ship upgrades-international cafe, crown grill, sanctuary

[cdngrl]

i've never sailed on a ship with the international cafe, crown grill or sanctuary. i've not paid much attention to the posts (as i figure it was on a need to know basis and now i need to know!).

 

international cafe

after doing a search here on the boards, pretty much i know some items cost, most do not. i've learned to get the chicken salad and warm cookies. that's about it. oh and the coffee, except i don't drink coffee, so that's not an issue for me.

what do you like about the international cafe? is it cafeteria style where you order from a counter and get your sandwich, salad and/ or a drink all at the same time?

 

crown grill

first let me say i am reluctant to pay extra for a meal. now having said that, i think after a couple or three weeks on board, i'll be ready for something different for dinner.

so for the crown grill, how much is it? what kind of food is served?

 

sanctuary

i am also reluctant to pay extra to have a lounge chair. even if it does come with misting stewards! but the pictures make it seem so restful. i imagine with more people using the sanctuary it will free up the regular lounging areas on the ship. so i need to have lots of people book the sanctuary so i can have my seat at the terrace pool! (kind of like the flu shot: i don't get one, but i encourage everyone i know to!)

is the sanctuary something you do? why or why not?

 

thanks for the info.:)

[bogeydi]

Excellent questions - I don't have any answers :rolleyes: - but have the same questions. Waiting to see the responses you get. I think we will pay extra for one of the specialty restaurants - at least for one night. I think I read that the steak house is awesome. I agree with you about the sanctuary - not sure it will be worth the extra money.

[Pia1913]

i've never sailed on a ship with the international cafe, crown grill or sanctuary. i've not paid much attention to the posts (as i figure it was on a need to know basis and now i need to know!).

 

international cafe

after doing a search here on the boards, pretty much i know some items cost, most do not. i've learned to get the chicken salad and warm cookies. that's about it. oh and the coffee, except i don't drink coffee, so that's not an issue for me.

what do you like about the international cafe? is it cafeteria style where you order from a counter and get your sandwich, salad and/ or a drink all at the same time?

 

Yes, it's a counter, but while you get your food items, you do not get drinks. Drinks are adjacent at the bar and everything there has an additional charge.

 

crown grill

first let me say i am reluctant to pay extra for a meal. now having said that, i think after a couple or three weeks on board, i'll be ready for something different for dinner.

so for the crown grill, how much is it? what kind of food is served?

 

$25/PP. Steaks, chops, seafood; exactly what you'd expect from a steakhouse.

 

sanctuary

i am also reluctant to pay extra to have a lounge chair. even if it does come with misting stewards! but the pictures make it seem so restful. i imagine with more people using the sanctuary it will free up the regular lounging areas on the ship. so i need to have lots of people book the sanctuary so i can have my seat at the terrace pool! (kind of like the flu shot: i don't get one, but i encourage everyone i know to!)

is the sanctuary something you do? why or why not?

 

thanks for the info.:)

 

I don't do sanctuary. Someone else will jump in.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

The sanctuary isn't that big that you will even notice a lounge chair freeing up on deck. For me the biggest draw is adults only! It's a nice quiet place to relax and sit on a very comfy lounge chair. The terrace pool is my favorite place to be on the ship!! I love to sit and watch the wake. But the pool is adults only not the whole area. And usually the kids club is right there so you hear them anyway.

 

Most of the available sanctuary is under the cover. The lounges in the sun usually go very quickly. So I use it for a day that I have had enough sun. Still want the warm air but not the direct sun.

 

If you are concerned about paying for the extras on a cruise then I wouldn't suggest the sanctuary. The money seems like a lot for getting your own reserved chair. We don't mind. But if you are wondering about paying extra for the Crown Grill then you probably won't want to do this either.

 

Oh, and save your money on the Crown Grill and go to Sabatinis instead. MUCH better and a completely different experience than just another steak house.

