We had several errands on our agenda. First on the list was to head to Deck 8 to 150 Central Park. We had purchased the Chef's Dining Package, and I knew we needed to make our reservations for the 2nd and 3rd restaurants.
The Chef's Dining Package consists of three specialty dining experiences: Chef's Table, 150 Central Park, and Chops Grill. I reserved (and paid for) it online, and it was $120 per person. When adding together all of the cover charges for the three restaurants, this provides a discount, and you could look at it as if 150 Central Park is FREE! (Are you beginning to see a theme in this review?)
When making the reservation, I was required to accept Chef's Table on Day 1 at 7:30pm. No options. Also, I was not permitted to make online reservations for the other two restaurants. I suppose I could have, but when you reserve 150CP and Chops online, you have to pay the cover charge when you make the reservation. I was afraid I would then have a hassle in getting a refund for those cover charges, since they were included in our package. Most of all, though, during planning and the countdown, I was very concerned that 150CP and Chops would be booked for the days and times we wanted by the time we got on board, since others were able to make the reservations. Thus, that was the first place we headed.
But...we were on Deck 5 where we had entered, and as we neared the elevators, Chris mentioned that he'd like to take a peek into the main dining room. At this point, with 4 specialty restaurants on our agenda, we weren't sure if we would ever make it to the MDR. So, here are some pictures for you, since this post is mostly boring text:
On to Deck 8...
It was fun at 150CP. They already had the week's menus posted outside the restaurant. 150CP prepares a fixed menu, and it changes mid-week. We looked over both of them, and the shepherd's pie on the first part of the week caught Chris's eye. I was interested in the first menu because I was secretly hatching a plan to return to 150CP later in the week for the second menu. (sneaky me!) So we decided to book for Day 2, which was the first formal night. We figured if we were already dressed up, why not have a fine meal?
There were two parties ahead of us in line. While we waited, one of the waiters (who ended up being our waiter) chatted with us. He asked if we have any food allergies or aversions, or any questions about the menu. We knew we could buy the wine pairings, but there are so many courses, it would be a lot of wine for just one of us. So we asked him then if we could split a pairing. Interestingly, he looked puzzled and said "I guess so". (I have read that other people have done this, so I'm not sure why he was puzzled.)
We were next up. I pulled out my handy-dandy pre-cruise planning calendar, created in Excel and printed in full color (yes, I'm a nerd), and we figured out where 150CP would best fit our schedule. We booked it for 7:30pm on Day 2 (Monday night). Done.
Next it was across Central Park and around the Rising Tide bar to Chops. We had a similar experience there. And I learned that I am not alone in my fancy Excel creations when the person in front of us pulled out his own pretty spreadsheet. We decided we wanted to spread out our fancy restaurant experiences and book Chops later in the week, so we would have something to look forward to. We booked Friday night (Day 6) at 8:00pm.
So now, it was off to... Rita's Cantina! Yep, we had read about Rita's Fiesta (aka Rita's Mexican Madness Party) and had decided to give it a shot. It is offered only 3 nights on this cruise, and the first was Day 1, so we couldn't do that night.
But on the way to Rita's, we got sidetracked...
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