Ultimate Balcony Dinner

[karatemom2]

I am considering surprising DH with the UBD on our upcoming Norwegian Fjords cruise. We have done the breakfast a few times on our scenic cruising days in Alaska a thoroughly enjoyed it. 

 

We are leaving Olden at 4 pm the day before his birthday and will have a long scenic trip out of the fjord that evening so I thought that might be the perfect night to do it. We have a forward facing balcony, so lots of room to spare. 
 

I would love to hear from those of you who have done it - what should I know, did you enjoy it, any special insights? I’ve watched a couple of videos and it looks lovely but just trying to wrap my head around how the service works in practice since the breakfast is quite different as they just set up the whole thing in one stop and leave as opposed to coming back and forth. It would be great to get a sense of how you found the actual experience and the food. 

[PacnGoNow]

31 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

I am considering surprising DH with the UBD on our upcoming Norwegian Fjords cruise. We have done the breakfast a few times on our scenic cruising days in Alaska a thoroughly enjoyed it. 

 

We are leaving Olden at 4 pm the day before his birthday and will have a long scenic trip out of the fjord that evening so I thought that might be the perfect night to do it. We have a forward facing balcony, so lots of room to spare. 
 

I would love to hear from those of you who have done it - what should I know, did you enjoy it, any special insights? I’ve watched a couple of videos and it looks lovely but just trying to wrap my head around how the service works in practice since the breakfast is quite different as they just set up the whole thing in one stop and leave as opposed to coming back and forth. It would be great to get a sense of how you found the actual experience and the food. 

That sounds amazing!  This is our favorite dinner.  The backdrop sounds great.  We usually set it up for sail-away from a port.  So, it’s not too windy and we have the view.

 

The food is great and service is impeccable on every ship we’ve been on.  They call ahead and verify the day and time and if any allergies.  You can alter the menu a little if there is something you don’t like.  They take your cocktail order and they set up the table.  You get a chilled bottle of champagne, flowers and a photographer shows up for a photo. (All included).

They set up a table/cart in the hall and send a waiter running back and forth for the main dinner items.  Serving courses to you one at a time and staying in the hall most of the time.

 

It’s a private, wonderful experience.  Last time we had Moorea as our backdrop at sail-away.  Beautiful!

 

You will love it. 😍 

 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Agree about doing it immediately as you leave port.  Keeps the winds down.  

[reedprincess]

Sounds great! We've done it when sailing out of Kotor, again with the long, slow sailaway with the mountainsides and villages along the way. Beautiful..

 

I bring a couple battery operated twa lights to liven it up a bit, along with using my towel clips to help keep the tablecloth secured, not flapping around the sides or such 

 

They will accommodate substitutions within reason - I prefer a ribeye instead of a filet, no problem...

 

Have a wonderful time!! 

[Astro Flyer]

We recently enjoyed another UBD in early evening while overnight in Cabo. We have enjoyed them several times during evenings in ports & during sailaways. Once in December sailing from Santorini the weather was inclement so we enjoyed it from inside our cabin looking out from the sliding glass door.

 

Lots of tasty food 😋

 

 

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

a photographer shows up for a photo.

Was that recently? None came last week on Discovery but that was okay as the waiters used our iPhone to take photos.

[tulok]

Because of CC, I booked it for June sail away from St Kitts. It could be rather warm in early June but I think it will be a lovely romantic evening. Thanks for the pictures.

[karatemom2]

Thanks so much for these helpful replies and photos! I’m definitely going to book it and see if I can keep it a surprise - at least until he gets onboard. He never really looks at our travel summary so I don’t think he will catch it if I reserve it in advance. I’m really excited - fingers crossed for a nice evening. I know the fjord will offer fairly protected cruising for a couple of hours when we sail away so it should work perfectly. 

[PacnGoNow]

17 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Was that recently? None came last week on Discovery but that was okay as the waiters used our iPhone to take photos.

2 mos ago.  They weren’t there, before we sat down to have cocktails and I asked.  They had one come up and take a photo before our meal was served.

 

Hope they continue it.

[Paula_MacFan]

11 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Was that recently? None came last week on Discovery but that was okay as the waiters used our iPhone to take photos.

I wondered about the photographer too because it's not listed as part of the package anymore on the Princess website.  When they raised the price of specialty dining with the additional service charge, I was comparing overall pricing for 2 specialty dinners vs getting Ultimate Balcony Dining.  I still think UBD seems to be a a good value, but would be even better if it still included the photos and other perks. 

[karatemom2]

I went ahead and booked and paid for it last night and had the confirmation sent to my work email so DH won’t see it. It was nice to find that they let you select for whom it is being purchased as a gift and write a short message. I’m wondering if there will be a card waiting in our stateroom when we arrive?   
 

