Returing Cruisers-How did new changes affect specialty dining availability?

[jaja]

Hoping that newly returning cruisers could let us all know how the new promos (including many more UDP Pax.)..has impacted the specialty dining venues.

Crowded? Able to get requested reservations ? Etc. Thanks.

Edited March 25, 2015 by jaja

[tarheelmjfan]

I'm curious about this also. We're considering an NCL cruise, but only if we can dine in specialty restaurants nightly. Now that they've started giving away UDP to the masses, I'm afraid the specialty restaurants will be too crowded or worse decline in quality. This could make a huge difference in whether or not we book Getaway.

[zqvol]

Only a small percentage have the UDP, there was absolutely NO impact at all on the Dawn two weeks ago, and the program was in full swing.

[Carnac767]

No impact on Gem last month. We ate at all of the specialty restaurants and they were never crowded. The only one remotely impacted was Le Bistro. We sometimes had to get a little later seating time. By later I mean perhaps 30 minutes later. No biggie.

[tarheelmjfan]

Good to know. Hopefully, the same is true for Getaway. Thanks for the feedback.

[LrgPizza]

I sailed nearly a year ago with a free UDP promo, so basically nothing has changed since the inception of the UDP. On any given cruise, you will have people that have booked over the course of a couple years. Some will have promos, some won't. Nothing is different.

Edited March 25, 2015 by LrgPizza

[texastennis]

Hoping that newly returning cruisers could let us all know how the new promos (including many more UDP Pax.)..has impacted the specialty dining venues.

Crowded? Able to get requested reservations ? Etc. Thanks.

 

Just returned from the Jewel, and there appeared to be no impact at all.

 

Enjoy!

[bjtravelnews]

I would bet that those who do not have the dining package will be a little more reluctant to pay the extra 18% gratuity. It would be interesting to see how crowded the "free" dining rooms become.

[Va. Plumber]

I seriously doubt that paying $2.50 - 5.00 extra will stop anyone without the UDP from dining in the specialties.

 

People are on vacation.

[tarheelmjfan]

I seriously doubt that paying $2.50 - 5.00 extra will stop anyone without the UDP from dining in the specialties.

 

People are on vacation.

 

 

The added fee wouldn't prevent us from dining in the specialty restaurants either. We always tip extra anyway. Most people are used to paying a tip at restaurants, along with their bill. First time cruisers probably won't give it a second thought & I'm sure we can't be the only veteran cruisers who'll be okay with it.

[martinchem]

If you eat in the specialty restaurant and get charged the 18% where they claim to not be in the DCS pool, would it be wrong to adjust the DSC down since you aren't eating in the MDR where the DSC applies?

[jaja]

There are at least 2 existing threads dedicated to the 18% addition..

The purpose of this thread is to get input from returning cruisers to see how the promos and UDP has impacted the availability of reservations in the specialty venues...Thanks..

[Loucat]

We had the UDP on Sun in February and booked online in advance. I did notice toward the end of the week that some could not get into some of the specialty restaurants.

The hibachi only seats a limited amount of people each serving so that was totally booked out.

I have seen this on other cruises, so really no major impact.

If you wait until the last nights of the cruise and then try to make reservations, you might be unable to do so.

Early in the cruise you could go anywhere.

[jaja]

I now see elsewhere on NCL board that some more recent cruisers have reported it hard to get some reservations onboard..

Does anyone know if there is any way to pre book now (my cruise is in June) for "comped meals"...Platinum and stockholder ???????? Thanks

[peg013]

I now see elsewhere on NCL board that some more recent cruisers have reported it hard to get some reservations onboard..

Does anyone know if there is any way to pre book now (my cruise is in June) for "comped meals"...Platinum and stockholder ???????? Thanks

 

AFAIK not without paying for them now and getting the charges back as OBC on the ship.

[RikkuCat]

I'd be very interested in seeing the statistics of which promo options people are picking. If I had to guess, I'd say that the UBP is probably the most popular and the UDP probably a distant second. I'd imagine that the majority who choose the UDP are either non-drinkers or pretty light drinkers. And that many people who choose the free UDP are people who would have purchased it anyway. I'm sure that there will be more people with the package since it's a promo than there otherwise would be - but will it significantly increase the crowds? I'm not sure. I've never purchased the UDP because we sometimes eat a night in the MDR, O'Sheehans, in port, or at an a la carte restaurant - but it was the best free option for us. However, we would have been at specialty restaurants 5 or 6 nights out of 7 anyway - so us having the package doesn't make a big difference in the numbers at specialty restaurants.

