A few food questions. :)

Hello! My husband and I are absolute newbies, and will be cruising with our children (9mo. and 5y.). We are going to be on NCL's Pride of Aloha in Sept.

Our 5 year old DD likes things like steak, asparagus, chicken breast etc. Will these things be available to her? Will we have to pay for them?

Which restaurants would you recommend? :) If we have good service how much do we tip waiters?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! :D

I can't speak for the Pride of Aloha specifically having never sailed on her but a steak or chicken breast shouldn't be a problem in the dining room for dinner any night. (Most cruise lines have what they call the 'always available' items like shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, steak, chicken, salmon; and you can get those any night.) Asparagus you will have to hunt around the menu for. If it is on any item that evening you see on the menu then they can probably bring you a side no problem but I can't imagine they will just cook it up special for you on the spot. If you know you want it every night then I would talk to the maitre'd on the first night and make that request - he is the man who can make it happen. From my experience he will make it happen for you! And none of these will cost you extra.

One thing you should also check for is the children's menu in the dining room. It may not be on your table when you are first seated but the waiter can easily get it for you. It will have more kid friendly things on it that may also appeal to your kids - chicken noodle soup, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, etc. (Don't expect that to change every night as the adult menu does.)

Enjoy!!

Thank you so much for the reply! :D My daughter was ill the past few days, which has kept me away from my laptop and the boards. She is excited as she would prefer to eat from the adults menu. :) She also has two formal dresses on the way, and is over the moon with happiness that we are going!

I really appreciate your answer, we were afraid that as she is a child, there would be an added fee for her to use the regular menu. :)

~Rebecca

Your daughter will be able to order from either the children's menu or the adult - or something from each if she wishes. The servers will do everything possible to make her happy. On RCCL, my DIL requested steamed broccoli for DGS the first night. That night and each night thereafter, a large platter of it appeared on our table, so don't be afraid to request asparagus even if you do not see it on the menu! Oh, BTW, anyone can order from the children's menu, too - they had great chicken noodle soup that several of us had a couple of times!

there is something for everyone on NCl....they cater to allot of different ethnic groups...on the Dawn they even had a small buffet set up for kids....things kids like...it was so cute to see them....

Thank you for the answers and sharing your tips! Our cruise is fast approaching and both excitement and tension are building. Our daughter's formal dresses arrived today, so the cruise is all she can talk about. :) She says she only wants to eat from the adult menu, and try something new every night. However, when I told there was a little ice cream shop onboard it really blew her mind. ;) lol silly kid. :D

~Rebecca