do not book ahead.  When you get on board they will have people trying to sell you dinners in the specialty restaurants - tell them you won't pay more than $25 and you may end up at $30 or $35.  Do not pay regular price.  We were half way thru our last cruise and they had people wondering around the buffet area asking if you wanted to purchase a dinner.  We said we would if we got a discount and ended up paying $35.

 

[Bo1953]

24 minutes ago, Pier290 said:

Is the extra $50/pp REALLY worth the food at Murano?  We booked it already but using $150 of our OBC....that we can use for other things.

 

Just want to make sure Murano is absolutely worth it on a 10 night cruise on Equinox..... traveling with my mom and sister.....

 

We also booked Tuscan for the 1st night sail away at discounted rate....

It depends on your set of taste buds and appreciation for fine food, service and ambiance.

 

bon voyage

[CulverCityCruisers]

It is AMAZING, both in food quality and service!!  Agree with the others about a discount on the price though.

 

Also double check your cruise planner for the saiing you are on and see if there is a SALE

[prish]

In the past we’ve gotten discounts at Murano through the Maitre D at the MDR, once half off and another time 30%. We like the food there very much but as Gonzo says $50pp is way too much.

 

Sometimes they have counters offering discounts outside OV Cafe too. Try asking,  they can only say no!

[wpgcycler]

Worth it to me - especially if I've got some OBC.

[Pier290]

Great advice!  It never dawned on me to wait til we were on board !!😁🌴

[villauk]

Ocean Liners was worth the extra; it was the best speciality restaurant on a cruise ship (only my opinion of course).

[jelayne]

We enjoy Murano but only go if we have purchased a multi night dining package (prior to the price increase on packages).  Our most recent cruise 3 of us went twice one time excellent food & service.  The second time 2 of 3 entrees and 1 starter had to be returned and sommlier was MIA after first glass of wine.

 

[Alsmez]

Murano is a lovely restaurant and a significant upgrade from the MDR. However, if you frequent fine dining restaurants on land, you will probably not think of it as anything particularly special - the food and service are very good, but they don't approach Michelin-level by a long shot. It still may be worth $50 to you though, if you dislike the MDR or simply want a change from that atmosphere (though as others have mentioned, you can almost always get a discount by booking on board). 

 

Food and service are priorities for us when we vacation; in order to enjoy an acceptable minimum level of both on Celebrity, DH and I either book AQ (for Blu), a suite (for Luminae) or a regular room with a specialty dining package that allows us to avoid the MDR entirely. Buying a package for 6+ nights brings the cost per night down to $30 per person, which we consider an acceptable cost for upgrading our entire dining experience. Others are more than happy with the food and service in the MDR - it's simply a question of what you value and how highly!

[wpgcycler]

4 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

 they don't approach Michelin-level by a long shot.

 

But at $50, neither does the price. 

[Alsmez]

2 minutes ago, wpgcycler said:

 

But at $50, neither does the price.  

 

Agreed for the most part - there are a few more casual Michelin-starred places in NYC these days where you might be able to get out for $50 (not including alcohol or tip, most likely), but generally speaking you would spend MUCH more than $50 for a Michelin-starred dinner here, especially at French or French-inspired, white tablecloth spots. 

[wpgcycler]

5 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

 

Agreed for the most part - there are a few more casual Michelin-starred places in NYC these days where you might be able to get out for $50 (not including alcohol or tip, most likely), but generally speaking you would spend MUCH more than $50 for a Michelin-starred dinner here, especially at French or French-inspired, white tablecloth spots. 

 

Yes, I'm with you. Just saying that for the decor, ambiance, novelty of the old school tableside prep, not bad food and a pretty decent cheese selection, $50 is pretty good value IMO.

[cangelmd]

The only real reason to book ahead is if you want a very specific date and time - for an anniversary for example.

If you aren't picky about time and date, and if you board before noon and head straight to make your reservations, you should get the time and/or day you want, and a discount is typically available, particularly for the first night.

 

Usually, there are waitstaff and maitre d' staff hovering around the boarding entrance (look for their uniforms and clipboards or a laptop on a stand that they are using to make reservations), at the entrance to the OVC or go directly to Murano. Double check any reservations you make on that first day for later in the cruise - I know of an instance on our last cruise where someone got double booked in Lawn Club and it was a mess because of limited seating and times.

