Specialty Restaurants on ships
George Leppla
"Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
>And the specialty restaurant
> (best food we've had on the seas) succeeded in evoking a big city supper
> club of another era.
Which leads to some questions...
What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
If you go to these restaurants, what was your favorite meal?
I have to admit I dislike the concept of additional pay, specialty
restaurants on ships. I think dining in the dining room should be "special"
but it has become ordinary. Waiters singing, Maitre 'ds who think they were
born to spend their life talking on a microphone, trying to feed 3500 people
in 3 hours. Most dining room food and service is very good, but for me, it
is no longer "special".
My favorite meal in a specialty restaurant was on the Carnival Conquest. We
had dinner with my brother and his wife, it was their first cruise and their
honeymoon and Carnival does an excellent job.
--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com
January 20, 2008 - GGC2008 - http://cruisemaster.com/adventure.htm
October 26, 2008 Sleazy 5 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy5.htm
Joseph Coulter
news:fb6de...@news3.newsguy.com:
> I am hijacking this subject from another thread...
>
>
> "Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
>
>>And the specialty restaurant
>> (best food we've had on the seas) succeeded in evoking a big city
>> supper club of another era.
>
>
> Which leads to some questions...
>
> What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
>
> If you go to these restaurants, what was your favorite meal?
>
>
> I have to admit I dislike the concept of additional pay, specialty
> restaurants on ships. I think dining in the dining room should be
> "special" but it has become ordinary. Waiters singing, Maitre 'ds who
> think they were born to spend their life talking on a microphone,
> trying to feed 3500 people in 3 hours. Most dining room food and
> service is very good, but for me, it is no longer "special".
>
I agree on the singing waiters and theme nights in general, forced fun
is not fun.If I shoose to go to a theme restaurant that is another issue
and I have enjoyed themed fare immensely including Don Vito's on the
Radisson Diamond.
Specialty restaurants that have been more than worth the charge are of
course those which did not charge such as the Italian restaurant on
Crystal and Signatures on RSSC Voyager, Great service, excellent food,
and total respect for the dining experience. On the mass market ships
that I have had the specialty meals I have found the the ambience was
the most special part. It was nice to have a relatively quiet room in
wihich to dine with less distraction, but I too am not fond of paying
for food on a cruise, it just doesn't work well in my head.
--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com
yourva...@comcast.net
877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell
Sue and Kevin Mullen
George Leppla wrote:
> My favorite meal in a specialty restaurant was on the Carnival Conquest. We
> had dinner with my brother and his wife, it was their first cruise and their
> honeymoon and Carnival does an excellent job.
My favorite was "Palo" on the Disney Magic. We went there for brunch and
another day for dinner and the food and service were excellant.
sue
Becca
> My favorite was "Palo" on the Disney Magic. We went there for brunch and
> another day for dinner and the food and service were excellant.
>
> sue
The restaurants where you pay, on Princess, were fine. NCL was better,
IMO, because they offered more variety, and the food was very good. The
best I have tried, were on Carnival.
Becca
LeeNY
George Leppla wrote:
> I am hijacking this subject from another thread...
>
>
> "Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
>
> >And the specialty restaurant
> > (best food we've had on the seas) succeeded in evoking a big city supper
> > club of another era.
>
>
> Which leads to some questions...
>
> What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
>
> If you go to these restaurants, what was your favorite meal?
On my very first cruise, aboard the NCL Leeward, we ate in Le Bistro.
I remember it being a very nice meal. As this was our first cruise, we
had nothing in which to compare our onboard dining experience - it was
all great, because it was new and different. And, at that time, NCL
was still traditional dining. The only thing I specifically remember,
food-wise, from that cruise, were the great homemade cookies that they
put out every afternoon...trays of them...and they were great.
Following that first cruise were cruises on RCI, Princess and HAL. The
company in the dining room for those cruises was so great, that the
food quality, presentation and taste became of secondary importance to
us. We looked forward to our meals in the main dining room, just for
the fun. I believe there was a specialty steakhouse option on Sea
Princess at that time, but I'm not sure the others even had an
alternative dining venue, other than the buffet restaurant.
On two subsequent HAL cruises, I've dined in their Odyssey restaurant,
and I've had great meals. But, I'm not sure I'd spend the extra money
again...I was traveling with different people on each of those
cruises, so the second Odyssey meal was so that my co-cruiser could
also experience the meal.
My last cruise was on the Miracle...and I enthusiastically agree with
Diana B. The specialty steak house on board that ship is top notch
dining. And, the venue, itself, is beautiful. We had a great meal
there - I'd highly recommend the splurge to all Miracle passengers.
I guess, if the cruise lines did away with the specialty restaurants,
I wouldn't miss them. But, while they're there, I'll probably continue
to treat myself to one meal during the cruise.
Lee
Sue and Kevin Mullen
Yes, the ones on the Crown Princess were very good also. We have only
done the specialty restaurants on the Magic and the Crown so far.
sue
Tobie Gerbrandt
Our favorite Specialty Restaurant experience in 46 cruises was EVERY time in
the POLO GRILL on the Oceania Regatta. Everything was perfect EVERY time we
went there, from the Whole Maine Lobster to the Filet Mignon, Ceasar Salad
to Creme Brule. I think next time I'm going to try the 32 oz. Prime Rib.
And there is no extra charge for this, or the "Toscana" Italian restaurant.
BTW, the food and service was also GREAT in the main dining room and the
buffet. You really should try Oceania.
Tobie>>>>on an Island in the Pacific
"George Leppla" <geo...@cruisemaster.com> wrote in message
news:fb6de...@news3.newsguy.com...
clint
"Tobie Gerbrandt" <chez...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:beDBi.107212$fJ5.365@pd7urf1no...
Nonnymus
> I am hijacking this subject from another thread...
>
>
> "Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
>
>> And the specialty restaurant
>> (best food we've had on the seas) succeeded in evoking a big city supper
>> club of another era.
>
>
> Which leads to some questions...
>
> What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
>
I have a fairly negative reaction to specialty restaurants on a cruise
ship. When I purchase a cruise, I expect that the main dining room will
serve high quality food, properly prepared and properly served. I
expect the menu to change daily to give me a selection of foods and
preparation, such as an Italian themed menu, French themed menu during
different nights. When a specialty restaurant is presented as a place
for the "best steak," or "best service," then I feel it's done at the
expense of the main dining venue.
OTOH, an argument can be made for specialty restaurants from precisely
the above paragraph. There are folks who absolutely LOVE Italian food,
for instance, and would prefer to have a selection of it each night.
Likewise, some folks might actually prefer a 3-hour dinner, compared to
the typical 90 minute one in the formal dining room. Typically, lobster
is served once during a formal night on a cruise, so if someone really
wanted lobster frequently, they would presumably be willing to pay extra
to receive it.
I guess the thing in a nutshell is that if a ship's main dining room
serves excellent food with the anticipated service and variety, then if
folks want to pay extra for a specialty venue, I don't have a problem.
However, if a specialty restaurant(s) is pushed by the line and poor
food or service in the main dining room is the alternative, then I guess
I'd resent it deeply.
Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
You donโt stand any taller by
trying to make others appear shorter.
number6
>
> On two subsequent HAL cruises, I've dined in their Odyssey restaurant,
> and I've had great meals. But, I'm not sure I'd spend the extra money
> again...I was traveling with different people on each of those
> cruises, so the second Odyssey meal was so that my co-cruiser could
> also experience the meal.
In my experience the specialty restaurants that give the best service
and presentation are the ones most memorable ... all the great foods
seem to blend together ... and invariably they were great ... but the
service we had on HAL's Mighty Zuidy ... stood out ... They had a team
nationality concept ... and all the wait staff in the specialty
restauant were Romanian ... Besides being well trained ... they also
seemed to look out for on another ... This worked extremely well as we
felt constantly doted on ... yet never annoyed ...
The other memorable one was the Sushi on the NCL Dawn ... My wife's
brother in law and I were at the Sushi bar ... taking a tidbit here
and there as they passed by ... when we found the chef made us a
special plate ... having noticed our preferences ... then after
talking about Suchi and Sashimi with the server who brought that ... a
little later we got some other goodies not even part of the regular
assortment ...
