Newbie questions

[Bilu444]

I am booking my first NCL cruise. Have cruise many times with CCL and once with RCCL. From what I am reading, there is no set times for dinner? Are there formal nights? Can you bring soda onboard?

[C Cruise Dude]

I am booking my first NCL cruise. Have cruise many times with CCL and once with RCCL. From what I am reading, there is no set times for dinner? Are there formal nights? Can you bring soda onboard?

 

 

You can bring soda. You will see more similarities than differences. The Freestyle culture does not like the dressing up, assigned tables and MDR's. There are two dress up nights (on a 7 day cruise) but you might not notice depending on which ship you are sailing on. You pick a dining room and time and just go. You might have to wait depending on which dining room you choose. You can choose to sit with strangers if you like just inform the person that signs you in that you want to share a table or not.

Edited December 29, 2014 by C Cruise Dude
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[TrpngBilly]

1. In the main dining rooms on NCL, you are not locked into a dinner time. You can go pretty much whenever you choose during the main dining room hours. The only time you are locked into a dinner time is if you choose to make a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants, but that's just like making a reservation at any restaurant...you pick the time.

 

2. There is no formal night, however some specialty restaurants may have dress codes.

 

3. We always bring a case of bottled water and a few cases of bottled soda on board with us. There has never been a problem.

[AKR2011]

The dress up nights are always called "Dress Up or Not" nights. Keep that in mind. You never have to dress up, although one MDR usually requires pants or a skirt while the other does not each night. As already stated, sometimes you have to dress up at Specialty Restaurants too.

[Valen9]

Note also that when we say "dress up", we mean pants, shoes, sport jackets, maybe dresses. Basically, anything better than jeans and a T-shirt. You don't need to wear "dress clothes" like suits and cocktail dresses at ANY time or in ANY venue.

 

They won't let you eat in the more formal MDR if you're wearing bathing suits & coverups, or beach wear. But you can eat at the buffet or the 24-hour restaurant dressed however you like.

 

All the dining venues work like land-based restaurants. There are times when they are open, and times when they are serving different meals. You can show up whenever, even at the specialty restaurants. For the MDR, if they can't seat you right away, they give you a beeper and you can go get a drink. For the specialty places, they might tell you they are full and come back another day.

 

The only places that have set seating times is the Teppanyaki place, or any venue that includes a show with your meal.

 

Most ships have TVs throughout the main areas that show how busy each of the dining venues are, so you don't have to wander around looking for a place to eat.

[FF Woman]

On Dress Up or Not night you will see some people dressed up in suits or sport coats for men and cocktail dresses for women--we are a couple who enjoys doing it and having a picture taken that night. There will be lots of photographers with nice backgounds set up that evening.

 

Also, if you want to bring any wine on board, you have to pay a $15 per bottle corkage fee. I thought I'd mention that since you've cruised Carnival and they allow a couple of bottles with no fees.

 

Freestyle is just that, dress however you feel comfortable and don't worry about what others are dressed like. We're all just there to have a good time.

[luv2travel06]

Tip: if you bring soda onboard, just carry it separately, not inside your carryon to avoid screening delays. If it is in your carryon, they will pull you aside and thoroughly go through it.

 

 

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