nelblu Posted February 7, 2016 #1 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Asked Guest Services about the 2 different pricing on the interactive tv and was told that it was $39 & $45 respectively for lunch & dinner. These prices are outlandish, however, made reserves as we have a $70 towards a specialty restaurant. Today is a crappy day in Nassau--rainy, windy & cold. Doing a lot of walking and exploring and saw a special that is not advertised much and IMHO is pretty good. The offer is 3 specialty restaurants for lunch at Sabor, Giovanni's & Chops for $45. Kids from 6-10 years old pay $5 per restaurant or $15 in total--under this age is gratis. The sign at Sabor listing this special is 4 X 5 inches and basically almost hidden by the entrance. Because of the weather, the MDR was open at noon, and they offered the Tutti salad bar. In addition, there were some 7-8 hot chafing dishes and a prime beef cutting station. The prime and the beef tenderloin that I chose were excellent. Also, a dessert table and ice cream station with all of the trimmings. This is a special and only offered as many Paxs did not get off --this, I was told is one off and not a normal offering. No regular lunch menu available for this event. It was titled "Brasserie 30". Ps. We're almost 2 hrs out of Nassau on the way to St. Thomas and the sun is out, however, still chilly by the normal standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted February 7, 2016 #2 Share Posted February 7, 2016 So dinner at Chops on Oasis is now $45? Are there still upcharge steaks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted February 8, 2016 Author #3 Share Posted February 8, 2016 So dinner at Chops on Oasis is now $45? Are there still up & charge steaks? Yes. NY 16 oz strip steak @ $18, porterhouse 20 oz @ $19 & Maine lobster 1.25 -1.5 lbs @ $21. Also, sun was out this am, but cloudy and showery on way to St. Thomas. Hope I see some Sol during this cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted February 8, 2016 #4 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Yes. NY 16 oz strip steak @ $18, porterhouse 20 oz @ $19 & Maine lobster 1.25 -1.5 lbs @ $21. Also, sun was out this am, but cloudy and showery on way to St. Thomas. Hope I see some Sol during this cruise. Thanks for the feedback, and good luck with your weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted February 8, 2016 Author #5 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Thanks for the feedback, and good luck with your weather. Good thing for the unlimited internet, keeps me busy--will cost only $15 for the entire week after the D+ discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinrealtor Posted February 8, 2016 #6 Share Posted February 8, 2016 chops last week was 39.00 but we didn't get any of the upcharged items. I also thought that first night specialty restaurants were 50% off but that is only for my time dining guests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted February 8, 2016 Author #7 Share Posted February 8, 2016 chops last week was 39.00 but we didn't get any of the upcharged items. I also thought that first night specialty restaurants were 50% off but that is only for my time dining guests. Which ship, as Oasis & Allure have a higher pricing structure for their specialty restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefighterhoop Posted February 9, 2016 #8 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Allure, Chops was 39 in the Evening 2 weeks ago. The Buy one Get one also goes to the upper tiers of the crown and anchor society (The first two nights). I hadn't head of My Time Dining getting that before - must be a ship specific promo?? I know allure has this but Oasis doesn't - My specialty restaurant of choice on Allure is the Samba Grill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LMaxwell Posted February 9, 2016 #9 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I can bring myself to pay for a specialty dinner once in a while. But not a lunch. Sorry cruise lines. I know the food is the same quality as dinner, but I just can't do it. I guess it's good to offer the increased options for those that want to though. Next up, specialty breakfasts for only $15-$20 a head:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moopetguy Posted February 9, 2016 #10 Share Posted February 9, 2016 IMO, the pricing is now ridiculous (well actually, it was ridiculous to me a while ago, now even more so). The "cover charge" is now as much as you'd pay for a lunch or dinner if you walked into a similar restaurant on land (okay, I know you're at sea, things are different, etc. -- still doesn't leave a good feeling for me). To me, it used to seem more like an "upgrade" charge. Now it's as though you're paying full price. I'm not eating in the MDR, WJ, etc. when I go to a specialty restaurant. IMO, what would be fair is paying for the difference in price to get to the specialty restaurant service, food quality, and