Help! Can't get same answer from NCL about Platinum beneffits/LeBistro

[can'twaittogoagain]

I talked to a NCL personal cruiser who told me that because I am a Platinum Member, I will be entitled to a free dinner for 2 at Le Bistro, and my husband (also Platinum) will also be eligible for a free dinner at Le Bistro for 2 on our upcoming cruise.

 

Problem: We ended up booking through a travel agent, and after booking was complete, I called NCL and spoke to a rep who said "No, only 1 free Dinner for 2 per cabin." I explained that wasn't what personal cruise consultant told me...and got a "sorry..."

 

So.....I called back and talked to another NCL person, this time in Latitudes Department, and she said, "You will each get a free Dinner for 2 at Le Bistro... So you can book 2 different Dinner for 2 at Le Bistro, and they will all be complimentary because you are Platinum and your husband is Platinum. I just got off the Sky, and saw this done."

 

 

Does anybody here know which information is correct?

 

Thanks....

[cruisemainiac]

You will each get a dinner for two with a bottle of wine.

[hawkeyetlse]

So.....I called back and talked to another NCL person' date=' this time in Latitudes Department, and she said, "You will each get a free Dinner for 2 at Le Bistro... So you can book 2 different Dinner for 2 at Le Bistro, and they will all be complimentary because you are Platinum and your husband is Platinum. I just got off the Sky, and saw this done."[/quote']This agent was correct: if you are both Platinum, you will get a total of two meal vouchers (and each meal is for 2 people). But it's strange that they claimed to have seen this on the Sky, because the Platinum dinner benefit is not supposed to be given on short cruises (less than 5 days). So I hope you're booked on a different ship…

Edited December 15, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[can'twaittogoagain]

You will each get a dinner for two with a bottle of wine.

 

Thanks, do you know if I can book these ahead, or, exactly how do we claim these? We also have Dining Package...so don't want to get "them" confused... LOL

[dalgirl]

The vouchers will be in your cabin. When you make your reservation on the ship just let them know you have your voucher (you don't need to show it to the person making the reservation). When you go down to dinner take one of the vouchers with you. Give it to the wait staff when you are seated and they will give you a special wine list. The dinner menu will be the same.

 

This last cruise on the Pearl we had the option of La Bistro or the Italian restaurant - we ate at both, but you can eat at Le Bistro both times.

[can'twaittogoagain]

This agent was correct: if you are both Platinum, you will get a total of two meal vouchers (and each meal is for 2 people). But it's strange that they claimed to have seen this on the Sky, because the Platinum dinner benefit is not supposed to be given on short cruises (less than 5 days). So I hope you're booked on a different ship…

 

Interesting observation about the Sky! You are correct...I also thought it was for sailings 6 days or more. Anyway, thank you for your response.

 

We will be on the Pearl, 7 days, so should be OK.

 

We have taken advantage of the Dining Package, so that will give us 3 specialty meals. Plus 2 meal vouchers for Le Bistro.

 

Question: Where do we get these Le Bistro Vouchers, AND, can I book ressies ahead online??? Thanks.

 

I will probably end up calling back to NCL, but it is such a process lately. Lots of incorrect multiple transfers and wrong info. Trying to do this right. :)

 

Also, about the Pearl. We were just on her in November. Yes, she is slightly worn and soon to dry dock, BUT, the crew and food were absolutely fabulous....and we had a wonderful cruise.....Enough that she called us back once again. :)

 

~can'twaittogoagain~

[BostonGal35]

with the dining package, you can reserve ahead. they deduct meals from yoru plan as your card is swiped at each meal.

[armwinder]

Thanks' date=' do you know if I can book these ahead, or, exactly how do we claim these? We also have Dining Package...so don't want to get "them" confused... LOL[/quote']

 

What we do is book our times for the dining package on line. When we board we book the complimentary meals. In Le Bistro tell the waiter it is a comp dinner and give him the certificate. The comp wine list is brought the wines are ok, depends on your taste. We have always been given two dinners for two and two bottles of wine. I understand there are no Platinum benefits on shorter cruises.

[spidybabe]

Thanks' date=' do you know if I can book these ahead, or, exactly how do we claim these? We also have Dining Package...so don't want to get "them" confused... LOL[/quote']

 

You can book any restaurant ahead of time. There is no charge for the ala carte restaurants until after the meal, but ones that are not ala carte will be charged to your credit card prior to sailing. Your platinum vouchers (2) should be good at Le Bistro (ala carte) and La Cucina (ala carte), so you can go ahead and book them. Even the ones thru your dining package. When you enter the restaurant for your platinum dinners, you just give them the coupon you will find in your cabin. Platinum dinners good for one app, one main(some not allowed), one dessert, and one bottle of wine from special list.

