New to NCL, Please fill us in

[lovetotraveltx]

Hi all,

 

We are seasoned cruisers but have never tried NCL. We will be on the Breakaway this December, New Year's Eve Cruise, out of New Orleans. Just my husband and I.

 

The most important thing when we travel, unfortunately, is the food! Can you please fill us in on the offerings? I see the dining list, but was hoping for details. Does the Breakaway have an extensive buffet for breakfast and lunch? Is it open for dinner?

 

Do the 3 sit down dinners have similar menus or are they very different? Do they change daily?

 

What's available late night for a snack?

 

We have the 3-specialty restaurant package.

 

Anything not to miss eating during our 7-night cruise?

 

Also, what fun things are there to do during the day? Are there things we shouldn't miss seeing/doing? Are there any free demonstrations or seminars. What do the nights look like?

 

Besides freestyle dining, anything else specific to NCL I need to know?

 

Thank you!

[rtkenmore]

11 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:Hi all,

 

We are seasoned cruisers but have never tried NCL. We will be on the Breakaway this December, New Year's Eve Cruise, out of New Orleans. Just my husband and I.

 

The most important thing when we travel, unfortunately, is the food! Can you please fill us in on the offerings? I see the dining list, but was hoping for details. Does the Breakaway have an extensive buffet for breakfast and lunch? Is it open for dinner?

 

The buffet is open for all three meals and is usually well stocked and a good variety. We usually eat breakfast in the buffet and occasional lunch. 

 

11 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

 

Do the 3 sit down dinners have similar menus or are they very different? Do they change daily?

 

The main dining rooms will always have the same menus each night. It changes throughout the week but is the same each night. 

 

11 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

 

What's available late night for a snack?

 

We have the 3-specialty restaurant package.

 

There is usually a 24 hour restaurant (O’Sheehans on most ships). They have a late night menu and the buffet usually has a small selection till 8 or 9 I think...

 

The specialties are good.  We always do Cagney’s, Teppanyaki, La Cucina and Los Lobos (I think no Los Lobos was added to Breakaway during last drydock).

 

11 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

 

Anything not to miss eating during our 7-night cruise?

 

Also, what fun things are there to do during the day? Are there things we shouldn't miss seeing/doing? Are there any free demonstrations or seminars. What do the nights look like?

 

Besides freestyle dining, anything else specific to NCL I need to know?

 

Thank you!

 

[Soxfan4ever]

I’ll take a stab at some of your questions.

1. Breakaway buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the options are plentiful. If you’re interested in a more relaxed breakfast, we always eat at Taste or Savor.

2. Free restaurants all have a similar menu, but there are daily specials each night. There are always traditional meals offered each night.

3. The buffet does have a lighter menu available, but you can eat at O’Sheehans 24/7.

4. We eat at Cagney’s And Le Bistro for our specialty dining, and switch between the Brazilian dining and La Cucina for the other meal. We’re sailing on the Bliss in February, and I’m disappointed that Le Bistro has taken cream of mushroom soup off the menu.

5. There are demonstrations and shows during the day in the Atrium. Last cruise, there was a lesson on writing In Chinese!

6. I’m not sure if the shows on your cruise, but we loved Million Dollar Quartet. Also, we’re seeing Jersey Boys on the Bliss...a great show.

7. Some tips: Don’t get frustrated with the crowds on embarkation day; it gets better after that. In planning Specialty dining, be aware that you get locked out of some show reservations, as the require a 2 hour window for eating. Try managing reservations for both shows and dining before leaving. You can still do on board, but you need to manage the specialty reservations, along with shows.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

 

[4774Papa]

NCL excels in entertainment.  Its strength in dining is in the variety of specialty restaurants (you pay extra to dine there).  Also, compared to other cruise lines, the specialty restaurants are reasonably priced.   We normally dine in NCL's specialty restaurants 3-4 times in a 14 day cruise.

 

NCL's main dining room cuisine has improved in recent years.  I suggest that before you go with specialty restaurants, try the MDR.   The buffet is OK for breakfast or lunch, but we never go there for dinner.

[davy jones]

29 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

Hi all,

 

We are seasoned cruisers but have never tried NCL. We will be on the Breakaway this December, New Year's Eve Cruise, out of New Orleans. Just my husband and I.

 

The most important thing when we travel, unfortunately, is the food! Can you please fill us in on the offerings? I see the dining list, but was hoping for details. Does the Breakaway have an extensive buffet for breakfast and lunch? Is it open for dinner?

The buffet is open for Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks up to around 11PM

Do the 3 sit down dinners have similar menus or are they very different? Do they change daily?

The three main restrurants, Taste, Savor, and Manhattan have the same menus.  The menu changes daily, but there some dishes are available every day.

What's available late night for a snack?

Buffet until around 11 PM and O'Sheehans is open 24 hours.  Room service is available with a fee

We have the 3-specialty restaurant package.

