Is It Worth Forking Out For Speciality Dining - Cruise Cast Ep.7 - Guest Co-Host Travel Blog Jamie

Ever wonder if the extra splurge on specialty dining during your cruise is a ticket to culinary bliss or just another hole in your pocket? We've got the scoop, as the legendary Travel Blog Jamie joins Linz and Mark for a no-holds-barred discussion on navigating the tempting waves of cruise ship culinary costs. We're weighing anchor and setting sail to discover if those £40-Plus-a-plate experiences promise enough gastronomic delight to part with your hard-earned cash, sharing our personal threshold for extravagance, and dishing on the exceptional value that lines like Fred Olsen bring to the dining table.

In this episode, our taste buds embark on a tantalizing journey where memories of the most mouth-watering dishes like the Krispy Kreme-esque bread from Veranda Restaurant linger like the scent of the sea. Together with Jamie, we chat about the specialty dining scenes that have us salivating for more, from the risotto at Eden Restaurant on Celebrity Edge to the customised Cunard burgers that are a voyage in themselves. And we’re not just talking about the hits; we also spill the beans on those less stellar dining experiences that left us adrift in a sea of disappointment.

But it's not all about the food – it's the full cruise adventure that counts. We chat about the maiden voyage of Cunard's newest ship, unpacking our strategies for smooth sailing through those inaugural service hiccups. From the excitement of fresh itineraries to adapting to the brisk Alaskan climate, we cover all the elements that shape a the new Virgin Voyages cruises on Brilliant Lady, and chat about P&O's controversial changes to it's alcohol policy and drinks package price increases. 
So join us, whether you're a foodie cruiser dreaming about your next on-board date night or simply love the thrill of the open sea, we've got a first-class ticket to a specialty dining experiences

Transcript

Linzi: 0:01

Welcome to Episode 7 of the Sweet Natured Cruisecast. Hi, I'm Linz. As always, I'm joined by Marky, hello, hello. And today we're talking about whether it's worth forking out for speciality dining, and we're also joined by a very, very special guest. But first, a little mood music.

Mark: 0:21

Yeah, I'm not sure about that music either. No, no, one of these days we'll get an intro music. That's absolutely right.

Jamie: 0:37

Yes.

Mark: 0:40

It is awesome. It doesn't take much introducing, given that people can already see him that are watching the video version. Yes, but for those that are listening to us on the OBL podcast, the voice that you just heard is the legendary cruise personality himself, Traveler Boy Jamie.

Jamie: 0:57

Hiya, jamie. Wow, that's an introduction. I'm now going to live up to that one. Thank you, You're very welcome. Thank you for having me you're welcome and thank you.

Mark: 1:08

You are our very first ever special guest co-host yes, it's a threesome slash.

Linzi: 1:14

I don't, yeah. Whatever we call it, it's a triple host which probably sounds better than a threesome okay well, I feel very privileged.

Jamie: 1:25

As I said, I thought you were going to pen it for me at 2027 or something that's amazing. Thank you.

Mark: 1:33

Thank you for joining. Obviously, you've just come back off a cruise this morning, so we'll talk a little bit about that later on as well. I'm sure, yeah, but it's usual format. Just because we've got Jamie with us, we've got our topic of the show, which, as you said, is whether it's worth forking out for Speciality Dining yes, and then we've got three news stories you and Jamie have no idea about.

Linzi: 1:53

No.

Mark: 1:54

So we'll get to that and we'll get big-disc takes on that as we go. Yes, so we love talking about Speciality Dining.

Linzi: 2:00

We just love talking about food generally.

Mark: 2:02

We do or cocktails, but this is a food-based one.

Linzi: 2:05

Yes.

Mark: 2:05

So Speciality Dining.

Linzi: 2:08

Is that where we're?

Mark: 2:10

at. We're just starting somewhere, aren't we? But well, let's start off with then, because how much is too much to pay for Speciality Dining on a cruise ship?

Linzi: 2:20

Oh, that's a good one.

Mark: 2:25

Jamie.

Jamie: 2:32

You just passed the book on that immediately I did. Oh, that's a good one, jamie. Do you know? I think it's so appropriate as well that we're talking about dining, and I just knew that was going to be the topic of conversation. So, um, you might be aware, I am a massive fan of specialty dining, for all sorts of reasons mainly because, I love variety when it comes to food.

Jamie: 2:45

I'm such a fan of asian cuisine as well, so I'm always looking out those kind of restaurants on board. Um, but what I've noticed over the last couple years in our sun cruise lines, the prices are really starting to increase quite rapidly. Um, so I don't know if this sounds like a huge amount, but for me my cutoff point really is about 40 pounds, and that, for me, is already at the end of the scale, and I think some cruise lines their speciality value actually is more than that. That would make me stop and take. For actually, when you, when you think about the amount of gross cost anyway and all the extra nuts you're adding to that.

Jamie: 3:25

That, for me, is starting to get a little bit too ka-ching heavy.

Linzi: 3:30

Yeah, especially when you take Matthew with you as well, because then that's double, because 40 pounds is then 80 pounds.

Mark: 3:38

It is and you just touched on it then, jamie that that 4040 is becoming rapidly an entry point to Specialty Dining. When all of us started cruising, specialty Dining was generally in the sort of tens to £20 as a supplement on top, and the only one that I can think of that's anywhere near that price still is probably Fred Olsen.

Jamie: 4:02

Oh yeah, they're Specialty Dining and again, one of the reasons I love for olsen apart from the intimacy of uh the ship and the amazing customer service actually specialty dining all the way. They've got vasco, which is uh doran food, and they've got colors and tastes, which is asian fusion and borrow if you're correct, 10 pound per person if you book it, which is amazing value and I agree, I think it probably is the cheapest that I can think of uh in terms of that additional cost when you want a cruise line yeah, it is because they're doing it, as it is genuinely a little supplement to the cruise fare.

Mark: 4:38

They're acknowledging you've already paid quite a lot of money, fred's not fred is not um, and it's acknowledged. But then when you look at someone like celebrity, oh which, again similar pricing to where fred olsen sits in the market for a balcony, most definitely if you're a couple, not if you're a solo, as we have talked that's a different subject yeah that will definitely be a podcast from at some point.

