Share and Salty Dog are a bust!

[SwissDave]

Although I haven't eaten there other than the burger the other items look like appetizers only and not much more. At dinner I enjoy a full meal & not just a snack to tie me over.

 

It's not a snack. The portions and quantity of food make it a full meal.

[floridalover5623]

It's not a snack. The portions and quantity of food make it a full meal.

 

Would it be equivalent to ordering all the courses in the DR?

I usually have a roll or couple of bread sticks and order 2 appetizers, soup, salad, main course plus 2 desserts.

[OCruisers]

SHARE and Salty Dog have NOT been rolled out to other ships as originally planned.

Seems they are not the success Princess thought they would be.

[JimmyVWine]

It's not a snack. The portions and quantity of food make it a full meal.

 

I won't dispute that. But the component parts that comprise the meal scream "lunch", "appetizers" or "side dishes" to me. (With the exception of the short ribs and pork cheek.) And portion quantity aside, this is marketed as the home of a gourmet burger and that cannot be divorced from the $19 price tag.

 

• Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup? Classic lunch fare.
  
• Crab cake? An appetizer or a side dish.
  
• Calamari? A ubiquitous appetizer.
  
• Mushroom saute? Grilled asparagus? Roasted cauliflower? Beets? Vegetables that should accompany an entree and not count as one of the three items you are limited to ordering.
  
• Mac-n-cheese? I've only eaten this at lunch.
  
• Poutine? An appetizer to share amongst the table like nachos or potato skins.
  

 

All of this might be terrific. But it seems better suited as supplements to the Pub Lunch menu or as a new "for a fee" option that is available for both lunch and dinner. I'll bet that if they removed the short ribs and pork cheek option, lowered the price to $12, and served this for lunch, it would sell out every day. $19 for dinner? Not so much.

[SwissDave]

Would it be equivalent to ordering all the courses in the DR?

I usually have a roll or couple of bread sticks and order 2 appetizers, soup, salad, main course plus 2 desserts.

 

It is not quite the same format as MDR. You start with bread sticks for dipping in cheese fondue and sweet potato fries, then 3 dishes from the menu as your main course, then desert.

[floridalover5623]

SHARE and Salty Dog have NOT been rolled out to other ships as originally planned.

Seems they are not the success Princess thought they would be.

 

Another wonder though up by management that didn't quite fly.

It make me wonder why Celebrity can charge even more for their Specialty restaurants & have people beating down the doors to get in.

Their meals must be something to behold.

[Geoffa30]

Another wonder though up by management that didn't quite fly.

It make me wonder why Celebrity can charge even more for their Specialty restaurants & have people beating down the doors to get in.

Their meals must be something to behold.

 

Perhaps people that sail on Celebrity are more progressive than some of the old guard on Princess :confused:

[Ron the Rev]

On the Emerald Sept. 2016. we did a back to back. Unfortunately our table in the main fixed dining room, Botticelli , was quite central and as the background noise from our fellow diners was so loud we decided to end our cruise dining experience by "doing" 3 nights in the Crown grill and 3 nights in SHARE. I must say that as we are small eaters, now that we are somewhat over 21, we enjoyed SHARE. We likened this to the old presentation of nuvo cuisine of the 1980s. Mind you over those 3 times we did exhaust the menu. Crown grill was very good. Thinks !! on our 4 cruises we have booked for 2017 we must try for a quieter table in the main dining room, why pay extra ?. Perhaps Princess by looking for an enhanced dining offer, by the way of club class, might hit the nail on the head. Time will tell. My vote is to bring back Sabatinies ( old style 10 years ago.)

[JimmyVWine]

Perhaps people that sail on Celebrity are more progressive than some of the old guard on Princess :confused:

 

I don't think that's it. SHARE was a bold, progessive move toward contemporary cuisine (as opposed to formulaic steakhouse or Italian.) They just hitched their wagon to the wrong horse. Had it been SHARE by Jean-George, or SHARE by Mario Batali, or SHARE by Grant Achatz, it might have been a huge hit. Curtis Stone simply doesn't have the name, reputation or pedigree to pull this off.

