Advance Reservations @ Specialty Restaurants?

[seaside65]

Can one make advance reservations for the speciality restaurants or does one do that once on board?

[Toyz711]

only onboard

[CRUZIN TOM]

reservations are made for the same day or the following day. No multiple day reservations.:)

[The Cruise Advantage]

Does anyone know the prices of the specialty restuarants on the Dawn?

[electricron]

Does anyone know the prices of the specialty restuarants on the Dawn?

 

Here's a list of restaurants aboard the Norwegian Dawn.

 

Venetian Main Restaurant (Main Dining Room)

Cuisine: Continental

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Aqua Main Restaurant (Main Dining Room)

Cuisine: Light Modern Continental

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Impressions of Italy

Cuisine: Italiian

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Bamboo - A Taste of Asia

Cuisine: Japanese, Thai, Chinese (Sushi, Sashimi, Teppanyaki)

Surcharge: Yes, $12.50 per person

Reservations Required: Yes

 

Le Bistro French Restaurant

Cuisine: French

Surcharge: Yes, $15 per person

Reservations Required: Yes

 

Cagney's Steakhouse

Cuisine: Steak

Surcharge: Yes, $20 per person

Reservations Required: Yes

 

Salsa

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex Tapas Bar

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: Yes

 

Garden Cafe/Kids' Cafe

Cuisine: Assorted Buffet, Food Stations, Kid-Sized Buffet

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

 

Blue Lagoon

Cuisine: Food Court, Grill

Surcharge: No

Reservations Required: No

[suzequ]

you're a platinum level Latitudes member or in a concierge/butler level room. In these cases, you'll get a letter from the concierge asking if you want reservations, which day, time, place, etc.

 

Otherwise reservations only for 24 hours ahead of time

[waltd]

Is the surcharge considered the tip? If not do you tip in one of the speciality restuarants? If you do what is considered a average tip? Not having done a speciality restaurant this is new to me.

 

Thanks

[electricron]

Is the surcharge considered the tip? If not do you tip in one of the speciality restuarants? If you do what is considered a average tip? Not having done a speciality restaurant this is new to me. Thanks

 

Tipping at any restaurant is optional, you don't have to tip if you don't wish. The waiters and waitresses at all the restaurants, including the Speciality restaurants, both Surcharge and Free, are included with the $10 per day Service Charge.

[smeyer418]

while it surely isn't required I generally tip extra.

[hotspur]

while it surely isn't required I generally tip extra.

From postings here, I think many do. A frequent comment is that people tip 15-20% of the restaurant's additional charge.

[newmexicoNita]

We usually leave $5.00, sometimes $10.00

 

Nita

[HurricaneSally]

I usually leave 50.00 to 100.00 because the service is awesome.

[salty dingo]

The waiters and waitresses at all the restaurants, including the Speciality restaurants, both Surcharge and Free, are included with the $10 per day Service Charge.

 

While this is technically correct, in practice it is customary to tip for good service in the surcharge restaurants. Here's why:

 

Only a portion of your daily service charge is for dinner - staff serves you all day, and the majority of that charge is not for dinner.

 

The service (not just the food) at the surcharge restaurants is much better. Would you expect to tip the same dollar amount for a steak at Denny's as you would at Outback. What about Ruth's Chris? Of course not.

 

Thinking you can get by with a fixed dollar amount for tipping, and eating in a high end restaurant... well, you can just go ahead and think like that if you want to. The rest of us will snicker.:D

[electricron]

While this is technically correct, in practice it is customary to tip for good service in the surcharge restaurants. Here's why:

 

Only a portion of your daily service charge is for dinner - staff serves you all day, and the majority of that charge is not for dinner.

 

The service (not just the food) at the surcharge restaurants is much better. Would you expect to tip the same dollar amount for a steak at Denny's as you would at Outback. What about Ruth's Chris? Of course not.

 

Thinking you can get by with a fixed dollar amount for tipping, and eating in a high end restaurant... well, you can just go ahead and think like that if you want to. The rest of us will snicker.:D

 

I'm not going to disagree that one should tip more whenever service exceeds expectations. It's just not required per NCL.

Per NCL's FAQ:

What about Tipping?

 

GRATUITIES

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL America or Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests.

However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

 

SERVICE CHARGE

A fixed service charge of $10 per person, per day will be added to your onboard account. For children ages 3-12, a $5 per person per day charge will be added to your onboard account; there is no charge for children under the age of three. Our crew is encouraged to work together as a service team and is compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that the service charge supports.

 

I answered the question the OP asked with NCL answers in my own words.

 

Tipping at any restaurant is optional, you don't have to tip if you don't wish. The waiters and waitresses at all the restaurants, including the Speciality restaurants, both Surcharge and Free, are included with the $10 per day Service Charge.

 

Did I give the wrong answer?

 

I know the service staff at the Speciality restaurants work at the other restaurant facilities during the day. So, they aren't being deprived of any compensation working specifically at the Speciality restaurants. While the food is definately better and more expensive at the Speciality restaurants, the surcharge pays for it. I often get better service at the Main restaurants, so to suggest I should give a larger tip at a Speciality restaurant just because it is a Speciality restaurant is not correct, imho. I believe any additional tip I give should be and is based upon the services render. I also believe that's exactly what NCL's guidlines suggest.

[Cosmopolitan]

We usually leave $5.00, sometimes $10.00

 

Nita

 

Absolutely:)

[ruag8tr2]

If I go, I will tip based on 20 % of what I believe the meal would cost me if I were on land. In this case it will probably be around 10.00 over the upcharge.