Platinum dinner vouchers and adding the Specialty Dining Upgrade Dinners

[Warm-Water Diver]

I don't know why but trying to figure dining plans for the week including selecting the right restaurants and how to use the "Free at Sea" vs "Platinum Vouchers" vs "Specialty Dining Upgrade" meals.

 

We have a 7 day cruise booked on the Encore. We are party of 3, Fist 2 passengers are both Platinum (my son and I), 3rd passenger is first time NCL cruiser.

 

I understand the first 2 nights (my son and I both Platinum members) meals such as LeBistro and Los Lobos are free via the Platinum Vouchers. We also have an additional 2 meals from the "Free at Sea" Promotion so say the 3rd night we select Cagneys; again my son and I are covered from the promotional FAS meals.

Here's where it gets interesting. Our 3rd guest (new NCL cruiser) will be dining with us as well (so party of 3 each meal night).  NCL is offering the "Specialty Dining Upgrade" for $70.80/each (gets 2 extra meals for one person so $141.60 would mean 2 additional meals for 2 additional nights). The upgrade only shows my son and my name on our reservation, 3rd passenger says "unavailable."

 

We were hoping to use 3 out of 4 of those extra "Specialty Dining Upgrades" for our 3rd passenger so all 3 of us would be eating free for 3 nights. 

 

Question 1): If we both purchase the extra 2 "Specialty Dining Upgrade" meals does that mean they can only be used by my son and I, or can we use them for any guest in our room including our 3rd passenger as we had planned for (above)?

 

Question 2): Is NCL still providing the Platinum Meal Vouchers on printed cards that are in the cabin on Day 1 of cruise, or are they using some kind of automated system where the restaurants know how many vouchers per cabin are allowed and manually deducting them when used at the venues (in other words printed cards don't mean anything)?

 

Question 3): Am I better off just purchasing a 3 meal dining package for our 3rd guest and forget about buying the 2 "Specialty Dining Upgrades?"

 

[G-DawgMN]

1 hour ago, Warm-Water Diver said:

 

 

Question 1): If we both purchase the extra 2 "Specialty Dining Upgrade" meals does that mean they can only be used by my son and I, or can we use them for any guest in our room including our 3rd passenger as we had planned for (above)?

 

Question 2): Is NCL still providing the Platinum Meal Vouchers on printed cards that are in the cabin on Day 1 of cruise, or are they using some kind of automated system where the restaurants know how many vouchers per cabin are allowed and manually deducting them when used at the venues (in other words printed cards don't mean anything)?

 

Question 3): Am I better off just purchasing a 3 meal dining package for our 3rd guest and forget about buying the 2 "Specialty Dining Upgrades?"

 

1.  Yes. The upgrade dinners can only be used by you and your sun since they are specially priced. You could use your platinum voucher for the 3rd guest as long as a platinum member is dining with them. 
 

2.Yes.  The vouchers are in the room and you give me them to the restaurant. 
 

 3. I would probably go that route. 

[mslayer_99]

Here's a possible combination where you can all eat together at specialities with your current situation:

- You and 3rd guest use voucher for first meal - son uses FAS credit;

- Son and 3rd guest use voucher for second meal - you use FAS credit;

- You and son use FAS credit for 3rd meal; 3rd guest either doesn't partake in said meal or pays out of pocket.

 

Maybe others can correct me on this but I don't think the vouchers are limited to the first and second guests in a room.  This would permit 3rd guest to partake without buying a package.

The purchase of upgrade package will simply add more meals for you and your son; they can't be transferred to 3rd guest.

 

[flcraigs5]

49 minutes ago, mslayer_99 said:

Here's a possible combination where you can all eat together at specialities with your current situation:

- You and 3rd guest use voucher for first meal - son uses FAS credit;

- Son and 3rd guest use voucher for second meal - you use FAS credit;

- You and son use FAS credit for 3rd meal; 3rd guest either doesn't partake in said meal or pays out of pocket.

 

Maybe others can correct me on this but I don't think the vouchers are limited to the first and second guests in a room.  This would permit 3rd guest to partake without buying a package.

The purchase of upgrade package will simply add more meals for you and your son; they can't be transferred to 3rd guest.

 

Third person in the room will need to purchase a dining package 

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, mslayer_99 said:

Here's a possible combination where you can all eat together at specialities with your current situation:

- You and 3rd guest use voucher for first meal - son uses FAS credit;

- Son and 3rd guest use voucher for second meal - you use FAS credit;

- You and son use FAS credit for 3rd meal; 3rd guest either doesn't partake in said meal or pays out of pocket.

 

Maybe others can correct me on this but I don't think the vouchers are limited to the first and second guests in a room.  This would permit 3rd guest to partake without buying a package.

The purchase of upgrade package will simply add more meals for you and your son; they can't be transferred to 3rd guest.

 

This analysis is correct. The Third guest can just do a room charge for the 3rd meal.

 

If Passenger 1 and 2 buy the upgrade, the 3rd passenger would just purchase a 3-meal plan and everyone can eat on a the plan for 5 nights. 

 

 

[Warm-Water Diver]

Thank You all for the help and advice!

 

My son and I will do the upgrade and buy a meal package for 3rd passenger as suggested.