Do you have to order an entree in ala carte restaurants?

[Tammyd549]

Sailing Breakaway in August and just wondering if we would be able to make reservations at the all carte restaurants like Cagneys and Ocean Blue and just order appies and drinks (no entree) would that work? Would it be frowned upon? We are not big eaters but I really want to try some of these places out... Thoughts?

[NLH Arizona]

Don't see why you can't.

[Two Wheels Only]

They usually ask but make sure that they know that you aren't using a SDP "meal" and are paying à la carte.

[LrgPizza]

That was the whole beauty of going to a la carte. You just order and pay for whatever you want.

[weloveamerica]

Great question, I hope you can, as hubby and I would like to go to le bistro just for the mushroom soup and creme brulee.:)

[NCLfamily]

Of course you can. Order what you like and pay for it. Simples.

[casofilia]

It is just like any "a la carte" restaurant ashore. You order what you want and pay for it at the end. It would be a real waste to use SDP.

They may be slightly unhappy if they have had to turn away "paying guests" when you have a table if they are full.

[MarKay525]

It is just like any "a la carte" restaurant ashore. You order what you want and pay for it at the end. It would be a real waste to use SDP.

They may be slightly unhappy if they have had to turn away "paying guests" when you have a table if they are full.

 

Is there a pre-disclosed "minimum amount" that must be spent when ordering a la carte?

 

If not, since they are paying and they are guests I don't see how the management could justify being slightly unhappy with someone not choosing to order an entrée while dining.

Edited June 22, 2016 by MarKay525

[NLH Arizona]

Is there a pre-disclosed "minimum amount" that must be spent when ordering a la carte?

 

If not, since they are paying and they are guests I don't see how the management could justify being slightly unhappy with someone not choosing to order an entrée while dining.

No there isn't a minimum amount. The poster should not be concerned if management is slightly unhappy. NCL changed to a la carte and when announced Mr. Stuart said it would benefit those that are light eaters like his wife.

[Tammyd549]

Thank you all! I was concerned there was a unwritten rule of ordering a full meal or something like that.

[Tammyd549]

No there isn't a minimum amount. The poster should not be concerned if management is slightly unhappy. NCL changed to a la carte and when announced Mr. Stuart said it would benefit those that are light eaters like his wife.

 

Perfect!

[SuiteCruiser]

I have a small appetite, especially when cruising, so often just order the soup or the soup and escargot at Le Bistro. No problem at all.

 

I seem to drink all of my calories when I'm onboard :)

[gilbster]

I tend to either skip the appetisers and/or desserts as relatively fussy and also not necessarily a huge appetite. I was doing that the last couple of years on UDP and will be again on SDP as I can't see point of ordering and waiting for food that I won't eat!

 

If anything I'd have though the restaurant staff would be happy with you ordering not all 3 courses, since you could then be leaving the table sooner, and thus them fitting another customer in afterwards on it.

[cb at sea]

At "a la carte" places, you order what you want. No worries! Only pay for what you want. I hate that cruise ships have gone this route...but it is what it is.

[kapoho2]

On the Jewel in January, at Le Bistro, my husband tried to order a soup and escargot as well as an entree. We were using the Platinum Latitudes voucher for dinner in Le Bistro. He was told he could only have one appetizer, so he passed on the soup and just ordered the escargot. I was somewhat surprised, but it was not a big deal. This was the first time we had dined in Le Bistro since it had switched to a la carte pricing and perhaps this had something to do with this policy.

[Fred Quimby]

Sailing Breakaway in August and just wondering if we would be able to make reservations at the all carte restaurants like Cagneys and Ocean Blue and just order appies and drinks (no entree) would that work? Would it be frowned upon? We are not big eaters but I really want to try some of these places out... Thoughts?

 

I didnt even think of that,,,excellent idea :cool:

[mking8288]

Just quote AS about the "beauty" of a la carte pricing - until they figured it out and make changes again and impose a per person minimum. Let the slightly unhappy stock holders worried along with the management.

 

Sometimes, DW & I will do just a bowl of soup each, share a plate of salad and of course, the complimentary basket of bread is never wasted in specialty (LeBistro) - although, last month, they seemed to have discontinued the chef's complimentary sample/starter ... for whatever reasons.

 

Creme Burlee is always good, but it was also available in the MDR one evening also, maybe two ... minus the French press coffee, of course.

 

Isn't that the beauty of freestyle dining too :D

[Coastalbreezes]

Just off the Getaway last Sunday and on several nights I just sat at The Raw Bar adjacent to Ocean Blue. They gave me both the Raw Bar and Ocean Blue menus on request and let me choose apps/small plates from both menus. It's a great place to enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine and people watch.

 

Tracy

[dijid]

We recently ordered just appetizers and dessert in Le Bistro. It was allowed, but our waitress kinda pressured us to order entrees at the time we ordered our appetizers. She really seemed perplexed that we weren't ordering it. (We even told her we were a la carte customers and not on a meal plan - seemed they don't get many people like that in there)

 

TBH, We thought it was a horrible value and would never do it again. (Also the food wasn't any better than what we got in the MDRs on this cruise. In fact, the duck salad in the MDR Was actually better.) The bill seemed really high for what we got, when you think about what you used to get for a cover charge. We only did it because we had a specialty dining credit of $100 from when we booked the cruise. At the time of booking, that $100 would have covered the cost of my family's cover charges to Le Bistro. By the time we sailed, it covered one app, one dessert per person and a couple drinks for my husband and I.

[NMLady]

On the Jewel in January, at Le Bistro, my husband tried to order a soup and escargot as well as an entree. We were using the Platinum Latitudes voucher for dinner in Le Bistro. He was told he could only have one appetizer, so he passed on the soup and just ordered the escargot. I was somewhat surprised, but it was not a big deal. This was the first time we had dined in Le Bistro since it had switched to a la carte pricing and perhaps this had something to do with this policy.

 

The platinum perk changed even before the restaurants went to a la Carte.

When we were aboard the Jewel last year, before the a la carte change, the platinum dinner perk had already changed.

 

If you read the list of platinum perks it specifies in the footnote what is now included.

[punkincc]

On the Jewel in January, at Le Bistro, my husband tried to order a soup and escargot as well as an entree. We were using the Platinum Latitudes voucher for dinner in Le Bistro. He was told he could only have one appetizer, so he passed on the soup and just ordered the escargot. I was somewhat surprised, but it was not a big deal. This was the first time we had dined in Le Bistro since it had switched to a la carte pricing and perhaps this had something to do with this policy.

 

The Platinum certificates now specify one appetizer, or starter, one main entree and one dessert. Now I don't consider soup or salad an appetizer, nor do most restaurants, but in Le Bistro they have lumped the appetizers in with the soups and salad into one section of the menu. So no escargot plus mushroom soup anymore if using a Platinum benefit. Of course you can order both and pay for the least expensive of the two.

Edited June 23, 2016 by punkincc

[boatseller]

It's very simple, you can order what ever you want. They really don't care.

 

If you want to use a UDP credit, you are limited to 2 apps, 1 main and 2 desserts.

 

If you're paying, well, you just pay for what you order. That's it. Don't over think this.

[IsanTom]

No, just order what you want to it!

[newmexicoNita]

There are pros and cons to the AL a carte dining and this is one of the pros: order what you want just like a land based restaurant.

[mking8288]

We actually did a "B2B" dining option with our Platinum certificates as we treated another couple sailing with us.

 

B2B - we stopped in O'Sheehans first for soup & salad, and wings with sauce on the side. Reservation timing was perfect, ordered escargots & mussels to share before the entrees at LeBistro, followed by dessert & coffee.