Dining on Navidator-2 choices?

For those who've recently cruised on the Navigator, is it still just the 2 restaurants and/or room service?

Thx,

MamaQuack

we are on Navigator 7/15 and have been told there are two restaurants. One is open seating - I think name is Compass Rose. The Italian restaurant is by reservation. We were able to book one night online.

Interested to hear about the Italian venue from recent passengers. I'm concerned that it may have turned into the new "Don Vito's", of late-lamented Diamond fame. I (in the minority, I know), despised that particular restaurant.

After being on Voyager recently, the lack of specialty restaurants would not really bother me, the main dining room of the ships is usually amazingly great. What I might miss is a casual dining venue, like La Verandah, somewhere to escape the dress-code if you feel like it.

Wendy,

I agree with you. Compass Rose is just about always wonderful but we love having the evening option of LaVerandah. Its almost never full and the service and food are excellent. The lack of this on the Navigator has made our decision easy for our next cruise - Voyager it will be.

MamaQuack

I don't miss the specialty restauants on the Navigator, but have mixed feelings about Portofino's. Love the food...it's better than Don Vito's ever was. But fixed tables for 2/4/6/8 don't really work for the concept. First of all, I'd be very uncomfortable dining there as a single sitting alone at a table. Second, There are so many underutilized tables. So when it's booked full, it only means that every table is taken. There is no real effort to have open tables where you mix like in the Compass Rose or the long tables like Don Vito's. At least hubby will be on the upcoming cruise so I imagine we'll eat at Portofinos as often as possible.

I too liked the Verandah in the evenings. It was a casual (but not too casual) alternative to the main dining room.

JoAnne, regarding Portofino's. Well isn't that just darned silly! Considering how rssc cruisers are used to "dining with others". They should change that policy, for sure. Good to know the food is nice, however. I am of a mind to try Navigator some time, simply because it's a smaller ship. As much as I loved Voyager, it definitely had a big ship feel, compared to Diamond and Paul Gauguin.

Wendy,

It really is inconsistent with RSSC's other dining rooms. It is such a shame to see so many tables with empty seats or singles sitting alone. The atmosphere should definitely be shared by others. It wouldn't have to be the whole dining room, just a couple of large group tables or more of an effort to match diners at tables for four or six. Any time there are empty seats at a table it detracts from the dining experience.

I like to dine there on lobster nights as the presentation is so much more interesting and flavorful than in the main dining room

I know this isn't answering the question, but when we were on the Navigator last year, we had some of the best service anywhere, especially "Luscious Lucius" in the Compass Rose. The ship is so small you can make friends easily, and arrange to eat together in Portofinos. It was lots of fun.