UDP on the Breakaway -- I have questions

[CruisingBuppie]

Hello everyone.

I am new to CC but not new to cruising. I have been on Carnival, RC, Princess, and Celebrity, with Carnival as my most traveled.

This December I booked a cruise my first cruise with NCL -- Breakaway. I choose this ship because of cost, my home location to the departure port, the timing, and the children activities.

I am excited about my trip, but as I started looking into what the breakaway food options, it made me so confused.

 

I am trying to understand/determine if the UDP is worth it. I did the math

If I go to each speciality restaurant ONCE (not including the Ocean blah blah and the a la carte places) it cost $275 (2 adults and 1 child at half price except the Tappiyanik(sp)) and getting the UDP costs $297.50 (2 adults 1 child at half price, with NCL refunding later).

 

Seems like a no brainer, don't buy the UPD right. BUT wait I have been reading in different forums and message boards that you can use the UPD more than once in a day.

 

Ok enough of the background story here is what I need:

1. For those that have been on the breakaway are the specialty restaurants worth it?
   
2. Are the main dining rooms and other non-pay restaurants that bad that you spent all of your time in the specialty restaurants?
   
3. Did any one get the UPD and regretted it?
   
4. Did any one not get the UDP and wish they had?
   
5. Do the specialty restaurant serve lunch?
   
6. And the biggest question: HAS ANYONE USED THE UDP MULTIPLE TIMES IN MULTIPLE DAYS?
   

 

Depending on on your answers/feedback, I will make the decision on getting the UDP or not. I figured going to a restaurant twice or going to two in one day it would be more beneficial to purchase the UDP.

I am open to all responses but I would really like to hear from those that have been on the Breakaway or has actually had these experiences on a NCL ship. I have read NCLs website the FAQs, the terms and conditions of the UDP etc.

 

Thanks!

[rics321]

Hello everyone.

I am new to CC but not new to cruising. I have been on Carnival, RC, Princess, and Celebrity, with Carnival as my most traveled.

This December I booked a cruise my first cruise with NCL -- Breakaway. I choose this ship because of cost, my home location to the departure port, the timing, and the children activities.

I am excited about my trip, but as I started looking into what the breakaway food options, it made me so confused.

 

I am trying to understand/determine if the UDP is worth it. I did the math

If I go to each speciality restaurant ONCE (not including the Ocean blah blah and the a la carte places) it cost $275 (2 adults and 1 child at half price except the Tappiyanik(sp)) and getting the UDP costs $297.50 (2 adults 1 child at half price, with NCL refunding later).

 

Seems like a no brainer, don't buy the UPD right. BUT wait I have been reading in different forums and message boards that you can use the UPD more than once in a day.

 

Ok enough of the background story here is what I need:

1. For those that have been on the breakaway are the specialty restaurants worth it?
   
2. Are the main dining rooms and other non-pay restaurants that bad that you spent all of your time in the specialty restaurants?
   
3. Did any one get the UPD and regretted it?
   
4. Did any one not get the UDP and wish they had?
   
5. Do the specialty restaurant serve lunch?
   
6. And the biggest question: HAS ANYONE USED THE UDP MULTIPLE TIMES IN MULTIPLE DAYS?
   

 

Depending on on your answers/feedback, I will make the decision on getting the UDP or not. I figured going to a restaurant twice or going to two in one day it would be more beneficial to purchase the UDP.

I am open to all responses but I would really like to hear from those that have been on the Breakaway or has actually had these experiences on a NCL ship. I have read NCLs website the FAQs, the terms and conditions of the UDP etc.

 

Thanks!

 

How old is your kid ... because young kids they rarely charge for speciality dining and older kids its 1/2 but I don't think they refund 1/2 if you buy the package.

[peg013]

UDP is one price - 1/2 price UDP is not available for children of any age. It only includes dinner - specialty restaurants are not open for lunch.

Edited July 25, 2014 by peg013

[gschwartz001]

My MIL used her UDP for lunches on the waterfront several days during the cruise so if you plan to take advantage of sushi bar, noodle bar or ocean blue window for lunch on sea days that may change your decision. We were on the Getaway and figured out that my MIL saved a good amount of money using her UDP. We went to illusionarium first night (free), specialty every night (2x cagneys, 2x le bistro, la cucina, ocean blue) as well as several trips to the waterfront for lunch as I previously mentioned. In addition, both time at le bistro the UDP included the up charge items (lobster) so it was definitely worth it.

