NCL Dining Question

[Scurrent]

We are Sapphire NCL members and have booked a 15 night cruise. We receive two specialty dinners for Sapphire status and three specialty dinners for booking a suite. NCL says you can only book a particular specialty restaurant once each cruise. Can I book Cagneys once on my Sapphire status and a second time through the Suite reward? Thanks for any input. Steve

[PartyPlannerLady]

6 minutes ago, Scurrent said:

We are Sapphire NCL members and have booked a 15 night cruise. We receive two specialty dinners for Sapphire status and three specialty dinners for booking a suite. NCL says you can only book a particular specialty restaurant once each cruise. Can I book Cagneys once on my Sapphire status and a second time through the Suite reward? Thanks for any input. Steve

 

You can book whatever you want as often as you want.  We always book Cagnet's first and last night of the cruise.  No problem at all.

[Scurrent]

Thank you. NCL reservation rep told me you can book a specialty restaurant once per cruise. She was apparently incorrect. Steve

[Huntingdon1701]

Yes, she was incorrect. You just need to make sure that you use a different restaurant for each of your sapphire meals. But other than that you can do whatever you want. I did 3 nights in Le Bistro on my last cruise with various credits.

[Russiamomm]

Echoing others, but just adding that if you are booking online make sure you book the fixed price restaurants (Teppanyaki and Moderno) first.  If you don’t, the system will try to charge you.  The system does not recognize the Latitudes meals and will try to charge you if you’ve already reserved your FAS meals.  

[KeithJenner]

As stated by others, the NCL rep was wrong (surprise, surprise). You can certainly book the same restaurant multiple times if you want.

 

There has been some confusion regarding this area. The terms of the latitudes meal state that the two vouchers can't be used in the same restaurant. However, I think that what they are trying to say is that you can't get a group of four people and take the two vouchers to try to get a meal for four. Whilst I haven't tried it, I'm fairly sure that a couple could use them both in the same restaurant on separate occasions.

 

In addition, for a time after the reopening after Covid, the online booking system didn't allow you to book the same restaurant twice, but it could be done over the phone or onboard.

 

Now it sometimes does seem throw up an error if you try to duplicate a restaurant online, but for my past couple of cruises it does actually allow it, even if it didn't look like it worked at the time.

 

So, basically, typical NCL confusion. However, you can certainly book places twice (we have done so on some of our past few of cruises, including the one that finished a couple of days ago).

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Scurrent said:

We are Sapphire NCL members and have booked a 15 night cruise. We receive two specialty dinners for Sapphire status and three specialty dinners for booking a suite. NCL says you can only book a particular specialty restaurant once each cruise. Can I book Cagneys once on my Sapphire status and a second time through the Suite reward? Thanks for any input. Steve

The reservation system does not care how you will be paying for dinners. It just takes a reservation. At the time you arrive at the restaurant, you tell the hostess how you are paying: Latitudes Voucher, Specialty Dining Package (that comes with FAS), Specialty Dining package (you buy on your own like the 2 dinner upgrade), other vouchers, cash (cabin charge). 

 

130 days prior to departure, you can get online and book as many restaurants as often as you want. We did this on our last cruise. (full disclosure, there had been a bug in the the system that would not let you book a restaurant more than once for about a year,,,, but that bug has been fixed in their software and we booked one restaurant twice with no issue). 

 

Technically, you can not use your Latitudes Vouchers to at same restaurant twice. 

[Xoxosnowball]

On 5/8/2024 at 4:39 PM, BirdTravels said:

 Latitudes Voucher, Specialty Dining Package (that comes with FAS), Specialty Dining package (you buy on your own like the 2 dinner upgrade), other vouchers, cash (cabin charge). 

We have a Specialty Dining Package with registration.  Since most of the restaurants are a la carte, will there be any credit on the bill for our meal if we only book a la carte restaurants?

[OhioJourneys]

The a la carte restaurants are part of the free at sea program.  You can order an app, entree, and dessert.  If you do not wish to utilize your free dining, you may opt out priorvto sailing and not be charged the gratuities.

[Xoxosnowball]

Just now, OhioJourneys said:

The a la carte restaurants are part of the free at sea program.  You can order an app, entree, and dessert.  If you do not wish to utilize your free dining, you may opt out priorvto sailing and not be charged the gratuities.

We booked three specialty restaurants for an 11-night cruise.  I was just wondering if they would apply, say $50 pp towards our bill (or some amount).

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, Xoxosnowball said:

We booked three specialty restaurants for an 11-night cruise.  I was just wondering if they would apply, say $50 pp towards our bill (or some amount).

As long as you don’t order an item with an up charge (which will be stated on the menu) or multiples (ie two appetisers or entrees) then you will be covered with no charge.

[Xoxosnowball]

Just now, KeithJenner said:

As long as you don’t order an item with an up charge (which will be stated on the menu) or multiples (ie two appetizers or entrees) then you will be covered with no charge.

I am a walking "upcharge".  I guess I'm trying to figure out is how the FAS will be applied.  If we only have alcohol and lobster upcharge on an bill, that's not bad.  But if they disregard my FAS credit at an A la carte restaurant, and I get handed at $150 bill, I would be a bit upset.  Or worse, if I held back, and didn't order what I wanted for fear of being handed the $150 bill.

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, Xoxosnowball said:

I am a walking "upcharge".  I guess I'm trying to figure out is how the FAS will be applied.  If we only have alcohol and lobster upcharge on a bill, that's not bad.  But if they disregard my FAS credit at an A la carte restaurant, and I get handed at $150 bill, I would be a bit upset.  Or worse, if I held back, and didn't order what I wanted for fear of being handed the $150 bill.

As long as you have a dining credit available there is zero chance that they will charge you for your meal. They will confirm when you arrive that you want to use your credit, so you just need to avoid accidentally saying “no thanks, please charge me instead”.

 

The assumption will be that you will be using your credit unless you specifically say otherwise.

Edited May 18 by KeithJenner

[Xoxosnowball]

1 minute ago, KeithJenner said:

As long as you have a dining credit available there is zero chance that they will charge you for your meal. They will confirm when you arrive that you want to use your credit, so you just need to avoid accidentally saying “no thanks, please charge me instead”.

Most helpful.  Thank you.