Pearl restaurants

[lola4795]

Which restaurants on the Pearl are the ones with no cover charge? I've looked through the NCL website and can't find anything about additional prices, but I know they exist.

 

I have found the area that shows the restaurants with a picture, but not whether they have a cover charge or not.

 

Can anyone help me?

Thanks!

[electricron]

A list of Pearl restaurants.

 

Summer Palace (Main Dining Room)

Cuisine: Continental

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Indigo (Main Dining Room)

Cuisine: Continental

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Le Bistro French Restaurant

Cuisine: French

Surcharge: Yes, $15 per person

Reservations Required: Yes

 

Cagney's Steakhouse

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Surcharge: Yes, $20 per person

Reservations Required: Yes

 

La Cucina Italian

Cuisine: Italian

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No, but recommended

 

Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant (Sushi and Teppanyaki)

Cuisine: Asian

Surcharge: Yes, $15 per person

Reservations Required: Yes

 

Mambos Latin/Tapas Restaurant

Cuisine: Latin/Tapas

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No, but recommended

 

Garden Cafe

Cuisine: Buffet

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

The Great Outdoors

Cuisine: Buffet

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Blue Lagoon

Cuisine: Snacks

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

[LindaRH]

I think there is at least one more...Teppenyaki, a japanese steak house. Cost $20.00. Between 5:30 & 6:30 most of the surcharge restuarants offer a 2 for 1 special. We are booked for the Pearl end of January so I've been reading up on it. There might be another one....don't remember off the top of my head.

[electricron]

I think there is at least one more...Teppenyaki, a japanese steak house. Cost $20.00. Between 5:30 & 6:30 most of the surcharge restuarants offer a 2 for 1 special. We are booked for the Pearl end of January so I've been reading up on it. There might be another one....don't remember off the top of my head.

 

Note, I included Teppanyaki within the Lotus Garden. ;)

[janiceah]

Electricron, thanks so much for that great list. I try and keep track of the restaurant info before our first cruise on the Pearl in February but this list was perfect. I started a file for all this great info people post and cut & pasted this list in there too. Thanks again!

[lola4795]

Yes! Thank you very much. I'll hang onto the list too!

[LindaRH]

oops sorry Elect! I was just looking at the first couple words.

 

Have a wonderful New Year!

[salty dingo]

Is there any sushi available that is less than the cost of a full meal? I would love to have a sushi snack in the afternoon, but would not want to make a meal of it.

[Tideone]

I think there is at least one more...Teppenyaki, a japanese steak house. Cost $20.00. Between 5:30 & 6:30 most of the surcharge restuarants offer a 2 for 1 special. We are booked for the Pearl end of January so I've been reading up on it. There might be another one....don't remember off the top of my head.

 

We sailed the Pearl, Dec. 14-23, and unfortunately, there was not a 2 for 1 special at the speciality restaurants as there had been when we sailed on the Pearl to Alaska last summer.

However, this did not stop us from eating in the speciality restaurants.

We found the food and the service to be outstanding in every restaurants we ate.

[LindaRH]

Thanks Tideone. Sounds good.

[tbdb2]

La Cucina and Mambos are a must reserve if you intend to dine there. I just got off last week and there were no walk ins at either all week. Summer palace and indigo had wait times of sometimes over one hour if you did not have a reservation there.

[oceanmuzik]

Is there any sushi available that is less than the cost of a full meal? I would love to have a sushi snack in the afternoon, but would not want to make a meal of it.

 

 

i'm curious to know this too!

 

has anyone had "just" sushi?

[awoltoday]

I love the displays on the ship!

 

[Medfield98]

I love the displays on the ship!

 

 

1. Are the dining displays pretty accurate?

2. And if it says "no wait" does that mean you can get right in without a reservation?

3.Does the display tell you which ones are full due to reservations, for the night?

[Medfield98]

La Cucina and Mambos are a must reserve if you intend to dine there. I just got off last week and there were no walk ins at either all week. Summer palace and indigo had wait times of sometimes over one hour if you did not have a reservation there.

 

 

1. By "must reserve" do you mean they always fill up and you won't get in without a reservation or do these restaurants have a mandatory reservation policy even if not full?

 

2. I was told you can't make resevations at Summer Palace and Indigo for parties less than 8-correct? So just need to walk up and hope they have room at that moment?

 

3. Any reservatoin tips? (non VIP) Do I really need to get up early to go to a sign up place or can I call on phone or do during the day while walking by somewhere? What is the quickest way so I don't have to tie up my day. And what do people do that aren't sure when they want to eat that night-just take their chances or eat in buffet I guess?

[awoltoday]

1. Are the dining displays pretty accurate?

2. And if it says "no wait" does that mean you can get right in without a reservation?

3.Does the display tell you which ones are full due to reservations, for the night?