I am ok with no photographer - I imagine they would charge for the photo anyway. I had to buy the photograph from our 360 dinner, which I didn’t mind because it was a really nice family photo, but after so many cruises we don’t usually do the whole photo thing anymore. I will probably follow@Astro Flyer’s idea and just ask our waiter to take a picture with my phone. 

[TAW1963]

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

I wondered about the photographer too because it's not listed as part of the package anymore on the Princess website.  When they raised the price of specialty dining with the additional service charge, I was comparing overall pricing for 2 specialty dinners vs getting Ultimate Balcony Dining.  I still think UBD seems to be a a good value, but would be even better if it still included the photos and other perks.

We were just on the Discovery for a 15-day roundtrip Hawaii cruise.  Our cruise ended just a couple of weeks ago on March 31.   We had an overnight in Kona and we scheduled the UBD for the first evening there.  We did have a photographer show up at the beginning and he took several pictures before we sat down to eat (a picture attached shows the photographer).  We were given a 8x10 picture of our choice a few days later.   If they removed this from the UBD perks, it must have been just recently.

 

We had a great experience and it could not have been better.  The service was perfect and the food was spectacular.  The food was hot and our steaks were perfectly cooked to our specifications.   We will definitely be doing this again, even if the photographer is not included anymore.  

Edited April 15 by TAW1963

[Astro Flyer]

 

13 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

2 mos ago.  They weren’t there, before we sat down to have cocktails and I asked.  They had one come up and take a photo before our meal was served.

 

Hope they continue it.

 

1 hour ago, karatemom2 said:

I went ahead and booked and paid for it last night and had the confirmation sent to my work email so DH won’t see it. It was nice to find that they let you select for whom it is being purchased as a gift and write a short message. I’m wondering if there will be a card waiting in our stateroom when we arrive?   
 

I am ok with no photographer - I imagine they would charge for the photo anyway. I had to buy the photograph from our 360 dinner, which I didn’t mind because it was a really nice family photo, but after so many cruises we don’t usually do the whole photo thing anymore. I will probably follow@Astro Flyer’s idea and just ask our waiter to take a picture with my phone. 

Previously they’d take several photos & we got one for free & would have to pay for additional photos. We always just got a free photo but based on PacnGoNow & my experiences it might now be upon request. Their website’s description does not show the included half bottle of champagne (have sometimes changed it to a 750ml bottle of wine that cost the same or less) and flowers (type varies from a few roses like this time to a small bouquet)…all were provided.

 

Unlike in past years where cards with things ordered (TA gifts, etc) were in the cabin on embarkation day none were in our cabin this cruise. Since preordering the UBD only allows selecting a date, I called room service on embarkation day to request our 5:30 time. In the past there was a nightly UBD limit of 2 early & 2 later time slots.

 

Room service calls your cabin a few days before the UBD so if you want to keep it a secret answer any phone calls. ☺️ They’ll ask about any food allergies & you can make changes which we’ve only done once.

 

Edited April 15 by Astro Flyer

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

I wondered about the photographer too because it's not listed as part of the package anymore on the Princess website.  When they raised the price of specialty dining with the additional service charge, I was comparing overall pricing for 2 specialty dinners vs getting Ultimate Balcony Dining.  I still think UBD seems to be a a good value, but would be even better if it still included the photos and other perks. 

The UBD increased from $100 to $110 so for us the price is still good. Now that specialty restaurants add an 18% service charge a dinner for 2 at the Crown Grill is now $92…no cocktails, champagne nor flowers included. And having great service on your balcony it’s a better location for us & to have flowers for our cabin. You could confirm that a photo is included when room service calls to go over the menu.

 

[XBGuy]

I have posted many times here on Cruise Critic that the Ultimate Balcony Dinner is the best dining experience on Princess.

 

The thing that wins me over is the superior level of service.  Two servers are dedicated to your enjoyment and satisfaction.  That is so pleasant compared to reading posts about people getting indifferent service in the restaurants and the dining rooms.  Before our first UBD I was a bit concerned about having two servers hovering over us as we were trying to enjoy a somewhat intimate evening, but I had nothing to fear.  Once you have settled down to the table the servers disappear.  When you have finished one course and are ready to move on to the next, they reappear.  Used tableware is removed, and the next course is presented.

 

One of the above photos shows the Chocolate Mousse Raspberry dessert.  It is awesome.  On our first UBD I was quite surprised that more came after that.  After the servers pick up the dessert plates and any other table items that are not being used, they wish you a good evening, but they also leave a platter of more sweets--sometimes it is cookies and sometimes it is petit fours.  Believe me when I tell you, you have no room for those.  The good news is that you can nosh on them as you wish over the next few days.

 

@karatemom2, you have a specific evening in mind for your UBD.  That sounds great.  I tell people who are planning for their first UBD that if they do not have a particular date in mind, then try to schedule it early in the cruise.  That way you have a few days to enjoy the platter of sweets, and, also, you have a few days to enjoy the floral centerpiece that is on your table.

