Specialty Restaurant Help on Reflection

[W283386]

We will be going on our 20th cruise this year.  We have never done any type of specialty dining.  We will be on the Reflection, and I noticed some first night dining discounts.  We live in a resort town and when we go to dinner there are always discounts for locals and it is rare if we ever spend more than $35 for the two of us.  The thought of paying $80 for us to eat a meal when we already have paid to eat in the main dining room, or the buffet, is my stumbling block.

 

My question is, "Will I be able to enjoy the meal if I already have this mental block in my head?  For that kind of money, I would expect one of the best meals of my life. The last two cruises we were in Luminae and Blu. The service and the atmosphere stood out more than the food.  The food was great, but I thought I would have been just as happy with the food from the dining room. 

 

So, with that background in mind, should we choose Muranos, Lawn Club Grille, Tuscany or just skip all of them?

 

[mahdnc]

I understand your stumbling block. Still, I think all three are worth trying once. 

[Reisdawg]

We loved the Lawn Club for the food and the atmosphere.  Tuscan Grill was ok but I would have enjoyed the main dining room the same.  I do like getting away from the larger crowds and enjoying the experiences in the specialty dining locations but we reduced to only one specialty night on our next cruise because we wanted to spend the money on other experiences.  

[NMTraveller]

Try it and see if you like it.  Everyone's tastes are different.  I get the specialty dining package at a discount and dine only in the specialty restaurants.  I would try Muranos first and see if you like it.

[jelayne]

With your mind set I would think if any Murano would be the best choice.  The Lawn Grill is very good but it may seem like dinner at any outdoor restaurant at home.  We are not big fans of Tuscan and you may feel LePetit Chef is too gimmicky- but may be an experience you don’t have at home.

[RICCruisers]

I think you should totally skip all specialty restaurants if you are used to paying $35.00 for 2 people.  

[Cruise a holic]

We typically stay in a suite and enjoy luminae for breakfast and some lunches.  However we do treat ourselves to specialty restaurants.  We love the lawn club grill, murano and Le Petit Chef- Tuscan grill ok but not the greatest.  We do not eat sushi so avoid sushi on five.  Also the Porch is excellent for lunch if you enjoy seafood.  

 

While all not necessary, a great special treat.  Enjoy your vacation.

[keesar]

If you have OBC to use, then try one of them.

 

 I expect you will be disappointed if you spend more than $35 per couple  in addition to your cruise fare and not get the meal of your lifetime.  

[SeaWatch12]

Allow me to recommend Murano as a worthwhile experience. We always have an incredible dinner there when on a S class ship. 
The M class ships had a comparable venue until they converted them to Tuscan Grill. 
I hope they never replace Murano on S class it’s always a highlight of the sailing. 
 

We are booked for our third Edge class ship. After that, I have a strong feeling it’ll be time to switch back to Millennium and Solstice class. As wonderful as the newest ships are, I’m ready for a bit more traditional ship. 
 

To the OP, enjoy the Reflection, it’s an excellent ship. 

[39august]

There is much more than sushi at Sushi on 5.  Check out the menu and prices when you get on board. We can eat for two for about $40. 

[Alakegirl]

Why feel like you have to overcome your negative mindset. Use your onboard credit or something else you will enjoy more

[jwlane]

11 hours ago, W283386 said:

 it is rare if we ever spend more than $35 for the two of us. 

It's rare if we spend LESS than $35 for the two of us in Dallas.  If one EVER worries about how much they're spending on a meal affects their dining experience,  I'd skip it.

Edited December 28, 2022 by jwlane

[dgparent]

As others have said Murano's is the best of the lot IMO. I have no idea how you can spend less than $35 for 2 people for dinner, especially since Covid. 

 

 

[George C]

Love the atmosphere and view and food of Tuscan on S class ships.

[Pinboy]

12 hours ago, W283386 said:

We will be going on our 20th cruise this year.  We have never done any type of specialty dining.

it is rare if we ever spend more than $35 for the two of us.

"Will I be able to enjoy the meal if I already have this mental block in my head?  

" 20th cruise--- never done a Specialty restaurant --- spend no more than $35 for two---already have a mental block "

Based on the above , especially the " mental block " why try now ?? 

It's no use spending the whole meal thinking " Did we do the right thing ? Is this " really" worth it ? "

There is an option you might try--- Go to the Specialty restaurant of your choice and tell them to call you when/if they are able to offer a discount.

LOL-- Where we live we can also spend $35 for 2 -------if one doesn't eat.

 

 

 

[keesar]

2 hours ago, dgparent said:

As others have said Murano's is the best of the lot IMO. I have no idea how you can spend less than $35 for 2 people for dinner, especially since Covid. 

 

 

 

Just like the OP,  we order from the dollar menu. 😀.  You can also order from the Children's Menu to keep the cost under $35.

[mnocket]

Just my 2 cents......  it sounds to me like eating in expensive restaurants is not something that you place a high value on at home. I'm not sure why it would be any different on a cruise ship.  I say skip the specialty restaurants. Spend your money on the things you value most.

Edited December 28, 2022 by mnocket

[cruisegirlppp]

We have done some specialty restaurants in the past but generally DH is not a foodie (more a big portion guy) and happy to eat in MDR. On the Reflection TA this year they offered a great discount for Le Petit Chef and others at our table recommended it. To my surprise he loved the whole experience and I see us doing this on future cruises. Moral of the story- you won't know what you might like unless you try something new. 

[WestLakeGirl]

I say skip the specialty restaurant since you are so reluctant.  You won’t enjoy it because a silent cash register will be going off in your head the whole time.

