Norwegian Ultimate Dining Package

Question for those who have taken the package. Le Bistro has those BISTRO SPECIALS wherein you have to pay additional $10 on top of the surcharge to order them..

 

It is not clear here as this is not strictly speaking Ala Cart.

 

So with the UDP, are these included? Or you get them at 20% discount so you have to pay 8% to order them?

Good question. Don't believe so. The $10 upcharge at LeBistro is just that - an upcharge. Not an ala carte item. Think this is referring more to sushi/noodle places. I would be interested in hearing if someone has done this.

Hmm..no one replied yet whether upcharge items (special menus that you have to pay on top of the cover charge) are included in the UDP.

not sure if this answers it.

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

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

Hmm..no one replied yet whether upcharge items (special menus that you have to pay on top of the cover charge) are included in the UDP.

 

not sure if this answers it.

 

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

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

What does UDP mean?

I found the answer. thanks.

Actually, someone did post on the upcharge item thing just today, but since there are a gazillion different threads going about the same thing, I can't find which one had the answer for you. Sorry.

Is this the thread you're thinking? Mrrobby posted info on the UDP.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1988043

I have this purchased for my upcoming solo cruise and for our family cruise. I think it will be more than worth it!! I hate the buffet, so spoiling myself each night will be great!!!

same with our family cruise. we love the specialty restaurants and it will be so nice to enjoy these every night!!

Is this the thread you're thinking? Mrrobby posted info on the UDP.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1988043

Yes, that is the thread...though the answer is not definite whether you have to pay the upcharge if you have the UDP. Some ships do, some don't...

Not sure about Norwegian Sun.

Then why pay all that extra money for a UDP when you are eating in the complimentary restaurants the first week? Go ala carte and save money. The menus in the specialty restaurants get old too. They don't change and don't offer that many choices.

 

I get the sense many people believe it's UDP or nothing. Ala carte has and still is the option most people will use.

I quite agree! Looking ahead to a 14 day cruise - I can't imagine wanting to eat at only specialty restaurants for 14 days. I certainly will enjoy a few nights of specialty restaurants but will also enjoy the MDR and maybe even room service or buffet. I would much prefer the flexibilty and not feel locked into something because I've paid extra for it.

We did the package on our 9-day Gem sailing and thought it was well worth it. The upcharge items were included.

I haven't seen this question answered yet. If you purchase the UDP, can you eat in the same restaurant multiple times or only once per cruise? I love le Bistro and would eat there every night.....well, maybe four or five at least. Thanks.

I haven't seen this question answered yet. If you purchase the UDP, can you eat in the same restaurant multiple times or only once per cruise? I love le Bistro and would eat there every night.....well, maybe four or five at least. Thanks.

Yep- same restaurant every night or different each night. There have even been posts of people doing more than one on any given night.

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Can you use the udp twice in one night like go to cagneys then to Brazilian steak house?

Thank you so much for the information. I have been on NCL before and personally am not a big fan of the freestyle dinning experience. I like the traditional times dinning with the same waiter or waitress etc.

 

You so mention a good point though. We do like the MDR as well and maybe if we do 3 MDR nights and 3 speciality it would make more sense to pay ala carte for the per person, per dinner.

 

 

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This is where I am on this product as well. While I will get my money's worth with the UBP on some cruises, specifically the cruises that I call party cruises (tropical beaches, not really port intensive), the UDP is probably NOT for me. I like a few dinners in the specialty restaurants, but I also like to eat in the main dining room, and there are some nights where I just want something quick and easy and I'll hit O'Sheehans or the buffet. Everyone's tastes are different. I know there are some cruisers who just want to eat at the specialty restaurants, so for them the UDP makes perfect sense. If you like to mix it up a bit and sometimes just play it by ear, ala carte is the way to go.

Can you use the udp twice in one night like go to cagneys then to Brazilian steak house?

Yes...you could.

