Specialty Dining on Anthem of the Seas

[MyMuse]

I'm going on my first solo cruise (third cruise overall) on Anthem sailing December 12th. It's a 12 night cruise and I was eyeing the 7 day unlimited dining package which seems to have sold out. They are currently offering a three and five day dining package.

 

My question is: Are one of these two packages worth it? The last cruise I went on was Allure of the Seas in 2013 and I did not partake in any of the specialty dining. I remember being very impressed by the food available in the regular dining room. 

 

-Keith

[Tee & Chilli]

Food taste is subjective however we really enjoyed Wonderland, Chops and Jamie’s on the Anthem. Some people  enjoy the UDP while others feel it’s too much and prefer only a few nights. 

[Sunshine3601]

You can view the menus to get an idea of whether or not you feel it is worth it.

Another great option at no extra cost is dinner in solarium bistro.  

We are booked for a b2b on anthem for 2 11 night cruises and are going to do 3 night dining package and probably do 2 nights in solarium bistro for each cruise then mdr for the rest of the nights.  

Remember formal nights...first one will be 2nd night and another one 2nd to last night of the cruise.  

[alexgtp]

Yes well worth it, if you enjoy only eating at specialty dining. 

 

This ship is very limited. I mean how many times can you honestly do Wonderland?

 

So your 4 options are:

Chops

Jamie's

Izumi

Johnny Rocket's

 

So if you are ok with lunch and dinner at 4 places i say go for it. 

 

Wish they had a Playmaker's and Teppanyaki. 

[brillohead]

18 hours ago, MyMuse said:

My question is: Are one of these two packages worth it? The last cruise I went on was Allure of the Seas in 2013 and I did not partake in any of the specialty dining. I remember being very impressed by the food available in the regular dining room. 

 

-Keith

Your last sentence is the one that means the most to me.  

I've cruised enough on Royal lately to be at the Diamond level, soon to be D+, and I personally don't feel the need to spend my money on specialty dining because I'm totally happy with the food in the Main Dining Room.  

I'm not a "foodie" who craves Michelin-starred cuisine at every meal.  Honestly, I'm just thrilled to not have to shop for, prepare, serve, and clean up for my meals on a cruise ship.  I have NEVER gone hungry on a cruise, and the few times I just didn't care for an entree in the MDR, lunch or dinner, I simply set it aside and didn't eat it.  If you want something else, the staff will gladly fetch you a different plate.

Some people complain that the repetitive menus (same items on each cruise) get boring, but for me, I see it almost as "comfort food" -- being on a cruise is my happy place, so seeing some of my "regular" food items is like going home for the holidays and having Grandma's stuffing or Aunt Gertrude's pecan pie.  
 

With that being said, I have actually dined in a few specialty restaurants when I was with others and they were treating me for a special occasion.  I have never gone hungry in a specialty restaurant, either. 

 

But for me, personally, the "value" just isn't there for me to justify spending the money on a meal in a specialty restaurant.  I'd much rather spend $50 on a snorkeling excursion on an island.  Other people would feel the exact opposite (and that's totally okay, too).  That's why I tell people that to me, cruising is the perfect way to vacation because you can do as much or as little as you want, both activity-wise and money-wise.  Two people can go on the exact same cruise and have completely polar-opposite vacations and both be completely thrilled with their experiences.  

If you're not feeling particularly compelled to do specialty dining, maybe consider doing a lunch at one of the restaurants to get a feel for it.  The menu is smaller scale than the dinner menu, and the price is smaller too.  If you really enjoy it and think it's something you'd be interested in doing more of, you can go ahead and purchase a 3-meal package or just a single dinner somewhere.  And if afterward you're thinking, "yeah, it was good, but I'd have been just as happy if I'd had lunch in the MDR or buffet," then you can continue the rest of your cruise happy with your choice.

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by brillohead

[dahirsh]

On Anthem I have (and would again) done the three night package.  Jamie's, Wonderland and Chops.