Ultimate dining pkg reviews

[samiams2]

Since the UDP has officially been out a couple weeks now and some are returning that may have had a chance to partake...IF YOU GOT THE UDP, what are your thoughts? Worth the $? Any hidden strings? Anything that made it better than you thought it would? Were you a "specialty restaurant only" cruiser before?

 

The other threads are already filled with all the speculation and hearsay so please keep this to those who have tried it only please. If you have an opinion but haven't tried the UDP personally, please post in the other threads. Actual reviews only please! :)

 

We sail Epic beginning of Feb and we are gonna try it so I will add my .02 end of next mo.

 

Maybe a mod could sticky this to keep it up top for awhile?

[JKHawaii]

Bought the UDP on the Epic last week and loved it.

 

Basically, you can dine at any of the following restaurants each night: Cagney's, Moderno, Le Bistro, La Cucina, Teppanyaki, Shanghai's. You don't have to eat at a certain restarant on a specific night like with the 3-restaurant package.

 

I did all six during the 7-night cruise with a second go-around at Cagney's. I made reservations for each night, although I was told you aren't required to make reservations.

 

Food, service, and ambiance was excellent in all the restaurants. You could have a leisurely dinner if you wished or the staff would expedite the service if you needed to be somewhere.

 

Does not include a la carte venues or the Cirque. I think you get a 20% discount at those, but I can't remember for sure, as I was too stuffed from the other restaurants to try them.

 

The NCL website explains the program and I found no discrepancies with that information in my experience.

[johnql]

Bought the UDP on the Epic last week and loved it.

 

Basically, you can dine at any of the following restaurants each night: Cagney's, Moderno, Le Bistro, La Cucina, Teppanyaki, Shanghai's. You don't have to eat at a certain restarant on a specific night like with the 3-restaurant package.

 

I did all six during the 7-night cruise with a second go-around at Cagney's. I made reservations for each night, although I was told you aren't required to make reservations.

 

Food, service, and ambiance was excellent in all the restaurants. You could have a leisurely dinner if you wished or the staff would expedite the service if you needed to be somewhere.

 

Does not include a la carte venues or the Cirque. I think you get a 20% discount at those, but I can't remember for sure, as I was too stuffed from the other restaurants to try them.

 

The NCL website explains the program and I found no discrepancies with that information in my experience.

Thanks very much for the first-hand report. I'm glad you were pleased with the UDP.

 

Two questions: is it possible to dine in 2 different specialty restaurants in the same night - e.g., 5:30 in Le Bistro and then 9:00 in La Cucina?

 

Do they charge the specified surcharge for items such as the lobster tail in Le Bistro (normally a $10 additional surcharge applies)?

[JKHawaii]

UDP includes all menu items.

 

I was told you could eat at more than one restaurant each night, but I didn't attempt to.

[3DBeach]

I was wondering about the lobster too. Good to know. Thanks for the info.

 

 

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[tarps14]

UDP includes all menu items.

 

Ummm, gonna have to disagree with this. We were on the Epic last week and had the UDP as well and I was definitely charged additional for the lobster at Le Bistro.

 

I do think the UDP was worth the price. Wish I had thought about the eating at two restaurants in one night though. We weren't near hungry enough when we ate at Moderno and I just didn't enjoy it like I might have otherwise. Later in the night we were definitely looking for something else to eat.

[MCAT48]

Ummm, gonna have to disagree with this. We were on the Epic last week and had the UDP as well and I was definitely charged additional for the lobster at Le Bistro.

 

I do think the UDP was worth the price. Wish I had thought about the eating at two restaurants in one night though. We weren't near hungry enough when we ate at Moderno and I just didn't enjoy it like I might have otherwise. Later in the night we were definitely looking for something else to eat.

 

that stinks. I am pretty sure it says all menu items are included on the website and if that is not true they should remove that frrom the website.

[mrrobby]

Hello cruisers, Does anyone who has done the UDP know if you can have a meal from the specialty restaurant delivered to a Suite? Thanks in advance.

 

Take Care

Rob

[rvsullivan]

that stinks. I am pretty sure it says all menu items are included on the website and if that is not true they should remove that frrom the website.

 

It's true that all menu items are included. Problem is, lobster is an add on and not part of the regular menu. Always been extra and probably will stay that way.

[albertamom]

Hello cruisers, Does anyone who has done the UDP know if you can have a meal from the specialty restaurant delivered to a Suite? Thanks in advance.

 

Take Care

Rob

 

Hey Rob. We think alike! I followed you here to ask the same question. :)

[mrrobby]

I am probably going to buy it either way Albertamom. The only night my wife and I were thinking of eating in the Suite for sure was the night of the Superbowl. It still comes out as a better deal than purchasing them on their own. With kids I might not purchase it if they won't deliver it to the room on the package. A few nights you will surely be worn out or one of the kids will be and won't want to go. You have a bigger decision than me.

