Concierge Services for dinner with a suite

[califgary]

Question: New to NCL. Have a suite booked on the Norwegian Star. Ive heard one of the suite perks is that you can use the concierge to book dinner reservations for the week. Anyone with experience on this? Can you just tell the concierge what restaurant and what time for the week and they do all the reservations? Can they do tables for 2? Does this apply to the specialty restaurants only or any restaurant?

 

As always this is the best place to get answers and they are appreciated!

 

thanks

 

CalifGary

[LOWTYD]

Question: New to NCL. Have a suite booked on the Norwegian Star. Ive heard one of the suite perks is that you can use the concierge to book dinner reservations for the week. Anyone with experience on this? Can you just tell the concierge what restaurant and what time for the week and they do all the reservations? Can they do tables for 2? Does this apply to the specialty restaurants only or any restaurant?

 

As always this is the best place to get answers and they are appreciated!

 

thanks

 

CalifGary

 

You can make the reservations at the VIP waiting room after check in at the pier when the conceirge entourage arrives (they usally have some assistants) or by calling once on board. We made reservations at Teppanyaki's and added another couple to it on day 2 and on day three added another couple to it. No problem. Ours also did the MDR for us one night. They won't seat you with anyone else unless you ask.:)

[tdcjerry]

Just to be sure, you have suite cat. above an AF (Mini suite)? if so your concierge will take care of everything. I have found that the higher level of cabin you have the more attention you will get from your concierge. We have had the Garden villa, AB suite and an AC suite and we did see a difference in service with our AC.

[garycarla]

The main dining rooms do not need reservations.

 

Though you can make reservations as you check in, you can also check the next day or later in the week. The thought of planning out the whole week in advance is just plain revolting to me. I know some people, somehow know what they want to eat 6 months in advance, but...

[OceanDreaming2]

We have had the Garden villa, AB suite and an AC suite and we did see a difference in service with our AC.

 

Really???

 

I think it has to do with the concierge, not the category of suite you booked. We've been in the same 3 suites as you.

[tdcjerry]

I agree with you on that, I also think it is the ship, how long your concierge has been a concierge. We have had Carlos. Belkys? and Simone, Carlos was new at the time ( to a larger ship ) Belkys was a temp, and Simone was the best so far. I guess we will see when we do the 21 day cruise in Oct. Nov. how the concierge treats the suite passg. won't we. We did talk to Ray Carr after our PC cruise in Jan. and he hopes to be the CD on the Gem when we are on her, as long as he is still with the company.

[califgary]

thanks for the updates - we have an aft suite i think its called a penthouse dont know the category but in the description it says we have the services of concierge and butler. thanks for the info!

[tdcjerry]

Your golden, take full advantage of all the perks that your suite comes with, and enjoy.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Definitely make reservations for the main dining rooms as well as the specialty restaurants. I think it gives you better table locations, and the concierge might drop by the restaurants while you're dining to see how everything is going and whether you need anything.

 

With one exception, we haven't noticed any difference in treatment by the concierges we've been lucky enough to have, regardless of which suite we were in or whether we booked the suite outright or received it through an upsell. The exception was on our first NCL cruise, on the Sun, when we were totally ignored by the concierge, who is no longer with NCL. We had received an upsell to an AD penthouse suite, and we figured it was because we were in the lowest-level suite on the ship and had an upsell. Who knows, but it hasn't happened again. The concierges are wonderful people to get to know!

[califgary]

thanks for all the great info - now figuring out how to pack for sunny mexico AND alaska all in the same trip!

 

appreciate everyone's input here thanks again and I look forward to trying NCL.

[goldmom]

We don't usually like to plan out our entire week's dining in advance. Usually, we would see the Concierge each morning in the Star Bar and just tell them then where we wanted to eat that night. It was never a problem. We also made reservations for the Main Dining Room. Our fabulous Concierge, Alex, met us at the elevator and escorted into the MDR through a lower deck and avoided any lines.

 

Also, when you board, you should get a sheet with a listing of any days that have cocktail parties that you'll be invited to. This way you'll know if there is something going on and be able to adjust your reservations accordingly.

 

Enjoy! You'll be really spoiled.

[califgary]

it certainly does sound awesome - what is the Star Bar? Is that where we would go to find the concierge when needed?

[mbisson]

The main dining rooms do not need reservations.

 

Though you can make reservations as you check in, you can also check the next day or later in the week. The thought of planning out the whole week in advance is just plain revolting to me. I know some people, somehow know what they want to eat 6 months in advance, but...

