Ultimate Dining Package--Why Would We...?

[Yo Adrienne]

My husband and I are taking a 10 night cruise aboard the Pearl and have been offered the Ultimate Dining Package for $199 each. However, to break even, we calculate that we'd need to average $20 per night...and most of the restaurants have a surcharge of less than $20. We've taken a look a the specialty restaurants and we know we'll go to at least several of them during the course of the 10 nights--but unless we eat at Cagney's at least 5 times, we can't see where the package makes any sense for us.

 

We'll be in a suite with butler service, but according to the NCL website, room service (even from the specialty restaurants) is NOT included in the UDP.

 

Are we missing something? Any and all thoughts are appreciated...! :)

Edited January 27, 2014 by Yo Adrienne

[jennyprovo]

We are thinking the same thing. We are on on a 10 day on the Sun in February. We would need to eat at a specialty restaurant every day to breakeven. $199 for a 10 day and the same price for a 14 doesn't really seem fair.

 

I guess I don't mind eating in the MDR during my trip either. So a few nights at the specialty ones doesn't add up to $199.

[thephillykid]

Yo Adrienne............

This is coming from the land of the Art Museum steps, I hear rocky in my head.

About the UDP, I think it's being offered so that travel agents can add it to the perks given to sign up.

On our upcoming trip on the Getaway, the TA included the UDP as a perk along with $250 OBC and I think its a way for them to give us something more.

Also, on the UDP, you can go to multiple places on the same night. You could have a late lunch at say 5 pm, and then have a late dinner at a different restaurant at 10.

But there is 1 drawback, you will need new clothes at the end of the cruise.

 

But for most people, its better to pay as you go, as you might just see something at the mdr that you really like and save the surcharge.

 

Howard

[JohnIreland]

It doesn't make any sense for a 10 day cruise or for Platinum latitudes.

[miataman19]

It does seem odd to charge a 7 day $119pp and $199pp for a 10 and 14 day. It makes sence to purchase if you're on 7 day, only $17 a night avg. I originally though it was an error in the price but when I called NCL they said it wasn't and the price would be $238 for 2 for a 7 night sailing. We usually eat in specialty restaurants anyway so for us its a no brainer,thanks NCL.

[buckeye82]

We will be paying $149 per person on our upcoming nine night cruise for the UDP. We were recently on the POA and after a couple of nights in the MDR we switched to the speciality restaurants. So for us it seems the way to go. I just hope my husband is kidding when he talks about visiting more than one restaurant in one evening! :)

[spidybabe]

Just off the Gem and the food in the MDR was very good this trip, as well as the speciality ones we visited. We usually sail very well in any weather, but this last time the first day I barely got out of bed. Seas were extremely rough, even staff sick. Although I did make dinner, I couldn't see going to speciality restaurant, my dh wouldn't go alone, so we would of "lost" one night. Hard decision--good deal for the longer cruise though

Safe sailing

 

 

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[shout19661966]

just off the dawn sunday. we ate at cagneys and when I tried to order 2 entrees waitress said it would be $10 extra. I then asked the the head waiter and he said with UDP you can eat any rest. only cagneys one entrée. also must have reservation at teppayakis.

[nursemommy7578]

just off the dawn sunday. we ate at cagneys and when I tried to order 2 entrees waitress said it would be $10 extra. I then asked the the head waiter and he said with UDP you can eat any rest. only cagneys one entrée. also must have reservation at teppayakis.

 

no surprise about the extra charge?!

[Lizcourt]

On every line I've been on with a specialty restaurant (Carnival, RCCL, Princess) that's the rule -- in a pay venue, you can order extra appetizers and desserts, but only one serving of an entree, unless you are willing to pay more.

[garycarla]

I too have trouble justifying the package. After all, there are nights we are happy with a light buffet, or room service, or blue lagoon or god forbid... the MDR!

 

Just our perspective.

[Love my butler]

On every line I've been on with a specialty restaurant (Carnival, RCCL, Princess) that's the rule -- in a pay venue, you can order extra appetizers and desserts, but only one serving of an entree, unless you are willing to pay more.

 

Except with the UDP it's supposed to be basically 'all you can eat'. Many have said you can go to multiple restaurants per night. If that is true, why would they charge you for another entree in Cagney's? Sounds like the waitstaff just make up an answer on the fly and go with it.

