Specialty Restaurant Pricing Out Of Control

[wallyj]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I heard from one of my clients that it was because she was looking at it in her cruise planner but it was originally purchased through her husbands.  It could be cancelled through her husbands account.

Thanks @Ourusualbeach, I was pretty sure you knew the answer one way or another.

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

MDR is a total disaster with cold food and poor selections.

Not for us.  MDR is totally adequate and some selections are heavenly IMHO...to each their own.  I have been perfectly happy with the food on RCCL for 25 years, albeit quality has diminished somewhat.  Just don't think paying extra will get you much, but I enjoy the food in both MDR and Windjammer.

 

Food is highly subjective.  Glad I don't have your high standards.  Happy dining.

[rudeney]

9 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

Food is highly subjective.  Glad I don't have your high standards.  Happy dining.

 

I totally agree!  I don't really have high standards, but there are places I avoid because their food is either not very good to me.  For example, I cannot stand Applebee's.  I call it "boiler bag" food.  They don't prepare many things fresh (the tell-tale sign of this is when you can't order a dish without an ingredient).  Not only that, most of their food is loaded with empty carbs, and the scarce meat is either horribly overcooked or very poor, tough cuts. 

 

On the other hand, I can be just as happy with a $25 steak dinner at Texas Roadhouse as a $125 one at Ruth's Chris.  Of course the Ruth's Chris steak is better, but not 5x better to me.  I have also had some ridiculously expensive meals (expense account for entertaining clients) that were amazing, but again, I can be just as happy with much less expensive meals.  Even a really good handmade burger is good for me.  

[Mapleleafforever]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

Not for us.  MDR is totally adequate and some selections are heavenly IMHO...to each their own.  I have been perfectly happy with the food on RCCL for 25 years, albeit quality has diminished somewhat.  Just don't think paying extra will get you much, but I enjoy the food in both MDR and Windjammer.

 

Food is highly subjective.  Glad I don't have your high standards.  Happy dining.

The MDR experience is ok if you go in there with the mindset that Royal is a budget friendly cruise line. It won't be Celebrity quality but we're also not paying Celebrity prices. 

 

Having said that we will still be eating in the WJ and specialty restaurants only as we find the MDR experience to be toooooo looonnnnnngggggggg. 

 

 

[BecciBoo]

Exactly.  I am pretty easy to please though.  Anything but gristly meat, can't stand chewy meat.  Trying to think of a dish in MDR that I just detest.....mmmm....really can't pinpoint one.  Bottom line, I don't expect a 5 star meal so I am satisfied... mostly.  I think Celebrity is only a tad better.  Carni wasn't any better at all for me. Can't speak for any other line.  Maybe someday...now that we are D+ and there's no hope of making Pineapple.

 

There are things that I look forward to having over and over.  The Caesar salad for one and the rolls for another.  And the lamb, duck and Pork chops...mmm.

Edited September 5, 2022 by BecciBoo

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, Mapleleafforever said:

The MDR experience is ok if you go in there with the mindset that Royal is a budget friendly cruise line. It won't be Celebrity quality but we're also not paying Celebrity prices. 

 

Having said that we will still be eating in the WJ and specialty restaurants only as we find the MDR experience to be toooooo looonnnnnngggggggg. 

 

 

We love late seating, a large table and a loooooonnnnnnngggggg dinner. Many times we are one of the last tables to leave.  Always have a 3 night specialty for alone time. 

[Ride-The-Waves]

Royal appears to be practicing a "New Normal" for cruising: "cheap" fares and horrendously expenses "extras."  Which is okay by me since we don't use the "extras" to include the now overpriced beverage packages to go along with the overpriced specialty restaurants.  Maybe Royal is hoping people don't notice and once on board just buy and buy thinking they are getting a deal.  We plan on not doing that.  We don't need, or want, $15 water downed drinks or $70 dinners.  Do want a nice cruise without the hassle.  

[Mirrasis]

I’m fine with the MDRs. But the cabanas cost more than the cruise fair. Lol

[JupiterTwo]

My wife and I always enjoyed the late seating at the MDR. We loved meeting new people and settling down for a nice dinner and taking turns telling each other about our day.

 

Our first cruise together was on Norwegian, right after they changed to Freestyle dining, so it was mostly specialty restaurants. We enjoyed the French restaurant and steakhouse. The Italian restaurant was too salty. We tried their MDR twice, which was essentially MyTime dining. The first time they sat us at a table for four with an elderly Cuban couple. The husband pretended to not speak English, so the wife would translate. Not a fun evening. The second time we were seated at a table for eight, with people from Ireland, Canada, and two other states. It was a blast! On the last evening, we were able to get into the last seating at the Teppanyaki restaurant, which we really enjoyed.

