Dinner waits

[cruiseljh]

We are sailing on the NCL Spirit March 29, 2009.

 

1. Is there typically a wait for dinner and how long?

2. What are peak and off-peak times (in regards to waits) for dinner?

3. Can reservations (for dinner) be made in any restaurant (based upon cabin category)?

4. Any general dining advice would be appreciated.

[terrymtex01]

We have never sailed the Spirit, but since no one has posted an answer yet, I will do the best I can do.

 

We are sailing on the NCL Spirit March 29, 2009.

 

1. Is there typically a wait for dinner and how long?

 

We have been on four NCL cruises and only had to wait for dinner once and that was for maybe ten minutes. We dine at all different times when we cruise.. anywhere from 7PM to 10PM. You might encounter a wait, but I really don't think it will be that long if you do.

 

2. What are peak and off-peak times (in regards to waits) for dinner?

 

Should be very much like dining in your home town. For us here in Dallas it is usually peak dining times from 6 or 6:30 to 8:30 of 9. There is usually a line waiting when the dining room opens on the ship and I think that is about 5:30 or so.

3. Can reservations (for dinner) be made in any restaurant (based upon cabin category)?

 

No. Typically you can only make reservations in specialty restaurants. If you are in a non-suite, non-balcony, you can make reservations 24 hours in advance for the specailty restaurants. If you are in a balcony stateroom you can make reservations 48 hours in advance and if you are in a suite, you can make reservations as far in advance as you want, after check-in.

4. Any general dining advice would be appreciated.

 

To me the best advise I could ever give you is to just remember you are on vacation and if you have to wait a little bit, so be it. If you are the type that has to dine at 7PM every night, no big deal, just make sure you arrive at the restaurant of your choice in time to be seated by 7PM. Don't expect to be able to walk up to the restaurant and be seated immediately. You probably will be, but just don't expect it.

.

 

I hope you have a fantastic cruise. Try to go to New Orleans a few days early and soak up some of the local flavor. It is one of our most favote cities.

[CanadianTwosome]

I agree with Terry about NOLA; if you can spend a few days there, it's really a fantastic city - just be prepared to carry a few extra pounds with you when you leave...

 

Back on topic, there are many factors that contribute to wait times. We always sail during low season, so we've never had a wait at any time, other than the time it took to seat the people ahead of us. Last week on the Pearl, we walked right in to every restaurant. :)

[chiapet]

We've cruised on the Spirit 4 times w/ a little bit of a different perspective than terrymtex01:

 

1. Is there typically a wait for dinner and how long?

- not usally ... but look on the tv screens near the elevators on deck 7 to see what the wait times are for each restaurant

 

2. What are peak and off-peak times (in regards to waits) for dinner?

- between ~6-8pm

 

3. Can reservations (for dinner) be made in any restaurant (based upon cabin category)?

- check w/ the concierge for reservations if you're in a suite, but otherwise you can make reservations 24-48 hrs ahead in ANY restaurant ... don't know if that's changed, but it used to be like that

 

4. Any general dining advice would be appreciated.

- ask for the main dining room menus (for entire cruise) from the purser's desk, and then figure out which nights you'd like to dine in the specialty restaurants

- make your reservations as soon as your can for as many nights as you can, and then change them later if you need to

- after dinner, we returned to our cabin to look at the next day's Freestyle Daily to see if our dinner reservation time for the next day fit into our "schedule" ;)

[terrymtex01]

We've cruised on the Spirit 4 times w/ a little bit of a different perspective than terrymtex01:

 

1. Is there typically a wait for dinner and how long?

- not usally ... but look on the tv screens near the elevators on deck 7 to see what the wait times are for each restaurant

 

2. What are peak and off-peak times (in regards to waits) for dinner?

- between ~6-8pm

 

3. Can reservations (for dinner) be made in any restaurant (based upon cabin category)?

- check w/ the concierge for reservations if you're in a suite, but otherwise you can make reservations 24-48 hrs ahead in ANY restaurant ... don't know if that's changed, but it used to be like that

 

4. Any general dining advice would be appreciated.

- ask for the main dining room menus (for entire cruise) from the purser's desk, and then figure out which nights you'd like to dine in the specialty restaurants

- make your reservations as soon as your can for as many nights as you can, and then change them later if you need to

- after dinner, we returned to our cabin to look at the next day's Freestyle Daily to see if our dinner reservation time for the next day fit into our "schedule" ;)

 

Wow..do you mean you can make reservations even in the main dining rooms?