 

Good Luck

Rob

[monteman]

Hello cruisers, Does anyone who has done the UDP know if you can have a meal from the specialty restaurant delivered to a Suite? Thanks in advance.

 

Take Care

Rob

 

If you are in a suite, the butler would be happy to deliver from a specialty restaurant and I can't imagine it would make a difference if you have the dining package or not.

[mrrobby]

An earlier poster on a different thread said that their PCC said no delivery to the Suite on the package. Something about all people in the suite may have not purchased the package. Sounds pretty crazy to me, but who knows. We will find out for sure next week.

[monteman]

An earlier poster on a different thread said that their PCC said no delivery to the Suite on the package. Something about all people in the suite may have not purchased the package. Sounds pretty crazy to me, but who knows. We will find out for sure next week.

 

You are right--I saw that thread after posting on this one. I have a strong feeling, though, that a butler would be fine doing it, once he knows all the people in the suite have the package. They are pretty on top of who is where and what each of their guests have signed up for. And they aim to please. It will be interesting to see how this aspect plays out, for sure.

Edited January 22, 2014 by monteman

[dalgirl]

Ummm, gonna have to disagree with this. We were on the Epic last week and had the UDP as well and I was definitely charged additional for the lobster at Le Bistro.

 

Q. ARE ANY MENU ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. No, all items listed on the menus are included in the package.

 

Sorry, they ripped you off. I would print out the faqs from the NCL website and take it with me. With any new program there is the possibility of confusion on the crew's part.

[cherrypop]

Could you do a certain restaurant more than once? Could you do the same restaurant a few times, or are you only allowed to do them once?

[dgparent]

Could you do a certain restaurant more than once? Could you do the same restaurant a few times, or are you only allowed to do them once?

 

You can eat at Cagney's 7 nights in a row if you want

[my2grls98]

I booked and paid for the UDP today only to find out I couldn't make dining reservations until we get on the GetAway. We are schedule to cruise on April 5th...had I known this I wouldn't have paid for it today. Maybe I just missed where it said you couldn't book online and had to on the ship??!!

[samiams2]

You can make reservations within 45 days of sail date. I am sailing 2/9 and have made reservation already. You can Breathe easy.

[my2grls98]

Ok, thanks! I told my husband, we'll have to be waiting for the previous sailing to dock and immediately jump on the ship to be first in line to make our dinner reservations! lol (We just don't eat dinner late, so we are anxious to make the early dinner reservations!) thanks for the quick reply!

[3DBeach]

You should be ok, as far as i know we'll still be able to make our reservations 45 days out. I'm excited because the first time i sailed the Epic i wasn't too impressed with Cagney's and i am looking forward to trying it on the Getaway thanks to the $ the UDP will save me (we have never eaten in the MDR believe it or not).

[ann1bell]

We enjoyed the UDP last week on the Jewel. We were not charged extra for the lobster at Le Bistro. You can go back more than once a night and dine at any of the restaurants. We ate twice at Cagney's and Le Bistro and at Teppanaki and La Cucina once. We had one dinner in the MDR at a Captain's dinner which was quite nice.

 

All the free places were good. We just chose the UDP as we were not doing any shore excursions.

[johnql]

Ok, thanks! I told my husband, we'll have to be waiting for the previous sailing to dock and immediately jump on the ship to be first in line to make our dinner reservations! lol (We just don't eat dinner late, so we are anxious to make the early dinner reservations!) thanks for the quick reply!

If you end up waiting until you're on the ship, I am almost certain that you won't have any problem getting reservations for any of the specialty restaurants. The only one that might give you some trouble is Teppanyaki since it's such a small venue but even that one won't be a problem if you're flexible with the seating time. If you're generally looking for early dinner reservations, I don't think you'll encounter any problems whatsoever.

[DGP1111]

Ummm, gonna have to disagree with this. We were on the Epic last week and had the UDP as well and I was definitely charged additional for the lobster at Le Bistro.

 

It's true that all menu items are included. Problem is, lobster is an add on and not part of the regular menu. Always been extra and probably will stay that way.

 

NCL would have to be pretty dense to attempt charging extra for the lobster add-on when they've been using this graphic online to advertise the new dining experience since Day 1 . . .

 

 

.

[MCAT48]

It's true that all menu items are included. Problem is, lobster is an add on and not part of the regular menu. Always been extra and probably will stay that way.

 

There is a lobster entrée on the menu that was an extra charge but since it's a menu item it should not be an extra charge with the UDP along with the other entrées listed as being $10 extra if that is not true they shouldn't advertise as everything being included.