Kurt Ullman
Nonnymus <nob...@cox.net> wrote:
>
> I guess the thing in a nutshell is that if a ship's main dining room
> serves excellent food with the anticipated service and variety, then if
> folks want to pay extra for a specialty venue, I don't have a problem.
> However, if a specialty restaurant(s) is pushed by the line and poor
> food or service in the main dining room is the alternative, then I guess
> I'd resent it deeply.
>
> Nonny
Most of the reason Kay and I go for the specialty restaurants is
because 7 days in the same place with same people can get tedious even
with great food and company. So, we generally hit one or two of the
specialty restaurants just for a change of pace.
Don & Lynn
elegance and the presentation of the food has been declining. There was a
time when appetizers and desserts were a work of art. I understand and
accept the decline. What they could do for 700 passengers is more difficult
for 3000 and the decline keeps the cost down.
If the elegance is important to you, then the specialty dining rooms solve
the problem and of course there are cruise lines that are a notch up in
elegance.
In our case it doesn't seem to be that important.
Don
"George Leppla" <geo...@cruisemaster.com> wrote in message
news:fb6de...@news3.newsguy.com...
LeeNY
> I have a fairly negative reaction to specialty restaurants on a cruise
> ship. When I purchase a cruise, I expect that the main dining room will
> serve high quality food, properly prepared and properly served.
And, for the most part, it is. Well...maybe not "high" quality, but
certainly good quality. When you're preparing that quantity of food
for that many people, my expectations for high quality go out the
door. From my first cruise, dining room food has met my expectations,
which I try to keep realistic - I expect the food to fall somewhere in
between a "wedding factory" catering hall and a moderately priced
restaurant (entrรฉes in the $25-$35 range).
I
> expect the menu to change daily to give me a selection of foods and
> preparation, such as an Italian themed menu, French themed menu during
> different nights. When a specialty restaurant is presented as a place
> for the "best steak," or "best service," then I feel it's done at the
> expense of the main dining venue.
So far, that hasn't been my experience. There are still themed nights
in the dining rooms, with a different menu each evening - Caribbean,
French, all-American, Italian, etc. I have found that the specialty
restaurants do have a higher level of service and higher quality food,
but I haven't noticed that the dining room has suffered any.
> I guess the thing in a nutshell is that if a ship's main dining room
> serves excellent food with the anticipated service and variety, then if
> folks want to pay extra for a specialty venue, I don't have a problem.
And, that's pretty much what's happening. The use of the word
"excellent" is pretty subjective. I've had a few excellent dishes in
the dining room, but overall, I wouldn't rate the food as
excellent...but many people would! Even if there were no specialty
restaurants on any ships, and all the effort and expense for good
quality service and food was concentrated in the dining room, I doubt
even then, that I'd call it "excellent". When you're preparing that
quantity of food for that many people, with a very limited budget
(it's been a while, but a long time ago, someone posted how much each
cruise line spends for food per day, per passenger - amazingly small $
$ amounts) to achieve excellence is quite a stretch.
> However, if a specialty restaurant(s) is pushed by the line and poor
> food or service in the main dining room is the alternative, then I guess
> I'd resent it deeply.
I've never felt that the specialty restaurants were pushed on me. I
think maybe you're getting (just a little) irked about a situation
that, in my experience, doesn't exist. Maybe it's the case on NCL with
freestyle. I've only cruised on ships with traditional dining, and
have not found what you've described to be the case.
Lee
DivaM...@webtv.net
this year (Dawn Princess, Alaskan cruise), I can't imagine paying more
to dine in the specialty restaurant.
Besides, my hubby absolutely does not like fancy gourmet food or
anything different from what he's used to eating, and it would have just
been a waste of money. He likes very simple, basic things like burgers,
spaghetti, steak, pizza, etc. and most nights just chose the
always-offered fettucine alfredo. Honestly, he probably would have been
very happy just to eat every meal in casual comfort at the buffet court!
:)
Diva
Nonnymus
Please note the use of the word, "if" in the paragraph quoted. I was
speaking in the hypothetical, or hopefully in the hypothetical. Like
you, I've never really felt driven to use a specialty restaurant, and as
a matter of fact, I never have. Some of my family members have done a
specialty restaurant on cruises, and reported they received premium
service and food for the additional charge. Perhaps I just have lower
expectations or a lower definition of what is excellent in a ship's main
dining room. I am seldom disappointed in the food or the service. I
have to admit that NCL freestyle was probably one of the weaker dining
experiences, but even then I didn't get the feeling that I was being
pushed toward their specialty places, but merely handed a mediocre
dining experience.
Nonny
clint
<DivaM...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:8524-46D...@storefull-3151.bay.webtv.net...
Charles
<geo...@cruisemaster.com> wrote:
> What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
It is nice to have a break from the dining room. Particularly on
cruises longer than seven days.
> If you go to these restaurants, what was your favorite meal?
My favorite was the Normandie on Celebrity Summit. Superb service.
Great food.
--
Charles
delta
<geo...@cruisemaster.com> wrote:
>Which leads to some questions...
>
>What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
>
>If you go to these restaurants, what was your favorite meal?
>
>
>I have to admit I dislike the concept of additional pay, specialty
>restaurants on ships. I think dining in the dining room should be "special"
>but it has become ordinary. Waiters singing, Maitre 'ds who think they were
>born to spend their life talking on a microphone, trying to feed 3500 people
>in 3 hours. Most dining room food and service is very good, but for me, it
>is no longer "special".
>
>My favorite meal in a specialty restaurant was on the Carnival Conquest. We
>had dinner with my brother and his wife, it was their first cruise and their
>honeymoon and Carnival does an excellent job.
I think it is a shame that in order to get excellent food and service
you have to pay extra and go to these specialty restaurants. The
cruise costs more than enough and should include everything.
Brian K
Buffet, and Pinnacle, the specialty restaurant. In fact on formal
nights the Lido Buffet mirrors the main dining room for folks who'd
rather be casual. On a Pacific Northwest cruise on ms Amsterdam a group
of us dined in the specialty restaurant. On HAL the specialty
restaurant tries to reflect the cuisine of the areas the ship will sail
to. I had Grilled Salmon with Alaskan King Crab Legs for the main
dish. In lesser hands the salmon would be dry and overcooked. Not on
the Amsterdam. It was done to perfection served up with shettake
mushrooms on a bed of herbs and wild rice. The desert was some divine
chocolate thing, Dutch chocolate of course.
HAL normally charges around $20 pp in the specialty restaurant. If you
dine there on the first night of sailing, it's half-price. For the meal
I had, I have no problem being charged less than I would pay at a diner
for a far more mediocre meal.
--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
John Sisker
I have to agree with you. Palo on the Disney Magic was by far the favorite
specialty restaurant for both my wife Deborah and myself. However, we only
had the opportunity for dinner, having to cancel our brunch reservation,
because we opted to attend the seminar with Richard Sherman instead, from
the brothers song-writing team from Disney legends. But, that's a different
story.
Happy sailing,
John Sisker, SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCYยฎ
(714) 536-3850 or toll free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency No. 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com
LeeNY
> I think it is a shame that in order to get excellent food and service
> you have to pay extra and go to these specialty restaurants. The
> cruise costs more than enough and should include everything.
The meals that are included in your cruise fare, at no extra cost, are
really lovely, and the service is, for the most part, really great,
too. I'm amazed at the food that they are able to produce, for the
number of people they have to serve, and within the very limited
budget they have to work with. But, I think to expect excellence is
unrealistic.
I found an excerpt from the book Cruise Ship Blues - I have no idea of
the accuracy of what was written, but it confirms what I remember
reading on this ng a few years ago, when someone posted a list of the
cruise lines and what each spent, for food, per passenger, per day.
According to Cruise Ship Blues, lines like Carnival and Royal
Caaribbean, the food budget is about $10-$11 per day, per passenger.
HAL and Celebrity spend about $12-$15 per day. With Seaborn,
Silversea, you're looking at $20-$24 per day.
Here's the url (very long...maybe someone can make it smaller?). The
discussion of food is on pg. 15.
