Ultimate dining package vs. $100 OBC?

[Greenesailor]

We are booked on Getaway May 17th and have $100 OBC. I called NCL this morning and we can get the Ultimate dining package but we would lose the $100 OBC. Would this be a good decision? We have not sailed NCL before and I've never done specialty dining before... HELP! I've read many posts that main dining rooms are wonderful and we wouldn't need specialty dining.

Thanks for any input!

[KeithJenner]

How many of you are there, and would the UDP be for all of you?

 

For example, if it is the UDP for two then that would effectively make it $50 each which is a great deal. That is the cost of a meal at Cagneys and Le Bistro for example.

[Greenesailor]

Yes, there are just two of us!

[kdzkatz]

I would take the UDC over the $100 OBC. It is like you are having to eat at just about anywhere on the ship for $50 pp. You could take the week to find out for yourself if the MDR is fine for you as you could eat there for lunch and then try different specialties all week long. If the OBC was higher it may not be as good of deal but I think for just $100 I would not think twice for us.

[Rdtbank]

The dining package is a better value IF it is important to you. You could be perfectly fine with the MDR and buffet and use the $100 for drinks or gifts. But if you really love food that package, assuming it is for both of you, is a great deal. I would take it but that's me.

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

I would take the UDC over the $100 OBC. It is like you are having to eat at just about anywhere on the ship for $50 pp. You could take the week to find out for yourself if the MDR is fine for you as you could eat there for lunch and then try different specialties all week long. If the OBC was higher it may not be as good of deal but I think for just $100 I would not think twice for us.

 

Exactly.

 

My issue with the UDP for new cruisers is that in order to make the most of it for the full price you need to eat there almost every night. I think its best to try out the MDR and then decide whether you want to move on to the specialities. If you do that, and also want to go to the Illusionarium, for example, then it is probably not worth buying the UDP over paying for each meal.

 

At $50 each, you can try the MDR, do the Illusionarium, even do o'Sheehans or the Buffet, and still have enough meals in the specialities to be worth getting the package.

[LrgPizza]

We are in the same situation, and we are sticking with the $100 OBC instead of the UDP. We only plan to eat in 2 specialty restaurants plus the dinner show, which isn't included in the UDP. We would lose money if we switched to UDP since we are not interested in most of the specialty restaurants.

[Greenesailor]

We are in the same situation, and we are sticking with the $100 OBC instead of the UDP. We only plan to eat in 2 specialty restaurants plus the dinner show, which isn't included in the UDP. We would lose money if we switched to UDP since we are not interested in most of the specialty restaurants.

 

You do get 20% off the Illusionarium with the UDP! I'm thinking we wouldn't lose money if we only did two specialty restaurants. Aren't they at least $25 per person?

[Greenesailor]

Exactly.

 

My issue with the UDP for new cruisers is that in order to make the most of it for the full price you need to eat there almost every night. I think its best to try out the MDR and then decide whether you want to move on to the specialities. If you do that, and also want to go to the Illusionarium, for example, then it is probably not worth buying the UDP over paying for each meal.

 

At $50 each, you can try the MDR, do the Illusionarium, even do o'Sheehans or the Buffet, and still have enough meals in the specialities to be worth getting the package.

 

Thank you! I think this makes sense now!

[llist]

We are in the same situation here. We cruise on the Getaway 9/6 and had a 100 OBC. Left a message for our PCC and he took care of everything and we got the UDP. Lost the OBC but since we were going to put that towards specialty dining anyway (and then owe some since we were going to do specialty dining at least 3 times) we made out ahead :)

[LrgPizza]

You do get 20% off the Illusionarium with the UDP! I'm thinking we wouldn't lose money if we only did two specialty restaurants. Aren't they at least $25 per person?

 

I have never seen nor read anywhere that there is a discount at Illusionarium with UDP. I have heard that there might be a 20% discount for booking it the first night, but that has nothing to do with UDP.

 

The specialty restaurants we have selected are $20 and $25.

 

From NCL website:

"Ultimate Dining includes:

 

Dine in a specialty restaurant every night with the Ultimate Dining package

20% discount at celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian's Ocean Blue on the Waterfront

20% discount at a la carte venues (excluding entertainment based dining)"

Edited February 27, 2014 by LrgPizza

[SoCA6ft5]

You do get 20% off the Illusionarium with the UDP! I'm thinking we wouldn't lose money if we only did two specialty restaurants. Aren't they at least $25 per person?

Actually, the 20% discount does not apply to the Illusionarium.

From NCL: "20% discount at celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian's Ocean Blue on the Waterfront & a la carte venues (excluding entertainment based dining)"

This may help: Cagney's $30, Teppanyaki $25, Le Bistro & Modeno $20, La Cucina $15, Ocean Blue $9.80 (what you would save off the $49 charge). See if the venues you want to visit add up to more than $50 each.

[KeithJenner]

I have never seen nor read anywhere that there is a discount at Illusionarium with UDP. I have heard that there might be a 20% discount for booking it the first night, but that has nothing to do with UDP.

 

The specialty restaurants we have selected are $20 and $25.

 

No, I don't think you get the 20% off the Illusionarium. The details I've seen online state the 20% off applies in Ocean Blue and a la carte restaurants. I don't see any reference to Cirque or the Illusionarium.

[Greenesailor]

I scanned the details and missed the part where it said "excluding" entertainment based dining! LOL!

I think you all have answered my questions and I will trade the OBC for the UDP! Yay! Thank you !

[notthatpaulyd]

I'm in an interesting situation... still waiting to hear back from my TA.

 

I originally received $100 OBC from NCL and a free upgrade from ocean view to a BD Balcony.

 

My booking has gone down $120, so I could stay with my same booking and net out +$20 (lose $100 OBC, but pay $120 less for the cruise).

 

OR

 

I can upgrade to just straight booking the BD for $80 more for the week. I would lose $100 OBC but would gain the UDP, which is valued at $238. This would mean I'm up $58. I guess this one makes the most sense, if I plan on spending more than $58 in the speciality restaurants... which seems like only 1-2 dinners max.

 

Decisions, decisions.