Main Dining Room differences on Gem

Are there any differences between the two main dining rooms on the Gem? Is one better than the other? Do they have the same menus in both? Are there different dress codes in each one?

The styles of the main dining rooms vary quite a bit ...

The main dining room that is to the rear of the ship, Grand Pacific, is your traditional cruise ship dining room with high ceilings and chandeliers. Very elegant, and wide open. At peak times it can seem a little noisy. There are great seats by the windows int he back offering nice aft views.

Magenta, located mid ship, is smaller, not as wide open, and more muted, and as a result some people consider it a little more intimate.

Dress codes and menus are the same.

As for which one is better, that is very subjective, depends on which type of experience you are in favor of. :)

The styles of the main dining rooms vary quite a bit ...

 

The main dining room that is to the rear of the ship, Grand Pacific, is your traditional cruise ship dining room with high ceilings and chandeliers. Very elegant, and wide open. At peak times it can seem a little noisy. There are great seats by the windows int he back offering nice aft views.

 

Magenta, located mid ship, is smaller, not as wide open, and more muted, and as a result some people consider it a little more intimate.

 

Dress codes and menus are the same.

 

As for which one is better, that is very subjective, depends on which type of experience you are in favor of. :)

Unless things have changed in the last several months the menus are slightly different. Also, shorts are allowed in Magenta but not in Grand Pacific, although it isn't always enforced.

Thank you for the information. It is good to know. We will be on the Gem in July with a group of 14. This will be my first time on NCL.

The aft MDR on all NCL ships has more strict dress code than the midship MDR(s).

Specific info here: http://www.ncl.com/faq#packing

To my understanding the latest menus are the same in all MDRs.

We just got off the gem and grand pacific doesn't allow shorts. Magenta does. We showed up and do had a dress shirt and shorts on and they turned us away.

We had a group of 8 and had a problem getting a table at Magenta. Most tables there seem to be set up for 4, with some for six thrown in. There seemed to be a lot more bigger tables at Grand Pacific. I would also recommend a reservation for that many people (if they will even accommodate that many).

Can reservations be made in advance for the dining rooms?

Can reservations be made in advance for the dining rooms?

You can make advance reservations for specialty restaurants, but not for comp restaurants.

If you have concierge service (booked a suite), you can make advance reservations for all restaurants, including specialty, with the pre-cruise concierge desk before you board.

You'll be charged any cover charges in advance, on your credit card, unless you bought the UDP. Keep this in mind if you planned to pay the charges using OBC.

If you're Platinum and entitled to comp dinner at Le Bistro, etc., you can't book it ahead of boarding. We were able to do so, however, whenever we had the UDP. We made bookings for every night, mixing specialty and comp restaurants, then after boarding made changes in dates or times according to our plans for each evening. There was no charge, of course, for the Platinum comp meals.

Otherwise, once you board, make a beeline for the reservation desk to secure advance reservations.

You can make advance reservations for specialty restaurants, but not for comp restaurants.

If you have concierge service (booked a suite), you can make advance reservations for all restaurants, including specialty, with the pre-cruise concierge desk before you board.

 

You'll be charged any cover charges in advance, on your credit card, unless you bought the UDP. Keep this in mind if you planned to pay the charges using OBC.

 

If you're Platinum and entitled to comp dinner at Le Bistro, etc., you can't book it ahead of boarding. We were able to do so, however, whenever we had the UDP. We made bookings for every night, mixing specialty and comp restaurants, then after boarding made changes in dates or times according to our plans for each evening. There was no charge, of course, for the Platinum comp meals.

 

Otherwise, once you board, make a beeline for the reservation desk to secure advance reservations.

Thank you. I am surprised that one cannot make reservations for the main dining rooms ahead of time. As I read your reply, I believe you are saying I should head straight to the dining rooms to make reservations. Or is it someplace else on the ship? Can reservations for all restaurants be made in one central place?

Thanks again.

Thank you. I am surprised that one cannot make reservations for the main dining rooms ahead of time. As I read your reply, I believe you are saying I should head straight to the dining rooms to make reservations. Or is it someplace else on the ship? Can reservations for all restaurants be made in one central place?

 

Thanks again.

NCL have recently changed their policy, and you can now actually pre-book seats in at least one of the main dining rooms as well (usually the largest one) - fleetwide, through MyNCL - if it is 90 days or less until your sailing date. But I believe that the maximum is 8 persons if you want to do it yourself online, for larger groups you would have to contact the group coordinator for the ship, the e-mail address is GroupEvent"Ship" @ ncl.com (for the Gem it would be GroupEventGem@ncl.com). For larger groups however, they often offer only very early seatings (5.30PM) or after 8.00PM for group reservations made before you board the ship. You might have better luck for other time options by booking on board instead. You can do that either at each restaurant (including the MDR) or at the restaurant reservation desk, usually located in the Atrium on board, near the guest services desk.

You can make advance reservations for specialty restaurants, but not for comp restaurants.

 

I'm sorry but that's just not correct. We sailed on the Gem three weeks ago, and well before sailing, I made a reservation for the Grand Pacific (the larger MDR) for the first night, since there were five of us, including a 7-year-old, and I wanted to be sure we would not have any hassle that first night.

Thank you for the clarification.

I'm sorry but that's just not correct. We sailed on the Gem three weeks ago, and well before sailing, I made a reservation for the Grand Pacific (the larger MDR) for the first night, since there were five of us, including a 7-year-old, and I wanted to be sure we would not have any hassle that first night.

Correct. This was changed several months ago. We were able to make advance reservations for the MDR on the Pearl for our last cruise.