[SwissDave]

I won't dispute that. But the component parts that comprise the meal scream "lunch", "appetizers" or "side dishes" to me. (With the exception of the short ribs and pork cheek.) And portion quantity aside, this is marketed as the home of a gourmet burger and that cannot be divorced from the $19 price tag.

 

• Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup? Classic lunch fare.
  
• Crab cake? An appetizer or a side dish.
  
• Calamari? A ubiquitous appetizer.
  
• Mushroom saute? Grilled asparagus? Roasted cauliflower? Beets? Vegetables that should accompany an entree and not count as one of the three items you are limited to ordering.
  
• Mac-n-cheese? I've only eaten this at lunch.
  
• Poutine? An appetizer to share amongst the table like nachos or potato skins.
  

 

All of this might be terrific. But it seems better suited as supplements to the Pub Lunch menu or as a new "for a fee" option that is available for both lunch and dinner. I'll bet that if they removed the short ribs and pork cheek option, lowered the price to $12, and served this for lunch, it would sell out every day. $19 for dinner? Not so much.

 

I don't disagree with you :) When speaking with the F&B manager one evening he asked in general about how we were enjoying the cruise and food. I made a suggestion to him that perhaps they should consider multi level pricing, such as $19 for how it is now or $14 for excluding either the starter or desert course which is how many pubs in Europe operate with their dish of the day / plat du jour concept.

 

I would expect some tweaks in format to both SHARE and Salty Dog to be coming.

 

What I can say is when Emerald was in Europe this year, at the very start of the season (2nd cruise in Europe) SHARE was very quiet the first night we went, but busier the second with a few others also having their second visit of the cruise. There were only 2 waiters on duty both of those nights. On a subsequent cruise at the start of August SHARE was much busier with many tables taken and 5 waiters on duty. Speaking and listening to others sat around us some were there for their 4th visit of the cruise. Never in any of the 3 visits were we 'encouraged' to share the dishes. The concept was explained as served 'family style' so if you wanted to try or share each of the dishes you could. If there was an ingredient that you could not eat for some reason in any of the dishes then they were happy to change the preparation. I loved the beef cheek pie but can't eat mushrooms so they made one without them.

 

Could I dare venture to suggest that perhaps regional tastes might have an impact on the appeal of SHARE and Salty Dog? I don't mean that to be a bad thing. It is well known that 'original' food from a region can vary greatly in appeal and taste to others in different regions - even Coke has different recipes for different parts of the world. Several Indian dishes that are served in the UK are completely unknown to India, and some pasta dishes would horrify the Italians.

 

On the Australian based ships, SHARE operates differently with an a la carte menu with individual pricing and different items to what was on the Emerald while it was in Europe. Possibly Princess are trying a couple of different ways of offering the new specialty places and will make changes based on what they see working, or not. I would expect them to give it at least a full year before changing anything.

 

That was a bit longer than I intended..sorry.

Edited October 22, 2016 by SwissDave

[Geoffa30]

I don't think that's it. SHARE was a bold, progessive move toward contemporary cuisine (as opposed to formulaic steakhouse or Italian.) They just hitched their wagon to the wrong horse. Had it been SHARE by Jean-George, or SHARE by Mario Batali, or SHARE by Grant Achatz, it might have been a huge hit. Curtis Stone simply doesn't have the name, reputation or pedigree to pull this off.

 

So if it was the exact same food but associated with a more well known American name it would have been a success? I'm not so sure. Not to be negative as we love the Princess product but their cruisers seem very much a 'steak n lobster' crowd who do not like change.

