Margaritaville on the Breakaway

[PJDH4]

 So, this comes from the NCL website and makes it seem like items on the menu are priced a la carte and there is a $15 charge.  That can't be correct, right?  Any help clearing this up?  

[BirdTravels]

flat cover charge

[Paul Bogle]

It used to be a la carte and busy. Now it's flat rate and empty.

[valleyvillage]

We were in the Haven on Bliss for the Pacific Coastal. It was raining in Vancouver that day, but I wanted to take advantage of the Maragaritaville freebie for Haven on first day. We couldn't walk there directly because of the rain, so we went down a deck and then back up to find them, sort of tucked away by the Go-Karts. There was nobody there, and the staff was surprised to see us. We said we were happy to wait and they continued opening up. After a bit we had a Margarita (natch!) and nachos and some pretzels. Something about it was so peaceful and fun. I don't know...it's one of my favorite memories of the Bliss!

[myjillian]

we were there for maybe the 3rd sailing...there was a group of us...half of the group had booked with the free dining and drinks and the rest booked and the menu was no longer free ( we were not under a group booking just individuals booking on their own )  The package we got was FREE and no grats....just love the way NCL changes their minds about things....anyway we ate lunch there a few times...never and I repeat never heard any Jimmy Buffett  music the crew seemed to like Country Western....the food was OK but I wouldn't pay for it.....it was never jumping

[NLH Arizona]

3 hours ago, myjillian said:

we were there for maybe the 3rd sailing...there was a group of us...half of the group had booked with the free dining and drinks and the rest booked and the menu was no longer free ( we were not under a group booking just individuals booking on their own )  The package we got was FREE and no grats....just love the way NCL changes their minds about things....anyway we ate lunch there a few times...never and I repeat never heard any Jimmy Buffett  music the crew seemed to like Country Western....the food was OK but I wouldn't pay for it.....it was never jumping

I ate there twice on my December cruise and all they played was Jimmy Buffett music.

[myjillian]

Glad to hear it🤗 I think our problem was it was a new ship and the employees wern't quite sure who J.B. was LOL  We logged official reports about the music and the fact that their wern't any t-shirts etc to buy.  The reason we booked the cruise was because we are Parrot Heads😃  Thanks for the updates

[vpearlkc]

We just got off the Breakaway 3 weeks ago and walked by the place multiple times a day going back and forth from aft suite to Haven. It was being used for a small breakfast buffet in the morning, only open as a bar and grill from about noon to 4 or 5 pm when it closed for the day. Never saw more then two or three tables occupied except in the morning. We thought about getting one order of food to share  brought to our suite but the concierge told us that we would have to order for two. $40 is a lot to spend for some nachos etc so skipped it. The place is a waste of space unless it goes a la carte or free. 

[shof515]

29 minutes ago, vpearlkc said:

The place is a waste of space unless it goes a la carte or free. 

 

they need to change back to the original uptown grill that was free

[NLH Arizona]

26 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

they need to change back to the original uptown grill that was free

I would like them to turn it into another specialty restaurants, since many of the others are always booked up, if someone wants a decent dining time.

[AKR2011]

On The Escape, there's a small a la carte menu at the bar. We drank there a few times and contemplated getting nachos one day. I think there are five or six bar snacks that you can order. I always heard how great the nachos are, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend more money. We already did a bunch of other specialty restaurants. The drinks work with the UBP though, and a few are only available at that bar. Super yummy!

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

 

they need to change back to the original uptown grill that was free

 

They need to make M'ville complimentary like it was on Escape when Escape first launched.

Edited January 10, 2019 by Two Wheels Only

[fabnfortysomething]

the cruise director on our July Breakaway cruise moved our Meet and Greet from La Cucina to Margaritaville as the weather was so good and they wanted people to experience this underused venue

 

unfortunately we didn't get to know until boarded and as they brought the timing forward we had no way of letting people know as most people had signed off from the roll call

 

as a result we had a very low turnout for the meet and greet and don't even think they got more customers as the posted menu was very limited and not clear of prices and opening hours

definitely a waste of space at moment

[njkate]

18 hours ago, Paul Bogle said:

It used to be a la carte and busy. Now it's flat rate and empty.

