Ultimate Specialty Dining Package Review

[miataman19]

Okay everyone, I'll do my best to give you the info on the package. Just got off Reflection. In a nutshell, you pay $29 per person per day. This gets you unlimited dinners at any specialty restaurant. We chose 2 at Murano, 2 at Qsine, 2 at Tuscan Grill and 1 at Lawn Club Grill. You can mix that up to any number of times at any restaurant. If you want to eat all 7 nights at Murano you can. You also get unlimited breakfast, lunch or dinner at Bistro on 5 and The Porch (The Porch was great, more later,) access to the Champagne High Tea in Murano, and lunch on the final sea day in either Murano or Tuscan Grill (sorry didn't get a pic of those menus.) We chose Murano for the lunch. Here is the kicker, you can only get this package on the ship on the first day. When we got onboard at around 11:45 a.m., I went straight to Murano to make my reservations. That's the other kicker, no pre-cruise reservations for this package. With that said, we had a FULL ship during spring break, yet I was able to get EVERY reservation time I wanted on every day. I do have to say I was a little stressed about getting the times I wanted, but making a beeline for Murano helped! Staight from Murano for reservations, we went up to The Porch to get some lunch ($5 cover without our package,) There were 2 other tables and us. No crazy mob scene like at Ocean View. The Porch has a great panini menu (breakfast and lunch paninis,) as well as some great salads. They also offer a nice wine list and regular beverages (we had the premium alcohol package.) Dinner that night was at Tuscan Grill. A table for 2 by the window for sunset: Awesome. Service from Sasha was perfect (she also serves at The Porch during lunch). Start to finish the food was great, only issue I had was the Rib eye was very thin, the pic you see of the rib eye on Celebrity's website is not accurate. Day 2 breakfast/lunch at Bistro on 5, a crepe restaurant. They have a nice selection of salads, beverages and wine. Service and food were great from start to finish. Oh, BTW, it was just us initially, then 1 other table the entire time we were in the restaurant. I guess that $5 cover charge was too much for some folks...LOL. Dinner at Murano (formal night). Don't know what else to say except INCREDIBLE!!! Imagine the best 5 star restaurant you've eaten at. This is Murano, I'll say the best restaurant at sea, bar none. Did not get any of the waiters names because it seemed like the entire staff was taking care of every table--just fantastic! We ate breakfast and lunch at The Porch and Bistro on 5 the entire cruise, except for debarkation day. Then we ate at The Oceanview Cafe, which had a very nice selection and presentation for that last day. The Lawn Club Grill is basically what it says: a grill. Good selection of meat and fish which you can pick out yourself and cook if you wish. I chose not to! The flatbread pizzas are very good. They have a salad bar which has limited offerings but is fresh and well maintained. The steaks here are a nice size, I got a Filet (cooked perfectly) and a side of Red Snapper (very moist and tender). Service from Oscar was perfect (Oscar also works lunch at The Porch). Qsine the following night. This place is a nice change from any restaurant where I've eaten. The food is very good, however the dining experience within Qsine focuses on the presentation-- ESPECIALLY if you have Arthur as your waiter. :D He made the entire evening fun and enjoyable. Becasue we were Concierge Class, we were not allowed to eat in Blu :mad:...LOL . I was told by some folks it was good, but always crowded and noise level was very high. Sort of like General Mess as you Navy folks mentioned! I'll leave the ship review to someone else. All in all a fantastic cruise for a Foodie and Winey like me! Any questions on the package just give a shout back and I'll try to answer them in a timely manner. As they say in Murano while lifting the cover to reveal your entree...VOILA!!!..Bon Appetit! :)

[miataman19]

Forgot to mention that The Reflection got a surprise health dept. inspection on embarkation day 3/23/2013. It did delay some of the restaurants opening however, she did receive a 100%. :eek: Awesome job to the entire food and beverage staff !!!!! :D

[bajacali]

