OMG This is a platinum plus perk!!

[tampadee]

Grrr - After having wonderful meals with our dining package we went to La bistro to use our platinum plus perk.  There were only two entrées on the menu that fell within the requirements for using our perk.  After trying to barter and saying we did not want the wine nor dessert And can we order a more expensive entrée without an upcharge.  We are now eating dinner in Aqua.  No rack of lamb for me. Not happy

[Da-Painter]

Le Bistro has always been a poor excuse of a restaurant. I remember on some ships they put a curtain up in the buffett area, and created the Le Bistro restaurant. 

It has never been anything special, we never bother with our Platinum Perk for there.

Edited November 28, 2019 by Da-Painter

[Travelicious]

The menus recently posted indicate there are only 2 entrees that fall outside of the $35 limit, not only 2 that are under.  If you go over, you just pay the upcharge.  If I understand correctly, you could have gotten your appetizer, rack of lamb entrée ($36), dessert and wine for a $1 upcharge.  Is that incorrect?

[aero777]

10 minutes ago, Travelicious said:

The menus recently posted indicate there are only 2 entrees that fall outside of the $35 limit, not only 2 that are under.  If you go over, you just pay the upcharge.  If I understand correctly, you could have gotten your appetizer, rack of lamb entrée ($36), dessert and wine for a $1 upcharge.  Is that incorrect?

  Plus a 20 cent service charge 🤣

[Sand and Seas]

15 minutes ago, Travelicious said:

The menus recently posted indicate there are only 2 entrees that fall outside of the $35 limit, not only 2 that are under.  If you go over, you just pay the upcharge.  If I understand correctly, you could have gotten your appetizer, rack of lamb entrée ($36), dessert and wine for a $1 upcharge.  Is that incorrect?

This is our experience too.  Just off the Getaway a week ago and most entrees were available for our Platinum dinner.   Is it possible OP had been given one of the older printed Plat Plus folders that didn't reflect the increase to $35?

[MaryZ]

Wow.  We just order whatever we want and the waiter always takes care of it.  We've never had to pay extra.
 

[yankees111]

Le Bistro is awesome! Can’t  wait to go there on my next cruise. Lucky you to get to go on a platinum perk!

[Budget Queen]

1 hour ago, MaryZ said:

Wow.  We just order whatever we want and the waiter always takes care of it.  We've never had to pay extra.
 

How often do you cruise?    I’m seeing terms tightened up.   Don’t think you’re going to continue being special.  

[Cruisercl]

5 hours ago, tampadee said:

Grrr - After having wonderful meals with our dining package we went to La bistro to use our platinum plus perk.  There were only two entrées on the menu that fell within the requirements for using our perk.  After trying to barter and saying we did not want the wine nor dessert And can we order a more expensive entrée without an upcharge.  We are now eating dinner in Aqua.  No rack of lamb for me. Not happy

OMG this has changed! Totally agree. It is not a perk if you have to pay anything out of pocket, even $1.

Why would a person bother?

[luv2kroooz]

7 hours ago, MaryZ said:

Wow.  We just order whatever we want and the waiter always takes care of it.  We've never had to pay extra.
 

This is a nice result. I couldn't imagine being presented a bill for one dollar with a twenty cent service charge in Le Bistro. Since they didn't charge the upcharge, they could remove the price limitation on the terms and conditions to just allow one dinner entree. None of their entrees are worth more than $35 anyway.

Edited November 28, 2019 by blcruising

[KeithJenner]

7 hours ago, MaryZ said:

Wow.  We just order whatever we want and the waiter always takes care of it.  We've never had to pay extra.
 

I've had mixed results. I've ordered items over the limit a few times, but have only been charged once. I always assume there will be a charge and take it as a bonus if there isn't.

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, Cruisercl said:

OMG this has changed! Totally agree. It is not a perk if you have to pay anything out of pocket, even $1.

Why would a person bother?

Well, I would (and do) bother. Whatever I think of the rights or wrongs of it, I still get the meal for a dollar extra (or similar).

 

I'm not arguing for or against the policy, but given the choice, I will pay the dollar and have what I want rather than not pay it and have something else.

