Freedom Class - Lack of Specialty Restaurants??

[rclibertygirl5]

I am just wondering why they are not adding more of the specialty restaurants to the Freedom class ships during the revitalizations? With the number of people on board I would think they could certainly support them. Just curious...

[leaveitallbehind]

Well each ship does have a choice of two - Chops and either Portofino's or Giovanni's Table, depending on the ship. But to your point, Grandeur, for example, has Chops, Giovanni's Table, Izumi, and Chefs Table.

[cb at sea]

I would hope not....I'm not a fan of the specialty restaurants! The more the folks support specialty venues, the lousier the food will be in the "included" venues. They WANT you to pay extra to eat! Not a fan of the concept.

[leaveitallbehind]

I would hope not....I'm not a fan of the specialty restaurants! The more the folks support specialty venues, the lousier the food will be in the "included" venues. They WANT you to pay extra to eat! Not a fan of the concept.

 

Really?? Not sure how you arrive at the conclusion that the addition of specialty restaurants will cause the food in the included venues to be lousier. The MDR food remains constant - the food in the specialty restaurants is enhanced. They are not taking away from one for the benefit of the other.

 

The term "specialty restaurants" means just that - and most passengers don't pay the premium prices on a regular basis v eating in the MDR. They just offer an additional choice for the passenger's dining experience for those who would like the option.

 

Allowing the food quality to diminish in the MDR for the sake of a minority number of passengers would make absolutely no business or practical sense. And our experience with both is that it is not the case.

[coordinator23]

I remember when there was possibly one specialty restaurant on board, and the filet was "free" in the MDR. I agree, with one of the above posts, the more specialty restaurants on board, the more RCL will want to encourage you to eat at them.

[LMaxwell]

I would hope not....I'm not a fan of the specialty restaurants! The more the folks support specialty venues, the lousier the food will be in the "included" venues. They WANT you to pay extra to eat! Not a fan of the concept.

 

Agreed 100%.

 

Although I look forward to trying Izumis on some ships, the hot rock will be a new experience and the price per person is reasonable and is note fare otherwise offered.

 

Over the years all of the cruise lines haves started to see if they could charge for what you used to get for free, and have been able to make it work to their advantage. However, having for pay venues does open up options for unique and specialized food best not prepared as if for a banquet.

[A2Mich]

I remember when there was possibly one specialty restaurant on board, and the filet was "free" in the MDR. I agree, with one of the above posts, the more specialty restaurants on board, the more RCL will want to encourage you to eat at them.

 

I remember when there were NO specialty restaurants. Dining room or possibly a buffet area or starve! How things have changed. That was over 30 years ago though! We have definitely been spoiled through the years.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[leaveitallbehind]

The option of having specialty restaurants does not change what remains at no charge with dining in the MDR. The specialty restaurants are simply a choice in addition to that.

 

Those venues are small and limited in the number of passengers they can serve in comparison to the MDR, which has the size capacity to serve all passengers at no additional charge. And the addition of those venues IMO has not diminished the quality - or experience - offered to all passengers through the MDR.

 

We typically eat at both venues during our cruises, with the majority of meals remaining in the MDR. But that remains our choice, and we appreciate having the option to choose alternative venues if desired. The upcharge is strictly our option - and the choice remains to eat all our meals in the MDR at no charge if we wish.

[maxs mom]

The Adventure and the Explorer still only have one.

Personally.....I love the specialty restaurants. I love the upscale feel in them. The food is usually fabulous. And I also love not having the crowds all around me. It has always been a great experience for me.

[CruisinDawn]

I would hope not....I'm not a fan of the specialty restaurants! The more the folks support specialty venues, the lousier the food will be in the "included" venues. They WANT you to pay extra to eat! Not a fan of the concept.

Couldn't agree more :)

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[CruisinDawn]

The option of having specialty restaurants does not change what remains at no charge with dining in the MDR. The specialty restaurants are simply a choice in addition to that.

 

Those venues are small and limited in the number of passengers they can serve in comparison to the MDR, which has the size capacity to serve all passengers at no additional charge. And the addition of those venues IMO has not diminished the quality - or experience - offered to all passengers through the MDR.

