We heard from our readers that Royal Caribbean's specialty sushi restaurant, Izumi, changed the portion sizes for sushi rolls ordered from the prix fixe menu.
For a set price, you can pay once and get a certain amount of food included. The fixe menu costs $34.99 per person before the added 18% gratuity and includes one small plate, two large plates -- which can be a combination of sushi rolls, assorted sashimi, or rice and noodle bowls --, and a single dessert.
When you purchase food from the menu à la carte, that means you are paying for each item that you order. You can opt to get one appetizer and large plate, one large plate and dessert, or just one large plate! In other words, you have more freedom when you order à la carte.
The size of the sushi rolls used to be the same no matter if you were ordering from the fixed price menu or à la carte; you would always get 8 pieces of sushi. Now, however, Izumi is only serving 4 pieces per roll ordered from the prix fixe menu. You still get the standard 8 if you pay for each roll individually.
Royal Caribbean never announced a policy change, but readers reported it; that is why we tested it out! After speaking with Izumi wait staff, it is clear the fixed price menu has changed the sushi portion sizes.
Let's talk about the changes to the sushi at Izumi and why you are better off ordering from the à la carte menu.
Half sized portions
(Pictured is the new half portion of the crispy spicy tuna roll from Izumi ordered from the prix fixe menu)
If you order from the fixed price menu, you will receive a half portion of any sushi rolls (i.e., 4).
If, for instance, you order a crispy spicy tuna roll and rainbow roll, you will get 8 total pieces, not 16. Unless, that is, you opt to pay for each roll à la carte.
(Pictured is the full sized portion of the crispy spicy tuna roll from Izumi)
The prix fixe menu used to be a no brainer. An appetizer, 16 pieces of sushi, and dessert for less than $35? It does not get much better than that! Even if you opted to mix and match and get an ramen bowl and one sushi roll, you were still getting your money's worth.
What has not changed at Izumi?
(Pictured are the pork gyoza dumplings from Izumi)
As of February 2023, the appetizer, bowl, and dessert portions have not been changed when you order from the prix fixe menu.
(Pictured is the tofu-ginger appetizer salad from Izumi)
In other words, you will get the same size for everything else on the menu, no matter if you order from the fixed price menu or à la carte. The only thing that has changed is the amount of sushi served from the prix fixe menu versus à la carte.
Is the prix fixe menu at Izumi worth the cost?
(Pictured is the new half portion of the snow crab California roll from Izumi ordered from the prix fixe menu)
If you want to enjoy sushi on your cruise vacation, Izumi is always worth it! You are probably better off just ordering à la carte, though.
If you want an appetizer, 8 pieces of sushi, and a dessert (i.e., what you would get if you stuck with the prix fixe menu), 9 times out of 10, a smarter decision will be to order everything separately.
Let's price out a few mock orders to see how the pricing compares to the prix fixe menu.
The first order consists of the pork gyoza dumplings ($8), crispy Philly roll ($13), and chocolate lava cake ($5). These three items total $26. In this case, the fixed price menu is not worth it; you would save about $9 by ordering each item individually and still get the same amount of food.
The second order is for the shrimp firecracker spring roll ($9), champagne lobster roll ($15), and assorted mochi ice cream ($6). Again, it is not worth it, as you would end up saving about $5 if you ordered à la carte versus defaulting to the prix fixe menu. The total for these three menu items is $30.
(Pictured is the new half portion of the crispy spicy tuna roll from Izumi ordered from the prix fixe menu)
What if you want more than one kind of sushi roll? Well, that gets a bit tricky. You can stick with the new half portions on the fixed menu or pay extra to get two full sized rolls.
If you would rather have 16 pieces of sushi and skip the appetizer and dessert, you can get two rolls for under $30. In fact, one crispy spicy tuna roll and one Izumi spider roll only costs $26.
Over indulging in food is common on cruises, so do not feel like you have to get a three course meal at Izumi. If all you are hungry for is some sushi, save the extra money and just order the two rolls!
Of course, if you just get two rolls of sushi that means you will not get an appetizer or dessert. If you do want all three courses, you will spend more than the $34.99 that the prix fixe menu costs; however, you would be getting double the amount of food.
(Pictured are the old portions of the snow crab California roll and spicy crispy shrimp roll ordered from the prix fixe menu)
Choosing to order à la carte means that you will get the full sized portions of sushi, an appetizer, and dessert for about $5 to $10 more, depending on what your selections are.
The shrimp & vegetable tempura appetizer ($11), rainbow roll ($14), snow crab California roll ($13), and crispy sesame balls ($5) costs $43 altogether. By paying only $8 more than the prix fixe menu, you would get double the amount of sushi. If you are looking to splurge on a specialty dining meal or just really like sushi, this makes more sense than settling for the half portions.
One instance in which the prix fixe menu will still be worth it is if you are not a fan of sushi and looking to get two items from the "bowls and more" section. Each bowl costs at least $13, meaning that if you were to order the seaweed wakame salad ($7), yaki udon ($19), spicy miso ramen ($13), and green tea ice cream ($5), you would spend about $9 more, or $44 total, if you did not use the fixed price menu.
Similarly, if you want a sushi roll and bowl, rather than two of each, the prix fixe may be worth it if you do not want a full sushi roll in addition to a ramen or udon noodle bowl! Depending on your hunger level, the four pieces might be just enough.
(Pictured is the new half portion of the snow crab California roll ordered from Izumi's prix fixe menu)
Before you decide whether or not you should order from the fixed price menu, you should discuss your options with your travel party. Would anybody be willing to split a few different rolls? Do some people strongly dislike sushi? Would you be okay with an appetizer and single sushi roll, rather than the three course meal? What's best for one group may not be what is best for another!
