Specialty Restaurants - Am I Missing Out?

[babs135]

DH and I have never paid for any specialty restaurant on any of the cruises we have taken. We are happy with the food offered in the included eateries, but sometimes I do wonder if we are missing out.

 

DH, despite willingly paying for a cruise is of the mind that 'why pay any extra when I don't have to'.

 

So, what are we missing? Is it worth the extra? And how would you convince DH that it's worth trying?

 

We will be on the Breakaway. BTW we don't do seafood apart from fish. (you know what I mean I hope).

[mvrck1010]

If you were to do one, I highly recommend Cagneys. One of the best ribeye steaks I ever had! Get a side of the truffle fries, and a shrimp cocktail to start. Prices are very reasonable for the quality.

[4774Papa]

NCL has several specialty restaurants with great variety. Also, their prices are reasonable. We like the French restaurant, Le Bistro. Cagney's is good for steaks or great fish. Suggest trying them out.

[david_sobe]

Good question. If you are happy with the MDR then save the money for other things. I guess it depends on what you like. If you like a good steak then I would suggest Cagneys. If you like a fun night with steak, lobster or chicken, I would suggest Teppanyaki. The show can be entertaining. Both are a bit pricey. I have eaten at La Cucina several times on different ships. The food there is MDR quality or even worse. It used to be $10 and it was an easy justification. I think Le Bistro is over rated (I will get flamed for that).

We usually eat at Cagneys twice but with the price increases we eat there once. We probably eat at specialty restaurants 3 times in the cruise. The prices have really went up but with all the meal deals the specialty restaurants are packed like the MDR's now. One perk of the specialty restaurants used to be to get away from the crowds. No more. Every night of the cruise, Cagneys is packed more than the MDR.

Edited July 31, 2016 by david_sobe

[laslomas]

An interesting question. I only ever ate in a speciality restaurant once, on HAL, about 15 years ago. I had the best steak I think I have ever eaten. But back then the cost for the restaurant was only a few dollars, and so worth it. Since the cost has sky-rocketed I must admit that I have never thought of doing it again. I enjoy the MDR food and have already paid for that so it needs to be really special to pay again for my dinner.

 

Saying that I am tempted to buy the 3 meal package for my upcoming Jade cruise, but I have not decided yet.

 

I look forward to the responses to the questions in the opening post to help me make up my mind :)

[caribou9]

We enjoy the MDR, but are specialty dining people.

 

LeBistro is our favorite NCL restaurant. I have never been to Cagney's; it's low on the list for our next cruise. The idea of French fries with a steak is a turn off; they can keep their truffle oil.

 

Like david_sobe says save the money for other things.

[The Merrill]

Like everyone else said, it's a personal choice if you want to try the speciality restaurants out. You certainly don't need too because there is the MDR's, buffet and O'Sheehan's. We are going to Cagney's, Tappenaki and Moderno only because it was one of the perks. I think we would likely just go to one speciality if not included.

 

Enjoy whatever your choice maybe!

 

Cheryl

[mom2tcdx2]

My dad was the same way on our first NCL Cruise, only thing we paid extra for with him was the Teppanyaki. He then found the dining rooms weren't as good as he thought other cruise lines were. Next NCL cruise he was all for paying for the 7 night dining pkg and we never went to the main dining rooms at all.

 

Our upcoming cruise we paid for the 5 night package, and figured we would try the dining room for 2 nights. Though I am not overly excited about the changes to the LeBistro menu, I am not so sure I like their options now. So worried that one will disappoint, when on our last cruise it was our favorite.

 

We also really liked the Tex Mex style place the Star and Pearl used to have, such a shame they replaced with Moderno. We actually thought the old place was better.

[GLYNAGP]

DH and I have never paid for any specialty restaurant on any of the cruises we have taken. We are happy with the food offered in the included eateries, but sometimes I do wonder if we are missing out.

 

DH, despite willingly paying for a cruise is of the mind that 'why pay any extra when I don't have to'.

 

So, what are we missing? Is it worth the extra? And how would you convince DH that it's worth trying?

 

We will be on the Breakaway. BTW we don't do seafood apart from fish. (you know what I mean I hope).

I realise it's all down to personal choice, but a bit like your DH, we have actually paid for the cruise including food so why would you pay again . To be fair we have never tried a Specialty Restaurant on NCL but we have on RCI and Celebrity only because they have been so desperate to get customers towards the end of the cruises there were some good deals to be negotiated. Yes the food was very nice, nothing spectaculars just very nice, we do however find them to be all a bit to over intensive on the service, we are quite casual people even so we enjoy the MDR where we normally find the level of services is just about right and we also get to sit with different people most nights, which we also find most enjoyable. Obviously everyone's preferences are different.