 

We typically eat at both venues during our cruises, with the majority of meals remaining in the MDR. But that remains our choice, and we appreciate having the option to choose alternative venues if desired. The upcharge is strictly our option - and the choice remains to eat all our meals in the MDR at no charge if we wish.

In my experience it now does diminish my experience when each night the waiter tries to up sale diners at the table in the MDR. I have started to kindly ask them not to offer it for the rest of the cruise because we don't plan on ordering it. The waiters are told they have to ask and point out the new option of eating a steak from Chops or the Maine lobster, both at a premium.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[maxs mom]

In my experience it now does diminish my experience when each night the waiter tries to up sale diners at the table in the MDR. I have started to kindly ask them not to offer it for the rest of the cruise because we don't plan on ordering it. The waiters are told they have to ask and point out the new option of eating a steak from Chops or the Maine lobster, both at a premium.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

Interesting.....I have never had a waiter do this. I wouldn't really like it either.

[CruisinDawn]

Interesting.....I have never had a waiter do this. I wouldn't really like it either.

Happened the past two cruises. :( Just made me feel awkward to say please don't ask anymore. Would be even more awkward if we were at a table with people we didn't know because they may want it. I can see it on the menu and if I want it I know how to ask. :) I do see your point too, it is a more intimate setting but until those options offered are full to capacity every night I don't see a real reason for more then one or two.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[Ourusualbeach]

In my experience it now does diminish my experience when each night the waiter tries to up sale diners at the table in the MDR. I have started to kindly ask them not to offer it for the rest of the cruise because we don't plan on ordering it. The waiters are told they have to ask and point out the new option of eating a steak from Chops or the Maine lobster, both at a premium.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

We've never had a waiter even mention any of the items available for an extra charge.

[leaveitallbehind]

We've never had a waiter even mention any of the items available for an extra charge.

 

Never have experienced this either.

[big al]

I would hope not....I'm not a fan of the specialty restaurants! The more the folks support specialty venues, the lousier the food will be in the "included" venues. They WANT you to pay extra to eat! Not a fan of the concept.

 

Completely disagree..what if we don't want to dine with 2000 people? What if I want a table by the window over-looking the sunset/ sea? What if I want a quiet, romantic dinner with soft music? Whatever you say, you CANNOT say the MDR is quiet, romantic & soft.....What if I want those AMAZING crab cakes in Chops for an appetizer? How about the yummy Lyonnaise potatoes?? On NCL, the escargots in Le Bistro are fantastic..so is the Fruit Fondue, a dessert with fruit inside a pineapple with chunks of different fruit inside that you DIP in hot chocolate- those 2 items PLUS a table by the window was worth the $20 pp alone... Not everybody wants pasta, chicken, & a mediocre meat dish every night...I have a saying...if you want to eat, go the buffet...if you want to eat better, go the MDR...if you want to dine & enjoy your meal, go to the specialty restaurants...I have NEVER walked out of any MDR on my 28 cruises and thought, "wow, that was fantastic, can't wait to see what tomorrow night is!!"....it's always, "that was OK..not bad or decent"..conversely, all of our specialty dining nights have been just that- SPECIAL......I'm not cheap, and $15-30 PP to pay for all you can eat at a place that has clearly superior food, atmosphere to me is a bargain...you would pay easily $75-100 pp at any decent steak house for shrimp cocktail/ crab cakes, salad, NY Strip w/ lyonnaise potatoes, veggies, bread, coffee & dessert..in fact, looking at Morton's and Ruth Chris's menus, just crab cakes & salad ALONE cost $ 20-22..a baked potato is $9...OK, Chops may not quite be those 2 mentioned, but it's pretty good for $30 pp...finally, food is certainly very subjective..what you might think tastes good in the MDR, I might think stinks, or visa- versa..overall, MDR food on RCI I find mediocre to decent to pretty good, at best...boring certainly, and sometimes I'm not in the mood for a meal with 2000 loud diners and 300 waiters criss- crossing around carrying food...on one cruise on NCL, we dined four nights in the specialty venues ( twice in Le Bistro which is French, once in Teppanyaki, a Japanese Steakhouse, and once in Il Adaggio-Italian),all were A+...on the other hand food in the MDR was fair, at best...since only about 5-7% of the passengers try the specialty venues, I don't think it causes the MDR to suffer..I would welcome MORE venues on the Freedom class, just like the Oasis ships have, or the new NCL Breakaway has ( which my friend went on in NY and said food was fantastic & much better than RCI, and he's almost Diamond, like me..)....just MHO....

