Kealy

Sounds like you are super psyched for your cruise & ready to go.
Alaska can be pretty chilly. Pack a warm coat. I had to buy one in port when I was there. Enjoy your cruise!

The pork belly appetizer at Cagney's was delicious.

Also the teppenyaki was an entertaining night out.

Enjoy your cruise.

Purchasing the dining plan would be more economical and easier.

On the other hand, some members of the group may want to do their own thing some evenings.

Enjoy your trip.

Enjoying your review -- very informative!

For a date night, I'd select Cagney's. Also, dining in the waterfront is a not to miss experience. Enjoy!

We also bring some cash for Howl at the Moon song requests and to tip our favorite bartender(s). It's not required but surely appreciated.

When you have the UBP (drinks promo) you will have many options available of wine by the glass.

Cheers!

Sober for 2 days? Come on, WWDD?!

Hi -- I'm sure you'll have a fantastic trip. I'll try and provide some answers based on my recent trip.

 

Dining -- you can enjoy 4 specialty restaurants including Cagneys, le bistro, la culinary, and teppanyaki. You may order multiple apps, but just one entree and desserts as you like. The a la carte fees will not apply with the SDP. However there are restaurants that are not included eg the food republic, and some restaurants which you may go to but have to pay an additional fee, $17.70/person eg

 

Make reservations on Ncl website prior to your trip, especially for the specialty restaurants.

If the weather is nice, try dining al fresco on the waterfront.

 

NCl has many restaurants for 2 in the main dinn room.

 

The comedians are included in your cruise fare, however sometimes they are held in a small venue. You can reserve the comedians at the box office once you're on board.

 

There are 2 free shows and one that has a fee (the brat pack), however they are changing up some of the shows in the future. Book the shows online before your trip.

 

The outdoor activities are included with your fare. Some things like bowling, pinball and skeet are an additional fee. Be sure to try the water slides. Lots of fun.

 

Howl at the moon is also lots of fun. Bring a little cash for your song requests.

 

Have a great time!

There are some things which are excluded, eg flights, bottles of wine (but you are free to order by the glass).

 

We enjoy all of the specialty restaurants. If you're on a ship that has the waterfront, try it.

 

We also did a guaranteed balcony and were happy with our room. You may end up with a long walk to the elevators.

 

The 3 main dining rooms have the same menu. There are 3-4 entrees that are always available and 3-4 daily specials.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

I have sailed several times with NCl and very much enjoyed the specialty dining restaurants. For us, they are worthwhile and enhance our cruising experience. Our favorites include Teppan-Yaki, Cagneys and Moderno. For a one-week cruise I think purchasing the 3 to 4 night specialty dining package should provide many options and enjoyment.

On our recent cruise on the Escape, it was $15.00. Enjoy!

Yes, the SDP allows you to dine in the specialty restaurants without paying additional fees. Enjoy.

If you like pineapple, try a French Kiss martini. I also love lavender martinis. Enjoy!

We sailed on the Escape on January 16th and enjoyed dining on the water front 3 times. The weather was pleasant when we dined around 7:30. The sun had already set.

 

Enjoy

I also greatly enjoyed your live review, humor and all the pics!

 

We Just escaped 3 weeks ago so it was fantastic for reminiscing and also inspiring for wanting to book our next cruise.

We had a blast on the Escape & reading your live review.

 

Douggie groupie in WA

We have cruised on the Epic twice and the Getaway. We're going on the Escape in January. We really enjoyed the 678 area and dining on the waterfront on the Getaway, which is also offered on the Escape. We have enjoyed the entertainment, howl at the moon, comedians and glow parties as well as the day time slides. Our favorite entertainment was on the Epic which included the Blue man group & Fat cat jazz/blues club (not sure if the options are the same still today). Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to sail on the epic or getaway again. On the other hand, We're psyched to try the brand new ship and the new dining options like the food republic. You can have a fantastic cruise on any of these ships. Enjoy

In my opinion, the specialty dining package is worthwhile and makes the trip more enjoyable. The SDP gives you the opportunity to try different venues and cuisines, eg French, Steakhouse, churrascuria. We've also found that the specialty restaurants are more intimate than the main dining room.

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise.