New Menus and Price Reductions as of 05/11

[kcfoxy]

Commencing May 1st, the Spirit has new menus, including the specialty restaurants. No, I did not photograph or scan them but comparing to what we had at 4 of the 5 locations, as well as breakfast snd lunch in Cagney's, these are minor changes with some streamlining.

 

For example, I didn't see sliders on the luncheon menu at Cagney's but we could still get Grilled Asparagus with Proscuitto and Parmesan, those succulent and huge Shrimp Cocktails, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Grilled Angus Strip Steak, Fettucini with Porcini Mushrooms, Cagney's fries, Warm Expresso Brownie with Macadamia Ice Cream, Carrot Cake, Banana Cream Pie and Marinated Berries and Mango to list a few things we tried.

 

The MDRs still offer a good variety of daily selections along with the Every Day menu.

When we had butlered dinners (Prime Rib and English Strip Loin nights), I'd requested and received the entire week's dinner menus beforehand, and noticed the listing were nearly identical to the printed out menus I'd gleaned from prior CC research.

 

What I thought was most interesting was the price reductions at Le Bistro, Cagney's, Shogun's and La Trattoria. We expected to pay $20 per person at Le Bistro that first night, but the bill indicated $30 for the 2 of us. I mentioned that to our Hotel Director, (John O'Hara! during the next morning's CC Meet & Greet and he indicated across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, save Teppanyaki, which is hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway.

 

"We are well aware of the perception of nickeling and diming, and do not like it ourselves, so this is our attempt to cut down on that. We will be trying these new menus and rates for the next 2 months to see how it goes."

 

Well, in times of recession, it helps very much, and we ended up eating in Cagney's twice, Shogun twice (once for the Taste of India dinner), Le Bistro once and La Tratorria once, as well as the Presumed Murdered mystery luncheon in the Garden Room (MDR).

 

(I've posted a very detailed and lengthy review, but it will take a couple days to clear Administration). I've not heard if any other ships are following suit, espsecially re these price cuts but it does take a step back in the right direction, and our very attentive servers benefitted from the savings as well!

[che5904]

What I thought was most interesting was the price reductions at Le Bistro, Cagney's, Shogun's and La Trattoria. We expected to pay $20 per person at Le Bistro that first night, but the bill indicated $30 for the 2 of us. I mentioned that to our Hotel Director, (John O'Hara! during the next morning's CC Meet & Greet and he indicated across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, save Teppanyaki, which is hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway.

quote]

 

Thank you for the summarized review. Glad to hear they came down some in their prices, maybe they found they weren't getting as many people at the higher price. Or perhaps their surveys they send after a cruise had lots of complaints about the price. Good to know.

 

 

"We are well aware of the perception of nickeling and diming, and do not like it ourselves, so this is our attempt to cut down on that.

 

Well I've never perceived NCL as nickel and diming more like a la carte. I really appreciate having choices so they can keep their initial cost down and allow me to pick and choose where my money will be going. Saves me paying for someone who drinks a lot, chooses to eat fillet mignon every night if I'm quite content with a cheaper cut of meat, do drink testings or learn yoga. There is still a lot still included in the price. I think their prices should be a little more accessible on their web site for those wishing to budget and then if they were put out there as add ons to add to your cruising experience perhaps so many people wouldn't feel they were nickel and diming or surprised when they got onboard. In other words instead of hiding it use it as a sales tool.

 

You sound like you enjoyed your cruise.

[big green]

The change in Cagney's lunch menu for suites is fleet wide---the price reductions experienced on the Spirit for speciality restaurants are specific to the Spirit--I have been told that Hotel Directors on the ships have discretion on reducing prices on some of the speciality restaurants based on volume and generated revenue each cruise. Empty restaurants or half full do not generate the revenue needed for break even or profitable cruises.

 

We sailed the Spirt last Nov. for 15 days and they had price reductions in the speciality restaurants also.

 

BG

[CruisingLPN]

I'm going on the Spirit next month. I hope they do keep these cheaper prices for my cruise. I was debating about whether to spend the money on specialty dining. Now I think my husband and I can definitely splurge on Le Bistro for a romantic dinner without the kids. ;)

[RareBird]

no more sliders for lunch?! :(

[Medtech2]

BRAVO! Sure hope they have reduced pricing on my Sun voyage in 2012. I will definitely take advantage of Cagneys then, but probably won't if they don't...

