Kids in the pay restaurants

[craigp21]

We are going on the Jewel in September for our first cruise. My wife and I like the food in the pay restaurants, but the menu does not appeal to our kids, 9, 6, 6. We want to eat with them still, if we paid for all of us, do you think they would bring food from somewhere like the main dining hall (my kids are picky, like most kids)?

[LrgPizza]

Kids can eat from the ship's standard kids' menu in the specialty restaurants for no charge. Chicken nuggets, peanut butter, etc.

[ClarkBHM]

We would take the kids to eat in the kids buffet, and then take them to the kids club when they were done. That way, we got a nice meal together while the kids didn't have to sit through a stuffy restaurant that they wouldn't enjoy.

[Tiggertastic]

They are used to the kids not wanting to eat from the menu and will happily bring the MDR menu for them to select from

[craigp21]

sounds great, we figured that was the case but thought we better check just in case

[pokerpro5]

It's actually a little confusing.

 

Anyone 13 and up is considered an adult.

 

Kids aged 4-12 have two choices:

- Eat from the specialty menu at half price. There is some nonsense about a "specialty kids menu" but that's not enforced. They can order an adult meal, get an adult portion, and pay half price.

OR

- Eat from the MDR kids' menu and be served in the specialty restaurants. This is free.

 

Kids aged 0-3 are actually the most confusing. They are ALWAYS free. However, what if your 3-year-old wants to have a specialty meal? My 3-year-old actually likes good food (he prefers high-quality adult food over kids menu type stuff), so I wanted to order him specialty meals. The restaurants did not know what to do about this. However, since the NCL literature says "Kids 3 and under always eat free", I convinced them that my son should be able to eat specialty meals for free, and they agreed. So he ate his own adult-sized specialty meals for free.

[bean24]

It's actually a little confusing.

 

 

 

Kids aged 0-3 are actually the most confusing. They are ALWAYS free. However, what if your 3-year-old wants to have a specialty meal? My 3-year-old actually likes good food (he prefers high-quality adult food over kids menu type stuff), so I wanted to order him specialty meals. The restaurants did not know what to do about this. However, since the NCL literature says "Kids 3 and under always eat free", I convinced them that my son should be able to eat specialty meals for free, and they agreed. So he ate his own adult-sized specialty meals for free.

 

 

You shouldn't have had any problems. My son has been eating off the adult menu since he's been eating. He had full sized portions at Teppanyaki & la cuccina for free. Last cruise we finally had to pay half. He was 4. Le Bistro does actually have a modified menu for the kids. He loved the pork.

 

 

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[kcwingwalker]

We are going on the Jewel in September for our first cruise. My wife and I like the food in the pay restaurants, but the menu does not appeal to our kids, 9, 6, 6. We want to eat with them still, if we paid for all of us, do you think they would bring food from somewhere like the main dining hall (my kids are picky, like most kids)?

 

Kids are welcome in the specialty restaurants and you'll find the staff to be very accommodating. You will not have problems with finding foods they will enjoy.

 

However do keep in mind that the time spent in most of the specialty restaurants might be too long for some children. It's not unheard of to spend a couple of hours in Cagney's or Le Bistro. The Italian restaurant is popular with families and has a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

[ncklhaus]

We were on the Jewel in 2011 when our daughter was 4. Generally she likes to try all different food, especially shellfish. We were eating at Tapas's (now Moderno) and the server there noticed that she wasn't really eating her food. I don't remember what it was, but it was from the specialty menu. The server came over to her, got down on her knees so she would be at eye level with her and they spoke about the food. The server winked and smiled at her and then 5 minutes later was back with a plate of pasta with butter and parmesan and a plate of romaine lettuce and cucumber slices, no dressing. She ate it all. And when we got our bill, we were not charged for her at all!

[pokerpro5]

You shouldn't have had any problems. My son has been eating off the adult menu since he's been eating. He had full sized portions at Teppanyaki & la cuccina for free. Last cruise we finally had to pay half. He was 4. Le Bistro does actually have a modified menu for the kids. He loved the pork.

 

On my NCL Jewel cruise in December, every restaurant on board was confused about this. They were polite and backed down when I insisted that he could eat for free from the specialty menu, but their initial reaction was to tell me either "No" or "I don't know, that's a tough one, let me try to figure this out".

 

FYI the kids never have to eat the modified kids menu. They will always let him order from the regular menu at no extra charge.

[TwinMommyByGrace]

 

Kids aged 0-3 are actually the most confusing. They are ALWAYS free. However, what if your 3-year-old wants to have a specialty meal? My 3-year-old actually likes good food (he prefers high-quality adult food over kids menu type stuff), so I wanted to order him specialty meals. The restaurants did not know what to do about this. However, since the NCL literature says "Kids 3 and under always eat free", I convinced them that my son should be able to eat specialty meals for free, and they agreed. So he ate his own adult-sized specialty meals for free.

 

We are cruising with 3 year old twins so I plan to have the written policy on hand to avoid any confusion at the specialty restaurants. If anyone else needs it you can find it here

 

http://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/freestyle-dining

 

click on freestyle dining guide and it's down at the bottom of page 2 :)

[pokerpro5]

We are cruising with 3 year old twins so I plan to have the written policy on hand to avoid any confusion at the specialty restaurants. If anyone else needs it you can find it here

 

http://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/freestyle-dining

 

click on freestyle dining guide and it's down at the bottom of page 2 :)

 

I couldn't find it on that link, but here is the PDF where you indeed find it on the bottom of page 2:

 

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Dining-Guide-06202014.pdf

 

I will be printing this out prior to my cruise in 2 weeks.

[rvsullivan]

I couldn't find it on that link, but here is the PDF where you indeed find it on the bottom of page 2:

 

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Dining-Guide-06202014.pdf

 

I will be printing this out prior to my cruise in 2 weeks.

 

You did notice the part where it says half price is only for ordering off of the children's specialty menu?? Not the regular menu. Regular menu is regular price. Looks like you got some freebies last time.

[pokerpro5]

You did notice the part where it says half price is only for ordering off of the children's specialty menu?? Not the regular menu. Regular menu is regular price. Looks like you got some freebies last time.

 

What they say and what they do are two different things.

 

Some restaurants don't have a kids' specialty menu, and the ones that do never seem to enforce that the kids have to eat off there.

 

Besides, the "kids under 4 always eat free" should supersede all of that, as they are supposed to "eat free" no matter what I want to order them (unless it's an upcharge item, obviously).