 

Good questions. Hopefully, someone with more than a one night experience can answer your questions. I doubt that the displays are totally accurate. I would expect the displays to lag slightly behind reality and not be able to predict reservation no shows. When I took that picture, I'm pretty sure we were on our way to the teppanyaki. It was just over half full for our seating. So, did people not show up that had ressies, or was the display just inaccurate, or a little of both? Still, the displays can give you a good idea of what you're up against.

[CheerMeUp]

Great questions, we are sailing on the Pearl in March. I will be our first time on NCL and freestyle is new to us. Hoping someone can answer these questions.

 

1. By "must reserve" do you mean they always fill up and you won't get in without a reservation or do these restaurants have a mandatory reservation policy even if not full?

 

2. I was told you can't make resevations at Summer Palace and Indigo for parties less than 8-correct? So just need to walk up and hope they have room at that moment?

 

3. Any reservatoin tips? (non VIP) Do I really need to get up early to go to a sign up place or can I call on phone or do during the day while walking by somewhere? What is the quickest way so I don't have to tie up my day. And what do people do that aren't sure when they want to eat that night-just take their chances or eat in buffet I guess?

[CheerMeUp]

Great questions, we are sailing on the Pearl in March. It will be our first time on NCL and freestyle is new to us. Hoping someone can answer these questions.

 

1. By "must reserve" do you mean they always fill up and you won't get in without a reservation or do these restaurants have a mandatory reservation policy even if not full?

 

2. I was told you can't make resevations at Summer Palace and Indigo for parties less than 8-correct? So just need to walk up and hope they have room at that moment?

 

3. Any reservatoin tips? (non VIP) Do I really need to get up early to go to a sign up place or can I call on phone or do during the day while walking by somewhere? What is the quickest way so I don't have to tie up my day. And what do people do that aren't sure when they want to eat that night-just take their chances or eat in buffet I guess?

[tjbarney]

*bump* Anyone have any other good tips or secrets on the restraunts?

[Medfield98]

We sailed the Pearl after I asked these questions so now know the answers.

 

 

1. By "must reserve" do you mean they always fill up and you won't get in without a reservation or do these restaurants have a mandatory reservation policy even if not full?

 

2. I was told you can't make resevations at Summer Palace and Indigo for parties less than 8-correct? So just need to walk up and hope they have room at that moment?

 

3. Any reservatoin tips? (non VIP) Do I really need to get up early to go to a sign up place or can I call on phone or do during the day while walking by somewhere? What is the quickest way so I don't have to tie up my day. And what do people do that aren't sure when they want to eat that night-just take their chances or eat in buffet I guess?

 

ANSWERS:

1.The display of wait times is not accurate because it doesn't include reservations. We didn't go to any surcharge restaurants so can't speak about them. We did dine at Summer Place (our favorite), LaCunia and Mambo's (very good also). For just couples you can't reserve at Summer Place and we just walked up and got in pretty quick especially if early. Once it starts filing up (around 6:30 you may be asked if you will sit with others or wait. We tried walk up at Mambos and Lacuina with no luck. Got reservations pretty easily though but then you need to [plan ahead which we don't really care to do.

 

2. True- reservations only for parties of 8+, However I was able to make a reservatin for two on the phone after complaining how we couldn't get in otherwise (a white lie)

 

3. Only way I made the three reservations we used was on the phone. Twice from cabin same day and once on deck phone same day. They also take resrvations in the am in the buffet area and the line wasn't too long when I passed by. No other tricks I can think of.

 

For those who have sailed Princess larger ships that have two Anytime Dining restaurants in our three times using Prncess Anytime for a couple had no problems just walking up at most anytime. Somehow Princess has a better system than NCL but couldn't explain how they do it. You would think on Pearly it wold be even better than Princess since they have many more restautannts but it isn't. Maybe because Princess trwo anytime restaurants are both as large as NCL Summer Place which gives Princess that extra boost. Either way we enjoyed Pearl very much.

[Toyz711]

specialities /surcharges:

if they have space, they will accept walk-ups. but empty tables do not mean they have space. empty tables could be held for the next reservations or lack of servers. they move the servers around to where needed, if one place is slow they may have moved the servers to another dining venue. but IF they have the space, you are allowed to walk-up and ask.

reservations are requested....and take priority.

 

main dining rooms...they do not like to take reservations for smaller parties. for the most part, if you have problems at one main dining room, walk over to the other...same menus. for party of 2/5 or 7...never had a wait.

best to not go during prime time...7 to 8pm. reservations for parties of less then 8, holding those tables makes problems for the rest of us..holding tables out of action. yes, you just walk up...they have room for several hundred people at one time, usually not a problem. (much like the restaurants at home)

making reservations: reservations desk, any time during their open hours, by ship phone, including the one in your cabin or by walking by the dining venue in quesitons and asking.