options, not what would normally be the full price. Kind of like the MDR menu upgrade options (which still seem overpriced to me). Unless I get a specialty dining credit, there's no way I'd pay out of pocket for the Chops Grille in the future (I did once, back in 2010 on Navigator, when it was "only" $25 per person for dinner). Here's an excerpt of RCI's marketing copy from Liberty's web page: "Specialty restaurant Chops Grille steakhouse, where for one low cover charge you can choose any items off the menu from appetizer to dessert" Well it sure as heck isn't like that on all their ships, as evidenced by what's happening with Oasis-class pricing, upcharge options, etc. In a way it's misleading (okay, I know, caveat emptor) because it can lead the less experienced cruisers to think all ships have a consistent policy or pricing structure (I was recently surprised to find out that some Johnny Rockets are priced a la carte). The disclosure to the customer is not complete upfront. It's more evidence that RCI keeps increasing prices and cutting costs where they can -- but hey, we keep coming back for more, right? :rolleyes: (And yeah, I understand they're a publicly-traded corporation, fiduciary duty to maximize profits and shareholder value, etc.) Doesn't change the fact that it still feels sucky to me. Yes, I'm whining a bit...I'll have some cheese...and I hear a tiny violin playing somewhere... ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparklies70 Posted February 9, 2016 #11 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I'm booked on Oasis this upcoming Saturday, but prepaid specialty dining months ago and I think I paid $30/person dinner for Chops. Will that still be honored onboard or are they going to tell me I need to pay an additional $15/person? Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted February 9, 2016 #12 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I can bring myself to pay for a specialty dinner once in a while. But not a lunch. Sorry cruise lines. I know the food is the same quality as dinner, but I just can't do it. I guess it's good to offer the increased options for those that want to though. Next up, specialty breakfasts for only $15-$20 a head:eek: Saw that on Liberty last year, Steak & Eggs breakfast in Chops for $10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moopetguy Posted February 9, 2016 #13 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I'm booked on Oasis this upcoming Saturday, but prepaid specialty dining months ago and I think I paid $30/person dinner for Chops. Will that still be honored onboard or are they going to tell me I need to pay an additional $15/person? I always bring along a hard or soft copy of my booking confirmations/proof of payment for anything related to the trip I'm on, but I expect they'll honour it. Prices for things frequently change (read: go up), but they don't make you pay the difference once previously confirmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparklies70 Posted February 9, 2016 #14 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I always bring along a hard or soft copy of my booking confirmations/proof of payment for anything related to the trip I'm on, but I expect they'll honour it. Prices for things frequently change (read: go up), but they don't make you pay the difference once previously confirmed. Awesome! I do have hard copies of everything I've prepaid. I feel better now. Thank you for the info! Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookwife Posted February 9, 2016 #15 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Saw that on Liberty last year, Steak & Eggs breakfast in Chops for $10. That was in the Compass. But the reality was only gold sea pass holders had access(and we're not charged a fee). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted February 9, 2016 #16 Share Posted February 9, 2016 That was in the Compass. But the reality was only gold sea pass holders had access(and we're not charged a fee). Interesting. We had some friends who did the $10 breakfast in Chops, no gold card. Another case of Royal inconsistency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted February 9, 2016 Author #17 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Allure, Chops was 39 in the Evening 2 weeks ago. The Buy one Get one also goes to the upper tiers of the crown and anchor society (The first two nights). I hadn't head of My Time Dining getting that before - must be a ship specific promo?? I know allure has this but Oasis doesn't - My specialty restaurant of choice on Allure is the Samba Grill! It is offered fleet wide. Used the bogo on the 2nd night at Giovanni's and it was fantastic. Never charged for the beer or the specialty coffee. I guess the server used one of the free drinks loaded to the sea pass. Saved us some money as it only cost us $25 in total + grats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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