Escape SDP choices

[anonmom]

We've been on 2 NCL cruises and never did any specialty restaurants. On the Jade, the food and service were amazing at every complimentary venue, including the Garden Cafe. (Once we asked if there was any macaroni and cheese at the buffet because our daughter wanted some. One of the chefs said, "No, but I will make some for her and bring it out in 10 minutes.")

 

On the Getaway, the buffet was definitely lower quality, but the MDRs were great.

 

In December, we'll be going on the Escape for our honeymoon and my partner really wanted to do the SDP, since we won't have to use one of our perk choices for KSF.

 

So I booked it with UBP and SDP and I'm trying to decide what makes the most sense for our 3 specialties. We both love steak and everyone always raves about Cagney's, so that will be one of our choices. But what else should we do? I'm leaning toward Bayamo and Pinchos, since those are Escape-specific.

 

We definitely don't want to do Margaritaville. We're not big chain-restaurant people. La Cucina always has more bad reviews than good, plus I eat pretty low carb. Food republic always has good reviews, but it seems silly to waste a dinner credit on what seems to be basically street food.

 

Recommendations?

 

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[Tennis*fan]

Food Republic and Pinchos are not part of the SDP. They are a la carte and you will have to pay in addition to the SDP. We ate 2 times at Food Republic and it is great - it is sushi and asian fusion cuisine, not really street food. Cagney's was great and teppanyaki's was too. We didn't go to any of the other Specialty restaurants so I cannot comment.

 

 

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[cookie*]

Loved Cagney's and Teppanyaki, but we were on the fence with where to use our third credit. We ended up choosing LeBistro and we really enjoyed the romantic ambiance. The food was good, but I wouldn't say it was outstanding. It seems like Le Bistro is more about the ambiance than the food. I think if I were to do it again I would make our 3rd choice Bayamo and pay the $15pp upcharge or maybe eat at Cagney's a second night and sit inside one night and outside the other, steak one night and maybe seafood the other?

[snownow]

#1 Teppanyaki. great food, great service, a really good time

#2 Cagney's Tomahawk steak and filet were great!

#3 Moderno... food was good, Pineapple was amazing!

 

#4 food republic, its nice for a good afternoon snack.

 

 

Bayamo we did twice. the first time it was great the second not so much... we are going to pass this time

Le bistro was just ok.

[SNJCruisers]

I would do Cagney's twice and Teppenyaki. Remember to make your reservations at the 90 day mark so you can get the days and times you want. Food Republic is great and worthwhile for a change of pace lunch, although you do need to pay extra for it. They do have a great spicy tequila drink on their menu, the Toro Toro, which is included with your UBP.

[Two Wheels Only]

Food republic always has good reviews, but it seems silly to waste a dinner credit on what seems to be basically street food.

Food Republic is great but you won't "waste" a SDP meal there. FR is strictly a la carte.

Bayamo, Pinchos, and since you love steak, Cagney's. Do Food Republic for lunch at least once.

[Cruising...our happy place]

We have eaten in all the restaurants on the Escape... specialty, a la carte and complimentary ones. We enjoyed all the meals. Sure, sometimes the waiter does not meet our expectations. It was always worth the money at Bayamo, Pinchos and Food Republic. Happy sailing!

 

 

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[Trombone_Goddess]

Random Question as I'm coming up to 90-day this week. Is it 90-days at 12:01am or is it at something like 8:00am? Thank you in advance!

[beerman2]

Random Question as I'm coming up to 90-day this week. Is it 90-days at 12:01am or is it at something like 8:00am? Thank you in advance!

12:01a.m.

[sandyh85]

Food Republic and Pinchos are not part of the SDP. They are a la carte and you will have to pay in addition to the SDP.

 

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While Food Republic is definitely not on the SDP, Pincho's can be, for the cost of one SDP meal PLUS $7.

 

While the upcharge at Bayamo is totally worth it, we decided against using the SDP at Pincho's. We went instead on a day when we had had a late lunch, and only wanted to share a few plates. It was FANTASTIC and I do suggest you go.