 

For our 9-night Mediterranean cruise, we had a nice group, two other couples at a table for eight on the Brilliance. It was for my wife's 50th birthday, which fell on the Venice overnight. I think we ate at Chops for one night.

 

Our go-to ship has been the Liberty out of Galveston, which only has Chops, Giovanni's, and Sabor, so we ate mostly at the MDR, with one night at Chops. Again, we always had a great group of people at our table (we always asked to be seated at large tables with other couples).

 

Our only exception has been when we sailed on the Disney Wonder when it would stop at Galveston. Their fine-dining restaurant is Palo's, which is nothing like the specialty restaurants on RCL. We always made a dinner reservation for one evening, and also did the brunch on a sea day. We did two sailings on the Wonder.

 

Our Alaska cruise was with Princess and it was our first cruise in a full suite. We enjoyed the suite breakfast (in the Italian restaurant on the Island Princess), and ate at the club class section at a table for two each night. We met a nice older couple at the cordoned-off suite happy hour section of the main bar, and were often seated next to them for dinner. No specialty dining on this cruise.

 

Our last cruise (pre-covid) was a B2B on the Enchantment in a grand suite, so Chops was the only specialty choice. I think we ate there once on each leg. Otherwise, we did breakfast in Chops and MyTime on one leg and the late seating MDR on the other. We asked for a large group, but were seated with a small family from Sweden who had an autistic teenage son. We didn't want to offend them by asking to change, and we actually got along well with them and their son opened up to us.

 

Now we're booked on the Allure for next April out of Galveston, which will be our 25th anniversary. We've never been on a ship this size, the Liberty being our largest. We will be in an Owner's Suite, so will enjoy the suite breakfasts. We're not crazy about the Coastal Kitchen menus, but the occasional lunch or dinner menu is acceptable to say we tried it. I did buy the Izumi Hibachi dinner for the second night, which will at least be freshly made in front of us. Otherwise we will again have late-seating MDR and will play it by ear for specialty restaurants. I guess we'll try the occasional meal at one of the Central Park restaurants at some point.

[vjmatty]

7 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

  For example, I cannot stand Applebee's.  I call it "boiler bag" food.  They don't prepare many things fresh (the tell-tale sign of this is when you can't order a dish without an ingredient).  Not only that, most of their food is loaded with empty carbs, and the scarce meat is either horribly overcooked or very poor, tough cuts. 

 

 

Applebees is also the MOST vegetarian-unfriendly restaurant chain I’ve ever experienced, almost to the point of being hostile. Even their salads and pastas all

have meat, and if you order without, there is no drop in price. Most chains order prepared food from Sysco so I try to avoid them. 

[mauraoel]

Becci, 

 

I get the Cesar salad every dinner.  I will change up the appetizers but the only night I don't get the Cesar is when they have caprese salad.

 

I have never had a bad meal in the dining room and I get more Ruth Chris and Flemings than anyone really needs, Jeff's a favorite of our CEO.

 

5 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

Exactly.  I am pretty easy to please though.  Anything but gristly meat, can't stand chewy meat.  Trying to think of a dish in MDR that I just detest.....mmmm....really can't pinpoint one.  Bottom line, I don't expect a 5 star meal so I am satisfied... mostly.  I think Celebrity is only a tad better.  Carni wasn't any better at all for me. Can't speak for any other line.  Maybe someday...now that we are D+ and there's no hope of making Pineapple.

 

There are things that I look forward to having over and over.  The Caesar salad for one and the rolls for another.  And the lamb, duck and Pork chops...mmm.

 

[fisherguy]

On 9/4/2022 at 4:29 AM, CGinMTL said:

Agreed. It took me about 15 cruises before we even stepped inside a specialty restaurant. We enjoyed the main dining room and the experience of new people. 

Was on adventure in June and wanted to treat my boyfriend to nice steak ( was his birthday and his 1st cruise) I decided chops for lunch was a good price point 

.

Agree on supply and demand. As long as people pay,.

Also, it is marketing. They want people to buy the package. So individual items need to be priced high so the package becomes a good deal 

 

 

I took my first cruise in 1987.  Back then it was all about the food and service.  There was the  extravagance of the midnight buffets every night and the french service provided at the MDR.  Caesar Salad made fresh at your table.  Pasta's and Cherries Jubilee also right at your table.  Wait staff had only two tables to serve.  Not much else to do on the ship itself.  A couple of production shows in the Main Theater.  A small cinema and that was about it.  Rooms were basic and an outside cabin was a splurge.  My have things changed.

