Would you like a sucharge with that?

One thing that irked me a bit on the Dawn was the surcharge for certain menu items in the premium restaurants -- the ones that charge a cover to get in the place. After paying a $15 cover charge for the privilege of dining in Le Bistro (see nearby photo), I was somewhat dismayed to see a surcharge tacked onto to a few items, not just certain entrees but some appetizers as well. As it turns out, I was perfectly happy with the escargots bourguignonne -- which was superbly prepared and demanded I use as much bread as needed to soak up every drop of the delicious, buttery, garlicky sauce -- and the foie gras-stuffed chicken breast with Cabernet wine reduction, both of which required no surcharge.

Maybe it's just me, but I find it a bit irksome to pay extra to get into certain restaurants and then be faced with an additional surcharge.

-- Joe L., CruiseCounselor