Gem? Dining Rooms Open for Breakfast/Lunch

[lexellie]

Hi,

I have a colleague departing on the Gem for Bermuda tomorrow. Does anyone know if there is a dining room open for lunch on day 1 between boarding and sail-away (so they can avoid the buffet)? Also is one of the dining rooms open in the mornings for a more relaxed breakfast? We have enjoyed those options on previous cruises and I'm trying to help these newbies out.

 

Thanks!!

[kochleffel]

I'd expect the Grand Pacific dining room to be open for breakfast every day, and for lunch on embarkation day and sea days.

 

One peculiarity of the Grand Pacific is that it has lots of tables for six and not so many for two or four. This didn't match the demographics on my cruise last year, and at breakfast, parties of one, two, or three were asked to share a larger table.

 

[SeaShark]

The answer is typically yes, but that isn't a guarantee. Also which specific dining room would be open (along with the hours) could vary ship to ship or sailing to sailing as well.

 

Always best to just check the Freestyle Daily which will list which restaurants are open along with their hours. Easy and accurate.

[casofilia]

In general, on NCL ships, we have found that the aft MDR is the one that is open for breakfast and for lunch on sea days.  It is also open from Noon till about 2.30pm (?) on embarkation day.

[Twinkletoe]

My husband and I had a lovely, quiet, and delicious lunch in the Grand Pacific when we boarded the Gem last month. We were one of the first people seated and got a table for two right beside a window. It was the perfect beginning to a fantastic holiday.

[mking8288]

Just to clarify/add, GP should be open on all sea days for lunch, typically 12 noon to 1:30 pm (never past 2, definitely not 2:30 pm) on typical NCL sailings, of course, exceptions do & probably exist - and, may/not be open at all for lunch on port days (some folks will be ashore/on tours ... thus buffet or O'Sheehan's being the other options.)

 

Full breakfast (now with 1 or 2 daily specials) is typically 7:30 to 9 a.m. but sometimes to 9:30 on sea days - usually in the AFT MDR (Grand Pacific on the Gem - always double check the Freestyle Dailies for the latest/current, distributed nightly for the next day ... or ask the host/ess, as they know the schedule for the days ahead).  Disembarkation morning, it will be open as well, earlier than usual with a different/simplified menu.  

 

For an extended/late morning hot, sit-down breakfast (limited choices) - O'Sheehan's is your alternative until 11 a.m. before switching to its all day menu, followed by a late night menu.