Dawn Restaurants

[NYHartChapp]

Hi All,

 

We're booked on the 7/31 cruise and have been trying to find info on the various restaurants on the Dawn...dining style, menus, quality, etc. NCL website is not very helpful. Anyone out there have info (website or perhaps even personal .pdf files) on the restaurants? Am also unclear what charges are levied on dining at the six "specialty" restaurants. Any info there would be helpful as well. Can't wait. Will be our second cruise out of NYC and there's not a better bon voyage setting than that! Thanks in advance.

[allshookup]

It's been over a year since my Dawn cruise (next one in 2 wks) but I will do my best to answer your questions. There is of course the Garden Buffet, which we ate breakfast at every morning. Lunch offerings were just ok, but I did love the bread pudding served every day. The Blue Lagoon is open almost 24 hrs & offers pub fare. You seat yourself but there is waitstaff to serve you. There is burgers & tacos pool side & usually and afternoon barbeque. The main dining rooms are the Venetian (huge and beautiful), Impressions (very elegant with beautiful art), and Aqua (mostly female waitstaff, lighter menu, water theme). Each night the menu in each of these restaurants offered similar choices. From what I remember there were different theme nights such as formal (includes lobster tail & filet mignon I think), chef's night, caribbean, italian, but with choices of chicken, fish, or steak dishes usually to suit everyone's taste. There are always interesting appetizers & delicious desserts to choose from. They serve dinner 5-10 & you can not make a reservation. The mexican restaurant Salsa's & the Italian restaurant La Trattoria are no extra charge but do require a reservation. Cagney's steak house, Le Bistro, & Bamboo (including the Teppenyaki) all require a reservation & have an extra fee of around $10-$20 per person depending on the restaurant & what you order. Hope that helps!

[wants2fly]

Thank you for your descriptions of the resturants.

 

One silly question, but am just wondering, if I have dinner at 5pm and around 9pm I got hungry again, can I go and eat at the "main dining" room again?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

wants2fly

[Mrmacman]

You can absolutely go back to the restaurant, if you want to.

Can't imagine anyone could eat again, but there is nothing to stop you.

 

I know that a few times we had an earlier dinner (6 or so). Came back around 9:30 for coffee and dessert. I really enjoyed ordering 4 or 5 appetizers to share. The portions were small and you got to try many different things. You paid for it, and should enjoy it. I loved the Dawn and can't wait to sail again.

[KarlaC]

Try this website for information pertaining to menus on the Dawn

 

http://www.magwa.co.uk/dawn/ndawnphoto.htm

This one should help to

http://cruiseclues.com/shipstips/norwegiandawn.htm

 

HAPPY CRUISING:D

[patnjohn]

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your photos. They were so clear & professional. Thanks so much.

[NYHartChapp]

Thanks for the descriptions.

[debjo]

Does anyone know if the "cover" charge for the Specialty Restaurants includes a "tip", or should you "tip" your waitstaff after your meal there? And, if you should "tip" after your meal in a Specialty Restaurant, what would an appropriate amount be (sense you don't have a meal price to base your "tip" percentage on)? Or is the "tip" in the Special Restaurants covered with the "tip" charge that is automatically added to your onboard account bill?

 

Debjo

[KarlaC]

Does anyone know if the "cover" charge for the Specialty Restaurants includes a "tip", or should you "tip" your waitstaff after your meal there? And, if you should "tip" after your meal in a Specialty Restaurant, what would an appropriate amount be (sense you don't have a meal price to base your "tip" percentage on)? Or is the "tip" in the Special Restaurants covered with the "tip" charge that is automatically added to your onboard account bill?

Debjo

 

At the end of you meal you receive a "bill". It will include any alcohol you purchased, the cover charge and a 15% automatic gratuity. Keep in mind that 15% of about $20 is not very much for a tip. If the service was great we tipped an extra $5 - $10 depending on the level of service. The wait staff seemed very appreciative.

I look at it this way. I am getting a wonderful meal for myself and my bf for about $20 (assuming a $10 cover charge each). In any restaurant back home I would expect to pay about $100 total for this type of experience. So I like to tip the wait staff in the specialty restaurants as if I was at a restaurant back home. Seems weird to me to leave a $3.00 (automatic gratuity) tip for such wonderful service and food. Add on an extra $5 to $10 and that seems more appropriate to me. I also find that tipping extra will get you even better service if you decide to go back.:rolleyes:

[GianChaz]

debjo,

includes a "tip"

I don't recollect the amount that they did at the restaurants - perhaps 15%; the various coffee & beverage bars do; however they are minimal when the coffee/beverage costs $1.50.

