Specialty restaurants...why pay extra?

[watermelon5]

Many people believe the quality of MDR food has gone downhill since the inception of Specialty Restaurants on cruiseships. There are those that believe that ALL food should be included in the price of the cruise. Some think that if passengers refuse to dine in these Specialty Restaurants, they will disappear and the MDR food will again improve...what do you think?

[LHT28]

I do not like to have to pay extra just to have a good cup of coffee either

[RetireeWannabee]

There wasn't a choice for my opinion:

 

I'm ok with the cruise lines attempting to make more revenue in this way but I won't be partaking of it and will instead enjoy what I already paid for in my cruise fare.

 

Extra for coffee and ice cream doesn't bother me, either.

[fann1sh]

I haven't voted in the poll either.

 

I'm not a big ice cream fan, and I seldom drink coffee (tea for me). Dining in the specialty restaurant isn't about food upgrades either.

 

When I make reservations for the alternate restaurant, I want quiet, unhurried dining, and service more like a fine restaurant. I realize not all alternate restaurants are like that, but that's what I look for.

[cb at sea]

I agree---the more passengers are willing to pay "extra" for things, the more things they will start charging for!

What is in the "specialty" restaurants IS what used to be available to all in the MDR.

 

And while it's true that you don't HAVE to partake of the upcharged items, that just means your "included" cruise experience is lessened, compared to what you may be used to!

[flamomo]

You need to add another category of answers for "other and please post the reason". As you can tell. some of us don't find a category that we can vote in.

 

I like to dine at the alternative restaurants occasionally, even though I feel the food in the MDR and the buffet is generally pretty good, and sometimes very good. I particularly enjoy Sabatini's, on Princess ships, because I feel it is more than just an Italian meal. It's a real dining experience.

[Cruisenouvelle]

My vote was sort of a Catch22. I don't expect great food (good, yes) in the MDR, and that may be a result of the introduction of the specialty venues. But I don't mind paying for them, because the food (and service) really is superior. Best steak I've ever had in my life was at Chops on Enchantment of the Seas - and I have eaten at some high end steakhouses in my time!

[klfrodo]

The OP must be an official pollster. :D

 

The potential answers are all biased to the opinion of having choices is a bad thing.

[Aquahound]

The potential answers are all biased to the opinion of having choices is a bad thing.

 

I agree.

 

I am happy with the MDR food, and on the other hand, I enjoy paying extra for an intimate atmosphere. No problems here.

[Iluvmypuggle]

I think the food in the Main Dining Rooms could be improved on some lines, but have always typically enjoyed the MDR meals. That being said, I don't mind paying extra if I decide I want to eat a certain type of meal in a more intimate setting.

 

What I dislike is when I feel like the good food is ONLY served in the specialty restaurants.

[G'ma]

I couldn't vote in the poll because none applies to my personal cruise experience.

 

I've dined in a Supper Club twice.....both were special occasions that merited a fine dining experience.....and none of us were disappointed. It's not something I would do on every cruise but it's nice for a celebration.

 

The company I usually cruise with has not reduced the quality or the quantity of food available in the MDR or anywhere in any dining venue.

 

The only things I've noticed on my last 2 cruises (December and again in January) was smaller side dish portions...which is fine with me..you can always order seconds, smaller salad portions...again, fine with me. I've notice a reduction in salad selections on the buffets....barely noticeable..maybe only one pasta salad instead of 3 but plenty of greens and all the fixings.

 

I find dining in the MDR a satisfying and pleasant experience. The preparation and presentation is wonderful.

[mistergq]

I have no problem with RCI or Carnival's specialty dining. I have a problem with NCI that they have so many restaurant that they charge for.

[paulred]

If you want the best food, and have almost everything included in the price, then perhaps you should cruise on Crystal or Seaborne.

 

As the Cruise Inc. prgram demonstrated, the cruise line needs a certain amount of revenue per week. Whether they get it up front, or buy selling extras like specialty dining, spa experiences etc. is simply a marketing decision. They can no longer fill the ship at excessive rates. They do provide an excellent product even if you never had a drink, or stepped into a specialty restaurant or spa. The basic cruise cost has risen significantly less than inflation over the last few years, and currently, bargains abound. The food is generally excellent, not perfect, but pretty darn good. Menus are extensive and choices are there for everyone.

 

They do recognize that there are a host of people who will not pay a luxury cruise rate for 24/7 luxuries, but will pick and choose the odd luxury like a specialty restaurant while on board. That marketing mode reaches a lot more passengers, and EVERYBODY get a better vacation.

 

I have heard of no-one who was dragooned into a restaurant against their will, unless it was their significant other doing the deed.

 

If you don't bother with these choices, at least have the grace to be thankful for those that do, as they are the ones keeping the cruise lines out of the red.

 

Paul

[sail7seas]

You didn't allow for my choice:

 

We very much enjoy the main dining room but still like the choice to go to alternative restaurant if we wish.