[peg013]

My MIL used her UDP for lunches on the waterfront several days during the cruise so if you plan to take advantage of sushi bar, noodle bar or ocean blue window for lunch on sea days that may change your decision. We were on the Getaway and figured out that my MIL saved a good amount of money using her UDP. We went to illusionarium first night (free), specialty every night (2x cagneys, 2x le bistro, la cucina, ocean blue) as well as several trips to the waterfront for lunch as I previously mentioned. In addition, both time at le bistro the UDP included the up charge items (lobster) so it was definitely worth it.

 

UDP does not include lunches on the waterfront or Ocean Blue....only a discount for them.

Edited July 25, 2014 by peg013

[Boscodog]

Hi there:

 

We did the UDP on the Breakaway this past April on our cruise to Florida and Bahamas. The food was very good in all the restaurants and we were happy with that. Since we did not eat in the regular dining or any dinners I can't compare. When we did UDP it included cirque dreams on the first night so we felt it was a good deal. My only complaint is that we had trouble getting reservations at decent times. We wound up eating much later that I would have liked such as 8:30. We missed the fireworks because we were eating at the time. After a few days of late eating, we went to restaurants earlier than reservation time and were able to be seated. We booked the UDP last minute so we're not able to book reservations weeks before the trip.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[KeithJenner]

Hi there:

 

We did the UDP on the Breakaway this past April on our cruise to Florida and Bahamas. The food was very good in all the restaurants and we were happy with that. Since we did not eat in the regular dining or any dinners I can't compare. When we did UDP it included cirque dreams on the first night so we felt it was a good deal. My only complaint is that we had trouble getting reservations at decent times. We wound up eating much later that I would have liked such as 8:30. We missed the fireworks because we were eating at the time. After a few days of late eating, we went to restaurants earlier than reservation time and were able to be seated. We booked the UDP last minute so we're not able to book reservations weeks before the trip.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

To the OP, this experience is probably because the cruises in April were ones where the UDP was given away free with bookings as part of a deal. The restaurants aren't usually too difficult to get into. It was just that a higher proportion of people would have had the package.

 

Personally, I would never recommend the UDP to anyone new to NCL. There are plenty of free venues, which the majority of people happily eat in. The downside if you don't book the UDP is that you may try the free venues for a couple of days and then decide to pay for specialities every day from there. If that is the case then it will cost roughly what the package would have cost.

 

The upside is that you know what the MDR's and places like o'Sheehans are like, can try a couple of specialties, and save some money.

[Sizzlechest]

Unless you want to go to the same specialty dining location more than once on a trip, it's probably not worth it. I got it for free, which is why I used it. I ended going to the following places:

1. Cagney's
   
2. Le Bistro
   
3. Moderno
   
4. Teppenyaki
   
5. Moderno
   
6. Le Bistro
   
7. Ocean Blue
   

Don't get me wrong. I love Le Bistro and Moderno, but going there twice wasn't something I planned on, but I still enjoyed it.

 

There is another perk with the UDP: The Cirque show is free with the UDP if you book it for the first day. That was also the only time I "used" the UDP more than once in a day. The food at the cirque show was horrible, so I scheduled Cagney's for the same day. The other perk of the UDP is that the $10 upcharge items at Le Bistro are included. So, if you think you'll order the steak for 2 or the seafood items on that menu, add that to your calculations.

 

In summary:

1. For those that have been on the breakaway are the specialty restaurants worth it? Yes, but I like the MDR and buffet, too, so this was an unnecessary extravagance.
   
2. Are the main dining rooms and other non-pay restaurants that bad that you spent all of your time in the specialty restaurants? Breakfast and lunch were great IMHO in the buffet. The dinner items I sampled was limited, but were also good. I believe I would have been happy not going to a specialty restaurant every night.
   
3. Did any one get the UPD and regretted it? No since I had to only give up $100 in OBC to get it for 2 people due to a promotion. For $50 a person, it's a bargain. when they threw in the Cirque show for free, it made it almost free.
   
4. Did any one not get the UDP and wish they had? Not me.
   
5. Do the specialty restaurant serve lunch? Only special situations but they're free. On the last day, Moderno has a Bavarian lunch which is great. So to answer your question, no. There's no lunch benefit of the UDP.
   
6. And the biggest question: HAS ANYONE USED THE UDP MULTIPLE TIMES IN MULTIPLE DAYS? Sort of. I never scheduled two dinners where I intended to eat a full meal in both. I knew the Cirque food would be subpar, so I only picked at that food.
   

Edited July 25, 2014 by Sizzlechest

[KeithJenner]

[*]Did any one not get the UDP and wish they had?

 

Absolutely not.

 

I would never get the UDP for a reason which is quite important to me.