 

 

[Lady_E]

13 hours ago, Mirrasis said:

I’m fine with the MDRs. But the cabanas cost more than the cruise fair. Lol

I know! We're sailing to Bermuda on Sunday and I couldn't believe the cabana prices. 1299 for a cabana! That's more than the cruise!

[Morecruisesplz]

16 hours ago, fisherguy said:

I took my first cruise in 1987.  Back then it was all about the food and service.  There was the  extravagance of the midnight buffets every night and the french service provided at the MDR.  Caesar Salad made fresh at your table.  Pasta's and Cherries Jubilee also right at your table.  Wait staff had only two tables to serve.  Not much else to do on the ship itself.  A couple of production shows in the Main Theater.  A small cinema and that was about it.  Rooms were basic and an outside cabin was a splurge.  My have things changed.

 

 

Yes! Im starting to think that was a much more enjoyable experience. 

[Morecruisesplz]

8 hours ago, Lady_E said:

I know! We're sailing to Bermuda on Sunday and I couldn't believe the cabana prices. 1299 for a cabana! That's more than the cruise!

Someone will pay it. That is the problem!

[Mirrasis]

Yep I was just looking. $2400 on a holiday week and they are sold out!

[BirdTravels]

By comparison, the competitor's steakhouse is a la carte (prices + 20% gratuity). If you order a steak, you get a steak. Want a potato,,, $8. Want some spinach,,, $8. 

 

 

[time4u2go]

3 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

By comparison, the competitor's steakhouse is a la carte (prices + 20% gratuity). If you order a steak, you get a steak. Want a potato,,, $8. Want some spinach,,, $8. 

 

 

Who is "the competitor"? 

[bigeagle12]

Guess I’ll stick with Princess’s specialty restaurants.  They are still $25 for Italian and $29 for steakhouse. 

[shellunderwater]

On 9/4/2022 at 3:44 AM, FionaMG said:

 

I do. That to me is a sensible mark up when you've already paid for food in your fare. I once managed to get a BOGO before its sad demise that worked out at even less. I'm waiting till I get to D+ now to have dinner in the speciality restaurants unless I can haggle the price down on board.

1) Remeber when gasoline in the US was $0.35?  Yep.

2) what is the value of a freshly prepared steak in the middle of the ocean?  Just like an $7-$8 cold beer in the middle if the ocean.

 

Ah yes, I once managed to get....  I remember the old days well.

[Wineaux007]

We just booked lunch in Chops on an upcoming cruise.  I was surprised to see from the Royal invoice in the Cruise Planner that they had added the gratuity to the purchase.  In the past I can't recall having to pay gratuity with the purchase of any specialty restaurant.  I thought it was included in the price.  Is this something new?  Last time we paid for a Chops Lunch on sale in the Cruise Planner, the price was the price.  We just tipped at our discretion.   

[Morecruisesplz]

29 minutes ago, shellunderwater said:

1) Remeber when gasoline in the US was $0.35?  Yep.

2) what is the value of a freshly prepared steak in the middle of the ocean?  Just like an $7-$8 cold beer in the middle if the ocean.

 

Ah yes, I once managed to get....  I remember the old days well.

Gas was not 35 cents in the time we are discussing. 

[cruisecontrol27]

On 9/5/2022 at 2:46 PM, BecciBoo said:

There are things that I look forward to having over and over.  The Caesar salad for one and the rolls for another.  And the lamb, duck and Pork chops...mmm.

 This reminded me of my first time ever on RCI as a teen, on the first night in MDR all of us at the "kids" table ordered caesar salads and molten chocolate cakes for dessert. We then proceeded to have caesar salads and molten chocolate cakes every night for the remainder of the cruise. I'd say I still get them at least once out of nostalgia, but who am I kidding - they're pretty great

[philpcruiser]

On 9/4/2022 at 7:11 AM, SargassoPirate said:

The basic law of the marketplace is to charge what the traffic will bear.  If people line up to pay almost $70.00 extra when an included meal is available in the MDR or the Foodjammer, then that's what the cruise line will charge.  

 

 

Unfortunately, you are correct.  Until there is no line at the door, they'll continue to raise prices.

[gkbiiii]

Well, my time on the Virgin Scarlet Lady, showed me that it is possible to eat at specialty dining that would do well in Miami Beach.  Best of all, unlike with Royal, all was included in cruise fare, including gratuities!