Bliss Panama Dining Menus

[cruiser2015]

Would anyone happen to have copies of the main dining dinner menus for the 15 day Panama Canal itinerary?

Someone posted an extensive review of their cruise, but only hit 8 of the 15 nights.

 

Also, is there still a captains dinner? Are they still doing lobster tails (on that or any other evening)?

Any enlightenment welcome!

 

 

[ggTexasGal]

4 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

Would anyone happen to have copies of the main dining dinner menus for the 15 day Panama Canal itinerary?

Someone posted an extensive review of their cruise, but only hit 8 of the 15 nights.

 

Also, is there still a captains dinner? Are they still doing lobster tails (on that or any other evening)?

Any enlightenment welcome!

NCL doesn't typically have "Captain's Dinner" without signing- up for Dinner with an Officer, via the Cruise Next Team (or Concierge) on embarkation day.

Also, with the exception of in the Haven Restaurant, lobster tails are NOT served without an Up-Charge.

[cruiser2015]

Thanks, TexasGal.

It's been a while since I sailed with NCL. Last cruise, a few yours ago, was with RCCL, and they still had the tails on one night.

 

We drove to Texas and back in April to visit kids. What part of the state are you in?

[ggTexasGal]

41 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

Thanks, TexasGal.

It's been a while since I sailed with NCL. Last cruise, a few yours ago, was with RCCL, and they still had the tails on one night.

 

We drove to Texas and back in April to visit kids. What part of the state are you in?

You made a LONG drive!  I've done those sort of drives across the country to visit family, many times, so I totally understand.  We now live (closest to) Houston.

[hallux]

NCL has fleet-wide menus, and has 14-21 of them.  This means that your particular cruise would have any mix of them with any 'random' menu from the batch being on any particular day.  

[cruiser2015]

4 hours ago, hallux said:

NCL has fleet-wide menus, and has 14-21 of them.  This means that your particular cruise would have any mix of them with any 'random' menu from the batch being on any particular day.  

I get that. But I figure that, outside of periodic changes, they repeat the same menus and sequences for an extended period of time. I like to try and find out this information on any cruise for one goal - to find the nights with my least favorite meal options so that I can book my specialty venues those nights.

[cruiser2015]

5 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

You made a LONG drive!  I've done those sort of drives across the country to visit family, many times, so I totally understand.  We now live (closest to) Houston.

Over 4600  miles in 19 days. My daughter moved to just outside Austin 3 years ago as of last week. I made the drive with her, her husband and their dog over 4 days, then flew back a few days later. We've visited by air last year. Decided to go on an adventure. Did some sightseeing in Tennessee on the way down; visited for a few hours with an old friend of my wife's just west of Dallas; then hit Austin for a few days. On the return, we drove through Houston headed for a stop in New Orleans and then some national parks in TN, NC & VA, Finally, a quick visit the last day with our oldest near Philadelphia.

WHEW!

We don't expect to try it again. Flying sucks, but makes it a bit easier.

[hallux]

7 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

I get that. But I figure that, outside of periodic changes, they repeat the same menus and sequences for an extended period of time. I like to try and find out this information on any cruise for one goal - to find the nights with my least favorite meal options so that I can book my specialty venues those nights.

Take January as an example - the Bliss is doing back to back 15-night Panama Canal cruises, if NCL has 21 menus (I think that's what they have) then only one batch of menus will repeat but the menus from the first week will be during the second week of the second cruise.  You can't plan on a particular menu being on a particular night based on it being that night on a previous cruise.

[cruiser2015]

16 minutes ago, hallux said:

Take January as an example - the Bliss is doing back to back 15-night Panama Canal cruises, if NCL has 21 menus (I think that's what they have) then only one batch of menus will repeat but the menus from the first week will be during the second week of the second cruise.  You can't plan on a particular menu being on a particular night based on it being that night on a previous cruise.

As it happens, we just booked the LA departure on January 12.

I agree with your first sentence. My theory is that that will repeat that 15 sequence in the same order, over and over again, on a 15 day itinerary. My experiences with NCL and RCCL show this to be the patterns that they use. No guarantees, of course, but its a starting point - as opposed to having zero basis. It can't be any worse then randomly guessing, if it turns out to be incorrect.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

[pete_coach]

11 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

As it happens, we just booked the LA departure on January 12.