[chamima]

We were told the Sanctuary is non-smoking. Smoke really bothers me and no matter where I sit I seem to be a Smoker Magnet. So rather than get into the "this side of the ship is non smoking" argument again we have decided to try the Sanctuary next cruise.

[Embracedbylife]

I recently cruised on the Emerald and for the first time saw these new areas too!

 

I really liked the International Cafe. We enjoyed sitting in the atrium area and being able to grab a snack that was complimentary...as most items in the atrium are. If they are not complimentary they will have a price listed for them. I really enjoyed the small sandwiches and chicken salad. The small pastries were also good! They also offer a few salads. We would take our plates into the sushi area and sit down and then ask for drinks there by the window. Also enjoyed taking these items up near the atrium by where the art auctions / bar is!

 

The Crown Grill - I'll be totally honest - we paid $25 per person on our recent cruise and were very dissapointed with the Crown Grill on the Emerald. We had eaten at the Grill on the Diamond (it was in a section of Horizon court in the aft that was converted into the Grill at night). The Crown Grill on the Diamond was outstanding! They would show you your meats ahead of time, then cook them to perfection and it was just incredible and worth every cent! On the Emerald recently, it was the total opposite experience. BAD cuts of meat, poor dining experience all together. We ate the steaks in the regular dining room and they were very good so we wrote a letter to the Maitre' Di and he offered to have us dine at Sabitini's complimentary with a complimentary bottle of wine and we enjoyed it. The only thing I found about both restaurants, and our dining experience as a whole in the Baltics is that there's a lot more seafood. We don't eat seafood, but they gave us some really great dishes anyway!

 

Sanctuary - it was empty on our baltic cruise - a waste of space honestly. BUT i can see how on a carribean cruise it would be worth the price to pay as you are free from the kiddies! Relaxing, nice loungers and a break from the noise at the other pools. Also the shade is excellet as there are no shadded pool areas on the Emerald. When we were on the Star it had a covered pool which I preferred, so the Sanctuary made sense on the Emerald!

 

I think overall they are good additions. My all time favorite item that you didnt' mention is Movies Under the Stars!! It's awsome! Complimentary popcorn, cookies, milk, pizza etc. are offered to you as you are seated all throughout the movie! It's a real treat!

[Clutterlady]

We love the International Cafe...great shrimp salad and mushroom salad. Had a hard time choosing which pastries to try! We ate at the Crown Grill on the Emerald and had a wonderful meal and the service was superb. The steak could be cut with a fork, tender and cooked to order. Never tried the Sanctuary and probably never will:)

[LidoLiz]

I'm not a coffee drinker either, but the hot chocolate at the cafe was excellent (small cost.)

 

I also really liked the shrimp salad, and the grilled tuna panini (free). It makes for a nice small plate of lunch if you want a break from gorging at the buffet.

 

As for the Crown Grill, on our recent CB cruise, it was just ordinary. Service wasn't any more special than the regular dining rooms, and food was also typical. I wouldn't go here again, but I would return to Sabatini's.

 

I've posted elsewhere on this board about our very positive Sanctuary experience. We found the two (very loud) main pools quite busy. I suppose if you have a quiet and smoke-free balcony stateroom, you wouldn't need the Sanctuary. But to each, his own, and everybody will have a different experience.

 

LidoLiz

[Quilter n Cruiser]

Last Fall we were on the Crown and so enjoyed the International cafe. Same reasons as listed above and for $2 you can have a really large serving of gelato yum. The specialty offees were also good and my DH enjoyed the hot tea.

 

As to Sabatinis versus the Crown Grill. My choice is the Crown Grill excellent steaks and side dishes and fabulous desserts. Service was superb. Sabatinis was O.K. but once was enough. and I like seafood. You can see the divergent opinions means you need to think about how your tastes run. If you can afford to go to each do it!

 

I've never tried the Sactuary sorry no opinion about it.

