Lunch for GEM Penthouse Guests at Embarkation

One of my cruise traditions is to have a quiet lunch in the main dining room upon embarkation on the first day. This time, however, my daughter and I are in a penthouse, and I have read (on a different thread somewhere) that penthouse guests will be taken to either Moderno or Cagney's for lunch. In that same thread I read that it was crowded and that particular person had to wait for a table. That sort of defeats the purpose of a quiet lunch on the first day.

My question is whether anyone has had a similar or different experience. Should I stick with my tradition and just go to the main dining room anyway?

We've gone many times and never felt that it was noisy or crowded. It can get busy, but the atmosphere always seems special. We're usually one of the first ones on the ship and are there when they open so that may make a difference.

If you go and it looks too busy for you, you'd still have the option of going to the Main Dining room for lunch.

Enjoy!

I have never had to wait for a table on embarkation day in the suite venue. I believe that is the norm. The menu, service and atmosphere is an upgraded experience. You will love it.

It is also usually when tou meet your concierge if they did not mingle in the VIP and suite waiting area.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

In Dec. on Gem it was Cagney's. Not really crowded - maybe 60% max and not noisy. Go to Cagney's the first day. Unlike other trips, we only went the one time though IIRC.

The only downside is the Asst Maitre D came over a couple times and tried to tell jokes (we couldn't understand him) and he lingered too long.

you can eat wherever you want when you board. The MDR usually doesnt open until 1130 or 12. if you are in a suite, you board before that and the Cagneys dining room is ready for you.

we ate there upon boarding over New year's. we did not have a wait, it did fill up tho.

Thanks, everyone for your responses. The plan is to arrive early, and based upon what you have said we should be fine.

Since you all seem to be the people in the know, may I ask two more questions? :)

I put in a bid for a Haven Penthouse Suite to have access to the Haven facilities. But now that I am in a penthouse, my bid was cancelled. Do you know why? Do penthouse suites have access to the Haven?

Do penthouse suites have access to the Haven?

You do not have access to the [very small] Havens courtyard and you are not missing anything. You will be invited to all of the suites/Havens activities (minimum the officer's cocktail party, other events based on the ship's itinerary). You have access to the suites/havens restaurant for breakfast and lunch.

You do not have access to the [very small] Havens courtyard and you are not missing anything. You will be invited to all of the suites/Havens activities (minimum the officer's cocktail party, other events based on the ship's itinerary). You have access to the suites/havens restaurant for breakfast and lunch.

Thank you Bird Travels. I was just wondering, and it's really no big deal This is going to be my first time in a penthouse and I'm very excited! I'm traveling with my daughter (I usually cruise solo), and she has no idea that I upgraded so this is going to be a wonderful surprise!

Thank you Bird Travels. I was just wondering, and it's really no big deal This is going to be my first time in a penthouse and I'm very excited! I'm traveling with my daughter (I usually cruise solo), and she has no idea that I upgraded so this is going to be a wonderful surprise!

You get to eat every day of your cruise in Moderno for breakfast and Cagneys for lunch complimentary (if you want to). They have special menus. Its one of the main reasons we book the penthouse. When you get to the terminal you will be escorted to the suite waiting room for haven and PH passengers. (Make sure you tell the person with the clipboard upon entering that you have a suite.) You will get your card in the suite waiting room where they have snacks. Unless you are starving, save yourself for Cagneys. BTW, some people are unaware you can get the complimentary ice tea there if you want. Its not crazy busy and they treat you great. Definitely eat there instead of the MDR!

Another suite perk to keep in mind is that you can have ANY food - main dining room, specialty restaurant, Orchid Garden, etc. delivered to your cabin without a room service charge (specialty restaurant charges do apply.)

For example, if you prefer to have breakfast in your cabin, you are not limited to the "'Suite Breakfast" room service menu you'll find in your cabin. You can order anything being served from the Moderno breakfast menu (your butler can bring you the menu in advance.) Same for other meals. You can have the Cagney's lunch without going to Cagney's :D You can even mix and match. For dinner you can have say, an entrée from one restaurant and a favorite side or dessert from another. One rainy night this past cruise, we stayed in and watched a (free) movie and ordered (delicious!) Chinese. :) Which reminds me, all the "pay-per-view" movies in your cabin are free.

Also, each afternoon your butler will bring some (IMO horrible) canapes. You can actually have anything you want delivered instead - a big bowl of grapes, a tray of sliced pineapple or other fruit, a plate of cookies, bowl of popcorn or potato chips, etc. - just let your butler know! Actually, you can have anything you want delivered at ANY time! If it is on the ship, they will bring it.

Just some tips for your eating pleasure! LOL

Also, goes without saying, but of course the requisite reminder that the butler and concierge gratuities are not covered by the "daily service charge", so you can just appreciate them appropriately for their special service at your discretion at the end of your cruise.

Have a great trip! :)

Excellent information given above.

One thing to note on the room service though. You can only order from the specialty restaurants or Moderno breakfast during the hours that the restaurants are actually open.

