Gratuity added to continental breakfast room service?

[BandBWCsmom]

New to NCL and will be cruising the Escape. I am getting rather worried after reading about the new CEO and the cost cutting and cruises going downhill in terms of food quality and amenities! Eeek! We booked this trip as it worked out to be significantly less than the two cruises we were comparing against on Carnival and RCL. 

 

Anyway, i was looking at included dining and it appears quite limited in terms of kids (buffet or the pub). I guess I should have looked at that more closely upon booking. And while on the NCL site, I noticed that it says that 20% gratuity would be added to room service. Does that include for the continental breakfast? 

 

We are going on RCL in March and just back from Carnival in September so really hoping that making this line jump is one that works for us as a family. 

 

TIA!

[Two Wheels Only]

In addition  to the buffet and pub, there are 3 Main Dining Rooms on Escape (Taste, Savor, The Manhattan Room) for no charge.

 

See HERE

 

For room service, see the following thread for info...(post #13)

 

 

Edited January 7, 2020 by Two Wheels Only

[Liljo22]

24 minutes ago, BandBWCsmom said:

New to NCL and will be cruising the Escape. I am getting rather worried after reading about the new CEO and the cost cutting and cruises going downhill in terms of food quality and amenities! Eeek! We booked this trip as it worked out to be significantly less than the two cruises we were comparing against on Carnival and RCL. 

 

Anyway, i was looking at included dining and it appears quite limited in terms of kids (buffet or the pub). I guess I should have looked at that more closely upon booking. And while on the NCL site, I noticed that it says that 20% gratuity would be added to room service. Does that include for the continental breakfast? 

 

We are going on RCL in March and just back from Carnival in September so really hoping that making this line jump is one that works for us as a family. 

 

TIA!

Gratuity is not added to the free continental items.  What do you kids like to eat?  The kids menu at all the restaurants is your standard Kids menu but they can eat off the regular menu at the complementary restaurants.  

 

Chicken Nuggets

Hot Dog

Mac n Cheese

Burgers

Chicken Noodle Soup

Grilled Cheese

 

 

 

 

[BandBWCsmom]

2 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

Gratuity is not added to the free continental items.  What do you kids like to eat?  The kids menu at all the restaurants is your standard Kids menu but they can eat off the regular menu at the complementary restaurants.  

 

Chicken Nuggets

Hot Dog

Mac n Cheese

Burgers

Chicken Noodle Soup

Grilled Cheese

 

 

 

 

Thank you for this. For my 5 year old, what you mention above is about right and my 9 year old tends to order from the big menu. I guess my concern is that the buffet is not fun or easy with families. The lines are packed, seating limited and food - not the best. On Carnival and RCL, we tend to take them to the specialty burger or pizza place, or the taco place for lunch ... there the lines aren't as bad and we find a quiet spot. Walking through a buffet line with two kids and the plates...not my favorite. We never eat at a buffet for dinner and always do MDR with them or get room service for them and we do specialty dining. We always do the MDR for breakfast too as not as chaotic as the buffet (after getting coffee, juice and pastry delivered to the room first thing as of course they wake STARVING). 

 

Thus, my question about continental breakfast. 

[mjkacmom]

59 minutes ago, BandBWCsmom said:

Thank you for this. For my 5 year old, what you mention above is about right and my 9 year old tends to order from the big menu. I guess my concern is that the buffet is not fun or easy with families. The lines are packed, seating limited and food - not the best. On Carnival and RCL, we tend to take them to the specialty burger or pizza place, or the taco place for lunch ... there the lines aren't as bad and we find a quiet spot. Walking through a buffet line with two kids and the plates...not my favorite. We never eat at a buffet for dinner and always do MDR with them or get room service for them and we do specialty dining. We always do the MDR for breakfast too as not as chaotic as the buffet (after getting coffee, juice and pastry delivered to the room first thing as of course they wake STARVING). 

 

Thus, my question about continental breakfast. 

NCL has MDR’s open for breakfast and dinner, and lunch on sea days, plus O’Sheehans (pub food) all of the time. There is also a MDR open for lunch on embarkment. There is no charge for continental breakfast room service. Different ships also have additional options, like the Great Outdoors or poolside bbq’s.

[don't-use-real-name]

Did I read somewhere the Room Service charge went from $7.95 to $10 (does not apply to continental breakfast) ?

Another unexpected service for your convenience !

[Lancer1568]

2 hours ago, BandBWCsmom said:

Thank you for this. For my 5 year old, what you mention above is about right and my 9 year old tends to order from the big menu. I guess my concern is that the buffet is not fun or easy with families. The lines are packed, seating limited and food - not the best. On Carnival and RCL, we tend to take them to the specialty burger or pizza place, or the taco place for lunch ... there the lines aren't as bad and we find a quiet spot. Walking through a buffet line with two kids and the plates...not my favorite. We never eat at a buffet for dinner and always do MDR with them or get room service for them and we do specialty dining. We always do the MDR for breakfast too as not as chaotic as the buffet (after getting coffee, juice and pastry delivered to the room first thing as of course they wake STARVING). 

 

Thus, my question about continental breakfast. 

As someone pointed out, you can eat at the specialty dining and the kids can order off the kids menu for free.

[bonvoyagie]

I know that on the Dawn they had a special kids section in the buffet area (garden café) they even had a special seating area with tables and chairs for kids.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, BandBWCsmom said:

New to NCL and will be cruising the Escape. I am getting rather worried after reading about the new CEO and the cost cutting and cruises going downhill in terms of food quality and amenities! Eeek! We booked this trip as it worked out to be significantly less than the two cruises we were comparing against on Carnival and RCL. 

Sorry. Just because it is on the internet, it isn’t necessarily true. 
 

We do about a half dozen cruises a year between NCL and RCL. We actually greatly prefer NCL.

 

[don't-use-real-name]

7 hours ago, bonvoyagie said:

I know that on the Dawn they had a special kids section in the buffet area (garden café) they even had a special seating area with tables and chairs for kids.

 

I believe with the recent renovation that the Kids Café seating has been eliminated - it is still showing on the

CruiseDeckPlans diagram and I recall it had its own Service counter with kid size portions of burgers fries dogs etc.

2018 Canada-New England cruise I don't recall seeing it anymore.

The 2015 Western Caribbean cruise it was there.

 

The STAR has not gone thru an interior renovation and it is still there Starboard side forward near the entry to

the passageway to the Pool deck. The STAR had its own Kids Café Service counter with burgers fries dogs etc.

[tef43]

The continental breakfast is complimentary, so:  Free x 20% = 0.

[JamieLogical]

Don't stress. The Escape is a wonderful ship and you will have a great time! The buffet on the Escape isn't nearly as impossible as the buffet on some other NCL ships (I'm looking at you, Bliss!). Remember, if weather is nice, there is also outdoor seating on deck near the buffet and it's usually not as crowded. Another tip for breakfast: Margaritaville has a breakfast buffet set up on the Escape. It's much less crowded and a much smaller area, so you may have better luck there managing your kids and getting seating.