 

Do the math when you are there - if you don't plan on eating more than $60 a la carte, don't use your SDP.

[LrgPizza]

1. Cagney's

2. Teppanyaki

3. Pinchos Tapas (w/ upcharge)

 

And don't miss Food Republic, which is not included in the SDP

[anonmom]

While Food Republic is definitely not on the SDP, Pincho's can be, for the cost of one SDP meal PLUS $7.

 

While the upcharge at Bayamo is totally worth it, we decided against using the SDP at Pincho's. We went instead on a day when we had had a late lunch, and only wanted to share a few plates. It was FANTASTIC and I do suggest you go.

 

Do the math when you are there - if you don't plan on eating more than $60 a la carte, don't use your SDP.

Hmm, there is no way to give my partner more than 3 of the SDP credits, is there? I've had bariatric surgery, so there is *no way* I can eat $60 worth of food at one sitting. If there was a way to use one SDP credit for him and then order something small a la carte for myself, that would be perfect...

 

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[anonmom]

Food Republic and Pinchos are not part of the SDP. They are a la carte and you will have to pay in addition to the SDP. We ate 2 times at Food Republic and it is great - it is sushi and asian fusion cuisine, not really street food. Cagney's was great and teppanyaki's was too. We didn't go to any of the other Specialty restaurants so I cannot comment.

 

 

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I didn't mean "street food" to sound like a pejorative. I just meant that it is the same type of stuff that you can get at food trucks for a lot less than the price of dinner at a sit down restaurant. We do love food trucks and will stop by Food Republic for a snack one day, since everyone raves about it.

 

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[anonmom]

Regarding Teppanyaki, is it really that much better than your average Teppanyaki place? If people just pick it for the show, I feel like we could just go out to Teppanyaki at home where we don't have unlimited free food at a variety of restaurants.

 

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[FLSteve11]

Regarding Teppanyaki, is it really that much better than your average Teppanyaki place? If people just pick it for the show, I feel like we could just go out to Teppanyaki at home where we don't have unlimited free food at a variety of restaurants.

 

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I don't get this reaction to Teppanyaki and I've heard it a few times. Yes, it's basically like the average Teppanyaki you would get at home. But Cagney's is just like any steakhouse you can get at home, La Cuccina like any Italian restaurant, Le Bistro like any French restaurant, Moderno like any Brazillian steakhouse, etc. There is no restaurant onboard that doesn't have the same thing on land. Now, some areas may not have specific restaurants of the type so I can understand that, but for the most part you can get any of this stuff within normal driving distance. But people only point out the Teppanyaki for some reason.

 

By the way, the SDP is not unlimited free food at any restaurant. You can only get one entrée. If you get a second entrée (like at Cagney's or Le Bistro) you have to pay for it, even with the SDP.

 

With all the above being said, the obvious thing is to pick what type of foods you like. Some go for what they normally don't get at home, some go for their favorites. We picked Cagney's, Moderno, Teppanyaki for our 3 restaurants, as we enjoy those the most.

[Two Wheels Only]

Hmm, there is no way to give my partner more than 3 of the SDP credits, is there? I've had bariatric surgery, so there is *no way* I can eat $60 worth of food at one sitting. If there was a way to use one SDP credit for him and then order something small a la carte for myself, that would be perfect...

No, you cannot "give" your SDP to someone else.

 

 

You can, however, dine together and one person use a SDP meal for a full meal while the other goes a la carte. Simply tell your server not to use a SDP meal for one and to charge a la carte for you.

[cookie*]

I liked Teppanyaki much better than some of the ones I've been to in the Chicago area. At some places it feels like you are sitting on top of people but we seemed to have more space here. Hibachi restaurants typically have a heafty bill at the end especially with a bar bill, so having it included in SDP feels like a value (especially since they gave us a meal for our kids) and the show quality/entertainment value at Teppanyaki was much better than most of the others we have been to. We felt the same way about the hibachi restaurant at Epcot-these two are on par with each other.

[sandyh85]

Hmm, there is no way to give my partner more than 3 of the SDP credits, is there? I've had bariatric surgery, so there is *no way* I can eat $60 worth of food at one sitting. If there was a way to use one SDP credit for him and then order something small a la carte for myself, that would be perfect...

