NCL, up your pizza game!

[Newleno]

15 minutes ago, mkmaj said:

🤣. Are you from Chicago? I'm from Ohio so basically anywhere near NYC or Chicago is excellent to me.

yes i know the argument from deep dish chicago or thin crust nyc, i prefer thin crust, my question even though a little off topic was indeed a serious one.

Edited January 6, 2020 by Newleno

[JamieLogical]

3 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

I can definitely agree that the pizza is in fact pretty bad but I caveat that with the fact that I have low expectations for buffet pizza.  I can say that I have definitely had my share of it when those pesky bartenders over-served me.   🙂

 

 

Oh yeah. Me too. I pretty much have a slice every single night on an NCL cruise during late night snack. Even if it's truly terrible pizza, it does at least hit the spot after a long night of drinking when you are craving salt and grease.

Edited January 6, 2020 by JamieLogical

[mjkacmom]

3 minutes ago, Newleno said:

thanks last year we cruised out of nyc 3 times, so your information might help, before our cruises we stay with family a little south of central park right by the "soup nazi's" joint.  We never had a decent pizza while there, just a bunch of way to much cheese in the middle of a floppy disk with no sauce, 

All of his reviews are online, so you can see the pizza.

[mkmaj]

1 minute ago, Newleno said:

yes i know the argument from deep dish chicago or thin crust nyc, i prefer thin crust, my question even though a little off topic was indeed a serious one.

Gotcha. I can't say that it's the best and I'm far from an expert but I believe that we ordered from a place called Dante's both times- chosen for it's proximity and ability to deliver to our hotel- and thought it was awesome! Disclaimer: this was not NYC proper but the NJ shuttle hotel area.

[Jerseygich]

Grew up in the town Dante’s is in. Good pizza!

[Newleno]

44 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Here’s a list (one of them is in my town). 

i'll probably try that bravo pizza, it very close to where the megabus drops off, no frills pizza counter, yep thats me

[weltek]

Seriously, you all made me go look at Carnival pics and they do look better than NCL. Although La Cucina (at least used to) makes a good pizza that looks on par. But of course, that's an upcharge.

So I'll agree...come on NCL!  I've grabbed pieces in desperation when I have a late lunch and most of the buffet is closed (and once in a drunken night of sing a longs, had one delivered to the Red Lion). Always a disappointment. Reminds me of most gas station pizza.

[coyboy1971]

The secret to NCL pizza: Get it in La Cucina. It’s a completely different product of much higher quality. If you don’t want to use your specialty dining on La Cucina and opt for the buffet, it helps to have the beverage package and be in the mindset of a drunk college student buying pizza sitting in a case under a light at a gas station at 3 a.m.  

[L1211]

My issue is that they have a Dedicated restaurant for lunch on the Sun for hot pizza, pannis, with a soup and sandwich bar. That set my expectations high!  It was terrible. It wasn’t just “buffet” pizza, I would not do that to myself!! 

[CruiseMH]

Are we really expecting good pizza on the buffet ?😮

 

I never had any good pizza on any buffet so far. Not on NCL, not on AIDA and also not on Costa (and they are italian,so they should know !)

Never tried any pizza in any non-buffet restaurant on any ship cause there are so many better food options then pizza on a cruise.

 

 

[Debde]

2 hours ago, coyboy1971 said:

The secret to NCL pizza: Get it in La Cucina. It’s a completely different product of much higher quality. If you don’t want to use your specialty dining on La Cucina and opt for the buffet, it helps to have the beverage package and be in the mindset of a drunk college student buying pizza sitting in a case under a light at a gas station at 3 a.m.  

 

Although it was the one specialty restaurant I did not care for at all. I thought the lasagna was god awful- but I did not know they had pizza there. Good to know.

I'm pretty spoiled as to Italian food as in my area-you just can't beat it here. Plenty of other choices while on a cruise that for sure I won't starve that day!!! LOL

And coyboy that made me laugh but, -do we dare admit as adults...............LOL🍕🤣

[Two Wheels Only]

5 hours ago, Newleno said:

where?  you are saying that ny pizza is good?, I have never found a decent nyc pizza, so what establishment?

 

Not all NYC pizza is the same. There are so many different establishments that it is impossible to have 1 pizza that represents NYC. Even in one neighborhood, there will be different pizzerias and the people in the neighborhood will go to the one that they prefer. When I last lived in NYC, there were 3 pizzerias within 4 blocks of home. One of them, I hated. The 2nd was good. The 3rd was great. If someone visited my old neighborhood and said "I want to try NYC pizza...." and they went to the wrong one, I'd hate for them to think that was a good representation of NYC pizza. 

 

Crust styles are different.

Sauce is different.

Cheese is different (although many restaurants use the same supplier).

Since the crust is made by hand, the person working that day can make a difference. 