[Pia1913]

Last Fall we were on the Crown and so enjoyed the International cafe. Same reasons as listed above and for $2 you can have a really large serving of gelato yum. The specialty offees were also good and my DH enjoyed the hot tea.

 

As to Sabatinis versus the Crown Grill. My choice is the Crown Grill excellent steaks and side dishes and fabulous desserts. Service was superb. Sabatinis was O.K. but once was enough. and I like seafood. You can see the divergent opinions means you need to think about how your tastes run. If you can afford to go to each do it!

 

I've never tried the Sactuary sorry no opinion about it.

 

The large serving of gelato was $1.50. Net.

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

Crown Grill on The Crown was excellant, better than Chefs Table, where else cold you order a 12oz lobster and the waiter bring you 4 extra 4oz tails saying thought you might like to try these.

 

Food changes almost by the day but only ever had one poor meal in a Sterling Steak house, the ship gave me another meal free the following week.

 

The reason for the charge is not to make money but control the numbers wanting to eat there.

 

The Sanctuary, wait until you are on a Carribean cruise with no deck space,

 

you will pay for a quite area with a bed to die for, endless supply of iced fruit flavoured water, or may be some snacks, or what about the MP3 players with the bose head phones and that dream music.

 

As to the cafe it is the best place to eat on the ship for a breakfast or light lunch.

 

yours Shogun

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi There,

 

Crown Grill on The Crown was excellant, better than Chefs Table, where else cold you order a 12oz lobster and the waiter bring you 4 extra 4oz tails saying thought you might like to try these.

 

 

and a rack of lamb and a filet!! :D

 

We love the place.

[cdngrl]

thank you everyone. shogun, you must work in marketing: you've sold me on the crown grill and the sanctuary! hahaha

 

i may be one of the only people who is not a fan of sabatinis. i've only tried it once, but its just too much food! by the time my entree arrived, i couldn't do it justice.

 

and lisacollie, i didn't mention muts as i have been on a ship with it. i also am a fan. :)

 

the international cafe sounds wonderful. i'm looking forward to seeing the refurbishments.

 

if the sanctuary has limited seating, does it ever get full?

[Embracedbylife]

I forgot to mention they offer donuts and other breakfast items at international cafe in the mornings! I didn't try them but they looked amazing!

[hubofhockey]

International Cafe also has tapas - lolipopm lamb chops, olives, other types of pastry, and candy apples to go along with the gelato. There are tables to sit down and enjoy your food. It's a good take. It's also near vines, which has great sushi.

 

Crown Grill - Excellent steakhouse, with great sides and seafood. It's a huge upgrade over MDR and $25 upcharge is well worth it.

 

Sanctuary - I have never had a problem getting a lounge chair by any of the pools or have been near any smokers. No need for me. I'm a big fan of the pool areas and regular lounge chair situation on Princess. On the Crown Princess, it was less of a problem than I have seen on other lines.

[shepcookie]

The pastries in the international cafe are very good. We eat breakfast there if we're in a hurry. It's usually quiet and not very crowded.

 

Tammy

[Cruise Raider]

i've never sailed on a ship with the international cafe, crown grill or sanctuary. i've not paid much attention to the posts (as i figure it was on a need to know basis and now i need to know!).

 

 

international cafe

after doing a search here on the boards, pretty much i know some items cost, most do not. i've learned to get the chicken salad and warm cookies. that's about it. oh and the coffee, except i don't drink coffee, so that's not an issue for me.

what do you like about the international cafe? is it cafeteria style where you order from a counter and get your sandwich, salad and/ or a drink all at the same time?

