Unlimited dining package?

[punkincc]

I don't think the point of the UDP is to offer a savings to cruisers. I think it's to provide an additional income stream to NCL just like UBP. Most people will not utilize the package enough to garner any real savings, but buying the package for every party in a stateroom will be guaranteed money for NCL versus what the passengers may or may not eat (UDP) or drink (UBP) during the cruise. I think this will also encourage more people to try more of the specialty restaurants than they normally would since they're all included in the package. This would be good for the cruise because even if repeat customers don't purchase the package again, they may discover a specialty restaurant they really like and pay the upcharge to eat there again on future sailings.

 

Yep, NCL's goal is to make some more money by getting more people into their specialty restaurants. And just like with the UBP, they probably assume many will not utilize it fully. But, no one would be interested in this package if it didn't offer some savings. If someone knows they will eat at a specialty every night of the cruise, it would be a no brainer. But, just like with the UBP, the difficulty for most is trying to figure out if you will utilize it enough to come out ahead with the package. With the current pricing, we'd have to eat at one 6 nights out of seven and that's just cutting it too close for me.

[H&J]

I wonder what limitations, if any, will be imposed. What if someone wants to eat in Cagneys all nights?

[Jenjer]

Any Idea if they will offer a Kids discount?

 

Kids are still 1/2 off in specialty's right? do they consider kids 12 and under?

 

Thanks for any info. we loved the specialty dinning on Epic and had planning on eating there mostly on Getaway. The kids still talk about the Moderno meal a year later.

[time2cruise1]

Any Idea if they will offer a Kids discount?

 

Kids are still 1/2 off in specialty's right? do they consider kids 12 and under?

 

Thanks for any info. we loved the specialty dinning on Epic and had planning on eating there mostly on Getaway. The kids still talk about the Moderno meal a year later.

 

 

All I saw was Child pricing remains as is for specialty dining. So not sure if they get UDP 1/2 off or just 1/2 off the regular prices.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim

[dbrown84]

anyone know if you can get multiple entrees? You're limited to one entree now, or pay more if you want a second entree. With the unlimited, can you order two? that would be another way to make the deal worth it, and you can put together some good combos, like the shrimp entree to go with your steak in Cagneys.

[alwalaska]

Not double :) $199 for cruises 10days or longer.

 

That is interesting. That makes our 11 day cruise an average of just over $18/day, while the 7 day is only $17/day. Since on many of the ships (not sure about the newer ones), the specialty dining is only available at night, and ones like Il Adagio are only $15, unless you love Cagney's and want it every night, this doesn't end up too great of a deal.

 

If you do want to eat at Cagney's or Moderno every night of your cruise, then this is definitely a good deal for you.

 

I guess the other question is, if you pre-order it, is there tax added on to it like the soda packages?

[Uniall]

All I saw was Child pricing remains as is for specialty dining. So not sure if they get UDP 1/2 off or just 1/2 off the regular prices.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim

 

Jim

 

Have you cancelled the Oct 11 Panama Canal Cruise & the Oct 26 Caribbean Cruise on NCL Sun?

 

Please let us know with a post.

 

John

[mrobstad]

I just read through this entire thread and have a few thoughts....first, I can only travel during school breaks. It's often very hard to get a last minute reservation in cagneys, le Bistro, heck....in all of them. This doesn't seem to apply when school is in session. Secondly, I'd always prefer a speciality restaurant, but as a solo cruiser, I d want company for dinner, and reservations don't typically include a tag along like me.....

[MiniJeffrey]

I think $119/199 is a good price. If you eat every night at Le Bistro or Tepanyaki, you'll save a lot of money. However as I am staying in the Epic Haven during my next cruise and I've heard the Epic restaurant is really good and chill, I probably won't buy this.

[friskat]

The other thing that I am wondering about this package is that you could say go for appetizers at Cagney's then later to LeBistro for dinner? Or whatever combination anyone decides. Or have a light dinner at one then go to a different one later? That would make it neat to be able to design your perfect meal by going to the places you love for the dishes that you enjoy the best.

[MiniJeffrey]

Also, are the specialties open at noon for lunch? If that is true then it would be an excellent deal as I would love to have great lunch in the specialty-restaurants.

 

And yes it would be nice just to be able to hop in somewhere to enjoy a quick soup or starter ^^

[Love my butler]

The other thing that I am wondering about this package is that you could say go for appetizers at Cagney's then later to LeBistro for dinner? Or whatever combination anyone decides. Or have a light dinner at one then go to a different one later? That would make it neat to be able to design your perfect meal by going to the places you love for the dishes that you enjoy the best.

 

Yes, that was possible last year on the Pearl when we bought the package for $79/person. Unlimited dinners except for Teppenyaki and sushi. They were not included. We lost out on our platinum dinners, but ate several times in Cagney's so it was still a great deal.

[newmexicoNita]

That is interesting. That makes our 11 day cruise an average of just over $18/day, while the 7 day is only $17/day. Since on many of the ships (not sure about the newer ones), the specialty dining is only available at night, and ones like Il Adagio are only $15, unless you love Cagney's and want it every night, this doesn't end up too great of a deal.

