My view on Specialty restaurants

[SpartacusMD]

I have been around for a while on these forums and cruised a few times before. I have an upcoming trip on the navigator which now has 4 specialty dining restaurants. You know what I think of this? Its utter crap.

 

Hear me out:

 

I'm not saying that the MDR will depreciate in value.

I'm not saying the food in the specialty restaurants isn't good or even "worth it."

I'm not saying that I can't afford specialty dining.

 

What I am saying is that cruises a long time ago had drinks included with the cruise and slowly that was taken away. Now the same thing is starting to happen with the food. Even Chop's grill has an extra upcharge now on top of the 35$. Understand that it is GREAT to have other options, but for those of you in full support of this just remember that options are great until they become your only choice. And people flocking to these "upcharge" restaurants is like telling the cruise lines that if they took away free food in the MDR they would benefit tremendously.

 

I'm not saying its not ok to get excited about restaurants and again I admit that some of them have great value, but what if I told you the trend is to phase out the MDR and make everything ala cart? Would you stop going to the specialty restaurants to avoid that fate?

 

Finally, it just feels wrong to leave perfectly good food at the MDR in order to go pay 35$ for slightly better quality food. I'd consider myself rich, but I'm just not hoighty toighty like that.

Edited February 15, 2014 by SpartacusMD

[nhraformula00]

I agree 100%. Have been on 10 cruises in the last 32 years and the changes are getting out of hand. It's like paying double to eat what use to be included. We don't do the specialty upcharge.

[AussieVisi2r]

.......... Even Chop's grill has an extra upcharge now on top of the 35$. ..

 

Oh No. What is the charge at Chops? $35 plus what?

 

Thanks

 

Raina

[HPSOV]

What I am saying is that cruises a long time ago had drinks included with the cruise and slowly that was taken away. Now the same thing is starting to happen with the food.

 

Don't forget how much cheaper cruises are today than they were a long time ago. There are still cruises available today that include all drinks and very high quality food, if you're prepared to pay the fare (Silversea, Crystal, etc). Overall cruising today is incredibly good value compared to the good old days, even after paying for your drinks and specialty restaurants.

[marci22]

I don't mind the upcharge for smaller scale, better dining. They can't do that for the whole ship, it's not practical. However, it does bother me when I pay to eat a meal in a specialty and it is just meh. This has happened only a few times, but at those times, I felt like my money was wasted.

[papaflamingo]

I took my first cruise in 1998. It was a "great deal" on Grandeur of the Seas. We paid $750 per person for an inside cabin. In today's dollars that would be $1072 for the same cabin. We cruised in Sep. a very low time of the year.

In 1998 oil was $11.91 per barrel. Adjusted to today's dollars it would be $17.02. Actual cost today is about $100 per barrel.

The cruise lines need to be profitable or they go out of business. They come up with lots of ways to do this, drink prices, shore excursions, shops, photos, specialty restaurants. The nice thing about these "extra costs" is that if you don't want to partake, then you don't have to. I know people who go on cruises, buy a soda card, don't drink alcohol, don't do shore excursions, don't buy in the shops, don't do specialty restaurants. Their cruises cost very little. They are effectively the price of tips and a soda card. Not a bad deal. I, on the other hand, do drink, do some shore excursions, do buy in the shops (duty free), and do buy drinks. I still find the cruise to be a much better deal than other vacations.

I would be shocked if cruise lines went to all "pay as you go" dining. It would suddenly make them very unpopular and would likely be their death knell.

[susie8862]

Simply put: It is called "having options"

 

There are many people that love the specialty restaurants.

 

No one says you have to go.

 

:o:):o

 

Do what makes YOU happy.

[bchalker]

I have been around for a while on these forums and cruised a few times before. I have an upcoming trip on the navigator which now has 4 specialty dining restaurants. You know what I think of this? Its utter crap.

 

Hear me out:

 

I'm not saying that the MDR will depreciate in value.

I'm not saying the food in the specialty restaurants isn't good or even "worth it."

I'm not saying that I can't afford specialty dining.

 

What I am saying is that cruises a long time ago had drinks included with the cruise and slowly that was taken away. Now the same thing is starting to happen with the food. Even Chop's grill has an extra upcharge now on top of the 35$. Understand that it is GREAT to have other options, but for those of you in full support of this just remember that options are great until they become your only choice. And people flocking to these "upcharge" restaurants is like telling the cruise lines that if they took away free food in the MDR they would benefit tremendously.

