Food Republic & Platinum voucher question

[Dorhead1230]

Ok so let me preface this by saying yes I can read (kind of what I do for a living lol) and I do know this has been discussed, but just due to our specific situation of having 2 cabins, explain it to me like I’m a toddler. We just booked the July 9 Joy to Bermuda! 🎉 With only 88 days to go, obviously I hung up with the CAS booking rep and got straight to figuring out dining reservations (wasn’t as slim pickings as I thought—only Cagney’s a bit tricky as usual). This is DH and my first Platinum cruise. Little man and my mom are also sailing with us again. To take advantage of DH’s comped cabin and my (sad little) discount, one cabin belongs to him and the other to me. That, as I understand, means that we will each receive two vouchers for Platinum specialty meals for 2, correct? That, in effect, gives us two additional specialty meals for all 4 of us beyond the 2 SDP promo meals. We only want to do Cagney’s, La Cucina, and Q (respect to all of your food opinions, but those are the menus we like and what will work best for the whole fam, so not looking for input on these choices). We are using the SDP meals for Cagney’s and La Cucina because those are the places where we’d order 4 courses. Ok so here’s where I want to make sure I have everything correct:

DH and I plan to each use one of our Platinum vouchers for a meal for the four of us at Q (remember, we each have a cabin, so we should be getting 4 vouchers total, correct?).

 

That leaves us with one more each. Each of those vouchers for 2 gets 8 items at Food Republic, right? Four items each for 2 people? Eight items is plenty for all of us, especially if we go for lunch. So, we could actually go to FR two times, each using one of our platinum vouchers, correct?

 

Also, Food Republic but not Platinum-related…can LM order something from the kids’ menu at FR? He’s not a terrible eater, but his palate is hardly sophisticated and, while he does try things when we offer, it usually ends in a gagging noise and a declaration that “that’s disgusting.” I don’t think the FR menu will appeal to him. Is that really

putting the crew members out if he orders a kids’ meal? I don’t want to be the a-holes who are like you’ll bring my kid a cheeseburger and you’ll like it even if you have to haul halfway across the ship.

 

Thanks for responding to my meandering nonsense!

[YVRteacher]

Yes, you are correct.  You can use two of your meal coupons for a total of 8 items at Food Republic.  Yes, your son can order off the kid’s menu at Food Republic.  Have a great cruise!

Edited April 13, 2023 by YVRteacher

[Pitzel]

The only issue you might run into is sharing with more than 2 adults at FR. Technically, the 8 items are intended to be consumed by the two people covered by the voucher and no more. I have heard varying accounts for how strictly this is enforced, though. 
 

 

[cruiseny4life]

I don't have any advice for you. Sorry! I just want to say, I'm so happy to see you on the forum again! I missed you!! And, I absolutely cannot wait for your review of this cruise. 🙂 Not that I'd ever put expectations on you hehe

[hawkeyetlse]

9 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Yes, you are correct.  You can use two of your meal coupons for a total of 8 items at Food Republic.

Each coupon (Platinum voucher) is for 2 people, so it's 8 items with one voucher.

 

I agree with Pitzel: it's useful to know what other people have been allowed to do in the past, but the rules for all of these dining offers clearly state no sharing, with no wiggle room. And they don't make any exception for Food Republic or the other "4 item" restaurants. All you can do is ask when you are seated and hope for the best. And have a Plan B in case they don't let you share, whether that means that the other two people go eat somewhere else, or they order a couple of additional items à la carte (and then you all share everything anyway).

[mking8288]

Joy was the last ship we're on with FR, and it was actually the hostess & server that cautioned us that it is going to be a lot of food if each dining person in the party use their allocated voucher on any 4 items ... in the end, we couldn't possibly finish - and they actually cheerfully packed the sushi rolls, etc. to go, gave us utensils & napkins.  That was then and I read about the newest "flip-flop" rules that NCL could well back peddle next ... who knows, except them onboard.  

 

I would say, ask nicely the first time dining there ... "hmmm, what if - or, can "we" do this instead - and, see what they say"  Worst come to worst, since there's no minimum "cover" charge per person, guest #3 just order 1 item.  Doubtful that the food police would stand there & watch ya all eat, or whether something slipped off from one plate to another.  

 

The FR team on the Joy last year was very friendly, helpful and make us feeling welcomed & appreciated, and the place wasn't crowded then (at reduced sailing capacity) - oh, won't "hurt" to tell him you are doing a live report on CruiseCritic 😉 😉 😉 

Edited April 13, 2023 by mking8288

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, Dorhead1230 said:

Ok so let me preface this by saying yes I can read (kind of what I do for a living lol) and I do know this has been discussed, but just due to our specific situation of having 2 cabins, explain it to me like I’m a toddler. We just booked the July 9 Joy to Bermuda! 🎉 With only 88 days to go, obviously I hung up with the CAS booking rep and got straight to figuring out dining reservations (wasn’t as slim pickings as I thought—only Cagney’s a bit tricky as usual). This is DH and my first Platinum cruise. Little man and my mom are also sailing with us again. To take advantage of DH’s comped cabin and my (sad little) discount, one cabin belongs to him and the other to me. That, as I understand, means that we will each receive two vouchers for Platinum specialty meals for 2, correct? That, in effect, gives us two additional specialty meals for all 4 of us beyond the 2 SDP promo meals. We only want to do Cagney’s, La Cucina, and Q (respect to all of your food opinions, but those are the menus we like and what will work best for the whole fam, so not looking for input on these choices). We are using the SDP meals for Cagney’s and La Cucina because those are the places where we’d order 4 courses. Ok so here’s where I want to make sure I have everything correct:

DH and I plan to each use one of our Platinum vouchers for a meal for the four of us at Q (remember, we each have a cabin, so we should be getting 4 vouchers total, correct?).

