Need Accurate info on 1/2 price in Specialty Restaurants

[Stockjock]

I was on the Sun last week (2/9/08 sailing). For us, they offered 1/2 price for the first 2 nights only up until 6:30 pm. We were allowed to reserve for any night in the week, but again the 50% deal only applied to early seatings the first 2 nights.

[Len3]

We're just off the GEM sailing of Feb. 6th/16th. The half price on specialty restaurants applied every night but only from 9:00PM until 10:00PM - it looks as if NCL is all over the place with this one.

[cmh]

I was on the Jewel in October and the specialty restaurants were all half price from 9 pm on. We ate in three of them, all at 9 o'clock and paid half price.

Carolyn

[GrannyMouse]

We were on the Sun in January and the 1/2 price was every night. It did not include all of the specialty restaurants. Just check at the reservations desk. They were very helpful. The 5:30-6:30 spots fill up quickly. I would suggest you make reserations early in your cruise. You can always cancel if you change your mind. Have a great cruise and enjoy.

[Len3]

We were on the Sun in January and the 1/2 price was every night. It did not include all of the specialty restaurants. Just check at the reservations desk. They were very helpful. The 5:30-6:30 spots fill up quickly. I would suggest you make reserations early in your cruise. You can always cancel if you change your mind. Have a great cruise and enjoy.

 

On the GEM, reservations could only be made 24 hours in advance and opened at 7:00AM that is unless you had a suite - then anything was possible.

[scubagirl08]

What is interesting is that someone who was on the same sailing as I was posted on here that the 1/2 off was offered on the first night. They must have asked someone at the restaurant or reservation desk when the 1/2 off was going to be, or it must have been a "word of mouth" thing, because I checked each daily carefully looking for the adverstisment for which night would be 1/2 off and never saw it. Maybe if you just happened to go to dinner during the 5:30 -6:30 timeframe that night, it would just be reflected in your bill, and that would have been the only way you knew it.

[mrszuhwiggins]

Just back from the Sun. Unlike what a previous poster who was on the same cruise as I was who saw a 1/2 off special the first night, I never saw any specials adverstised the whole week in any restaurant or daily. It could be a "word of mouth" thing where you have to ask for it. We found there were some other "word of mouth" rules that NCL has. The wine policy being one of them.

 

Hi Scubagirl,

Was curious as to what you meant about the wine policy? We'll be on the sun in about 2 weeks and if there are any "word of mouth" rules around wine -I'd like to be able to take advantage!

 

Thanks.

[scubagirl08]

It's all according to who you talk to. You have to dig really hard to find out what the policy is. Nowhere in the NCL brouchure does it state that NCL has a no alcohol policy. On their website, you have to look really hard for it, but it states: "Passenger is not allowed to bring on board the vessel without the previous written permission of the Carrier any intoxicating liquors, or beverages,...". We saw some posts before we left for our cruise that their policy was "no intoxicating liqours/alcohol allowed on board". We called NCL headquarters and were told that we could bring wine, but we would have to declare it upon embarkation and pay a $15 fee per bottle to bring on board. When we checked in at the VIP lounge (we were lucky enough to have a Penthouse suite) and told our Concierge that we had wine to declare, she said "I'm sorry but I have to confiscate that, and it will have to be held until the end of the cruise". We said "We don't think so....check again". She then went outside and spoke to someone else who told her it was OK for us to bring it on board. (By the way, my brother-in-law tried to sneak his on board in his suitcase. They caught it in the x-ray and he got a letter delivered to his stateroom instead of his suitcase saying that he possibly had one of the following in his suitcase: "intoxicating liquors, firearms, explosives.....". Interesting how sneaking a bottle of wine in lumps him in the same category as a terrorist. Anyway, he argued with the security guy in the naughty room about the policy and he didn't even get the option to pay the $15. Oh yeah, there was also a woman waiting in the line with him who got busted for having hairspray). All this to say: Why don't ALL NCL employees know about this policy? I would think you would need to know what your policies are; at least the employees who need to know these policies. And why doesn't NCL just put this $15 thing and the consequences of not declaring the wine in writing somewhere? Why are they so strict in the first place? They more than made up the costs of the bottles of wine that we paid to bring on board in other ways on other things that we splurged on while on the ship.

[mrszuhwiggins]

Ok - I get where you're coming from....

I thought maybe there was some kind of discount for buying a certain number of bottles of wine, but if you don't know they don't tell you type of thing....

 

When we were on RCCL, they had a "wine package" where you paid one set fee and could pick out say 8 bottles of wine (from a specific list) for the cruise which reflected a pretty good discount from buying the 8 bottles separately.....

 

Don't think I've heard of that on NCL. Last time we sailed NCL it was just my husband and the two kids, so we weren't looking for a wine package, but this time we are a group of 14, and any kind of discount on wine at dinner would be welcome.

[smeyer418]

there is an occasional special of buy x and get the next free(The average of x). It varies by cruise as to what x is. On the 10 day gem it was buy 8 or 9 and get the next free....on the Seven days its buy 6 and get one free I believe or 5 and get one free...most of the time..

[carolahb]

What time are the shows on the Gem? I'd like to get a late seating in a speciality restaurant if they're running a 2 for 1 deal, but wouldn't want to miss a show. I've never cruised before, so this is all new to me.

[Maryfrei]

What time are the shows on the Gem? I'd like to get a late seating in a speciality restaurant if they're running a 2 for 1 deal, but wouldn't want to miss a show. I've never cruised before, so this is all new to me.

 

Here is a link to the Gem dailies for the Bahamas/Florida intinerary so you can check out showtimes. On most nights there are two shows, so for example you can see the early show and take advantage of the half price for late dining if that is what they offer on your voyage, and vice versa.:)

 

 

http://www.esnips.com/web/NorwegianGemDailies