Regarding specialty restaurants......

[grsnovi]

16 hours ago, southernshug said:

Perfect and thank u so much!!!! We've never done a specialty restaurant before. Do u know if they do anything special for bdays, if I let them know maybe a day before? I'm trying to set up a few surprises for him!!!!

On my birthday, I got a birthday cake with "Happy Birthday Gary" written on the plate with chocolate sauce.

[southernshug]

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

 

Earl Gray tea is available in the Neptune Lounge, Specialty restaurants, as well as the Lido Market:

 

Here is a link to my photo review of the Nieuw Amsterdam that includes staterooms, snacks in the Neptune Lounge, all dining venues, bars, etc:

:

https://rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-on-board-images/

 

Thank you for sharing!!!! Will definitely check out ur photos! 

[southernshug]

42 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

In all my cruises I have never heard a “specialty”restaurant wait staff sing Happy Birthday. Only in the Main Dining room and they truly seem to enjoy doing it.

 

Maybe there have been exceptions but I don’t believe I have heard it.

 

Nice cake in specialty restaurants but usually an overkill as it’s hard not having one of the great desserts on the menu.

My husband would be the 1st to tell u that u can never have too much dessert, lol! He will take it back to the room if he can! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[southernshug]

32 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

The teas in the Neptune Lounge are really nice.  I prefer them to the ones in the Lido/MDR but there is plenty of tea and Earl Grey.

Your husband will enjoy the coffee machine in the Neptune Lounge.  It makes some pretty good different kinds of coffees.

There’s also a machine in your Neptune Suite but I prefer the machine in the Neptune Lounge.

Thank you for the info. Knowing him.....he will check out all possibilities,  lol

[southernshug]

12 minutes ago, grsnovi said:

On my birthday, I got a birthday cake with "Happy Birthday Gary" written on the plate with chocolate sauce.

Sounds wonderful!!!! 

[T8NCruise]

I've only ever seen one person use the zip log bag idea to scoop up goodies in the PG.  Its not a good look and people were commenting on it when they left.  

[kazu]

3 hours ago, Roz said:

 

I don't think there are any wines in the Pinnacle Grill that fall under the standard beverage pkg.

 

There aren’t but you can still order one from the standard beverage package if you want.  They go to another bar to get it.

We prefer other wine at dinner so whether we have the SBP or not, we order wine for dinner and don’t use the SBP but one of our dining partners did and they accommodated them.

Most of the  after dinner drinks are within the limits of the SBP.

[southernshug]

14 minutes ago, T8NCruise said:

I've only ever seen one person use the zip log bag idea to scoop up goodies in the PG.  Its not a good look and people were commenting on it when they left.  

Really? That's kinda sad. I'd rather see someone eat it later, than throw it out

[southernshug]

Just now, kazu said:

 

There aren’t but you can still order one from the standard beverage package if you want.  They go to another bar to get it.

We prefer other wine at dinner so whether we have the SBP or not, we order wine for dinner and don’t use the SBP but one of our dining partners did and they accommodated them.

Most of the  after dinner drinks are within the limits of the SBP.

Good to know....thank you

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, southernshug said:

Really? That's kinda sad. I'd rather see someone eat it later, than throw it out

 

If there’s something you want to take to your room, there’s no need for a zip lock bag.

The staff will send a birthday cake to your room. (At least that’s what they did for DH’s birthday cake).

If you want some leftovers, they will wrap it in tin foil for you (often like a swan).  And you can take it to your cabin.  

 

that’s why zip lock bags get a “look”.  There is no need for them at all.

[southernshug]

2 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

If there’s something you want to take to your room, there’s no need for a zip lock bag.

The staff will send a birthday cake to your room. (At least that’s what they did for DH’s birthday cake).

If you want some leftovers, they will wrap it in tin foil for you (often like a swan).  And you can take it to your cabin.  

 

that’s why zip lock bags get a “look”.  There is no need for them at all.

Now I understand,  lol. I wasn't following about the zip lock bags. 🤣🤣🤣 Thank u for clarifying 

[Cruising-along]

43 minutes ago, southernshug said:

My husband would be the 1st to tell u that u can never have too much dessert, lol! He will take it back to the room if he can! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

On our last cruise we celebrated our 50th anniversary.  Did the vow renewal too.  Somehow (not from us) word got out that it was our anniversary, so for 3 nights in a row we were given anniversary cakes (MDR, Pinnacle and Canaletto). We would bring them back to our cabin and eat them for days.  We gave one to our wonderful cabin stewards, they could afford the calories and were so, so grateful. 

[Crew News]

6 minutes ago, southernshug said:

Now I understand,  lol. I wasn't following about the zip lock bags. 🤣🤣🤣 Thank u for clarifying 

A Ziploc bag with two or three pieces of candy is the DIY method and it fits in jacket pocket/purse if you are not returning immediately to your stateroom. 

 

For your DH, here is the Neptune Lounge coffee machine options:

 

[southernshug]

27 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

On our last cruise we celebrated our 50th anniversary.  Did the vow renewal too.  Somehow (not from us) word got out that it was our anniversary, so for 3 nights in a row we were given anniversary cakes (MDR, Pinnacle and Canaletto). We would bring them back to our cabin and eat them for days.  We gave one to our wonderful cabin stewards, they could afford the calories and were so, so grateful. 

Oh my goodness......if they do this for hubby, he's going to be a very happy (and chubby) man!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[idiebabe]

44 minutes ago, southernshug said:

Really? That's kinda sad. I'd rather see someone eat it later, than throw it out

They have wrapped them for us in aluminum foil.  I agree  that it's tacky to bring a zip lock, JMO!

