Dining (specialty) Question

[Morgsmom]

Newbie here, please no flames.  Hubby and I do not eat dessert/sweets.  Like at all.  On other lines with a 3 course menu we can sub out an additional soup or side.  Is this possible on NCL?  To note, we have reservations at Cagney's and Le Bistro if that helps. TIA.

[valleyvillage]

Do you eat cheese? Le Bistro offers a gorgeous cheese plate for dessert. I don't eat meat and Cagney's has always been very helpful subbing extra sides. Bon voyage and bon Appetit!

[dexddd]

I've swapped a dessert for an app awhile ago.  Things can vary.

 

Just classy when first intro after sitting is ...you are limited to x, y, z...

[phillygwm]

11 hours ago, valleyvillage said:

Do you eat cheese? Le Bistro offers a gorgeous cheese plate for dessert. I don't eat meat and Cagney's has always been very helpful subbing extra sides. Bon voyage and bon Appetit!

This is my go to in Le Bistro.  I enjoy sweet desserts as much as anyone but this is my favorite of all of them.  You didn't mention your ship, but if you're on a ship with Moderno, you can make your own cheese plate at the salad bar.  

 

In other restaurants, I'd check with the maitre'd desk BEFORE your meal.  They're usually very good about making accommodations.  

[Morgsmom]

Sorry, we are on the Joy. First NCL cruise for us.  

[DCGuy64]

13 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

Sorry, we are on the Joy. First NCL cruise for us.  

I'm in a 'mixed marriage': my wife loves desserts (she often eats them first), and I don't. Or rather, I'm too full 99% of the time from eating bread, salad, meat, and sides, that I have no ROOM for dessert. We've never had a problem getting extras at Cagney's, Le Bistro, Moderno, or La Cucina, whether in lieu of, or in addition to, desserts. I hope you have a great cruise onboard the Joy. When is your cruise, BTW? I think the Joy is due for a dry dock in January 2024.

[Morgsmom]

We leave in two weeks on 13 September 

[hallux]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

Just classy when first intro after sitting is ...you are limited to x, y, z...

When do you expect to find out?  It's just as 'classy' to hear "I'm sorry, if you want this AND this you need to pay for one".

[InFullertonCA]

34 minutes ago, hallux said:

When do you expect to find out?  It's just as 'classy' to hear "I'm sorry, if you want this AND this you need to pay for one".

At Le Bistro on my Alaskan cruise on the Jewel earlier this month I was flat out told “no” to two appetizers.  No offer to substitute or even pay for one, just told “sorry, that’s not possible with your plan”.

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

We leave in two weeks on 13 September 

Enjoy your cruise, I would love to sail the Joy one day. 😊

[Sand and Seas]

8 minutes ago, InFullertonCA said:

At Le Bistro on my Alaskan cruise on the Jewel earlier this month I was flat out told “no” to two appetizers.  No offer to substitute or even pay for one, just told “sorry, that’s not possible with your plan”.

We have been able to trade dessert for appetizer.  Sometimes the server says I will need to check with my manager, but it's always been approved.   And It's hard to believe they couldn't just charge your for an extra appetizer.   You could always  request (with a smile) to speak with the manager.

[Ellaleah]

I have just booked a cruise on the Bliss.  My TA gave us 3 specialty dinner.  How does that work at the specialty restaurants that are priced ala carte.  Also, my sister is vegan.  NCL told me that I need to have the TA add that to the booking and I will.  Which specialty restaurants would be best for a Vegan?

thank You

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Ellaleah said:

I have just booked a cruise on the Bliss.  My TA gave us 3 specialty dinner.  How does that work at the specialty restaurants that are priced ala carte.  Also, my sister is vegan.  NCL told me that I need to have the TA add that to the booking and I will.  Which specialty restaurants would be best for a Vegan?

thank You

You can go to the NCL website and see the menus for the specialty restaurants.

Click on Explore Ships

Click on Bliss

Click on What's on Board

Click on Deck Plans.

Click on (restaurants)

See which ones look good to you.

You could even send your sister the links so she can decide.

[valleyvillage]

13 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

Sorry, we are on the Joy. First NCL cruise for us.  

That's the ship where I had the cheese plate! 

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

I have just booked a cruise on the Bliss.  My TA gave us 3 specialty dinner.  How does that work at the specialty restaurants that are priced ala carte.  Also, my sister is vegan.  NCL told me that I need to have the TA add that to the booking and I will.  Which specialty restaurants would be best for a Vegan?

thank You

You get 1 appetizer, 1 soup/salad, 1 entrée, 1 dessert at Ocean Blue, Los Lobos, Cagney's Steak house, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Q Texas Smoke House

 

You get one of the set meals at teppanyaki

 

You get four (4) items each at Food Republic

 

All restaurants can prepare a vegan meal. But coordinating in advance will preclude protracted waits. We enjoy Teppanyaki watching the chefs do a show and cook our food. Depending on how busy they are, they will cook a vegan dish or a vegan dish will be cooked in the galley and brought out (I have seen it done both ways). 

 

Example of a meal 

[Ellaleah]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

You get 1 appetizer, 1 soup/salad, 1 entrée, 1 dessert at Ocean Blue, Los Lobos, Cagney's Steak house, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Q Texas Smoke House

 

You get one of the set meals at teppanyaki

 

You get four (4) items each at Food Republic

 

All restaurants can prepare a vegan meal. But coordinating in advance will preclude protracted waits. We enjoy Teppanyaki watching the chefs do a show and cook our food. Depending on how busy they are, they will cook a vegan dish or a vegan dish will be cooked in the galley and brought out (I have seen it done both ways). 

 

Example of a meal 

Thank you so much for explaining this.

[dexddd]

20 hours ago, hallux said:

When do you expect to find out?  It's just as 'classy' to hear "I'm sorry, if you want this AND this you need to pay for one".

I should have clarified.  At the time, there were no written restrictions they were making up rules on the fly.  

[tinkr2]

On 8/30/2023 at 11:31 AM, InFullertonCA said:

At Le Bistro on my Alaskan cruise on the Jewel earlier this month I was flat out told “no” to two appetizers.  No offer to substitute or even pay for one, just told “sorry, that’s not possible with your plan”.

I have absolutely never heard of not being able to pay for extras. they are literally a la carte restaurants.

 

[InFullertonCA]

4 minutes ago, tinkr2 said:

I have absolutely never heard of not being able to pay for extras. they are literally a la carte restaurants.

 

I know!  It was not important enough to make a big deal over while dining, but I did leave it in my post cruise comments.  What, I used a "Specialty Dinner" credit so you can't add a charge?  

 

Happy to say it was my only negative experience while dining.