I agree with your first sentence. My theory is that that will repeat that 15 sequence in the same order, over and over again, on a 15 day itinerary. My experiences with NCL and RCCL show this to be the patterns that they use. No guarantees, of course, but its a starting point - as opposed to having zero basis. It can't be any worse then randomly guessing, if it turns out to be incorrect.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

See you onboard. 🙂

I think the menu generally is on a cycle, I suspect a 21 day cycle. We did a behind the scene tour on Celebrity Solstice a while back and that is how it was explained to us.

It also has to do with what produce etc they can get. They have to order this well in advance and the menu can be affected.

 

 

[hallux]

3 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

As it happens, we just booked the LA departure on January 12.

lol, I picked that because I'm on the cruise after yours, January 27 from Miami...

[Panhandle Couple]

4 hours ago, pete_coach said:

See you onboard. 🙂

I think the menu generally is on a cycle, I suspect a 21 day cycle. We did a behind the scene tour on Celebrity Solstice a while back and that is how it was explained to us.

It also has to do with what produce etc they can get. They have to order this well in advance and the menu can be affected.

 

 

During a "How to Run a Floating Hotel" presentation earlier this year, the following was stated, either the Captain or the Head Chef. (paraphrasing)

 

"We tailor our menus to the market we are sailing to - from and the presumed travelers.  For the US market, you will not see many lamb selections, while for Mediterranean and Australian cruises, you will have those on the buffet and MDR." 

 

My assumption is that lamb would replace many of the usual pork dishes in some parts of the world due to religious restrictions and personal preferences.    Those menus are probably part of the 21 total, and wouldn't normally be seen outside those markets.

 

[cruiser2015]

On 7/12/2023 at 8:30 AM, pete_coach said:

See you onboard. 🙂

I think the menu generally is on a cycle, I suspect a 21 day cycle. We did a behind the scene tour on Celebrity Solstice a while back and that is how it was explained to us.

It also has to do with what produce etc they can get. They have to order this well in advance and the menu can be affected.

 

 

That's an interesting insight to their methods.

We're not the most frequent cruisers, but have been sailing for decades. So, my experiences may not reflect the current methodology. That said, there used to be 1-2 "formal nights", depending on cruise length. There was a "Captain's Dinner" on the formal night; it usually highlighted their best cuisine - lobster tails. Therefore, that meal could not be in some standard rotation - it wouldn't sync. So, you'd see a rotation of 7 days, 9 days, whatever. 

 

ggTexasGal, in this thread, said that NCL doesn't have those nights (any longer). That would free up their menu options. My last time on NCL was on Pride of America in Hawaii, about 9 years ago. Still had the tails back then, and, I believe, a 7 day rotation.

 

Our last cruise was on RCCL about 4 years ago. 9 days out of NJ. Had the fancy/lobster tail night. They sailed alternate 9 day and 5 day itineraries. Rinse, repeat. I would expect them to have 2 separate menus groups, one for each sailing. As for now on NCL, pure speculation by me, 21 days is too much variation (except on very long sailings). I would expect a set group of menus, cruise specific, and they stick to them, again and again.

 

Unless we get another poster here who knows more, I'll find out when we sail - because I'll ask them onboard - just for fun.

 

So, Pete, you're on the 1/12 sail?

What part of Canada are you from?

[pete_coach]

16 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

That's an interesting insight to their methods.

We're not the most frequent cruisers, but have been sailing for decades. So, my experiences may not reflect the current methodology. That said, there used to be 1-2 "formal nights", depending on cruise length. There was a "Captain's Dinner" on the formal night; it usually highlighted their best cuisine - lobster tails. Therefore, that meal could not be in some standard rotation - it wouldn't sync. So, you'd see a rotation of 7 days, 9 days, whatever. 

 

ggTexasGal, in this thread, said that NCL doesn't have those nights (any longer). That would free up their menu options. My last time on NCL was on Pride of America in Hawaii, about 9 years ago. Still had the tails back then, and, I believe, a 7 day rotation.