[valleyvillage]

no more sliders for lunch?! :(

 

 

... a really nice angus burger!

[coaster]

Empty restaurants or half full do not generate the revenue needed for break even or profitable cruises.

 

BG

 

I agree with the price reductions. NCL has dedicated too much space on their newbuilds towards these extra surcharge eateries. Carnival and Royal Caribbean have ships with much less space dedicated to these onboard revenue centers. However, they continue to post better financials than NCL.

[apmecruise]

Commencing May 1st, the Spirit has new menus, including the specialty restaurants. No, I did not photograph or scan them but comparing to what we had at 4 of the 5 locations, as well as breakfast snd lunch in Cagney's, these are minor changes with some streamlining.

 

For example, I didn't see sliders on the luncheon menu at Cagney's but we could still get Grilled Asparagus with Proscuitto and Parmesan, those succulent and huge Shrimp Cocktails, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Grilled Angus Strip Steak, Fettucini with Porcini Mushrooms, Cagney's fries, Warm Expresso Brownie with Macadamia Ice Cream, Carrot Cake, Banana Cream Pie and Marinated Berries and Mango to list a few things we tried.

 

The MDRs still offer a good variety of daily selections along with the Every Day menu.

When we had butlered dinners (Prime Rib and English Strip Loin nights), I'd requested and received the entire week's dinner menus beforehand, and noticed the listing were nearly identical to the printed out menus I'd gleaned from prior CC research.

 

What I thought was most interesting was the price reductions at Le Bistro, Cagney's, Shogun's and La Trattoria. We expected to pay $20 per person at Le Bistro that first night, but the bill indicated $30 for the 2 of us. I mentioned that to our Hotel Director, (John O'Hara! during the next morning's CC Meet & Greet and he indicated across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, save Teppanyaki, which is hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway.

 

"We are well aware of the perception of nickeling and diming, and do not like it ourselves, so this is our attempt to cut down on that. We will be trying these new menus and rates for the next 2 months to see how it goes."

 

Well, in times of recession, it helps very much, and we ended up eating in Cagney's twice, Shogun twice (once for the Taste of India dinner), Le Bistro once and La Tratorria once, as well as the Presumed Murdered mystery luncheon in the Garden Room (MDR).

 

(I've posted a very detailed and lengthy review, but it will take a couple days to clear Administration). I've not heard if any other ships are following suit, espsecially re these price cuts but it does take a step back in the right direction, and our very attentive servers benefitted from the savings as well!

 

 

Where do you find the menus?

[CruisinMaterial]

I agree with the price reductions. NCL has dedicated too much space on their newbuilds towards these extra surcharge eateries. Carnival and Royal Caribbean have ships with much less space dedicated to these onboard revenue centers. However, they continue to post better financials than NCL.

 

NCL prides themselves on giving people the choice to eat nearly whatever they want, whenever they want. That's their moniker and as a result more space is devoted to restaurants then public lounges and public spaces but I like it and now they're cutting costs on the Spirit to help get their revenues up and their restaurants full. A comparison to Carnival corp or RCI doesn't really do anything because NCL operates differently. :)

[doitallWMB]

We welcome price cuts! DH and I love LeBistro and the italian eatery!

[kcfoxy]

Where do you find the menus?

 

As mentioned in OP, we were furnished a copy of MDR menu for each day by requesting same from our butler, Maurice. The new specialty menus are provided to suite pax, we already had them in our cabin when we boarded.

 

As far as the older menus, found those by dilligent gleaning of NCL CC board, e.g. "search" in the 8 months of research prior to our cruise...

[cruising_baby]

So is this only on the Spirit or it definitely is fleetwide?? I leave on the Gem next Sunday!

[Hikini]

So glad the crab cakes are still in Cagney's for lunch. Someone else had said they were gone.

 

Glad you had a good time!

[CruisinMaterial]

So is this only on the Spirit or it definitely is fleetwide?? I leave on the Gem next Sunday!

