Specialty Restaurants on ships

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...

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

"dgs" wrote:

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
.. .

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.

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?

On Aug 31, 8:49 am, LeeNY wrote:
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)

The next time that you watch that program try to make note of how
little she tips.

On Sep 5, 12:23 pm, BobEdwards 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!

Lee

LeeNY wrote:

On Sep 5, 12:23 pm, BobEdwards 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. 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).

On Sep 5, 2:07 pm, Rosalie B. wrote:
LeeNY wrote:
On Sep 5, 12:23 pm, BobEdwards 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 70¢ 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

LeeNY wrote:

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

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...

"dgs" wrote:

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
. ..

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