Mark: 5:02

The cost yeah, tell me about it, but their sort of pricing now seems to be starting above that 40 pound threshold. That you're in there and our recent trip on some princess, they've pretty much flatlined their specialty dining starting at 45 pound as well. So 45 dollars, yes, yeah.

Jamie: 5:23

So maybe it's still within that 40 pound yeah piece at that they have those packages now, don't they? Whereby, if you I don't know, it's like I don't know 45, 50 dollars a day, so you get your gratuities plus, yes, wi-fi, and I think, if you go for the best, most expensive, luxurious package, I think you've got some of your specialty dining included in that as well. But I think, um, if, if I were paying 40 pounds, as you say, per person for that kind of venue, it would make me question whether I go to another during my week's cruise or whatever.

Mark: 5:58

It might just be that I do one yeah so one on one, but also I'll do both, because it's £20, which is great and the thing is we're also seeing, especially with the newer cruise ships that are coming on.

Mark: 6:12

Queen Anne's a good example, because she's obviously just gone out there she's got more speciality dining than any of the other QNADs. As the new ships come out Icon, sun, princess more and more speciality dining on there, which means if you're on a seven-night cruise, if you want to really see them all, you might have to go into speciality dining every night, which then Then that's adding a lot of money onto your base cost of the cruise, which, if you then sort of start comparing it to some of the ultra-inclusive or ultra-luxury things, all of a sudden you might not be that different. When you've added princess premier package on, or pianos drinks package and all those sort of bits, you might not be a million miles. No, no, if you certainly. Um, you look at icon of the seas, uh, and some princess as well, they've sort of elevated that specialty dining up a little bit higher again by introducing, like them, as a dinner show oh, yes, and you, but you get your drinks in there as well.

Mark: 7:12

You do some of them, you do but you know the empire supper club, you know for a couple of days what four hundred dollars or something. Oh, maybe if I'm on that it's crazy spellbound. Spellbound, which we would recommend. Yeah, you can definitely get your money's worth in cocktails.

Linzi: 7:27

Definitely Very easily, Jamie. You could definitely do that, but that's £149.

Mark: 7:32

Yes, the Brits are £149. Yes, yeah, so all of a sudden it becomes a much more thought about yeah.

Jamie: 7:39

And that's a really good deposit for another cruise. Yeah, no, it is, it is, or a two-nighter. It could pay for the whole thing. Exactly, yeah.

Mark: 7:48

Well, we saw a Costa one I think it was last week or something, and it was £99.

Linzi: 7:53

Wow, I think that was a two-nighter yeah, which, when you put it in that perspective, it gets a little bit expensive, and when you've paid that you know you're going to be nickel and dimed, you're more mentally prepared for it than when you've paid a more, yeah, higher, price to get in, and then you still end up having to buy the. You see, is there a night that you prefer to go to speciality? Do you like to go on the first night, the last night, which, yeah, yeah?

Jamie: 8:24

well, we tend to go on the first night because now I'm not suggesting every cruise line is the same and of course the occupancy rates will differ, but we find the main dining rooms sometimes to be a little bit more chaotic on the first night.

Jamie: 8:41

I think increasingly so. There are so many new uh to cruising passengers who aren't sure of how things work on the first night, and I've just noticed the lines can be uh and I'm people know me when I'm not very patient lining up things, like I find with specialty dining sometimes. Sometimes you might get a better deal, first of all because it's not as busy. No, because somewhere they've actually thrown in a bowl of wine as well and it's like oh, I'll have that. Thank you very much. So for us the first night is a nice calm sort of way into the cruise. What I will say is we don't favour specialty dining on the final night Because in my view, specialty dining gets busier and busier as the week progresses and people are looking for more variety and you find that some of the restaurants are sort of chockers on the last mile that's the it's better to go to the dining room where there are fewer people.

Linzi: 9:35

Definitely.

Jamie: 9:35

That's how we do it.

Linzi: 9:37

Yeah, we're very, very similar because we've actually started queuing to go into the main dining room on the first night and then looked at the app to see where which speciality has got availability and then gone to that restaurant yeah and then on the last night I'm just sat there going yeah, I need to pack now, we need to get the suitcases out.

Linzi: 9:55

I can't really enjoy this lovely leisurely dinner that you find in speciality because we've got to get organized. I never enjoy it when we also, if we're going across the bay of biscuit we don't book for that night either.

Jamie: 10:09

We've done it once and we will never do it again not in advance not in advance, no, unless it's like a mill pond well, actually, and I was just going to say, um, I think we tend to book speciality dining through a week when it's a sea day as well, so we can mind a bit of rock and roll even when we're eating. To be honest with you, I think it depends as well, like if there's a special occasion. People often message me saying which speciality restaurant would you recommend? We've actually seen the name Dairon, and some people, of course, would rather do speciality dining when, I don't know there's a formal night. Some people, of course, would rather do speciality dining when I don't know there's a formal night. Yeah, I don't know.

Linzi: 10:47

For me it's start of the week, maybe a sea day, yeah yeah, we don't ever book it on a formal night, do we I? Mean, we have done we have done, because it's only the night you can get in.

Mark: 10:57

You just talked about that. When we went on Queen Elizabeth Cross Bear Biscuit and I cross-brewed biscuit and I ended up just having a tiny piece of ginger and a bite of apple yeah, you devoured the steak and then I went back to the room and stirred that. Yeah, um, so you know we haven't done it on fall when I, but normally they put on something special in the main dining rooms, right, so you want to try that?

Jamie: 11:18

yeah, that's, that's that I think my problem is because, um, we live near to, uh, southampton and sometimes we do a lot of PMO cruises, which are convenient for us and generally good value. So I've actually experienced their formal night, their celebration menu, so many times. They really need to update them.

Linzi: 11:43

I'm like all of these things, things, so I'm not wearing that smile again now, if you could pick a the perfect speciality menu and you can pick any speciality restaurant you've ever been to, what? What are we having?

Jamie: 12:03

wow, um, actually that is easy because I already Asian cuisine.