[H&J]

Some equate a good time to unlimited piles of marginal food, a.k.a. the "trough" or otherwise known as the buffet. Others want more what passes for "food" for real food and for those people, there are the specialty restaurants. I don't include the "all you can eat" meat specialty restaurants in the real food category as gluttony does not equate with dining. Sitting next to "people" passing for starving snarling dogs is not my idea of a good time.

 

Will I pay extra to not have to listen whining children or sit next to idiots wth backwards baseball caps and mustard stains on their "wfe beaters", yes, in a heartbeat.

[kate8]

Is the main dining room food really that bad? We have never sailed with NCL but have enjoyed the food in the main dining on princess cruise ships.

[Donovanpartyofsix]

My husband and I are taking our 6 yr old on the ncl epic (March 9 sailing) and prefer the nicer restaurants usually. It says price varies for children but can I buy the $119 package for each of us and pay for hers on board? Thanks

 

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[david_sobe]

This is a tough choice for me too. We already have a free dinner at Cagneys with a bottle of wine from our PCC from NCL. We will be in a suite and will eat at the Haven restaurant one night. So 2 nights are already booked.

We still may book this program because we usually eat at Cagneys twice. But will have to calculate everything.

The new menus on Getaway make the MDR's look much more appealing!

[San Diego Cruizer]

It looks super interesting to me because it is only 59.00 for our 6 day cruise so that works out to only 9 dollars a day. Worth trying, for sure.

[spidybabe]

Is the main dining room food really that bad? We have never sailed with NCL but have enjoyed the food in the main dining on princess cruise ships.

 

MDR food fine. Very enjoyable for dinner.

Buffet very good for breakfast/lunch

Safe sailing

[Da-Painter]

Also part of the reason for these dining packages, are the speciality restaurants are mostly empty.

DW and I are each Platinum, on our last cruise in November, we ate at Le Bistro and Chin-Chins. We were about the only folks in Chin Chins.

There were other folks in Le Bistro, but towards the end of our meal, it was pretty empty.

So they are trying to generate interest in them.

All of our other meals in the MDR were fine.

So 'what ever floats your boat'. :cool:

[Karysa]

Some equate a good time to unlimited piles of marginal food, a.k.a. the "trough" or otherwise known as the buffet. Others want more what passes for "food" for real food and for those people, there are the specialty restaurants. I don't include the "all you can eat" meat specialty restaurants in the real food category as gluttony does not equate with dining. Sitting next to "people" passing for starving snarling dogs is not my idea of a good time.

 

Will I pay extra to not have to listen whining children or sit next to idiots wth backwards baseball caps and mustard stains on their "wfe beaters", yes, in a heartbeat.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but don't kids eat free off of the children's menu in specialty restaurants.

[Twelvevman]

Correct me if I am wrong but don't kids eat free off of the children's menu in specialty restaurants.

 

Kids eat free if they use the regular kids menus available around the ship. They eat for 1/2 price if they eat off the specialty restaurants menu. (up to age 12)

[antsnanny]

We always eat at the specialty restaurants but this time friends we traveled with liked the MDR so we joined them. The food was excellent! Next cruise we'll go there more often!

[H&J]

No ball caps in the specialty restaurants was enough to sell me.

[RikkuCat]

We decided not to get the UDP this trip. It seemed like a great deal at first, since we prefer the speciality restaurants, but when we'd crunched the numbers, I'm not sure we'll come out ahead. The a la carte restaurants aren't included (though they are discounted), which is too bad - we would probably do it if sushi and the noodle bar were included in the package. Between that and a random dinner at O'Sheehan's or room service after a long day, it's probably best for us to just pay for what we get rather than trying to get our money's worth with the package. We may check out the Manhattan Room once as well, just out of curiosity. Some reviews have said that the MDR food is better on the Breakaway, but food opinions are so subjective that we'd need to try it for ourselves.

[Mrsjones0202]

Some equate a good time to unlimited piles of marginal food, a.k.a. the "trough" or otherwise known as the buffet. Others want more what passes for "food" for real food and for those people, there are the specialty restaurants. I don't include the "all you can eat" meat specialty restaurants in the real food category as gluttony does not equate with dining. Sitting next to "people" passing for starving snarling dogs is not my idea of a good time.

 

 

 

Will I pay extra to not have to listen whining children or sit next to idiots wth backwards baseball caps and mustard stains on their "wfe beaters", yes, in a heartbeat.

 

 

Posts like this make me laugh. I'm sure those "idiots" or "snarling dogs" paid the same amount for their cruise and deserve to enjoy it as they see fit. Vacation is about over indulgence and it's sad your vacation is based around what other people are doing to enjoy themselves.

 

 

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