Main Dinning Room Menu

[robinpow]

Does anyone have the so called formal night menu (main dinning room)? I would assume it would be at least similar if not the same from ship to ship.

 

While I've used NCL many times, I quit eating in their dinning room ages ago. When times were tough for the company, the menu got pretty skimpy and wasn't worth the effort to change clothing for, much less dress up for.

 

However things have be steadily improving, and I'm leaving out in a couple of weeks. Thinking about packing something for dinner, but want to make sure it's going to be worth the weight in my bag, and the effort. ;-)

 

Also if there are any smokers, (This is NOT a smoking thread!!!!) how much are the currently charging for a carton. In past cruises they would have a sale on the 5 carton box.

 

Thanks!

[Army/Police Vet]

You don't have to dress up ever to eat in the main dining rooms. Formal nights always have the caveat that you don't have to dress up if you choose not too. In my experience, most people don't.

[fergusonvt]

I don't remember seeing a special menu for dress up or not night.

[DerekNJ]

Also if there are any smokers, (This is NOT a smoking thread!!!!) how much are the currently charging for a carton. In past cruises they would have a sale on the 5 carton box.

 

Thanks!

 

On the Gem last week, they were charging between $34 and $36 a carton if you bought a single one. If you bought the multi-carton packs, it was like $30 a carton.

[mking8288]

However things have be steadily improving, and I'm leaving out in a couple of weeks. Thinking about packing something for dinner, but want to make sure it's going to be worth the weight in my bag, and the effort. ;-)

 

Thanks!

 

LOL, if you don't mind asking - which ship & itinerary are you booked for ? MDR selections aren't the greatest, subjectively speaking of course, but there's the buffet and the 24 hour cafe - all free and no extra charge. I will be happy with the sirloin steak and salmon on the everyday selection just fine for at least 2 evenings, YMMV.

 

But, seriously - packing "something" for dinner for 1 night, 3 or 4 nights and certainly not 7 nights - unless you are taking along instant noodles & MRE :D I sure would like to know how you would prepare it onboard without access to cooking facilities and refrigeration (okay, dry ice ??) - AND, yet be better than something coming out of the NCL kitchen.

 

This is really pushing the envelope of imagination and puzzling, am I missing something this morning, maybe my cafeteria coffee in the mug isn't kicking me hard enough! Please help us out here, it's not April 1st. yet on the calendar .... :confused:

[housepeepers]

LOL, if you don't mind asking - which ship & itinerary are you booked for ? MDR selections aren't the greatest, subjectively speaking of course, but there's the buffet and the 24 hour cafe - all free and no extra charge. I will be happy with the sirloin steak and salmon on the everyday selection just fine for at least 2 evenings, YMMV.

 

But, seriously - packing "something" for dinner for 1 night, 3 or 4 nights and certainly not 7 nights - unless you are taking along instant noodles & MRE :D I sure would like to know how you would prepare it onboard without access to cooking facilities and refrigeration (okay, dry ice ??) - AND, yet be better than something coming out of the NCL kitchen.

 

This is really pushing the envelope of imagination and puzzling, am I missing something this morning, maybe my cafeteria coffee in the mug isn't kicking me hard enough! Please help us out here, it's not April 1st. yet on the calendar .... :confused:

 

 

OK...assuming you are truly puzzled.... "something for dinner" as in dressier clothes. Some people still like to dress up for dinner sometimes...we are NOT among them.

[fergusonvt]

OK...assuming you are truly puzzled.... "something for dinner" as in dressier clothes. Some people still like to dress up for dinner sometimes...we are NOT among them.

 

That is how I interpreted the question also. No really dressy clothes in my suitcase either.

[housepeepers]

That is how I interpreted the question also. No really dressy clothes in my suitcase either.

 

 

It's the Vermonter in us FergusonVT...My mother always says "dress for comfort, not for style". Never more apropos to me than on a cruise :)

[dockrocker]

I don't remember seeing a special menu for dress up or not night.

 

That's usually the night they serve the mushy frozen lobster tails.

[fergusonvt]

That's usually the night they serve the mushy frozen lobster tails.

 

Must have been Mexican night at the buffet then. That's the only night I ate there.

[fergusonvt]

It's the Vermonter in us FergusonVT...My mother always says "dress for comfort, not for style". Never more apropos to me than on a cruise :)

 

 

You know it! Not too much need for dressy clothes around here. Most restaurants are casual and work places either casual or business casual. I do like looking at all the other dressed up people though.

[robinpow]

To put it bluntly, as a rule when I use NCL, I just pack my jeans, leave the other stuff at home, and skip the MDR and eat at the buffet or 24hr cafe.

 

Even NCL has a no jean rule for the MDR, for dinner, unless they dump a container of bags in the water. That happened on my South America cruise. Since so many folks had sea soaked luggage, the waived clothing rules for dinning.

 

However this time I'm taking a friend, and it's her first cruise and thinking about hitting the MDR at least for the formal night, if they are offering some worth the effort.

 

Being females, if we decide to do the MDR, that will translate in to at least a skirt and blouse if not a dress.

That means matching shoes, make-up, hair stuff and so on... and that adds weight to the suitcase.

 

BTW I'm taking the southern route on the Dawn next month.

 

Hmmm MREs that's an idea. LOL

There for a while it would have been a improvement. The Crown and The Dream were so bad, McDonalds was looking good.

 

THANKS DerekNJ for the heads up on prices.

[doodlesinkentucky]

To me the nice thing about NCL is NOT dressing up. I like to relax and not worry about it! Pack light and enjoy!:p

[njhorseman]

To put it bluntly, as a rule when I use NCL, I just pack my jeans, leave the other stuff at home, and skip the MDR and eat at the buffet or 24hr cafe.

 

Even NCL has a no jean rule for the MDR, for dinner, unless they dump a container of bags in the water. That happened on my South America cruise. Since so many folks had sea soaked luggage, the waived clothing rules for dinning.

 

However this time I'm taking a friend, and it's her first cruise and thinking about hitting the MDR at least for the formal night, if they are offering some worth the effort.

 

Being females, if we decide to do the MDR, that will translate in to at least a skirt and blouse if not a dress.

That means matching shoes, make-up, hair stuff and so on... and that adds weight to the suitcase.

 

BTW I'm taking the southern route on the Dawn next month.

 

Hmmm MREs that's an idea. LOL

There for a while it would have been a improvement. The Crown and The Dream were so bad, McDonalds was looking good.

 

THANKS DerekNJ for the heads up on prices.

 

Not any more. Jeans are permitted in all restaurants. Shorts are also now permitted in most of the restaurants (typically all but one of the MDRs and LeBistro...but this can vary a bit by ship).

[Sauer-kraut]

Robin,

 

Just pack a nice skirt, nothing fancy and you can forget about packing extra shoes, as I'm sure you'll have a pair of sandals. Leave the extra makeup at home, you'll have a nice glow from the sun so just mascara and a little lip gloss will do.

 

You don't have to dress to the nines, I'll be doing a CCL cruise in July and for their more mandatory elegant night I'll still manage to stuff a decent dress into my carryon duffle. (Its only a 5 day cruise, so just 2 pair of shorts and 5 tops will be all I need to get through). The shoes will be the dressy flip flops I'll be wearing to a beach wedding on the cruise so bascially one pair of shoes and beach shoes is all the footwear I'll need.

 

I think you'll be fine, sometimes the menu on the 'regluar' nights was better than the offerings on the dress up or not night. :D