[swedish weave]

Jaja -- We returned yesterday from the Star, and were able to book one (Platinum)free night in Le Bistro by booking early the first day. Nothing else was available in Moderno or Le Bistro, so we booked our other dinner in La Cucina. One of our party had a cert for Cagney's and was told the only time available was 10pm one night. He got some help and was able to use it at 530pm on the sixth night.

 

I would suggest booking as soon as you get onboard if you don't do it in advance.

[mrobstad]

Is doing it in advance still an option? I always book before my cruise, but I read they were dropping that.

[JessLCH]

I thought restaurnat reservations could be made online in advance with no charge for those with the UDP a promo. Is that not the case?

[mking8288]

Two weeks ago, DW & I didn't have problems booking our comp'd Platinum dinner once we got onboard & sat down in the MDR for lunch - didn't bother running over to the Restaurant Rservation Deck, which is right next to/part of Guest Services or calling the designated Platinum Concierge for help. Use our activated iConcierge App onboard, checked for availabilities - and book LeBistro before our lunch entrees came - Day 1 was available (either early at 5:30 or 5:45 or after 9 PM) so took Day 2 at 7:45 PM (that's good for most, later than our cruising dining preference) and also Day 5 at 5:45 PM (5:30 also available as well as late @ 9 PM) - which we took. Day 6 was similar.

 

By Day 3, almost everything gone - Moderno & La Cucina had much better availability but DW not into red meat ... we sticked with our first choices. We dined mostly in the MDR's all week and frequently pass by LeBistro and realized the smaller outside tables are mostly unoccupied - possibly meaning it could, I emphasize the word - could - be a staffing issue. Our server, Mr. E & his assistant were very busy on both evenings - barely had time to stop & check back with us.

 

Another variable is the # of Platinum members for a particular sailing and the ship's seating capacity for the venue. Maybe, they need to serve French cuisine in La Cucina (as it is much bigger) and have Italiano in LeBistro - or, I have another idea - make one of the smaller MDR into a mosaic specialty diner of sort, just order from the specific menu & viola - done - if they are doing so well with UDP. Ocean Blue was basically empty too and they can "deputize" it as LeBistro IIand take orders for the French cuisine as well. :D Have the MDR servers "clock" in as specialty so that DSC & gratuity can be credited properly ...

 

We also noticed more pax in the MDR opened for lunch and lots of French spoken everywhere on the ship, as there was a sizable Canadian - Quebec crowd on their Spring break sailings out of NYC.

 

Oh, yes - we reserved several regular MDR ahead of sailings, no problem at all and no charges for anything then ...

Edited April 7, 2015 by mking8288

[KeithJenner]

I'm in the Getaway now. We booked outr latitudes meals in Moderno and Le Bistro on embarkation day, fairly early. There was a lot of availability at the time.

 

I just checked on the app for availability for 2 people ( we are at the end of day 3).

 

There is no availability at all for Cagneys. Le Bistro or Teppenyaki. Moderno and La Cucina have quite a few options available.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm in the Getaway now. We booked outr latitudes meals in Moderno and Le Bistro on embarkation day, fairly early. There was a lot of availability at the time.

 

I just checked on the app for availability for 2 people ( we are at the end of day 3).

 

There is no availability at all for Cagneys. Le Bistro or Teppenyaki. Moderno and La Cucina have quite a few options available.

Just wondering, if you have two platinum cruisers in your cabin, did you each receive a dinner for two? Some have reported that 2 platinum in one cabin would only get 1 dinner for 2.

[KeithJenner]

Yes, we got two. I just posted this on the thread about that. :)

[jaja]

thanks swedish weave and everyone else....I WILL PLAN ON BOOKING FIRST THING !!! we do like to dine early..so maybe that will also help:)

Also...(never did it before)...but since in a suite..maybe enlist the concierge to help. ;)

[NLH Arizona]

Yes, we got two. I just posted this on the thread about that. :)

Yes, I read what you posted, but since others had reported they only got one dinner, I wanted to make sure you didn't have 4 platinum cruisers in your cabin. Thanks for your response.