 

I really enjoy going to the speciality restaurants. The food quality is better and the atmosphere is nicer than the MDR. However, I still like the food in the MDR, and I like the venues. They just aren't quite as good as the specialities.

 

By going to the specialities a couple of times a week, those nights feel a bit special. If we went every day then they would be just another night. I can honestly say that I wouldn't enjoy them as much as I do going just occasionally.

 

If the MDR food wasn't any good (and some people don't think it is) then it would be worth the extra (or finding a holiday where I do like the food), but I really don't find that to be the case. When you consider the number of people happily eating in the MDR it's quite clear that I'm not unique in that.

[CruisingBuppie]

UDP is one price - 1/2 price UDP is not available for children of any age. It only includes dinner - specialty restaurants are not open for lunch.

 

 

Thanks for the information. I read on CC, but have not confirmed with NCL that half of the UDP is refundable for children if prepaid prior to sailing.

[CruisingBuppie]

My MIL used her UDP for lunches on the waterfront several days during the cruise so if you plan to take advantage of sushi bar, noodle bar or ocean blue window for lunch on sea days that may change your decision. We were on the Getaway and figured out that my MIL saved a good amount of money using her UDP. We went to illusionarium first night (free), specialty every night (2x cagneys, 2x le bistro, la cucina, ocean blue) as well as several trips to the waterfront for lunch as I previously mentioned. In addition, both time at le bistro the UDP included the up charge items (lobster) so it was definitely worth it.

 

 

Thanks for the information. This has helped.

[CruisingBuppie]

Hi there:

 

We did the UDP on the Breakaway this past April on our cruise to Florida and Bahamas. The food was very good in all the restaurants and we were happy with that. Since we did not eat in the regular dining or any dinners I can't compare. When we did UDP it included cirque dreams on the first night so we felt it was a good deal. My only complaint is that we had trouble getting reservations at decent times. We wound up eating much later that I would have liked such as 8:30. We missed the fireworks because we were eating at the time. After a few days of late eating, we went to restaurants earlier than reservation time and were able to be seated. We booked the UDP last minute so we're not able to book reservations weeks before the trip.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

Thanks for the information. This has helped. I know that you had problems with late reservations because you ordered the UDP late, but I am leaning toward getting the UDP closer to the cruise date or check in, if they are still available.

[CruisingBuppie]

To the OP, this experience is probably because the cruises in April were ones where the UDP was given away free with bookings as part of a deal. The restaurants aren't usually too difficult to get into. It was just that a higher proportion of people would have had the package.

 

Personally, I would never recommend the UDP to anyone new to NCL. There are plenty of free venues, which the majority of people happily eat in. The downside if you don't book the UDP is that you may try the free venues for a couple of days and then decide to pay for specialities every day from there. If that is the case then it will cost roughly what the package would have cost.

 

The upside is that you know what the MDR's and places like o'Sheehans are like, can try a couple of specialties, and save some money.

 

Good Point. Based on what I have read here, I really want to try O'Sheehans. I want to try the MDRs as well, mainly because it is a new cruise line for me. And I would want to compare it to past cruises on other cruise lines. Thanks for the information. This has helped.

[CruisingBuppie]

Unless you want to go to the same specialty dining location more than once on a trip, it's probably not worth it. I got it for free, which is why I used it. I ended going to the following places:

1. Cagney's
   
2. Le Bistro
   
3. Moderno
   
4. Teppenyaki
   
5. Moderno
   
6. Le Bistro
   
7. Ocean Blue
   

Don't get me wrong. I love Le Bistro and Moderno, but going there twice wasn't something I planned on, but I still enjoyed it.

 

There is another perk with the UDP: The Cirque show is free with the UDP if you book it for the first day. That was also the only time I "used" the UDP more than once in a day. The food at the cirque show was horrible, so I scheduled Cagney's for the same day. The other perk of the UDP is that the $10 upcharge items at Le Bistro are included. So, if you think you'll order the steak for 2 or the seafood items on that menu, add that to your calculations.

 

 

In summary:

1. For those that have been on the breakaway are the specialty restaurants worth it? Yes, but I like the MDR and buffet, too, so this was an unnecessary extravagance.
   
2. Are the main dining rooms and other non-pay restaurants that bad that you spent all of your time in the specialty restaurants? Breakfast and lunch were great IMHO in the buffet. The dinner items I sampled was limited, but were also good. I believe I would have been happy not going to a specialty restaurant every night.
   
3. Did any one get the UPD and regretted it? No since I had to only give up $100 in OBC to get it for 2 people due to a promotion. For $50 a person, it's a bargain. when they threw in the Cirque show for free, it made it almost free.
   
