Specialty Dining - Is it worth the price?

[Ken the cruiser]

We've been hearing the specialty restaurants on the Eclipse are at least $50 per person. This seems a little steep when compared to the $15-$35 for eating at special restaurants on HAL and $30-35 on Crystal and Oceania if you want to dine at one of their specialty restaurants once you exceed the number of visits you are allotted based on your room category.

 

Our question: Is the food THAT much better than eating in the main dining room? We're getting ready to go on a 25 day cruise on the Eclipse and will probably eat at one or two of them. However, it would be nice to know which ones are the best (if any) and which ones aren't worth the extra cost.

[AnOnymously]

We ate in Tuscan Grill on Constellation instead of Blu, it was great, but we did have a 30% discount and onboard credit to waste.

[zzrobot]

I agree, 50.00 seems too high compared to the other cruise lines. And there is not even a steakhouse !

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I'm not sure of the price for each restaurant but $50 is the highest cost and I know it applies to Muranos. Most of the time you can get a discount of at least 20% and often 50% for specialty restaurants. You can also book packages that will bring down the cost. If I had to choose specialty dining on Eclipse I would pick Muranos first. Tuscan is an Italian steak house and it is ok. We like the choices at Qsine but it is better with 4 or more so that you can sample a wider variety of food. Sushi on 5 lists ala cart pricing but I have seen posts that they sometimes offer fixed pricing, I guess it depends on the number of passengers dining there.

[keesar]

The cost is $50 for Murano and $45 for the others. After our last visit to Tuscan Grill, we will not eat there no matter what the discount. We don't care for the new menu. I think Murano is probably worth the up charge.

 

Discounts will vary depending on supply and demand. On a recent cruise, there were only discounts available on the first night. 30%

[Hatteras51]

We just got off Equinox. We purchased a 3 night package on board for 30% off. We had read on here that Tuscan had declined, but decided to give it a try. We both had filet mignon and felt that it was the best steak that we'd ever had. We loved it so much that we booked there again. The pasta carbonara and the lobster pasta were very good. We also dined at Muranos, which is also excellent.

[vvnh16a]

For a $50 up charge at Murano's...we were disappointed on our recent cruise on the Eclipse.......think about it its an additional $100 per couple for decent food you can already get in the main dining area. Believe me they have reached their max at $50 and will most likely be thinking of other ideas in the future!

[tanzania2015]

We've been hearing the specialty restaurants on the Eclipse are at least $50 per person. This seems a little steep when compared to the $15-$35 for eating at special restaurants on HAL and $30-35 on Crystal and Oceania if you want to dine at one of their specialty restaurants once you exceed the number of visits you are allotted based on your room category.

 

 

 

Our question: Is the food THAT much better than eating in the main dining room? We're getting ready to go on a 25 day cruise on the Eclipse and will probably eat at one or two of them. However, it would be nice to know which ones are the best (if any) and which ones aren't worth the extra cost.

 

 

 

We eat 90% of the time in the specialty restaurants because of the service and the less hurried atmosphere. We book specialty dinners for the full cruise less two nights. The package price is normally about 25 to 30 dollars per person per dinner. Our top restaurant is the Murano followed by the Qsine, Tuscan, and Silk Harvest (depending on the ship.). My wife and I enjoy the Qsine small plates to share. We have also discovered that you don't have to order the entire plate. Example, we only order the sashimi on the sushi lollipops, only one meatballs of the meatball trilogy, and the lamb and chili on the M's Special, only one of three spring rolls etc.

 

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

I've only eaten in the MDR a couple of times and wasn't pleased with the food or atmosphere (children running around, it was loud, etc.), so I only eat in the specialty restaurants. I definitely feel that it is worth the price to eat in them. I particularly like Cagney's and the Teppanyaki restaurant.