 

I'm not saying its not ok to get excited about restaurants and again I admit that some of them have great value, but what if I told you the trend is to phase out the MDR and make everything ala cart? Would you stop going to the specialty restaurants to avoid that fate?

 

Finally, it just feels wrong to leave perfectly good food at the MDR in order to go pay 35$ for slightly better quality food. I'd consider myself rich, but I'm just not hoighty toighty like that.

 

1 the food is much more than "slightly better"

2 cruises are cheaper than 20 years ago

3 nobody is forcing you the eat at any specialty rest.

[bouhunter]

We don't eat at the MDR any more, I could care less if they "phase it out".

[krazy4kruisin]

I have been on 10 cruises. I have never felt the need to pay extra money for a restaurant on a cruise. I can always find good quality food somewhere on the ship. We choose to save the money and send it else where. On our up coming cruise we are going to purchase the ultimate drink package and take 2 excursions and do a little shopping at the ports. I feel that the quality of food is good, some is better than others on different cruise lines.

[spookwife]

 

What I am saying is that cruises a long time ago had drinks included with the cruise and slowly that was taken away. Now the same thing is starting to happen with the food. [...] but what if I told you the trend is to phase out the MDR and make everything ala cart? Would you stop going to the specialty restaurants to avoid that fate?

 

Finally, it just feels wrong to leave perfectly good food at the MDR in order to go pay 35$ for slightly better quality food. I'd consider myself rich, but I'm just not hoighty toighty like that.

 

 

yeah but from what I can tell the price to cruise has been stagnant or even LOWER than it was ten years ago.

 

meaning at the end of the day you may spend the same amount of money you are just doing it differently.

 

I have sailed the same ship twice now. the first time the MDR was fine, and we went to a specialty and walked away feeling.. well.. underwhelmed.

 

the second time was the polar opposite. we ended up the MDR *ONCE* because quite literally the same exact menu as the last time held no appeal to us appetite wise. the food was still the same decent to good quality, it just wasn't what we wanted to eat. but the specialties were far more appealing and they had the package.( and the one restaurant we had tried before and walked away feeling 'meh' redeemed themselves big time)

 

on both occasions I spent about the same amount of money (for the same cabin) and on the second cruise, an extra night.( 8 days instead of 7) the 8 day cruise was also the one we ate in specialties the majority of the time. same drinking habits. same on board spending habits.

 

I have sailed Disney, Carnival and Royal. soon to be Celebrity. I have spent within $250 on each sailing, yes even the more expensive Disney for a comparable size cabin( not necessarily category) different times of year and different itineraries.

 

I suppose those people who shy away from spending one red cent on board for whatever reason always has the buffet to fall back on, and that will lead to cafeteria style and quality food there and the money spent by individuals for a table service experience may end up improving that experience overall at the end of the day.

[cruisenfever]

What I am saying is that cruises a long time ago had drinks included with the cruise and slowly that was taken away. Now the same thing is starting to happen with the food. Even Chop's grill has an extra upcharge now on top of the 35$. Understand that it is GREAT to have other options, but for those of you in full support of this just remember that options are great until they become your only choice. And people flocking to these "upcharge" restaurants is like telling the cruise lines that if they took away free food in the MDR they would benefit tremendously.

Please explain.

[Ourusualbeach]

Please explain.

 

At the newly revamped Chops on the Navigator there are additional items that you pay extra for. Aged beef is one of those.

[spookwife]

Please explain.

 

a few people have reported that there are one or two menu items in Chops that incur an additional up charge on top of the cover fee, such as ordering Kobe beef as opposed to the regular offering, or Beluga caviar as opposed to domestic.

 

in other words it is quite easy to avoid paying any extra if you don't want to.

[galavant3]

Don't forget how much cheaper cruises are today than they were a long time ago.

 

So true! My sister in law is booked on the Navigator and paying $499 per person for an interior cabin. I cannot believe that even covers the cruise line's cost especially when you factor out port charges. They have to make up for the rock bottom fares somewhere.

 

A family of four could cruise for a week for less than $2000 including transportation (if they were able to drive to the port), food and entertainment. That's pretty amazing.