Okay everyone, I'll do my best to give you the info on the package. Just got off Reflection. In a nutshell, you pay $29 per person per day. This gets you unlimited dinners at any specialty restaurant. We chose 2 at Murano, 2 at Qsine, 2 at Tuscan Grill and 1 at Lawn Club Grill. You can mix that up to any number of times at any restaurant. If you want to eat all 7 nights at Murano you can. You also get unlimited breakfast, lunch or dinner at Bistro on 5 and The Porch (The Porch was great, more later,) access to the Champagne High Tea in Murano, and lunch on the final sea day in either Murano or Tuscan Grill (sorry didn't get a pic of those menus.) We chose Murano for the lunch. Here is the kicker, you can only get this package on the ship on the first day. When we got onboard at around 11:45 a.m., I went straight to Murano to make my reservations. That's the other kicker, no pre-cruise reservations for this package. With that said, we had a FULL ship during spring break, yet I was able to get EVERY reservation time I wanted on every day. I do have to say I was a little stressed about getting the times I wanted, but making a beeline for Murano helped! Staight from Murano for reservations, we went up to The Porch to get some lunch ($5 cover without our package,) There were 2 other tables and us. No crazy mob scene like at Ocean View. The Porch has a great panini menu (breakfast and lunch paninis,) as well as some great salads. They also offer a nice wine list and regular beverages (we had the premium alcohol package.) Dinner that night was at Tuscan Grill. A table for 2 by the window for sunset: Awesome. Service from Sasha was perfect (she also serves at The Porch during lunch). Start to finish the food was great, only issue I had was the Rib eye was very thin, the pic you see of the rib eye on Celebrity's website is not accurate. Day 2 breakfast/lunch at Bistro on 5, a crepe restaurant. They have a nice selection of salads, beverages and wine. Service and food were great from start to finish. Oh, BTW, it was just us initially, then 1 other table the entire time we were in the restaurant. I guess that $5 cover charge was too much for some folks...LOL. Dinner at Murano (formal night). Don't know what else to say except INCREDIBLE!!! Imagine the best 5 star restaurant you've eaten at. This is Murano, I'll say the best restaurant at sea, bar none. Did not get any of the waiters names because it seemed like the entire staff was taking care of every table--just fantastic! We ate breakfast and lunch at The Porch and Bistro on 5 the entire cruise, except for debarkation day. Then we ate at The Oceanview Cafe, which had a very nice selection and presentation for that last day. The Lawn Club Grill is basically what it says: a grill. Good selection of meat and fish which you can pick out yourself and cook if you wish. I chose not to! The flatbread pizzas are very good. They have a salad bar which has limited offerings but is fresh and well maintained. The steaks here are a nice size, I got a Filet (cooked perfectly) and a side of Red Snapper (very moist and tender). Service from Oscar was perfect (Oscar also works lunch at The Porch). Qsine the following night. This place is a nice change from any restaurant where I've eaten. The food is very good, however the dining experience within Qsine focuses on the presentation-- ESPECIALLY if you have Arthur as your waiter. :D He made the entire evening fun and enjoyable. Becasue we were Concierge Class, we were not allowed to eat in Blu :mad:...LOL . I was told by some folks it was good, but always crowded and noise level was very high. Sort of like General Mess as you Navy folks mentioned! I'll leave the ship review to someone else. All in all a fantastic cruise for a Foodie and Winey like me! Any questions on the package just give a shout back and I'll try to answer them in a timely manner. As they say in Murano while lifting the cover to reveal your entree...VOILA!!!..Bon Appetit! :)

 

Is this package available on the Solctice?

[miataman19]

I beleive it is available on all ships. Here is a link to a flyer

 

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/11024491_CEL_SpecialtyDiningPck_Flyer2.pdf

[atlantic cruiser]

Have purchased the premium drink package and not sure if it is just for bars or can you order in specialty restaurants?

[pnsnkr]

Have purchased the premium drink package and not sure if it is just for bars or can you order in specialty restaurants?