Jamie: 12:07

So, on February 1st I said Festival of Colours and Tastes on Queen Anne's during the press night I went to Aranya, their Indian restaurant, the specialty restaurant, which was so, so good. The starter I had there is probably one of the best starters I've ever had on the cruise line. It was so good, honestly. And they want, they weren't afraid to use spice and I want, I want fire when I'm in too cozy, so that was great. Um, I'd also say, just to be a little bit different, um, when I was on disney magic a few years ago, I was invited, actually by the crew to experience palo for their brunch yeah, nice um, I don't know if you're aware of the brunch today.

Jamie: 12:53

I mean it's such a beautiful, elegant, traditional venue with just the most, um, quintessential sort of disney service and, wow, the variety of food. That was great and they just wanted to keep giving you more and more and more. And you know, I was like, oh my gosh, I've literally just had breakfast and I'm on brunch and I think it was a great variety of food and it was really really very well done. And, if I may, the one last thing I wanted to mention actually I'm not a vegan, but I really rate, um, the plant-based restaurant on Green Co. It only features on Avia. Honestly, matthew and I we were a bit judicious about some of the dishes but I know I'm not a minister, I know I'm trying to try this out. It was, in my opinion, stunning and I know some of my vegan friends booked on to Avia just because they felt they're gonna have a lot of variety and, thank goodness, they loved it as well and they kept going back night after night after night. So those are the ones I'm reaction yeah what about you?

Mark: 13:57

what about me?

Linzi: 13:57

well, you came with a question oh well yeah, exactly now I the my favorite, because I'm not a bread person unless I'm at sea, so my favourite bread I'm getting from Veranda Restaurant on Keenum.

Mark: 14:14

Which is essentially a Krispy Kreme.

Linzi: 14:16

It's so good.

Mark: 14:17

Yeah.

Linzi: 14:17

So I'm getting that and then having the black and blue soup, onion soup from Crown Grill Princess. Good choice for main course. Oh, this is a hard one it's not for me oh, oh, my goodness, I'm probably going to have I'm going to go a nice steak. Well, have you got something different but my? But my pudding is the bread and butter pudding in um sindu in sindu, I love it absolutely.

Linzi: 14:56

Oh, is that the one that's kind of like infused with is the bread and butter pudding in Sindhu, in Sindhu, I love it, absolutely, love it. Oh, is that the?

Jamie: 14:58

one that's kind of like infused with cardamom and different spices.

Linzi: 15:01

Yes, it's so good.

Mark: 15:04

Now the dude cooks it slightly differently on different shapes, but I own an Avia. It's so good, it's the same. Yeah, it's absolutely delicious. Yeah, I'm going to change.

Linzi: 15:16

And how much am I charging for my meal, though?

Mark: 15:18

That's the thing, Well it'd have to be no more than £40. I'll try it, so we're going to limit it to £40.

Linzi: 15:25

Okay, okay, I think I'll go with £40.

Mark: 15:26

So that's your fantasy meal, yeah, the one that add into that mix on, I don't think I just have a generic steak one, um so yeah it's a bit too obvious, but the risotto that we had in eden oh yes, which was sort of endless right so on celebrity, any of the edge class ones.

Mark: 15:48

They have the eden restaurant, which is an expensive one. Yeah, 80, it's about 80 pound, 80 dollars per person now. But you're going to a restaurant. That's what you would pay on. Land would probably be 200, 250 pound. Yeah, yeah, you know if you sort of give up that way, but they do a risotto on there. That is, without doubt, the best risotto I've had at any restaurant, land or sea, and it is just amazing.

Linzi: 16:15

It's dreamy.

Mark: 16:18

Let's expand on that a little bit. Okay, Jamie touched on it a little bit then. So what's your? Rather than it being a fantasy, one all-time favourite speciality dining experience.

Jamie: 16:30

Oh, that's really unfair, okay, so the one we go to most often is probably Sindhu, actually, and the reason I like Sindhu and I know not everyone agrees with me out there is because the dishes are priced individually. So I actually think that's quite a clever move. You used to pay a certain amount to go to Sindhu and you had to start a main dessert. Now, for me, I don't tend to have desserts that are very low sugar. It was always wasted on me and they wouldn't necessarily give you an extra starter or anything like that. But now it's individual. I can have as many starters as I want, but now it's individual. I can have as many starters as I want. I think they are priced really reasonably. Yes, they do this amazing beef pepper fry that I'm just addicted to, you know. It's all that lovely thin kind of roti that's been fried lightly and it's this really peppery and just gorgeous fragrant. There was some pickled vegetables on top that cuts through the whole thing.

Jamie: 17:40

I mean, I'm talking about it now and I'm like, oh, I've got to warm it up. So I think that's probably the one we've gone to the most. And in terms of the mains, you know you can have curries, but then there's also dishes that are a little bit different as well.

Mark: 17:56

So we've been to that one more than any, so I probably should make a thing do. Cindy was a great car. We love it. Yeah, we do, we do. Yeah, what about you then? What's your all-time favorite one?

Linzi: 18:04

oh, this is so hard because I like it little bits from everywhere, but I also I like eden was great, but but again very pricey. But you know what? I'm going to go off piste a bit here and say that the Wake that's not a speciality restaurant but feels a speciality restaurant.

Jamie: 18:26

That's cheating though I have to agree with Mark Lindsay. That's totally cheating. I love the Wake as well, but it's not speciality dining.

Linzi: 18:35

No, but it does feel like that.

Mark: 18:37

All the food on version is amazing, but you're not having that one.

Linzi: 18:40

You've got no pain out of this. Okay, okay, If I could go to any this afternoon tonight. I am going to veranda on Cunard.

Jamie: 18:57

That's what I'm doing. You know what? I'm actually going to the Veranda on Queen Mary 2 next month for the launch, and it'll be my first time ever in the Veranda, so can you tell me something about it or what I should be ordering?

Mark: 19:10

Well, the thing to get most excited about you've already touched on, which is the pre-food bread service, which which, again, we're not normally massive bread eaters, but the bread that they bring you which is individually baked, it's about a year big um, which don't translate well for people listening to the audio, but it's about sort of three, four inch across.

Mark: 19:31

But it's essentially a crispy cream donut in bread format and, yeah, I cannot get across to you just how amazing it is so good. It's essentially a crispy cream donut in bread format and, yeah, I cannot get across to you just how amazing it is so good, it's so good you have a great burger in there for lunch. They do you have the cunard burger? Yes, um?

Jamie: 19:45

can you have that burger cooked how you like, or?