 

One of the few things that New Yorkers can agree upon is that "real" pizza is better than "chain store" pizza (Pizza Hut, Domino's, Hungry Howie's, Little Caesar's, Papa John's, etc.) 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Two Wheels Only

[mking8288]

47 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Not all NYC pizza is the same. There are so many different establishments that it is impossible to have 1 pizza that represents NYC. ... New Yorkers can agree upon is that "real" pizza is better than "chain store" pizza (Pizza Hut, Domino's, Hungry Howie's, Little Caesar's, Papa John's, etc.) 

 

Concur, I used to live & work on the Lower East Side / Chinatown - Little Italy ... sadly, most of the mom-n-pop, freshly homemade oven baked joints are gone.  In our neck of the woods out in Queens, all of the local real pizza places will put NCL's pizza to shame ... any one of them, period. 

 

Something else, that even the chain pizza franchises will beat NCL's pizza ... it is sad to question & debate, on a NCL cruise, whether one can get a decent slice of pizza .. the only choices, possibly, being a tuna fish sandwich, hot dog, or beef burger.  Coalfish for dinner in the MDR, anyone.  

Edited January 6, 2020 by mking8288

[beerman2]

22 hours ago, Gershep said:

Pizza is not good on NCL. MSC has brick oven pizza that is good.

Being MSC is an Italian based line , it should be good!

[tef43]

I do not cruise to eat pizza.

 

And even Carnival's pizza is inedible.

[Starry Eyes]

On 1/5/2020 at 3:04 PM, GettotheSun said:

looks like buffet pizza to me.

 

I seem to recall reading posts that the pizza in the Italian specialty restaurant was pretty good? 

I tried it in La Cucina on the Sun recently.  While the toppings were better, the crust was as poor elsewhere on the ship.  Quite a disappointment for a specialty restaurant; I would not order it again.

[Newleno]

45 minutes ago, tef43 said:

I do not cruise to eat pizza.

 

And even Carnival's pizza is inedible.

I know we cruise to eat sloppy joe or a great bbq sandwich, but cant find those either, ugh!! my kingdom for any decent bbq 

[Peachypooh]

If eating in the buffet I try to go for the higher quality items like the carving station

and grilled vegetables with an occasional  pasta dish thrown in. However no matter now

mundane it looks sometimes I grab a piece of the pizza too. Usually the pepperoni one has a little more taste.

Edited January 6, 2020 by Peachypooh

[richstowe]

On 1/5/2020 at 3:15 PM, Sotermarler said:

So true, NCL has the best buffet but worst pizza. 

The best buffet ? What other cruise lines have you sailed ? 

[Sotermarler]

9 minutes ago, richstowe said:

The best buffet ? What other cruise lines have you sailed ? 

Royal Oasis and Carnival Imagination. In my opinion NCL beat them by miles. 

[aubreyc1988]

the only time I eat buffet pizza is if I've been drinking and...ahem, less discerning.   Even then, I usually will do a few rounds and watch the station for a fresh one to come out...sometimes the temperature of the pizza takes the mind off of how terrible it is 😆

[david_sobe]

Yes of course the pizza at the buffet is high school cafeteria quality.  La Cucina is only slightly better.  However the pizza at Onda looks incredible and was watching a review.  I personally wont get a taste till next month.  However it has home made sauce and made with mozzarella balls.  Unlike La Cucina, Onda supposedly makes fresh pasta and sauce daily.  The video that I saw of it looked really good.  I think Onda is going on the Spirit after dry dock and may go on all NCL ships.

IMHO, NCL has too many specialty restaurants.  They need to provide more MDR/free options.  A pizzeria would be a great idea.  Low cost, big reward.

BTW, as bad as the buffet pizza is, its still better than the $5 delivery pizza Epic used to have.  OMG, that takes the cake for the worst pizza I have ever had in my life.  I wanted to try it so bad and ordered it after a day in St Thomas and I was starving and it was still horrible.  ANY frozen pizza on the shelf was better than that.

[MrsKC08]

Used to be Princess who had the best Pizza at sea. Then, we sailed the Regal in November 2018 and they had definitely changed their recipe and it was sub-par. Royal's used to not be so good, but we sailed Harmony November 2019 and it was very good. Better than it had ever been in the past. I don't cruise for pizza, but it is interesting to see what people's thoughts are on it.

[ray98]

I usually pass on NCL's pizza unless it is grabbing a slice with a bunch of other things.  On Carnival I will make pizza a meal a couple times.  Night and day difference.

[jaja]

15 hours ago, Peachypooh said:

If eating in the buffet I try to go for the higher quality items like the carving station

and grilled vegetables with an occasional  pasta dish thrown in. However no matter now

mundane it looks sometimes I grab a piece of the pizza too. Usually the pepperoni one has a little more taste.

Just a comment on the "carving station"...was always my "go to" on the buffet...tried it the day they had pork loin...it was the worst piece of pork I have ever had...totally dry and inedible !  So disappointing.