4. Did any one not get the UDP and wish they had? Not me.
   
5. Do the specialty restaurant serve lunch? Only special situations but they're free. On the last day, Moderno has a Bavarian lunch which is great. So to answer your question, no. There's no lunch benefit of the UDP.
   
6. And the biggest question: HAS ANYONE USED THE UDP MULTIPLE TIMES IN MULTIPLE DAYS? Sort of. I never scheduled two dinners where I intended to eat a full meal in both. I knew the Cirque food would be subpar, so I only picked at that food.
   

 

Sizzlechest:

Thank you so much for your response. This has helped tremendously. I did not account for the free show. At $40 pp that alone is 120 and one UDP for my family of 3. This has helped but added to the complexity of my decsion, lol. What to:):confused: The good news is that I have time. And I have to take my travel companions into consideration, as in will they care about the show as much as I do (I am traveling with SO and a 8yo ACTIVE little boy).

Can tell me if the show is good for the 8yo? I will do some research on CC.

 

But thanks again for the input.

[Sizzlechest]

Yes, the show is good for an 8 year old, but you never know with kids. I wouldn't suggest buying the UDP for children unless they are the adventurous types who want to eat what you're eating. If they're still into chicken fingers and hamburgers, you can bring them to any specialty dining venue and they can order off the kids menu for free.

 

My 9 year old liked the Cirque show, but he fell asleep during it. The content is fine, but the length may be too much for young children. The ticket prices are significant, so maybe they'd be better off at the Splash Academy (assuming it's open) during the show. Non-UDP cruisers get a discount for the first night, so it should be $29.99 vs. $39.99.

[Boscodog]

I would not do the UDP with an 8 year old. We found the service to be slow at times and an energetic 8 year old may not be as patient as his parents. When my kids were younger they just wanted to eat in the buffet because it was quick and they could get back to all the fun activities. Your child may love the Cirque Dreams but the food was not good (In fact we did eat an another restaurant before the show) and there is only one set menu.

Have a great time whatever you decide.

[SuiteCruisin14]

For us the UDP is a no. We love going to all the food venues and trying different places.

Sometimes after a rather busy day, we just get something from the buffet or Blue Lagoon and eat in our cabin to rest up for night activities around the ship.

I would feel it necessary to go to dinner every night if we had it and like others said, when we do go to the specialty places, it's a treat.

 

Good luck with your cruise and what ever way you decide, you will have a great time.

 

Lynda

[LrgPizza]

Thanks for the information. I read on CC, but have not confirmed with NCL that half of the UDP is refundable for children if prepaid prior to sailing.

There is no UDP for children.

 

Child pricing remains as is for specialty dining.

[Valen9]

When I was on Breakaway we ate only in regular venues except for one dinner in Moderno. I was happy with most meals -- the disappointing dishes were almost always the ones they "fixed" to remove things I'm allergic to.

 

Food at the specialty restaurants is typically a little better than at the "free" venues but that's just a probabilistic estimate -- you can still get excellent food at the free venues. The only thing I find reliably better is desserts. Most NCL desserts range from meh to good, with few outstanding items. The dessert I had at Moderno was definitely outstanding.

 

Personally I think the UDP is a waste of money. I have heard that some folks do use it multiple times a night; appetizers at one venue, main dish at another, dessert somewhere else. That would certainly be fun!

 

Children only get charged for specialty dining if they order off of the venue's menu. Children can order from the regular children's menu in any specialty restaurant and there's no charge for that.

[amyben40]

Thanks for all of this info in one place. We're trying to decide also.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[buddyjo143]

Have been on several different NCL cruises. Have never done the UDP.

 

DH and I really enjoy the buffet. We have only eaten in the regular dining rooms a few times on all our sailings. We make the decision to "dress for dinner" based on the menu and if there is anything we think we would like.

 

Of the pay restaurants, we have tried the Asian cuisine twice. Not to our taste. We enjoy the churrascaria, Italian, and the steakhouse. I suggest you look at the menus and decide if you want to try what each one has to offer.

[snow bunny]

My DD and I have the UDP for our upcoming Getaway cruise. As our TA covered the cost for one if us it really made sense to take the package. We were planning on doing the Illusionarium and on the first night it is free. So with that in mind, the actual extra cost to me is about $60.00 since the premium seating would have been $58.00. I used a previous cruisers dailies to book our dinners and we are eating as early as 5:30 and as late as 8:00. On the early nights, if we need a late night snack we will head to O'Sheehans for something.

 

snow bunny