Specialty Restaurants

[latebuyer]

I have a few questions about specialty restaurants. First can you book them same day on the cruise. I am on a pacific coastal and concerned it will be rough and prefer not to book a day to eat when it is rough. Or to add, how late can you make a cancellation?

 

Also, wonder how good the sushi tastes on izumi when it must be frozen? Or would it be better to book it a port day when they bring in the sushi.

 

Which would people recommend izumi or giovanni? One thing i'm thinking of doing is doing the chops lunch and izumi since that would be the cheaper option. On the other hand, someone mentioned the steak at giovanni is better than chops so could do dinner at giovannis and izumi. Thanks for your help.

Edited June 7, 2022 by latebuyer

[latebuyer]

Also how early can you make specialty restaurant reservations because my preference would be 5:00 just as the cruise leaves port.

[broadwaybaby123]

You can book them at 5 and I believe you have up until your reservation to cancel. Can't comment on Izumi, Chops, or Giovanni's since I haven't been to any of them. Jamie's Italian Grille, however, is excellent. 

[latebuyer]

The other thing i noticed when i booked chops lunch is they automatically add the gratuity. Does this mean i have to add another gratuity on top of that at the restaurant? Also i found that if you cancel within 24 hours you're charged 10 US.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, latebuyer said:

Does this mean i have to add another gratuity on top of that at the restaurant?

No.

 

Biker, who expects the tip shaming police soon.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Biker19

[latebuyer]

No it doesn't seem fair you'd have to tip on top of that. I believe what it gives online is a 15% tip.

[70SS350]

33 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

No it doesn't seem fair you'd have to tip on top of that. I believe what it gives online is a 15% tip.

18% online or onboard. 

[rudeney]

Speaking of gratuities on specialty restaurants, I bought the UDP, but no gratuity was added - the price charged ($245) was the price paid.  The DBP did have an 18% gratuity added.

[latebuyer]

I just wanted to add i got 15% off individual restaurants for my may 21st enchantment of the seas booking which i understand is pretty rare. I booked chops lunch and i may book a dinner as it sound easy to cancel if i choose.

[cruiselvr04]

22 minutes ago, rudeney said:

Speaking of gratuities on specialty restaurants, I bought the UDP, but no gratuity was added - the price charged ($245) was the price paid.  The DBP did have an 18% gratuity added.

You got lucky.  Since the restart ours have been automatically added.  Not a big deal but I have to remind DH that we’ve already paid the tip.  He still likes to leave a little on top which is fine.  I prefer to tip in person so I wish they wouldn’t add it before.

[PMGS247]

37 minutes ago, rudeney said:

Speaking of gratuities on specialty restaurants, I bought the UDP, but no gratuity was added - the price charged ($245) was the price paid.  The DBP did have an 18% gratuity added.

 

I'd be surprised by this. It could be your original price was actually 207.99 (Common "50% off on board prices" number for UDP) * 1.18 Gratuity.  I'd double check your order history, see what the "% off" number is and compare it to the currently offered price.  Not sure if this is checkable after the ship has sailed (pun intended) but I thought I'd chime in since it lines up very closely with my own UDP numbers, which definitely do include 18% gratuities.

[Ourusualbeach]

4 hours ago, latebuyer said:

Also, wonder how good the sushi tastes on izumi when it must be frozen? Or would it be better to book it a port day when they bring in the sushi.

They are not bringing fresh sushi on board at ports

[Seville2Cabo]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

They are not bringing fresh sushi on board at ports

I think most sushi is frozen

[latebuyer]

OK I may go for Giovanni's instead. With 15% off i feel i should book and i can always cancel later. At least i save the tip!

[chiguy67]

1 hour ago, rudeney said:

Speaking of gratuities on specialty restaurants, I bought the UDP, but no gratuity was added - the price charged ($245) was the price paid.  The DBP did have an 18% gratuity added.

It depends if your cruise uses the old or new cruise planner. The old cruise planner included the 18% gratuity in the price listed but the new cruise planner does not.

 

Noticed that our cruises last November and February it was included but for our upcoming September cruise it was not included and showed up in the cart before payment. 

[latebuyer]

May i ask where the new cruise planner is? I hope wait staff know if you've paid the gratuity. I don't like the situation where some have paid in advance and some haven't.

[baelor]

6 hours ago, latebuyer said:

Also, wonder how good the sushi tastes on izumi when it must be frozen?

Almost all fish in the U.S. is required by law to be frozen before being served raw in order to kill parasites.  Primary exceptions include some major tuna species and salmon (depending on farming techniques).  

 

Not sure how that applies to cruise ships/maritime law.

[latebuyer]

Thanks. In Canada (Vancouver at least) i'm almost positive it doesn't have to be frozen first before serving so that's interesting.

[baelor]

1 minute ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks. In Canada (Vancouver at least) i'm almost positive it doesn't have to be frozen first before serving so that's interesting.

Not an expert on Canadian food safety regulations, but it seems like BC (and therefore Vancouver) may have similar requirements:

http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Educational Materials/EH/FPS/Fish/SushiSafety.pdf

[cruisegus]

29 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

May i ask where the new cruise planner is? I hope wait staff know if you've paid the gratuity. I don't like the situation where some have paid in advance and some haven't.

Everyone HAS paid the gratuity on the dining package, the only question is does it show as a separate line item when you purchased the package or not.

 

Either way your 18% gratuity is covered.  The only time it would be added onboard is if you purchase onboard. 

 

They don't like to advertise the price on board with gratuity included it is always added separately to the price.

[nferr]

6 minutes ago, cruisegus said:

Everyone HAS paid the gratuity on the dining package, the only question is does it show as a separate line item when you purchased the package or not.

 

Either way your 18% gratuity is covered.  The only time it would be added onboard is if you purchase onboard. 

 

They don't like to advertise the price on board with gratuity included it is always added separately to the price.

 

Exactly. My cruise in February showed one price for the UDP. But it mentioned that gratuity was included.

Edited June 7, 2022 by nferr

[latebuyer]

Thanks, I always thought it was fresh. I still think some of the good sushi restaurants have fresher sushi than that on izumi. (ie not frozen as long)

[latebuyer]

I also would be surprised if all the sushi restaurants follow the rules when they describe their sushi as fresh but i guess that is a bad thing. In any event, no one has really commented whether Izumi or Giovanni is better.

[rudeney]

2 hours ago, chiguy67 said:

It depends if your cruise uses the old or new cruise planner. The old cruise planner included the 18% gratuity in the price listed but the new cruise planner does not.

 

Noticed that our cruises last November and February it was included but for our upcoming September cruise it was not included and showed up in the cart before payment. 

 

That makes sense.  I guess my cruise is still using the old cruise planner.  I have not seen the "new" one.  

 

[rudeney]

3 hours ago, PMGS247 said:

 

I'd be surprised by this. It could be your original price was actually 207.99 (Common "50% off on board prices" number for UDP) * 1.18 Gratuity.  I'd double check your order history, see what the "% off" number is and compare it to the currently offered price.  Not sure if this is checkable after the ship has sailed (pun intended) but I thought I'd chime in since it lines up very closely with my own UDP numbers, which definitely do include 18% gratuities.

 

It seems it depends on whether or not the cruise uses the old version of Cruise Planner or the new one.  According to @chiguy67, the old version does not add the gratuity, but the new one does.  My cruise appears to be using the old version.  When I bought the DBP and some spa services, the 18% was added to those.  The UDP was listed at $245.  When I checked out with it (for my wife and me) it was exactly $490.