Safe sailing

[don't-use-real-name]

Each of you being Platinum AND if traveling with another couple you can gift

them a dinner with a bottle of wine. Each platinum guest can have a guest

for dinner it does not have to the better half spouse etc.

Important to note if you have the UDP (dining package) you are getting one

more dinner to add to that package. Think of the possibilities.

Also you no like Le Bistro you can use the platinum dinner certificate at the

Il Adagio (Italian) restaurant. Lots of alternatives.

[NMLady]

 

We have taken advantage of the Dining Package' date=' so that will give us 3 specialty meals. Plus 2 meal vouchers for Le Bistro.

 

Question: Where do we get these Le Bistro Vouchers, AND, can I book ressies ahead online??? Thanks.

 

 

~can'twaittogoagain~[/quote']

 

There will be a packet in your cabin with the dinner vouchers, and info for a free laundry bag special each, and Behind the Scenes tour each, and priority tendering each.

 

You can reserve all five meals online if you wish (3 SDP & 2 Platinum perks).

That is what we did on the Jade. Then when you chrck in at the restaurant tell the host/hostess if you're using a voucher ( give it to him/her) or using SDP.

[BirdTravels]

Thanks' date=' do you know if I can book these ahead, or, exactly how do we claim these? We also have Dining Package...so don't want to get "them" confused... LOL[/quote']

 

You SHOULD make all of your dining reservations ahead of time. If you wait until you are on board, you may end up with some bad dining times. Book 90 days prior to your departure date.

 

Book Monderno, and Teppanyaki FIRST then any upcharge restaurants, then a la carte restaurants if you have a dining package. Book your platinum dinners last.

 

If you are using a platinum certificate, give the voucher (that will be in your room on embarkation day) to the hostess so that she gets you the "free" wine menu.

 

You are limited to one applitizer, one entree, and one dessert with a platinum certificate. We always buy an extra appetizer or two and just pay for them.

 

And yes,,, you get one dinner-for-two each (two dinner on two nights).

Edited December 16, 2016 by BirdTravels

[NMLady]

You SHOULD make all of your dining reservations ahead of time. ...

 

Book your platinum dinners last. ....

 

I'm not sure why you are recommending booking the platinum dinners last.

We wanted to eat at Cagneys before we ate at La Cucina so we booked a mixture of our SDP and Platinum perks.

 

We reserved 90 days ahead of time Le Bistro, Cagneys, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Cagneys. So we used voucher, SDP, voucher, SDP, SDP

[Anthony&David]

I'm not sure why you are recommending booking the platinum dinners last.

 

 

Based on my experience, I agree with the previous poster's suggestion. I assume the suggestion was simply about the order in which the reservations are booked online, not the order in which they will occur during the cruise.

 

We had purchased a three-night dining plan plus we were to receive two platinum dining vouchers, for a total of five dinners. When we made reservations ahead of time online, we first booked two nights at LeBistro. Then we booked another restaurant. And when we booked the fourth, Moderno (which is not a la carte), the system wanted to charge us, because it did not recognize the first two (at LeBistro) as to be paid by the platinum dining vouchers, but instead assumed them to be part of the three-night dining plan. Once the first three were booked, I was not able to cancel them online myself. I called NCL and the representative said to book the three-night dining plan reservations first, if any of these restaurants require pre-payment, because the system is setup to first deduct reservations from the dining plans (it does not know if you intend to use a platinum voucher). She was very helpful and made all of the necessary changes.

 

 

 

 

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[sassyshar]

Once you become Platinum, do you get the Le Bistro dining voucher for every cruise that is booked, or only the first one after becoming Platinum? Nearing the Platinum tier and can't wait to start utilizing the extra perks. Thanks

[KeithJenner]

Based on my experience, I agree with the previous poster's suggestion. I assume the suggestion was simply about the order in which the reservations are booked online, not the order in which they will occur during the cruise.

 

 

 

Yes, this is the reason.

 

To be clear, you don't actually have to book the latitudes meals first, you just have to make sure that if you are booking something that is chargeable then it is one of the first few that you book.

 

If you have the SDP, the system assumes that the first ones you book will be paid by the SDP, so if you have a 3 meal SDP and book Moderno then you won't get charged when booking if it is one of the first 3 meals you book. If it is the 4th meal you book then it we'll charge you.