 

I think they are trying to appeal to every person and every budget.

 

Sometimes we travel "cheap" and sometimes we go all out and we have been on 6 different lines, soon to be 7. I like having options.

[galavant3]

At the newly revamped Chops on the Navigator there are additional items that you pay extra for. Aged beef is one of those.

 

If I remember correctly, the beef included in the price at Chops is not "prime".

[Sharon I]

I don't look at food with importance but we do need it to enjoy a cruise. MY point is we just need food and if I wanted specialty food I would indulge on shore not in a restaurant on a ship. I have boycotted the specialty restaurants from the very beginning and will still do so. My money is spent on other more fun things that I Can do without outgrowing my clothes on a cruise (because I have over eaten). Too much attention is placed on food period!!

[big al]

I have been around for a while on these forums and cruised a few times before. I have an upcoming trip on the navigator which now has 4 specialty dining restaurants. You know what I think of this? Its utter crap.

 

Hear me out:

 

I'm not saying that the MDR will depreciate in value.

I'm not saying the food in the specialty restaurants isn't good or even "worth it."

I'm not saying that I can't afford specialty dining.

 

What I am saying is that cruises a long time ago had drinks included with the cruise and slowly that was taken away. Now the same thing is starting to happen with the food. Even Chop's grill has an extra upcharge now on top of the 35$. Understand that it is GREAT to have other options, but for those of you in full support of this just remember that options are great until they become your only choice. And people flocking to these "upcharge" restaurants is like telling the cruise lines that if they took away free food in the MDR they would benefit tremendously.

 

I'm not saying its not ok to get excited about restaurants and again I admit that some of them have great value, but what if I told you the trend is to phase out the MDR and make everything ala cart? Would you stop going to the specialty restaurants to avoid that fate?

 

Finally, it just feels wrong to leave perfectly good food at the MDR in order to go pay 35$ for slightly better quality food. I'd consider myself rich, but I'm just not hoighty toighty like that.

 

Disagree 100% ..Perfectly good food? Food for sure is subjective, but I can say on all my 29 cruises, including 12 on RCI, all the MDR food has been "OK" to "not bad" to "it was fine"...not what most people would like on their cruise..on the other hand, I find food in Chops, Portifinos, Le Bistro ( NCL) , Teppanyaki ( NCL Japanese steakhouse) or Palo ( Disney) 100 % better than in the MDR...my wife & I have NEVER had a bad meal in a specialty restaurant..only Disney & Celebrity have had "decent" MDR food IMO...I don't disagree that there seems to be a trend towards more $$ venues, and that that generates more $$ for the cruise lines. I look at it as a choice...15-20 years ago, you had NO choices for dinner. You ate at 6 or 8:30, you ate with whom they sat you with, you ordered what they showed you. I did NOT like that system ever..I am not a 5th grader- I don't want to be told when to eat, with whom and what to eat- not to mention how to dress...now, at least you have choices..if you want to eat pasta, chicken, cheap steaks, over-cooked fish, and side dishes that are very mediocre, you should be able to. I don't go on cruises to eat food similar to Friday's or Chili's ( at best!)...Here are the reasons we like specialty venues:

 

1) Much better quality of food

2) Much better selection of entrees

3) MUCH BETTER selection of side dishes

4) Much better selection of appetizers ( have you tried the crab cakes in Chops or the escargots in Le Bistro? Worth the price of dinner alone!!)

5) Yummy desserts ( much better selection)

6) Table for 2- many times at a window over-looking the sea..very romantic!!

7) More intimate atmosphere- dine with 50-100 people instead of 1500-2000 ..BIG DIFFERENCE...I don't always feel like eating with tons of people!!

8) No waiters dancing or criss crossing with trays of food everywhere

9) Soft romantic music ( if any)..you can hold a conversation

10) Perfect places to celebrate a special occasion

11) Compare $15-35 PP with what you would pay at Friday's, Chili's, Outback, LET ALONE Ruth Chris, Morton's, etc. You can't even eat at Denny's for $15 PP!! And you don't have a table for 2 at a window by the water...those meals are EASILY worth $ 50-75 PP in any decent restaurant ( if not more..)..a NY Strip or Filet Mignon ALONE in a high end steak place is $40-55 pp with NO salad, no side dishes, no dessert, and usually no table by the sea- think about it..$15-35 PP is a steal!!

