Specialty Restaurants on ships

(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.

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~~
**________*/*/___/*/___/*/_________
*\::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

In article om,
LeeNY wrote:

http://books.google.com/books?id=FPL...cruise+l ine+
budget+food&source=web&ots=cU56sWHlnf&sig=8R56Qnn7 enJ9zRRRWfq-XSyeO9w#PPA15,M1

For future reference.. http://tinyurl.com is your friend (g)

http://tinyurl.com/yotaxe

On Aug 31, 10:24 am, Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article om,

LeeNY wrote:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FPL...pg=PA15&dq=cru...
budget+food&source=web&ots=cU56sWHlnf&sig=8R56Qnn7 enJ9zRRRWfq-XSyeO9w#PPA15,M1

For future reference..http://tinyurl.comis your friend (g)

http://tinyurl.com/yotaxe

Thanks, Kurt!!!

Lee

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

In article .com,
LeeNY wrote:

On Aug 31, 10:24 am, Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article om,

LeeNY wrote:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FPL...pg=PA15&dq=cru...
budget+food&source=web&ots=cU56sWHlnf&sig=8R56Qnn7 enJ9zRRRWfq-XSyeO9w#PPA1
5,M1

For future reference..http://tinyurl.comis your friend (g)

http://tinyurl.com/yotaxe

Thanks, Kurt!!!

Lee

My pleasure, those really long URL make my head hurt (g).

LeeNY wrote:

On Aug 30, 10:58 pm, delta 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)

"Brian K" wrote in message
...
On 8/30/2007 10:58 PM delta exclaimed:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:28:50 -0500, "George Leppla"
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.
HAL provides great food and service in the main dining room, the Lido
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.

We have always found the food on Princess to be very good. Except for
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.

On Aug 31, 11:30 am, J Carnaghie wrote:
LeeNY wrote:
On Aug 30, 10:58 pm, delta 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.

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)

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?

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
You don’t stand any taller by
trying to make others appear shorter.

In article , Nonnymus
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