Specialty Dining Package?

[felixdacat]

How do you judge whether a Specialty Dining package is worth it to you?

The UBP is easy to figure out. The under/over is roughly 6-7 drinks per day. You go under, then not worth it.

I’m guessing you can go to one of the specialty restaurants without a package. And I’m guessing it would be more than $27 per person for dinner. But how much more?

Does getting the package give you any other advantages, like easier reservations? A “My Parents bought an NCL SDP and all I got is this T-Shirt” T-Shirt?

[seagarsmoker]

Great question as we are thinking the same thing. We've never been on NCL before and evening dinner has us a little nervous.

[hawkeyetlse]

Yes, you can go to specialty restaurants without a dining package. The cover charge for Teppanyaki is $29.95 + 18%, and the cover charge for Moderno is $24.95 + 18%. The other restaurants have à la carte pricing, so you pay for what you order. You can find recent menus by searching here or on sites like beyondships. If you figure very roughly $15 for a main course, $5 each for an appetizer and a dessert, your bill will be around $25 + 18%, and easily much higher than that if you are a big eater and order more than that, or if you go for higher-end choices.

 

For most people, a dining package works out to be cheaper per meal, but you have to commit to at least 3 specialty meals during the course of your cruise.

 

Other than paying less, there is no additional advantage to having a dining package (you don't get priority reservations, you don't get any better service, no t-shirt).

[BirdTravels]

How do you judge whether a Specialty Dining package is worth it to you?

The UBP is easy to figure out. The under/over is roughly 6-7 drinks per day. You go under, then not worth it.

I’m guessing you can go to one of the specialty restaurants without a package. And I’m guessing it would be more than $27 per person for dinner. But how much more?

Does getting the package give you any other advantages, like easier reservations? A “My Parents bought an NCL SDP and all I got is this T-Shirt” T-Shirt?

 

Look at the menus on beyondships search for Escape.

 

Select the items you would typically order

 

See if the SDP with gratuity would save you money.

 

For us it is a slam dunk that the SDP saves money

 

Then ask yourself, "do I really need specialty meals."

Edited October 9, 2016 by BirdTravels

[TougherThanTheRest]

For me, it is usually a math question. I look at what we would expect to order vs what I would pay if I have the plan. If the difference if more than $20 or so, I will book the plan, if not, I will pay out of pocket to keep flexibility.

 

 

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[kruzin2010]

Just off the Escape and I would say that the specialty dining pkg is definitely worth it. The food in the main dining room was ok at best. Not hot, sometimes not even Luke warm. It was fine for breakfast and lunch but dinner was nothing special at all.