Dinner choices...

[enna77]

I'm so excited. I'm leaving in 3 days on the Emerald. This is my second princess cruise. I haven't been to the crown grill or the crab shack and I want to do both. Does anyone know what night the crab shack is available? And do I need to make reservations? For the crown grill, is it better to go earlier on the cruise?

My itinerary looks like this...

Saturday - 1st day

Sunday -sea day - my guess formal night that we will do.

Monday - Grand Cayman til 4.

Tuesday - Cozumel til 6

Wednesday- at sea

Thursday- :( the cruise is over

 

So trying to figure out when to do Crown and what night is Crab Shack.

 

So excited!!! Happy dance!!!!!

[2BeOnaBoat]

I'm so excited. I'm leaving in 3 days on the Emerald. This is my second princess cruise. I haven't been to the crown grill or the crab shack and I want to do both. Does anyone know what night the crab shack is available? And do I need to make reservations? For the crown grill, is it better to go earlier on the cruise?

My itinerary looks like this...

Saturday - 1st day

Sunday -sea day - my guess formal night that we will do.

Monday - Grand Cayman til 4.

Tuesday - Cozumel til 6

Wednesday- at sea

Thursday- :( the cruise is over

 

So trying to figure out when to do Crown and what night is Crab Shack.

 

So excited!!! Happy dance!!!!!

 

 

Come join our Roll Call or at least get caught up. It's gotten quiet. I'd do the Crown on the first night not sure about the Crab Shack. A few of us are meeting at the Outrigger bar for sail away.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2144254&page=9

[RocketMan275]

I'm so excited. I'm leaving in 3 days on the Emerald. This is my second princess cruise. I haven't been to the crown grill or the crab shack and I want to do both. Does anyone know what night the crab shack is available? And do I need to make reservations? For the crown grill, is it better to go earlier on the cruise?

My itinerary looks like this...

Saturday - 1st day

Sunday -sea day - my guess formal night that we will do.

Monday - Grand Cayman til 4.

Tuesday - Cozumel til 6

Wednesday- at sea

Thursday- :( the cruise is over

 

So trying to figure out when to do Crown and what night is Crab Shack.

 

So excited!!! Happy dance!!!!!

 

Your best bet is to find the cruise compasses for your cruise. You'll need to search the threads on Emerald Princess to do that. Be sure to examine the ones for your specific cruise, ie, eastern, western, etc. I don't remember if the crab shack was on formal nights or not. Since we don't do formal there is a chance that it was.

 

We've done the crab shack on both our princess cruise and enjoy it. However we were not on crowns so I can't help you there.

 

Reservations are suggested so I would call the dine line to do that. It is a huge amount of food so arrive hungry.

 

We're not into steak houses on the ship so never done that on Princess.

Edited October 21, 2015 by RocketMan275

[cubfan63]

Your best bet is to find the cruise compasses for your cruise. You'll need to search the threads on Emerald Princess to do that. Be sure to examine the ones for your specific cruise, ie, eastern, western, etc. I don't remember if the crab shack was on formal nights or not. Since we don't do formal there is a chance that it was.

 

We've done the crab shack on both our princess cruise and enjoy it. However we were not on crowns so I can't help you there.

 

Reservations are suggested so I would call the dine line to do that. It is a huge amount of food so arrive hungry.

 

We're not into steak houses on the ship so never done that on Princess.

 

 

The daily sheet of activities & information is called the Princess Patter (I think this is what was meant by "cruise compass" - which I think is a different cruise line name for this).

 

You can find out which night(s) they are doing the Crab Shack by calling the Dine line after you board. You can make all of your reservations for specialty restaurants when you call.

[RocketMan275]

The daily sheet of activities & information is called the Princess Patter (I think this is what was meant by "cruise compass" - which I think is a different cruise line name for this).

 

You can find out which night(s) they are doing the Crab Shack by calling the Dine line after you board. You can make all of your reservations for specialty restaurants when you call.

 

You're correct, it is the Patter. Thanks for catching that. It's easy to get confused.

[grouchomarx]

On Princess I always call the DINE line as soon as I get to my cabin the first day and ask when are the formal nights, when is the crab shack and then book all the specialty dining options so I get what I want straight away. Works great. The crab shack is awesome! They give you a ton of food and it's very good quality. Too much food, really.

[enna77]

Great! I will do that. I will get on board, head to my room and call the dine line to figure out our dinners. :D:D:D

[enna77]

Will the Patter already be in our room, when we first arrive?

[msmoger]

Will the Patter already be in our room, when we first arrive?

 

It should be. If not ask your steward, but it's always been there when we arrive.

 

Another suggestion concerning the Crown Grill. It's been my experience that the DINE line is often a long tedious task on sail away day. It's easier just to go there and make a reservation. This has always worked for us.

 

Crab Shack is a different story since it doesn't have a physical presence on the ship until the nights it is held (i.e. they use part of the Horizon Court Buffet). You will need to call the DINE line for this.

[luvseaside]

Yes, the Patter will be in your room or in the "Mail" bin outside your door when you embark.

 

We like to do the Crown Grill on the first night (no real reason why we do it then to be honest), but it's a great meal, if you like steak. We didn't do Crab Shack.

 

Another tip regarding making reservations - we have found the DINE line to always be busy when boarding and often cannot get through, so I have gone by the Crown Grill to make my reservation in person an hour or two after boarding. Now in regard to Crab Shack, you likely will have to make a call for that.

[IECalCruiser]

There is typically a table set up outside one of the Specialty restaurants on embarkation day. On the Emerald this will probably be outside of the Crown Grill. You should be able to find out when the formal night and the Crab Shack will be and make reservations there.

 

With full suite getting a free Specialty restaurant dinner on embarkation day we have experienced all early Crown Grill reservations held for suite passengers on one cruise. On another cruise the Crab Shack was fully booked and no walk-ins were allowed.

Edited October 21, 2015 by IECalCruiser

[XBGuy]

For what it's worth, my experience in making Specialty Dining reservations on departure day has varied from ship to ship. Yes, I have seen the table out front and have been able to make Crown Grill/Sabatini's reservations as I walked by. However, that has not been the case in all of my Princess cruises. Maybe I walk by too early.

 

As a result, I have taken to the habit of calling the Dine Line when as soon as we get to the cabin. I'm not sure why some of the correspondents, above, describe this process as difficult. I can't say that I have had a problem. Now, I will agree, that after I've listened to the automated response system, I have had to sit on hold for a while, but I don't think I've ever waited more than 10 minutes. Once a live person answers I have found them to be very efficient. In spite of what their automated response menu seems to want to make you think, that person can make reservations for both Crown Grill and Sabatini's. Generally, I will make a reservation at one of them for that evening, and for the other one for the next evening.

 

If after dining at one of them we decide we would like to return another evening, then, as we are leaving, I will meet the Headwaiter at his desk, compliment him profusely on his room, and ask for a reservation on my desired night. I have never been turned down on one of these requests--even on cruises where I have seen other CC posters subsequently complain that they could not get into one of the specialty restaurants because they were "fully engaged." If we particularly enjoyed our server, I will also request him/her. The only time that did not work was an instance where that particular server was ill the night we returned. Also, I have noticed that on return visits we, invariably, get a primo table--very important to my wife.

 

Enjoy your cruise.