 

From what was originally posted, the price reductions are up to the Hotel Directors on the ship if demand of the specialty restaurants is lower. The new menus for the specialty restaurant is JUST on the Norwegian Spirit.

[newmexicoNita]

We welcome price cuts! DH and I love LeBistro and the italian eatery!

 

i agree with you: I am always surprised at the number of people that do not care for the Italian eateries on NCL> We have always enjoyed them. Of course they are not NY or Chic quality but I would not expect that.

 

Nita

[kcfoxy]

i agree with you: I am always surprised at the number of people that do not care for the Italian eateries on NCL> We have always enjoyed them. Of course they are not NY or Chic quality but I would not expect that.

 

Nita

 

...but for the current $5 surcharge that's not bad! BTW: for many many years my family had a great Italian resturant in San Francisco, (Original Joe's, arguably home of the well-known Joe's Special)...still have the offshoot in San Jose, so you could say we are a mite picky about Italian food.

 

Personally, I found the Bean & Pasta Soup, Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato with Basil (Salad) and especially the Spaghetti Carbonara to be perfectly fine...and the service was very attentive.

[mitsugirly]

-the price reductions experienced on the Spirit for speciality restaurants are specific to the Spirit--

 

BG

 

Do you know if they have the Teppanyaki (sp?) at a reduced price on the Spirit as well?

 

Is this reduction only for a limited time?

 

We will be on the Spirit in 118 days 20 hours, 16 min and 21 seconds....and counting.. :D

[njhorseman]

Do you know if they have the Teppanyaki (sp?) at a reduced price on the Spirit as well?

 

Is this reduction only for a limited time?

 

We will be on the Spirit in 118 days 20 hours, 16 min and 21 seconds....and counting.. :D

 

Your questions are answered in the original post:

 

What I thought was most interesting was the price reductions at Le Bistro, Cagney's, Shogun's and La Trattoria. We expected to pay $20 per person at Le Bistro that first night, but the bill indicated $30 for the 2 of us. I mentioned that to our Hotel Director, (John O'Hara! during the next morning's CC Meet & Greet and he indicated across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, save Teppanyaki, which is hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway.

 

"We are well aware of the perception of nickeling and diming, and do not like it ourselves, so this is our attempt to cut down on that. We will be trying these new menus and rates for the next 2 months to see how it goes."

[mitsugirly]

Your questions are answered in the original post:

 

What I thought was most interesting was the price reductions at Le Bistro, Cagney's, Shogun's and La Trattoria. We expected to pay $20 per person at Le Bistro that first night, but the bill indicated $30 for the 2 of us. I mentioned that to our Hotel Director, (John O'Hara! during the next morning's CC Meet & Greet and he indicated across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, save Teppanyaki, which is hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway.

 

"We are well aware of the perception of nickeling and diming, and do not like it ourselves, so this is our attempt to cut down on that. We will be trying these new menus and rates for the next 2 months to see how it goes."

 

 

Not really...it says.... across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, SAVE???? Teppanyaki? What exactly does that mean? I was confused if the OP meant to put a period at the end of save, or missed typed and meant except. That's why I was asking.

[njhorseman]

Not really...it says.... across the board $5 reductions in all specialty restaurants, SAVE???? Teppanyaki? What exactly does that mean? I was confused if the OP meant to put a period at the end of save, or missed typed and meant except. That's why I was asking.

 

"Save" means "except" in this context. It's being used as a preposition.

 

Also note the last part of the sentence that I neglected to color red. It says that Teppanyaki is "hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway." Why would you lower prices for a sold out restaurant?

[mitsugirly]

Sorry, I've never heard someone use the word save in place of except. That's why I was confused. ;)

[kcfoxy]

"Save" means "except" in this context. It's being used as a preposition.

 

Also note the last part of the sentence that I neglected to color red. It says that Teppanyaki is "hugely popular and virtually sold out each night anyway." Why would you lower prices for a sold out restaurant?

 

Appreciate the nice 'save' there!

[Lovely_Star]

So is this only on the Spirit or it definitely is fleetwide?? I leave on the Gem next Sunday!

 

Can you update us when you return from the Gem the following Sunday :D