Unlimited dining package?

Specialty Restaurants are not open for Lunch. There are various lunches held in the specialty restaurant spaces, but that is a special event, not the restaurant itself serviing lunch. For example, Jazz Brunch in Le Bistro is the Jazz Brunch being served inside Le Bistro...it is not Le Bistro serving brunch.

UDP does not include mid-day meals.

Each guest purchasing the UDP is permitted to use it to dine in ONE specialty restaurant per evening. If a guest wishes to visit multiple restaurants on a given day, they will have to pay for the second and subsequent visits.

Specialty Restaurants are not open for Lunch....

Wrong again, most people on the NCL boards know that Cagneys is open for lunch.....!

I just had the offer appear in my booking. $199 for 13 night Jewel Panama Canal cruise in April. Unlimited nights in speciality restaurants.

The posts I am reading about the poor service/food quality in the MDR made this a no brainier for me.

If we were not both Platinum status, entitling us to dinner for 2 with wine on two nights, then I would consider the package. Whilst the MDR food offering is not often memorable, on a typical 7 or 14 nighter there would generally be good menus on half of those nights. On that basis it is just not worth the money to us.

I agree that it is a very good move. However, it might also turn some people off because there are those who might consider doing 3 specialty restaurants for $57, but will not book the UDP. They should have both options available.

 

I think that $119 is too high. Imagine if you are a family of 4, would you get the UDP?

I'm sure this decision is 100% based on revenue projections and past performance of the packages. If the 3 restaurant package was extremely successful from a financial standpoint, I can't imagine why they'd discontinue it. I can imagine they see by only offering the $119 package, it is potentially more lucrative for them. Time will tell. We might see more options back up after a trial period.

For our 12 day Spirit cruise in June, the cost of this unlimited dining package is $199 per person! For our family of five that would be $995 (!).

Makes no sense to me. I wouldn't want to commit to never eating in the MDR or buffet or room service, depending on what's going on that evening. Not to mention paying almost a grand for it!?!

It will be interesting to see how many people do buy it. I guess if you were just two people, but that would still be $400 a day extra? Why not just pay the cover charge on the nights that you do end up going to the specialty restaurants?

Wrong again, most people on the NCL boards know that Cagneys is open for lunch.....!

Not so. Cagney's space (on SOME ships, not all) is used to serve a PRIVATE lunch to suite guests and invited VIPs. The restaurant is NOT open for business.

I just logged onto my NCL and it popped up today.

I am doing a Jade B2B starting May 3rd.

My 14 day price is $199 per person. Works out to $14.21 per person per day. Even so - I probably won't do it. The Jade has six restaurants. I like to dine around a bit. Hit the Sushi bar, do both MDR's, do the buffet, go to the Blue Lagoon and do a room service night.

Now if they had a half package - 7 night for $99 (or even the $119) for a 14 day cruise - I would be all over that!!

Only for the variety.

$59 per person for Sky four nights so I did it for the four of us that are traveling. I had us going to specialities each night anyway. Too bad UBP not available for my March sailing or I would have purchaed that too (did for BA last July and came out $200+ ahead).

I will not do for BA since we are in Haven and plan to use Haven Restaurant a couple of evenings but can purchase UBP so will do that LOL

Wondering if anyone knows whether or not you pay additional charges on certain menu items (for example, lobster and crab legs @ Cagney's) if you purchase the UDP? Also, can you eat multiple specialty restaurants on same night?

According to the FAQ, the answer is no:

Q. ARE ANY MENU ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. No, all items listed on the menus are included in the package.

I spoke to a rep and she said that if you want to visit multiple restaurants in one night you can apps at Cagney's entrée at Le bistro and desert at La Cucina sold

I spoke to a rep and she said that if you want to visit multiple restaurants in one night you can apps at Cagney's entrée at Le bistro and desert at La Cucina sold

I would get that in writing. :) I'm not saying it is wrong, I'm just saying I've been told lots of things by reps where they were not fully informed and they were just passing on what they thought.

Specialty Restaurants are not open for Lunch. There are various lunches held in the specialty restaurant spaces, but that is a special event, not the restaurant itself serviing lunch. For example, Jazz Brunch in Le Bistro is the Jazz Brunch being served inside Le Bistro...it is not Le Bistro serving brunch.

 

UDP does not include mid-day meals.

 

 

Each guest purchasing the UDP is permitted to use it to dine in ONE specialty restaurant per evening. If a guest wishes to visit multiple restaurants on a given day, they will have to pay for the second and subsequent visits.

