Confused About Extra $$ for Menu Items + Cover $$

[Susie]

Hello,

 

A friend just returned from an NCL Alaska cruise and told me that not only is NCL charging $$ to get into some restraunts but they also charge for menu items in that restraunt. This means you have to pay a cover charge to get in and then pay for the food you order? :eek:

 

I am a long time cruiser and haven't been on NCL in over 10 years. I know that Princess, Carnival and Celebrity charge for their specialty restraunts but that is all you pay. We've always enjoyed the specialty restraunts and have not minded paying but a cover charge plus paying for the individual menu items on top of this is worse than at home where we never pay a cover charge to get into a restraunt without the meal being included in that fee. Can someone fill me in?

 

Many thanks.

[johnql]

Yes and no.

 

The surcharge (lets say, $15) for a specialty restaurant covers all of your food. However, sometimes there is a special item (surf and turf, for example) that might cost an extra $5 (total of $20). Most of the time, the initial surcharge is all you need to pay.

[odblnt]

The "charged" menu items are for very few items (some of the better steaks in Cagney's come to mind). You can do a search to find links to the NCL menus.

 

The "better" restaurants do have a cover charge which can be knocked down to a "2 for 1" at a late dining time. After you pay the cover charge, though, you can eat as much as you want. For instance, in Le Bistro we had 2 appetizers, the soup, the main course, and I had part of the desert. We then went up to the Chocoholic Buffet a few hours later (more to see what it was like than to do some serious damage).

 

Pete

[Toyz711]

at cagney's (on the star) some of us has sirlon, salmon and other things from the "normal" side of the menu. nice meal with all-you-can eat salad,

appetizers and desserts. when we went it was $15 surcharge

the "other" side had porterhouse, surf & turf and whole maine lobster. if you read the bottom of the menu it tells you that these are not included in any 1/2 price offers. also, all the extras you wanted. $20 surchange when we did it last sept.

1 surcharge, you don't add them together.

i understand that at the asian dining, they do have some items that are "per".

i could, very easily, go the whole cruise and never do a surcharge restaurants.

[newmexicoNita]

I think your friend simply didn't completely understand: Yes, the steakhouse will charge $5 extra for a 24 oz steak of Lobster. Most everyone will choose the regular menu which is normally $20.00. Le Bistro will have a surf and turf or some speical that, again will be an extra $5.00. Instead of $15 it is $20. I did get the whole Lobster last time on the Sun, but normally we go with the standard menu choices. The other restaurant that will vary some is the sushi bar (I dont eat sushi) and the Habrichi Table. There you will choose between dinners as low as $12.50 to as much as $18.00 depending on what you want. They all come with salad, soup, rice, veggies and dessert.

 

maybe this makes it a little clearer for you. Nita

[pr0pel]

When you eat in these restaurants, like Le Bistro where you already pay $5, do you still have to tip or is that covered in your daily gratuity charge?

[newmexicoNita]

When you eat in these restaurants, like Le Bistro where you already pay $5, do you still have to tip or is that covered in your daily gratuity charge?

It is up to you; we normally do leave an extra $5 or $10 (not often $10) because the service is always beyond beleif, but you do not have to. This is a personal decision.

 

Nita

[salty dingo]

The extra charge really is worth it. For $20 you get a meal that might cost $100 back home.

 

The no-charge restaurants serve perfectly good food, and if you do not need a four-star dining experience, there is no reason to pay extra.

 

However, for those who want to dine first-class, there are now more options, and I think that is great!

[Susie]

We agree that the extra $20 fee is worth it as all of our meals in the specialty restraunts have all been great. The service has always been exceptional and the wait staff doesn't seem so rushed as in the dining room.

 

We were looking forward to trying the NCL specialty restraunts but when I heard the price could be upward of $50 each, I was quite alarmed, needless to say.

 

Now that all has been clarified, we are once again looking forward to trying them. Thanks to all who replied!!!

 

Susie