I think that the cruise lines do incredibly well, working within these
budgets, but I don't see how anyone can expect excellent food for that
cost. Sure...they buy their ingredients and substantial volume
discount. But, it's a measly amount of money, considering the food
that you get, that's included in your cruise fare.
You just can't expect to pay, I don't know, $1000 for a week-long
cruise? and get food in the dining room like you would at Per Se in
NYC or Taillevent in Paris. Think about how many ways your cruise fare
$$ need to be dispersed - food is just one expense for the cruise
lines.
I've enjoyed the specialty restaurants I've tried, but I'm not a huge
fan of the trend toward more specialty restaurants and less focus on
the main dining room. But, I understand the limitations of the galley,
when producing mass quantities on a limited budget, and commend their
efforts. I don't expect excellence in the main dining room, so am
pleasantly surprised when it happens. What I do expect are nicely
prepared dishes, plated attractively, served professionally and that
taste good - and so far, I haven't been disappointed, yet.
Lee
Cruise Crazy
chez...@shaw.ca (Tobieย Gerbrandt)
time in the POLO GRILL on the Oceania Regatta. Everything was perfect
EVERY time we went there, from the Whole Maine Lobster to the Filet
Mignon, Ceasar Salad to Creme Brule. I think next time I'm going to try
the 32 oz. Prime Rib. And there is no extra charge for this, or the
"Toscana" Italian restaurant.
I agree totally. ALL the food on Oceania cruises was exceptional. I
can't wait to see how Azamara compares. Leaving on the Quest on october
26th.
~~DORIS~~
ย ย ________ย /ย /___/ย /___/ย /_________
ย \::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/
ย ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Azamara Quest 10-26-2007
Carnival Inspiation 1-10-2008
Princess Star 3-30-2008
Princess Star 4-11-2008
RCCL Grandeur 12-8-2008
Kurt Ullman
LeeNY <lee...@campmor.com> wrote:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=FPLeQsEUWZYC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=cruise+line+
> budget+food&source=web&ots=cU56sWHlnf&sig=8R56Qnn7enJ9zRRRWfq-XSyeO9w#PPA15,M1
For future reference.. http://tinyurl.com is your friend (g)
LeeNY
> In article <1188568676.170317.51...@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com>,
>
> LeeNY <lees...@campmor.com> wrote:
> >http://books.google.com/books?id=FPLeQsEUWZYC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=cru...
> > budget+food&source=web&ots=cU56sWHlnf&sig=8R56Qnn7enJ9zRRRWfq-XSyeO9w#PPA15,M1
>
> For future reference..http://tinyurl.comis your friend (g)
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yotaxe
Thanks, Kurt!!!
Lee
Sue and Kevin Mullen
John Sisker wrote:
> Sue,
>
> I have to agree with you. Palo on the Disney Magic was by far the favorite
> specialty restaurant for both my wife Deborah and myself. However, we only
> had the opportunity for dinner, having to cancel our brunch reservation,
If you go back on the Magic, be sure to have brunch in Palo. Dinner and
brunch were very good, but IMO brunch was the better of the two meals.
sue
Kurt Ullman
LeeNY <lee...@campmor.com> wrote:
My pleasure, those really long URL make my head hurt (g).
J Carnaghie
LeeNY wrote:
> On Aug 30, 10:58 pm, delta <nos...@somewhere.net> wrote:
>
>
>>I think it is a shame that in order to get excellent food and service
>>you have to pay extra and go to these specialty restaurants. The
>>cruise costs more than enough and should include everything.
>
>
> The meals that are included in your cruise fare, at no extra cost, are
> really lovely, and the service is, for the most part, really great,
> too. I'm amazed at the food that they are able to produce, for the
> number of people they have to serve, and within the very limited
> budget they have to work with. But, I think to expect excellence is
> unrealistic.
>
> I found an excerpt from the book Cruise Ship Blues - I have no idea of
> the accuracy of what was written, but it confirms what I remember
> reading on this ng a few years ago, when someone posted a list of the
> cruise lines and what each spent, for food, per passenger, per day.
> According to Cruise Ship Blues, lines like Carnival and Royal
> Caaribbean, the food budget is about $10-$11 per day, per passenger.
> HAL and Celebrity spend about $12-$15 per day. With Seaborn,
> Silversea, you're looking at $20-$24 per day.
> Lee
>
For what it is worth, a "Rule of Thumb" in the
food service trade is that the materials for a
meal should never cost more than one third of the
sell price.
Cheers,
John in LALALand (On the Left Coast)
Jr.
"Brian K" <brianB...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:13dfacg...@corp.supernews.com...
International night when the food is really poor. We booked the steakhouse
for that night and we were pleasantly surprised at the menu and the extra
amenities we received.
It was like a private dining session. My wife and I both had the filet
mignon. It was a great evening and we might do it again if the International
night at the dining room sucks again on our upcoming cruise.
LeeNY
Interesting. So, at retail, we're looking at $40 per day (give or
take)? I'd be hard pressed to find comparable food on land, for $40 a
day. Ever watch that Rachel Ray show - $40 A Day? She eats well, but
not like one eats on a cruise ship at the no-extra-fee venues.
Lee
Nonnymus
tipping works. Is there a tip built into the surcharge, such as with
drinks in a bar? If not, do you tip separately or are the waiters
covered by the tipping pool from the end of cruise tips being added on
to the charges?
Nonny
Charles
<nob...@cox.net> wrote:
> Having never used a specialty restaurant when cruising, I wonder how the
> tipping works. Is there a tip built into the surcharge, such as with
> drinks in a bar? If not, do you tip separately or are the waiters
> covered by the tipping pool from the end of cruise tips being added on
> to the charges?
The tip is included in the charge.
--
Charles
clint
restaurant. We chow down five tmes a day and get an inside cabin, sneak in
"Jack daniels" Get drunk, and go to the casino to smoke(and we are both
seniors
"Nonnymus" <nob...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:yM0Ci.62186$xZ2....@newsfe10.phx...
Nonnymus
Interesting- then do you subtract that from the end of cruise tip for
the waiter and assistant waiter?
Charles
<nob...@cox.net> wrote:
> Interesting- then do you subtract that from the end of cruise tip for
> the waiter and assistant waiter?
No.
--
Charles
rosie
> In article <MY1Ci.86098$Mu5.27...@newsfe15.phx>, Nonnymus
>
> <nob...@cox.net> wrote:
> > Interesting- then do you subtract that from the end of cruise tip for
> > the waiter and assistant waiter?
>
> No.
>
> --
> Charles
The end of cruise tip will go to your regular dining room waiter and
assaitant waiter and headwaiter.
Rosie
number6
> In article <yM0Ci.62186$xZ2.53...@newsfe10.phx>, Nonnymus
Most of the time though ... service is so good I still feel compelled
to leave extra ...
Diana Ball
> Most of the time though ... service is so good I still feel compelled
> to leave extra ...
We do, too. I waited tables in college, so I'm a sucker when it comes to
over-tipping good servers. ;) Diana
Nonnymus
>
> The end of cruise tip will go to your regular dining room waiter and
> assaitant waiter and headwaiter.
>
> Rosie
>
Why, they did nothing for me.
Nonny
Janet Wilder
>
> I guess the thing in a nutshell is that if a ship's main dining room
> serves excellent food with the anticipated service and variety, then if
> folks want to pay extra for a specialty venue, I don't have a problem.
> However, if a specialty restaurant(s) is pushed by the line and poor
> food or service in the main dining room is the alternative, then I guess
> I'd resent it deeply.
That is one of the main reasons we will not cruise with NCL again. They
push their specialty restaurants. The service in the main dining room is
chaotic because there are no set dining times. No way is it possible to
have a quiet meal when people are coming and going constantly. The
ability to be pampered by a wait-staff who anticipates your needs and
desires because they have been serving you every day is gone with
Freestyle seating.
Wanting a little ambiance and a quieter place to dine, we went to one of
the specialty restaurants only to find that they didn't keep their
reservations and the service was horrible. It wasn't just us on our
ship. My daughter had the same experience on another NCL ship and she
and her husband will not take another NCL cruise either.