[Cruise Raider]

Unless there is a discount or a comped meal, I don't think we would go. On the S-class, we've only sailed on the Solstice and Equinox but several times each on these two ships. I am not a huge fan of the Tuscan Grill so would never consider purchasing a meal there. I love Silk Harvest and have been lucky to get at least a 35% discount. Murano is amazing ... but actually like the lunches they offer there as much as dinner at a lesser price. Is it worth $50 pp? I wouldn't do it ... but it is really good.

[jelayne]

On a 25 night cruise we would go to a speciality restaurant 2-4 times. You should be able to get a discount on the first night of both legs at a minimum.

 

We enjoy Tuscan for the filet, it is excellent. The Rib eye steak isn't great and pasta is ok. We haven't been to Murano in awhile but it seems to be a favorite of a lot of people. Qzine is fun with a group of 6 or so. You may make friends with others and organize a dinner, we have done that couples we have met during cocktail hour. Don't hesitate to ask for a discount if it isn't offered when making a reservation.

 

On long cruises we usually eat in the buffet 1 or 2 nights. It isn't crowded at night and at the back of the buffet they have a station where they will cook your chicken, salmon. steak to order. On a warm evening it is great to sit outside and enjoy a quiet casual dinner.

[eandj]

Food is subjective. We find the meals in the mdr pretty good. Some choices better than others. We occasionally choose a specialty on two week cruises mainly for the change of venue and to use obc.

 

 

People spend money all different ways. Hard to say if YOU find the restaurants "worth it".

 

There is often a staff member making specialty reservations right outside the buffet during lunch hours. If lots of vacancies, you can often get a reduced cost..usually 20-30 % off.

[Ken the cruiser]

Thank you all for your sharing your experiences. It has definitely been enlightening. As it stands right now we have an early seating table for 2 reserved in the MDR for all 25 days.

 

Some folks have mentioned getting various discounts up to 35% at different specialty restaurants. Do you periodically get these delivered to your room or do you have to request them? Also, it sounds like purchasing a specialty dining package might be the best way to go if we decide to try a few. Is it better to order this package before we leave or wait until we get on the ship? Since we're at the Select level, I know we got a discount when we ordered an Internet package beforehand. Does it work the same way for dining packages?

[IBsaved]

We just got off the Equinox and had made reservations at the Tuscan Grill even before we boarded for our anniversary. We got a call the day before saying that they were going to have a special menu that night. Why we don't know but it was such a disappointment. The lobster was chewy and there wasn't much of a choice on the menu. They increased the price to $60 each on top of it! All I wanted was spaghetti and meatballs! Oh well, we won't do that again! We did eat in Murano on the advice of one of the gentlemen on the art staff and it was very good but not worth the $50pp IMHO. We're not fans of French food but I guess we'll have to get used to it as we're going on a river cruise next year in France! Everyone has different tastes but we enjoyed the buffet more than the specialty restaurants.

[miched]

Deleted for being a duplicate post

[miched]

17 cruises on Celebrity and never been to one. I can’t justify the cost. Been to one Princess and two on Carnival because we won the first one and then went again as they were only $20 pp at the time but we stopped going because we would end up eating too much and felt uncomfortable like we were ready to burst. I guess we aren’t “foodies” for whatever that means but my guess it is see food and eat It all because it is there.

 

This is my opinion and it doesn’t mean anything as I can’t justify any suite, getting a massage on board or playing $25 slots. Mostly because I can’t afford doing it. 🤑😱

 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[mek]

No, because it's just too much food and unlike home, can't take leftovers home or share an entree. Just wasted food for us.

[riclop]

Only you can decide that.

[Payd]

At full price we won't choose specialty restaurants.

 

A vote for Quisine without a group. My husband and I took a 30% off deal and had a lovely time. Just the two of us. I would do it again. The painter's palette filet mignon...a small filet with 5 sauces was decadent. So many choices and your waiter will be happy to advise. Fabulous experience!

