Ultimate Dining Package?

[kcwingwalker]

Had the UDP in April for our Jewel cruise and we loved it. We had a suite and that gave us the option of having meals delivered to our cabin from any restaurant. So most nights we went to the restaurants but for a couple we ordered from the specialty menus and the butler delivered dinner............now what we liked about that was one might want French and the other Chinese and it was no problem. Our butler was wonderful and sometimes he would bring us crème brulee for an evening snack!

[Yo Adrienne]

My husband and I will be traveling on the NCL Pearl to Alaska in a few weeks celebrating our 20th anniversary. I am trying to determine if we should book the ultimate dining package. If you have done this package did you feel it was worth it?

 

We were on the Pearl for a 10 day Alaska cruise in May and we purchased the UDP. Once we were onboard, we checked the daily menus in the main dining rooms, and we just didn't care for most of the meal entrees (just personal preference). So, we were glad we had purchased it--because the menus in the specialty restaurants definitely appealed to us more. I would suggest you take a look at the various menus and see where you might end up eating your meals.

 

Also, we did note VERY long lines are the main dining rooms at peak meal-times. And the buffet, while nice, often proved to be too crowded--not enough seating.

 

All that being said, bottom line is to do the math...We figured that for our cruise, we needed to eat in specialty restaurants most of the evenings to make it pay. For our 10-day cruise, the price was $200 per person. Several of the restaurants have a $20 service charge, so even eating in those, we wouldn't have gotten the value. But, Cagney's was $30, so each night we ate there, we would have gotten value.

 

BUT...and here's the important thing...a week before our cruise, NCL DROPPED THE PRICE of the UDP for our cruise--and suddenly it was only $160 per person. At that price, we knew we'd get value every night, so we purchased it. If you're willing to gamble, you might consider waiting to see if the price drops...that makes it an even better value...!

 

Hope this is helpful...! :)

[happy cruzin]

Had the UDP in April for our Jewel cruise and we loved it. We had a suite and that gave us the option of having meals delivered to our cabin from any restaurant. So most nights we went to the restaurants but for a couple we ordered from the specialty menus and the butler delivered dinner............now what we liked about that was one might want French and the other Chinese and it was no problem. Our butler was wonderful and sometimes he would bring us crème brulee for an evening snack!

 

Now....THAT is one "perk" I would never have thought of! Thanks :D

[KeithJenner]

Now....THAT is one "perk" I would never have thought of! Thanks :D

 

Although it is a perk of being in a Suite, rather than of the UDP. It's been an option from before the UDP was introduced

 

The one time we were in a suite last year, we were going to get the butler to deliver our meals, from Le Bistro for myself and Cagneys for my wife. We never got round to it, but it would have been no problem apparently.

[LrgPizza]

My 2nd favorite restaurant on the Getaway was the Tropicana Room, which is one of the included MDRs. Had we not had the free UDP, we would have eaten here most nights. Make sure you save time in your schedule to enjoy this entertaining, beautiful room. Also, despite eating in 5 specialty restaurants, Tropicana Room was our best service.

[happy cruzin]

Although it is a perk of being in a Suite, rather than of the UDP. It's been an option from before the UDP was introduced

 

The one time we were in a suite last year, we were going to get the butler to deliver our meals, from Le Bistro for myself and Cagneys for my wife. We never got round to it, but it would have been no problem apparently.

 

TRUE!

But I guess since DH and I don't have any trouble agreeing on where to go on any given night - I just never really though about the fact that you COULD order from two different restaurants for delivery to the suite. :cool:

[happy cruzin]

From frequenting these boards, you would think that most people got the UDP, but that just shows how unrepresentative a bunch we are. Judging by what I have seen onboard on two cruises since it was launched, very few people get it.

 

I would be concerned if I was on a sailing where it was being given away free, but other than that I haven't noticed any difference in how busy the restaurants are. It looks to me as if those people who eat there anyway are getting the package but very few people like myself (who go a couple of times in a cruise) are being tempted.

 

LOL, true!

 

I don't know if anyone has the exact number - but it has been stated here before that we only represent maybe 1 or 2 percent of the cruising population. :o

 

So I guess that makes us a small - but vocal - minority! ;) :D

[NYcruzzer]

My DW and I are Platinum and are both entitled to two free dinners for two in Le Bistro. If we opt to purchase the UDP do we get a discount since we are giving up 4 free meals and two bottles of wine ? If so any idea of the amount of discount ?

[KeithJenner]

My DW and I are Platinum and are both entitled to two free dinners for two in Le Bistro. If we opt to purchase the UDP do we get a discount since we are giving up 4 free meals and two bottles of wine ? If so any idea of the amount of discount ?

 

 

Yes, you get $20 off, which is based on the cost of a meal at Le Bistro.

 

You have probably spotted the flaw already. Unless you are with other people who you could take with you as your guests, you are throwing away the "for two" part of the platinum meal.

 

For that reason, it is harder for platinums to make a case for the UDP.

 

The price that is shown for the UDP in myncl appears to be after taking this discount into account (it's $20 lower than the advertised cost for me), so i don't think you pay any less that is shown there.

 

 

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[NYcruzzer]

Yes, you get $20 off, which is based on the cost of a meal at Le Bistro.

 

You have probably spotted the flaw already. Unless you are with other people who you could take with you as your guests, you are throwing away the "for two" part of the platinum meal.

 

For that reason, it is harder for platinums to make a case for the UDP.