[punkincc]

DH and I have never paid for any specialty restaurant on any of the cruises we have taken. We are happy with the food offered in the included eateries, but sometimes I do wonder if we are missing out.

 

DH, despite willingly paying for a cruise is of the mind that 'why pay any extra when I don't have to'.

 

So, what are we missing? Is it worth the extra? And how would you convince DH that it's worth trying?

 

We will be on the Breakaway. BTW we don't do seafood apart from fish. (you know what I mean I hope).

 

 

What are your habits when at home? Do you enjoy an occassional night out at a nice restaurant for a special meal (even though you could eat at home and save $)?

 

I do think it is worth the extra $. The MDR is fine occassionally, but every night in a cavernous room filled with hundreds of people at full volume gets old. That delicious steak in a quiet relaxed Cagneys is a godsend. Love the scallops at Le Bistro. If you buy a three night or more package, you avoid the a la carte prices and average out to $26 or so per meal. That is quite reasonable, IMO, for an entree and multiple apps, sides and desserts. Could never duplicate that at home.

[NLH Arizona]

DH and I have never paid for any specialty restaurant on any of the cruises we have taken. We are happy with the food offered in the included eateries, but sometimes I do wonder if we are missing out.

 

DH, despite willingly paying for a cruise is of the mind that 'why pay any extra when I don't have to'.

 

So, what are we missing? Is it worth the extra? And how would you convince DH that it's worth trying?

 

We will be on the Breakaway. BTW we don't do seafood apart from fish. (you know what I mean I hope).

I only eat in the special restaurants, because I feel not only is the food much better, but the atmosphere is far superior to eating in the MDRs.

 

Cagney's and the Teppanyaki restaurant are my favorites and I've always had fantastic meals in both. La Cucina was good, especially the warm bread. I haven't done LeBistro (nothing on the menu jumped out to me) or Moderno (too much meat for me), but many feel they are both outstanding.

 

If you are happy with the MDR food/experience, there is no need to change, but if you do, I would suggest either Cagney's or the Teppanyaki restaurant.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Why spend money for all other things, but then limit your cruise experience by not trying the specialty dining?

[Jana60]

An interesting question. I only ever ate in a speciality restaurant once, on HAL, about 15 years ago. I had the best steak I think I have ever eaten. But back then the cost for the restaurant was only a few dollars, and so worth it. Since the cost has sky-rocketed I must admit that I have never thought of doing it again. I enjoy the MDR food and have already paid for that so it needs to be really special to pay again for my dinner.

 

Saying that I am tempted to buy the 3 meal package for my upcoming Jade cruise, but I have not decided yet.

 

I look forward to the responses to the questions in the opening post to help me make up my mind :)

 

I think it's definitely worth it to at least purchase a three-night meal package. It's only $88 including gratuity. For restaurants of this quality at home I would usually pay more than $88 in tips for three dinners! We did not purchase the package on our last Cruise because we were in The Haven. The Haven restaurant has the same type of foods as many of the other specialty restaurants and it's included. Plus if there was something we wanted that was only available in one of the specialty restaurants The Haven maitre d would obtain it for us. But if staying anywhere except the Haven I would definitely purchase the package.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Jana60

[Two Wheels Only]

Google "beyond ships", find the ship that you are interested in and read the menus for the Specialty restaurants. Decide if there is something that looks interesting.

 

The menus there are sometimes outdated, though.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I really enjoy the specialty restaurants. My ex-husband liked to cruise Carnival and we always ate in the steak house (their only specialty restaurant) and really enjoyed it When I started cruising solo a couple years ago, I tried NCL solely because of the variety of restaurants. I had UDP and ate in specialties every night. On my last cruise, I had a five-night dining package for a 10-night cruise so ate in the MDR a few times. It was okay, but like others have posted, I prefer the atmosphere of the specialties and feel the food is much better (the MDR food is adequate, but the specialties--especially Le Bistro--are much better than adequate!). My next cruise i five nights and I have a three-night package and will be dining at Teppenyaki, Le Bistro, and Cagney's.