We ate twice at Gatzby's. We tipped two different amounts because of how well the wait staff did. In both cases they were very good; one, though, exceeded very good and was excellent.

 

"tip" your waitstaff after your meal

Yes. Depending on the situation, we either left it on the table, handed it to the person we wanted to tip or, included it on the "bill" which was charged to the room.

If we received outstanding service in any restaurant (free ones, too), we tipped. We had such outstanding service from a young woman at La Trattoria (free and, it was very late with only one other couple present) that we just had to tip. What's it worth? Perhaps ten; perhaps five?

We usually gave cash for the outstanding and, charged it on the bill with average.

 

Now, how much? Again, depends. Our very outstanding service in Gatzby's: we gave them the same as the bill: $30. The waiter and assistant were just impeccable; the very good service garnered about $20.

Keep in mind that we are from NYC and similar restaurants would cost $150 and up.

 

Other factors that entered into consideration were: many a person left no tip or a trivial amount.

We trusted our judgment and knew that we did not over tip or under tip. If the service stunk, we let them know it and tipped accordingly. ;)

 

Or is the "tip" in the Special Restaurants covered with the "tip" charge that is automatically added to your onboard account bill?

No.

 

Keep in mind that these people are not paid very well and work very long hours.

If we acknowledge great service, it comes back to us each and every time we see those people again (well, even if we don't).

 

We always bring a number of singles, fives and tens.

 

One way to get great service in your cabin is to give a tip, up front, to your steward. If they continue great service, we gave them more at the end. If not then none.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

p.s. Just saw prior post after I previewed mine; we certainly agree.

[debjo]

For KarlaC & GianChaz...

Thank you both for your very detailed "tipping" experience and advice in the Specialty Restaurants on the DAWN. We didn't fully partake of the Specialty Restaurant Dining options on our last DAWN cruise, and are planning to try two of them on our upcoming trip.

 

We've always "tipped" in excess of the suggested amounts, at the end of our cruises. I enjoy awarding great service with a thank-you note, a handshake or hug, and our verbal and monetary gratefulness "in person" with the people who have made our cruise experiences special. Our past NCL experiences were the first times we've had our gratuities "automatically added to our on-board account". Needless to say, we felt that the "daily per person" amounts didn't reflect the appreciation we had for our cabin stewards and some other key personnel, so we sought them out at the end of the cruise with our customary thank you note and additional gratuities.

 

The specialty restaurants add a new dimension to the situation. Thanks for helping to clear things up for me. I'm surprised to learn that the "per day/per person" gratutities that are automatically charged to your account DO NOT include the personnel in the Specialty Restaurants. While I it is a sad thing to learn that some of the people who enjoy the Specialty Restaurants DO NOT leave a tip...perhaps they are like me and thought that the tip was "included" in one manner or another. Thanks to people like you, we can learn better! Perhaps NCL should include a paragraph in their brochures about the Specialty Restaurant tipping.

 

I do agree that the "per day/per person" automatic gratutity seems almost insignificant when compared to the level of pampering and service one receives on a cruise. That is why I always give even more at the end of the trip when it is warranted. I have to admit, not being from New York City, that I haven't ever experienced service in a restaurant near home that made me want to "tip" more than 15 or 20%. The service one gets on a cruise is what makes me want to keep on cruising!

 

Thanks Again!

Debjo

[jrose529]

Are 16 year olds allowed in the specialty restaurants? On some ships, the specialty restaurants are adult only. I was just wondering about the Dawn.

[shoreguy]

Are 16 year olds allowed in the specialty restaurants? On some ships, the specialty restaurants are adult only. I was just wondering about the Dawn.

 

 

No age restrictions.

[cosmo1027]

Is it true that if you go to a specialty restaurant (i.e. Cagney's on the Dawn) with a young child who orders off the children's menu, that there is no cover charge for the child?

 

Thanks!

[shoreguy]

debjo,

includes a "tip"

 

Or is the "tip" in the Special Restaurants covered with the "tip" charge that is automatically added to your onboard account bill?

No.

 

Keep in mind that these people are not paid very well and work very long hours.