 

Yep, the drink packages are valid at the specialty restaurants.

[Bobby Dee]

Yep, the drink packages are valid at the specialty restaurants.

 

Before you order, be sure to check with the server as to what is and is not included in the premium drinks package.

When we were dining in Qsine last year, there were specialty drinks that were not included in the package. And I have since read on here that some of those specialty drinks are now treated like drinks over the max price and you are charged the difference between their cost and the $12 that the premium package allow for.

So things change on Celebrity from cruise to cruise, often I think they change from server to server. This is why I suggest that you check before ordering; if you don't want to be surprised at the end of the dinner.

[misha1]

This may seem like an obvious or silly question but please indulge me...I am on a 7 night Alaska cruise in September. Would we be charge 29 dollars per day per passenger for 7 or that pesky 8th day that is really only a disembarkation day? Thanks in advance...Julie

[Bobby Dee]

This may seem like an obvious or silly question but please indulge me...I am on a 7 night Alaska cruise in September. Would we be charge 29 dollars per day per passenger for 7 or that pesky 8th day that is really only a disembarkation day? Thanks in advance...Julie

 

It is just like the drinks package. If you are on a seven nighter, you would pay $29 x 7 per person.

[miataman19]

Have purchased the premium drink package and not sure if it is just for bars or can you order in specialty restaurants?

 

Just a heads up to all. I did order 3 bottles of wine while onboard (special occasion.) If you have the Premium Alcohol Package make sure you ask for your 30% discount on those bottles you puchase. I had the premium and forgot about the discount until I checked my account on the last sea day. Went down to Guest Services and they knew nothing about the discount :eek: (go figure.) The lady had to call someone in F&B to verify that I got a discount, which was deducted from my account.

[bajacali]

I beleive it is available on all ships. Here is a link to a flyer

 

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/11024491_CEL_SpecialtyDiningPck_Flyer2.pdf

 

Thanks! Very helpful. Now to decide.

[jg51]

Okay everyone, I'll do my best to give you the info on the package. Just got off Reflection. In a nutshell, you pay $29 per person per day. This gets you ... lunch on the final sea day in either Murano or Tuscan Grill (sorry didn't get a pic of those menus.) We chose Murano for the lunch. ... :)

Thanks very much, "miataman19."

We are considering a purchase of this package, but we have not fully made up our minds. We have two questions that no one has been able to answer on at least two other threads:

 

1. Can you tell us the "regular" price of lunch at Murano and at Tuscan Grille -- for folks who do not have the USDP that you purchased?

 

2. Do you have a copy of the Tuscan Grille lunch menu that you could post here? (Someone did post the Murano lunch menu.)

 

PS: We will be on Equinox. For the same rate ($29/day), you had a MUCH better set of specialty-restaurant options than we would have. The Equinox does not have The Porch NOR Lawn Club Grille NOR Qsine -- although it has Silk Harvest (the menu of which does not thrill us).

 

Thanks, in advance, for your answers to the above questions.

.

[BEAV]

PS: We will be on Equinox. For the same rate ($29/day), you had a MUCH better set of specialty-restaurant options than we would have. The Equinox does not have The Porch NOR Lawn Club Grille NOR Qsine -- although it has Silk Harvest (the menu of which does not thrill us).

 

You think you've got problems? Try the Century with it's one alternative restaurant!! :eek:

[jg51]

You think you've got problems? Try the Century with it's one alternative restaurant!! :eek:

We didn't say that we have "problems," BEAV. We are just analyzing the (un)fairness of the situation.

 

You have to expect the problem (one SR) on the Century, which is a much older, much smaller ship. Its USDP daily rate should be lower than $29, in our opinion.

 

Likewise for the Equinox, since (although it is the same size as the Reflection) it does not have nearly as many choices as the Reflection. Either the rate on Equinox should be lower than $29 or the rate on Reflection should be higher than that, we opine.

