Let's talk about food

[seluased]

Hi! I'm completely new to the boards and cruising, but have already gotten a lot of great tips and questions answered here already.

 

So now that I'm 125 days away (:rolleyes:), I'm starting to think about all the yummy food. I'm in no way a foodie, and don't really like fancy food, but I do like good ole' American fare. What can be expected on the ship (specifically the Dawn)? I've tried Googling "Norwegian Dawn menus," but haven't come up with much.

 

Like, for instance, the day of boarding, will lunch be available? If one were to go to the buffet, what would they see? Is the sports grill open on a Canadian cruise in October? Can one get a good ole' burger and fries any time they want?

 

What about the breakfast buffet? What types of food? If you choose breakfast in the dining room, can you get an assortment of eggs, potatoes, bacon and fruit?

 

Or on the days when we have an early morning excursion that brings us back to the ship in time for lunch, what's available? What's do-not-miss, and what's you're-better-off-somewhere-else? From what I can remember of a cruise I went on as a kid, lunch was always 'better' at the buffet than in the main dining room. Keep in mind that when we go out to eat as a family, you won't find us at fancy places; we're more keen on diners, and chains like Friday's and Applebee's. How is the food with that regard?

 

Anyone have up-to-date sample menus or photos they want to share?

 

Anyone else's mouths watering? :p

[DMH15]

I really don't eat at buffets so can't help there.

 

But on embarkation day, unless you board very late, lunch is available. Crew will try and steer you to the buffet, which is VERY crowded on day one. But one of the main dining rooms will be open for lunch. Much more peaceful. We had burgers and fries, sandwiches, etc.

 

There is a "Blue Lagoon" on the Dawn. Best chicken wings, soup, sandwiches, etc. very yummy!

 

I loved sailing on the Dawn. Hope you do too!

[fergusonvt]

We found the buffets on both the Sun and Star to be very good. In fact we had a suite in Jan. but only ate breakfast in Cagney's two mornings prefering to have fresh fruit, muffins and eggs from the buffet. One of the MDR's will be open on embarkation day. Go there to have a nice relaxed sit down lunch. The breakfast buffet will have scrambled eggs or a station to have them made your way (over easy, omelet etc.) a waffle station that has all kinds of toppings, bacon, ham, fresh fruit, all kinds of bread for toast, all kinds of pastries, eggs benedict, bagels with lox and cream cheese and about 20 other things.

 

Breakfasts in the MDR have all kinds of eggs, waffles, pancakes etc. The room service menu on NCL for breakfast is limited unless you are in a suite.

 

Don't miss the sailaway BBQ for dinner the first night and possibly each time you leave a port. On our first cruise on the Sun they had it every time we departed from a port. The Blue Lagoon restaurant has great comfort food including excellent wings.

 

You won't go hungry believe me.

[cb at sea]

You can get almost anything without fancy sauces and stuff! And, there will be ample "American-style" food...you will not go hungry!

[butterflys]

From my experience:

 

If you like Red Lobster, Applebees, Outback, Olive Garden etc... you will be very happy with the food. I am perfectly happy with the food at all of those restaurants.

 

If your expectations are more 5 star gourmet type dining with fancy garnishes and sauces, you will find a bit of that in the main dining room as the Chef's specials but I think they are more 4 star. The cruise also offers a Chef's table for the ultra gourmet foodies.

 

I think they have something for everyone and good old American Fare is offered most often.

[ute_fan]

Just off the Jewel, so these comments relate to that ship -- but they're pretty standardized fleet wide.

 

We seldom eat in the buffets, but do look for the chilled fruit soups in the soup area. They used to be served in the MDR, but much to my dismay, they've eliminated them from the menu. We frequently made a trip to the buffet just for a bowl of soup (more like a smoothie than anything else).

 

The main dining room has a set menu for both breakfast and lunch, except the breakfast one shrinks a bit on disembarkation day. Breakfast included fruit (both slices or diced with a small scoop of cottage cheese), yummy pastries that they bring in a basket with a few various kinds, eggs to order, omelets, Eggs Benedict, and a section with french toast/waffle/pancakes. There are several "side" items that included bacon/sausage/ham/silver dollar pancakes/hash browns, etc.

 

The lunch menu included a few appetizers (the chicken noodle soup was good), a sandwich section with a Philly steak, cheese burger, club sandwich, and salmon/shrimp salad (may have forgotten some), along with pasta (choice of sauces), a steak, and a few desserts.

 

Dinner menus include one page that changes nightly, and includes a chef's special that is supposed to use local items, along with other choices, and a static menu that includes things like steak, chicken, pastsa, salmon.

 

They've eliminated several of my favorite items from the recent menus (other than the soups), which I was a bit disappointed in -- but we definitely didn't starve, and always found something to eat that was tasty.

[cruiseat50]

Although the Pearl is my favorite ship we think the Blue Lagoon on there is not very good. The first cruise we went there and I had a burger that was horrible and it really had a peculiar taste to it (not spoiled but like they put some sort of spice in it). DH's meal wasn't very good either but he ate it unlike my burger. We tried the BL again on our last cruise on the Pearl and it was okay.

 

Since you are going on the Dawn if you want a great burger go to the BL. I had one on the first day of our cruise determined to give the BL a second chance. It really was a great burger and I went back there twice more on the cruise it was that good!:D DH's meals were also good and he had the chicken sandwich on the first night and don't remember the other two times.