12) Finally, I work hard & my wife works very hard..we are NOT cheap or frugal when we cruise- we are careful at home, and try & save for memorable cruises ....95% of people I have told to try the $$ restaurants agreed it was a great meal and a TON better than the MDR..I even know people who NEVER dine in the MDR because they said "the food is so mediocre there"...BTW, I expect the food in most MDR's to be mediocre or just "OK"...as long as I leave with a full stomach, I 'm OK with that. However, I NEVER expect to leave the MDR saying, "wow, that was amazingly good..can't wait to eat tomorrow"..I am, however, happy to say that 95% of the time I leave the specialty venues, I am 100% satisfied and felt it was well worth the $$..as others have said, you don't have to spend a dime in the better venues, and that's called OPTIONS ( again)..JMHO..

 

Big Al

[Realtor at Sea]

Back in the late '70s through the '80s the food in the MDR was as good as Chops and other extra fee restaurants. And soda was FREE!

[leisuretraveler223]

My wish would probably make the OP's head explode!

 

My wish:

 

I cruise RCI because I love the ships, and the itineraries (predominantly 7 days) work for me. I would LOVE to be on a more premium line, but the small size, the older clientelle and the longer itineraries are prohibitive in my current professional situation.

 

Having said that, I like the BEST I can get my hands on. I cruise solo, and usually get a Grand Suite or and Owner's Suite. If it's Oasis or Allure, it's a Crown Loft.

 

I haven't eaten in the MDR in the past five cruises.

 

I LOVE the "Grills" concept on Cunard, and would love to see something similar on RCI. Let me pay up in advanced and give me a premium restaurant with a table that is mine for the entire cruise. Let me go in whatever time I want and find my table waiting, because it's just for me.

 

I want even BETTER premium options, and I am very excited to try Chops and see what the new upgraded items are like.

 

Does this make me a willing participant in the cruise line's financial strategy? Seems to. Do I have a problem with that? Not one bit.

[printingchick]

I have always found the food, service and atmosphere in the MDR to be excellent. OK, sometimes it's better than other times, but you could say the same thing about any up-scale restaurant you might dine in on land. To be honest (let the flaming begin), I've never paid to eat at a specialty restaurant on board; I've never felt compelled to do so. I've eaten at Johnny Rockets (I know this isn't what people think of when talking about specialty restaurants, but it is a fee-based eatery), but I had a coupon so I didn't pay.

 

• I LIKE that they have specialty restaurants and other fee-based EXTRAS on board...so long as I don't feel compelled to partake. Those people who DO partake, help to subsidize the cost of MY cruise. (THANKS!)
   
  
• If I'm more than satisfied with the MDR experience, why pay for Chops or Portifinos? I'm sure it is nicer and offers better service, but I'm perfectly happy with the MDR.
   
  
• I live in New England where most people prefer Dunkin Donuts coffee to Starbucks. Coffee is free on board...unless I buy specialty coffee. I'm glad they offer Starbucks for those who want it, but I'm fine with plain old coffee.
   
  
• I can get free ice cream by the pool! Sure, Ben & Jerry's is a lot better, but I'm not forced to pay extra if I want ice cream.
   
  
• I would like that fresh squeezed OJ, but...
  

 

I could go on. Except for alcohol, nearly everything on the ship has an alternative option that is included in the cost of your cruise.

 

Until they begin getting really PUSHY about it, I'm happy the cruise lines have found ways to subsidize their profit margin by selling these extras. It allows cruising to be more affordable and that's good for me!!

 

Like air travel, cruise lines have been making more and more services a la carte. Unlike the airlines, cruise lines are not adding these fees to essentials, like luggage or using the bathroom!

 

The one think I LOVE that has been slowly going away is the towel animals. I know some people don't care at all about them. On my upcoming cruise, my plan is to slip the room steward a tip early on and let him know how much I LOVE those towel animals. So yup...I will be essentially paying extra for them. If they're not important to you, you don't need to follow my lead. I think that's fair. :D

[MADflyer]

My wish would probably m...

 

I want even BETTER premium options, and I am very excited to try Chops and see what the new upgraded items are like.

 

.