Linzi: 19:49

yes, no, however you want, however you want it that's fine, I'm not going to pink no, you can have it however you like.

Mark: 19:57

It's fantastic. The lunch in there is really good value. Off the top of my head, it's about $20, $25 something. Yes, I think that's right yeah, yeah yeah, and a big chunk of the evening meal is on there.

Linzi: 20:08

Yeah, it is, yeah, yeah.

Jamie: 20:11

That's why I liked it. But, like I say, it's cheaper to go for lunch.

Linzi: 20:14

Yeah, do you like cheese?

Jamie: 20:16

Do I like?

Linzi: 20:17

Cheese? Yeah yeah, because they have a lovely cheese trolley that they will wheel round to you. Instead of a sweet dessert, you can have a full range of cheese. I'm sure I had cheese for lunch. I'm sure they'd sort you out.

Jamie: 20:32

Oh, I hope you're not building me up for oh no, you might not be such a div for lunch. I'm sure they'd sort you out. Oh, I hope you're not building me up for a lesson in. You're imagining I'm going to be such a diva. She told me there'd be a cheese trolley.

Linzi: 20:45

Oh, no yeah.

Mark: 20:47

Okay, so you're picking Rhonda I'm going to. It would be really easy for me to say Eden as well, because Eden's probably our highest rated.

Mark: 20:56

That's true, that's true, and it was amazing. Kai Sushi on Some Princess were fantastic, yeah, yeah. But I'm going to go with something very different, except when I'm looking at value for money, okay, and I'm going to say Keelan Cow on I Don't Know how have you? Because we've never had anything other than a great meal. You pay for it, much like Sindhu. So if you just want to start on a main course or you don't want it to start, fantastic and the cheese sharing one to start with that giant camembert type of thing.

Mark: 21:32

So good. So yeah, keelan Calverley, let's flick it the opposite it.

Linzi: 21:37

I think that's a great.

Jamie: 21:38

I think that's a great option as well. I love the keel and cow I agree with you.

Mark: 21:42

Every meal we've ever had, yeah or not, and it's always easy to get in because, for whatever reason it it is definitely the least popular, yeah, of the speciality dinings. Um, don't know why. Because it's not expensive, it's really good. Maybe it's because it's in that sort of area where people can walk around. They don't feel as special, possibly. But yeah, I love it. I think the drinker is fantastic. Yes, right, we're going to flick it to the other end and make everyone feel really awkward and now it's the worst speciality dining experience.

Linzi: 22:13

Oh, my goodness.

Jamie: 22:14

But you look like you've got a me, are you?

Mark: 22:15

No, we'll start with Lindsay on this one.

Jamie: 22:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah, because she tried to worm out of the last one. Your question is worse. I need to have a good think about that.

Linzi: 22:22

Oh.

Mark: 22:24

Worst speciality, dining.

Linzi: 22:26

I reckon we'll pick the same one I think we'll probably pick the same one, and it's how the beach house was.

Mark: 22:34

On Veranda.

Linzi: 22:35

On Ventura yeah, I think it's got better now, but it wasn't. It was not great.

Mark: 22:43

I think we give that 3 out of 10.

Linzi: 22:44

It was not good.

Mark: 22:46

It's the second lowest score that we've ever given. Just every part of that meal Were terrible.

Linzi: 22:52

We've had better like Frankie. Frankie and Benny's, like kind of you know it was not good.

Mark: 22:59

No, that was bad on there. But then we went on and we talked about that when we did the review. Yeah, and people, oh, you must try it again. That's a one-off one, but try it on Iona. So we went on Iona, we're really not looking forward to this, but for science we'll do it. And it went absolutely fantastic. Yeah, fantastic. It was so completely different. But, yeah, beat us on that.

Jamie: 23:24

That's one of the issues, though, isn't it? It shouldn't be just across a street. Yeah, and it's not. It's really not.

Linzi: 23:31

And that's what people have to sort of take into consideration when they're booking. It's like, oh, I love it, this restaurant on so-and-so ship. And then they go on there and they're like, why are they throwing the food at me and why you know?

Mark: 23:45

why is it? Why are the corns bouncing off the table? Yeah, yeah yeah. But I'm going to go with one slightly different.

Linzi: 23:54

Okay.

Mark: 23:55

To our lowest ever rated Okay, which it was a specialty dining venue so bad they shut it down not long after we went on. Oh, no so we take no responsibility for this. It was definitely the lowest rated of any that I have, which was Bistro Sulaimé on Enchanted Princess when we went on it. Yeah, which was the predecessor we went on it yeah.

Mark: 24:16

Which was the predecessor to Catch by Rudy. Yes, now, the Catch by Rudy one is brilliant, but the Bistro Sulaimé was so bad. The vegetables that we got in there had come out of a Finder's frozen pack. Nothing wrong with Finder's frozen vegetables? Sure, they're fantastic. You certainly made a lot more no, and I think it was 35 dollars a head when we went to that yeah and then the main course um, which was served on a napkin napkin, so not on a plate, was, um, just really bad fish fingers like yeah, they weren't even like find Findus-level good and that was a bad, bad meal.

Mark: 24:59

But, to be fair, a lot of people were very critical of that and, to be fair, it's a princess. They then changed it and the catch by Rudy is now accepted as one of the best seafood restaurants.

Linzi: 25:10

I'd say yeah, and you could even walk through and have people could use it as a thoroughfare similar to Keelan Cow.

Mark: 25:16

But they actually did use it.

Linzi: 25:18

But used it and then sort of came over and had a look to see what you were eating and sort of stood over. Yeah, we were cool, yeah.

Mark: 25:27

I mean we were sat in a little bit, but we saw people sat right in the end and people were genuinely stopping and going oh, what are you having? That is not a specialty, it's like being at a zoo no, so in conclusion, in conclusion, a restaurant that's shut down and one that's got a better version on high on yes what about you then, jimmy worst experience.

Jamie: 25:49

Um, this is a bit awkward because I don't actually remember the name of the specialty restaurant. You might be happy with this one. It was actually on I'm so sorry, Marilla, Marilla Voyager, the latest in the fleet, it was. It sort of built a top notch new specialty restaurant. It's something like the fork and something or something. Well, do you know the one I mean?

