Does anyone else remember lunch in the specialty restaurants for all?

[happy cruzer]

We had lunch in Moderno and in one other specialty many years ago on sea days. Listed in the daily for all passengers.

 

Or am I confused?  dreaming?  We loved it.  It was one thing that made NCL better than the rest.

 

Anyone else?

[sassycruiser]

I remember it too.  It has been a long time.  

[ggTexasGal]

25 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

We had lunch in Moderno and in one other specialty many years ago on sea days. Listed in the daily for all passengers.

Or am I confused?  dreaming?  We loved it.  It was one thing that made NCL better than the rest.

Anyone else?

Well, you got me curious!  I checked dailies that I have still (only as far back as January 2014) and found no evidence of that being the case.  Perhaps, prior to 2014?!!!

[shof515]

When i was on the breakaway back in the day on every sea day Moderno had a specialty theme lunch. one sea day will be german, another sea day will be chinese and they even had a band playing music

[www3traveler]

57 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

We had lunch in Moderno and in one other specialty many years ago on sea days. Listed in the daily for all passengers.

 

Or am I confused?  dreaming?  We loved it.  It was one thing that made NCL better than the rest.

 

Anyone else?

On some ships that do not have a Haven restaurant, Moderno is used for breakfast and lunch.

[Huntingdon1701]

It ocasionally still happens - there was one of the Jade last November. It's a special themed thing rather than the regular restaurant menu though. Seems to depend on how busy the ship is and how many sea days there are. Not much point in them doing it if every day is in port, or there are low passenger numbers. 

[redmomof4]

i remember too, and ive only been on NCL in 2017 and 2019 so it wasnt THAT long ago. 

 

[mjkacmom]

Our first NCL cruise was in 2005 and I don’t ever remember lunch in a specialty.

[fethiyeden]

We sailed on the Epic in January 2016 & they had the themed lunches in Moderno on sea days.

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, www3traveler said:

On some ships that do not have a Haven restaurant, Moderno is used for breakfast and lunch.

Yes, but that is reserved for Suite / Haven passengers.  The OP's question was about lunch in a specialty restaurant for any or all passengers who choose to eat there.  I remember a cruise on the Breakaway in February of 2016 when they had a variety of cuisine offerings for lunch in Moderno on sea days.  One day it was Indian food, another day it was tacos and enchiladas, and hamburgers on another.  We ate lunch there a couple of times.

[Sand and Seas]

5 hours ago, shof515 said:

When i was on the breakaway back in the day on every sea day Moderno had a specialty theme lunch. one sea day will be german, another sea day will be chinese and they even had a band playing music

Yes!  We watched for these and enjoyed several 'themed' lunches at Moderno on the Breakaway. 

They also had a lighter breakfast buffet there some days.  Much less crowded than the buffet.

[bedfordmom]

I remember Moderno being used as an overflow   to the Garden Buffet, think it was the same food but presented better and less crowds, I am guessing around 2014/2015? 

[david_sobe]

The lunch at Moderno was not really from the Moderno menu.  It was a salad bar and things you could get at the buffet.  Yes it was nicer to sit there than the buffet but it was not food prepared from the specialty restaurant like their steak or something.

Not to drift off point but I have always wondered why NCL has not opened the specialty restaurants for lunch.  They are always looking for new fee places and I think many would like a good steak for lunch or a specialty pasta dish from Onda.

[casofilia]

@david_sobe

 

Not to drift off point but I have always wondered why NCL has not opened the specialty restaurants for lunch.

 

Crewing.

On our last cruise we were able to eat lunch in Cagney's with the suite guests.   On many days there were very few guests present; not very economic.

I cannot see enough pax wanting this to warrant opening even one specialty.   UNLESS they opened Moderno where it was next to Cagney's and used the same staff.   It would have to be done on a pay/book basis so the staff numbers could be calculated.

[happy cruzer]

The time we ate at Moderno.  It had the huge salad bar.  The buffet style pans of different grilled meats.  Nice atmosphere and nice food with no charge.  Not much staff there, maybe 5/6 but they worked hard and made some good tips.  I thought it was a very nice touch.

[BirdTravels]

8 hours ago, happy cruzer said:

We had lunch in Moderno and in one other specialty many years ago on sea days. Listed in the daily for all passengers.

 

Or am I confused?  dreaming?  We loved it.  It was one thing that made NCL better than the rest.

 

Anyone else?

Yes, but it was just a mini buffet with a country theme. Food Republic, Pinchos, and sushi are true specialty restaurants open on sea days. Teppanyaki on a few small ships too. 

[eileeshb]

Ocean blue used to do lobster or crab rolls for lunch on a sea day, and Moderno did a theme lunch on a sea day on the breakaway/+ class ships pre covid. 
the fact that hasn’t happened since the resumption has to be at least partially due to staff or supply shortages as well as them only getting back to hitting max capacity during spring break this year. 

[UKstages]

5 hours ago, eileeshb said:

Moderno did a theme lunch on a sea day on the breakaway/+ class ships pre covid. 
the fact that hasn’t happened since the resumption has to be at least partially due to staff or supply shortages as well as them only getting back to hitting max capacity during spring break this year. 

 

i think it may have stopped long before covid. i was on the bliss in december of 2019... no free lunch at moderno or any other specialty restaurant.

[dexddd]

I recall a limited number open for lunch like one or two and spotty by ship.  I also recall when specialty was $10 for dinner and half for kids.

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

i think it may have stopped long before covid. i was on the bliss in december of 2019... no free lunch at moderno or any other specialty restaurant.

The Bliss never had Moderno lunches because it does not have a Moderno. Some of the older big ships would take advantage of the fact that Moderno had a chilled salad bar that they could set up a lunch on. For food safety, you cant just stick refrigerated food items (like salads and dressing) on a folding table and serve. 

[DCGuy64]

Slightly off topic, but they allowed people to take breakfast from the Garden Café down to La Cucina and eat there in the mornings on our last trip. It was a nice, quiet change of pace.

[pcakes122]

19 hours ago, Sand and Seas said:

Yes!  We watched for these and enjoyed several 'themed' lunches at Moderno on the Breakaway. 

They also had a lighter breakfast buffet there some days.  Much less crowded than the buffet.

Yes!! The breakfast was the best! 😊

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The Bliss never had Moderno lunches because it does not have a Moderno. 

 

you are correct. 

 

i think i'm confusing it with the breakaway.

 

no lunch at moderno on the breakaway when i sailed.

Edited May 5, 2023 by UKstages