Mack704

NCL MDRs are now accepting reservations. It seems feasible that you could reserve the same time, in the same MDR, (there are 3 main dining rooms on the Breakaway), for every night of your cruise.

A conversation with the Maitre'd on the first night should guarantee the same table and waitstaff for every night.

As far as dress, you could establish and follow your own dress code, without regard to what others are wearing, and produce your desired dining effect.

Why not?

Harvey

PS A few years ago, on the Oasis of the Seas, on a back to back, we did my time dining. But every night, at the Maitre'd stand, we requested the same waiter, and were granted our wish, albeit sometimes a short wait. It can be done.

Last cruise we requested from room service a pot or 2 of coffee every morning - loved having my coffee on the balcony in the morning.

Every cruise DW and I have been on we use room service as our wake-up call - with a pot of coffee, (and anything else we thought we might want when we put out the door tag the night before). That way we have fresh cream/half and half/milk, and not that powdered crap they supply. And the coffee is there at wake-up.

Harvey

Good to know they are now serving sides. We enjoyed OB, but when we dined there (second sailing on the BA), the portions were ridiculous (entree was a piece of fish as big as two fingers with no accompaniments) and there were no veggies or sides or anything but the small protein on the plate. I don't eat sweets, so asked if I could have a small salad instead of dessert and was told no, asked for a vegetable, was told no.. We are used to small portions and fine dining, but all three of us left very hungry that night, and ended up having to eat a big snack a bit later (and I never eat anything after dinner). I'm also lucky that at home we can get fish caught today to cook at home every day, so nothing on the menu was a reach for us.. Food was delicious, service excellent, but portions/flexibility were a turnoff. Glad to hear they've at least added a veggie side.

 

Robin

Who told you no you could not have a vegetable? The waiter or the restaurant manager? Because I would have requested a meeting with the manager. Were there any vegetables served in the restaurant at all. Did you notice other diners with a vegetable? Your experience was rather strange, don't you think?

Three times $39 or $49 and you all left very hungry. Maybe you should have requested a refund. At the very least, let the manager know. Or maybe even the hotel director. Strange!

Harvey

I'm so very happy you have had a nice experience, and felt the urgent need to advise me! I will certainly add this to my list of Internet forum corrections to be reviewed from time to time, and will remember to add extensive qualifiers when stating my opinion and experiences from now on. Including now:

 

Note to all readers: your response to such an off-topic post may or may not be the same as mine, and my response is not meant in any way to offend, harass, infer or color your opinions, or feelings in any way. My opinions are stated from my frame of reference, and are not meant to degrade, offend, or otherwise hurt people of Irish, German, English, native American or other descent, as I make no representation that my opinions represent those with my same heritage; nor do I offer my opinions as the final word for people not sharing my heritage or frame of reference. You may or may not have the same experiences, and I will not in any way infer that you acted badly because your experience was different than mine, nor will I insist my experiences are typical or expected. This notice may contain tree nuts. Gluten free.

I'm not quite sure why you felt it necessary to take offense to my post. I was merely relating my experiences, and possibly implying that your experience may have been either an anomaly, your perception, or a reaction to your attitude.

The advice you claim I was offering was purposely in the form of a question. Maybe to induce some thinking on your part of how nasty you can be. Your response to me shows just that.

Happy cruising.

Harvey

NCL has a wide variety of ships so most of the points have been made already. Some things are individual based on the ship (size of the theater, open spaces vs. intimate spaces, etc.) The MDR food has been pretty consistent throughout our cruise experience with NCL, which is to say OK.

 

I've never had a bad meal there, but my expectation is that it will be like any "food for the masses" venue and not fine dining. There are standard options available throughout the cruise, and then new entrees each night.

 

What I like about NCL is that my wife and I can get a table for two, at the windows in the aft dining room, and have a nice intimate dinner. We aren't seated with 6 strangers, or 6 people chosen randomly to be "at our table" for the cruise. The Freestyle concept is baked into the cake with NCL, and not grafted on as "anytime dining" that produces a frown when you ask to be seated as a couple.

 

While the MDR has never really been below my expectations, the specialty restaurants have been. I'm in a distinct minority on this, but I believe Cagney's is highly overrated and not worth the $30 per person (or the calculated $42 per person I use because it replaces a MDR meal I value at $12). On the Sun, our service in Cagneys was slow, the sides were cold and the steak - filet mignon - was not as good as a common steak house like Outback on shore.