You can't order lunch from La Cucino or get a 6am breakfast from Moderno if they don't open until 7am.

Just an FYI. Enjoy!

Everyone: You have given me some great tips, and now I'm excited beyond belief! I had no idea that there were so many food and delivery options available. It makes for a completely different cruise experience, doesn't it?

pcakes122: thank you for the reminder about the additional gratuities for the concierge and butler. What do you recommend as the baseline minimum gratuity for each (I will adjust upward accordingly)?

Thanks!

Everyone: You have given me some great tips, and now I'm excited beyond belief! I had no idea that there were so many food and delivery options available. It makes for a completely different cruise experience, doesn't it?

 

pcakes122: thank you for the reminder about the additional gratuities for the concierge and butler. What do you recommend as the baseline minimum gratuity for each (I will adjust upward accordingly)?

 

Thanks!

Hi texastennis,

You didn't mention if you were in a forward or aft penthouse. We were in 10166(aft) and the balcony was large and we enjoyed several meals (breakfast) out there.

If you are in an aft, you will enjoy watching the wake and in some of the ports (at least on our eastern Caribbean) the Captain backed us into the dock and we had some great views of the activities in the port.

In addition to the other tips mentioned, don't hesitate to use the concierge to assist you with dining reservations,tendering (suite and haven guests get priority tender tickets) and with disembarkation. There will actually be a meeting on the last sea day for suite/haven guests and you will be provided with luggage tags and instructions on your options for disembarkation.

Your butler will usually introduce him/herself on embarkation day and if you have any questions, (how to use the coffee maker, the on-demand movies, (which are complimentary for suite and haven guests) he/she is there to answer your questions and to enhance your cruising experience.

Tipping for the concierge and the butler is completely up to you. My recommendation would be to base your tips for those two positions upon the amount of requests you make to each and if you felt that the level of service provided was at or above what was expected. We tipped our concierge more than our butler due to that approach.

we were on a 10 day cruise and my baseline was $20.00 per day each for the butler and concierge.

Some may say that wasn't enough or was too much, that is why tipping the concierge and the butler are an individual choice.

Enjoy the 'suite life' on your cruise !

Regards,

Vinegarjoe

Vinegarjoe10:

I am going to be in 10614. First time aft. Usually I like forward cabins, but I saw pictures of the balconies of the forward penthouses and they didn't appeal to me much. I think I'll enjoy looking at the wake.

Thank you for the gratuity information, and the other bits of information. The more I learn the more excited I become!

Excellent information given above.

 

One thing to note on the room service though. You can only order from the specialty restaurants or Moderno breakfast during the hours that the restaurants are actually open.

 

You can't order lunch from La Cucino or get a 6am breakfast from Moderno if they don't open until 7am.

Just an FYI. Enjoy!

In response to this, I just HAVE to tell what has become one of the favorite cruise stories in our family. A couple of years ago, we cruised in the Garden Suite on the Gem. We had never been on NCL before, and had never had a butler on any cruise line that we had been on. In fact, leading up to the cruise, we were a little worried -- you know, the standard concerns of "what would we even ask a butler to do, anyway." Well, boy, that concern flies out the window by day 2, to be replaced with thoughts that having a butler has spoiled you for any other type of cruise.

Anyway, on the fifth or sixth day into the cruise, after we had thought we were well-accustomed to the magic that the butlers can do, my niece and sister came back from the pool in between when various dining rooms would be open, and my niece said she was really hungry since she had skipped lunch (for various reasons, the buffet was not really an option for her). My sister told her that she'd have to wait until dinner because the dining venues were all closed. Unbeknownst to them, their butler, who had been attending to something else in the cabin, overheard. A few minutes later, he walked into the suite with a big bowl of pasta in butter sauce -- and gained a couple of NCL cruisers for life.

In response to this, I just HAVE to tell what has become one of the favorite cruise stories in our family. A couple of years ago, we cruised in the Garden Suite on the Gem. We had never been on NCL before, and had never had a butler on any cruise line that we had been on. In fact, leading up to the cruise, we were a little worried -- you know, the standard concerns of "what would we even ask a butler to do, anyway." Well, boy, that concern flies out the window by day 2, to be replaced with thoughts that having a butler has spoiled you for any other type of cruise.

 

Anyway, on the fifth or sixth day into the cruise, after we had thought we were well-accustomed to the magic that the butlers can do, my niece and sister came back from the pool in between when various dining rooms would be open, and my niece said she was really hungry since she had skipped lunch (for various reasons, the buffet was not really an option for her). My sister told her that she'd have to wait until dinner because the dining venues were all closed. Unbeknownst to them, their butler, who had been attending to something else in the cabin, overheard. A few minutes later, he walked into the suite with a big bowl of pasta in butter sauce -- and gained a couple of NCL cruisers for life.

The butler will serve you any meal in your cabin. You can order from the MDR for free or use you dining plan to order from complimentary, or room service of course (IIRC the 7.95 charge is waived) and you do know for suites the movies in the room are free!