[Gig103]

1. Can you tell us the "regular" price of lunch at Murano and at Tuscan Grille -- for folks who do not have the USDP that you purchased?

 

Murano is definitely $45 a person, and Tuscan is $35 I think, for the normal rate. Talk to the maitre 'd in the restaurant you're interested in too. Midweek I wandered into The Olympic to peek and was offered 20% off even though it wasn't the first night. There are reports of some sailings having 50% off if they aren't selling enough.

[Bobby Dee]

 

1. Can you tell us the "regular" price of lunch at Murano and at Tuscan Grille -- for folks who do not have the USDP that you purchased?

 

2. Do you have a copy of the Tuscan Grille lunch menu that you could post here? (Someone did post the Murano lunch menu.)

 

 

I could be wrong, I didn't think that either Murano or the Tuscan Grille was open for Lunch. You said that someone posted a lunch menu for Murano.

I know that Blu is not open at lunch.

Edited April 1, 2013 by Bobby Dee

[NAVFAM]

Hi Miataman...glad to see you survived the food and alcohol fest. We had a fine time with the both of you at the Molecular Bar, and almost died from terminal laughter after Elena and husband joined in. Hope to see you again soon.

[Kevnzworld]

$ 29 a day does not seem like such " a deal " to me. The menu never changes at the specialty restaurants. Eating at each once, maybe Tuscan Grill twice on a 10-14 day cruise is enough for me. They sell packages for all three for $95 I believe.

Waitress were walking around the pool area on my last cruise selling 2 for 1 Qsine reservations.

Besides, it's fun to eat in the MDR a few times, the food isn't that bad! ( I actually like it most of the time )

[miataman19]

Hi Miataman...glad to see you survived the food and alcohol fest. We had a fine time with the both of you at the Molecular Bar, and almost died from terminal laughter after Elena and husband joined in. Hope to see you again soon.

 

Almost got thru the whole menu. Missed it by 2 or 3...Too many other bars and restaurants to try...Nice to hear from you.

[jg51]

Murano is definitely $45 a person, and Tuscan is $35 I think, for the normal rate. Talk to the maitre 'd in the restaurant you're interested in too. Midweek I wandered into The Olympic to peek and was offered 20% off even though it wasn't the first night. There are reports of some sailings having 50% off if they aren't selling enough.

Thanks, "Gig103," but it appears that you misread our question. We already knew the prices for dinner (which you quoted). We asked about lunch. And, yes, "Bobby Dee," both Murano and Tuscan Grille have begun to open for lunch, at least one day per cruise.

 

Here are our questions again, in case someone new takes a look at this thread today:

 

1. Can you tell us the "regular" price of lunch at Murano and at Tuscan Grille -- for folks who do not have a dining package?

 

2. Do you have a copy of the Tuscan Grille lunch menu that you could post here? (Someone did post the Murano lunch menu.)

 

Thank you.

[pnsnkr]

1. Can you tell us the "regular" price of lunch at Murano and at Tuscan Grille -- for folks who do not have a dining package?

 

They were $25 each on our Reflection cruise last winter.

[jg51]

They were $25 each on our Reflection cruise last winter.

Excellent. Thanks very much, "pnsnkr."

 

Now the only thing left is question #2:

Does anyone have a copy of the Tuscan Grille LUNCH menu that he/she could post here?

If someone has it but does not know how to attach a picture of it, could he/she at least list the basic names of the entrees?

 

(Someone did post the Murano lunch menu on another thread.)

 

Thanks again.

.

Edited April 3, 2013 by jg51

[stavy]

Is it true that the Murano lunch and the Tuscan lunch are on the same day? so you have to choose between the two?

[pnsnkr]

We attended a Costo Travels-sponsored wine-pairing luncheon in Tuscan Grill on the Reflection. Here's the menu:

 

[Merriem]

I like the package. We ate in Muranos every night on the Century. The MDR was just too noisy. I cannot speak for any other restaurants as that was the only speciality one, but we enjoyed the food and the relaxed pace.