[chiapet]

Wow..do you mean you can make reservations even in the main dining rooms?

 

Yes, we were able to ... but we had 5 people in our party ... don't know if that makes a difference too.

 

Were you not able to?

[terrymtex01]

Yes, we were able to ... but we had 5 people in our party ... don't know if that makes a difference too.

 

Were you not able to?

 

To be honest, we never tried. I have read on here that parties of 8 or more could.. but I just didn't know.

[mactrio]

We are sailing on the NCL Spirit March 29, 2009.

 

1. Is there typically a wait for dinner and how long?

2. What are peak and off-peak times (in regards to waits) for dinner?

3. Can reservations (for dinner) be made in any restaurant (based upon cabin category)?

4. Any general dining advice would be appreciated.

 

We will be on the Spirit in a few weeks and I will report back with hopefully tons of useful info.

[CanadianTwosome]

To be honest, we never tried. I have read on here that parties of 8 or more could.. but I just didn't know.

 

We made reservations in the main dining room on the Pearl for 13 and had no problem. Mind you, we really didn't need them on this cruise; I'm sure we could have walked right in. :)

[Arwenmark]

We were on the Star December 20 cruise and we were able to make regular dining room reservations, in fact when you arrived they would ask whether you had reservations or not. there are two of us by the way. We were in a BB balcony cabin.

[mkad1109]

Wow..do you mean you can make reservations even in the main dining rooms?

Yes Terry you can (at least we always have!). It's funny I just had to post over on the Celebrity board where everyone is saying that you have to queue up for really long waits...uh no! We only travel at peak times (school recesses) and simply decide our day each morning, including when we want to eat dinner! Very easy. I am a bit nervous with this traditional dining experience we are going on in April since all we know is free style!

[flashdog_1]

Yes Terry you can (at least we always have!). It's funny I just had to post over on the Celebrity board where everyone is saying that you have to queue up for really long waits...uh no! We only travel at peak times (school recesses) and simply decide our day each morning, including when we want to eat dinner! Very easy. I am a bit nervous with this traditional dining experience we are going on in April since all we know is free style!

 

Celebrity's food is so very excellent that it is really okay with set dining times! With two theater performances each night, no one misses a show because they are scheduled around the 2 dinner seatings. If you don't want to eat with strangers, just ask for a table for two when you make your initial reservation. If that is not available, see the maitre d' when you board. My daughter and I did that on Mercury in August/September. No problem. If you are intimidated by the formal service or the food choices, just ask your waiter what is best. They really do know. They've cleared the tables of uneaten food and know what people raved about.

 

They also have alternative casual dining in what was the buffet in the day, but at night, with linen table cloths, and a more limited menu than in the dining room, you can eat in shorts at whatever time you like. Reservations are requested. Their buffet is NOT open 24/7. summit also has an Aqua Spa cafe that is buffet style, with a few things you can order made to order, too. This is supposed to be healthy food. Sometimes it's great and sometimes a little blah. But again, it is casual. On our sailing it was open until 8 p.m (opened at 6:30 for coffee and the best imported yogurt you have ever tasted, only place on the ship you can regularly get papaya without asking for it (unless it's on a regular menu, of course).

 

I found the buffet for breakfast or lunch quite acceptable, too. I'm not fond of the grill foods, but they usually have a Caesar salad and other choices daily out by the pool.

 

There is also a surcharge specialty restaurant that people say is great. I've not been to it although I've sailed Summit twice.

 

And for formal nights, now that there are luggage limitations for flights, just a fancy top for a lady with a long skirt or pants is just fine! And a jacket for men. You can also avoid formal night by using the above mentioned alternatives, or you can order room service from the dining room menu any night, no matter what category you are booked in. Just tell your room steward and he/she will get you the menu. This is true for lunch or dinner, as long as the dining room is actually serving (in other words, you can't order dinner at 4:3o because it's not open. But it's not open on NCL, either.

 

Summit also has an indoor adults only thalossotherapy pool that is free! (that's where the aqua spa cafe is, forward) at the opposite end of the ship from the buffet which is aft. and you can eat outdoors by the pool or outdoors aft, as well.

 

I'll be thinking about you when we are on Dawn this weekend, comparing the two in my mind! Happy sailing!

