Better Bring an Unlimited Appetite for this Dining Package

We were intrigued. Royal Caribbean’s new Unlimited Dining Package certainly brought savings over dining in specialty restaurants at their regular price.

And at the specialty restaurants, the food is better, the service is better. And there’s lots of choice.

 

Intimate and gracious 150 Central Park

What’s not to like?

So we sprung for it. Should you? Consider this:

The broader your food taste, the better. You’re going to be in these restaurants every night of your trip. It helps if you want to eat in many of them. Or if you only like a few, that there’s enough variety on the menu for you.

You need to make reservations. But. Sometimes, we couldn’t get the time we wanted. So we chanced it, and showed up at the restaurant without a reservation, and almost each time, we got in.

Lunch may be wishful thinking. The Unlimited Dining Package allows you to eat lunch in the specialty restaurants on sea days for no extra cost. But after the big meal the night before, and a big meal on the evening ahead, somehow, we didn’t feel much like doing a specialty lunch. And never did.

Good for the adventurous. Since you can order multiple dishes, you can afford to experiment. I tried something at Giovanni’s that I would never have tried otherwise—Tonno Crudo, or raw Ahi tuna with garlic chips and a sweet-ish citrusy flavor. I fell so deeply in love that I did the unthinkable (for me)—I had two.

 

Ahhhhh...i Tuna Crudo, a Giovanni's appetizer

Better bring an appetite. But the biggest challenge? It was a lot of food. The specialty meals are big. And you’re going to be doing it every night. After a few days, I started cutting down on the courses. And I never thought I’d say this: I got tired of filet mignon.

 

Filet mignon at Chops Grille

If you’re a big eater, and really enjoy the specialty restaurant food and service, the Unlimited Dining Package may be perfect to you.

For my part, I wish doggie bags were an option. I could sure use some of that filet mignon now…

Musing’s Top Tip: The price for the Unlimited Dining Package went down by $20 a few weeks before our trip. Watch the promotional emails from Royal Caribbean as your cruise gets closer.