 

So, if you're a foodie, NCL probably isn't the line to cruise on (and from my experience, neither are Disney or Princess).

I apologize for going off topic, but as far as free style dining on NCL vs. "anytime dining". DW and I have requested a table for two for every dinner on: anytime dining on Carnival, your time dining on several cruises on RCCL, and select dining on even more cruises on X. It has never produced a frown on the face of any Maitre'd or assistant Maitre'd, ever.

Do you DEMAND vehemently or just ask nicely?

Harvey

The mini-suite I booked on the Getaway, for next May, I believe, has a shower only with a glass door. No bathtub. I've even seen a couple of YouTube video tours of said mini-suites that show no bathtub. It's a mini-suite with balcony - 13180. So which mini-suites have bathtubs?

Harvey

I have read on these boards that NCL would not allow selling the UBP or any drink package to just one in a multiple dwelled cabin, in advance. However, I have also read they will allow it once you're on board.

I've read, several times, on these boards, in the last few months, since I booked my NCL cruise, that once on board you can by a beverage package at any bar. And the bar tenders will sell to just one. I can't verify that, yet.

Can anyone verify that?

Absolutely loving you review. Please don't take this as criticism, but it would be much easier to read if there was a break every two or three sentences. Just a suggestion. Keep on keeping on. And thanks!

Harvey

Try this link:

http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/n_breakaway_m_sushi.pdf

Harvey

My suggestion would be to tell them you need to limit your time there. If they new ahead of time you had to be at the splash academy, or anywhere else for that matter. (A show time, for example), they would hustle up and shorten your dinner time, I would think.

Harvey

 

Dinner was in lebistro. Soup was good but lobster tasteless and waterlogged. Its okay always someting to eat.

 

 

 

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Did you send the lobster back for a replacement? And was the second one just as bad?

Haevey

Try this link:

http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/n_breakaway_m_raw.pdf

You'll need to scroll down a bit to get to the food part of the menu.

Harvey

You are, of course, correct. In the safe is, in fact, safer. However, I think the probability of that sequence events happening is remote at best.

1) it's a thief walking down your corridor

2) at that moment the room steward has your door propped open but is nowhere in site

3) in your cabin the location of your desk, and the where your device is placed on the desk is in plain view from the corridor

4) the thief stops in front of the opened door. (Probably not viewable at a glance walking by)

5) the thief enters your room and steals your device

Sounds like a good story. Not a likely one though.

Again, you are, of course, correct. In the safe it is safer.

DW and I will probably continue on as always.

Harvey

A thought just came to mind. As far as putting kindles, iPads, laptops, etc. in your safe: DW and I have left such devices on top of the desk charging during the day, while we were out and about with no worry of theft. On several different cruise lines.

Who's going to steal them? The room steward? The butler? (Yes, the Butler did it!) (sorry, had to say it). The caretakers of your cabin are also responsible for the security of your cabin. If something goes missing, anything, they are the thief and they are responsible. Who else would be going inside your room when you're not there.

So, if it doesn't fit, it really doesn't matter. Just sayin'.

Harvey

I believe if it were that serious no one would be able to go anywhere because people themselves carry germs and bacteria that can be harmful to people on the island and in turn harmful to their environment. Are u not to get off the ship if u have what seems to be a cold because u can infect people at the port? Furthermore, if it were illegal to take food off the ship they would check bags on the way off the ship as opposed to just checking them when u get back on. I'm sure if/when it becomes an issue cruise lines will find a way to regulate it. I had no problem take a sandwich off the ship, I ate my sandwich, kept the bag it was in with me back onto the ship (no harm, no foul). And if the environment is that much in danger, they should preserve it by not allowing us to even come on the island and ooooh and awww at its beauty out of fear that we my trample their grounds and kill their plants and litter their water.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Forums mobile app

I realize I'm preaching to deaf ears.

On every one of the dozen or so cruises I've been on, the powers that be talk about the illegality of taking food off the ship in foreign ports.

You can talk the talk to justify it to yourself. Just to yourself. We know better.

(No harm, no foul) is just not the case. What your doing is breaking the law in the country you take food off the ship into.

Now you know better too.

Harvey

Which menus? The specialty dining menus are located on the NCL web site. Click on ships, then on Getaway, then specialty dining. All of their menus are fleet wide; including the MDR menus. A little searching on CC here should bring some up. Or a little googling search in your browser should turn them up for you.