 

I have sailed on MSC in the Yacht Club and is similar to the wish you are discussing. NCL has done this somewhat with the Haven and Celebrity just went this route with their new 'Suite Class'

 

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/10662-celebrity-introduces-suite-class.html

[LMaxwell]

I understand and agree with the OP. I think a lot of people are missing the forest for the trees and arguing subjective things like they like this or they like that. OP is saying...what if the medium-long term model is to keep base fares down and make EVERYTHING optional and upcharge; how would you feel about cruising.

 

I would not enjoy cruising like that. Cruising used to, and to a great degree still does, represent an inclusive vacation experience. Making all food pay as you go always makes it feel like they are in my wallet. Some people may not care, but when that is going on I find it more difficult to relax, always mentally tabulating and budgeting.

 

NCL is moving much closer to the concept of all a la carte. Their new ships MDR's are completely inadequately sized for the number of guests, and service is slow because of being understaffed. The amount of pay options is impressive / ridiculous. These are money saving measures that also gently coerce guests to upcharge restaurants. But they sell a discounted dinner card for those restaurants that allows unlimited dinner. People on those boards are figuring out how to his 3 specialty places per night. I'm sure NCL will keep offering the discounted meal card when they see people are going to do this.:rolleyes:

 

On the Carnival boards people are practically begging to make it like this, let the MDR be a buffet and pay for table service menu items like fish/meat/chicken. Is Sizzler/Ponderosa food "OK". I've had worse. Not what I want to eat every night of vacation. I don't want to keep having a charge thrown in my face each night. I often wonder if people rant and rave about Carnival food because so much of it is familiar and often fried; what food do you like doesn't taste great fried? :D I never found their food "better" just more ordinary. Maybe a lot of people equate familiar with good and unfamiliar with bad.

 

Sure, cruising is cheaper now than 10, 20, and especially 30 years ago. Quality has dropped. There is a race to the bottom in regards to price. Some argue that is good, cheaper vacation and "add" what you want on to it. I understand that opinion. But as far as I am concerned there are some things you just can't "add" any more by spending more. All the "adds" are gravy on top. Well all the gravy in the world doesn't fix a low quality piece of meat (this is an analogy, not specifically talking about food; overall experience). I liken it to buying a cheap car loaded with every option possible, versus buying a no-frills car at the same price point from a higher tier manufacturer.

 

I'd be willing to pay slightly more to stop this downward spiral in food and service. I'd pay 10% more for my cruise fare if I could get an MDR dinner in under 2.5 hours and if they had 1 midnight buffet per cruise. At least that's a step back. Now I will hear from the people who like sitting in the MDR for 6 hours a night and have never had a midnight buffet in their life tell me that they DON'T want it included in their base fare. That's fair enough. It's just a general cheapening of the cruise experience. Spend whatever you want for a suite and the like (gravy) and it doesn't fundamentally change the product the cruise line offers (the meat and potatoes). My first few cruises were majorly different experiences.

 

I don't think anyone that has started cruising in the last 10 years could really understand. That's not a knock; but if you didn't experience it, you didn't experience it.

[Fat Paul]

On some cruises we book specialty dinning, on other cruises we don't. We have booked Jr suites, grand suites and owner suites. On our next cruise we will be in a jr suite. Did I enjoy our times in a larger cabin? Yes. Will I enjoy the smaller cabin? Yes again. On this upcoming cruise we have decided to dial back our spending a bit so we will not be dinning in Chops. I will still have more than enough choices of reasonable quality food, the entertainment will no doubt be good, the sun will probably shine, the beer will be cold and life will be GREAT. We will be on a cruise after all. Look at the world around us, in some places clean water and somewhat edible food is a luxury and we complain about cruising? Seems kinda somewhat strange to me.

[leisuretraveler223]

I understand and agree with the OP. I think a lot of people are missing the forest for the trees and arguing subjective things like they like this or they like that. OP is saying...what if the medium-long term model is to keep base fares down and make EVERYTHING optional and upcharge; how would you feel about cruising.

 

The market will dictate. It would still likely be a better or at least comparable value to land based vacations. My biggest lamentation with cruising is that it has been a "one size fits all" option for so long. If I go stay at a beach resort somewhere, some might choose to eat at a casual restaurant by the pool, while others might go to a gourmet establishment with a grand degustation menu. Why must cruising continue to be an exception to this?