I would leave Tuscan as is, because I think sailaway may be a primo time for Tuscan, but you should be able to do better for Murano. Enjoy.

[JOVERNITE]

We loved Murano but never thought about negotiating. The first night is traditionally discounted but we like the MDR the first night to meet people (always want large table). We'll try this out on our next cruise. Thanks.

[dkjretired]

Agree with everyone else, negotiate and you can almost always get a good price the first night.  As far as enjoying Murano, we did because they have some unique items that you won't find anywhere else on the ship.  We've had the lobster, chateaubriand for two but some of the apps and deserts are excellent if you like them particularly the souffles.   I usually order the goat cheese souffles  and the Grand Marnier souffles which is spectacular.   They also have a dark chocolate soufflé  which the wife loved.  We don't usually do Specialties however we will do them on a special occasion. 

[sawyershane]

Not usually a fan of paying extra money for food when dining room to me is just fine. But our first time at Muranos was excellent, the lobster and Chareaubriand for 2 was exceptional.   I agree though with another post try to negotiate price. You can definitely get it cheaper we did.

[keithm]

7 hours ago, Pier290 said:

Is the extra $50/pp REALLY worth the food at Murano?  We booked it already but using $150 of our OBC....that we can use for other things.

 

Just want to make sure Murano is absolutely worth it on a 10 night cruise on Equinox..... traveling with my mom and sister.....

 

We also booked Tuscan for the 1st night sail away at discounted rate....

We've never paid more than $30 for any specialty rest. on Celebrity. We always got good discounts. Do I think it's worth it? Yes. The food is much better than the MDR.(not incl. Luminae) Ambience is nice, too. Normally quiet & enjoyable. Exception one night in 2017. The table was so foul & objectionable, I stood up & told them to knock it off(to much applause) The Maître D warned them they'd be banned if they disrupted a meal again.

[Travelicious]

Nice lady in Oceanview offered 20% off without me even asking.  She was so sweet I didn't even try to negotiate further.  I think she was excited to hook me at that price.  Moderno was very good.

[2Long2NxtCrz]

We did Murano on the first night of our cruise on Equinox in November and loved every moment.  The service was impeccable and the food was amazing.  We had the lobster, the chauteaubriand, and the Gran Marnier souffle.  The sommelier was fabulous and we ended with a dessert wine and port that really topped off the experience.

 

Not sure I'd pay $50pp but, as others have said, that's really inexpensive for the food and atmosphere.  Still, if you can get a discount, then that just increases the value.

[citronella]

1 hour ago, keithm said:

We've never paid more than $30 for any specialty rest. on Celebrity. We always got good discounts. Do I think it's worth it? Yes. The food is much better than the MDR.(not incl. Luminae) Ambience is nice, too. Normally quiet & enjoyable. Exception one night in 2017. The table was so foul & objectionable, I stood up & told them to knock it off(to much applause) The Maître D warned them they'd be banned if they disrupted a meal again.

 

You sure don’t seem to have much luck with fellow passengers. What could they be doing that was so foul ? Well, aside from being too casually dressed.

 

I’ve only sailed twice and on Princess.  Didn’t really see a big difference in the food in the dining room and the specialty restaurants. We have booked Murano for the first sea day so we shall see.

[TMLAalum]

Murano at lunch on a sea day is another option. The menu is limited, but the ambience, service and string duo contribute to an enjoyable change of pace from the MDR or OV. The price was $25 on the Eclipse earlier this month.

 

Agree with other posters who suggest dining there on embarkation day or later in the cruise at a bargained for lower price.

[Cruise a holic]

22 hours ago, Pier290 said:

Is the extra $50/pp REALLY worth the food at Murano?  We booked it already but using $150 of our OBC....that we can use for other things.

 

Just want to make sure Murano is absolutely worth it on a 10 night cruise on Equinox..... traveling with my mom and sister.....

 

We also booked Tuscan for the 1st night sail away at discounted rate....

iMO yes!  If you book a package for a few dinners you can save.  Depending upon you package can be 1/2 off.  We enjoy sp restaurants, especially lawn club grill on silhouette and reflection.