[SwissDave]

I don't think that's it. SHARE was a bold, progessive move toward contemporary cuisine (as opposed to formulaic steakhouse or Italian.) They just hitched their wagon to the wrong horse. Had it been SHARE by Jean-George, or SHARE by Mario Batali, or SHARE by Grant Achatz, it might have been a huge hit. Curtis Stone simply doesn't have the name, reputation or pedigree to pull this off.

 

I don't actually know anyone in Europe who has heard of Curtis Stone (and I don't know any of the others you mention above either). Which made my decision to try the food there 'neutral' as I had no prior knowledge of and reputation, or lack of.

 

Perhaps SHARE by Gordon Ramsey might be more appealing.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I know that I'm in the minority because I loved my meals in Share and Salty Dog. Sorry that neither of these are on the Regal for my upcoming cruise.

 

People talk about how they sit and no one is in Share. In all my sailings I have never seen Sabitinis packed. On our last Regal sailing, there was maybe one other table in there the one night we were there and 3 the other night we were there. Obviously Princess realizes that some changes needed to be made so they tried to replace the restaurant with something else. They then misjudged their clientele by putting the menu from Share in there so they halted putting these on their other ships.

 

The menu for Share may not be for "main stream" tastes. So many say that nothing strikes them as sounding good. The "foam" that was on the menu sounded silly to many. I've had that at many other land based restaurants and it's quite interesting. Chops in Naples, FL has it on one of their appetizers for instance. The menu reminds me of many that I can find at high end restaurants here in Miami and in NYC. There is nothing out of the ordinary on the Share menu that I don't eat or find here weekly. Some of the items I have had in many other countries around the world make the Share menu look tame!

 

The menu at Crown Grill appeals to most because it's "mainstream". It's your typical steak restaurant menu that you will find in most town in the USA. People are comfortable with it.

 

I like trying different things and have been surprised many times that finding out that something that sounded odd to me ended up being amazing. I'm also happy to see Princess making changes. If they kept everything the same we wouldn't have things like the International Cafe or Chef's dinner or the new menu at Sabitinis.

 

It's all just my opinion and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'll be sorry to see Share go as I really like both the decor and the food but will look forward to trying whatever they replace it with when they do.

[RJ2002]

I cannot comment on Share, but on our recent Ruby cruise, the Salty Dog was moderately full each night.

[shredie]

His/her comments were very dismissive of people who like SHARE.

 

I didn't read it that way, but I do know there are some who are very dismissive of people who don't like SHARE. I was last on Ruby right before the SHAREification of Sabatini's, so I haven't been tempted. I am a fan of the Sabatini's on Crown, the location, specifically. I like to eat my chicken entree while watching the beautiful view out the back windows. :) Another thing I like about it is the fact that I can order another chicken if I want to without paying an additional charge over and above the first $29 upcharge. At the risk of being called a tasteless hick (and other charming things, as has happened to me more than once here), I am not tempted by SHARE because nothing on the menu appeals to me, and I am not willing to pay $39 to taste something I don't want to eat. Don't knock it until you try it? I'm not knocking it. I'm just saying I don't want to try it. As for Salty Dog, I was on the first cruise on the Crown after they debuted it. The way they plopped down the fast-food style tables in the middle of the nautical decor just didn't work for me. I declined to pay an extra $19 for sitting at one of those tables. (BTW, I sat in one when the restaurant was not yet open, and I found the chair uncomfortable.) So here's someone who does not find either new restaurant appealing. Maybe I'm one of thousands not dining there?

[JimmyVWine]

so if it was the exact same food but associated with a more well known american name it would have been a success? I'm not so sure.

lol!!

[Coral]

I don't think that's it. SHARE was a bold, progessive move toward contemporary cuisine (as opposed to formulaic steakhouse or Italian.) They just hitched their wagon to the wrong horse. Had it been SHARE by Jean-George, or SHARE by Mario Batali, or SHARE by Grant Achatz, it might have been a huge hit. Curtis Stone simply doesn't have the name, reputation or pedigree to pull this off.

