Children's Menus on Getaway

[CruiseDir]

We are planning our first NCL cruise on Getaway in May. These boards have been so amazing for finding information! Thank you everyone who contributes!

 

I have some questions regarding kids dining I haven't seen addressed elsewhere - maybe the answers are in a thread I couldn't find.

 

Question 1: We have the UDP. Do the "kids menus" at these optional restaurants have "real" food on them, in keeping with the theme of the restaurant, or is it the standard junk you'd find on a typical "kids menu"?

 

Question 2: Are there any threads that have pictures of these menus that somebody could kindly point me to?

 

Question 3: In our family, soft drinks are a very rare treat (maybe once a month). Given we are on vacation, we are thinking our son will want the odd root beer with dinner. Is this included in these venues, or do you pay extra. (My son will not be getting the all-you-can-drink soft drink package - when I mentioned it to him, he described the idea as "horrifying.")

 

I don't mean to come across as pretentious, or judging of parents who have picky kids that only eat fries and hot dogs (which is not my intention).

 

We are traveling with our 11-year-old son who has a serious wheat allergy. He hasn't eaten wheat for about 8 years, and was very sickly before we discovered the source - a lifetime supply of hospital visits before age 3.

 

As such, the "kids menu" has never been "a thing" for him - standard "kids food" usually includes macaroni, grilled cheese, hot dogs, pizza and pretty much an entire menu of stuff my kid can't eat. We occasionally find one or two items he can actually eat, but it's rare.

[Demonyte]

1 & 2: There are no kids's menus in speciality restaurants, it's either the regular speciality menu or the fleetwide kids' menu, here is a picture of it:

 

http://s204.photobucket.com/user/cruisinmama06/media/NCL%20Kids%20Crew/jadekidmenu1.jpg.html

 

3: No soft drinks are complimentary, all sodas are extra.

 

Regarding allergies, make sure to contact NCL's Accessibility Desk before the cruise so that they can make notes to your reservation and help to make sure that your needs are taken care of onboard. NCL does take special needs very seriously as long as you understand that not everything can be instant and that there are thousands of others to take care of too. :)

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising

Edited December 27, 2015 by Demonyte

[mjkacmom]

There was no dining plan on our last cruise, so we just paid for our kids to eat in the specialty restaurants. We never have soda in the house because I don't like it, and my kids love it. I purchased the horrifying package so they could drink the stuff to their hearts content.

 

Dd12 has celiac, and it was fine. If we were going to eat in the MDR's, we'd meet with someone the night before to plan dad's meal. At the specialty restaurants, they didn't make real modifications, but knew what she could and couldn't eat. They have gluten free products like bread, pasta, muffins, waffles, pancakes, rolls, pizza - just give them a heads up.

[CruiseDir]

Thanks so much! Demonyte - thanks for the picture. I was afraid that's what it would be... he can eat the fruit, and that's it.

 

I'll definitely talk to my travel agent to see what we can do. I'm inclined to just opt out of the UDP (even though it's "free", since in my case it won't be "free" at all).

[European_CruiseGirl]

Thanks so much! Demonyte - thanks for the picture. I was afraid that's what it would be... he can eat the fruit, and that's it.

 

I'll definitely talk to my travel agent to see what we can do. I'm inclined to just opt out of the UDP (even though it's "free", since in my case it won't be "free" at all).

 

If your son has the UDP too then he can eat free from the adults menu. No need to restrict him into eating only from the kids menu even on those speciality restaurants. But obviously if you'd need to pay for his food (he would be not on the package whereas you would be) then it is different. :)

 

My daughter has the same situation as your son and we usually just order for her from the restaurant's standard adult menu regardless of which of the ships restaurant we are in. The kids menu is horrible as you can see, really almost everything includes wheat except the desserts and salad.

[mjkacmom]

Thanks so much! Demonyte - thanks for the picture. I was afraid that's what it would be... he can eat the fruit, and that's it.

 

I'll definitely talk to my travel agent to see what we can do. I'm inclined to just opt out of the UDP (even though it's "free", since in my case it won't be "free" at all).

 

Just pay for his meals. The kids menu is so limited, is guess that the majority of kids over the age of 5 order from the regular menu. If you really don't want to any, I'm sure they would swap out the chicken nuggets for some grilled chicken, or a gluten free pizza. However, all of my kids really enjoyed ordering their meals off of the regular specialty dining menus (3 of them were under 12).

[epaul78]

We were just on the Getaway with 4 kids, ages 9, 10, 11, 16.

 

We enjoyed trying out all of the specialty restaurants onboard the Getaway, especially Ocean Blue and thought the UDP was a good deal.

 

Teppanyaki and the Illusionarium were also memorable family dining experiences and most of the kids ordered off the regular menu at a reduced price.

 

The Ultimate Dining Package is well worth it if you enjoy fine dining. Breakfast in the main dining room (Taste or Savor) was consistently good in terms of food and service. The Restaurant Manager and his team did a fantastic job of accommodating my friend’s special dietary needs (Gluten Free and Lactose Free) and she commented how freeing it was to know that her food was being prepared with her safety in mind, she was able to relax and enjoy her meals knowing that she won’t be sick later on. There is no specific GF menu or kitchen, but she had a standing breakfast order, including specially prepared GF muffins and bread as well as a flourless dessert every night.

 

The children enjoyed the buffet a great deal too and we would often let them choose dinner there before the adults went "out" to eat at a specialty.

[firemadz]

There was no dining plan on our last cruise, so we just paid for our kids to eat in the specialty restaurants. We never have soda in the house because I don't like it, and my kids love it. I purchased the horrifying package so they could drink the stuff to their hearts content.

 

Dd12 has celiac, and it was fine. If we were going to eat in the MDR's, we'd meet with someone the night before to plan dad's meal. At the specialty restaurants, they didn't make real modifications, but knew what she could and couldn't eat. They have gluten free products like bread, pasta, muffins, waffles, pancakes, rolls, pizza - just give them a heads up.

 

Wow! You guys talk about soda like it's an axe murderer...

[CruiseDir]

The Devil's Death Drink! Each bubble is a vanquished kitten soul.

[mjkacmom]

Wow! You guys talk about soda like it's an axe murderer...

 

I was the one you quoted, but I was being sarcastic! Everything is fine in moderation (I don't like soda because I don't like to drink sweet things - give me a pale ale or Cabernet, or 3). Let's face it - most kids love soda, and a few a day on vacation isn't going to harm them.

[firemadz]

Ours kids don't drink it much, either. Just saw the adjective "horrifying" a couple times, and that's the first thing that jumped into my mind, that's all. We got the soda packages free with our promotion, but the we will undoubtedly us the UBP more, lol.

 

:)

Edited January 30, 2016 by firemadz

[unlimitedAB]

This would be a good reason to attend the M&G. You would have a chance to ask an officer how best to meet your needs. If they can't handle it directly, they will tell you who can. They will also give you a personal card with their number in case you need any further assistance.