Although I have not seen this for myself, several recent cruisers said that there was a discount for lunch at Moderno on their cruise. It was not for specialty meals like the jazz lunch, or the concierge level for Cagny's. It may be one of the "test pilots" that NCL runs on a couple of ships before deciding to go fleet-wide with it. I can't remember now which ships it was, but I think the Sun was one of them.

Do you have a source for the ONE specialty restaurant per evening? That makes the most sense to me, but someone else posted saying you could go to different places for different courses, so I would just like to see it somewhere in writing.

One really nice thing I read while looking through the order form and FAQ was that it will be sold during the first 2 days of the cruise (except for short cruises where it is only offered for 1 day), so you can use your OBC to pay for it. :)

I think this will be a great deal for a lot of people. It will be interesting to watch and see how it plays out with reservations (will things fill up really fast - they guarantee 24 hour availability to those with the packages, so those without may have a harder time getting reservations), service in the free places, more availability at the free places, etc. I always thought it was a shame to see so much of the ship being almost wasted on close to empty dining venues. Bravo to NCL for trying to find a way to make things work better. Hopefully any kinks will work out quickly and it will be a good thing for both those who buy it and those who don't.

Not so. Cagney's space (on SOME ships, not all) is used to serve a PRIVATE lunch to suite guests and invited VIPs. The restaurant is NOT open for business.

It is clearly open for business (the business of serving lunch) to suite guests!!

It is clearly open for business (the business of serving lunch) to suite guests!!

Except on the newest ships where the Haven Restaurant handles the suite passengers.

Sent from my iPhone - Jim

It is clearly open for business (the business of serving lunch) to suite guests!!

You might want to have your "clearly" checked. Again...the space is being used, but the restaurant is NOT open for business. Cagney's is an "upcharge" restaurant...however, there are no charges made for the meals served while the restaurant space is used for a PRIVATE event. Sorry, but no matter how you parse it, Cagney's isn't "open" for lunch.

I saw quite a few people turned away at Cagney's on embarkation day at lunchtime. Apparently, they'd been told it was open to everyone, as well. So, guess it can be misleading to say it's "open for business" when, in fact, it's only open to a select few.

I saw quite a few people turned away at Cagney's on embarkation day at lunchtime. Apparently, they'd been told it was open to everyone, as well. So, guess it can be misleading to say it's "open for business" when, in fact, it's only open to a select few.

I've seen that very thing on a number of cruises myself. I don't know if I'd call it misleading, though. NCL doesn't advertise the venue as being open. It certainly isn't listed as a lunch option in the Freestyle Dailly, and if you look at the Dining Guide on their website, Cagneys is clearly marked that it is open for Dinner and NOT for Breakfast or Lunch.

I think the people getting turned away are probably just wondering about the ship and fall into the "Ohhh, there's people eating in here, let's try this place" crowd.

According to the FAQ, the answer is no:

 

Q. ARE ANY MENU ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. No, all items listed on the menus are included in the package.

Oh that is awesome I am going to print that out just in case they try to charge us :)

We eat a lot at the specialty restaurants, and never in the main dining rooms. Not because the food is BAD, but the spaces are usually loud and the food isn't cooked to order. So we mix in the Blue Lagoon, room service and 4-5 specialty restaurants depending on the cruise. So, usually we spend around $100 pp on extra food.

Given we are in a suite, I am wondering if this will include specialty meals delivered to the suite. A few years ago, we did pizza night from La Cochina and that was an excellent pizza. Last trip they didn't have those pizzas but I see they are back. Throwing delivered pizza from L. Cochina into Cagneys, et all and I think this would be a great option!

How do you make this stuff up :(

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim

I too have wondered this many times reading their posts. :(

I just read on another thread that NCL will be having a new unlimited dining package starting next month. Has anybody heard anything about it?

you can check this thread post #31

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1962304

FROM THE ncl website under MYNCL

Ultimate Dining Package

Norwegian's Ultimate Dining Package allows you to dine in a specialty restaurant every night of your cruise all for one set price based on the number of days. Experience our exciting Italian, Asian, Brazilian, French and signature steakhouse restaurants. Plus, enjoy 20% off the cover charge for dinner at Ocean Blue on Norwegian Getaway & Norwegian Breakaway and all a la carte priced restaurants. Each person in your reservation wishing to take advantage of the Ultimate Dining Package must be added to cart separately.