[mkad1109]

Celebrity's food is so very excellent that it is really okay with set dining times! With two theater performances each night, no one misses a show because they are scheduled around the 2 dinner seatings. If you don't want to eat with strangers, just ask for a table for two when you make your initial reservation. If that is not available, see the maitre d' when you board. My daughter and I did that on Mercury in August/September. No problem. If you are intimidated by the formal service or the food choices, just ask your waiter what is best. They really do know. They've cleared the tables of uneaten food and know what people raved about.

 

They also have alternative casual dining in what was the buffet in the day, but at night, with linen table cloths, and a more limited menu than in the dining room, you can eat in shorts at whatever time you like. Reservations are requested. Their buffet is NOT open 24/7. summit also has an Aqua Spa cafe that is buffet style, with a few things you can order made to order, too. This is supposed to be healthy food. Sometimes it's great and sometimes a little blah. But again, it is casual. On our sailing it was open until 8 p.m (opened at 6:30 for coffee and the best imported yogurt you have ever tasted, only place on the ship you can regularly get papaya without asking for it (unless it's on a regular menu, of course).

 

I found the buffet for breakfast or lunch quite acceptable, too. I'm not fond of the grill foods, but they usually have a Caesar salad and other choices daily out by the pool.

 

There is also a surcharge specialty restaurant that people say is great. I've not been to it although I've sailed Summit twice.

 

Summit also has an indoor adults only thalossotherapy pool that is free! (that's where the aqua spa cafe is, forward) at the opposite end of the ship from the buffet which is aft. and you can eat outdoors by the pool or outdoors aft, as well.

 

I'll be thinking about you when we are on Dawn this weekend, comparing the two in my mind! Happy sailing!

Phyliss thanks so much! Enjoy the Dawn she was our first cruise and got us hooked! I appreciate your candid comments. Maybe I should have come here to the NCL board for some of my questions! It's hard for me to sift through the comparisons to Applebees (although I am seeing that here to!) As I have said before anyone comparing the food on NCL to Applebee's or Chili's hasn't been to either place in a while (with 4 kids, I unfortunately have!!LOL). Don't miss Aqua on the Dawn-we loved it! And Le Bistro is every penny worth the $15-the artwork will take your breath away!

 

Susan

[garycarla]

Based on reviews posted here on a regular basis, lines on the Spirit and most NCL ships are rare, other than 1-5 minutes as they ready a table. does it happen? Sure, but rare. Right after the early show is usually a big hit as people head out and go to dinner.

[franma]

I was about to post a similar question. We were on the Majesty in Oct., our first NCL cruise, but not our first cruise experience. We had LONG lines just about every night before dinner and even had trouble making reservations for any restaurant. MDR service was very spotty, a lot of trainees we were told. Even experienced NCL passengers we spoke with were displeased. There were other problems, but I'll stick to this one for now.

 

Having said that, we're trying again...The Dawn, from NYC to Bermuda. I really hope we don't encounter the same issues especially with respect to the dining. We're not complainers and try to make the most out of every experience we have, but the negatives really tipped the scales on that cruise. Somebody reassure me, please. I want to look forward to our cruise in June, and not worry about it. Thanks.

[GORDONCHICK]

We are sailing on the NCL Spirit March 29, 2009.

 

1. Is there typically a wait for dinner and how long?

2. What are peak and off-peak times (in regards to waits) for dinner?

3. Can reservations (for dinner) be made in any restaurant (based upon cabin category)?

4. Any general dining advice would be appreciated.

 

We just got off the Spirit this past Sunday (1/18) and this is what we experienced. If you dine between 6:30-7:30, the wait could be up to 40 minutes for the Garden Room. It is the smaller of the two main dining rooms. We were told that we couldn't make a reservation because our party of 4 or 5 was too small (our cabin was in the cheap seats). We should have tried Windows, but we fell in love with a waiter named Christopher Laub from the Philipines so we liked to be in his area or near by. We did get some help in making reservations for the Garden Room a couple days into the cruise, but that was kind of a weird thing anyway. We were told that if you like late dining (8:30 or so), you can pretty much walk into the main dining rooms and not have a wait. We didn't eat in any of the venues that charged extra, so I have no personal info but I was told by others in our group that they were making reservtions for those.

 

I recommend eating breakfast in Windows at least once. It's very nice and a beautiful dining room. There are some perks that only certain cabin categories get - like eating breakfast and/or lunch in Cagney's or the Garden Room, but people who have had those cabin categories could probably fill you in. The buffet, Raffles, is pretty good, and I would recommend the made-to-order eggs if you eat them. There is a wide variety if you just want to do the go-and-grab thing.