We've begun cruising with RCCL again and love the dining room. We
intended to try one of the specialty restaurants on our last 11 day
cruise, but we were having such a delightful experience in the dining
room that we forgot about it. We're doing a 14 day RCCL cruise of
Australia and New Zealand in October so maybe we'll give the steak place
a try, but it will be just for the experience as we have no complaints
at all with the food or the service aboard RCCL.
I'm sure that there are reasons for Freestyle cruising, but dining
experience isn't one of them, IMO.
--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life
Leland F. Dumas
clint
seniors)
"Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote in message
news:5js3toF...@mid.individual.net...
George Leppla
"Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
I think that anyone who ever depended on making tips to pay the bills is
usually a good tipper..... they know how much it means to count the tips at
the end of the shift, hoping you have enough to pay the bills.
I've waited tables, driven a cab and driven a shuttle bus and the majority
of my pay for all three jobs was the tips I made..... and looking back, I am
grateful for those who were generous. Back then, an extra dollar.... even
an extra quarter... went a long way.
--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com
January 20, 2008 - GGC2008 - http://cruisemaster.com/adventure.htm
October 26, 2008 Sleazy 5 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy5.htm
clint
"George Leppla" <geo...@cruisemaster.com> wrote in message
news:fbbov...@news3.newsguy.com...
Nonnymus
>
> I think that anyone who ever depended on making tips to pay the bills is
> usually a good tipper..... they know how much it means to count the tips at
> the end of the shift, hoping you have enough to pay the bills.
>
> I've waited tables, driven a cab and driven a shuttle bus and the majority
> of my pay for all three jobs was the tips I made..... and looking back, I am
> grateful for those who were generous. Back then, an extra dollar.... even
> an extra quarter... went a long way.
>
Back in my young days of junior high, I cleaned tables and then waited
tables in a coffee shop-type of restaurant. Coffee was a nickel, but
later moved to a whole DIME. Dad owned the place, and kept the price at
a nickel for police or firemen on duty. A fried chicken "blue plate
special" dinner included 3 pieces of pan fried chicken, mashed potatoes,
peas or corn and a slice of pie. The cost was about $1.50. Back then a
quarter tip was very much appreciated, but frankly, I've pocketed dime
tips and been grateful.
BTW, those cops or firemen who got their subsidized nickel coffee would
almost always toss a dime on the table for the coffee and tip.
Ermalee
> LeeNY wrote:
>
>> On Aug 30, 2:06 pm, Nonnymus <nob...@cox.net> wrote:
>
>
>>> However, if a specialty restaurant(s) is pushed by the line and poor
>>> food or service in the main dining room is the alternative, then I guess
>>> I'd resent it deeply.
>>
>>
>> I've never felt that the specialty restaurants were pushed on me. I
>> think maybe you're getting (just a little) irked about a situation
>> that, in my experience, doesn't exist. Maybe it's the case on NCL with
>> freestyle. I've only cruised on ships with traditional dining, and
>> have not found what you've described to be the case.
>>
>> Lee
>>
>>> Nonny
>
>
> Please note the use of the word, "if" in the paragraph quoted. I was
> speaking in the hypothetical, or hopefully in the hypothetical. Like
> you, I've never really felt driven to use a specialty restaurant, and as
> a matter of fact, I never have. Some of my family members have done a
> specialty restaurant on cruises, and reported they received premium
> service and food for the additional charge. Perhaps I just have lower
> expectations or a lower definition of what is excellent in a ship's main
> dining room. I am seldom disappointed in the food or the service. I
> have to admit that NCL freestyle was probably one of the weaker dining
> experiences, but even then I didn't get the feeling that I was being
> pushed toward their specialty places, but merely handed a mediocre
> dining experience.
>
> Nonny
Nonny, if you remember as I do, the food on our Baltic Cruise (Norwegian
Dream) was just fine. As a group, we had decided if at any time they
posted a dinner menu that was not to our liking, that we would go to a
specialty restaurant. It never came to that and we were all very
satisfied with the food and the service. I believe we had the best
waiter and nicest table on that ship, just by reserving the same one
early each day.
Ermalee <---has tried the specialty restaurant on more than one ship,
but not on an NCL cruise
clint
Rosalie B.
>George Leppla wrote:
>> I am hijacking this subject from another thread...
>> "Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
>>
>>> And the specialty restaurant
>>> (best food we've had on the seas) succeeded in evoking a big city supper
>>> club of another era.
>>
>> Which leads to some questions...
>>
>> What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
>>
>
>I have a fairly negative reaction to specialty restaurants on a cruise
>ship. When I purchase a cruise, I expect that the main dining room will
I also have a fairly negative reaction to an extra price restaurant.
There are some non-extra price specialty restaurants on NCL, but you
have to make reservations in advance for them, and I'm never quite
able to say that yes I will want Italian at 6:15 five days from today
>serve high quality food, properly prepared and properly served. I
>expect the menu to change daily to give me a selection of foods and
>preparation, such as an Italian themed menu, French themed menu during
>different nights. When a specialty restaurant is presented as a place
>for the "best steak," or "best service," then I feel it's done at the
>expense of the main dining venue.
>
>OTOH, an argument can be made for specialty restaurants from precisely
>the above paragraph. There are folks who absolutely LOVE Italian food,
>for instance, and would prefer to have a selection of it each night.
>Likewise, some folks might actually prefer a 3-hour dinner, compared to
>the typical 90 minute one in the formal dining room. Typically, lobster
>is served once during a formal night on a cruise, so if someone really
>wanted lobster frequently, they would presumably be willing to pay extra
>to receive it.
>
>I guess the thing in a nutshell is that if a ship's main dining room
>serves excellent food with the anticipated service and variety, then if
>folks want to pay extra for a specialty venue, I don't have a problem.
>However, if a specialty restaurant(s) is pushed by the line and poor
>food or service in the main dining room is the alternative, then I guess
>I'd resent it deeply.
>
>Nonny
I've only eaten in a specialty extra price restaurant once and that
was because it was part of a package that I got from the travel agent.
It was on HAL's Maasdam.
The food was all excellent, but there was too much of it. I couldn't
possibly have eaten it all. I would have loved to have a little taste
of some of the things and not to have to contemplate a whole big plate
of it. Even though I got the smallest piece of meat on the menu, by
the time I got to dessert, I only had room for a little taste of one
of my favorite foods.
Also I found the hovering waiters and the half empty restaurant quite
off-putting. Especially because they seemed to disappear just when I
wanted something. It was cold in atmosphere and the air was cold too.
Surfer E2468
a good amount of cream on top was 15 cents a quart?
<
cruise lover>
Surfer E2468
a friday and saturday for a total of 16 hours,and got paid a lowly sum
of 25 cents a day,which with i hadto buy my school supplies,and give 1/2
to my brother for his cigaretts,mom always favored her sons. Now we give
a nice tip to our cruise staff,they earn every penny of it.
<
cruise lover>
Nonnymus
>>I am seldom disappointed in the food or
>> the service. I have to admit that NCL freestyle was probably one of
>> the weaker dining experiences, but even then I didn't get the feeling
>> that I was being pushed toward their specialty places, but merely
>> handed a mediocre dining experience.
>>
>> Nonny
>
> Nonny, if you remember as I do, the food on our Baltic Cruise (Norwegian
> Dream) was just fine. As a group, we had decided if at any time they
> posted a dinner menu that was not to our liking, that we would go to a
> specialty restaurant. It never came to that and we were all very
> satisfied with the food and the service. I believe we had the best
> waiter and nicest table on that ship, just by reserving the same one
> early each day.
>
> Ermalee <---has tried the specialty restaurant on more than one ship,
> but not on an NCL cruise
I have to admit that our waiter was excellent and the companionship even
better. OTOH, if I had to rank menu and food aboard the ships we've
been on, the Baltic NCL cruise would not be at the top.
Nonny
Nonnymus
>
> Also I found the hovering waiters and the half empty restaurant quite
> off-putting.
We don't mind the half empty restaurant, since we're use to people
departing when we arrive. I guess it has to do with our dining habits.
The hovering waiters are quite a disappointment, though. "Please sir,
don't place the silverware in your coat pocket," "Madam, you may not
bring your own liquor into the dining room in your purse," "Sir, that is
a finger bowl and not a beverage," and, "No, sir, the champagne chilling
bucket is not a spittoon," really can slow down a great dinner.
clint
"Surfer E2468" <poco...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:24677-46D...@storefull-3355.bay.webtv.net...
Ermalee
Ermalee
Peg Caldwell-Ott
We have enjoyed the specialty restaurants on Celebrity (Normandie on
the Summit and Olympic on the Millennium) and on NCL (Cagney's, Le
Bistro and Bamboo on the Norwegian Dawn and Cagney's, Trattoria,
Shogun and Teppanyaki on the Norwegian Spirit). With the exception of
our very first NCL cruise on the Dawn, we have never eaten only in the
specialty restaurants on any given cruise, preferring to keep them as
a once, twice or three times (depending on the length of the voyage)
dining location for something different just for fun.
In both the Normandie and the Olympic, the food was exceptional and we
enjoyed choosing dishes that were prepared tableside--lots of fun to
watch your dinner materialize before your eyes. The service was
outstanding, but often a bit too much. Personally, I don't like being
escorted into and out of the dining room if I have to slip out for a
minute or so--always struck me as a bit too over blown. What made
those dinners extra special was dining with good friends on virtually
each occasion.
On the NCL ships, our favorite has to be Cagney's--shrimp cocktail and
steaks that are out of this world! We also really enjoy
Teppanayaki--as much for the food as for the show of seeing it being
prepared. Shogun, Bamboo and Le Bistro were also wonderful. What
strikes us as particular nice about these venues is the smaller, more
intimate rooms that make your meal seem a lot more special. Frankly,
we have seen little variation in the service we have been treated to
between the NCL main dining rooms and the specialty restaurants. But
the main dining rooms are much larger and, consequently, that much
busier in comparison to the smaller specialty rooms. We also like the
new variety of dishes in the main dining rooms, and the fact that
certain items are always available just in case nothing on the menu
strikes your fancy. We have rarely had a problem making reservations
(we like to eat later than most people anyway) and never had a problem
once a reservation was made.
PegNDerek
Bill
clint wrote:
>
> You shouldn't never overtip, it makes the rest of us look bad(especialy
> seniors)
Are you saying that seniors are cheap in how they tip, or only
you?
Bill
clint wrote:
>
> The cow and I would never pay the extra $10-15 to eat at a specail
> restaurant. We chow down five tmes a day and get an inside cabin, sneak in
> "Jack daniels" Get drunk, and go to the casino to smoke(and we are both
> seniors
Are we supposed to excuse your behavior because you are a
senior? Do you do this in person too? Do you speak gibberish and
say "I'm a senior"?
Ike
> You shouldn't never overtip, it makes the rest of us look bad(especialy
> seniors)
Clint, don't worry about what others do. No one can do anything
to make you look worse. It would be great if you listed your
cruise intentions, so those who would enjoy meeting you can do
so - and vice versa.
Ike
number6
Clint is harmless ... If he's really like this in person ... The
Senior refers to his year in High School ... He's just having fun
posting ... and I've not seen anything mean come from him ...
Kurt Ullman
Bill <bill...@prodigy.net> wrote:
Don't pay too much attention to Clint. He is our pet troll.
rosie
Here is what they did for me. One evening I decided to skip dinner as
my back was hurting. I was in my cabin watching a movie, when there
was a knock on the door, there stood two waiters with a complete
dinner , soup , Lobster tail etc and a Bottle of wine chilling.
I was pleasantly surprised, about 20 minutes later, I recieved a phone
call from our headwaiter.. How is dinner? Did you like the food, did
we send you wine you liked? We know you like the Chardonnay...
Later they sent up two plates with about 5 different desserts on
them... So I could choose.
That is what they did for me. Was very pleased.
Rosie
Nonnymus
That was incredible, and certainly deserving of being remembered when
the cruise ended.
Janet Wilder
> Nonny, if you remember as I do, the food on our Baltic Cruise (Norwegian
> Dream) was just fine. As a group, we had decided if at any time they
> posted a dinner menu that was not to our liking, that we would go to a
> specialty restaurant. It never came to that and we were all very
> satisfied with the food and the service. I believe we had the best
> waiter and nicest table on that ship, just by reserving the same one
> early each day.
Ermalee,
I think that there lies the difference between your experience on NCL
and mine. I was NOT with a group. Groups were able to make a reservation
for a table. Groups were able to choose a table so they could have the
same wait-staff every night.
We were just a couple and even though we did not care if we were placed
at a table for two or a larger table, our experiences in the NCL dining
room were not happy.
rosie
>
> - Show quoted text -
It certainly was. I was very impressed.
Rosie
Surfer E2468
going to hit 80 soon really remember the big depression,that is why we
travel,and cruise as much as we can now,we forgo the balcony's because
that way we can take a few cruises for what it would cost for 1,we are
not cheap,just penny wise and pound foolish. Also remember buying penny
soft philly pretzels at the movies,which only cost 10 cents for
cartoons,news,cowboy serial,and double feature,and coming attractions.I
could go on and on,but i will not. Hope never to see those hard
times again. surfer
e2468
<
cruise lover>
Surfer E2468
for groups,and if it was just 2 people they stuck them anywhere they
wanted to.Never had that problem on PRINCESS,HAL,or CELEBRITY
<
cruise lover>
D. Wilkinson
to the number of times one can dine in their specialty restaurants?? We
will be doing the 26 night Amazon Adventure on the Regatta. Thanks.....
Tobie Gerbrandt wrote:
> Hi George,
>
> Our favorite Specialty Restaurant experience in 46 cruises was EVERY time in
> the POLO GRILL on the Oceania Regatta. Everything was perfect EVERY time we
> went there, from the Whole Maine Lobster to the Filet Mignon, Ceasar Salad
> to Creme Brule. I think next time I'm going to try the 32 oz. Prime Rib.
> And there is no extra charge for this, or the "Toscana" Italian restaurant.
>
> BTW, the food and service was also GREAT in the main dining room and the
> buffet. You really should try Oceania.
>
> Tobie>>>>on an Island in the Pacific
>
>
> "George Leppla" <geo...@cruisemaster.com> wrote in message
> news:fb6de...@news3.newsguy.com...
>
>>I am hijacking this subject from another thread...
>>
>>
>>"Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote
>>
>>
>>>And the specialty restaurant
>>>(best food we've had on the seas) succeeded in evoking a big city supper
>>>club of another era.
>>
>>
>>Which leads to some questions...
>>
>>What do you think about "specialty restaurants" on ships?
>>
>>If you go to these restaurants, what was your favorite meal?
>>
>>
>>I have to admit I dislike the concept of additional pay, specialty
>>restaurants on ships. I think dining in the dining room should be
>>"special" but it has become ordinary. Waiters singing, Maitre 'ds who
>>think they were born to spend their life talking on a microphone, trying
>>to feed 3500 people in 3 hours. Most dining room food and service is very
>>good, but for me, it is no longer "special".
>>
>>My favorite meal in a specialty restaurant was on the Carnival Conquest.
>>We had dinner with my brother and his wife, it was their first cruise and
>>their honeymoon and Carnival does an excellent job.
Tobie Gerbrandt
Atlantics (only 10 to 12 dqys) and we did manage to get extra nights in the
specialty restaurants. They had a line-up at the Polo Grill on embarkation
day for reservations. I would suggest you make that your priority when
first boarding.
Even without the specialty dining, I'm betting that your dining experience
will exceed your expectations. It's all FINE food and service even in the
regular dining room and the buffet.
Tobie>>>>on an Island in the Pacific
"D. Wilkinson" <dwi...@charterspam.net> wrote in message
news:yfHCi.57$vY7...@newsfe02.lga...
Cruise Crazy
in all the restaurants and our only bad experience was in the buffet.
which was much too small. The speciality restaurants were a step above
the main dining room, so we tended to use those more often for dinner.