Check the menus for each specialty restaurant and pick the ones most to your liking.

Anything not to miss eating during our 7-night cruise?

There are many fancier options, but for some reason, I look forward to pub grub at O'Sheehan's and the buffet ice cream more the most.  The noodle bar is also a hidden treat

Also, what fun things are there to do during the day? Are there things we shouldn't miss seeing/doing? Are there any free demonstrations or seminars. What do the nights look like?

The daytime activities are similar to the other mainstream cruise lines.  Nights have the shows in the theater and music and comedy in some of the bars.  

Besides freestyle dining, anything else specific to NCL I need to know?

 

Thank you!

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, lovetotraveltx said:

The most important thing when we travel, unfortunately, is the food!

then you should have gone on Royal or Regal Princess. :)

[jpcdds6]

Royal? Nah. Princess? Yes. I think the food is much better on NCL then RCI.

Edited November 6, 2018 by jpcdds6

[JamieLogical]

I think everyone covered most of your questions. I just want to throw out that O'Sheenhan's is also a great option for breakfast. They have delicious corned beef hash and it's a good place to get your "morning juice". If you are a drinker, "morning juice" is a screwdriver or mimosa!

 

Another tip I wanted to throw out there is that room service breakfast is free, as long as your order from the "continental breakfast" menu. In the room service binder that should be in your stateroom, you should find door hanger cards (or ask at guest services or your room steward) where you can fill in your breakfast room service order and the time window in which you would like it delivered. You then leave the door hangar out on your door the night before. As long as you don't choose any of the "Specialty Selections", it is free. This is a great option for getting coffee and pastries, fruit, etc. delivered to enjoy before you get dressed and ready for "real breakfast".

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by JamieLogical

[tbo]

We were first timers with NCL on the Escape last December and loved them so much we have 3 more cruises booked.

 

We found the dining to be excellent in every venue we tried. Breakfast in Taste/Savor was so nice and the service was exceptional. O'Sheehan's was really good-I loved the spinach dip and hubby enjoyed the hot dogs(seriously who goes on a cruise and eats hot dogs). We only tried the buffet once for lunch and a couple of times for breakfast, lots of variety. When doing the buffet it's best to walk all the way around once before digging in so that you don't miss out on something you would want to try.  We tried Cagney's, LeBistro, La Cucina and Teppanyaki-all were amazing. We are on an 11 night cruise in January and we get 4 nights of dining and considering purchasing another 3, we think it's worth going to some of the venues twice.

 

One other thing that I loved about NCL was that the staff was amazing no matter where we went. Lots of smiles and hellos, it was very welcoming. I loved hearing washy, washy-it was silly, but fun.

 

Try and book some of your dinners and shows now to try and get the times you want. NCL is freestyle cruising-dine when you want, wear what you want, etc.,  but a little planning ahead can save you some frustration.

 

If you aren't on the roll call for your cruise here on cruise critic,  I would check in on that.  The meet and greet we attended was very nice with free drinks and meeting some fellow cruisers, as well as the officers on board.

 

Happy cruising!

[JamieLogical]

Oh, I forgot to mention, if you like Indian food, be sure to check out the "Tastes of Asia" section on the buffet at lunch or dinner. I've found everything I've tried to be excellent!

[lovetotraveltx]

Thank you everyone, a great help! What is the buffet called and where is it located. Are there any midnight or special buffets on NCL anymore?

[Mike_DeA]

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

then you should have gone on Royal or Regal Princess. 🙂

 

2 hours ago, jpcdds6 said:

Royal? Nah. Princess? Yes. I think the food is much better on NCL then RCI.

The poster meant the ship Royal Princess not Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

[Mike_DeA]

34 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

Thank you everyone, a great help! What is the buffet called and where is it located. Are there any midnight or special buffets on NCL anymore?

The buffet is the Garden Cafe, located on deck 15 on the Breakaway.

 

No midnight buffets, but each night in the buffet has a theme (seafood, Italian, Bavarian, Grilled nights come to mind).  Then there are the always available things, like pizza, burgers/chicken/hotdogs sections.  And sometimes the kid's section of the buffet has some pretty cool desserts (chocolate covered fruit, choc covered marshmallows, rice krispy treats....).

Edited November 6, 2018 by Mike_DeA

[zitsky]

I think everyone covered most of your questions. I just want to throw out that O'Sheenhan's is also a great option for breakfast. They have delicious corned beef hash and it's a good place to get your "morning juice". If you are a drinker, "morning juice" is a screwdriver or mimosa!

 

Don't mean to hijack, but is there any place on the Sun to get corned beef hash?  Does anyone have a breakfast menu for the MDR (Seven Seas)?

[jpcdds6]

2 hours ago, Mike_DeA said:

 

The poster meant the ship Royal Princess not Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

That makes sense.