What is a "2 meal dining package"

[DCwom]

1st NCL cruise and we have a "2 meal dining package". What does this mean in context to the "Cover Charge Applies" and "A la carte" restaurants? Also this might sound dumb but does 2 meals mean 1 mean for 2 people or 2 people for 2 meals?

[shof515]

it means you can go the any specialty dinning restaurant twice. each time you can get an app, entree, sides and dessert

[complawyer]

while im sure you might get a slew of responses, for the 2 meal specialty dinners, i would choose le bistro and cagneys, hands down. moderno's has gone down in quality, la cucina, is just a step up from olive garden, (and not even a big step) and unless you love the show, teppanyaki, has also gone down in quality.

 

before i start getting bashed by other cruisers, the opinions expressed are strictly my own, and I acknowledge upfront other people may have much different opinions as to which specialty restaurants they prefer

[dbrown84]

1 hour ago, DCwom said:

Also this might sound dumb but does 2 meals mean 1 mean for 2 people or 2 people for 2 meals?

it means 2 meals for one person.  but you both have it, so effectively it's 2 people for 2 meals.  But just know that really you both have 2 meals for one person.  And as @complawyer said, you'll get recommendations for all the restaurants.  I don't know what ship you're cruising on, but if you're on one with Food Republic, that would be my recommendation in addition to Cagneys.  ENJOY!!!

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, DCwom said:

1st NCL cruise and we have a "2 meal dining package". What does this mean in context to the "Cover Charge Applies" and "A la carte" restaurants? Also this might sound dumb but does 2 meals mean 1 mean for 2 people or 2 people for 2 meals?

It means two dinners for 2. So, 120 days prior to departure at 12 midnight eastern time, you log on to your NCL account and make two dinner reservations for 2 people. If you are going to a cover charge restaurant (e.g., Teppanyaki or Moderno Brazilian Steakhouse), book them first. Then book any a la carte restaurant. 

 

You get 1 appetizer, 1 soup/salad, 1 entree, sides (if the restaurant has them), sauces (if the restaurant has them), and a dessert.  

 

An example Free meal at Cagney's Steakhouse is

[DCwom]

1 hour ago, dbrown84 said:

it means 2 meals for one person.  but you both have it, so effectively it's 2 people for 2 meals.  But just know that really you both have 2 meals for one person.  And as @complawyer said, you'll get recommendations for all the restaurants.  I don't know what ship you're cruising on, but if you're on one with Food Republic, that would be my recommendation in addition to Cagneys.  ENJOY!!!

We're on the POA, and yes I heard it may not be the best NCL ship. We've cruised other lines and I'm usually right on it for reservations, etc, but not for the POA, I've been spending time planning the land portion and have neglected ship planning. It looks like a number of venues, including Cagneys are booked out already.☹️

[dbrown84]

6 minutes ago, DCwom said:

We're on the POA, and yes I heard it may not be the best NCL ship. We've cruised other lines and I'm usually right on it for reservations, etc, but not for the POA, I've been spending time planning the land portion and have neglected ship planning. It looks like a number of venues, including Cagneys are booked out already.☹️

they don't release all the reservation times online before the cruise, so you should be able to book Cagneys once you get onboard.  Just make it one of the first things you do before all the slots are truly gone

[Two Wheels Only]

7 minutes ago, DCwom said:

It looks like a number of venues, including Cagneys are booked out already.☹️

 

Only a small percentage of reservations are available to book before the cruise. The rest of the reservations open on embarkation day. As soon as you board, try to make your reservations for the times/people that you would like. 

[MoCruiseFan]

3 hours ago, DCwom said:

1st NCL cruise and we have a "2 meal dining package". What does this mean in context to the "Cover Charge Applies" and "A la carte" restaurants? Also this might sound dumb but does 2 meals mean 1 mean for 2 people or 2 people for 2 meals?

 

Ir is all explained in the T&C of the FAS on ncl.com.  Click and read! 🙂

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, DCwom said:

I heard it may not be the best NCL ship.

 

the ship is fine. it's the predominantly american crew that's the problem. they don't have the same customer-focused spirit as the international crew members found on other ships.

[ChiefMateJRK]

19 hours ago, complawyer said:

while im sure you might get a slew of responses, for the 2 meal specialty dinners, i would choose le bistro and cagneys, hands down. moderno's has gone down in quality, la cucina, is just a step up from olive garden, (and not even a big step) and unless you love the show, teppanyaki, has also gone down in quality.

 

before i start getting bashed by other cruisers, the opinions expressed are strictly my own, and I acknowledge upfront other people may have much different opinions as to which specialty restaurants they prefer

I consider LaCusina a huge step down from Olive Garden. All of them have been hit or miss for me. I like Teppanyaki, but no longer order the steak.