 

While I agree with you, we did a sailing over Thanksgiving and the concierge recommended that if we ate in the MDR, we have reservations. Since they had US style turkey that night the MDRs were packed (and I didn't think the turkey was all that) but I was glad I had the reservation. The lines were long

 

But like I say-normally I'm in complete agreement...I just don't like planning out the meal times in advance. It just seems to defeat part of the purpose of freestyle

[OceanDreaming2]

it certainly does sound awesome - what is the Star Bar? Is that where we would go to find the concierge when needed?

 

Usually the Concierge or their staff is at the Concierge Desk in the Star Bar - It's across from Cagney's on the Star.

[califgary]

as always, getting the most useful info from the great cruisecritic members - I feel as if I already know my way around!

 

thanks to all.

[Cruise_More_Often]

They're not in the Star Bar all day -- usually just during breakfast and lunch hours. You'll receive their telephone extension numbers for use during other hours.

[sunshine nana]

I learn something new every day about the perks. I'll ask for the dates of the parties when we check in. As far as reservations for the MDR, you do need the concierge to make a reservation for you if you want to eat after 6pm at a table for two. I found out after we got home from reading CC that she could have done it for us. Also, be sure to ask for the menus of the MDR so you can plan your specialty dinners.

[terrymtex01]

thanks for the updates - we have an aft suite i think its called a penthouse dont know the category but in the description it says we have the services of concierge and butler. thanks for the info!

 

thanks for all the great info - now figuring out how to pack for sunny mexico AND alaska all in the same trip!

 

appreciate everyone's input here thanks again and I look forward to trying NCL.

 

You will love having a penthouse aft. So far we have been in 9232 twice and loved it. That is probably our favorite stateroom we have ever had. I do hope you luck out and have Simone on your trip. I do believe she is the Concierge you will have based on the dates of your trip. She is the best.

 

As far as how to pack for the climate for both Mexico and Alaska, IMHO it isn't as difficult as you might think. What I mean by that is that the only clothes you might pack for Mexico that you might not use in Alaska would be shorts and the only things you might pack for Alaska that you won't need for Mexico are a coat, gloves and a hat. Other than that, I used the exact same type of clothing for both locations. Jeans, short sleeved polo's, etc. Now I might be unusual in that aspect, but for me when we would go anywhere that was heated I was perfectly comfortable wearing just my polo and jeans and would take my coat, gloves and hat for when we were outside in unheated areas. I actually took about four sweaters on our Alaskan cruise and never used them. I do recommend getting the warmest coat that is the lightest weight. I do not remember how they rate them, but if you look hard enough you can find the "warmth" rating for coats and thats what we used when we got the coat I took. It was kind of thin, but still very warm.

 

Can't wait until you get back and tell us all about your cruise. I think you picked a great one.

 

While I agree with you, we did a sailing over Thanksgiving and the concierge recommended that if we ate in the MDR, we have reservations. Since they had US style turkey that night the MDRs were packed (and I didn't think the turkey was all that) but I was glad I had the reservation. The lines were long

 

But like I say-normally I'm in complete agreement...I just don't like planning out the meal times in advance. It just seems to defeat part of the purpose of freestyle

 

Monte... I have to say I think it's more tradition than anything. I don't even like turkey, but HAVE to have it on Thanksgiving...LOL

[cynbar]

Where can we find the MDR menus for the week? I hadn't heard that before, and I think it will be a big help in planning which nights to go to the specialty restaurants. We'll be in an A3, if that matters, on the Gem.

[2inTul]

Where can we find the MDR menus for the week? I hadn't heard that before, and I think it will be a big help in planning which nights to go to the specialty restaurants. We'll be in an A3, if that matters, on the Gem.

 

Ask your butler and he/she will bring them to you so you can plan ahead. :)

[DMH15]

One of the suite perks I LOVED was having dinner brought in from one of the specialty restaurants (charges apply). After a long port day, I loved to eat a great dinner in my pjs. I never did breakfast in the suite. Loved my same little window table for breakfast.

[mbisson]

Monte... I have to say I think it's more tradition than anything. I don't even like turkey, but HAVE to have it on Thanksgiving...LOL

 

Ditto (except I do like turkey---especially leftover turkey) :D

[coka]

For me, I rarely use the perks, but it sure is nice to know they exist! One example: I never took advantage of the VIP escort debarkation because I never had a reason to be first off the ship (and I always had this vision that you were escorted directly by everyone else waiting in the line...who wants to see that...or be seen doing that).

 

Until...the one time so far we needed to be on the first tender in a port. We were thankful that A.) The passengers waiting to debark never really saw the escort off because it is done from a different hallway/angle, and B.) It was sort of cool seeing the security crew and gangway staff briefly pause all operations as they saw the concierge arrive in order for him to get us off asap...totally made us feel like really important people...so...it was a cool experience and we still get giddy talking about it.

 

Enjoy your cruise Califgary as there is more to the suite life than just the dinner reservations!

 

coka