 

IMO - Curtis Stone name is pretty well known, at least in the US as well as his home country. I don't know about Europe.

[brian1]

I won't dispute that. But the component parts that comprise the meal scream "lunch", "appetizers" or "side dishes" to me. (With the exception of the short ribs and pork cheek.) And portion quantity aside, this is marketed as the home of a gourmet burger and that cannot be divorced from the $19 price tag.

 

• Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup? Classic lunch fare.
  
• Crab cake? An appetizer or a side dish.
  
• Calamari? A ubiquitous appetizer.
  
• Mushroom saute? Grilled asparagus? Roasted cauliflower? Beets? Vegetables that should accompany an entree and not count as one of the three items you are limited to ordering.
  
• Mac-n-cheese? I've only eaten this at lunch.
  
• Poutine? An appetizer to share amongst the table like nachos or potato skins.
  

 

All of this might be terrific. But it seems better suited as supplements to the Pub Lunch menu or as a new "for a fee" option that is available for both lunch and dinner. I'll bet that if they removed the short ribs and pork cheek option, lowered the price to $12, and served this for lunch, it would sell out every day. $19 for dinner? Not so much.

OMG is that really the menu,this stuff is in the lunch buffet every day,youd have to pay me $19 to eat that crap for dinner.Does fondue still exist,when I got married in 1975 I thought,please dont anyone buy us another fondue set,every one was dumped,just saying,cheers,Brian.

[cruzsnooze]

Here's the menu you may only pick 3

 

Emmenthal & Gruyere Grilled cheese sandwich with creamed white tomato soup

 

Maryland style jumbo lump Crab cake

 

Calamari Frites

 

Wild Mushroom saute Porcini, potabello & ****aki crispy poached egg, oregano smoked scamorza, truffle - garlic puree, lemon zest

 

Grilled asparagus & Toasted Haloumi Cheese Lemon shallot vinaigarette smoked almonds

 

Pale Ale Pork Cheek cauliflower polenta roasted leeks, thyme apple puree

 

Duck Confit and chicory salad

 

salted roasted Heirloom beets goat cheese fondue burnt orange puree

 

LobsterMac-n-cheese

 

Beef short rib Poutine

 

The Ernesto burger

[JimmyVWine]

IMO - Curtis Stone name is pretty well known, at least in the US as well as his home country. I don't know about Europe.

But he is mostly known for hawking goods on the Home Shopping Network. He does not have a restaurant empire to substantiate his name the way Jean-George, Mario, Bobby or Grant do. I've never seen any list of "Top 100" restaurants (U.S. or worldwide) that included any project with which he is connected. He just isn't "it" enough to carry an eponymous venture. And I think this is being proved in spades.

[CoffeHound]

We did both SHARE and the Salty Dog on our Emerald cruise in August.

 

SHARE was okay. Menu was limited and the food too rich / fatty. Not really worth $39. Despite being told when we booked that it would be busy, there were four or five tables occupied. We actually liked the decor but the chairs were uncomfortable. We decided we wouldn't go again.

 

Salty Dog was much better and so much more than the burger. Definitely worth $19 but the setting isn't great. The high tops are not gastro pub in any way and it felt like sitting in a corridor. The decor in SHARE is more gastro pub. It was generally busier than SHARE and sometimes packed. Was popular with crew. We would go again.

 

We have done Crown Grill a couple of times. Never really been that impressed. For me, who doesn't like seafood, the appetisers are limited. We wouldn't go again. Not worth $29.

 

The speciality restaurants on Celebrity are much better. Murano especially which is as good as some Michelin starred London restaurants.

 

Perhaps Princess might roll out the new French and Cantonese concepts that are to be on the Majestic Princess. We are really looking forward to trying them next April. :)

 

My sister and me did the salty dog on the Crown and then Share on the Ruby last month. Part of the reason we booked the two short cruises on these ships was to try the different restaurants as the Grand has become our "default" since we live right across the bay from San Francisco.

