Specialty Restaurants?

[staceycs]

We have only cruised Carnival and will be traveling on the NCL Pearl to Alaska in a few weeks. Do you recommend purchasing the dining package or buffet/MDR? I have read mixed reviews about the MDR/buffet. Honestly I am NOT a buffet person so it would be MDR for most of our meals.

[punkincc]

We have only cruised Carnival and will be traveling on the NCL Pearl to Alaska in a few weeks. Do you recommend purchasing the dining package or buffet/MDR? I have read mixed reviews about the MDR/buffet. Honestly I am NOT a buffet person so it would be MDR for most of our meals.

 

It has been a few years since I have been on the Pearl, but I don't recall having any problem with the food in the buffet. As I recall, I think it was one of my favorite buffets on any NCL ship, as when you are seated you feel like you are in an actual restaurant, not a buffet, with the high backed curved booths blocking sight of the buffet when seated. We actually find the buffet food to be quite good on NCL. You may be pleasantly surprised, and it sure is convenient after a very long and active port day when you come back aboard tired and don't feel like changing ( not to imply that you could not dine elsewhere except Le Bistro and aft MDR probably in what you have on ).

 

Based on the number of times we typically visit a specialty, MDR or buffet, we have found that the UDP does not pay for us. Cheaper to just pay for our 2 or 3 specialities per cruise. You'd have to hit the specialties 5 or more times to break even on the package. And, NCL has upgraded their MDR menus recently. Based on comments, most are finding the food there to be very good, so even less need to book a specialty. But we do enjoy Cagneys and Moderno very much.

Edited July 2, 2014 by punkincc

[KeithJenner]

Do you recommend purchasing the dining package or buffet/MDR?

 

Neither.

 

I'd recommend not buying the dining package, and eating wherever you want on each night, which could be at the buffet, MDR or a speciality. The dining package is only worth it if you eat in speciality restaurants almost every night, so I'd recommend just paying for the speciality restaurants when you fancy going there.

 

This question is very often discussed as a one or the other (do I buy the package and eat in specialities, or just eat in the MDR). There are more options than that.