The menus there didn't change every day but there was enough variety
that we didn't have the same thing twice. it's hard for me to judge food
quality since when I am not cooking it all tastes fine to me. I don't
expect gourmet food on a cheap cruise. I think expectations need
adjustment with certain cruise lines. The same goes for service and
ammenities.
~~DORIS~~
ย ย ________ย /ย /___/ย /___/ย /_________
ย \::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/
ย ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Azamara Quest 10-26-2007
Carnival Inspiation 1-10-2008
Princess Star 3-30-2008
Princess Star 4-11-2008
RCCL Grandeur 12-8-2008
Cruise Crazy
> Oceania cruise. Is there a limit to the
> number of times one can dine in their
> specialty restaurants?? We will be doing
> the 26 night Amazon Adventure on the
> Regatta. Thanks....
We did that cruise last year and had no problem with reservations in the
speciaity restaurants at all. However... be aware that menus in those
restaurants do not change daily as they do in the main dining room.
There is variety, but I think you might be bored eating there every
night when the food thruout the ship is excellent including the buffet.
I hope you enjoy the ship and the cruise as much as we did. Oceania has
completely spoiled me and I hope we can do another cruise with them in
the near future. They are well worth the few extra dollars one pays.
Janet Wilder
> The message <24678-46...@storefull-3355.bay.webtv.net>
> from poco...@webtv.net (Surfer E2468) contains these words:
>
>> We were also told on NCL,and CARNIVAL that they kept the larger tables
>> for groups,and if it was just 2 people they stuck them anywhere they
>> wanted to.Never had that problem on PRINCESS,HAL,or CELEBRITY
>
> evening it is bookable too.
On our last NCL cruise we were putting into port in the evening. We had
booked a shore excursion and wanted to eat dinner in the dining room
before our excursion left. The quality of the buffet food was very much
in the "school cafeteria" range. I tried to reserve a table at 11:30 AM
for 6 PM dinner in the dining room and we were flat-out told that there
is no such thing as a reservation for 2 people on NCL. They only reserve
for groups. I'm therefore, certain that your "bookable" table was for
more than 2 people. There is most definitely a "problem" if one is not
with a group.
I called the phone number for the maitre'd and asked him for a
reservation. I was summarily dismissed. Not being one easily daunted,
especially when I'm spending my own money, I called the purser and
complained.
Twenty-minutes later I got a call back from the rather snotty maitre'd
confirming my reservation but was admonished that I could not "do it
again". (It was our last night out) When we showed up in plenty of time
to claim the reservation we were shown to our table, but you wouldn't
believe the evil look we got from the woman in charge of seating.
Jean O'Boyle
"rosie" <RMi10...@aol.com> wrote in message
> Here is what they did for me. One evening I decided to skip dinner as
> my back was hurting. I was in my cabin watching a movie, when there
> was a knock on the door, there stood two waiters with a complete
> dinner , soup , Lobster tail etc and a Bottle of wine chilling.
>
> I was pleasantly surprised, about 20 minutes later, I recieved a phone
> call from our headwaiter.. How is dinner? Did you like the food, did
> we send you wine you liked? We know you like the Chardonnay...
>
> Later they sent up two plates with about 5 different desserts on
> them... So I could choose.
>
> That is what they did for me. Was very pleased.
Rosie, I apologize if you already mentioned...but which ship was this?
That was fantastic service!
--Jean
Janet Wilder
> The message <46dc63ae$0$8184$c3e...@news.astraweb.com>
> from Janet Wilder <kellie...@yahoo.com> contains these words:
>>> evening it is bookable too.
>
>> On our last NCL cruise we were putting into port in the evening. We had
>> booked a shore excursion and wanted to eat dinner in the dining room
>> before our excursion left. The quality of the buffet food was very much
>> in the "school cafeteria" range. I tried to reserve a table at 11:30 AM
>> for 6 PM dinner in the dining room and we were flat-out told that there
>> is no such thing as a reservation for 2 people on NCL. They only reserve
>> for groups. I'm therefore, certain that your "bookable" table was for
>> more than 2 people. There is most definitely a "problem" if one is not
>> with a group.
>
> table in the main dining room with no problem; but face to face and not
> by phone, maybe that makes all the difference? We did not do it every
> night, but knew a 4some who booked for the week. At 6pm you should have
> no problem getting what you want. Are you talking NCLA and not NCL? Sun,
> Dawn, Jewel, Dream ne'r a problem for us, Gem is next up, I'll try
> again. We prefer NCL over HAL, Celebrity and some others, purely because
> of the oh so flexible dining and we have had food as decent as any other
> mass market line we have sailed.
I'm sorry I didn't make it clear. I asked in person for the reservation.
After I was turned down (rather rudely, I might add)I called the maitre'd
I've never cruised with HAL, but I have cruised with Royal Caribbean. To
me, there is no comparison between NCL and RCI. RCI is by far the
superior of the two. The buffet on the RCI ships is the same food as is
being served in the dining room. It was definitely not so on NCL or I
would have not been so concerned about a table reservation.
We've been on 5 cruises and are booked for two more. Two of our past
cruises were NCL prior to the Freestyle and they were lovely voyages.
The last one was a Freestyle to Alaska in 05 and we were so disappointed
that we will never cruise with them again.
I'm certain that there are many people who prefer Freestyle cruising,
but part of our cruise experience is being pampered and spoiled and that
includes having a dining room staff who knows us and anticipates our
needs before we even have to ask. This is impossible with Freestyle
unless you have a group and can book the same table and staff every night.
The other thing we like about non-Freestyle dining is the fixed seating
times. Dinner is sooooo much quieter and more relaxing when there aren't
people coming and going at all times and the crew isn't constantly
bustling around changing table cloths and rattling cutlery, etc.
YMMV
Peg Caldwell-Ott
>On our last NCL cruise we were putting into port in the evening. We had
>booked a shore excursion and wanted to eat dinner in the dining room
>before our excursion left. The quality of the buffet food was very much
>in the "school cafeteria" range. I tried to reserve a table at 11:30 AM
>for 6 PM dinner in the dining room and we were flat-out told that there
>is no such thing as a reservation for 2 people on NCL. They only reserve
>for groups.
That is a total load of nonsense! We are only 2 people, and have
booked tables for both specialty restaurants as well as the Main
Dining Rrooms on every single night we have been on an NCL
voyage--never had a problem--and we have sailed with them 7 times (3
on the Norwegian Dawn and 4 on the Norwegian Spirit--with three of
these voyages 12 nights long--2 on the Dawn and 1 on the Spirit). We
often reserve for the Main Dining Rooms just to ensure that we get a
table at the time that we want--even though reservations are only
"required" for the specialty restaurants.
Booking the particular restaurant on the same day that you required
the reservation might have been your error. In order to get
everything set up for dining arrangements, it is always best to book
your dining room choices and times at least one day or two days in
advance--and that is easily done from the 'phone in your cabin rather
than standing in long lines at the reservations desk. You can book
all of your choices (rooms and times) for the whole voyage through the
good offices of the Conceirge--and he or she is always happy to help
you get what you want--as much and as often as possible.
>I called the phone number for the maitre'd and asked him for a
>reservation. I was summarily dismissed. Not being one easily daunted,
>especially when I'm spending my own money, I called the purser and
>complained.
Why didn't you call the Conceirge? That is what he or she is there
for, and they do their level best to book the restaurant at the time
you want or as close as possible to it. Advance booking is always
advisable, when possible.
>Twenty-minutes later I got a call back from the rather snotty maitre'd
>confirming my reservation but was admonished that I could not "do it
>again". (It was our last night out) When we showed up in plenty of time
>to claim the reservation we were shown to our table, but you wouldn't
>believe the evil look we got from the woman in charge of seating.
Not very fair to grumble (loudly and often in this particular forum)
if you did not follow what common sense would dictate to most of us.
How was your dinner?
PegNDerek
"Scientists' say intelligent life
sprang from the sea.
Really intelligent life returns to
the sea every now and then."
