5 Dinner Package - keep or cancel?

[ladylemondrop]

We have purchased a five dinner speciality package for our cruise. It worked out at 28 dollars per meal, per person. (Or £18 for us Brits)

 

How restrictive are they with the bookings? We cannot take our boys into Muranos (and wouldnt wish to!) they are 10 and 14, so what happens to their package for that restaurant?

 

Also, if we decide not to eat at Qsine, would they swap that for another place i.e. Tuscan or Lawn Club?

 

At present we get - 1 Muranos, 2 Tuscan, 1 Qsine and 1 Lawn Club.

 

Would you keep this package or just keep the money and book onboard?

[ladylemondrop]

I have just noticed that someone was offered the Ultimate dining package for just 29 dollars per head - we are paying 28 dollars for five meals, is the ultimate package something you buy in advance or would they be able to upgrade our existing package once onboard? That would be great value for money!

[simon stingray]

I think The ultimate package is $29 per person PER DAY.

 

So for a 10 night cruise it would be $290 each.

 

This gives unlimited access to speciality restaurants for dinner as well as Bistro on Five and The Porch, as well as some lunches and afternoon tea.

 

It is something we would consider on a S class ship but not on our next cruise which is on Infinity.

[ladylemondrop]

Ah yes of course! having a blonde moment, ha ha!!

 

I think Muranos is 45 dollars a time, so at 28 dollars its not a bad deal, just wonder how flexible they are, especially as the kids are not old enough for some of the restaurants. If we preferred to swtich to lawn club, (which is cheaper I think) do you think they would allow that?

[simon stingray]

Do you have to pay for children in speciality restaurants?

 

If you bought the package for them and they are too young to dine in Murano then I think they would have to allow you an alternative.

 

I'm sure someone else had faced this situation and will be able to confirm this.

[SusieV]

Yes, you have to pay for children's dinners in the specialty restaurants. I believe the age restriction only applies to Murano. I am not sure what happens if you purchased a package for them.

 

The 3-5 night packages can't be changed- you get what is listed. If you don't want to eat at the restaurants in the package, you need to either go a la carte or purchase the Ultimate Specialty package where you can go wherever you like.

[ladylemondrop]

Thanks Susie V! I thought as much, was kind of hoping they might be flexible once onboard but guess not!

[Bobal]

I can't speak for whichever ship you are sailing on but I know that on our last cruise on Eclipse (in the Caribbean) they were continually touting for business for the speciality restaurants at reduced prices. We had considered buying a package and were advised by a friend not to - as she had experienced the same thing on different ships.

 

To give you an example they were reducing the price of all speciality restaurants for the first night of sailing (I think a 25% reduction). We negotiated a 20% deal for Murano on another night and every time we boarded a table was set up by the gangway offering deals on Qsine. When we dined at Qsine and Murano, they offered us a discount if we wished to dine there again.

 

We worked out that we would have paid quite a bit more, had we booked the dining package.

 

If your cruise isn't for some time it may be worth asking members of other roll calls, or even posting on the main board asking whether they were offering such deals on your ship.

[BEAV]

We're doing the West Coast wine cruise aboard Millie this September (9 nights). We were planning to buy the 5-night package, but with all the posts I've been reading about the "barter system" I'm undecided at this point! The cruise is fairly port-intensive, which I think could bode well for trying the barter system. On the other hand, being a wine-themed sailing, I wonder if the specialty restaurants will be busier than normal assuming genuine wine connoisseurs are also foodies? :confused: We could do the $29 per day ultimate package, however we're not big breakfast or lunch eaters, so Bistro on Five isn't a big draw for us. If we were on an S-class ship, I think I'd definitely go for the Ultimate package. Children are starving across the globe and I'm trying to get the best bang for the buck in luxury restaurants. I should be slapped......:eek:

[CathyCruises]

We got 50% off twice in Qsine--I would cancel and try for deals on board.

[ladylemondrop]

Mmm, thats the feeling I am getting, if they wont be flexible, and we end up where kids cannot fully use the package, we might be better off cancelling and booking onboard.

[cpj]

Just wondering why there seems to be a lot of discounting of the specialty restaurents

[POPDISPLAY]

Just wondering why there seems to be a lot of discounting of the specialty restaurents

 

IMO, because they are overpriced. Especially so when you add into the mix the cost of the meal in the MDR you're not eating.

 

How truly wonderful can the meal be when all of the meat, poultry, shellfish and fish has been frozen for months and thawed?

[Gig103]

Just wondering why there seems to be a lot of discounting of the specialty restaurents

 

Because the MDR and Blu are good options and included in the fare, and a lot of people (myself included) can't justify $45/person for a meal when a free one is down the hall. Even among paid options there are a lot to choose from.

 

So on cruises where people aren't showing up, or they're only showing up to one restaurant (i.e. Murano, but not Qsine), discounts are offered to fill seats, since even $25 or $29 is better than $0. The discounts are not guaranteed though, so one shouldn't count on them.

