Gem Dining Package

[Bases5]

We are looking at booking the Gem New England Cruise next fall.

NCL is offering 2 packages in the cost. I understand they are pre charging tips on the cost of the package.

My questions are. How many specialty restaurants can you eat at and is there any restrictions.

Are there any restrictions on the drink package?

How is the Gem. Any pros or cons about her

[Demonyte]

All the terms and restrictions are on NCL's website:

 

About promos: http://www.ncl.com/termsandconditions/wavenov15

 

FAQ and terms for the drink package: https://www.ncl.com/terms/ultimate-beverage-package

 

FAQ and terms for the speciality dining package: https://www.ncl.com/specialty-dining-package/faq

[Bases5]

All the terms and restrictions are on NCL's website:

 

About promos: http://www.ncl.com/termsandconditions/wavenov15

 

FAQ and terms for the drink package: https://www.ncl.com/terms/ultimate-beverage-package

 

FAQ and terms for the speciality dining package: https://www.ncl.com/specialty-dining-package/faq

 

Thank You very much

[Theodorable]

Please ignore

Edited November 29, 2015 by Theodorable

[CUontheC]

I am doing a cruise in the fall as well. I was looking at doing the dining package and they said it was an extra $13.32 per person plus fees and tax. I looked up the info under the dining package on the website but am not sure what the fees and tax would be. Does anyone know?

[vince_g]

I am doing a cruise in the fall as well. I was looking at doing the dining package and they said it was an extra $13.32 per person plus fees and tax. I looked up the info under the dining package on the website but am not sure what the fees and tax would be. Does anyone know?

 

I just booked a 14 day cruise with the pick 2 promotion, and for the dining gratuity we were charged 18.72. There were no additional taxes of fees, so I wouldn't worry about that.

[CUontheC]

I just booked a 14 day cruise with the pick 2 promotion, and for the dining gratuity we were charged 18.72. There were no additional taxes of fees, so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

 

Oh good...thank you...and have fun on your trip!!

[fshagan]

We had the old dining package (7 nights) on the Gem this past October, on the same itinerary. Very nice ship, in fact one of our favorites. We really enjoyed it. It is just out of a nice remodel so it will still be looking nice for you guys!

 

If I recall, there are 5 specialty restaurants. The usual "don't miss" are the steak house (Cagney's) which is good, Le Bistro (a French themed restaurant which is also good), and Teppanaki which is the Japanese grill "let me play with your food before you eat it" place (which is entertaining). I think those would be the favorites of most NCL folks for a four day dining package.

 

La Cucina (Italian) and Moderno (Brazilian steak house) are liked and hated about equally. When Moderno is good, it offers a large variety of meat ... lamb, beef, chicken ... served in an all-you-can-eat format where waiters keep coming by with meat on a skewer. We loved it on the Sun last year, but thought it sub-standard on the Gem this year (meat was overcooked and dry). But it might be a bad night for them. We like La Cucina just fine.

 

It was funny, but the best meal we had was in the main dining room. We had a table for two by the window and both enjoyed the turkey dinner with hints of mesquite and rosemary, had a great waiter, and a wonderful, relaxing time.

[CUontheC]

We had the old dining package (7 nights) on the Gem this past October, on the same itinerary. Very nice ship, in fact one of our favorites. We really enjoyed it. It is just out of a nice remodel so it will still be looking nice for you guys!

 

If I recall, there are 5 specialty restaurants. The usual "don't miss" are the steak house (Cagney's) which is good, Le Bistro (a French themed restaurant which is also good), and Teppanaki which is the Japanese grill "let me play with your food before you eat it" place (which is entertaining). I think those would be the favorites of most NCL folks for a four day dining package.

 

La Cucina (Italian) and Moderno (Brazilian steak house) are liked and hated about equally. When Moderno is good, it offers a large variety of meat ... lamb, beef, chicken ... served in an all-you-can-eat format where waiters keep coming by with meat on a skewer. We loved it on the Sun last year, but thought it sub-standard on the Gem this year (meat was overcooked and dry). But it might be a bad night for them. We like La Cucina just fine.

 

It was funny, but the best meal we had was in the main dining room. We had a table for two by the window and both enjoyed the turkey dinner with hints of mesquite and rosemary, had a great waiter, and a wonderful, relaxing time.

 

What a nice response. I have to agree we really loved the food in the MDR on the Escape and did not purchase dinners in the specialty restaurants. However with our booking today we were offered two choices so we took the excursion credit and the dining. I will try the ones you said are the don't miss ones and we will probably try Cuchina. On the Escape people were raving about Cuchina. I wonder if the menu is different on the Gem from what was offered on the Escape.