Linzi: 26:15

No've, we've not been on more.

Jamie: 26:17

We keep looking at morella maybe you could quickly look at the name. What I'm talking about, um, so it was billed as the brand new speciality restaurant is unique to voyager. Um the the dishes are unique. They're almost sort of um secretive in in some of the elements and the ingredients. It sounds really interesting.

Linzi: 26:39

Yeah, it's fabulous yeah.

Jamie: 26:41

And I went with the vegetarian Wellington and when I cut it open, they used plant-based products open. They they'd used, uh, plant-based um products, but they kept it pink, uh, and they tried to char the outside to make it look a bit like a actual item. It was the mushiest thing I've ever eaten and they served it with what sounded like a really appetizing gravy and I thought, yes, okay, it's gonna be a really nice, rich vegetable gravy. Thank you, that's what it needs. It was like vinegar. So I poured this gravy over, thinking, oh, can I just cover some of this mushiness Because it looks very unappetizing. And when I poured the gravy it was so thin and I dipped in this mush to what was vinegar. It was absolutely horrendously vile. And I dipped in this mush to what was vinegar. It was absolutely horrendously vile. And I could not eat that at all. And Matthew's starter it was like a terrine. It was just great. The whole thing was great. So it just looked unappetizing and the taste just wasn't there for me.

Jamie: 27:51

And also, it's the most expensive speciality restaurant they have introduced, so uh, one of the guys just came around and they were asking you know how to meal, and I'm like oh, I'm really sorry, this, this just isn't for us. So I can see why some people might like this, but yeah it's not appealing to us at all no and um, they were horrified and they just left us and they never came back to necklace, which is probably the right thing to do.

Mark: 28:20

Yeah, the silver fork.

Jamie: 28:23

Yes, thank you, the silver fork um it, it just wasn't for us. Matthew really didn't enjoy it either, so also, you came top notch for that fee.

Linzi: 28:34

Yes.

Jamie: 28:35

No, sorry yeah.

Mark: 28:37

So one final question then, on sort of the topic yes, is there a speciality dining type venue that you would like to see on either cruise lines generally or a particular cruise line that's not there at the moment?

Linzi: 28:53

Oh, my goodness.

Jamie: 28:57

Oh Well, I've just been talking, talking, so I think it's over to you too I've got one that it.

Mark: 29:06

I'm not going to class myself as cheating on this, because they could charge for it, but I think virgin needs to have an Indian slash Asian restaurant. It's got the Korean barbecue.

Linzi: 29:19

Yeah.

Mark: 29:19

But we've had when they've done some like the dinner show, they did a lot of Asian dishes within there which were amazing and just made me want to do that more. So I'd like to see sort of a really great Asian-Indian restaurant A fusion kind of thing, and even if they do it as part of a dinner show. That way I can get away with saying it's a speciality one.

Linzi: 29:41

Yeah, yeah, that is a very good I would like. It's hard because I would like something on Cunard and they might now do it in the Golden Lion pub but where you know, like a really dirty burger and like naughty fries and that kind of really and chicken wings with really yummy blue cheese sauce.

Mark: 30:12

Where it's elevated, where you paint, but it's really, really elevated.

Linzi: 30:16

So you know, ribs and that kind of thing, that's sort of it's still elevated, but it's really Dirty. Yeah, thanks for that.

Jamie: 30:29

You want a dirty burger? It's fine.

Linzi: 30:30

You can say no yeah.

Mark: 30:33

What about for you, jeremy?

Jamie: 30:34

okay, I'm gonna go with Vietnamese oh nice or um Chinese yes but, I, like a really, really good.

Linzi: 30:46

Yeah, I don't know if you're aware of.

Jamie: 30:50

There's a restaurant in London called Hakkasan um, that's like specialty Chinese food. Yeah, I don't know if you're aware of, there's a restaurant in london called hakusan um. That's like specialty chinese food. They've got michigan star. If you've never heard of it, look at the menu. That's what I want on the ship. Yeah, and I'm all about ramen as well. Bowls of ramen yes on virgin.

Jamie: 31:08

Um, they actually do ramen and it's the first time I've had one on a ship and I was like, oh heaven, I just want a restaurant that has bowl after bowl after bowl of ramen. That's all I need.

Linzi: 31:18

And then you're good and we're charging about. Should we say £3 or £5? The ramen £3 per ramen or.

Mark: 31:28

Well, on Virgin, it's free.

Linzi: 31:29

Well, yeah, thank you, and you can have it for breakfast?

Mark: 31:32

I've had it for breakfast.

Linzi: 31:32

You have had it on for breakfast.

Mark: 31:34

Yeah, it's fantastic, hasn't it? It'd be nice to see a really good Vietnamese restaurant, yeah, or Chinese, yeah, yeah, there is. Surprisingly, that's how popular Chinese food is. Surprisingly few Chinese speciality dinings on cruise ships. Yeah, I'm struggling to think of many at all. We'll have to find one. We will, I think we'll have to find one.

Jamie: 31:56

Is it true that Queen Mary 2 has a Chinese restaurant? Now I've booked into.

Linzi: 32:03

Bamboo yes.

Jamie: 32:05

I don't know what the menu is. I just saw speciality Bamboo and I literally booked it because I thought that sounds like the kind of place I want to go to.

Mark: 32:13

Yes, I have no idea what's on the menu no, it's so they have what what they refer to as pop-up speciality dinings on queen mary 2, and they differ depending where the where she's sailing. So when you go up into the fjords on queen mary 2, they have one in there called Nordlys, which is a Norwegian fjordy one. And we went to that one and that were amazing. I didn't win this, and so it's at the back of the Kingscourt buffet and you might think, oh, it's in the buffet, it's like beach house type thing, but they completely partition it off at night.

Mark: 32:48

It doesn't feel like it's in there. You just feel like you're in any other specialty dining and they are really good value as well. Yeah, they're relatively sort of cost effective. They're about $25, I think.

Jamie: 33:00

Bamboo was exactly around that figure. And I thought that sounds like it's going to be great value, and I booked into something called La Piazza, which I'd never heard of as well, so maybe that's a pop-up.

Mark: 33:10

That'll be the Italian. It'll be in the same spot. Yes, okay, yeah.

Linzi: 33:15

But it's a lovely area.