 

If you have any more questions about the Spirit, just ask me and I'll tell you what I know. I can tell you if your roll call has a meet & greet set up with NCL, be prepared for 5-6 officers to show up, plus the CD, and a few others. Bruce (from South Africa) is the group coordinator on board, and he's very helpful.

[GORDONCHICK]

To be honest, we never tried. I have read on here that parties of 8 or more could.. but I just didn't know.

 

 

I'm sending you guys an email, so look for it!!!!

[newmexicoNita]

To be honest, we never tried. I have read on here that parties of 8 or more could.. but I just didn't know.

 

I too thought is was 6 or 8 before you could make a reservation...>? interesting huh..

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

We just got off the Spirit this past Sunday (1/18) and this is what we experienced. If you dine between 6:30-7:30, the wait could be up to 40 minutes for the Garden Room. It is the smaller of the two main dining rooms. We were told that we couldn't make a reservation because our party of 4 or 5 was too small (our cabin was in the cheap seats). We should have tried Windows, but we fell in love with a waiter named Christopher Laub from the Philipines so we liked to be in his area or near by. We did get some help in making reservations for the Garden Room a couple days into the cruise, but that was kind of a weird thing anyway. We were told that if you like late dining (8:30 or so), you can pretty much walk into the main dining rooms and not have a wait. We didn't eat in any of the venues that charged extra, so I have no personal info but I was told by others in our group that they were making reservtions for those.

 

I recommend eating breakfast in Windows at least once. It's very nice and a beautiful dining room. There are some perks that only certain cabin categories get - like eating breakfast and/or lunch in Cagney's or the Garden Room, but people who have had those cabin categories could probably fill you in. The buffet, Raffles, is pretty good, and I would recommend the made-to-order eggs if you eat them. There is a wide variety if you just want to do the go-and-grab thing.

 

If you have any more questions about the Spirit, just ask me and I'll tell you what I know. I can tell you if your roll call has a meet & greet set up with NCL, be prepared for 5-6 officers to show up, plus the CD, and a few others. Bruce (from South Africa) is the group coordinator on board, and he's very helpful.

interesting about the garden room, we only ate there once, there was no wait (it was about 6pm) but there was a line. It took us about 5 mintues to get to the front. After that, when we did eat in the main dining rooms we choose Windows and liked it better. The only questionable dining room service we had was in the Garden room. We too liked Raffles for breakfast and lunch, best salad bar we have had on any cruise or cruise line.

 

Nita

[zoeyzooka]

I have a somewhat related question. We will be on the Spirit in February. Are the dining room cold? I have a very skinny 8 year old that gets quite cold in some restaurants. I need to know if I should bring him a jacket for eating or not. Any restaurants warmer than others? Thanks.

[newmexicoNita]

I have a somewhat related question. We will be on the Spirit in February. Are the dining room cold? I have a very skinny 8 year old that gets quite cold in some restaurants. I need to know if I should bring him a jacket for eating or not. Any restaurants warmer than others? Thanks.

 

bring a light weight one: I rarely get cold on any ship but was a tiny bet chilly in some of the Spirit dining rooms. I don't remember which one.

 

Nita

[terrymtex01]

I was about to post a similar question. We were on the Majesty in Oct., our first NCL cruise, but not our first cruise experience. We had LONG lines just about every night before dinner and even had trouble making reservations for any restaurant. MDR service was very spotty, a lot of trainees we were told. Even experienced NCL passengers we spoke with were displeased. There were other problems, but I'll stick to this one for now.

 

Having said that, we're trying again...The Dawn, from NYC to Bermuda. I really hope we don't encounter the same issues especially with respect to the dining. We're not complainers and try to make the most out of every experience we have, but the negatives really tipped the scales on that cruise. Somebody reassure me, please. I want to look forward to our cruise in June, and not worry about it. Thanks.

 

We have yet to sail on the Dawn, but we are this coming Nov. From every one I have talked to, they LOVE the Dawn, so I think you have made a good choice.

 

I have a somewhat related question. We will be on the Spirit in February. Are the dining room cold? I have a very skinny 8 year old that gets quite cold in some restaurants. I need to know if I should bring him a jacket for eating or not. Any restaurants warmer than others? Thanks.

 

I agree with Nita. I do not get cold, but I have felt cool in the dining rooms. I would at least bring a light jacket or possibly a sweater.