 

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I was referring to both of you, for the $60. I estimate 1 SDP meal as being worth ~$25 or so. So when I go to one of the a la carte restaurants, I generally do the mental math.

 

Now, if you will ONLY be going to the 3 specialties because of the perk package, then don't worry. I may eat 5 or 6 meals at specialties, so I'm doing my best to stretch my cash.

 

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[anonmom]

I don't get this reaction to Teppanyaki and I've heard it a few times. Yes, it's basically like the average Teppanyaki you would get at home. But Cagney's is just like any steakhouse you can get at home, La Cuccina like any Italian restaurant, Le Bistro like any French restaurant, Moderno like any Brazillian steakhouse, etc. There is no restaurant onboard that doesn't have the same thing on land. Now, some areas may not have specific restaurants of the type so I can understand that, but for the most part you can get any of this stuff within normal driving distance. But people only point out the Teppanyaki for some reason.

 

By the way, the SDP is not unlimited free food at any restaurant. You can only get one entrée. If you get a second entrée (like at Cagney's or Le Bistro) you have to pay for it, even with the SDP.

 

With all the above being said, the obvious thing is to pick what type of foods you like. Some go for what they normally don't get at home, some go for their favorites. We picked Cagney's, Moderno, Teppanyaki for our 3 restaurants, as we enjoy those the most.

 

Right, but at home a china buffet that includes Teppanyaki costs $12 or so for dinner. A steakhouse is $30 per person minimum, usually closer to $50 per person.

 

And I didn't mean that the SDP is unlimited entrees, I meant the fact that you have several complimentary choices where you can eat unlimited food.

 

Honestly, I guess that is my real issue. I don't understand the point of eating at specialty restaurants while on a cruise where you have already paid for unlimited food at the complimentary restaurants. It feels wasteful, like I will have to make the very best choices in order to hopefully come close to getting my money's worth. I just got the SDP to make my fiancé happy.

 

 

 

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[anonmom]

No, you cannot "give" your SDP to someone else.

 

 

You can, however, dine together and one person use a SDP meal for a full meal while the other goes a la carte. Simply tell your server not to use a SDP meal for one and to charge a la carte for you.

 

Wait. What is the difference between what you said and what I said? Are we given 3 SDP credits per person or 6 per cabin?

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

Are we given 3 SDP credits per person or 6 per cabin?

 

Guests #1 and #2 get 3 SDP meals each if it is the promo.

 

If you buy the SDP, it is for 1 person (3SDP is 3 meals, 4SDP is 4 meals, etc.)

[anonmom]

Guests #1 and #2 get 3 SDP meals each.

Ok, sorry, I got confused when you said one of us could use the SDP and the other could go a la carte. No point in doing that if we each had to use 3 SDP meals anyway.

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

No point in doing that if we each had to use 3 SDP meals anyway.

 

It could be helpful if (for ex.) the "light" eater went a la carte in Cagney's one night then the next day, decided to try Margaritaville for lunch. Instead of paying a la carte for both or using a SDP meal for both, the "light" eater could use 1 SPD to cover lunch while the "heavy" eater just has a drink or 2 (after filling up at O'Sheehan's :D).

[anonmom]

Which specialty restaurants are open for lunch? One of the reasons I'm not wild about the idea of the SDP is that I love the MDR food so much. I hate to miss out on 3 out of 7 MDR suppers!

 

Lunch is another story. Not that it is bad at all, just not a lot of exciting stuff on the menu. But if lunching at Cagney's is an option, I'll be thrilled!

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

M'ville and Pinchos are the only specialty restaurants that are open for lunch that take the SDP.

 

If you love the MDRs, there's nothing stopping you from using a SDP for "late dinner" after having "early dinner" in the MDR. Just for the sake of trying the specialty restaurant since the SDP will cover you (in most cases) for everything (up-charge restaurants incur an up-charge, obviously).

 

Since most people pay the 18% on the SDP, they might as well try something new (same goes for the UBP).