platinum status questions

[UKstages]

22 minutes ago, Pitzel said:

the New York strip there was far superior to what we ate at Cagney's -- and it was free!

 

i'm certainly gad to hear that.

 

my experience has been that i have never had a steak in the MDR that was remotely edible.

Edited January 21 by UKstages

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Pitzel said:

We dined in the MDR a couple of nights later and it was quieter, we had better service, and the New York strip there was far superior to what we ate at Cagney's -- and it was free!

That's crazy.  I've had constant recommendations for the Cagney's ribeye and they're all over the map.  My last one was a chewy mess as you described.  That said, when I'm not really interested in any of the rotating items on the MDR menu, I will on rare occasion order the NY Strip.  I've never had a good one.  Probably try that every couple of years just to roll the dice.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

My husband loves his steaks, but he has always found the best steak on the ship to be in LaCucina.  Yeh, the Italian restaurant. Someone years ago sitting next to us had this amazing looking steak.  Three of the four people at that table and told us they always came here for steak,  DH tried it and agreed.  I go for the osso buco so we’re both happy campers.

[UKstages]

i met a guy on my last cruise who raved about the filet in la cucina. so much so that i had it on my next visit a day or two later. it was... disappointing. this was on the joy. but, yes, i have heard several folks rave about the filet in la cucina. 

Edited January 23 by UKstages

[zqvol]

33 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

My husband loves his steaks, but he has always found the best steak on the ship to be in LaCucina.  Yeh, the Italian restaurant. Someone years ago sitting next to us had this amazing looking steak.  Three of the four people at that table and told us they always came here for steak,  DH tried it and agreed.  I go for the osso buco so we’re both happy campers.

I had it last night on Epic, very disappointing 

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

My husband loves his steaks, but he has always found the best steak on the ship to be in LaCucina.  Yeh, the Italian restaurant. Someone years ago sitting next to us had this amazing looking steak.  Three of the four people at that table and told us they always came here for steak,  DH tried it and agreed.  I go for the osso buco so we’re both happy campers.

Osso Buco yum!

[schmoopie17]

14 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

My husband loves his steaks, but he has always found the best steak on the ship to be in LaCucina.  Yeh, the Italian restaurant. 

We have found the best steak on NCL to be in LeBistro (the French place. The filet, without exception, was better than anything else we had in any venue. And, after all, Filet Mignon is French, so it makes sense).

 

We have LeBistro booked for our cruise next month. Now I have to see if I can get the filet without the nasty fois gras liver thing sitting on top (and also avoid the upcharge).

[hoopslover]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

We have found the best steak on NCL to be in LeBistro (the French place. The filet, without exception, was better than anything else we had in any venue. And, after all, Filet Mignon is French, so it makes sense).

 

We have LeBistro booked for our cruise next month. Now I have to see if I can get the filet without the nasty fois gras liver thing sitting on top (and also avoid the upcharge).

My friend ordered it without fois gras and it was fine with them.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We’ve never tried the steak at LeBistro.. DH usually has the duck and I have sea bass or whatever their fish is.

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We’ve never tried the steak at LeBistro.. DH usually has the duck and I have sea bass or whatever their fish is.

Dover Sole

 

[zqvol]

50 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Dover Sole

 

Yuck!!!!!!!!!

[ggTexasGal]

13 hours ago, zqvol said:

Yuck!!!!!!!!!

You have no Sole!😉

[PatJim]

On 1/23/2024 at 11:32 AM, schmoopie17 said:

We have found the best steak on NCL to be in LeBistro (the French place. The filet, without exception, was better than anything else we had in any venue. And, after all, Filet Mignon is French, so it makes sense).

 

We have LeBistro booked for our cruise next month. Now I have to see if I can get the filet without the nasty fois gras liver thing sitting on top (and also avoid the upcharge).

I agree with you about Le Bistro’s fillet mignon.  Other than at the Haven restaurant, it’s the best on NCL ships.  However, don’t count on avoiding the surcharge if you order it without fois gras.  On the Getaway last November, my sister ordered it without, as she doesn’t like liver of any kind.  She still had to pay the surcharge; the restaurant refused to remove it.  Their explanation is that Le Bistro has fillet far superior to anywhere else on the ship, so the surcharge is not related to whether fois gras is included or not, but to the quality of the beef.  So ridiculous!  Of course it’s to cover the added cost of this delicacy.  Many people opt out of having it, either because—like my sister—they don’t like the taste, or for ethical reasons related to how the ducks are treated.  So NCL gets the surcharge, often without having to part with the fois gras.  
Another reason we were told that the surcharge couldn’t be removed—their computer system for orders has no way of deleting it!

Fortunately, we were in the Haven, and the Concierge removed it from her bill.  It’s not the $—we tip Haven bartenders more than that—it’s the dishonesty.  

Edited January 24 by PatJim
Misspelling

[schmoopie17]

2 hours ago, PatJim said:

I agree with you about Le Bistro’s fillet mignon.  Other than at the Haven restaurant, it’s the best on NCL ships.  However, don’t count on avoiding the surcharge if you order it without fois gras.  On the Getaway last November, my sister ordered it without, as she doesn’t like liver of any kind.  She still had to pay the surcharge; the restaurant refused to remove it.  