If we acknowledge great service, it comes back to us each and every time we see those people again (well, even if we don't).

 

.

 

The Staff in the specialty restaurants do in fact share in the pool. That does not mean an additonal cash tip is not deserved. They work there because they are the best. Keep in mind if you add to the check it goes into the pool. Most cash is turned in as well but that is up to the individual.

 

The share of the pool each wait staff gets is linked to their years of service, job title and and most important rating. Comment cards good or bad effect income.

[snorklinbarb]

There is no amount that is automatically added to your bill in the specialty restaurants, i.e. if the cover is $15, that's what your bill will be UNLESS you have alcohol (auto 15% on any bar bill). There is a line left blank for you to write in an additional tip you'd like, or I guess shoreguy's suggestion is to leave a cash tip, if I'm reading him correctly.

 

We have been to the alternate restaurants where we have left nothing extra and other times where we have left a tip for excellent service. Fortunately there are more instances of the latter! Nothing automatically expected, yet appreciated.

 

Even more important, remember to acknowledge those exceptional waiters (or any other staff) on the comment cards that are put on the tables every night and at the end of the cruise on the official comment card that is sent to Miami. That goes for the specialty restaurants as well as main DR's.

 

debjo,

People like the concierge and butlers and kids counselors are not in the "pool" but the folks who work in the specialty restaurants at night also work in the other dining rooms or cafe during the day, so would be covered under the $10 pp/day charge. If you do not leave a tip at the specialty restaurant, you are not "stiffing" that waiter. If you choose to leave a tip, you are presumably rewarding particularly good service.

[debjo]

THANKS SHOREGUY & SNORKLIN'BARB...

for adding your "two cents" (pun intended). I'm glad I'm not the one that has to figure out how the gratuity money is allocated on board the ship...seems to be quite complicated with automatic charges going into the "pool" and doled out according to rank, comment cards, etc. I guess I thought that if you personally handed a deserving individual your monetary thanks...that person got to keep it. Now I learn that they may feel obliged to add it to the "pool". Thanks for letting us know that the butlers, concierge, and kid's counselors are NOT part of the "pool".

 

I guess I'll just make note of whether there is anything "added" gratuity wise to the Specialty Restaurant bill (as in the bars) and act accordingly. Now all I have to do is remember to bring some cash with me to the Specialty Restaurants, just in case!

 

I'll also be sure to fill out all the COMMENT CARDS...it seems they are much more important that I had originally thought! On our last cruise, I only picked up a couple from our dining tables. I figured that the one we received at the end of the cruise was the most important...but alas, they never leave enough room on them to fully express your compliments and comments about the wonderful week of cruising (and I write VERY SMALL).

 

I love these boards...so much more information is available here than I've been able to get from headquarters or my TA.

 

Debjo

[Tomct]

Is it true that if you go to a specialty restaurant (i.e. Cagney's on the Dawn) with a young child who orders off the children's menu, that there is no cover charge for the child?

 

Thanks!

 

There is no charge for the children's menu, and no additional charge in the specialty restaurants. One note I do not recall seeing posted, is it is my understanding that all children's meals are prepared in one kitchen, and accordingly your waitstaff must go offsite to pick up such meals. We always informed the waitstaff to bring the kids their meals whenever it was convenient for them, as the kids are ready to eat as soon as possible.

 

We always gave our grandkids the option of eating off the restaurant menu or the kid's menu, and they usually opted for the chicken fingers, pizza, etc., but they (5/7) were not fools, and did take advantage of the good stuff on occasion. the 7 yr. old remarked one time, after LeBistro steak, and chocolate fondue, "This is the Life". The Dawn is certainly an educational experience!!!

 

As for tipping, we almost always tip at the specialties, usually between $10 and $20 for the two of us. Their service is exceptional, and we can't help but say thank you via the cash. We certainly do not know what happens to the money, but it surely lets them know we appreciated their service. For smaller amounts at the lounges, for instance, I do use the tip area on the bill. As someone posted, you often see these people in other (regular) restaurants, and can ask for them if you choose to do so. That's another way of letting them know of your appreciation, as well as the key one, the all important Comment Card. In addition to reading the importance on the board, I met with the Hotel Director one time, and he reinforced the heavy use of the cards, and how they effect the tips from cruise to cruise. It appears to be a competitive issue, though not sure how much actual money is involved. It is important to receive the good comments for your standing with your management.