cw2go Posted August 1, 2009 #1 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Hello I have 2 separate cruises planned with Celebrity. One is on the Eclipes and the other is Infinity to Alaska. We have sailed RCCL a few times and enjoyed Chops and Portofinos. I cannot figure out how the menu choices work at SS United States, is it only one item from the starters and then a main course? If so that would mean for ex. soup and entre and dessert??? I can't imagine that being a 3hr experience that I have read about on these boards...:confused: Now as for Tuscan Grill, Bistro on Five and Silk Harvest the menus are broken down into categories, so am I to assume you pick from each??? Thanks in advance, Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyinam Posted August 1, 2009 #2 Share Posted August 1, 2009 We've sailed Infinity (2007) and will again in November. SS United States is awesome....on the Infinity, and we ate in the Spec. restaurant on the Constellation in Jan, too. It seems we had appetizer, soup or salad?, entree, dessert. And, we are the 3-3.5 hour dining folks! There is a lovely cheese course as well. We have enjoyed the wine pairings on the Exceptional menu...and they have been willing to accomodate every request. Treat yourself....you will leave stuffed with QUALITY food & excellent service....and do linger to truly savor the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandj Posted August 1, 2009 #3 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Could the OP have all five courses...appetizer, soup,salad,entree and dessert like in the MDR? I think that is her question. She says the menu doesn't divide the courses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoke Fan Posted August 1, 2009 #4 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Yes, you can have all of the courses. Truly an enjoyable (and delicious)dining experience. Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cw2go Posted August 1, 2009 Author #5 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Thanks to you all, that is what I thought. I could never eat all the courses but my hubby can and just might. LOL! Still unsure how Bistro on Five works but really it is for breakfast or lunch no biggy... Thanks again you all are quick, Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoke Fan Posted August 1, 2009 #6 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Thanks to you all, that is what I thought. I could never eat all the courses but my hubby can and just might. LOL! Still unsure how Bistro on Five works but really it is for breakfast or lunch no biggy... Thanks again you all are quick, Patty Hi Patty - Regarding Bistro on Five, Tuscan and Silk Harvest - You can order anything and as much as you like. Food is delicious! Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted August 1, 2009 #7 Share Posted August 1, 2009 We dined in SS United States every night on our 14 night Panama Canal cruise, and you cannot order all five courses. You have a choice in the appetizer section---you pick either a soup OR a salad OR an appetizer---they don't allow you to take one of each. Then you have the main course selection, the cheese course and the dessert. At the very end you get petit fours. Believe me, the portions are VERY generous and you don't go hungry. It doesn't take 3 hours to dine there, unless you're in a large group and you do a lot of talking. I would say that it should take no more than 2 hours, unless you eat very slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandj Posted August 1, 2009 #8 Share Posted August 1, 2009 We dined in SS United States every night on our 14 night Panama Canal cruise, and you cannot order all five courses. You have a choice in the appetizer section---you pick either a soup OR a salad OR an appetizer---they don't allow you to take one of each. Then you have the main course selection, the cheese course and the dessert. At the very end you get petit fours. Believe me, the portions are VERY generous and you don't go hungry. Kitty, Really? You're saying that in a specialty restaurant, where you need to pay extra, that you don't get the same 5 courses offered that you get in the MDR? That sounds totally ridiculous to me. :confused: I would want the opportunity to try all courses. Soup OR salad. U gotta be kidding!:eek: I don't need a LOT of food, but would expect the full variety of courses. Is this the same on all M class ships? We have made reservations, but if we are indeed limited and can't try 5 courses, I have doubts we will keep our res. Lots of nights, I prefer just an appetizer, soup and salad and enjoy trying the variety. This is just weird to me. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoke Fan Posted August 1, 2009 #9 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I think there's some confusion here. Yes, you get to order items from every course. We've ordered soup or another appetizer AND salad. It's not one or the other. Perhaps she meant you wouldn't order 5 (or however many there are) entrees. The specialty restaurants are a totally enjoyable dining experience and well worth the extra charge (IMHO:)) Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cw2go Posted August 1, 2009 Author #10 Share Posted August 1, 2009 This is why I made the post I am so confused... Yikes:eek: At risk of sounding greedy, it seems to be a hefty surcharge if we are so limited? I have enjoyed RCCL Portofinos and Chops and we were never told salad or soup or appetizer. We selected all three, yes we were very full but at Portofinos there was an entree and pasta portion as well. At the end of our meal we had dessert with specialty coffee and chocolate covered strawberries. All for a $20 per person fee. I must say it was all yummy. :p Well I am not too worried, we will not go hungry and are looking forward to Alaska far more than dinner. I was hopeing to plan a date night for my hubby and I while the kids partake in alturnative options. I just don't want to look silly ordering too many courses. Thanks, Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted August 2, 2009 #11 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I think there's some confusion here. Yes, you get to order items from every course. We've ordered soup or another appetizer AND salad. It's not one or the other. Perhaps she meant you wouldn't order 5 (or however many there are) entrees. The specialty restaurants are a totally enjoyable dining experience and well worth the extra charge (IMHO:)) Patty Patty, whenever we've been in the specialty restaurants, which in all our cruises adds up to at least 35 times, we've always been told, you pick ONE item from the appetizer/soup/salad section, not one of each. Then you order one main course and then the dessert. I guess if someone asks to be served one of everything, you can get the salad and soup plus the appetizer, but it's not happened to us----and we've asked that question many times. Unless you get the other menu, which is the wine pairing menu, then you get all the courses. We've even heard the waiters explain the menu at tables next to ours and the waiter has always said, you decide whether you want a salad, soup or appetizer, but not all three. But like I said, I guess if you ask to have more things, they don't say no. But it's always been the general rule that you get one item from the appetizer/soup/salad page of the menu. To be honest, I don't know how anyone could eat all the food if you took all three starters-a soup, a salad and an appetizer. The portions, when compared to the portions in the MDR, are huge. For example, the Caesar salad in United States is served on a regular size dinner plate and not on the small salad plate you get in the MDR. The Lobster Bisque soup is served in a large soup bowl and not the small cup you get in the MDR---and you get seconds on the soup. The Goat Cheese Souffle portion is absolutely huge. eandj, we've dined in all the specialty restaurants on the M Class ships and it's never been that you get five courses unless you get the wine pairing. Like I said, we've dined in those restaurants at least 35 times and that's the way it's been. Believe me, like I wrote above, the portions you get in the specialty restaurants are more than double the portions you get in the MDR and you get very full, very quickly. And, for the main course, take for example the Steak Diane. You get at least 4, 1/2 inch slices of that wonderful beef along with vegetables and a starch. Even if you only get one pre-main course option, you're getting a lot of food. And the extra charge covers the much higher quality products you get in those restaurants and the gratuity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cw2go Posted August 2, 2009 Author #12 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Patty, whenever we've been in the specialty restaurants, which in all our cruises adds up to at least 35 times, we've always been told, you pick ONE item from the appetizer/soup/salad section, not one of each. Then you order one main course and then the dessert. I guess if someone asks to be served one of everything, you can get the salad and soup plus the appetizer, but it's not happened to us----and we've asked that question many times. Unless you get the other menu, which is the wine pairing menu, then you get all the courses. We've even heard the waiters explain the menu at tables next to ours and the waiter has always said, you decide whether you want a salad, soup or appetizer, but not all three. But like I said, I guess if you ask to have more things, they don't say no. But it's always been the general rule that you get one item from the appetizer/soup/salad page of the menu. To be honest, I don't know how anyone could eat all the food if you took all three starters-a soup, a salad and an appetizer. The portions, when compared to the portions in the MDR, are huge. For example, the Caesar salad in United States is served on a regular size dinner plate and not on the small salad plate you get in the MDR. The Lobster Bisque soup is served in a large soup bowl and not the small cup you get in the MDR---and you get seconds on the soup. The Goat Cheese Souffle portion is absolutely huge. eandj, we've dined in all the specialty restaurants on the M Class ships and it's never been that you get five courses unless you get the wine pairing. Like I said, we've dined in those restaurants at least 35 times and that's the way it's been. Believe me, like I wrote above, the portions you get in the specialty restaurants are more than double the portions you get in the MDR and you get very full, very