 

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[Luvcrusn]

The only specialty we feel is worth it is Murano. That being said, we usually get a discount, sometimes up to 50% (although that is rare, usually about 30%). The lobster, prepared tableside, and the rack of lamb are our favorites there and the service has always been outstanding. We don't eat at Tuscan any more. We think it's more like an upscale chain restaurant and even though it's less expensive than Murano ($45 instead of $50) we won't eat there even with a 50% discount. The food in the MDR is good. I don't know what cruise the poster was on that mentioned children running around the MDR, or what time they were dining, but on all of our cruises we've never seen it. We generally dine in traditional dining second seating (8:30 PM), maybe that's why, or the fact that we tend to take longer cruises that are not during holidays or spring break, but we've noticed far fewer young children than we've seen on other cruise lines. If you are not picky on dining day or time, Murano reservations can usually be had and we've often been offered discounts. Sometimes we see people from the other specialty restaurants (especially Tuscan offering deals and when we tell them we're not interested, but would be interested in Murano they make a deal. On the M class ships, we skip specialties completely now that they have removed Ocean Liners (like Murano, formerly identical menus). We're perfectly happy with the MDR or with Blu if we're in Aqua Class.

Whether you choose to dine in one or more specialty restaurants, you will have a wonderful experience. Enjoy your cruise.

[keesar]

We also have never seen kids running around during dinner time on Celebrity.

 

When leaving the buffet, you will often be approached about discounts. Usually, they are for less desirable times and for select restaurants. I don't care to eat after 9 pm, even on vacation. If you have a particular time, book either before the cruise or early in the cruise. The only one I think is worth the up charge is Murano.

[Jeremiah1212]

We think it is worth it because the food is better and because it's not the MDR. I haven't enjoyed eating in the MDR on any line we've been on yet. We never do traditional seating times so that may skew my perception, but I do not like it. I would skip the heavy meal and do a salad in the buffet rather than do the MDR. The atmosphere in most of the specialty restaurants is much more my speed.

[Sammigar]

So far, we've only done Millennium class, so we've only tried the Tuscan Grill and Q-sine. My opinion of the Tuscan Grill, and I'm sure others will disagree with me, but I don't feel it's worth the upcharge. Sure, the food is good. And the portion sizes, they are GI-NORMOUS! So big in fact, you can't even finish that meal you paid all that money for.

 

We really enjoy Q-Sine, and while it's also a substantial extra fee, the uniqueness of the experience along with the excellent food, makes us think it's worth it.

 

All that said, our next sailing is on the Silhouette and we plan to take our $300 OBC and purchase a dining package on board to sample the newer restaurants and of course Q-Sine.

[Luvcrusn]

So far, we've only done Millennium class, so we've only tried the Tuscan Grill and Q-sine. My opinion of the Tuscan Grill, and I'm sure others will disagree with me, but I don't feel it's worth the upcharge. Sure, the food is good. And the portion sizes, they are GI-NORMOUS! So big in fact, you can't even finish that meal you paid all that money for.

 

We really enjoy Q-Sine, and while it's also a substantial extra fee, the uniqueness of the experience along with the excellent food, makes us think it's worth it.

 

All that said, our next sailing is on the Silhouette and we plan to take our $300 OBC and purchase a dining package on board to sample the newer restaurants and of course Q-Sine.

Mutrano is our favorite. Wonderful tableside preparation of lobster is a can't miss. The service is impeccable. Also Lawn Club is good.

 

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[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Is the food that much better than the MDR? In my view, no. I told the Tuscan folks that I've had better risotto in the MDR. I've tried Tuscan three times and will never go back, even if it's included with my room. Qsine is fun with a group, not sure it's worth a huge upcharge. The atmosphere in the specialty restaurants is definitely better than the MDR--they are smaller venues. Whether that's worth $45-50/pp is up to you. I'd rather save my money for a good meal on shore. All the food on the ship has been previously frozen, they don't do fresh fish, vegetables, etc.