 

The International Cafe is a must do. Someone clued us in on this on our first cruise on the Crown...we are oh, so grateful they did. Yes, the chicken salad and warm cookies are to die for....but make sure you also check out the salads for the day, which included marinated mushrooms, etc. So yummy! Never really felt the need to pay for anything as the free items were just so fantastic. It is set up in the lobby area next to the coffee bar and vines, the wine bar. There are cute little cafe style tables to enjoy your snack (we made them into meals) where you can sit and enjoy the roving entertainment. They had a barber shop quartet, a balloon animal maker to entertain the kids (and adults) as well as other musicians at various times of the day. Great place to sit and people watch as well....don't miss it!!

 

crown grill

first let me say i am reluctant to pay extra for a meal. now having said that, i think after a couple or three weeks on board, i'll be ready for something different for dinner.

so for the crown grill, how much is it? what kind of food is served?

 

Bored with the food??? Don't know if that is possible. Well, the couple of times I paid for a meal on a cruise (with the exception of the Pinnacile Grill [spelling?] on Holland America), I was sorely disappointed. Princess has great food in the dining rooms and the menus are ever changing so don't really think I would bother with a pay restaurant. I have heard Sabatini's is fabulous but just found such great food elsewhere and so never went back to the pay restaurants on Princess. I must admit, however, that I don't eat red meat so to pay for chicken is pretty much senseless to me.

 

sanctuary

i am also reluctant to pay extra to have a lounge chair. even if it does come with misting stewards! but the pictures make it seem so restful. i imagine with more people using the sanctuary it will free up the regular lounging areas on the ship. so i need to have lots of people book the sanctuary so i can have my seat at the terrace pool! (kind of like the flu shot: i don't get one, but i encourage everyone i know to!)

is the sanctuary something you do? why or why not?

 

We used the Sanctuary on the Crown and there was nobody in there. It was a Bermuda/Caribbean cruise so the weather was warm....still nobody in there but the main pool areas / lounge chairs were gone!! There is a lounge area right outside the Sanctuary but without a place to escape from the sun....also not crowded. So, the Sanctuary would be extremely crowded if there was no charge....I mean, you couldn't get a seat, which kind of defeats the purpose of an escape. The lounge chairs are more like beds, they bring you some fluffy towels and someone is at your call to bring to a cool glass of ice water / iced tea with lemon as part of the service. You can also order a healthy snack to be brought to you. You can even get a massage while in there for an extra fee....the other stuff is covered by the price of admission. I wouldn't imagine more than a half day in there....so the $15 pp fee was worth it to catch a nap (our room was terribly noisy...so no sleeping there). The adults only pool is a few steps down ....however, they allowed some very loud children in the first time we were in the Sanctuary....I mean screaming children!! They gave us a pass to use another day as the first day there was ruined by the screaming....and they wouldn't kick them out of the adults only area. Other than that, I think it is worth the price for a special treat....wouldn't do it every day, though. That would get a bit pricey.

 

thanks for the info.:)

 

Hope this helps!

[Chelley00]

As for the Crown Grill, on our recent CB cruise, it was just ordinary. Service wasn't any more special than the regular dining rooms, and food was also typical. I wouldn't go here again, but I would return to Sabatini's.

 

We had the opposite experience. Our Crown Grill meal was fabulous and we had great service. I had the striped bass and it was sooo good. DH was thoroughly impressed in his meal as well.

 

When we were in Sabitini's, an Italian couple came in and the waiters and chef were all at their table chattering away, and we sat a very long time between courses. Gave us time to digest all that food, but we were disappointed in the service. Plus, it's a TON of food, and even just taking a bite of this and that, I felt sick at the end of the meal. The food was okay, but not outstanding.

 

 

 

As for International Cafe, it's a great thing. We ate lunch there many days (the mozzerella and proscuitto sandwiches are yummy!) and breakfast a few times too. They have good pastries and turnovers in the morning. It was a nice break from the crowded buffet, and we could sit in the piazza and watch the entertainment.

[morriscats]

The panini's at international are very good. Not too big - just right. The chicken salad was excellant as well.

At Crown, if you get nothing else, try the black and blue onion soup. I could make a meal out of that - so good.