Yep, was on Breakaway in August and that place was always empty.

Who knows perhaps NCL has to pay a licensing fee to Jimmy Buffet for use of the name,in any case they need to change it and make better use of space not being used

Edited January 10, 2019 by njkate

[minniemulticar]

Interesting.

I was on the Breakaway in March of last year, and I had to wait for a table!

Food was amazing, simply enormous portions.

Drinks were incredibly strong and huge.

The server was very attentive.

I found it to be a wonderful spot.

 

[timf2001]

When compared to the total cost of the cruise, $14.95 per person to eat at Margaritaville isn't a deal breaker.  For those with prior experience with the a la carte version though, it does seem like a raw deal and definitely changes usage habits.  Previously, it was a good spot to drop in and have an afternoon snack.  You could spend $5-$10 per person on food, have a couple drinks, and walk out satisfied.  Now, with a $14.95 minimum per person, I would only go there if I wanted a full meal.  Otherwise, it's not worth it.  This alone cuts down on the amount of traffic, and it baffles me why NCL thinks it's better for business.

[peacefulOR]

3 hours ago, timf2001 said:

When compared to the total cost of the cruise, $14.95 per person to eat at Margaritaville isn't a deal breaker.  For those with prior experience with the a la carte version though, it does seem like a raw deal and definitely changes usage habits.  Previously, it was a good spot to drop in and have an afternoon snack.  You could spend $5-$10 per person on food, have a couple drinks, and walk out satisfied.  Now, with a $14.95 minimum per person, I would only go there if I wanted a full meal.  Otherwise, it's not worth it.  This alone cuts down on the amount of traffic, and it baffles me why NCL thinks it's better for business.

We ate on the Getaway Margaritaville when it was a la carte.....could never have finished enough items to total $14.95 in food.....more like $10.00 per person and huge portions. Add a margarita or two, you might as well go to Cagneys or Le Bistro. It wasn't busy even then so I agree that NCL made a strange move here.

[vpearlkc]

If we could have ordered some nachos and a piece of key lime pie to share we would have stopped in. Maybe a second trip for the conch fritters.

[Granny DI]

We had the free Haven lunch after we boarded the ship in New Orleans. We enjoyed it but IMHO it’s not worth the $15 cover charge. 

[Dawnya00]

I am going back to the OP post and Bird's reply. Is it $14.99 PLUS whatever item(s) you order from the menu or is it $14.99 as a flat cover and you get what you want?

 

I don't understand the description that states items are individually priced but people are posting like it is just $14.99 as a flat rate.

 

[Two Wheels Only]

46 minutes ago, Dawnya00 said:

I don't understand the description that states items are individually priced but people are posting like it is just $14.99 as a flat rate. 

 

See post #3

[Dawnya00]

49 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

See post #3

But the description on NCL and in the OP say Items on the menu are individually priced. Post #3 says flat rate.

 

I guess in my M-F job, I am a training specialist and try to make things simple. NCL needs to review how they are describing this dining option, as it doesn't make any sense to me.

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, Dawnya00 said:

But the description on NCL and in the OP say Items on the menu are individually priced. Post #3 says flat rate.

 

I guess in my M-F job, I am a training specialist and try to make things simple. NCL needs to review how they are describing this dining option, as it doesn't make any sense to me.

 

I agree, the wording on the NCL site is confusing and unnecessary. It is a $14.99 per person flat charge and you get one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert per person for that. It is a completely ridiculous amount of food that no human person would/should consume in one sitting. Wish they would let two people SHARE for that $14.99 charge!

[Two Wheels Only]

3 minutes ago, Dawnya00 said:

But the description on NCL and in the OP say Items on the menu are individually priced. Post #3 says flat rate.

 

NCL website has outdated info (a la carte) and current info (flat cover...plus 20%). It's common for NCL, unfortunately.

[Dawnya00]

Thank you Jamie! I agree and wish they would change. I will likely still go in for a Marg.