 

As Le Bistro and La Cucina are both a la carte then you will never be charged for them when booking, so a good way to avoid a charge is to book the latitudes ones last.

 

The order you book them in has no actual effect on which meals you use for the SDP. You tell them at the time you arrive how you want to pay. You can request that any meal is paid for with your latitudes voucher or the SDP (or by charging to your account if you have extra meals booked and want to select the cheapest to pay for).

 

To the OP, whatever you do, don't phone NCL and ask them about this. You will get one of a variety of answers from them, most of which will be incorrect. Only ever ask NCL a question on the phone if confusion is your aim.

[KeithJenner]

I'm not sure why you are recommending booking the platinum dinners last.

 

We wanted to eat at Cagneys before we ate at La Cucina so we booked a mixture of our SDP and Platinum perks.

 

 

 

We reserved 90 days ahead of time Le Bistro, Cagneys, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Cagneys. So we used voucher, SDP, voucher, SDP, SDP

 

 

 

I think I now understand what you are saying.

 

When we say to book the platinum meals last, we don't mean that you should book them at the end of the cruise. We mean actually do the booking for them last.

 

You can eat them in any order you like, but the order in which you book them is important if you want to avoid being charged on booking.

[mabones]

I just got off the Escape where we had just turned Platinum. Both my Husband and myself each got a coupon for a Dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine. I made reservations a few months before our cruise so that we could take my Sister & BIL to dinner. We only drank 1 bottle of Wine so they let us take the other bottle to our room. We enjoyed it the next day on our Balcony.

[cruisemainiac]

Once you become Platinum, do you get the Le Bistro dining voucher for every cruise that is booked, or only the first one after becoming Platinum? Nearing the Platinum tier and can't wait to start utilizing the extra perks. Thanks

 

You'll get vouchers every time you cruise, sweet, huh.

[sassyshar]

Thanks for the information, and yes, very sweet!!!:)

[CruisinHarvey]

FYI. as long as you book your dinner reservations when you board, you'll be fine. We always have an odd number of diners from various rooms, so we can't book online. Rather than calling, we just wait until we board. They give out less than half the available reservations online, so there's plenty left when you get on the ship. Just do it right away. We always just stop off at a dining kiosk when we board, and make our reservations for the week before lunch. We're headed out in 30 days for our 9th NCL in the last 2 years. We have never gotten a time more than 15 minutes from what we wanted.

Edited December 16, 2016 by CruisinHarvey

[can'twaittogoagain]

The vouchers will be in your cabin. When you make your reservation on the ship just let them know you have your voucher (you don't need to show it to the person making the reservation). When you go down to dinner take one of the vouchers with you. Give it to the wait staff when you are seated and they will give you a special wine list. The dinner menu will be the same.

 

This last cruise on the Pearl we had the option of La Bistro or the Italian restaurant - we ate at both, but you can eat at Le Bistro both times.

 

 

Thanks!

[can'twaittogoagain]

FYI. as long as you book your dinner reservations when you board, you'll be fine. We always have an odd number of diners from various rooms, so we can't book online. Rather than calling, we just wait until we board. They give out less than half the available reservations online, so there's plenty left when you get on the ship. Just do it right away. We always just stop off at a dining kiosk when we board, and make our reservations for the week before lunch. We're headed out in 30 days for our 9th NCL in the last 2 years. We have never gotten a time more than 15 minutes from what we wanted.

 

Good to know. Thanks.

[can'twaittogoagain]

Yes, this is the reason.

 

To be clear, you don't actually have to book the latitudes meals first, you just have to make sure that if you are booking something that is chargeable then it is one of the first few that you book.

 

If you have the SDP, the system assumes that the first ones you book will be paid by the SDP, so if you have a 3 meal SDP and book Moderno then you won't get charged when booking if it is one of the first 3 meals you book. If it is the 4th meal you book then it we'll charge you.

 

As Le Bistro and La Cucina are both a la carte then you will never be charged for them when booking, so a good way to avoid a charge is to book the latitudes ones last.

 

The order you book them in has no actual effect on which meals you use for the SDP. You tell them at the time you arrive how you want to pay. You can request that any meal is paid for with your latitudes voucher or the SDP (or by charging to your account if you have extra meals booked and want to select the cheapest to pay for).

 

To the OP, whatever you do, don't phone NCL and ask them about this. You will get one of a variety of answers from them, most of which will be incorrect. Only ever ask NCL a question on the phone if confusion is your aim.

 

I had to read through these twice, but I think I get it. So helpful! Thank you....