The "value" of the "free" Specialty Meals

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

I wonder how many people ever calculate what the total cost, of the "free" meals that they receive, is.

 

We booked two 12day cruises, we took recently, nearly two years ago before the number of meals decreased and had 6 meals on each; 4 Free at Sea and 2 Latitudes.

 

I signed for each and the total of the 12 meals was USD1758.

 

No, we wouldn't have visited the Specialty Restaurants without the "free" ones.

 

Anoynmous Phoenix

[graphicguy]

I usually figure $75/pp per dinner.  The a la carte prices on the specialty dinner menus are way out of line.

Edited January 31 by graphicguy

[seachelt]

We are booked on a TransAtlantic in April.  Our "free at sea" includes open bar (not premium) and 3 specialty meals.  The gratuities we have prepaid for 2 persons for these "free" offers is $784.92 CAD.

We also prepaid the daily service charge of $650.94 for 2 people.

This is our first time with NCL and we will try to figure out if this "free" offer is something we want on any future Norwegian cruise!

YMMV

seachelt

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@seachelt

 

We live in New Zealand and the gratuities for the "free" dining and open bar are built into our cruise fare.

 

As is the DSC.

[ChiefMateJRK]

I don't place much of any value on the specialty meals.  Maybe $15 a head.  The quality is highly variable and I already have all the free food I can eat.  I value Teppanyaki more highly now that I've learned NOT to order whatever they are calling steak.  I just wish they could get more garlic and butter in the fried rice.  Eating is highly overrated for some of us.  I honestly enjoy my morning Bloody Mary with a fresh omelet more than most dinners.  Especially if I'm able to enjoy it at a great outdoors or similar venue.  We also really like the relaxing MDR breakfasts.

 

Like the saying goes, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" 🤡

[KeithJenner]

The value of the meals that people receive from free at sea, or latitudes, is whatever the cost would be to buy an equivalent meal package for the number of meals received.

 

For example, we are getting 6 meals on our next cruise (2 free at sea, 2 latitudes and 2 free at sea plus). The cost of a 6 meal package is £209.16.

 

Whether we would have purchased that many meals otherwise is another consideration. Maybe we would have just purchased 4 meals, in which case you could argue that the value is just the cost of a 4 meal package.

 

The a la carte menu prices are irrelevant for us, as we would never pay that amount for those meals. If all the deals and packages weren’t there so a typical meal would cost nearly $100 per person then we would just eat at the complementary places all week.

[CptJLMcCrea]

3 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Like the saying goes, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" 🤡

 

Because it's the only meal you remember. 🙂