Read Terms & Conditions and FAQs.

Ultimate Dining Package

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

The Ultimate Dining Package is available via pre-sell or onboard purchase on days 1-2 of the voyage only. On 3-day sailings, the package is only for sale on day 1. No refunds are available if fewer restaurants are visited. The Ultimate Dining Package is non transferable. A la carte priced restaurants and Ocean Blue are not included in the Ultimate Dining Package, but will be discounted 20% for those purchasing the package. Entertainment-based dining and Chef’s Table are not included in the Ultimate Dining Package. Reservations are not required however table availability will be guaranteed for Ultimate Dining Package guests with 24-hour advance reservation. The UDP does not include beverages. Child pricing remains as is for specialty dining. Excludes all 1- and 2-day sailings.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q. IN WHICH VENUES WILL THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE BE HONORED?

A. The Ultimate Dining Package is honored in all specialty restaurants with the exception of Ocean Blue, a la carte priced restaurants, entertainment-based dining, mini bar and room service.

Q. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. With the Ultimate Dining Package, you can dine in any specialty restaurant every night of your cruise, including our exciting Italian, Asian, Brazilian, French and signature steakhouse restaurants. Plus, you can enjoy 20% off the cover charge for dinner at Ocean Blue and all a la carte priced restaurants (not included in Ultimate Dining Package).

Q. HOW CAN I MAKE DINING RESERVATIONS WITH THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. Once you have purchased the Ultimate Dining Package, you may make any dining reservation online under “Dining” by logging back into ncl.com/myncl. You can also make a reservation onboard the ship by calling or visiting the Restaurant Reservations Desk or at any restaurant reservations podium.

Q. CAN I MAKE A DINING RESERVATION FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE TOGETHER WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT PARTICIPATING?

A. Yes. Simply make your reservations at ncl.com/myncl. You can also make a reservation onboard the ship by calling or visiting the Restaurant Reservations Desk or at any restaurant reservations podium. Applicable cover charges apply for those who have not purchased the Ultimate Dining Package.

Q. WHAT IF MY TRAVELING COMPANION DOESN’T WANT TO BUY THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE, DO THEY STILL HAVE TO PURCHASE IT?

A. No, guests staying in the same stateroom do not need to purchase the package. The Ultimate Dining Package may be purchased individually.

Q. CAN I BUY DINNER FOR MY FRIENDS WITH THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. The Ultimate Dining Package is for personal consumption. If you wish to pay for someone else’s dinner, you will incur in regular cover charges for their consumption.

Q. HOW WILL THE RESTAURANT STAFF KNOW I HAVE PURCHASED THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. Your room keycard will be coded as well as tagged with a sticker and used for identification. The restaurant staff will request to see your room keycard for verification prior to service. So keep it handy.

Q. ARE GRATUITIES INCLUDED IN THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE PURCHASE PRICE?

A. No. If you wish to recognize the crew for their service, you may do so at time of service using the gratuity line on the check. Plus, a beverage gratuity of 15% will automatically be added to all beverage sales.

Q. ARE ANY MENU ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. No, all items listed on the menus are included in the package.

Q. ARE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES INCLUDED IN THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE?

A. The Ultimate Dining Package does not include alcohol, but we offer a wide range of beverage packages, including the Ultimate Beverage Package, Cork & Caps and Viva Vino. For more information about our beverage packages, please check out ncl.com “Gifts & More” or visit any bar onboard the ship on the first day of your cruise.

Whoa, my math is way off on the second half of this post - sorry, I have a horrible cold that has apparently taken over my brain as well! Obviously it's not an extra $400 a day for two people, it's for the whole cruise. My bad.

$238 for 2 for the week.... I will come out ahead on this package.:D

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Forums mobile app

Would this even be worth it for Pearl cruises to Alaska? We have 3 late night ports in Juneau, Skagway and Victoria. I was thinking of doing MDR those nights or on land or some sort of quick service. Realistically I'd only want to do 4 nights in a specialty restaurant. Are they going to offer smaller packages for these types of cruises?

Would this even be worth it for Pearl cruises to Alaska? We have 3 late night ports in Juneau, Skagway and Victoria. I was thinking of doing MDR those nights or on land or some sort of quick service. Realistically I'd only want to do 4 nights in a specialty restaurant. Are they going to offer smaller packages for these types of cruises?

The pricing is based on total cruise length regardless of when you are planning to stay onboard.