Mark: 33:16

It's fantastic. Yeah, yeah, they're really good in there.

Jamie: 33:19

I can't wait to try that. I've got a veranda as well, so I'm going to go. Yes.

Mark: 33:25

I'll be really interested to see what you think of Bamboo, of bamboo, because it's never been on when we've been on.

Jamie: 33:28

No okay, yes, at last I can see something definitely gonna do.

Mark: 33:35

I'll message you and tell you how it is thank you can't wait to hear yeah, so, um, in summary then, do we think it is worth forking out for the speciality dining? Uh, as a tree, you know, I do know a lot of people, just people just will go on and go to the main dining rooms and go to the buffet or the eatery type thing. For me personally, it is definitely worth doing, especially if you're on a shorter cruise. Maybe not as much you're going to get there, but I'm hacking back to what Jamie said earlier on that by the time you get to the end of a longer cruise sort of five, seven nights, 14 nights you kind of want to go somewhere different in there and it's just nice to sample a little spoil and spoil yourself, and definitely for a day at night yes yes, it's hard to have a day at night in a main dining room with 800 other people intimacy yeah yeah, yeah, and we know that you love the speciality down and so

Jamie: 34:31

yeah I mean I just concur with what you've said. Obviously anyone who knows me knows I always do a speciality daddy, but I do understand, like if you're more of a budget yeah there's still plenty of options for you definitely yes, with the new crease there, which obviously works as well yeah, definitely, definitely on to the new stories.

Mark: 34:49

Oh here we go, jamie I think, think Jamie may have something to say on this first one, having seen a very recent video they did. Oh, so P&O drinks packages and their alcohol? No, oh, mark, how could you?

Mark: 35:05

This was genuinely not a sale, because I'd thought about this as soon as it came up and then I saw your video. I'm like we're absolutely covering this one. I already personally don't think that their drinks package is a great value. We love a drinks package, you know. Wherever possible, we try and get a drinks package. Yes, so the fact that they've increased sort of the pricing on that buy depending when you buy it and which package you buy it up to £5.50 per person per day, it's a lot. If you're on there for a week, that's another £77 for a couple. Yeah, it's not insignificant. No, it's taking that price up to £850 for a week. Yikes, which is not cheap. Yeah, but they have changed the alcohol allowances as well, and I think this has been the most controversial bit, because they were very open.

Mark: 35:49

Really, I'm going to controversial bit because they were very up and about Over to you.

Jamie: 35:54

Okay. So there was a leaked document. Somehow some travel agents got hold of a document that hadn't been finalised from P&O, bringing about changes, staggered changes. To bring about alcohol. Now you'll be aware that it's quite unusual actually that pnr, over the years, have allowed you to bring on. Firstly, you could bring on quite a lot of alcohol, uh, to then limited it to a liter bottle of any alcoholic drink. You know if you can get your liter bottles of wine, good for you. And you've got a green one per adult sharing the cabin. So for us, for example, I love a cheeky vodka when I'm getting ready at night. I don't have to have too much of it, just one or two on the balcony, a bit of cruise radio on the background. I'm very happy. So they've stopped that now as for the 7th of May, and we'll ask for a litre bottle of wine or bodily, and that's it.

Jamie: 36:57

So because of this leaked document and because I seem to be synonymous with pno, I have had hundreds I'm not joking, hundreds of messages, dms, on every platform you can imagine. Is this true? This is disgusting, etc. Etc. So I've always said triple no, just wait. This is a leaked document and yes, um, it's not the official one, so let's see what the official word is. So the minute I saw that they changed the policy a bit naughty, you know, because they didn't actually email people or make them aware of this change um, I think they were relying on people like me to do the work for them. Um, again, my dm is going crazy. So I thought, right, I didn't plan on it, but I just made a a short, eight minute vlog and I explained what the changes were when they were coming into effect, a few of my own opinions and thank you very much.

Jamie: 37:50

People, can you stop messaging me about? That hasn't quite worked out, because now people generally are, you know, you've got the, the anger from one side and I do take people's point. That, you know, is they offer less now than they used to, but as I study for them, but the prices haven't necessarily elevated. In fact, I paid nearly a thousand pound less for a two-week cruise around the meds a couple years ago than I did 10 years ago with P&O, so I can't really fault them, for you know their price level. I think you can still get through value cruises with them, but I think a lot of people don't remember it's a business and actually I can't name. Maybe you can help me. I can't name any cruise lines that allow you to bring us spirits, wines, champagne, et cetera. So it has upset some of the traditional guards and those people who like a drink are trying to save money by having drinks in their cabin. So that is our story.

Linzi: 38:53

That's boring news, isn't it?

Jamie: 38:55

Can you sense the enthusiasm from you guys? I'm trying to deliver this news with enthusiasm, but can I just say to your audience don't even think about messaging me about it. You're not to hear with me. Just watch the vlog. It's all in the vlog. It's all in.

Linzi: 39:12

watch the vlog it's all in the vlog. It's all in the vlog. It's all in the vlog they can message piano, yeah I'm sure there was lots of years yes, if enough people talk about it.

Mark: 39:20

Yeah, the, the, the power of the customer and the consumer is immense if they get onto it yeah and we I can't think of another cruise line that lets you take on spirits. We've been on P&O and we did the 14 night on Iona and when we got to Barcelona people were bringing back on sort of two or three extra litres of spirits for the journey back. And you're like, okay, and they were fine with it, they weren't checking or anything.

Mark: 39:50

So you know, I'm not surprised and you're like, okay, and they were fine with it. Yeah, there was no, no, so you know I'm not surprised. I think there are a couple of others that let you take on a bottle of wine, but I just can't think of any that ever let you do that. The bit that sort of got my go on the announcement was around the reasoning for it and putting it down to health and safety. I'm sure you could have got a little bit better of a spin for the reason behind it.

Mark: 40:16

You know, bringing it in line with the rest of the cruise industry. Anything would have been fine.

Jamie: 40:21

That's the Hess policy and I give my home life. I actually read. It was very boring. I actually read the Hess policy and it's an internal charter created by a carnival to, in my personal opinion, suit any agenda that comes along. But if you're actually worried about responsible drinking, you wouldn't have drinks packages. No, absolutely no.