 

We just returned from b-to-b cruises on Eurodam and loved the new Tamarind Restaurant that is currently only on Eurodam and had two excellent dinners in Pinnacle.

 

We like the choice for variety.

 

Keep the alternative restaurants and continue to serve very, very good food in HAL's dining rooms is my vote. We had wonderful stewards in both venues and totally enjoyed dining each evening.

[pris993]

I find the discussion here interesting.

 

The food and service in the MDR is not what it use to be in my opinion on any line we have cruised on recently.

 

When I have eaten in alternative venues I have not been impressed with them enough to want to pay extra on a routine basis.

 

I also do not believe Crystal Cruises food and service is superior to Princess, HAL or Celebrity. In my opinion they are about the same - only difference is you pay more on Crystal for the same product.

 

Consequently, we are reluctant to pay extra for altenative dining except every once in awhile. For example, we probably will try the steak house once on our up and coming Ruby cruise.

 

My biggest complaint about the alternative dining venues is they often have a set menu and we like to have dishes prepared to our liking, i.e., with out butter or cheese for example. If I am paying extra I expect to be able to get items prepared as I want. We generally special order in the MDR.

 

We probaby will enjoy having dinner in the buffet some nights as well on the Ruby since we enjoy the peace and quite available there.

 

I do believe the more folks are willing to pay extra, the more cruise lines will charge extra for everything they can. It is the nature of the business. We need to be smart customers.

[Texas Tillie]

I find the discussion here interesting.

 

The food and service in the MDR is not what it use to be in my opinion on any line we have cruised on recently.

 

When I have eaten in alternative venues I have not been impressed with them enough to want to pay extra on a routine basis.

 

I also do not believe Crystal Cruises food and service is superior to Princess, HAL or Celebrity. In my opinion they are about the same - only difference is you pay more on Crystal for the same product.

 

Consequently, we are reluctant to pay extra for altenative dining except every once in awhile. For example, we probably will try the steak house once on our up and coming Ruby cruise.

 

My biggest complaint about the alternative dining venues is they often have a set menu and we like to have dishes prepared to our liking, i.e., with out butter or cheese for example. If I am paying extra I expect to be able to get items prepared as I want. We generally special order in the MDR.

 

We probaby will enjoy having dinner in the buffet some nights as well on the Ruby since we enjoy the peace and quite available there.

 

I do believe the more folks are willing to pay extra, the more cruise lines will charge extra for everything they can. It is the nature of the business. We need to be smart customers.

 

I must disagree with you. I've been on HAL, Princess and Crystal and the quality of the food, and especially the service, is head and shoulders better on Crystal. You DO get what you pay for!:)

[beachchick]

I have no problem with RCI or Carnival's specialty dining. I have a problem with NCI that they have so many restaurant that they charge for.

 

Just a note that they have more surcharge restaurants because they have more specialty restaurants to begin with. NCL gives you the same basic included dining that RCI and Carnival do. Whereas, you might then have two or three additional (i.e., specialty) restaurants on RCI and Carnival, you might have six or seven on NCL. I have to ask why it's a problem to have more choices, as long as the basic venues are included.

 

beachchick

[mypleasure]

I enjoy eating some of my meals in the main dining room and have always enjoyed them, however, I love the choice to eat in a speciality venue and experience the different types of food offered. Typically on a 7 night cruise I would eat 3 or 4 times in the speciality venues. We budget to do so and see it as a big part of our cruise experience.

[Krazy Kruizers]

With the economy the way it is -- we have noticed a decline in the food in the main dining room on HAL ships -- buying poorer qualities of meat. And I don;t see this changing any time soon.

Thus we don't mnd paying to eat at the alternatives restaurants to get a decent meal.

[BroncosFan2010]

I was against paying extra for Specialty Restaurants, but then I was treated to Portofino's on my birthday and it was the most amazing meal I have had on board a cruise ship. It was well worth the extra $20. The Fillet was so tender and perfectly cooked. The pasta was to die for. The only thing that fell short was the desserts.

I will be going back, if I ever sail RCCL again.

[pris993]

I must disagree with you. I've been on HAL, Princess and Crystal and the quality of the food, and especially the service, is head and shoulders better on Crystal. You DO get what you pay for!:)

 

Glad you feel you got what you paid for, obviously we did not feel that way.

 

We only went on Crystal once. Did a Mediterranean cruise. Remember strolling around the main deck one evening after dinner. We ran into a gentleman who was a retired butcher from Texas. We got to talking about the quality of the steaks on board. He agreed with us, that he had never seen steaks like what they were serving. Overall the service in diningroom aboard this cruise was nothing exceptional for us. As I said, about the same as any ship. So we left saying why pay more?