[sawyer_boy]

Just wondering why there seems to be a lot of discounting of the specialty restaurents

 

Each restaurant, shops, spa and bars have $$$$ targets for each cruise. If they are not busy and short of their target you can get great deals. Don't be shy just ask the maitre 'd' for a discount. We have done this on each cruise and ever time we've asked for a discount we got it.

[cbrz1]

I would pass on that deal. Every cruise has special dinners and some excursions fill you up also. I don't think you will use that many specialty nights and IF you do you want to be able to cancel. I book one specialty dinner and sometime have trouble making that reservation. If you have a tour you will be worrying about getting back to dinner??? Should you go for this let everyone know how it works out.

:)

[BEAV]

Because the MDR and Blu are good options and included in the fare, and a lot of people (myself included) can't justify $45/person for a meal when a free one is down the hall.

 

You hit the nail on the head when you said the meals in the MDR and Blu are "included" in the fare. But they're far from free! As you said, they're included! :D

 

It's all a matter of personal interest and how you choose to spend your discretionary vacation dollar. Personally, I could never justify throwing $45 into a slot machine, but watch me run to book a restaurant like Murano's at that price! In the meantime, others will be thinking the exact opposite. Different strokes....

[SusieV]

The discounts are never guaranteed. We had the Ultimate package on our Reflection cruise in February and one night it was impossible to get a reservation in the restaurant of our choice. Some cruises, the restaurants are very busy.

 

We love the specialty restaurants and feel that they are worth an upcharge... but the prices are starting to get high enough that we'll consider trying a more upscale line instead. After all, between the Premium drink package and the Ultimate Specialty package, we're spending another ~$90pp/pd over and above the base cruise fare.

[Leesie6351]

On principle, up until our cruise a few weeks ago on Millie, we never ate in specialty restaurants because I truly believe they are way over-priced and are contributing to the decline of the quality of food in the MDR. We gave in and ate in Olympia because we had $800 of OBC, $400 of it non-refundable and decided to try it for formal night because our suitcase containing our formal clothes was lost.

 

It was $45/per person plus wine at $16/glass and while it was an excellent meal, it was not worth the money when you consider it was on top of our included meal. The food selection was limited and I was hardpressed to find an entrée to my liking. The ambience was nice but we were seated at a table in the center with the waiters always moving around our table. the service was slow and it almost seemed like we were the "forgotten table".

 

Why do you want to spend your hard earned money on the specialty restaurants? We have equally good and better restaurants in the Atlanta area. The price is high and the service not much better than in the MDR or BLU. If you are doing it to avoid formal nights, it would be cheaper to rent a tux on X's website at $85 for the cruise.

 

JMHO. Enjoy the cruise

[BEAV]

Why do you want to spend your hard earned money on the specialty restaurants?

 

Mine wasn't hard earned. It was handed to me on a silver platter. :D:eek::D (KIDDING!)

 

It just boils down to personal preference, I guess. Fortunately, we haven't had the bad luck in the specialty restaurants being seated at awkward tables like you were. But I know what you mean with regard to spending one's hard earned money -- I ask myself the same question when I pass through the casino and see the same people night after night feeding those damn machines!

[ladylemondrop]

For us, its because we are more into food than booze, we drink a little wine, with our evening meal, but then I am usually found nursing a decaff tea at cafe al bacio, rather than at the martini bar!

 

Love trying all the different places to eat, and the food there is, in my opinion, much better than the MDR.

 

In Tuscan, you can eat with fabulous sea views, in Lawn Club you can enjoy a different casual fin atmosphere, and in Muranos, you can eat yourself to death on souffles!!! Mmmmmmmmm. :D

 

Great to see so many varied opinions though, I do agree, at cost price they are too much, only went for this as it was reduced. Have emailed them to ask about kids meal at Muranos. Surely if we want to change to lawn club thats cheaper for them?

[ladylemondrop]

Spoke to celebrity today, and no flexibility at all, so cancelled the package.

[dorisis]

Thanks Susie V! I thought as much, was kind of hoping they might be flexible once onboard but guess not!

 

Bummer. For me it would not be a good deal unless I could have my choice of venues and my choice of days and times.

[navyrotorhead]

Spoke to celebrity today, and no flexibility at all, so cancelled the package.

 

Look at it as an opportunity. :)

 

I have NEVER paid full price (or even "package deal price") for a specialty restaurant. (The worst deal was 25% off at Tuscan because my girlfriend TOLD them it was for my Birthday :eek: :rolleyes: so they KNEW we would go for that price.)

 

I have eaten at Murano, (and the M class equivalents) Tuscan, Qsine, and Silk, ALL for 50%

 

Just be flexible about dates and times, and mention you'd be INTERESTED in trying a specialty restaurant... IF the price was more reasonable. ;)

 

Good luck... and don't miss the chocolate fondue in Tuscan! :D

[ladylemondrop]

Will do! I am going to keep a note of where we eat, and how much we pay, just for my own interest I guess, so I will know if its worth having a package in future or not. Will share my findings when we get home.