Mark: 40:47

It is, yeah, so that's just a poor excuse. It's money, isn't it?

Linzi: 40:52

it's not money we're in line to get bruce lines.

Jamie: 40:55

You know work, you know peanut? No, they are losing money. What others are making money? Yes so I understand that they want to be in line with the others, but it's you know, it's kind of like disguising it, as it's all about you and your health, everybody. But please do buy our drinks packages yeah news story number two okay

Mark: 41:16

so we, we, we have a slight vested interest in this. Okay, watching for a long time and that's the virgin's brilliant lady. Yeah, fourth ship has finally gone on sale this past week, yes, and they've announced it's going to debut in september year 25, from New York City for the first time. Wow, it's going to essentially now have four home ports at that site during its first season and a bit. Which is there? Miami, then it's doing a Miami transit through the Panama, because it's been designed to get through the Panama. Then it's going to be home-based in LA and then, much later they haven't put this one on sale yet but Seattle to do Alaska. Wow, and I'm so excited for that. We've been waiting to go on Brilliant Lady for a long time. Yes, it'll be interesting to see if they change anything on there. Maybe they put a really nice Indian restaurant on there it.

Jamie: 42:14

I'd like a bit of cool please yes yeah, I can't imagine that's happening that much.

Mark: 42:20

But just to get more people in on scarlet night it's very busy when we all jump in yeah um, and most people don't know.

Jamie: 42:27

It's not honestly very deep, so they jump in and they realize it's only up to their ankles.

Linzi: 42:31

Yeah.

Mark: 42:33

Which is useful, because at that point you have generally had quite a lot of alcohol.

Linzi: 42:37

Yes.

Mark: 42:38

So it not being too deep I'm quite pleased about, but yeah, really interesting. Any of those sort of itineraries, sort of take you off, Do you fancy doing Virgin?

Linzi: 42:49

specifically One of them.

Jamie: 42:50

One of them. Yeah, so that you fancy doing virgin specific one of them. Yeah, yeah, so I mean next month uh I'll be doing the transatlantic to new york. Love new york. Oh, but in in the summer we set up a rather from um port calaveral to the bahamas, then up to new york oh, yes, yes, we saw it, yes yeah, we had two days there, which was just brilliant, and, yeah, we then went down to charleston, which was very interesting, very lovely, lovely city to explore.

Jamie: 43:14

But we've done a cruise of the west coast of the us before, princess, uh, out of la and oh I think it was one of the few times I've actually cried coming into port, what we were coming into, san francisco, I'm like that's me, I just was, but I just think, cruising out of somewhere that's totally. It's so far away, isn't it, from where we live? It just seems so different and special um so I'm with you on all those itineraries yeah, I've never done that, oh I think panama.

Linzi: 43:47

No, no, but we okay, we were looking. That's it, we're looking at it, we're looking at it?

Mark: 43:52

Yeah, very closely, yes, but yeah, I think Virgin, because Virgin normally stay in ports longer than pretty much any other cruise line I can think of and they often have very late departures. Coming out of New York at night which we have done once before on the ship and sailing past the Statue of Liberty and all that will just be something special and virgin. I'm not entirely sure what it'll be like at Alaska, because it's not like it has a covered solarium type area, you know. So Alaska's not known for its tropical heat. No, so it'll be interesting to see how it is up there and what, if anything, they modified the ship for, knowing that they were taking it up there. Yes, Because by the time it comes out it'll be two years delayed from when it was due to come out originally. Yeah, so it'll be really interesting to see sort of where that goes from there.

Linzi: 44:49

Yes.

Mark: 44:50

Final news story Okay, queen Anne has now completed her maiden. She came back in on Friday yesterday. Yes, yeah, but there's been a few complaints about service not being perfect. Surprise, surprise, a maiden not being perfect.

Jamie: 45:09

I know I'm surprised Nice.

Mark: 45:14

I think people are more surprised because there is this expectation, with Cunard, that you link the two with service yeah, you know that white glove service everyone being really trained and the feedback that came off it, because we know quite a few people that won the first one, yeah, and our guy Benbridge has joined the second one today and he's put out that, even within the grills experience which, let's face it, that's not a cheap experience They've got waiting staff in there that this is their very first cruise, the Butler. It was their first cruise of any ship, not just QNAP. So, yeah, is it a case of the. You know they've struggled to get the staff on that enough time to train, but what does look good, compared to some other cruise ships that have come out of recent, is that it appears to be, apart from staff being trained, it appears to be pretty much everything working. Yes, which because she was delayed.

Linzi: 46:11

Yes.

Mark: 46:11

Originally.

Linzi: 46:12

January. It's supposed to be January, I think yes.

Mark: 46:16

But I was more surprised that there's been that many people openly talking about that. The service just wasn't there. I expected them to say there were problems with certain things, maybe the shows weren't working correctly or something, but the service wasn't.

Linzi: 46:31

No, no what did you think of a jeremy when you went to see her?

Jamie: 46:36

oh, I just fell in love with that shit oh absolutely, and I know it was a press event, so yeah I'm not totally daft.

Jamie: 46:44

I understand that they want to be presenting themselves at their absolute best. I think it didn't help them that they didn't have the ship now cruise prior to the precedent, which was what was planned originally. So the ship would have been filled and they would have sailed, although not very far, and they would have had that experience of, you know, larger numbers of passengers and, I think, with the crew. The difficulty is, isn't it, that you've got to? Then you're thrown in at the deep end. Really, this is the reality of crew's life when it is full and it's going to put pressure on all of you, sometimes multiple times a day, and how you react is really important, and I don't think they necessarily have the experience of that with the shakedown crew. So I'm not making excuses for them. No, I I love the shit. Um, and I think you were right.

Jamie: 47:36

Actually, in fact, one of these I've commented on on the vlog when I was touring was that, whilst it wasn't all ready at that point for the maiden, uh, everything was, as far as I could see, working. Yeah, and they were just. It was just some sort of cosmetics that they were still working on. They were tacking things, you know, and it just looked beautiful and the staff were, rightly so, very proud of what they'd achieved in a short period of time. I don't know how the training will operate sort of the professional development but I can imagine that on the maiden it would have been incredibly stressful being so easy, and having lots of prolific travel bloggers, journalists, vloggers on board, it all adds to the stress, doesn't it?