 

We are both vegetarians, so we are used to having a slightly different take on things since a lot of places that do omnivore cuisine really well - vegetarian and vegan not so much.

 

We both really enjoyed the Salty Dog but we had to sit at one of the coffee tables because we are both too short to reach the foot rests on the high chairs making it really really uncomfortable and I have some mobility challenges and I have to agree that the seating arrangements are not great for people like me. I'm not sure that I would do it again because of the combination of the seating and the price not being a great value in my opinion, but the food we had was good and the service was very good.

 

As to SHARE, I would not do it again. It definitely was not a good value for the money. I think it offered about the same amount of food, choice and quality as the Salty Dog for vegetarians but cost twice as much. Also, I found the selection of wine by the glass really disappointing. I think there were two whites and three reds? That is simply not enough variety to match wines with courses when you are doing multiple small bites (and they ARE small bites/tapas type things). I felt like Princess deliberately did it that way to force people to purchase bottles of wine if they wanted a decent selection.

 

During our two very short cruises I saw two other tables being used in the Salty Dog on the Crown, and one other table at SHARE when we sat down, and one other couple come in while we were dining. We also saw 4 or 5 other couples or groups come to the podium ask to see the menu and decide SHARE was not for them. I didn't really go check on the other 2 nights of our Ruby cruise so I am not sure if it was more full on those nights.

 

Honestly, I thought the food was good but maybe the implementation of both of these concepts is just a little off for the average Princess cruiser?

[Coral]

But he is mostly known for hawking goods on the Home Shopping Network. He does not have a restaurant empire to substantiate his name the way Jean-George, Mario, Bobby or Grant do. I've never seen any list of "Top 100" restaurants (U.S. or worldwide) that included any project with which he is connected. He just isn't "it" enough to carry an eponymous venture. And I think this is being proved in spades.

 

I knew of him probably 6-7 years ago and not from Home Shopping Network. He was on the Food Network (or another similar channel) and did some cooking shows. He also did a BBQ stint with a regional grocery store many years ago. I have used his recipes and actually like him. What I don't like is the menu that (he) used on Princess. I have not tried Share and have no desire to do so. I think with a different menu/concept, it could be successful. I think he is a good chef - just poor choice of menu choices. Not sure if Princess or he was reaching for something that Princess clientele did not find desirable.

 

Celebrity has used some high named chefs for their dining room menus and none seemed to last that long either which surprised me.

[Astro Flyer]

OMG is that really the menu,this stuff is in the lunch buffet every day,youd have to pay me $19 to eat that crap for dinner.Does fondue still exist,when I got married in 1975 I thought,please dont anyone buy us another fondue set,every one was dumped,just saying,cheers,Brian.

Based on the Princess dining options, Fondues has gone the way of the midnight buffet & is no longer an option.

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/food-and-dining/dining-options.pdf

 

The Salty Dog's menu: http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/specialty-restaurants/the-salty-dog-gastropub/salty-dog-menu.pdf

[IECalCruiser]

SHARE and Salty Dog have NOT been rolled out to other ships as originally planned.

 

Seems they are not the success Princess thought they would be.

SHARE was not rolled out on the Coral as originally advertised. The original announcement did not include any other ships. I believe that the Crown, Emerald and Ruby are the only three ships with existing food service capability in the Wheelhouse Bar. It would probably be quite costly to roll out on any other ships.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cruzsnooze]

Based on the Princess dining options, Fondues has gone the way of the midnight buffet & is no longer an option.

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/food-and-dining/dining-options.pdf

 

The Salty Dog's menu: http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/specialty-restaurants/the-salty-dog-gastropub/salty-dog-menu.pdf

 

The FONDUE is on your menu, third down on the right, Heirloom Beets and goat cheese fondue.

Edited October 22, 2016 by cruzsnooze