 

Big Al

[spookwife]

Really?? Not sure how you arrive at the conclusion that the addition of specialty restaurants will cause the food in the included venues to be lousier. The MDR food remains constant - the food in the specialty restaurants is enhanced. They are not taking away from one for the benefit of the other.

 

 

not sure I agree.

 

I was on GR back in September and ended up eating in the MDR exactly once( we did all specialty or skipped altogether otherwise) and it was the one meal that I felt had declined greatly over my last experience in the MDR, which was quite pleasant all the way around. yet every meal in Specialty was amazing. and the meal I had in MDR was the same entree I had had previously.

[spookwife]

Interesting.....I have never had a waiter do this. I wouldn't really like it either.

 

big time sales pitch.. in Chops during Breakfast as well as in the Concierge lounge during breakfast and the cocktail hour. it got annoying especially since we had boarded intending to partake anyway and signed up right away.

 

I have no doubt the MDR staff were told to push it during every meal.

[RevSmith]

Re: Specialty restaurants taking away the quality of food in the MDR;

I remember when the argument about My Time Dinning where there were people who, no matter what was said, did not like it and not only did they not like it but they did not want it because it would "take away" from their dinning experience. Well it came to pass that Royal adopted the MTD concept and all seems to be going quite well.

I will never understand why people object to the addition of additional choice. And don't want others to have the privilege of choice because they are afraid it is going to take something away from them.

And Life goes on.

Rev

[masonpips]

To answer the OP's original question (which was NOT a debate on specialty vs. MDR btw), on IOS I think the reason was that she spends a majority of the year in Europe? And the European crowd doesn't partake of the specialty restaurants, perhaps due to port-intensive cruises? That's my assumption (and I know what assuming means) but she recently went in for a drydock and they only changed Portofino to Giovannis. RCCL added nothing else (agree with another poster re: Izumi, would like to see on most ships!). Not sure on Freedom and Liberty tho! They generally do shorter cruises it seems (4/5 nights?) so maybe that's why?

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

big time sales pitch.. in Chops during Breakfast as well as in the Concierge lounge during breakfast and the cocktail hour. it got annoying especially since we had boarded intending to partake anyway and signed up right away.

 

I have no doubt the MDR staff were told to push it during every meal.

 

 

We obviously must look poor and look as if we cannot afford the speciality restaurants;):p as we have never been approached in any of the 3 venues you have mentioned.

[bigque]

Just off the Freedom on October 13th. They have Chops and Portifino and if there were more specialties on board, we would not do them all. We ate at Chops and Portifino during this past cruise and really liked them both. We don't eat at them because the MDR is so bad, but did them both just for a change of pace and something different on the cruise as we like to expereriance different things the ship has to offer and also because we cruise during our anniversary and just want to have some "US" time at dinner for the atmosphere setting they offer for this, even as much as we liked our table mates for the week!

 

We did not have the waiters upselling the menu items that cost anytime during the week!

[leaveitallbehind]

big time sales pitch.. in Chops during Breakfast as well as in the Concierge lounge during breakfast and the cocktail hour. it got annoying especially since we had boarded intending to partake anyway and signed up right away.

 

I have no doubt the MDR staff were told to push it during every meal.

 

Certainly can't question your thoughts on the food quality as that is always subjective to each individual, and what you experienced is what you experienced.

 

And not challenging your comments, but regarding the sales pitches, those experiences you mention were not in the MDR, which is what was being referred to by CruizenDawn. By your previous post you only ate in the MDR one time - did the waiters try to up sell you that night?

 

Again, what you experienced is what you experienced, and I guess maybe there are differences between staff members as we too were on Grandeur in July and experienced none of the upsell in the MDR (which we ate in four nights) - or in the DL/CL for that matter. In fact including Grandeur, we have been on four different RCI ships in the past year and a half and have not experienced any up sell efforts in the MDR's.