New Dining Policy -- Official as of 4:20 EST

[Love.NCL]

We were on the Jewel in mid April and my 14 month old had a fit right after we ordered. The waiter said he would deliver our order (3 course meal) to your room thru room service. We weren't in a a suite or anything. just a regular cabin.

Hope this is just rumour - we're cruising on the getaway in January and dinner service with a little one isn't easy.

[hpecorari]

We were on the Jewel in mid April and my 14 month old had a fit right after we ordered. The waiter said he would deliver our order (3 course meal) to your room thru room service. We weren't in a a suite or anything. just a regular cabin.

Hope this is just rumour - we're cruising on the getaway in January and dinner service with a little one isn't easy.

 

As the rules now are that no food can be packed up from any restaurant to go back to the room you will have two choices on your next cruise....

 

1. Leave the restaurant and your food there and either order room service when you get back to your room or wait it out with your child until you all can go to another eating area

or

2. Stay there and eat your food disregarding not only your child's behavior but disturbing all the other people trying to enjoy their dinner.

 

Most people would choose to leave as you did, which, IMHO, is the correct thing to do. However, if you've just paid $30.00 each for yourself and your husband for a specialty restaurant you will be throwing away $60.00 plus an 18% gratuity for food you won't be able to eat or bring back to your room.

 

There really needs to be an exception to these rules in regard to children and medical reasons for guests.

 

Harriet

[Gregor4500]

I find it hard to believe. To many people take the food to the pool or the Italian restaurant on some ships.

[Jancruz]

I did ask Cruise Critic to check, because from all reports, since the no take out food policy was enacted, no one has been told they can not take anything out of the buffet and they have reported that they in fact did take food from the buffet.

 

I doubt the buffet is included, if only for the fact that there are not that many seats there and passengers take food to eat at the pool and also take food (at least on the Pearl) into the Italian restaurant for overflow seats and most importantly in NCL's response they never mentioned the buffet.

 

Hopefully, Cruise Critic will find out if the buffet is included and report back, so that folks can continue to be upset or relieved that it is not included.

 

According to the report above it does include the buffet..

Janruz1

[Paphillyguy]

So this policy had me quite mad as it is very interesting they implement a room service charge and then they make a policy you can not take food back to your room from the buffet. Allegedly.

 

So, I decided to call casino reservations as that is who i normally use. I asked the following question. I just read on cruise critic that NCL has a new policy that no food from the buffet is aloud to be taken back to the room. Is that true? She said hold and let me check. She came back and said that it was partially correct. She said that NO HOT FOOD would be aloud to be taken out of the dining venue but snacks such as fruits etc would.

 

I express my displeasure especially with the new room service charge. She said she was sorry to hear that and was there anything else she could help me with.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Paphillyguy

[TheManitoban]

We assume this is to push people that enjoy eating in their rooms to room service. I wonder also, is there an expectation that with the new room service charge that they'd have a vast increase in people making up their own plates and taking the food back and this is to prevent that?

 

Also, I assume this does not apply to drinks?

[old sole]

So this policy had me quite mad as it is very interesting they implement a room service charge and then they make a policy you can not take food back to your room from the buffet. Allegedly.

 

So, I decided to call casino reservations as that is who i normally use. I asked the following question. I just read on cruise critic that NCL has a new policy that no food from the buffet is aloud to be taken back to the room. Is that true? She said hold and let me check. She came back and said that it was partially correct. She said that NO HOT FOOD would be aloud to be taken out of the dining venue but snacks such as fruits etc would.

 

I express my displeasure especially with the new room service charge. She said she was sorry to hear that and was there anything else she could help me with.

 

Great. I can wait for it to cool down. I don't suppose she mentioned the maximum temperature that a food item can have and be permissable to take out. And I guess juice will be OK, but not coffee?

[Paphillyguy]

That's exactly what I thought. No eggs and bacon but you can take out ice cream and potato salad.

[Cuizer2]

So this policy had me quite mad as it is very interesting they implement a room service charge and then they make a policy you can not take food back to your room from the buffet. Allegedly.

 

So, I decided to call casino reservations as that is who i normally use. I asked the following question. I just read on cruise critic that NCL has a new policy that no food from the buffet is aloud to be taken back to the room. Is that true? She said hold and let me check. She came back and said that it was partially correct. She said that NO HOT FOOD would be aloud to be taken out of the dining venue but snacks such as fruits etc would.

 

I express my displeasure especially with the new room service charge. She said she was sorry to hear that and was there anything else she could help me with.

 

Define "hot"

[NLH Arizona]

According to the report above it does include the buffet..

Janruz1

Not sure what report your are referring to.

[richstowe]

It laughable to read the apologists state that this policy is about ship cleanliness or the safety of pax carrying food around the ship . Near the top of my beliefs is that when it's said to not be about the money , it's about the money ! This new policy is an addendum to the delivery charge .They realized , perhaps after the fact, that people would try to avoid the new room service fee by talking out food from the buffet . In short they have decided to institute one new policy to booster another new policy.

 

So sleazy .:mad:

 

Just keep in mind, rumors are just that: We have no clarification about taking breakfast or lunch from the buffet to the tables near the pool area. Let's wait and see instead of thinking nothing but negatives.