 

If you do want to eat at Cagney's or Moderno every night of your cruise, then this is definitely a good deal for you.

 

I guess the other question is, if you pre-order it, is there tax added on to it like the soda packages?

 

Did you mean gratuities when you said taxes added. I didn't know they added taxes to anything other than our basic cruise fare? It would be pretty hard to do so. if they do add taxes, suddenly this isn't a very good deal.

Edited December 31, 2013 by newmexicoNita

[AJI2596]

Are the restaurants that are included in the cruise price that bad that you now have to pay $120 extra to eat at different restaurants?

[jdvmd]

Are the restaurants that are included in the cruise price that bad that you now have to pay $120 extra to eat at different restaurants?

No.

[L3GWG]

AJ2596, I personally have no complaints with any of the food on NCL but it is great to eat at the specialities as well.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[MSUcruisers]

Did you mean gratuities when you said taxes added. I didn't know they added taxes to anything other than our basic cruise fare? It would be pretty hard to do so. if they do add taxes, suddenly this isn't a very good deal.

 

Taxes were added to whatever we bought on the Pride of America. Since the ship never left Hawaii, we were told it was subjected to state law.

[MSUcruisers]

Yes, that was possible last year on the Pearl when we bought the package for $79/person. Unlimited dinners except for Teppenyaki and sushi. They were not included. We lost out on our platinum dinners, but ate several times in Cagney's so it was still a great deal.

 

Anyone know if Teppenyaki will be included in the $119/$199 deal? We ate there on the POA and plan to try it again on the Sun in January.

[SeaShark]

Are the restaurants that are included in the cruise price that bad that you now have to pay $120 extra to eat at different restaurants?

 

No, the included restaurants are not that bad that you HAVE to pay to eat at different restaurants. (Where did you even get such a silly idea?) The various specialty restarants are available for those who WANT to eat there...nobody HAS to. It's a simple matter of having the freedom and the ability to make a choice.

 

 

When you eat at a restaurant at home is the reason that the food in your home is so bad that you have to pay to eat at the different restaurants?

[SeaShark]

Yes, that was possible last year on the Pearl when we bought the package for $79/person. Unlimited dinners except for Teppenyaki and sushi. They were not included. We lost out on our platinum dinners, but ate several times in Cagney's so it was still a great deal.

 

In another thread you stated that you couldn't recall even one good experience on an NCL ship. Now in the quote above you are stating that you have cruised NCL enough to become a Platinum Latitudes Member.

 

I can't see the logic behind being a top-level repeat customer of any business where you can't even find ONE good thing to say about the experience. :confused:

[Demonyte]

Also, are the specialties open at noon for lunch? If that is true then it would be an excellent deal as I would love to have great lunch in the specialty-restaurants.

 

No, speciality restaurants generally are open only for dinner (with some exceptions like ala carte sushi where applicable etc).

[jdvmd]

Teppanayki was open for lunch on the Dawn last year. Lunch was half price - only $12.50.

[alwalaska]

Did you mean gratuities when you said taxes added. I didn't know they added taxes to anything other than our basic cruise fare? It would be pretty hard to do so. if they do add taxes, suddenly this isn't a very good deal.

 

No, I meant sales tax. When we buy our soda packages when we board the ship there is always a sales tax of the local state you are sailing from tacked on. One time, I waited until almost dinner to buy mine since we were sailing out of NY and the tax was high, but we were not in International waters yet, so they still had to add the tax.

 

From the NCL Web Site ...

Unlimited Fountain Soda

Includes: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mt. Dew, Ginger Ale, Tonic water, Club Soda.

The entire cruise must be purchased. Non-Refundable.

Prepaid @ $6.50 per person per day x Cruise days plus 15% gratuity

and applicable taxes

Souvenir Thermal mug included in the purchase of the program

The unlimited over 21 drink package also has the same disclaimer if you go all the way in to the rules and conditions.

 

To be honest, until someone mentioned it to me, I never looked at the total and did the math, so I never realized I was paying those extra taxes. Sometimes, being oblivious to something is nice. :)

[alwalaska]

...

 

When you eat at a restaurant at home is the reason that the food in your home is so bad that you have to pay to eat at the different restaurants?

 

Usually it is because there isn't any food in the home that I WANT to eat. Never a problem on a cruise. ;)

 

In response to AJI2596, although I feel the quality of the food in the main dining room has been going down with each cruise, there is still plenty of good and included food on the ships. We rarely dine in specialty locations. I must say though that on the Dawn this past fall, the main dining rooms were so lackluster that we chose to eat more often in the buffet. We were on a B2B and didn't even bother going to the dining room for the 2nd "lobster" night.

 

The free location that we were most disappointed in was Blue Lagoon, Everything was dry and overdone and not nearly as tasty as previous cruises. On the flip side, the buffet was pretty good.

[Love my butler]

Are the restaurants that are included in the cruise price that bad that you now have to pay $120 extra to eat at different restaurants?

 

If you remember what dining in the MDR was like 15-20 years ago, then yes the food and service in the MDR today IS THAT BAD. You must eat specialty to even come close to what eating on a cruise ship was like back then. The good news is most people are fairly new cruisers and have no idea how good it used to be.