 

The price that is shown for the UDP in myncl appears to be after taking this discount into account (it's $20 lower than the advertised cost for me), so i don't think you pay any less that is shown there.

 

 

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Thank you for the quick response. Since I am going on a 10 day cruise I think I'll just dine twice at Le Bisto for free. Then Dine once at Cagney's and once at Teppenkaki. I'll find the 6 nights with the strongest MDR menu and plan accordingly.

Edited July 7, 2014 by NYcruzzer

[KeithJenner]

Thank you for the quick response. Since I am going on a 10 day cruise I think I'll just dine twice at Le Bisto for free. Then Dine once at Cagney's and once at Teppenkaki. I'll find the 6 nights with the strongest MDR menu and plan accordingly.

 

 

Swap Teppenyaki for Moderno and that's exactly what I would do. :)

 

Actually, I'd probably use one of my free ones in Moderno and go to Cagneys twice, but we're along the right lines aren't we.

 

Or maybe I would go to Le Bistro twice. I still haven't tried the duck there yet.

 

It's a good job we can decide at the time isn't it. :)

 

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Edited July 7, 2014 by KeithJenner

[NYcruzzer]

Swap Teppenyaki for Moderno and that's exactly what I would do. :)

 

Actually, I'd probably use one of my free ones in Moderno and go to Cagneys twice, but we're along the right lines aren't we.

 

Or maybe I would go to Le Bistro twice. I still haven't tried the duck there yet.

 

It's a good job we can decide at the time isn't it. :)

 

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Decisions, Decisions...lol

[muah3iluvzu06]

I'm not sure if this is for all ships, but at least for the Epic we booked the UDP and got the Cirque Dinner premium seating included (if you go to the show on the first night). This alone is tremendous value to us, as we were going to pay for this anyways. We also plan on eating at Cagney's a couple times.

[KeithJenner]

Yes, I believe that is the case for all ships which have that venue (Epic, Breakaway and Getaway).

[rajones007]

We have a 13-day Star cruise in November. It's $209 per person and there's 3 of us. Myself, my wife, and our 16 year old son. So it'll be $627 to buy the UDP.

 

I'm thinking:

3 x Cagneys ($270)

3 x La Cucina ($90)

2 x Moderno's ($150)

1 x Le Bistro ($75)

1 x Tepanyaki ($75)

 

(That's assuming that Modern's, Le Bistro, and Tepanyaki are still $25pp, La Cucina is $10pp, and Cagneys is $30pp)

 

That's $660 for 10 of the 13 nights and we've saved $33. Funny how the UDP hinges so much on how often a passenger visit Cagneys.

 

To note...

• Almost 40% of dining (5 of 13 nights) will be at a steakhouse of some sort. That percentage might be a little high for my wife.
   
   
  
• We're in a suite, so Le Bistro will be served in our cabin. We are really casual folk and Le Bistro seems a little beyond what we pack for our cruise.
   
   
  
• We could probably do a Tepanyaki early in the cruise, and then again late in the cruise to make it even more worthwhile. That'll fix my wifes craving of lobster on a cruise ship. They still offer Lobster at Tepanyaki, right?
   
   
  
• We love La Cucina and know they have a very good variety on the menu that we might even do it more than 3 times.
   
   
  
• I should look up the current menu and make sure we won't tire of the variety offered at Cagneys.
   
  

 

Is it possible to do 2 in one day? Like, what if at 5.30 we go to La Cucina and have a caesar salad and pizza. Then go to the show, the casino, whatever. Then at 8.30/9.00 we slip into Cagneys for a steak and fries? Do they allow that?

 

We're still thinking about buying the UDP. So your thoughts and comments would also be appreciated.

Edited July 7, 2014 by rajones007

[All-ready2cruise]

Your prices are off slightly: Modernos and Le Bistro are $20/pp, Teppanyaki is $25/pp, La Cucina $15/pp and Cagney's (you're correct) $30/pp

Edited July 7, 2014 by All-ready2cruise

[khia213]

I just booked the UDP. I figure that we love Cagney's and will eat there twice which will be $120, Le Bistro @ $40, Moderno @ $40 and Teppanyaki at $50. Those alone will come to more than I spent.

[rajones007]

Your prices are off slightly: Modernos and Le Bistro are $20/pp, Teppanyaki is $25/pp, La Cucina $15/pp and Cagney's (you're correct) $30/pp

Dang. Thanks for letting me know. (and it's too late to edit my original post.)

 

So that puts me at Cagneys still $270, La Cucina $135, Moderno's $120, Le Bistro $60, and Tepanyaki remains at $75. For a grand total of $660 which, oddly enough, is the same! ahahahaha

 

And we still have 3 open meals as possibilities, and also 2 meals in the same evening (as I asked earlier and awaiting a possible confirm/deny.)

Edited July 7, 2014 by rajones007

[muah3iluvzu06]

Yes, you can eat at two specialty restaurants in the same day.

[happy cruzin]

Yep! can do as many restaurants per night that you'd like. Here is a repost of a response I posted earlier in the thread. ;)

 

Yep! There have been others who posted that they went to dinner one place before the show and then had dessert someplace else later in the evening. I remember one couple posting that they ate a couple of small meals each evening - usually at different restaurants instead of one big meal. Appetizer and entrée at one place then later in the evening appetizer and dessert some place else. It really seemed to work out well for them and got me thinking "outside the box" as to how to best enjoy our UDP on the Getaway!

 

Definitely a different - more flexible - way of going about it! A nice option to have - know that it's all included! ;) :D