Janet Wilder
>> On our last NCL cruise we were putting into port in the evening. We had
>> booked a shore excursion and wanted to eat dinner in the dining room
>> before our excursion left. The quality of the buffet food was very much
>> in the "school cafeteria" range. I tried to reserve a table at 11:30 AM
>> for 6 PM dinner in the dining room and we were flat-out told that there
>> is no such thing as a reservation for 2 people on NCL. They only reserve
>> for groups.
>
>
> That is a total load of nonsense! We are only 2 people, and have
> booked tables for both specialty restaurants as well as the Main
> Dining Rrooms on every single night
Sorry, but that's not what I was told. It was made extremely clear to me
that NCL's dining room policy was to only permit groups to book a
reservation in the dining room. We did go to one of the specialty
restaurants one evening only to find we had to wait 40 minutes past our
reserved time. The service was awful.
BTW, if you find yourself making reservations every night in the main
dining room, why are you bothering to Freestyle cruise?
> Booking the particular restaurant on the same day that you required
> the reservation might have been your error.
I wasn't trying to book a specialty restaurant. I was trying to make
sure I could eat my dinner in enough time to make my shore excursion.
The dining room gets very crowded at the usual times people want to eat.
It was not unusual to have to wait 30 to 40 minutes just to get a table
in the main or auxiliary dining rooms at peak dining times. One would
think that with an excursion booked through the cruise line, they would
make an accommodation one night for two passengers. They didn't care.
>> I called the phone number for the maitre'd and asked him for a
>> reservation. I was summarily dismissed. Not being one easily daunted,
>> especially when I'm spending my own money, I called the purser and
>> complained.
>
>
> Why didn't you call the Conceirge? That is what he or she is there
> for, and they do their level best to book the restaurant at the time
> you want or as close as possible to it. Advance booking is always
> advisable, when possible.
Advance booking *in the dining room* is not available on NCL if you are
not a group. It's not available for 2 people. Please stop confusing
this situation with a reservation in a specialty restaurant. *It was
not* for a reservation in the restaurant. It was for the regular dining
room. Either the main one or the secondary one would have done, but we
could not get the reservation with out having to fight for it because we
were only 2 people.
>
>> Twenty-minutes later I got a call back from the rather snotty maitre'd
>> confirming my reservation but was admonished that I could not "do it
>> again". (It was our last night out) When we showed up in plenty of time
>> to claim the reservation we were shown to our table, but you wouldn't
>> believe the evil look we got from the woman in charge of seating.
>
> Not very fair to grumble (loudly and often in this particular forum)
> if you did not follow what common sense would dictate to most of us.
I'm sorry you have a problem with the truth of my posting. Common sense
would have dictated that if these passengers had booked an excursion
with the cruise line, NCL needed to make sure they got to eat their
dinner that evening. Unfortunately, common sense is something NCL seems
to lack. The closing of the buffet for breakfast after everyone was in
an enforced early meeting for debarkation is just an example of the lack
of common sense aboard that ship. two-thirds of the passengers didn't
get any breakfast that day.
Lots of people just see the NCL commercials and think that other cruise
lines will treat them like sheep. They don't really understand what
Freestyle is when it comes to the dining experience. I'm just trying to
be helpful to future cruisers. If people don't care that they have to
wait in line to get a table for dinner, then they shouldn't have a
problem with what I post. If people don't care that they can't get a
reservation in the regular dining room unless they are a group, then it
really doesn't matter, does it. It does matter to people who might not
want that experience and I am here to give them information.
> How was your dinner?
The food was good. When it came. The slow service was the main reason we
wanted the reservation. We did not want to miss our excursion. We
enjoyed our excursion, too.
clint
bored easily..........
"Janet Wilder" <kellie...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:46dc63ae$0$8184$c3e...@news.astraweb.com...
number6
> >On our last NCL cruise we were putting into port in the evening. We had
> >booked a shore excursion and wanted to eat dinner in the dining room
> >before our excursion left. The quality of the buffet food was very much
> >in the "school cafeteria" range. I tried to reserve a table at 11:30 AM
> >for 6 PM dinner in the dining room and we were flat-out told that there
> >is no such thing as a reservation for 2 people on NCL. They only reserve
> >for groups.
>
> That is a total load of nonsense! We are only 2 people, and have
> booked tables for both specialty restaurants as well as the Main
> Dining Rrooms on every single night we have been on an NCL
> voyage--never had a problem--and we have sailed with them 7 times (3
> on the Norwegian Dawn and 4 on the Norwegian Spirit--with three of
> these voyages 12 nights long--2 on the Dawn and 1 on the Spirit).
I too don't understand where there was a problem ... We've reserved
for 2 in the main dining room plenty of times ... not for any other
reason that to force us into a schedule ... Freestyle works so well
for us ... too well sometimes that when we have something planned ...
we put dinner off until we are forced to rush through it ... change
our plans ... or grab something quick in the buffet ... making that
reservation makes the irresponsible child in us have more structure
when it is needed ...
I don't know recall the poster complaining about NCL posting here
before ... now with a chance to do bashing ... there are tons ...
agenda ??
Rosalie B.
>On Aug 31, 11:30 am, J Carnaghie <jacarnaghie_NOS...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> LeeNY wrote:
>> > The meals that are included in your cruise fare, at no extra cost, are
>> > really lovely, and the service is, for the most part, really great,
>> > too. I'm amazed at the food that they are able to produce, for the
>> > number of people they have to serve, and within the very limited
>> > budget they have to work with. But, I think to expect excellence is
>> > unrealistic.
>>
>> > I found an excerpt from the book Cruise Ship Blues - I have no idea of
>> > the accuracy of what was written, but it confirms what I remember
>> > reading on this ng a few years ago, when someone posted a list of the
>> > cruise lines and what each spent, for food, per passenger, per day.
>> > According to Cruise Ship Blues, lines like Carnival and Royal
>> > Caaribbean, the food budget is about $10-$11 per day, per passenger.
>> > HAL and Celebrity spend about $12-$15 per day. With Seaborn,
>> > Silversea, you're looking at $20-$24 per day.
>> > Lee
>>
>> For what it is worth, a "Rule of Thumb" in the
>> food service trade is that the materials for a
>> meal should never cost more than one third of the
>> sell price.
>
>Interesting. So, at retail, we're looking at $40 per day (give or
>take)? I'd be hard pressed to find comparable food on land, for $40 a
>day. Ever watch that Rachel Ray show - $40 A Day? She eats well, but
>not like one eats on a cruise ship at the no-extra-fee venues.
>
>Lee
>>
>> Cheers,
>> John in LALALand (On the Left Coast)
Well I love her $40/day program, and like to use it when I go
someplace (like New Orleans or Bermuda) to figure out the best places
to go. She sometimes 'cheats' a little bit, but her guidelines work
for us when we are traveling..
One 'cheat' was to have Key Lime pie for breakfast (in the Florida
Keys) and the place she had breakfast in Bermuda doesn't open until 10
am which doesn't work for me.. Also, she includes not only BLD, but
also a drink in some bar, and apparently in one place, someone bought
her a drink and her hint was that you will save money by letting
someone else buy you a drink. That might be difficult to manage for
some people in some places.
We ate at restaurants she recommended - Uglesich's in New Orleans and
the Hog Penny in Bermuda and had good meals in both of them.
Normally in traveling, we have some kind of breakfast from what we
carry with us (juice and a bagel or a banana or something like that),
and our lunch normally runs a max of $21 for the two of us (and often
considerably less than that **without** eating in fast food places.
And I regard a reasonable dinner as between $25 and $50 for TWO.
Sometimes for lunch when we are traveling we eat leftovers from dinner
because restaurants give you so much food that you can't possibly eat
it all.
That's one thing (to get back to the subject). that I like about the
cruise ships - they give you a variety of food, but not so much of it
that you feel overstuffed at the end. A SMALL cup of soup, a little
salad, a small piece of meat. And if you want more they will give it
to you, but not right away. That may be one of the ways that they can
cut costs over land based restaurants.
LeeNY
> I too don't understand where there was a problem ... We've reserved
> for 2 in the main dining room plenty of times ... not for any other
> reason that to force us into a schedule ... Freestyle works so well
> for us ...
See...this is the part I don't get. You reserve a table for the main
dining room to force yourself into a schedule...and this is why
freestyle works so well?