[chemmo]

On 12/28/2022 at 3:50 AM, W283386 said:

We will be going on our 20th cruise this year.  We have never done any type of specialty dining.  We will be on the Reflection, and I noticed some first night dining discounts.  We live in a resort town and when we go to dinner there are always discounts for locals and it is rare if we ever spend more than $35 for the two of us.  The thought of paying $80 for us to eat a meal when we already have paid to eat in the main dining room, or the buffet, is my stumbling block.

 

My question is, "Will I be able to enjoy the meal if I already have this mental block in my head?  For that kind of money, I would expect one of the best meals of my life. The last two cruises we were in Luminae and Blu. The service and the atmosphere stood out more than the food.  The food was great, but I thought I would have been just as happy with the food from the dining room. 

 

So, with that background in mind, should we choose Muranos, Lawn Club Grille, Tuscany or just skip all of them?

 

Lucky you! Getting a three course meal in a decent pub in the UK for £35 is hard to achieve for one person let alone $35 for two!

 

We love the S class speciality restaurants, especially on Silhouette and Reflection. I think you are thinking about this the wrong way around…Each of the restaurants on the ship has something above/different than your usual resort restaurants and indeed Luminae and Blu…

 

Murano…The ambiance of fine dining, not stuffy but definitely classy. It always feels like a special occasion when you dine there. The  table side presentation (So nice to watch the waiter flambé your lobster), the over the top dome delivery, the food taste and presentation…Visiting is a highlight of every cruise for us.

 

Tuscan Grill…Book early evening as you are leaving a port. From the fantastic windows see the ropes come of the ship as you sip your first glass of wine and peruse the menu…Enjoy your starter as the port fades into the distance and your entree as day turns to night. Sip coffee and liqueurs still gazing at the wake of the ship, perhaps spotting a distant ship on the horizon.

 

Lawn Grill…Dining outside at sea. Partially protected from the breeze but still feeling and smelling the sea air. A laid back dining experience, no need to dress up, think of it more as a family BBQ event. Choose a range of skewers and ask to dine family style sharing a range of dishes so you get to try a bit of everything. 
 

LPC…Okay the novelty has worn off for me now but I giggled like a five year old the first time I visited! It is fun dining rather than fine dining but an experience most people don’t get the opportunity to do at home…

 

To us it is the ‘unique experience’ of each of the speciality restaurants that make them worth the up charge not just the food. Good as your food may be in your resort restaurants I doubt if any can match the experiences Reflection’s speciality restaurants offer. 
 

It has always been our motto to not put off until tomorrow something you could enjoy today…Put your hand in your pocket and pay out for some new experiences! If you don’t try you will never know…

[bEwAbG]

I don't think any of the restaurants are worth the full-price up-charge, especially considering that your fare already includes dining priced into it.  If you can get a discount and/or pay with OBC, then it's nice to try something different or to satisfy your curiosity.  However, if you're fine with the dining that's already included with your fare and don't want to be adventurous, then I think you have your answer.

 

Another part of the equation: what does your traveling partner want to do?  And if they say "whatever" are they deferring to your stumbling block or do they really not care?

[terrydtx]

If you enjoy eating out at home for a max $35 for 2, you must be dinning at Denny's or IHOP type restaurants and should stay in the MDR. We book suites on Celebrity and love the food in Luminae so we seldom dine at more than one specialty restaurant per cruise. On the Reflection in August, we only did one specialty restaurant, the Lawn Club Grill and had excellent steaks, but it was not worth the $55pp upcharge. We live in a vacation destination city, San Antonio, and we can't even get a good BBQ meal for 2 for under $35 anymore. $55pp will get us steaks at excellent prime quality steak houses, however, so the LCG was a waste of money.

Edited December 29, 2022 by terrydtx

[jwlane]

49 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

good BBQ meal for 2 for under $35 anymore

$34.56 for 2 sliced sandwiches & sides at Black's up in San Marcos last week.

[terrydtx]

2 minutes ago, jwlane said:

$34.56 for 2 sliced sandwiches & sides at Black's up in San Marcos last week.

We were at Black's in November and a BBQ plate with Brisket and sausage combo was $29.99 a plate, which is where my comment came from. This use to be under $20 a plate before the meat inflation. BTW Black's is a Texas institution and on the best BBQ in Texas lists.

[DCPIV]

Getting over the mental block is up to you.  I don't know where you're coming from, so you might very well have the best meal of your life in one of the specialty restaurants.  It's pretty much impossible to know whether you will enjoy it until you try.  However, it's also pretty much impossible to enjoy it if you go in expecting that you will regret it.

 

I don't mean that as a lecture, mind you.  I just want to speak directly to your concern but emphasize that your mental block is something we cannot address and something you can decide to step around.

 

Murano is definitely worth trying.  It's a lovely area with excellent service.  We enjoy having a drink or two in Ensemble to set the mood and then just walk right into the restaurant.  The food is quite good (especially that chateaubriand).  It truly is a step up, even from Luminae.  A first night discount here really is a nice deal. I recommend you pushing your block aside at least for one night and giving Murano an honest shot.

 

I can take or leave Tuscan and Lawn Club.  They are great if you want to mix things up or if there is something in particular you are going for (such as the view in Tuscan or the ribeye at Lawn Club), but I have a hard time pushing it on someone, especially if you are considering a one-time shot at first night discount.  I have a hard time making the upcharge make sense, but others love one or both spots.  Frankly, we typically don't worry about either spot even when we've stayed in upper suites and didn't have to pay the upcharge--we just like Luminae.  

 

We love Sushi on 5 for lunch, but we've never gone there for dinner.  It's a la carte, so give it a look.  If something sounds good, go for it.  If not, move on.

 

Regardless, may you enjoy your cruise!  We've been on Reflection before and will be back in a couple months!