quickly. And, for the main course, take for example the Steak Diane. You get at least 4, 1/2 inch slices of that wonderful beef along with vegetables and a starch. Even if you only get one pre-main course option, you're getting a lot of food. And the extra charge covers the much higher quality products you get in those restaurants and the gratuity. Thanks Kitty, I get it now. As far as Portofinos with my experience they were much smaller portions than what you describe at SS United States. The soup was in a small cup not a bowl. I am thinking of the exact items you spoke about so I am feeling pretty good about our night. I wanted the soup and Steak Dianne, of course I will change my mind many times between now and then. I hear the Goat Cheese Souffle is awesome but I am not too sure of that one, especially since I need to make my pick matter. LOL! Smiles,:p Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cw2go Posted August 2, 2009 Author #13 Share Posted August 2, 2009 One last question? I see there is a cheese course but are there any breads? Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hajekfam Posted August 2, 2009 #14 Share Posted August 2, 2009 In the specialty restaurant, you can order both an appetizer and soup - we did on the Millennium - but instead of a large bowl of soup, you got a cup of soup. Normally, it is pick one appetizer/soup/salad, entree, cheese course, and desert. It is a four course meal and it can take almost three hours to dine - even if there are two of you. They do not rush you and you also get a chefs sample of some dishes (just a couple of bites) between the courses. The do serve breads - not a basket on the table, but served by a waiter. With the cheese course, you get two types of bread, some grapes, apple slices, celery, and dried fruits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garardo Posted August 2, 2009 #15 Share Posted August 2, 2009 We dined in SS United States every night on our 14 night Panama Canal cruise, and you cannot order all five courses. You have a choice in the appetizer section---you pick either a soup OR a salad OR an appetizer---they don't allow you to take one of each. Then you have the main course selection, the cheese course and the dessert. At the very end you get petit fours. Believe me, the portions are VERY generous and you don't go hungry. It doesn't take 3 hours to dine there, unless you're in a large group and you do a lot of talking. I would say that it should take no more than 2 hours, unless you eat very slowly. We had the chance to dine on the Infinity a few years back and ate at the ss United States about 10 times on the 14 night cruise. The first 2 nights we pretty much ate off the menu. By the third dinner we never got a menu. We had the following: An Amuse, a small appitizer that was served right a way (1) A cold appitizer (2) A hot appitizer (3) an intermezzo (4) Main entree (5) a light salad (6) Cheese (7) Dessert (8) and petit Fours with cafe (9) I feel one would be hard pressed to truly enjoy a meal of this quality in under 3 to 3 1/2 hours. As was said it also depends on the amount of chit chat. Please understand that the Chit Chat is as important as the meal. garardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karynanne Posted August 2, 2009 #16 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Kitty, Really? You're saying that in a specialty restaurant, where you need to pay extra, that you don't get the same 5 courses offered that you get in the MDR? That sounds totally ridiculous to me. :confused: I would want the opportunity to try all courses. Soup OR salad. U gotta be kidding!:eek: I don't need a LOT of food, but would expect the full variety of courses. Is this the same on all M class ships? We have made reservations, but if we are indeed limited and can't try 5 courses, I have doubts we will keep our res. Lots of nights, I prefer just an appetizer, soup and salad and enjoy trying the variety. This is just weird to me. :rolleyes: The difference between dining in the Specialty Restaurant and the MDR is like night and day. The meal in the SP is truly outstanding. And the service just incredible. We ate at the United States Restaurant-Infinity twice last week, and both times the meals were beyond delicious, and the service top notch. A wonderful experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandj Posted August 2, 2009 #17 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Thanks for the input! Interesting reading everyone's different experiences. I guess what we need to do is, once onboard, actually talk to the manager of the specialty restaurant on the Summit and hear exactly what they offer their diners. I would expect that what we request at the table will be served. A cup of soup and a small salad, please..if they would not provide that, I'd be hard pressed to figure out the "specialty" designation. Quality of food certainly is not the only variable. (hmmm...Since I don't eat cheese, maybe they would let me bargain a salad in place of that course????:D) We are never impressed with large portions. (How much can a person really eat?) So that "argument" runs moot with us. We'd expect to be offered smaller quality portions of different courses as in our favorite fine dining restaurants or for that matter other cruiselines. Geez, on Oceania we had a minimum of 5 High Quality courses to choose from in their main dining room every night. And that wasn't their specialty restaurants. The key is that we could choose which courses to try or skip...not be told that we couldn't. I'd expect the same in the X specialty restaurants. Not a big issue for sure! But interesting to me. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandj Posted August 2, 2009 #18 Share Posted August 2, 2009 In the specialty restaurant, you can order both an appetizer and soup - we did on the Millennium - but instead of a large bowl of soup, you got a cup of soup. . This is what I would expect if we choose to. I cannot fathom being told, "Sorry, you cannot order more than one from the first course list". Makes no sense to me. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellbon Posted August 2, 2009 #19 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I was on the Siolstice- we got an app, a soup, a main then dessert. everyone was ordering that way. 4 courses is normal there. in Silk harvest I just ate a small starter hen sushi but i could have hot food too if iwanted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hajekfam Posted August 2, 2009 #20 Share Posted August 2, 2009 The order of the food courses is: Appetizer/Soup/Salad Entree Cheese course to cleanse your palate Dessert It is not only the quality of the food, it is the preparation and presentation of that food and the ambience and service that makes it special. For example if a woman gets up to use the washroom, she is escorted to the dining room door and then when she returns, she is escorted back to her table and there is a clean folded napkin at her spot. When your food is brought your table, there is one waiter for every two people at your table and the food is uncovered simultaneously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoke Fan Posted August 2, 2009 #21 Share Posted August 2, 2009 This is what I would expect if we choose to. I cannot fathom being told, "Sorry, you cannot order more than one from the first course list". Makes no sense to me. :rolleyes: Exactly! We've never been denied any of our requests on Celebrity. That's the reason we continue to sail with them. Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted August 2, 2009 #22 Share Posted August 2, 2009 One last question? I see there is a cheese course but are there any breads? Patty I am a cheese fanatic and the options they offer are excellent. They have choices of mild to strong, hard cheeses to soft. They bring a plate with two different kinds of bread and then offer a cracker selection. They also bring a plate of fresh fruit, usually thinly sliced apples and a bunch of red grapes. Then there is a palate cleanser of celery sticks. Their blue cheeses are amazing and their soft French bree is wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted August 2, 2009 #23 Share Posted August 2, 2009 We had the chance to dine on the Infinity a few years back and ate at the ss United States about 10 times on the 14 night cruise. The first 2 nights we pretty much ate off the menu. By the third dinner we never got a menu. We had the following: An Amuse, a small appitizer that was served right a way (1) A cold appitizer (2) A hot appitizer (3) an intermezzo (4) Main entree (5) a light salad (6) Cheese (7) Dessert (8) and petit Fours with cafe (9)I feel one would be hard pressed to truly enjoy a meal of this quality in under 3 to 3 1/2 hours. As was said it also depends on the amount of chit chat. Please understand that the Chit Chat is as important as the meal. garardo I agree with you on this. After our fifth night in United States, they offered a different menu each night. We could still choose from the main menu, but the maitre'd offered us a couple of chef's specials each night and we got to choose what we wanted. The offerings were spectacular every night. One night he prepared an Indian meal for me, as I casually mentioned I loved Indian food. Another night we had a mixed grill of lamb, veal and filet. Each was prepared in a different manner and it was exceptional. We also had a chef's special appetizer. My favorite was the Russian salad----finely chopped mixed vegetables, light mayo, spices and a lobster tail on top. YUM. We were even offered different desserts every evening. The mango souffle with sublime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandj Posted August 3, 2009 #24 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I am a cheese fanatic and the options they offer are excellent. They have choices of mild to strong, hard cheeses to soft. They bring a plate with two different kinds of bread and then offer a cracker selection. They also bring a plate of fresh fruit, usually thinly sliced apples and a bunch of red grapes. Then there is a palate cleanser of celery sticks. Their blue cheeses are amazing and their soft French bree is wonderful. Now THIS course will be very appreciated by my dh. He is a cheese lover who once thought of opening a cheese store...;) As long as he doesn't have to look at Wisconsin cheeses like colby or cheddar, he'll be a happy camper! We get enough looks at that here in Dairyland!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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