Why would it matter where you were taking the buffet food to ? If you got a drink in a bar would you be OK if they let you take it to the MDR but not to your cabin ? Edited May 7, 2015 by richstowe

[SissasMomE]

It laughable to read the apologists state that this policy is about ship cleanliness or the safety of pax carrying food around the ship . Near the top of my beliefs is that when it's said to not be about the money , it's about the money ! This new policy is an addendum to the delivery charge .They realized , perhaps after the fact, that people would try to avoid the new room service fee by talking out food from the buffet . In short they have decided to institute one new policy to booster another new policy.

 

So sleazy .:mad:

 

Why would it matter where you were taking the buffet food to ? If you got a drink in a bar would you be OK if they let you take it to the MDR but not to your cabin ?

 

You'd have to be really stupid to think it has anything at all to do with keeping the ship clean or "safe". I can't even say naive ... just plain ole stupid.

[rvsullivan]

However, if one person buys an alcohol package, all must buy a package

 

"Beverage packages must be purchased for all guests staying within the same stateroom, additional stateroom, adjoining stateroom or travel with.

 

Individuals under the age of 21 will be required to purchase the Soda Program"

 

Of course, but the statement was about the soda package. Trying not to confuse the issue by adding data that has nothing to do with the question/comment.

[badtwin]

I am so thankful for cruise critic providing a quick source for this sort of information.

 

My family has been eyeing an NCL European cruise for this fall because of the timing and itinerary but have had some hesitation - mostly based on the food on our last NCL cruise and on the freestyle format - we like the formal dining room but understand it is not for everyone. I have been watching the NCL forum for news and advice for about a month now.

 

This new policy is a deal breaker. On port intensive cruises like Europe, we like to come back to the room after along day of touring, shower and dress and have a glass of wine and some "nibbles" from the buffet while we do so and then enjoy a late dinner. I am appalled that we won't be able to bring a plate of something to the room so NCL can stick us with a room service charge for some sort of snack plate.

 

It is bad enough that the food on the MDR is so uninspired to get more people into the specialty restaurants. Now they expect me to pay for cheese and crackers??? No thanks NCL. Glad I have not booked yet.

[jpcdds6]

I've heard enough. Does anyone have Frank Del Rio's cell phone #?

[SAILPRO]

So does this mean I can't take my afternoon ice cream cone anywhere? How ridiculous is that?

 

100% agreed emcelh!

 

:rolleyes: Let see, if kids NOT allow to bring ice cream/cookie back to the room, pool area, and etc.

 

Kids WON'T BE HAPPY :mad: = mom WON'T BE HAPPY :mad: = dad WON'T BE HAPPY :mad: = ncl WON'T BE HAPPY (lots of vacant rooms) :mad:.

[EyeSeaEwe]

Yet, above where it asks, it says, :

"(4:20 p.m. EDT) -- Norwegian Cruise Line has banned "takeaway" food from its ship restaurants, main dining room and buffet areas.

 

So how do you take it? They are banning it but asking you to obey?

 

Harriet

 

And the post you referenced is a report from a third party. It is not an NCL statement. It is an opinion of the author.

[hpecorari]

And the post you referenced is a report from a third party. It is not an NCL statement. It is an opinion of the author.

 

I will agree with you on that.

 

Harriet

[RiotAct]

I'm beginning to think that NCL is leaking these very unpopular trial balloons to pave the way for some moderately unpopular policy decisions. By letting the CC community believe for 24-48 hours that food may not be removed from the buffet ' date=' it will make the eventual clarification of buffet is ok but no doggie bags from mdr or specialty restaurants seem like a bargain. [/quote']

 

Lol, brilliant. Kind of like the old

 

"Bad news. Your son has been expelled for the rest of the year for attacking one of his teachers!"

"Oh my God! I can't believe this. We try to raise him so well."

"..... just kidding! He did fail Social Studies though"

 

trick.

[Cindy]

I think the new policy is ridiculous, and it very probably means we'll never cruise on NCL.:( There's no way I'm going to pay for a suite with a big aft balcony and be told I can't grab a quick breakfast from the buffet to dine on my balcony. I'm going to see how this plays out over the next few months, but if it's enforced the way it was presented in the CC article, I will be cancelling our November 2016 cruise.

[ohiogymrat]

And the post you referenced is a report from a third party. It is not an NCL statement. It is an opinion of the author.

 

Norwegian could easily make a statement to clear this up,yet they choose not to.. here or on other social media sites,when asked for clarification..

 

Makes one wonder why

[EyeSeaEwe]

The author of the article wrote banned, the NCL spokesperson said "we ask".

 

 

EXACTLY. ONE person who has NO OFFICIAL WORD AT ALL opined that there is a ban, and now all the lemmings are running around screaming that the sky is falling.

[ColinIllinois]

i've heard enough. Does anyone have frank del rio's cell phone #?

 

 

1-ncl-867-5309

[SissasMomE]

EXACTLY. ONE person who has NO OFFICIAL WORD AT ALL opined that there is a ban, and now all the lemmings are running around screaming that the sky is falling.

 

Already posted the e-mailed response I received directly from NCL.

[hpecorari]

Already posted the e-mailed response I received directly from NCL.

 

Can you point me in the direction of where that post is? There's so much to read through in so many threads.

 

Thanks!

 

Harriet