Has anyone been really impressed with Chops lately?

So, for a long time, I was a 'specialty restaurant every night' guy. But after our Oasis cruise in August, I think I am now an MDR convert. We did MDR six of the seven nights and it absolutely exceeded our expectations. One night, when our group shrunk from twelve to six due to teens getting into other activities, I decided to head to Chops. I was SO DISAPPOINTED! The steaks were okay, but nothing great. I would have expected better from the most basic local joint at home. The sides? Well, they brought small dished of EVERY side and totally filled the table. All it did was underscore the fact that they're all premade and sitting under heat lamps in the kitchen.

I used to really like Chops, but now, at least in my experience, it was a pale reflection of what it once was. If it was free, I honestly would still have chosen the MDR.

Did I have an uncharacteristically poor experience? What have others experienced lately?

We've had similar experiences at Chops, such that we no longer go if we have to pay for it.

I ordered the Chops Filet while in the MDR last month on our extended family cruise - it was awesome the first time, good the second and just ok the third.

First two times we really really liked the food and the service. This last time (Nov 2017) not so much. Service was still OK, not great, and the food was nice but not fantastic like the last two times.

We had lunch at Chops a year ago and were not especially impressed. The steaks were nice, but not outstanding. The sides didn’t seem in any way better than those served in the MDR. The waiters in the MDR actually seemed a lot more interested in the guest experience. We don’t plan to return to Chops.

We did the BOGO in July on Harmony. Not impressed at all, and very glad I didn't pay more than $20/pp. Will not return.

We had the same impression of both specialty restaurants last week! We ate at 150 CP on the first night and Chops lunch later in the cruise. We actually liked our food and the servers so much better in the MDR. It was actually one of the very bright spots of the whole vacation! Even if the specialties were free, we would choose MDR over them. We planned to try 150 CP and MDR on the first two nights, and buy a dining package if we thought it would help us enjoy the cruise more. I am so happy we didn’t prepay!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We ate at Chops, Giovanni's Table and Sabor on our last cruise on the Liberty. We decided that the next cruise we will not eat at Chops at all. The food and service were lacking.

Instead, we will do a second night at Sabor as there are still lots of menu items we want to try.

The filet we had in Giovanni's Table was much better than the one we had in Chops. Sad to say, but Carnival's steakhouses are head and shoulders above Chops.

We last cruised on RCCL a few years ago on the Allure. We thought Chops was okay but nothing special. We have an upcoming cruise on the Jewel and purchased a BOGO but now we are having second thoughts. We enjoy the MDR so maybe we will just stick with that after hearing all these poor reviews.

The chops on adventure this summer was fabulous. Everything was delicious and we are not big steak eaters and are pretty picky when it comes to food.

I'm interested in knowing what people ordered. I'm also interested in knowing if it was a steak what temperature was it.

Any opinions on their new Seafood Towers?

We always give Chops a go but it has been hit or miss with the quality. The first time we were not impressed was on Allure. Then more recently on Vision. Then we sailed Grandeur and had the most amazing experiences -- we had the Ultimate Dining Package so we ate at Chops pretty much every day (either lunch or dinner, we had a lot of sea days). Anyway, we got to try pretty much the whole menu, all of the food was amazing, service was top notch and we were thrilled. Then we boarded Rhapsody and we made it through one meal there but it was really lackluster.

Sadly as a 'chain' there is a lot of disparity from ship to ship. We are on Symphony in a few weeks and will give it a try -- hopefully we won't be disappointed!

Could the problem be that Royal very rarely sells a meal at Chops for the full price they want.

All these package deals and the on ship discounts are possibly being reflected in the quality of the product now being offered.

It’s wrong if that’s what is happening but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We tried Chops the first time on Mariner last month and really enjoyed it. Service was great and food really good. I had Shrimp for my main course as I don't eat meat, and DH and DS had one of the steak items (same one, different sizes). Only one that didn't live her meal was DD but she ordered kids main course and it may have been over done (as we don't want her having on the rare side). All sides and dessert were very good too. We came home and booked specialty on next cruises.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

In Chops (lunch, 12:30 pm reservation), we each ordered a filet. Mine was MR and my wife’s was medium. The steak was 6/10, but the sides were really bad. We had the tots, the wedges, the asparagus, and the macaroni and cheese. We ate none of them. We found the MDR food to have much more flavor.

Now, everything was definitely not a “hit” in the MDR either. However, our servers always brought us extra things without us asking and we always found something we loved each night.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ate at Chops this week twice on Rhapsody only because it was being offered at a heavy discount.