[cruiserbryce]

I havent really ever had an issue with the idea of surcharge restaurants. They are there for me if I want them and thats fine...but I dont typically utilize them. The food in the MDR has been fine on each of our cruises. I dont think you'll see the cruise lines venture away from these restaurants and the surcharges anytime soon. Its a nice idea that we include all the food but as long as they are such a money maker for the cruise line I believe we will see them stay

[househunter]

I agree---the more passengers are willing to pay "extra" for things, the more things they will start charging for!

What is in the "specialty" restaurants IS what used to be available to all in the MDR.

 

And while it's true that you don't HAVE to partake of the upcharged items, that just means your "included" cruise experience is lessened, compared to what you may be used to!

 

 

That is not true! There were never the small intimate dining rooms that the specialty restaurants now offer. That is most of the appeal for us and we are willing to pay for it.

[Philip217]

I agree---the more passengers are willing to pay "extra" for things, the more things they will start charging for!

What is in the "specialty" restaurants IS what used to be available to all in the MDR.

 

And while it's true that you don't HAVE to partake of the upcharged items, that just means your "included" cruise experience is lessened, compared to what you may be used to!

 

Back in the 1970's when a 7-day cruise cost as much as a new Cadillac, I don't remember serving sushi, tapas, teppanyaki, gelato, freshly made pasta, truffles, regional Hawaiian Cuisine, live lobsters, Halal Food, artisan cheeses, live fish and shrimp from tanks, gourmet Mandarin food, shark fin soup, and fresh foie gras - just to name a few things - in the Main Dining Rooms of the Royal Viking ships I was working on. Not only were these things NOT available in the main dining room. They were never available anywhere on the ship - at any price. But I have enjoyed all these items recently on several ships. I had to pay extra for most of them. It wouldn't be fair to force the other passengers to pay for the sushi that i was eating and they didn't want.

 

On Royal Viking, for the price of a new Cadillac, we also DID NOT have (included or not):

-balconies

-hair dryers

-refrigerators in cabins

-live television

-big screen TVs

-butlers

-concierge

-internet

-broadway shows

-daily newspapers

-wifi

-Wii

-satellite telephone

-satellite television

-proper medical facilities

-ATMs

-childcare

-draft beer

-wine tasting

-computer classes

-ice skating

-bowling

-boxing

-rock climbing

-aroma therapy

-teeth whitening

-conference rooms

-sports bars

-sake bars

-champagne bars

-steak houses

-tapa bars

-aquariums

-laundromats

-fast food restaurants

-pizzerias

-ice cream shops

-teen discos

-nurseries

-kennels

 

- and many more features that were never possible nor included previously.

 

Today, instead of paying the price of a new Cadillac for a 7 day cruise, you need only pay the price of a tune-up of a new Cadillac. For that little money you get a cabin that is far nicer than the ones on my Royal Viking Ship. You get most of the things (minus the caviar, champagne, and high end protein products) that we had on Royal Viking, and you get the opportunity - without being forced - to purchase all those new things (only if you want them) that we could never offer on Royal Viking, at any price.

[klfrodo]

Back in the 1970's when a 7-day cruise cost as much as a new Cadillac, I don't remember serving sushi, tapas, teppanyaki, gelato, freshly made pasta, truffles, regional Hawaiian Cuisine, live lobsters, Halal Food, artisan cheeses, live fish and shrimp from tanks, gourmet Mandarin food, shark fin soup, and fresh foie gras - just to name a few things - in the Main Dining Rooms of the Royal Viking ships I was working on. Not only were these things NOT available in the main dining room. They were never available anywhere on the ship - at any price. But I have enjoyed all these items recently on several ships. I had to pay extra for most of them. It wouldn't be fair to force the other passengers to pay for the sushi that i was eating and they didn't want.

 

On Royal Viking, for the price of a new Cadillac, we also DID NOT have (included or not):

-balconies

-hair dryers

-refrigerators in cabins

-live television

-big screen TVs

-butlers

-concierge

-internet

-broadway shows

-daily newspapers

-wifi

-Wii

-satellite telephone

-satellite television

-proper medical facilities

-ATMs

-childcare

-draft beer

-wine tasting

-computer classes

-ice skating

-bowling

-boxing

-rock climbing

-aroma therapy

-teeth whitening

-conference rooms

-sports bars

-sake bars

-champagne bars

-steak houses

-tapa bars

-aquariums

-laundromats

-fast food restaurants

-pizzerias

-ice cream shops

-teen discos

-nurseries

-kennels

 

- and many more features that were never possible nor included previously.

 

Today, instead of paying the price of a new Cadillac for a 7 day cruise, you need only pay the price of a tune-up of a new Cadillac. For that little money you get a cabin that is far nicer than the ones on my Royal Viking Ship. You get most of the things (minus the caviar, champagne, and high end protein products) that we had on Royal Viking, and you get the opportunity - without being forced - to purchase all those new things (only if you want them) that we could never offer on Royal Viking, at any price.

 

Thank you Philip for putting things in perspective.