Specialty Dining on the Allure of the Seas

What is Specialty Dining on a cruise ship?  Instead of eating your dinner in the main dining room, you can opt to have a meal in a “special” restaurant, featuring fine steaks, sushi, Italian fare, or something unique. These days, most cruise ships have at least one specialty restaurant, in addition to the main dining room, buffet, and room service.

The Allure of the Seas, being the largest ship afloat, actually has 24 different dining options available!  Most of those options are complimentary and included in your cruise fare.  However, there are several options that charge an additional per-person fee to dine.  Some places are casual: Johnny Rockets if you’re in the mood for a burger and fries ($4.95), or Rita’s Cantina if you’d like to sample some Mexican fare ($3 cover charge, plus a la carte menu pricing; or Rita's Fiesta, with dinner and 3 drinks of your choice for $20 on select nights).

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If you’re a die-hard carnivore, you’re in luck.  Samba Grill is a Brazilian steakhouse that’s open for dinner in the Solarium each night ($25).  While there is a buffet with soups, salads, and appetizers, the focus here is on the meat - there are actually 13 different kinds of meat that are carved tableside, just for you.  And the servers will keep coming around until you’ve had enough.  Always a favorite, Chops Grille is an American steakhouse ($30), serving all of the traditional classics.

If you’re looking for something different, you can try Vintages, a wine bar with a sampling menu of tapas (a la carte pricing).  You can use an iPad to select a wine, and then tapas selections are suggested for you.  Or, choose your tapas first, and see the iPad’s wine pairing recommendations!  Sushi, sashimi, and even Hot Rock (Ishiyaki) Plates are found at Izumi Asian Cuisine (cover charge is $5 for dinner,  plus a la carte menu pricing).

For the foodies, 150 Central Park is a fine-dining experience featuring a seasonal 6-course tasting menu ($40).  There are just 2 rotating menus per cruise, so you can view the options when you get onboard to see which one appeals to you more.  Or, you can opt for the Chef’s Table, a unique experience limited to just 14 guests.  There is a 5-course menu prepared and presented by the Chef de Cuisine, along with special wine pairings for each course ($95).  Bonus take-home goodies include a cookbook signed by the chef and a special personalized menu.

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During my cruise on the Allure, I was perfectly content with all of the dining options that were included in my cruise fare.  However, after spending 6 nights in the dining room with 4 young children, we decided we were going to spend the last night having a quiet special dinner together, without the little ones.  At that point, there weren’t many reservation choices left, and we settled on Giovanni’s Table ($20).  Described as Italian, and "family-style", I’ll admit I didn’t necessarily have the highest hopes for a “fine dining” experience.

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We started out with 3 appetizers to share: Carpaccio di Manzo (thinly sliced seared beef tenderloin, crispy lettuces, shaved fennel, julienned sundried tomatoes, crispy garlic chips, and herb-oil drizzle); Capesante al Forno (oven baked, almond-crusted scallops with red bell pepper pesto).  To be honest, I’m not a fan of scallops, but these had to be THE BEST scallops I have ever eaten.  If all scallops were like this, I would certainly eat them more often!  The third was Melanzane alla Parmigiana (baked eggplant parmigiana Italian style), and even though it wasn't an adventurous choice, it was a really outstanding appetizer.  For our pasta course, we shared the Crespelle di Ricotta e Spinaci - baked ricotta and spinach crepes with Pomodoro sauce.  Another amazing dish, filled with plenty of cheesy goodness.

(As if we even had room for the main course at this point...) we selected the Grilled Lamb Chops and the Grilled Beef Tenderloin.  Both were cooked to perfection.  These were probably THE BEST lamb chops I have ever eaten.  They were meaty and juicy, with not a bit of fat on them…and while they were thick, they were cooked perfectly!

We also sampled several desserts, including Tiramisu and Cannoli, although we were certainly not hungry anymore!

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Dining at Giovanni's Table turned out to be one of the highlights of our week on the Allure, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.  Royal Caribbean has since introduced a few Specialty Dining Packages on select ships to encourage guests to try specialty dining.  For example, for $65 per guest, you can eat dinner at Giovanni's Table, Chops Steakhouse, and 150 Central Park.  Purchased separately, it would be $90 per guest.  I highly recommend doing this, as it's a great way to sample some fantastic dining experiences, and it is a great value too!