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, Cruisercl said:

OMG this has changed! Totally agree. It is not a perk if you have to pay anything out of pocket, even $1.

Why would a person bother?

 

I’d pay a buck to have the entree of my choice. Get my bottle of wine. And two $70 meals. 
 

 The limit has been there for a while. It was raised to $35 within the last year. 

Edited November 28, 2019 by BirdTravels

[sverigecruiser]

10 hours ago, Da-Painter said:

I remember on some ships they put a curtain up in the buffett area, and created the Le Bistro restaurant. 

 

I have not heared about that before. Do you remember which ship?

[KeithJenner]

9 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I have not heared about that before. Do you remember which ship?

 

I wondered whether they are talking about La Cucina.

 

I may be wrong, but I can't think of a ship where Le Bistro wasn't a separate room. Perhaps it was quite a while ago.

Edited November 28, 2019 by KeithJenner

[mugtech]

4 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I have not heared about that before. Do you remember which ship?

Back in the 70's it was the Minnow.  They also had 3 hour tours which went overtime.

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, Budget Queen said:

How often do you cruise?    I’m seeing terms tightened up.   Don’t think you’re going to continue being special.  

We’re special on every cruise (and we sail on NCL multiple times a year). We ignore limits cited by the waiters and after dozens of meals, we may have been charged once for a bistro meal over the $25 limit. 

[BirdTravels]

6 minutes ago, mugtech said:

Back in the 70's it was the Minnow.  They also had 3 hour tours which went overtime.

Le Bistro was not on the Minnow. 

[wdsted]

Le. Bistro has never been behind a curtain and we’ve never been charged anything using the PP voucher.  Are you sure you actually went there?

[KeithJenner]

8 minutes ago, wdsted said:

Le. Bistro has never been behind a curtain and we’ve never been charged anything using the PP voucher.  Are you sure you actually went there?

Just because you have never been charged doesn't mean that it isn't NCL's stated policy or that others have been. There is no reason to doubt that they went there.

 

I do wonder though whether they would actually have been charged if they had just gone ahead and ordered. From past experience, I would say maybe not.

[tampadee]

We now know that we have an old certificate that states our perk is only up to $25 not $35. Don’t know if there’s anything we can do to fix this. I don’t mind paying a dollar extra but that is it.

[KeithJenner]

6 minutes ago, tampadee said:

We now know that we have an old certificate that states our perk is only up to $25 not $35. Don’t know if there’s anything we can do to fix this. I don’t mind paying a dollar extra but that is it.

You shouldn’t need to do anything, as the restaurant staff should be aware of this.

 

It’s unclear exactly how your bartering with the staff there went, as it would surprise me if they didn’t know that you would only be paying $1, rather than $11. Did you mention the $25 limit at any point?

 

My guess (and this is obviously only speculation) is that they were talking purely from the point of view of whether the excess was chargeable, and assumed you knew it was actually a $35 limit.

 

If you want to try again (and can get in) then I’d try to speak to them before and confirm the $35. If they claim it is actually $25 then let the cruisenext rep know and he should be able to correct them.

[KeithJenner]

9 hours ago, Budget Queen said:

How often do you cruise?    I’m seeing terms tightened up.   Don’t think you’re going to continue being special.  

No comment about whether they are tightening up the terms ( I haven’t ordered anything over the limit for at least a year), but the poster you quote certainly wasn’t “special” in the past for not being charged. From reported experience, and mine, the exceptions were the times people did get charged.

Edited November 28, 2019 by KeithJenner

[goldmom]

When the Dawn came out, there was an area of the buffet that was separated at night and became the Italian specialty restaurant.  Not sure what it was called at the time, maybe Mama's Kitchen?  Le Bistro always had it's own restaurant and on the Dawn there were actually original Masterpiece paintings in it.

 

To the OP.  I would suggest going to the Cruise next person and show them the incorrect certificate so they can fix it for you.  Then go and enjoy your dinner.

[goldmom]

Just found some old deck plans.  Apparently it was called La Trattoria.  There were canvas curtains recessed into the ceiling that would come down at night to separate it from the buffet area.