 

Our last cruise was on RCCL about 4 years ago. 9 days out of NJ. Had the fancy/lobster tail night. They sailed alternate 9 day and 5 day itineraries. Rinse, repeat. I would expect them to have 2 separate menus groups, one for each sailing. As for now on NCL, pure speculation by me, 21 days is too much variation (except on very long sailings). I would expect a set group of menus, cruise specific, and they stick to them, again and again.

 

Unless we get another poster here who knows more, I'll find out when we sail - because I'll ask them onboard - just for fun.

 

So, Pete, you're on the 1/12 sail?

What part of Canada are you from?

Like all "institutions", Cruise lines order consumables sometimes a year in advance, for economic, delivery and planning reasons. They therefore make menus that far in advance. A 21 day menu plan will cover 90% or the passengers as most do single 7 day trips or back to back for 14 days or less. I think if you look at the menus, there will be a right side and left side. The one side will be the same every night and the other will have that nights specials.  Considering they restock every 7 days, it is not difficult to plan and the selection is not difficult to vary.

We were recently on Oceania and had lobster several times but, it is quite inclusive (specialty restaurants are included) and you pay more for a Oceania cruise.

Our last NCL cruise did not have lobster except in specialty restaurants.

We have friends that were on something Of The Seas ship and they were in specialty restaurants where they had the "included" side of the menu and  the other side was extras with an additional charge. $60 per person to eat there and then another $35 for a lobster tail. They were quite astounded and upset.

We are on the 12 /24 Bliss LA to Miami. From Ottawa.

Oh and, I do not miss "formal nights" nor Captains dinner. I was in uniform for 35 years and then business suit for 10 more so I have become a shorts and golf shirt guy when on vacation.  LOL

 

[cruiser2015]

15 hours ago, pete_coach said:

Like all "institutions", Cruise lines order consumables sometimes a year in advance, for economic, delivery and planning reasons. They therefore make menus that far in advance. A 21 day menu plan will cover 90% or the passengers as most do single 7 day trips or back to back for 14 days or less. I think if you look at the menus, there will be a right side and left side. The one side will be the same every night and the other will have that nights specials.  Considering they restock every 7 days, it is not difficult to plan and the selection is not difficult to vary.

We were recently on Oceania and had lobster several times but, it is quite inclusive (specialty restaurants are included) and you pay more for a Oceania cruise.

Our last NCL cruise did not have lobster except in specialty restaurants.

We have friends that were on something Of The Seas ship and they were in specialty restaurants where they had the "included" side of the menu and  the other side was extras with an additional charge. $60 per person to eat there and then another $35 for a lobster tail. They were quite astounded and upset.

We are on the 12 /24 Bliss LA to Miami. From Ottawa.

Oh and, I do not miss "formal nights" nor Captains dinner. I was in uniform for 35 years and then business suit for 10 more so I have become a shorts and golf shirt guy when on vacation.  LOL

 

Not too important, but to be specific, NCL"s menus have a set grouping of mains on the left side, available every night. Above those, though is the appetizers & salads for that day's rotation, with the daily mains & desserts on the right side.

 

NCL does have the lobster in some specialty restaurants. I believe it's a $25 bump. It seems that outside of the specialty restaurant package that NCL has been giving away for a few years now, their specialty spots no longer charge a flat rate (say, $25 or $50), but have all ala carte prices. If you were to order several course, the tab would get very steep, even without lobster. I do not know how many items (categories) they allow with the package. When it was a flat rate, you could order one of everything (appetizer, soup, salad, main & dessert).

 

May the formal nights RIP. Amen, brother.

I was a business suit guy for over 40 years; plus, 6 years in the Army Reserves.

When I was a young lad, I though it was cool to "dress" for dinner (my first cruise was in 1975 on Costa). Those days have long ago passed!  

[hallux]

4 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

their specialty spots no longer charge a flat rate (say, $25 or $50), but have all ala carte prices.

Not true.  There are still 1 or 2 venues on each ship that are 'cover charge' - Teppanyaki and Moderno (or another venue, depending on the ship). 

[cruiser2015]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

Not true.  There are still 1 or 2 venues on each ship that are 'cover charge' - Teppanyaki and Moderno (or another venue, depending on the ship). 

Thanks for the correction - I missed that one.

Bliss has a Teppanyaki, priced @ $59