 

You'll never know what you're missing unless you try it. How you'll convince your DH is up to you--you're the one who knows him. :p

[erocrobro]

The only time I have ever paid for an upcharge restaurant was on our recent Getaway cruise. I did spring for the Illusionarium, but it was more for the show than the food. What I loved about NCL was that there was so much choice in the complementary restaurants, we didn't need to pay extra for any special meals. We have several excellent steakhouses and Japanese steakhouses at home, so we don't feel like we are missing out. On the nights I ordered steak or prime rib in the MDR, it was very good.

[cb at sea]

If you've been happy with the included food...why pay for something you aren't needing? Don't fix what ain't broke!

[Cruisin&Relaxin]

DH and I have never paid for any specialty restaurant on any of the cruises we have taken. We are happy with the food offered in the included eateries, but sometimes I do wonder if we are missing out.

 

 

 

DH, despite willingly paying for a cruise is of the mind that 'why pay any extra when I don't have to'.

 

 

 

So, what are we missing? Is it worth the extra? And how would you convince DH that it's worth trying?

 

 

 

We will be on the Breakaway. BTW we don't do seafood apart from fish. (you know what I mean I hope).

 

 

 

IMHO you are missing out. Our best dining experiences have been at Specialty Restaurants.

[cincicruisers]

I think of the specialty restaurants like a balcony. You certainly stay in inside/ocean view cabins and have a great time. Now if you book a balcony you will enjoy the balcony more than insides but you do have to pay $$ for the balcony.

 

Same holds true for specialty restaurants. You certainly will have an enjoyable time at the buffet and Main Dining Room. If you want to pay extra $$ you will have a meal and service that is normally better.

 

We do eat at a few of the $$ restaurants and enjoy the experience. If money is an issue I would try one out.

[Nemanoxer]

Interesting to see that I am not the only one with this question in his mind.

 

Honestly, I have never done specialty dining on a cruise, and somehow I feel like a total grinch about it. Like I am the only one not doing it. Well, I mostly went on Celebrity and Cunard, so it was even harder to find a argument against my own austerity...

 

This fall, it is going to be NCL Getaway, still I am hearing mostly good things about the MDRs, and I might (if at all) either only book the Wine Lovers Musical or maybe try to go to Cagneys or something spontaneously. If they can´t let me in because it´s full - I saved some money.

 

It´s a struggle for me on every cruise. However, I really never thought "damnit, I should have paid extra for a specialty restaurant" after a cruise. So, I guess I will continue my traditions and save the bucks for something else. Or just try to get a seat when I feel like I "have to".

[MeHeartCruising]

Most of the time, we don't feel compelled to eat in specialty restaurants. We have, but by far most of our meals are done in the free locations. We "wing it" every cruise and make our meal decisions on the fly most of the time.

[Tammyd549]

The nice thing about NCL now is many (most) of their specialty restaurants, including Cagneys is ala carte, so you could just go in for drink and an appetizer , then move on the MDR for dinner, if so desired. Or reverse, have dinner in the MDR and head to a specialty for dessert :)

[Upper Deck Dad]

If you have the UBP does that carry over into the speciality dining restaurants?

[cruisetimeforme]

Yes, your UBP carries over in these restaurants. On our upcoming cruises we plan to just have ala carte in the various waterfront restaurants as we enjoy the atmosphere/experience more than the food itself, so worth it to us. Why not try one or more to form your own opinion?

[Warm Breezes]

Out of our 15 cruises we have had the following specialty dining experiences:

 

Disney Magic: Palo - early BD present to me. Best meal I have ever had land or sea.

NCL Epic: The Cirque Restaurant to see the show. Food was not worth the cost but the show was great.

NCL Jewel: Moderno for our 25th anniversary...excellant food. Received a free meal at the Italian Restaurant and did not like it. Glad we did not pay for it.

CCL Sunshine: Steakhouse for our 28th anniversary. Food was Great but we honestly didn't think it was worth the $35 pp upcharge as the food in the MDR was very good and the service in the MDR was better. Received a free meal in the Italian Restaurant and while the food was very good it was not any better than what was served in the MDR. Again glad we did not pay for it.

 

As you can see we rarely eat in the Specialty Restaurants. So far 6 times out of 86 cruise days. We find the food in the MDR's on all the ships we have sailed to be very good and only go to the Specialty Restaurants for special occasions. Our next cruise on NCL Escape we chose the 4 Meal SDP for a promotional package. We are planning on going to the Steak House and Modernos. Not sure yet what we will do for the other 2 yet. We have almost a year to go yet to make up our minds.