 

[marden1970]

We did this for our 50th anniversary last year, had to move it inside because of the wind.  We got all of the above plus a chocolate cake, which was larger than the ones in the dining room for special occasions.  We had a delicious meal and will do it again.

[mahasamatman]

I'm planning one for our anniversary on the Diamond Princess in July. This is the back half of a back-to-back, so I hope I can book the time I want while still on the first half.

[IndyKid]

@karatemom2, I surprised my wife on our first Princess cruise last December. It was AWESOME, the best $110 I have ever spent. For the main course we each received a filet and 2 lobster tails - they said it was because they were small, but I thought they were decent-sized. That along with all the apps, sides and dessert. We had 2 guys taking care of us, plus a photographer. 

 

One bit of advice - do not eat anything until dinner, otherwise you'll have a ton of food left over!

 

[lgonquin]

These all sound like awesome experiences. We’re on Enchanted in June and want to try this. 
 

Can someone give more details on the menu choices. I see reference to filet and lobster. But what about app choices, salads, soups, etc. DW tends to be a picky eater and I’m curious what is included and what might be substituted. 
 

Thanks!

[IndyKid]

2 hours ago, lgonquin said:

These all sound like awesome experiences. We’re on Enchanted in June and want to try this. 
 

Can someone give more details on the menu choices. I see reference to filet and lobster. But what about app choices, salads, soups, etc. DW tends to be a picky eater and I’m curious what is included and what might be substituted. 
 

Thanks!

I think it varies from ship to ship. When you call room service to set it up you can customize your meals.

[EDVM96]

On 4/14/2024 at 11:40 PM, karatemom2 said:

We have a forward facing balcony, so lots of room to spare.  

Oh well, that's not the best place for a balcony dinner. It will be extremely windy.

And keep in mind that the weather in Norway can be unpredictable and really really wet.

The front facing balconies on the Sky are not covered.

[TAW1963]

45 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

Oh well, that's not the best place for a balcony dinner. It will be extremely windy.

And keep in mind that the weather in Norway can be unpredictable and really really wet.

The front facing balconies on the Sky are not covered.

We had a forward facing mini-suite on the Discovery to Hawaii (see post #12) above.  We loved it.  If you find an evening that you are in port, or just leaving port, the forward facing balconies can be extremely nice for the UBD.  Ours was nearly perfect. The forward facing balconies on deck 16 are partially covered, but may not be covered enough for preventing rain from hitting you.  However, there are not many balconies that would prevent a full rain from hitting you, especially when traveling.  . Wind is not always a problem; it depends upon the direction of the ships travel in relation to the prevailing winds you are traveling through.  We found little to no wind at times.  Of course, there were times when it was extremely windy.  

[EDVM96]

6 minutes ago, TAW1963 said:

We had a forward facing mini-suite on the Discovery to Hawaii (see post #12) above.  We loved it.  If you find an evening that you are in port, or just leaving port, the forward facing balconies can be extremely nice for the UBD.  Ours was nearly perfect.

Hawaii instead of Norway makes a big difference.

 

The Sky Princess in Olden 2022

 

Norway can be very chilly, even in summer.

[karatemom2]

58 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

Oh well, that's not the best place for a balcony dinner. It will be extremely windy.

And keep in mind that the weather in Norway can be unpredictable and really really wet.

The front facing balconies on the Sky are not covered.

Thank you for the warning, but we are very familiar with forward facing balcony cabins on the Royal class ships and we seek them out when available for specific types of scenic cruises. We have had the absolute joy of having them in Alaska several times and also a couple of times on our Mexican Riviera cruises. So we know both the incredible advantages as well as some of the pitfalls. We are beyond thrilled to have snagged one of these cabins for sailing through the Norwegian fjords. 
 

The night I have in mind for our dinner we will be sailing out of Olden through Njordfjord so we will be in very protected waters and going slow - very similar to

our Alaska scenic cruising, although likely even more protected. We used our balcony nonstop in Alaska - rain or shine. 
 

We will be exiting the fjord for several hours and so I’m really not that concerned about wind. Rain I know could potentially be a problem, but fingers crossed it will be a glorious June evening in Norway. The balconies are partially covered and we can always set up by or just inside the door if need be. I’m not worried - just really looking forward to giving my DH this wonderful surprise for his birthday!

[TAW1963]

Just now, EDVM96 said:

Hawaii instead of Norway makes a big difference.

 

The Sky Princess in Olden 2022

 

Norway can be very chilly, even in summer.

I understand that the chances of getting a colder, and wetter, day is higher in Norway.  I guess my point is that most balconies will be poor for the UBD if it is cold and raining and the forward facing ones are not that much worse.