I think the UDP will be worth it for me and my family because:

1. I selected the Getaway because of the specialty restaurants. I was planning to dine at each one at some point so, this seemed like a good deal.

2. The Illusionarium is included in the UDP (for the show on the first night of the cruise). With this addition, it was an easy choice to select the UDP.

3. My SO doesn't care for buffets. We don't eat them at home and certainly not on vacation (yikes, when we go to Las Vegas later this year, whatever shall we do?) :) So we will have lunch in the MDR a few times and avoid the buffet on the ship. :)

4. I love sushi and I love seafood. The discount on these restaurants was another bonus since I was going to eat there anyway.

5. My youngest daughter is quite a picky eater. One night we will try the French restaurant (early) and if she picks over her meal, which is highly likely, we have reservations for another restaurant later that evening (2 specialty restaurants in one day).

Someone said that you can start booking diner reservations 45 days in advance. My parents, in the Haven, booked theirs 100 days in advance. I was able to book mine 75 days in advance.

Someone said that you can start booking diner reservations 45 days in advance. My parents, in the Haven, booked theirs 100 days in advance. I was able to book mine 75 days in advance.

Haven is 100 days out. Everyone else is 90.

We have bought Ultimate dining package 3 times for $119 and were pleased. NCL has increased the price to $140.42 plus an 18% gratuity. I do not like to prepay tips to specialty restaurants. Mostly we have had excellent service and always leave a nice tip. But a couple of times at Moderno the service was terrible and the tip was smaller.

We have bought Ultimate dining package 3 times for $119 and were pleased. NCL has increased the price to $140.42 plus an 18% gratuity. I do not like to prepay tips to specialty restaurants. Mostly we have had excellent service and always leave a nice tip. But a couple of times at Moderno the service was terrible and the tip was smaller.

Actually, the $140.42 includes the 18% gratuity and service charge amount of $21.42. $119.00 + 21.42 = $140.42. So you pay the 18% at the time of package purchase. Maybe that is what you meant, but did not someone to think it was $140 PLUS another 18%.

I am new to this and trying to decide which perk to choose - without the UDP, is the charge for the specialty restaurant per person or per cabin? Trying to figure out what makes the most sense for us to pick as our perk.

I am new to this and trying to decide which perk to choose - without the UDP, is the charge for the specialty restaurant per person or per cabin? Trying to figure out what makes the most sense for us to pick as our perk.

Per person.

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We just sailed on the getaway april 4th spring break sailing and we took the ubp as our perk as it costs around $800 and we bought the udp as it costs $280. We booked a GTY Balcony cabin and they gave us cabin 10290 gigantic balcony, huge room, phenomenal service - yes NCL is charging a room service fee but with the perks they give you - who cares.

We just sailed on the getaway april 4th spring break sailing and we took the ubp as our perk as it costs around $800 and we bought the udp as it costs $280. We booked a GTY Balcony cabin and they gave us cabin 10290 gigantic balcony, huge room, phenomenal service - yes NCL is charging a room service fee but with the perks they give you - who cares.

When making my decision, I don't look at the prices of the packages but more at what my actual usage will be. If I am a very light drinker, I am not going to get $800 in value out of a UBP. I might get much more value from a UDP as I would maybe utilize it every night. You really have to know how much you might spend on drinks vs specialty dinners to make the decision.

The only time I can possibly see going to two specialty restaurants for me would be to go to Moderno for their salad bar and then go to a different restaurant to eat. I really don't like anything else about Moderno. This might be a thought!

The only time I can possibly see going to two specialty restaurants for me would be to go to Moderno for their salad bar and then go to a different restaurant to eat. I really don't like anything else about Moderno. This might be a thought!

It also depends what time you have lunch and dinner for example one day we went for lunch at 5pm then dinner at 9:30pm. Or another example we went to Moderno for dinner then to Cagneys for desserts, or maybe you decided to truly indulge and went to one restaurant for seafood and another for steak :)