Harvey

Hey silkhair,

Steve has given you the link to beyondships where you can find the same Le Bistro menu that is fleet wide. But for future reference, all the specialty menus are located on the NCL website where the dining info is for each ship.

Harvey

Remember though that they do not provide toilet paper. Plan accordingly.

Seriously, they really don't supply toilet paper????????

 

 

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Seriously, about bringing your own toilet paper. Don't! What they provide is compatible with their septic system. Yours probably is not.

I'm the first one to kibbitz on these boards. But your toilet paper would most likely clog their system.

Harvey

What does DSC mean ?[/quote

 

Daily Service Charge. I think. Means the same thing as daily tips or daily gratuities.

 

Harvey

I am very, very disappointed in this new concept of being able to make reservations 90 days in advance. This totally defeats the concept of Freestyle Cruising. We were on the Getaway in May where this new concept was being tested. Basically, we lost all of our Freestyle rights.....having not made reservations for anything in advance, we were unable to secure entertainment or dining reservations once onboard. Everything was booked up. We actually ate dinner in the buffet several evenings after not being able to secure any other reservations that interested us. We do not like to have to plan out our week on the cruiseship months in advance. We loved the spontaneity of Freestyle.

 

While on that cruise in May, I often wondered how many of those advance reservations were actually kept and how many were just forgottenentertainment about. Freestyle was the reason we kept coming back to NCL. Now we are looking elsewhere as the Freestyle atmosphere is a thing of the past.

I don't understand. Being a newbie to NCL, and booked for my first NCL cruise next May on the Getaway, I'm was looking forward to "freestyle cruising". Your narrative indicates you were unable to secure entertainment AND dining reservations because they were all booked up.

The entertainment reservations I can relate to, having sailed on the Oasis of the Seas and having to book all major shows in advance. But are you implying all complimentary dining in the main dining rooms is now reservation only?

Everything else I've read on these boards seems to indicate booking a dining reservation is only an option. Are you saying NCL has done away completely with freestyle dining in the MDR's? Were you turned away at the Maitre'd stand and told they were all booked up? Please elaborately or explain.

Harvey

My wife and I decided if we use the pool area on the Getaway next May, that if we go to the pool area and the chair hogs have dominated the loungers, we will indiscriminately claim two loungers to our liking, that are only saved by pool towels, and remove those towels ourselves.

On any of the mainstream cruise lines, they have anti lounge saving policies. So, when it appears to be no loungers available, we believe that most are being saved against policy, and especially the ones being saved only by a pool towel, are available for the taking.

Harvey

When I booked with the NCL rep, he requested my AARP membership number in order to give me the discounted rate. Don't know if the card will be requested at check-in. He told me it would.

Harvey

YES!! I have to say it was AMAZING too. Especially after a long day at the beach, it really felt good on the tired muscles.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the look-see. It is the shower that convinced me to upgrade from a BC balcony.

Harvey

If smoking is that important to you maybe you shoild seek help. I hope all cruise lines tighten smoking bans.

Are you sure you posted to the correct thread??? This one is about mini suites on the Getaway. I am interested because i just booked one for next May.

There are several threads going on now about smoking. Please, join them.

Harvey

You're over-thinking it a little bit. There is one account. Shipboard charges are a debit, and OBC is just a credit, yes...but the system will NOT use OBC to credit ineligible debits. It's automatic. There are no ins-and-outs for you to know. Just understand what the OBC cannot be used for; mostly the DSC and casino cash.

 

Also understand there are a couple different kinds of OBC. A good example is OBC which you purchase (as a gift, for example). Cash-value OBC can be used for any shipboard charges.

I started a thread on the topic of using OBC for gratuity (daily service charge) a few weeks ago and got lots of great information. I also verified with my TA and NCL.

 

I kept getting confused about refundable vs non-refundable. The thing that made the most sense to me was understanding that OBC given directly from NCL (in my case a $50.00 promo) can only be used on things that NCL profits from. This results in far less 'out of pocket' expenses to NCL.

 

My TA also gave me $175 as an incentive to book with her. While that $175 is non-refundable (in other words, if I don't cruise, I don't get the $175.00); it can be used toward tips because NCL has nothing to do with the money/incentive.

 

Hope that helps :)

Thanks for the comprehensive explanations. I believe I've got it now. NCL only gave me $70.00 OBC. I'm sure I'll have enough other debits besides DSC and the casino to suck it up. Thanks again!

Harvey