Lee
Kurt Ullman
LeeNY <lee...@campmor.com> wrote:
Exactly. Those who want to do that (closer to traditional) have the
option and those who don't also have the option. Those, like #6 who want
sorta hybrid between the two, also get what they want. What's not to
love?
number6
Yeah - exactly ... for the 10-20 % we want a schedule ... we make it
ourselves at the time we need 6,7,8,9 pm ... whatever we need for that
day ... the rest of the time we wing it ...
have it both ways ...
clint
Peg Caldwell-Ott
>See...this is the part I don't get. You reserve a table for the main
>dining room to force yourself into a schedule...and this is why
>freestyle works so well?
We make reservations just to ensure that we have a table in the room
(Main DRs OR Specialty) that we want to eat at and at the time we want
to dine. It varies with each day--sometimes we really want to see a
particular show or attend a particular function, so we might eat
earlier; other days (especially after shore excursions), we tend to
like to eat later after a nap and a chance to process our pictures
and/or write a review of the snorkeling site we went to. There is no
regimented "the Dining Room opens at 8:15 and if you are not in your
seat by 8:30 you won't get any food!!". And, like #6 has commented,
sometimes it is fun to dine with new friends we have met on board. and
other times we prefer to be alone--just the two of us. It is very nice
to have the choice to make "a schedule" that suits our plans, rather
than have to follow the herd!! And, yes, the Conceirge will make
dining reservations for just 2 people for any night of the voyage in
any dining room (Main DR OR Specialty) at any time that you like (or
as close as possible to it) on any NCL Freestyle ships. This was not
Janet's experience on her one trip, but it certainly as been ours on
ALL of our seven voyages.
Although it is not the theme of this thread, we also like not having
to dress up unless we want to. Fourteen voyages on Celebrity ships
(1993 to 2005) were great fun in most respects, but lugging around all
the formal wear and having to dress up several nights on each voyage
finally got to be a bit tiresome, especially for Derek. On NCL, we
take along nicer things to wear on formal nights, but not the tux (for
him) or fancy long dresses (for me), unless we want to. For example,
we still put on the fancy formals for Christmas and New Year's Eve (if
we want to), but have skipped the really fancy clothes these last
couple of trips, settling for jacket and tie (for him) and nice pant
suits (for me)--more comfortable, and the "formal" portraits still
look just as nice!
Cheers,
Peg
dgs
news:ereqd3pbi0mm2ugii...@4ax.com...
> We ate at restaurants she recommended - Uglesich's in New Orleans
Won't get to eat there any more ... it closed down afer a long run
in business, and not because of Katrina either, as it closed down
something like three months before that happened, back in spring 2005.
ObOnTopic: Going on an Avalon river cruise in December. I don't
think I have to worry about choosing from a specialty place on-board
the Tranquility. Anyone have opinions about the quality of eats
on Avalon's European river cruises?
--
dgs
Rosalie B.
>"Rosalie B." <gmbe...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>news:ereqd3pbi0mm2ugii...@4ax.com...
>
>> We ate at restaurants she recommended - Uglesich's in New Orleans
>
>Won't get to eat there any more ... it closed down afer a long run
>in business, and not because of Katrina either, as it closed down
>something like three months before that happened, back in spring 2005.
We ate there in Dec 2004. After Katrina, they were closed for awhile
(and I did think it was Katrina that closed them) but in 2006 their
website indicated that they were going to reopen. They have a website
selling cookbooks and other items - no indication on it that they
aren't open now. I don't know whether they are or not.
BobEdwards
> On Aug 31, 11:30 am, J Carnaghie <jacarnaghie_NOS...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > LeeNY wrote:
>
> > >>I think it is a shame that in order to get excellent food and service
> > >>you have to pay extra and go to these specialty restaurants. The
> > >>cruise costs more than enough and should include everything.
The next time that you watch that program try to make note of how
little she tips.
LeeNY
> The next time that you watch that program try to make note of how
> little she tips.
Oh...I KNOW!!! I just noticed that the other day. Her food was around
$14 and change. She added in something like $2.75 to cover tax and
tip....uh...I don't think so!
Lee
Rosalie B.
They do get free publicity out of it. If it was just a tip, it would
be a little over 15%.
Taxes are of course different in different places. Maryland has 5%
tax, so if we wanted to figure 15% quickly, it would be 3x the tax. (I
don't tip on the tax).
LeeNY
> LeeNY <lees...@campmor.com> wrote:
> >On Sep 5, 12:23 pm, BobEdwards <bo...@comcast.net> wrote:
> >> The next time that you watch that program try to make note of how
> >> little she tips.
>
> >Oh...I KNOW!!! I just noticed that the other day. Her food was around
> >$14 and change. She added in something like $2.75 to cover tax and
> >tip....uh...I don't think so!
>
> They do get free publicity out of it.
But, that's not the point of the show.
(straying way off topic here...and my point of bringing up the $40 A
Day concept kind of got lost in the shuffle)
The point of the show is to demonstrate how an average Joe can eat
well when traveling, spending $40 A Day. The average Joe isn't being
filmed for TV, so isn't providing any free publicity for the
restaurants that he patronizes. When Rachel Ray's the customer, I'm
sure the restaurant doesn't mind that she is cheap when it comes to
tipping. But, she sets a bad example for those individuals who will
try to emulate her actions on their next vacation.
If it was just a tip, it would
> be a little over 15%.
But it wasn't. It was itemized as tax & tip combined. At 5%, $14 would
have 70ยข tax. So, she left, like, $2.00 for a tip. Pretty stingy.
> Taxes are of course different in different places. Maryland has 5%
> tax, so if we wanted to figure 15% quickly, it would be 3x the tax. (I
> don't tip on the tax).
I don't tip the tax either. Does anyone?
Now...if we can steer this back on topic...
For those just joining the conversation, I was trying to make the
point that one can't expect excellence (and, of course, everyone has a
different interpretation of the word), on the food budget that the
galley staff has to work with. With $10-15 per day (mass market lines)
to spend on food, per passenger, I think they achieve a level of food
service that's downright miraculous.
If you watch Rachel Ray's show, you'll see how far her $40 budget goes
(or, how little she's able to get for the money). I just cited her
show as an example, but the point was missed, and the thread took a
turn.
Anyway...I remain a cruiser quite satisfied with the included food,
but willing to pay a bit more for a better at times truly stellar,
meal.
Lee
Becca
> For those just joining the conversation, I was trying to make the
> point that one can't expect excellence (and, of course, everyone has a
> different interpretation of the word), on the food budget that the
> galley staff has to work with. With $10-15 per day (mass market lines)
> to spend on food, per passenger, I think they achieve a level of food
> service that's downright miraculous.
Lee, I have to agree with you on that! I wish I could serve my house
guests, as well as the cruise line does, for $10-15 per day. We have a
lot of house guests (OK,I love it!), but it does get expensive.
Becca
dgs
> "dgs" <d...@someplace.com> wrote:
>
>>"Rosalie B." <gmbe...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>>news:ereqd3pbi0mm2ugii...@4ax.com...
>>
>>> We ate at restaurants she recommended - Uglesich's in New Orleans
>>
>>Won't get to eat there any more ... it closed down afer a long run
>>in business, and not because of Katrina either, as it closed down
>>something like three months before that happened, back in spring 2005.
>
> We ate there in Dec 2004. After Katrina, they were closed for awhile
> (and I did think it was Katrina that closed them)
Nope. Closed on May 6, 2005, well before Katrina. The owners were
pretty well done with it all, after 50 years in the trade.
> but in 2006 their
> website indicated that they were going to reopen. They have a website
> selling cookbooks and other items - no indication on it that they
> aren't open now. I don't know whether they are or not.
They aren't. Strictly a storefront now. There was some discussion of
re-opening three or four days a week, but that hasn't happened.
I also asked:
>>ObOnTopic: Going on an Avalon river cruise in December. I don't
>>think I have to worry about choosing from a specialty place on-board
>>the Tranquility. Anyone have opinions about the quality of eats
>>on Avalon's European river cruises?
Anyone? Bueller?
--
dgs