First meal filet all four of us had the same and it was just ok definitely not worth the full price up charge.

Second visit two filet about the same as first visit plus two lobsters they were the worst ever definatly not even worth the discounted price.

We have eaten at Chops a few times before and we're always pretty happy although our preference is for 150 Central Park.

 

Any opinions on their new Seafood Towers?

 

 

Hi SamTimeDining :)

The Seafood Towers are delicious! My wife & I never had a bad or mediocre meal in Chops Grille. The service & experience has always been terrific and consistent.

There are 2 Seafood Towers to choose from, yum!

Grande $19

4 jumbo shrimp, 6 green-lipped mussels, 6 clams, 5 Jonah crab claws, 1 whole Maine lobster tail, traditional garnishes & sauces.

Imperial $39

8 jumbo shrimp, 12 green-lipped mussels, 12 clams, 10 Jonah crab claws, 2 whole Maine lobster tails, traditional garnishes & sauces.

:)

Not really. Have had a run of bad service and lackluster food. Not worth it for full price, and even questionable at discounted price.

The service hasn't been as good lately. Long waits for reservations and then waiters hurrying around because they are serving too many people. I think the food has been generally good. A few mediocre choices but the waiters will usually warn you about those. Desserts on one cruise were excellent and the same choices 4 months later on same ship seemed past sell-by date.

My opinion is based on paying the BOGO price of $20pp. At full price, the value declines.

We did eat at Chops as part of the First Night Done Right promotion on Liberty last week. When I booked it, the choices were supposed to be between Chops and Giovanni’s. However, when we got on board the choice was Chops or Sabor. Giovanni’s had some kind of dinner mystery event going on and wasn’t an option.

We chose Chops. It was our 3rd dinner at Chops dating back to our first Allure cruise in 2013. Lot’s of things have changed about Chops in 5 short years. The menu is much smaller in scope and choice. The portions that were once ridiculously huge are now almost too small. The red velvet cake was gone from the menu. We had plenty to eat, nobody can starve on a cruise ship after all. The steak was fine but not outstanding in any way. My DW had the lamb and it was ok but not quite done enough for her tastes. The tater tots were good, but we had very few of them. The crab cake was again, smaller than it used to be and not really anything I’d rave about. And when I asked about the Red Velvet I got a rambling half understandable answer that said in part, we can’t get the right ingredients to make the cake and no baker in the port can make them to our standards, so we don’t have it on the menu.

The best things we had at Chops were the bacon appetizer and my DW loved her goat cheese salad. I could eat a whole meal of just the bacon! We only paid $20 each for Chops on the special first night deal so that’s fine. If I had paid full price I think I would feel I paid too much for this meal.

So, for a long time, I was a 'specialty restaurant every night' guy. But after our Oasis cruise in August, I think I am now an MDR convert. We did MDR six of the seven nights and it absolutely exceeded our expectations. One night, when our group shrunk from twelve to six due to teens getting into other activities, I decided to head to Chops. I was SO DISAPPOINTED! The steaks were okay, but nothing great. I would have expected better from the most basic local joint at home. The sides? Well, they brought small dished of EVERY side and totally filled the table. All it did was underscore the fact that they're all premade and sitting under heat lamps in the kitchen.

 

I used to really like Chops, but now, at least in my experience, it was a pale reflection of what it once was. If it was free, I honestly would still have chosen the MDR.

 

Did I have an uncharacteristically poor experience? What have others experienced lately?

There was no Lobster or other upcharge items available.It was okay only.

It was a 5 night cruise and the last 4 nights we went to Giovanni's by choice.

We went to Chops Grill FNDR on May28th 2018 on Independence as this was allocated to us.

There was no Lobster or other upcharge items available.It was okay only.

It was a 5 night cruise and the last 4 nights we went to Giovanni's by choice.

We had a Deluxe Drinks Package and the waiter was adamant the bottled water was not included in the package.

The rest of the service was mediocre as was my Porterhouse steak which I had paid an upcharge for.

I've never had an outstanding experience at Chops on Oasis. I always get the impression that that's where they send their brand new servers to learn how to do the job. The food's always fine (but the food in MDR is fine and better, so it seems silly to spend money to get the same quality), but Giovanni's always beats it out.

But when we did Chops on Liberty earlier this year we were surprised at how good it was after being accustomed to Oasis. Giovanni's was still better, but it beat the stuffing out of Oasis' Chops.

I could eat a whole meal of just the bacon!

Lucky, on AD we ordered it against the waiter's recommendation and it was not good.