Question about dining and shows

[Cece09]

We have a ncl cruise booked for December and it will be our first cruise on this line.

Very confused about dining and shows. Do I need to book reservations for these? I’ll have 3 children with me ages 12,11 and 9 and an 18 year old. Are the shows all appropriate for kids? Not sure how to know which to book for all of us and which to book for just the adults.

Also I did not purchase the specialty dining package as the cruise fair in itself was at least 7k did not feel we should have to pay extra to dine. Are there still good dining options available like the main dining rooms on carnival? Or is it a very slim selection.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated! We will be on the epic

Thanks in advance!

Oh yes one more ? Our ports are grand cayman , gsc in bahamas , cozumel and Falmouth Jamaica. Which of those are tender ports? Do you know which port ncl uses in Cozumel.

Thanks !

[PTC DAWG]

Pretty sure Grand Cayman is a tender port. I think you will find plenty of no extra charge dining....the ship you are sailing on would give us more to go on to help you.

 

Not sure about kid questions...

[JamieLogical]

We would need to know which ship you are on to fully answer your question about dining. But I will say that the main dining room(s) and the garden cafe usually have good options. With the younger children, the specialty dining probably wouldn't be a great experience anyway. They tend to be more formal environments with more "adult" cuisine.

 

As for shows, there should be brief descriptions of the entertainment available on your My NCL page. You won't be able to make reservations until 90 days before sailing, iirc.

[KarlChilders]

Looks like you are on Epic. GSC and Grand Cayman will be tender. Cozumel is normally Punta Langosta in downtown San Miguel but can depend on other ships in port. I think Epic has Priscilla Queen of the Desert, I haven't seen it but others say it is definitely NOT kid friendly. Plenty of good free eats, three main dining rooms, Osheehan's and the buffet.

[Cece09]

Pretty sure Grand Cayman is a tender port. I think you will find plenty of no extra charge dining....the ship you are sailing on would give us more to go on to help you.

 

Not sure about kid questions...

So sorry I thought I included it but I didn’t ! We will be on the Epic

[Cece09]

Looks like you are on Epic. GSC and Grand Cayman will be tender. Cozumel is normally Punta Langosta in downtown San Miguel but can depend on other ships in port. I think Epic has Priscilla Queen of the Desert, I haven't seen it but others say it is definitely NOT kid friendly. Plenty of good free eats, three main dining rooms, Osheehan's and the buffet.

Thank you so much!

Yes those are the shows. That’s too bad because my kids always love the shows. Do you know if they have any kids shoes or will those be the only ones?

[rmurray847]

So sorry I thought I included it but I didn’t ! We will be on the Epic

 

Most the shows you will NOT be able to book in advance, and will only find out about the day before in your daily schedule. But I've not done a cruise yet where the main shows aren't family friendly...magician, song & dance production, juggler, etc.

 

I have not seen Epic's PRISCILLA, but I have seen it on Broadway. It's a very entertaining show, with lots of classic pop songs featured...but it's also pretty risque. If you're really interested, you can watch the film on which it was based. It won't be exactly the same as the show, but will give you an excellent idea of the themes, the humor, etc. Then you can make a much better decision.

 

There will be plenty of good options for "included at no extra charge" food.

 

Grand Cayman is the only tender port. Not sure why you asked, but DON'T let that scare you away. This is a terrific stop. You can hang out on your own, or take excursions (we LOVED Stingray City!). On the other hand, Falmouth is a spot where you don't want to venture on your own. Have an excursion of some kind, either ship's or a reputable excursion. We had fun there, but it was pretty clear that going off the beaten path might be more than a little sketchy.

[KarlChilders]

[quote=rmurray847;55728529 snip

 

 

Grand Cayman is the only tender port. .

Not true Great Stirrup Cay is also tender

[Regent01]

I've booked Epic also and have been researching on here for kids. Seems like Burn the Floor is kid appropriate, sort of a Dancing with the Stars type dancing. Priscilla is rated for adults. Cirque is extra $ but also good for kids. Then you will have smaller venues with Beatles, Dueling pianos etc that will be okay for all ages at certain times.

[rmurray847]

Not true Great Stirrup Cay is also tender

 

I stand corrected...sorry.

[KarlChilders]

I stand corrected...sorry.

No problem, just wanted the OP to have the correct info.

[BirdTravels]

We have a ncl cruise booked for December and it will be our first cruise on this line. Very confused about dining and shows. Do I need to book reservations for these? I’ll have 3 children with me ages 12,11 and 9 and an 18 year old. Are the shows all appropriate for kids? Not sure how to know which to book for all of us and which to book for just the adults.

Also I did not purchase the specialty dining package as the cruise fair in itself was at least 7k did not feel we should have to pay extra to dine. Are there still good dining options available like the main dining rooms on carnival? Or is it a very slim selection.

 

 

Any advise will be greatly appreciated! We will be on the epic

The Epic has two main dining rooms, the Manhattan Room and Taste. Both will have the same menus each night. The Manhattan Room is larger and will have a live band early in the evening. Freestyle dining, no need for reservations, just walk up and get seated when you are ready to eat. Taste is also open for breakfast and lunch.

 

There is O'Shehans grill that serves food 27/7. They will have specials of the night in addition to a standard menu. No reservations accepted.

 

Shanghai has complimentary Chinese food each night.

 

And the Garden Buffet open for all three meals.

 

Priscilla is the only big show that is PG16. It really depends on the maturity of your kids. Google it and decide. There are also late night comedy shows marked 18+. The early comedy shows are family oriented and can be booked once you are on the ship.

 

Burn the Floor is family appropriate and should be booked in advance.

 

There is kids entertainment. And the kids club (once registered, you may not see your kids for the entire cruise).