Jamie: 48:25

Of? Course of course, but I feel any beautiful shit and I can't wait to stay on her later in the year, because you're on her twice this year, aren't you?

Linzi: 48:33

Yeah, we've got.

Jamie: 48:35

Oh, we've got, oh, balloons. It's not a black day, is it your birthday? No, okay, maybe we're celebrating right on time.

Linzi: 48:45

I just celebrated your two cruises. Yes.

Jamie: 48:53

August is a short four-nighter to rotterdam, which is a favorite of mine, and then in november I'm actually doing a solo on ball green and I thought it was great value, I think, as a solo tester, if I can get a cruise for a hundred pounds per night or less, I do really really well, and that's exactly what it costs for the two weeks. It's a med cruise, so I'm really excited about that one.

Linzi: 49:13

Oh, lovely, lovely.

Mark: 49:15

We're on a for Christmas and New Year, yes, so it's the first time that we've done a cruise that goes over that period. We've done it where we've come off, just before. Before Christmas yeah, like a couple of days before.

Linzi: 49:26

Yeah.

Mark: 49:26

But it'll be really interesting to see what they do with her at that point.

Linzi: 49:32

Yeah, can I ask you both a?

Jamie: 49:34

question.

Linzi: 49:37

Of course.

Jamie: 49:38

Absolutely. I want to know if you've been on a maiden cruise voyage and whether, when you went on that, you expected or anticipated some teething problems.

Linzi: 49:51

So we normally book the second cruise Mm-hmm, not necessarily the maiden maiden, do we? With the expectation that there's something going to happen.

Mark: 50:05

We let the maiden people get the little gifts and the bags and everything else.

Linzi: 50:09

Yeah.

Mark: 50:09

Oh, so they can work as sort of our canaries in the cage and figure out what's wrong. Yeah, um, yeah, and you know, by the time you get on, yeah, this will be better, but I don't think we've been on the maiden. We we nearly ended up on the maiden for some princess, because we're on the second cruise and then they cancelled the first one, then they cancelled the second one with, you know, three days in artistry, which, you know, not ideal.

Jamie: 50:33

I do remember you posting about that and I felt for you. Oh yeah, it was.

Linzi: 50:38

Valentine's Day. They did it to us. Valentine's Day for the. What is the?

Jamie: 50:44

There's no love there.

Mark: 50:46

No love there and it's the love ship and they sent a.

Mark: 50:49

Valentine's Day message. We went nope, we found out about that first thing in the morning and it was really early like 6 o'clock in the morning. Lindsay had just come back up, We'd had breakfast, we were getting ready for work. She'd gone back upstairs and more expletives than I'm willing to put out on this podcast came out of my mouth while I shouted upstairs to Lindsay and she's like no, you're winding me up. I'm like no, they're not going to do it on Valentine's Day. But no, we've not done the maiden yet, that's it. But more intentionally.

Linzi: 51:19

But we keep looking at them because you can get a good, really good, price. That's the thing.

Mark: 51:25

If you book it.

Linzi: 51:27

When yeah.

Mark: 51:27

Well, we looked at NCL Aqua because it's made on the transatlantic and you know that's a very tempting one. Apart from, you know it is just a straight TA. There's no stops and it's like you know, at least if things are not working out great and there's a load of portals, you can get off and have a wander. You know, a seven-day straight across the Atlantic, forantic for its first voyage. You know it seems a strange choice. There's not a great history of maiden voyages picking a transatlantic.

Mark: 52:02

But no, I mean, we might do at some point yes no what about you?

Jamie: 52:09

no, I've never done one, and I think some people fall into a maiden inadvertently because, like you said, the first, the second, the third gets cancelled and before you know it, you're actually on the maiden. I think I've just purposely avoided them because I am concerned of them the six, not being ready and being cancelled, the ship's not being ready and being counseled. Um, but also I will. I just want the crew to settle in and just on their feet and to give you the best experience ever. So if I went on a maze and I think I would go thinking it's not all going to be working, as perhaps it would during the two months time, or something yeah um, so I don't know, but but the NCL Aqua, I did look at that as well.

Mark: 52:54

And.

Jamie: 52:54

I was quite tempted and I don't know what it is about that shit. I haven't said with NCL for either. It was a good price as well. So tempting, but yeah, all the things that the set put me off cooking.

Mark: 53:08

Yeah, absolutely. Well, that brings us up towards the end of what would be the podcast normally, but it'd be great if Jamie can tell us about anything that you know he's got coming up and anything he wants to tell anybody about. Not that I think they'll struggle to no.

Linzi: 53:22

no, everybody knows Jamie.

Mark: 53:25

Everybody knows Jamie. Does that make sense?

Linzi: 53:27

Yeah, I would say so. Listen to this, definitely yeah, 100%.

Mark: 53:33

But what's the exciting things that's coming up for you over the next couple of weeks, or things that you want people to know about? This will go out in a couple of days' time, on Wednesday.

Jamie: 53:42

Yes, okay. Well, I suppose the most exciting thing for me is that my last day of teaching will be in July, so that I can focus solely on what I'm currently doing, but without not having any sleep. So that's very exciting for me, and essentially I'm traveling or cruising every three to four weeks for the remainder of this year. My next actual cruise will be on Queenayberry 2 doing the transatlantic so that I'm really excited about and I'll be staying in new york for a couple days as well, so that's the most immediate thing that's coming up.

Jamie: 54:23

And then I've got a, an arctic circle cruise span later in the year, which I'm really excited, and I've just told you about the Queen there's loads, there's loads. Come over to my sort of blends, my mix of craziness and sometimes foul language, which I apologize for Refusely. I haven't swum once today. No, we've been really good, I know right, like the hayloft is here, yes, you were swearing just before we started. They were, we got it all out of the way, not through me, by the way.

Mark: 54:58

That was just Lindsay, oh my God. That brings us to the end of the episode. It remains us to say thank you so much for joining us, jamie. Thank you, jamie.

Linzi: 55:10

I'll have a drink.

Mark: 55:12

We'll give you a virtual cheers, cheers.

Jamie: 55:14

Can I hold up a host card that I was writing for one of my patrons? Cheers, cheers, la caronia.

Linzi: 55:21

And thanks for listening and have a lovely day.