Interesting. Multiple people have reported that they were successful in avoiding the surcharge for the liver goop on the Le Bistro filet. Maybe it depends on the ship.

 

On the bright side, we have $100 of nonrefundable OBC that we need to use, so that may account for $10 of it. I'm sure Mrs. Schmoopie will find a way to use up the other $90.

 

Edited January 24 by schmoopie17

[cruiseny4life]

18 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Interesting. Multiple people have reported that they were successful in avoiding the surcharge for the liver goop on the Le Bistro filet. Maybe it depends on the ship.

 

On the bright side, we have $100 of nonrefundable OBC that we need to use, so that may account for $10 of it. I'm sure Mrs. Schmoopie will find a way to use up the other $90.

 

Multiple people have also reported not having the $10 charge taken off their bill. I've seen it here several times and, well, elsewhere. I've never experienced it as Le Bistro is far too fancy for me! 

[MSUjohn]

On 1/18/2024 at 5:56 PM, valleyvillage said:

the two specialty dinners (for two),

 the two specialty dinners (for two) and the laundry is by far the biggest benefit.
platinum is probably the biggest step in latitude. 

[dexddd]

Things vary by ship.  Even by who is running things.  We've had the go to GS to get something fixed with the restaurant manager having to come to say written policy not the policy.  

[Pitzel]

On 1/23/2024 at 10:40 PM, BirdTravels said:

Dover Sole

 

Or the Sea Bass...which is listed right under the sole.

[ColdCruise]

On 1/23/2024 at 11:32 AM, schmoopie17 said:

We have found the best steak on NCL to be in LeBistro (the French place. The filet, without exception, was better than anything else we had in any venue. And, after all, Filet Mignon is French, so it makes sense).

 

We have LeBistro booked for our cruise next month. Now I have to see if I can get the filet without the nasty fois gras liver thing sitting on top (and also avoid the upcharge).

Viva left off the foie gras as I requested BUT still charged me the upcharge for it — what ? Another case of YMMV the NCL way.

 

i thought of asking for the foie gras when they brought the bill and wouldn’t remove the upcharge….

[IAcruising]

Haven't quite wrapped my head around why you would get the up charged filet in Le Bistro without the fois gras, but, whatever. 

 

You can get a filet for an upcharge in the MDR.

 

[schmoopie17]

13 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

Viva left off the foie gras as I requested BUT still charged me the upcharge for it — what ? Another case of YMMV the NCL way.

 

We're on the Jade in three weeks. I guess we'll see if MMMV.

[BirdTravels]

14 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

Viva left off the foie gras as I requested BUT still charged me the upcharge for it — what ? Another case of YMMV the NCL way.

 

i thought of asking for the foie gras when they brought the bill and wouldn’t remove the upcharge….

That the way it should be. The upcharge is for the dish, not the foie. 

[ColdCruise]

17 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

That the way it should be. The upcharge is for the dish, not the foie. 

@BirdTravels

The point of the post was to let people know that the ships’ crew do not all deduct the upcharge  or otherwise not charge passengers for leaving off the foie gras from the steak.

 

Many many people report not having to pay the $10 or $12 (with tax) upcharge for the filet sans foie gras in Le Bistro. That can lead to false expectations. 
 

Personally I think foie gras is an unneeded addition to the dish - Le Bistro’s filet mignon is on of the best on board and doesn’t need to addition.

 

And, again personally, I think foie gras is gross both in taste/texture and, once I discovered how it’s produced, what many consider to be an inhumane process. I also don’t eat veal FWIW, having personally seen how “milk-fed veal” is raised. Others may think otherwise, it’s their choice of what food they eat and how it’s raised. I eat meat - there are people who are vegetarian or vegan who might say the same about eating and animal product.
 

Eating foods like foie gras and veal does not make a person more sophisticated or cosmopolitan, just less caring about food sourcing and production. Again, IMO. That is a topic for another, non-cruising forum discussion though…l

 

[schmoopie17]

3 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

@BirdTravels

The point of the post was to let people know that the ships’ crew do not all deduct the upcharge  or otherwise not charge passengers for leaving off the foie gras from the steak.

 

Many many people report not having to pay the $10 or $12 (with tax) upcharge for the filet sans foie gras in Le Bistro. That can lead to false expectations. 
 

Personally I think foie gras is an unneeded addition to the dish - Le Bistro’s filet mignon is on of the best on board and doesn’t need to addition.

 

And, again personally, I think foie gras is gross both in taste/texture and, once I discovered how it’s produced, what many consider to be an inhumane process. I also don’t eat veal FWIW, having personally seen how “milk-fed veal” is raised. Others may think otherwise, it’s their choice of what food they eat and how it’s raised. I eat meat - there are people who are vegetarian or vegan who might say the same about eating and animal product.
 

Eating foods like foie gras and veal does not make a person more sophisticated or cosmopolitan, just less caring about food sourcing and production. Again, IMO. That is a topic for another, non-cruising forum discussion though…l

 

Agree with everything you so astutely said. I wish I could like this post 10 times.

[complawyer]

never had a problem with le bistro removing the upcharge from the fillet.im not a big (in fact not at all)

of foie gras