Enchanté On The Wish Should Be EMBARRASSED

[jujubiee4]

I don't remember being charged for soda at Remy. Has this changed? I remember my husband getting
a diet and I had ice tea. Don't remember seeing a charge but could be wrong. Are all non alcoholic drinks
a charge? (besides water)

 

[MomOTwins]

If you did this would you also do the Champagne tasting? Which do you think is the better value? Thanks.

I think the quality and quantity of the wine is about the same—they were not exactly the same but a fair amount of overlap. I prefer the pairing because you get to taste the bubbles and food together which complement each other. Again this was Remy though—it sounds like they went with a different approach for Enchante.

 

[Froxfield]

The problem is you are comparing the price with restaurants on land, not as an up charge to a cruise that includes food you already paid for. If Waterside Inn or Alain Ducasse we’re on a cruise ship, the up charge price would be significantly less then what the restaurant price on land is. So even if the quality was as high as those restaurant, it’s still not priced correctly.

I am not ignoring this feature. I don't know how much is budgeted for each meal in the MDR, but I suspect it isn't enough to make the price "significantly less". I any event $125 is significantly less than euro 235, isn't it? For me, the main issue remains whether or not the quality reflects the billing! That I will never know, but from all the comments, it seems unlikely at the moment?

 

[Froxfield]

Well, it clearly isn't being sustained right now. But even in the best case, he's not on the ship supervising the kitchen and the restaurant isn't otherwise up to 3-star standards in terms of décor, atmosphere, etc.


I'm so tired of these posts that lump all Americans into some category, as if we're all the same and the rest of the world is so different. Neither thing is true. Many people who refuse the wine don't drink alcohol or don't like wine. And those people exist in all cultures and there are plenty of them in France. If the staff doesn't like it, well, too bad. They exist to make us happy, not to make us drink wine.

I am not lumping all Americans into some category! I said I had seen many Americans drinking sodas and cocktails with meals. I have had American colleagues who do drink wine with meals! But the fact remains that until I travelled to the US and on US cruise ships (which first happened over thirty years ago) this was something I had never seen outside the likes of McDonalds. And I well remember how difficult it was to get bottled sparkling water way back then. In a similar vein, back then it was quite unusual to be offered iced tap water automatically here in the UK: water, yes but not heavily iced.

 

[Kwami]

I am not lumping all Americans into some category! I said I had seen many Americans drinking sodas and cocktails with meals. I have had American colleagues who do drink wine with meals! But the fact remains that until I travelled to the US and on US cruise ships (which first happened over thirty years ago) this was something I had never seen outside the likes of McDonalds. And I well remember how difficult it was to get bottled sparkling water way back then. In a similar vein, back then it was quite unusual to be offered iced tap water automatically here in the UK: water, yes but not heavily iced.

Sparkling water went through a phase of popularity here not too long ago, but it didn't really last. You can still get it and many restaurants offer it. Fancy restaurants even have a water menu, which I'll never stop finding funny. I don't care for it, though, especially when it's warm. It just burns my throat. Ick.

 

[AquaDame]

[...] Finally, I note that I see many Americans very often drink cocktails with their meal or will drink soda, refusing wine. Without any judgment, I will only state that such an approach in a French restaurant (of pretty much any standard) would be regarded with horror however well the staff concealed it. That is just a cultural thing, sorry. [...]

I am not lumping all Americans into some category! I said I had seen many Americans drinking sodas and cocktails with meals. I have had American colleagues who do drink wine with meals! But the fact remains that until I travelled to the US and on US cruise ships (which first happened over thirty years ago) this was something I had never seen outside the likes of McDonalds. And I well remember how difficult it was to get bottled sparkling water way back then. In a similar vein, back then it was quite unusual to be offered iced tap water automatically here in the UK: water, yes but not heavily iced.

Not being too fussed about what to drink with our meal is our cultural thing. Rather than this must go with this, we just drink whatever we feel like. We're horrified by their horror to a degree!

I must say I'm glad that water is being offered more commonly now; it was always a little awkward explaining we prefer tap water (I do not like fizzy drinks with the exception of beer as the carbonation is not as strong). The fuss about a 2.50 add on perfectly mirrors my pursed face every time I was refused and told I had to pay several euros (or equivalent in francs, deutsche marks, presetas or pounds as on the first couple trips) for a bottle of water if I didn't want to go thirsty.

 

[Cheburashka]

Not being too fussed about what to drink with our meal is our cultural thing. Rather than this must go with this, we just drink whatever we feel like. We're horrified by their horror to a degree!

This. And anyone who is too cowed by their waiter to order the drink they want with dinner has some issues.

 

[Froxfield]

Not being too fussed about what to drink with our meal is our cultural thing. Rather than this must go with this, we just drink whatever we feel like. We're horrified by their horror to a degree!

I must say I'm glad that water is being offered more commonly now; it was always a little awkward explaining we prefer tap water (I do not like fizzy drinks with the exception of beer as the carbonation is not as strong). The fuss about a 2.50 add on perfectly mirrors my pursed face every time I was refused and told I had to pay several euros (or equivalent in francs, deutsche marks, presetas or pounds as on the first couple trips) for a bottle of water if I didn't want to go thirsty.

Everything is a bit more relaxed these days. Back in the 60s, on an early trip to France, we ordered a steak in the hotel restaurant and, being immediately identified as English, got a fairly condescending, "Will that be well-done, sir?" It was amazing how things looked up when I replied, "No, thank you, rare please" in my best school French. In the same way, waiters were clearly surprised when Brits (as we did) ordered wine. France always did, and to a large extent still does, take its food and wine very seriously. I don't know whether waiting opinions have changed or they are just better at hiding their thought these days!

 

[Jason Martin]

I ate there Sunday night and they didn't charge me for soda and gave me unlimited refills.

 

[Jason Martin]

I ate there Sunday night and they didn't charge me for soda and gave me unlimited refills.

And I will also say the menu was incredible. I'm a picky eater and my wife saw me eat things that she never thought I would eat. We were also able to sub one course out because we knew we wouldn't eat the pigeon and they gave us the beef instead