 

That leaves us with one more each. Each of those vouchers for 2 gets 8 items at Food Republic, right? Four items each for 2 people? Eight items is plenty for all of us, especially if we go for lunch. So, we could actually go to FR two times, each using one of our platinum vouchers, correct?

 

Also, Food Republic but not Platinum-related…can LM order something from the kids’ menu at FR? He’s not a terrible eater, but his palate is hardly sophisticated and, while he does try things when we offer, it usually ends in a gagging noise and a declaration that “that’s disgusting.” I don’t think the FR menu will appeal to him. Is that really

putting the crew members out if he orders a kids’ meal? I don’t want to be the a-holes who are like you’ll bring my kid a cheeseburger and you’ll like it even if you have to haul halfway across the ship.

 

Thanks for responding to my meandering nonsense!

Each cabin will get 2 dinners for two. 
 

wrt Food Republic, here’s the current platinum certificate. 
 

Remember to go to the Cruise Next desk on embarkation afternoon and sign up for the Behind the Scenes tour.

 

We normally go to FR on two sea days. Each day, we use one of our Specialty Dining Credits and share 4 dishes. We save our platinum vouchers for dinner. 

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by BirdTravels

[Dorhead1230]

Thank you all so much for the great info! It’s good to know they might frown on us having 3 adults on one Platinum voucher. Eight dishes at Food Republic is a lot of food and more than enough for DH, DM and me, and LM will almost certainly order from the kids’ menu. But if we need to order one or two extra dishes for DM, we will!

[Dorhead1230]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I don't have any advice for you. Sorry! I just want to say, I'm so happy to see you on the forum again! I missed you!! And, I absolutely cannot wait for your review of this cruise. 🙂 Not that I'd ever put expectations on you hehe

Aw, thanks! It has been so crazy I haven’t been able to keep up on here enough. LM was sick one time after another (double ear infections a couple weeks ago 🤦🏻‍♀️), still trying to organize the house, the quarter just ended at school before Easter, AP Exam is a couple weeks after our break, etc. etc. I did try to follow some of your live, but I need to go back and look more carefully now that I know we’re definitely sailing on the Joy! I plan to do another semi-live. Hopefully the Internet speed will be better for posting than it was on Getaway! I wasn’t really myself on that cruise; it was too soon after we moved, I was too stressed out, it was too crowded (not that the Joy will be sparse, but it won’t be as bad as that one was), and then we were sick the last couple days of the cruise. I should be in much better form this summer, plus I’ll be going back to my beloved Bermuda so that in itself is amazing. I hope you and your husband had a wonderful time on your last cruise!

[YVRteacher]

6 hours ago, hawkeyetlse said:

Each coupon (Platinum voucher) is for 2 people, so it's 8 items with one voucher.

 

I agree with Pitzel: it's useful to know what other people have been allowed to do in the past, but the rules for all of these dining offers clearly state no sharing, with no wiggle room. And they don't make any exception for Food Republic or the other "4 item" restaurants. All you can do is ask when you are seated and hope for the best. And have a Plan B in case they don't let you share, whether that means that the other two people go eat somewhere else, or they order a couple of additional items à la carte (and then you all share everything anyway).

You are right! My bad.

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 hours ago, Pitzel said:

I have heard varying accounts for how strictly this is enforced, though. 

 

7 hours ago, hawkeyetlse said:

they don't make any exception for Food Republic or the other "4 item" restaurants.

We've shared four items among two or three adults on many occasions, and never been questioned.

 

I've never read a report here on CC of somebody not being allowed to share four items at FR among as many people as they wanted to.

[hawkeyetlse]

33 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've never read a report here on CC of somebody not being allowed to share four items at FR among as many people as they wanted to.

I don't think I have, either. By "they" I meant the published rules that I referred to in my previous sentence, not "they" as in the restaurant staff on board. I know people are routinely allowed or even encouraged to share a dining credit at FR, and I hope that continues forever (but I wouldn't bet on it).

[ChiefMateJRK]

34 minutes ago, hawkeyetlse said:

I don't think I have, either. By "they" I meant the published rules that I referred to in my previous sentence, not "they" as in the restaurant staff on board. I know people are routinely allowed or even encouraged to share a dining credit at FR, and I hope that continues forever (but I wouldn't bet on it).

I think they will continue it.  If I was "forced" to order four items, a lot would go to waste and then I would eat one more meal in a complimentary restaurant.  By letting me spread it out, there is less waste and less demand on other restaurants.  At the end of the day (cruise), less wasted food across the board means less NCL has to buy for cruises.  I would call that a win-win.😎

[hawkeyetlse]

Or they reduce it to 3 items per meal, or reduce the serving sizes. Or both. The best way to prevent food waste is to not give it to you in the first place.

[mking8288]

16 hours ago, hawkeyetlse said:

Or they reduce it ... The best way to prevent food waste is to not give it to you in the first place.

 

LOL, what I've noticed is that lately, portion sizes served by FR as seen in some of the recent/recent "live" report here is that, a little bit of shrinkage apparently happening.  It's probably aging eyesight on our part, since I am not sure if the servings are getting a little smaller, i.e. instead of 8 large pieces, think I saw 6 pieces, edging toward medium sized rolls as cut.  But, not necessary a deal breaker - it's "free" and included for us, as one of the dining option available - as long as it is still 4 items ... YMMV.