Question for "Unlimited Specialty Dining"

[vivacolonia]

Hi,

 

we will start our cruise with the Silhouette in May from Amsterdam.

 

I booked this Unlimited Specialty Dining Package for 13 days. I cost 874,79 Dollar (770,02 Euro) . Makes per Day 67,29 Dollar (59,23 Euro).

 

If I understand the prices right, only the Murano and petite chef will be a advantage for me to have dinner. All other restaurants like Lawn club, Tuscan and Porch are regular cheaper than with that packaged.

 

Is this correct?

 

In the good old past, the Unlimited package was much cheaper and it was a good buy. But this looks now as I pay Celebritys Deb of.

 

Thank you in advance

Frank

 

 

[CaroleSS]

How many sea days do you have? You can have lunch in a specialty restaurant on those days. I don't see that you have accounted for lunches in the cost.

 

What I did was to make a tentative list of where I wanted to eat on what day - lunches and dinners. I noted the cost of each, then tallied them up. I then compared that total with the cost of the Unlimited package.

 

What you might think about doing is a smaller package, if one is available. Like a 5 dinners and 2 lunches (or whatever is being offered). You can do the same math for that package as well.

 

You don't mention your cabin class.....veranda or Aqua? If you are in an Aqua cabin, the unlimited doesn't make as much sense as you've paid extra for Blu.

[CaroleSS]

I looked at your itinerary. 13 days with 4 sea days, plus one upon embarkation....for a total of a possible 18 meals. Currently on sale for $690 (without the 20% gratuities). This breaks down to around $40 per meal. The Sushi place allows you $30 for lunch and $50 for dinners. To make it "worth the money", you'd have to eat in a specialty restaurant every time.

 

The 5-night package is $256, so $50 per night. To make this viable, you'd have to eat at Murano, LPC or Tuscan.....but it would be tight.

 

Also, understand that you can't pick your dining times prior to embarkation. If you book each restaurant individually, you can choose your day and time. Only you can decide if that has any "value".

[ggo85]

When a cruise line is filling up the specialty restaurants, there's less incentive to offer "deals."  When the restaurants are mostly empty, the opposite applies.  

 

As with any package, the value is determined by your expected usage.  If you're mostly happy with MDR (or Blu) but want the occasional specialty experience, you're definitely better off booking either a smaller package or paying as you go.  

 

On some itineraries / cruises, they will offer good deals on board.  Again, depends on how booked they are.  

 

My view is that, unless you really despite the MDR (for whatever reason) AND want to dine specialty for lunch, with the price you're quoting for unlimited, I'd pay separately and / or wait until you get on board and see if there's a better deal.   

[vivacolonia]

Thank you for the promt feedback.

 

I didn´t know that Lunch is included. That changes the calculation. But for me this is not used. For lunch I am fine with oceanview. Otherwise it will be toooooo much food. Ok wrom point for a cruise.

 

I travel in a balcony cabin. I was in the past a great fan of the Blue, but I had a bad food and service expirence on our last Reflection cruise two years ago.

 

Does someone can tell me the prices they got for Tuscan, Murano, Porch, Lawan Club right now? Your suggestion to tail it up is the best way to figure out what the best deal it.

 

[CaroleSS]

Right now, your sailing has a 5% sale going on. The first number is the "regular price" and in parenthesis is the sale price.

 

Murano - $60 ($57)

Tuscan - $55 ($52)

LPC - $60 ($57)

Lawn Club Grill - $50 ($47)

Porch - $30 (no option offered)

Sushi on 5 - $50 allowance (no option offered)

 

these prices do NOT include the mandatory 20% gratuity. When you check out, that is added in automatically and you cannot change it.

[CaroleSS]

If you bought the 5-night package for $256 (sale price) and ate at Murano twice, Tuscan twice and LPC once, that comes to $275......for a rip-snortin' savings of $19 ($22.80 if you include gratuities).