 

Thank you for the info. It is much appreciated!!

 

Mary

[fshagan]

What a nice response. I have to agree we really loved the food in the MDR on the Escape and did not purchase dinners in the specialty restaurants. However with our booking today we were offered two choices so we took the excursion credit and the dining. I will try the ones you said are the don't miss ones and we will probably try Cuchina. On the Escape people were raving about Cuchina. I wonder if the menu is different on the Gem from what was offered on the Escape.

 

They are standardizing the menus across the line, and the Escape has the "new menus". I would imagine by next fall the menus will be improved in La Cuchina. That being said we still liked it; we typically don't dine in the specialty restaurants every night, but usually pick one or two per cruise. The MDR has usually been fine for us.

[Demonyte]

They are standardizing the menus across the line, and the Escape has the "new menus".

 

One could rather say that the menus are (and have always been) fleetwide, only when they are testing new menus or in process of rolling them out, some ships might have different menus than others. In general all ships always have the same menus all the time.

[CUontheC]

They are standardizing the menus across the line, and the Escape has the "new menus". I would imagine by next fall the menus will be improved in La Cuchina. That being said we still liked it; we typically don't dine in the specialty restaurants every night, but usually pick one or two per cruise. The MDR has usually been fine for us.

 

I did not realize that the menu's were different from the Escape to the Gem.

 

We just got off the Escape on Saturday and had a great time. We did not do any specialty but our friends did and they went to La Cuchina and they said it was fantastic. I also heard the same from my doctors son who was on before we were. He said he is very picky and La Cuchina was excellent and he highly recommended it.

 

So I hope that the Gem menu for La Cuchina is the same as the Escape when we board in September.

 

Is there any place online where you can find the specialty dining menu's for the NCL ships?

[Demonyte]

So I hope that the Gem menu for La Cuchina is the same as the Escape when we board in September.

 

Is there any place online where you can find the specialty dining menu's for the NCL ships?

 

Yes, the new a la carte menu for La Cucina will be the same fleetwide next September.

 

No, there is no one reliable place to find the menus anymore as NCL removed the menus from their public website.

[Paddy41]

I booked our first suite and it came with the perks, one being the dining package. On the Gem March 12/16 for 10 nights. Because of the suite the dining pkg comes up to choose times at 100 days and for everyone else at 90 days so I thought I would get on my booking and choose the times I'd like. Problem is two days are missing from every specialty restaurant. You cannot book any of them for March 18 or 19.

 

Does anyone know why this might be?

 

I looked at the dining options where you can buy 3, 4, 5, etc. meals and it goes all the way to 10. If someone purchased the pkg of 9 or 10 they wouldn't be able to use more than 8.

[Demonyte]

...Problem is two days are missing from every specialty restaurant. You cannot book any of them for March 18 or 19.

 

 

 

Does anyone know why this might be?

 

 

 

I looked at the dining options where you can buy 3, 4, 5, etc. meals and it goes all the way to 10. If someone purchased the pkg of 9 or 10 they wouldn't be able to use more than 8.

 

 

Just because you can't prebook, does not mean that those days would be automatically unavailable alltogether and the packages would be unusable.

 

Unfortunately it is all too common for NCL to have SNAFUs like this with their online booking system - often it's one whole restaurant that is missing from the site.

 

Most likely one can book just fine for missing days or restaurants onboard.

[Paddy41]

Just because you can't prebook, does not mean that those days would be automatically unavailable alltogether and the packages would be unusable.

 

Unfortunately it is all too common for NCL to have SNAFUs like this with their online booking system - often it's one whole restaurant that is missing from the site.

 

Most likely one can book just fine for missing days or restaurants onboard.

 

You were right. NCL SNAFU. I phoned and they did the missing days bookings for me.

[DominicAUS]

I saw on the NCL website that some speciality restaurants will start charging per item. I booked my cruise in July 15, in an owners suite so got all 4 promotions thrown in. When we cruise which is t until March 17, when dining at these restaurants, we will be able to order off the menu and not be charged?

 

Thanks for any help

 

Dominic

[BritChickBN1]

When we cruise which is t until March 17, when dining at these restaurants, we will be able to order off the menu and not be charged?

 

Thanks for any help

 

Dominic

 

Yes.

[DominicAUS]

Yes.

 

 

Thanks SO much for this! Really can't wait for the cruise, will be my first time on NCL.:)