Two passangers with UDP...what to do with the third

[FitchburgWIFamily]

We sailed last before a la cart pricing, when the specialty dining rooms were a flat fee upcharge per person (like 20, 25 or 30 depending on the venue). I have not sailed since they switched to a la carte pricing.

 

They still offer dining packages, but how do I know how much that is going to save me? It is about 27 a meal for the 3 dinner package. Is that a really good buy?

 

I looked at some of the menus that people have posted, at one of the more expensive restaurants (Cagney’s) you could do a lump crab salad, baked potato soup, rib eye stake and a side for 29 after tip. And considering I am looking at doing this for my 86 year old mother, I don’t know if she is even going to want salad and soup and a side.

 

So,we are three to a cabin, two of us have the UDP. We have always really enjoyed the main dining rooms, and would probably do specialty dining 3 or 4 times over the 10 day cruise.

 

Do you think we would save a bunch of money by pre-purchasing a meal package for our third passenger or do you think it would be cheaper or break even to just let the charges come through on board?

 

Those of you who have dined a la carte, about how much were your meals?

[hawkeyetlse]

In your case it sounds like the SDP would not offer significant savings, so I would just pay the à la carte prices for whatever your mother orders.

 

The only venue where the SDP is guaranteed to save you money is Teppanyaki, but unless you are planning to go there multiple times, it's not worth getting a package of 3 or 4 meals.

[SPB in da RVA]

Its pretty easy math. Look up the cost for the places you plan to eat, add up toe cost, compare it to the package cost. Done! :rolleyes:

[hawkeyetlse]

I forgot that Moderno has also gone up in price, so if your mother wants to go there and Teppanyaki, then a package starts to make more sense.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Its pretty easy math. Look up the cost for the places you plan to eat, add up toe cost, compare it to the package cost. Done! :rolleyes:

 

Yeah...see that is my point. Before the a la carte pricing in the specialty restaurants, it was just that easy.

 

That is why I was trying to find out how much people who paid a la carte actually paid so I can get some sense of how the math works out.

 

hawkeyetlse: thank you for your advise. My mom probably won't want to do Moderno again, we have done it twice and it is not her favorite. I think we'll just wing it on this cruise and see how we come out.

[bruadhin]

Yeah...see that is my point. Before the a la carte pricing in the specialty restaurants, it was just that easy.

 

That is why I was trying to find out how much people who paid a la carte actually paid so I can get some sense of how the math works out.

 

hawkeyetlse: thank you for your advise. My mom probably won't want to do Moderno again, we have done it twice and it is not her favorite. I think we'll just wing it on this cruise and see how we come out.

 

You know your mother better than anyone. So you know how much she is going to eat. When my grandmother was in her 80s, she barely touched her entree. Ordering a separate appetizer or dessert for her was just a waste of food. She might have eaten a bite or two at most. Obviously when you can share it is easy, just give her a bit of yours.

 

I have no idea if they will allow that since you are on UDP and she is paying al a carte. That said, she is 86, I doubt many people are going to get upset if you share some, particularly if you aren't ordering multiple appetizers or desserts. And finally, she is 86. Odds are she won't be able to go on many more cruises. Assuming the wallet will let you, make it special for her. Who cares if she only eats two bites from an $8 appetizer? She may never be able to do it again.

 

We took my grandmother on a Carnival cruise a few years ago and she loved it. It was set dining and the waiters remembered us every night and went out of their way for her.

Edited March 12, 2016 by bruadhin

[CruzinMel]

DH and I are traveling with my mother, and the two of us have the dining plan and she doesn't. With Mom, it's feast or famine - she splurges and gets everything, or settles for a bowl of soup and there's no way to predict which way she'll want to go.

 

Decisions, decisions. . . I'm having trouble deciding which way to go.

[NCLfamily]

With someone that age id say pay as you go. You might even be able to order an extra appetiser or dessert for yourselves and give to her [emoji6]

 

 

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[punkincc]

With someone that age id say pay as you go. You might even be able to order an extra appetiser or dessert for yourselves and give to her [emoji6]

 

 

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I agree. While the SDP certainly paid off for us as we tend to order appys and sides and desserts and expensive entrees and our actual itimized bills greatly exceeded our package price, if your Mom is a very light eater I'd just pay as you or go for her.

 

It has been reported several times that the waiters will tell you they are putting a non SDP side onto the bill of an SDP diner at the table. With the SDP you can order multiple appys, side and desserts. And no one will care if one of you orders an extra vege and someone else orders a dessert and Mom eats a few bites.