[southernshug]

14 minutes ago, Crew News said:

A Ziploc bag with two or three pieces of candy is the DIY method and it fits in jacket pocket/purse if you are not returning immediately to your stateroom. 

 

For your DH, here is the Neptune Lounge coffee machine options:

 

Honestly....I would never have thought of taking a ziploc baggie, not that there's anything wrong with it..... I just suspect there's going to be so much food, that we won't want anymore, lol. Hubby will definitely love the coffee!!!! Lol. Thank you

[AV8rix]

Well, if you're a real tea lover, I'm happy to see that you're in a Neptune Suite.  As you can see from the picture posted of the tea selection in the Lido, it is mostly Bigelow.  They also have PG Tips in the Lido.

 

But in the Neptune Lounge they provide Harney & Sons!!!  And that's the ONLY place that you can get it except for the Pinnacle Grill.

[StLouisCruisers]

In 2017 while in the South Pacific my birthdate was celebrated two days in a row due to crossings of the International Dateline.  The first night we had booked Pinnacle Grill for dinner and the waitstaff brought me a birthday cake.  I don't recall whether they sang the birthday song (Pangya Umuryna) there or not.  There's the plate of chocolates at the top of the photo.

 

The following night (remember, it was still my birthday according to the ship's calendar) we went back to our regular late dining table in the MDR.  When dessert time came around they waited until we ordered a dessert then brought over another birthday cake and chocolates.  I definitely got a happy birthday song sung to me that night.  And yes, you can ask for your cake to be wrapped up to take with you or sent to your room if you're headed to the theater.  

 

Get ready for this song.  You will hear it a lot in the dining room.  Great fun!

 

 

[southernshug]

19 minutes ago, Av8rix said:

Well, if you're a real tea lover, I'm happy to see that you're in a Neptune Suite.  As you can see from the picture posted of the tea selection in the Lido, it is mostly Bigelow.  They also have PG Tips in the Lido.

 

But in the Neptune Lounge they provide Harney & Sons!!!  And that's the ONLY place that you can get it except for the Pinnacle Grill.

A HUGE thank you for this!!!! I'm not a Bigelow fan at all, so I'm thrilled to hear about the Harney and Sons!!!!

[southernshug]

17 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

In 2017 while in the South Pacific my birthdate was celebrated two days in a row due to crossings of the International Dateline.  The first night we had booked Pinnacle Grill for dinner and the waitstaff brought me a birthday cake.  I don't recall whether they sang the birthday song (Pangya Umuryna) there or not.  There's the plate of chocolates at the top of the photo.

 

The following night (remember, it was still my birthday according to the ship's calendar) we went back to our regular late dining table in the MDR.  When dessert time came around they waited until we ordered a dessert then brought over another birthday cake and chocolates.  I definitely got a happy birthday song sung to me that night.  And yes, you can ask for your cake to be wrapped up to take with you or sent to your room if you're headed to the theater.  

 

Get ready for this song.  You will hear it a lot in the dining room.  Great fun!

 

 

I absolutely love this!!!! This seems like such a special cruise line and I can't wait to get on board!!!!

[saltshell]

When in the Neptune suite you can order afternoon tea or hordeurves. We ordered the latter and it was scrumptious and abundant; highly recommend. 

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, aliaschief said:

In all my cruises I have never heard a “specialty”restaurant wait staff sing Happy Birthday.

 

Celebrated a special birthday at the PG.  No singing.

 

6 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Nice cake in specialty restaurants but usually an overkill 

 

A small cake was provided.  My traveling companion and I took it to our suite.  And, there it sat until we threw it out.  "Overkill" is an apt description!  

 

20 hours ago, kazu said:

I am going to add a note of caution to Crews News overly exuberant posts about in room dining in the Neptune Suite.  The table is not that big and is not easily done for dining. You can certainly eat on it but it doesn’t have the  same niceties of the MDR or specialty dining

 

Neither the Neptune Suite nor the Signature Suite in-suite dining arrangements can be at the experiential level as being in the dining room itself.  Breakfast?  Lunch?  Yes.  Quite pleasant and acceptable.  But, for dinner?  No.  Not for me.  

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Get ready for this song.  You will hear it a lot in the dining room.  Great fun!

 

Thanks for sharing these videos!  Great memories!  

[Crew News]

24 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Celebrated a special birthday at the PG.  No singing.

 

 

A small cake was provided.  My traveling companion and I took it to our suite.  And, there it sat until we threw it out.  "Overkill" is an apt description!  

 

 

Neither the Neptune Suite nor the Signature Suite in-suite dining arrangements can be at the experiential level as being in the dining room itself.  Breakfast?  Lunch?  Yes.  Quite pleasant and acceptable.  But, for dinner?  No.  Not for me.  

Our first Neptune Suite dining was on an aft-wrap balcony in the Caribbean.  Our steward said that he would wait in the hallway and we should let him know when we wanted our next course.  Instead, we told him to just wait on the balcony, around the corner, and he would be called when we were almost ready for our next course.  We added our LED candles to the white table cloth meal and dined as the sun reached the horizon of the Caribbean.  It was a memorable evening for us as well as our steward,

 

We were thanked profusely by our steward for letting him watch the sunset and we tipped him much more than he would have earned if he was running Room Service trays.

[rkacruiser]

16 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Our first Neptune Suite dining was on an aft-wrap balcony in the Caribbean.  Our steward said that he would wait in the hallway and we should let him know when we wanted our next course.  Instead, we told him to just wait on the balcony, around the corner, and he would be called when we were almost ready for our next course.  We added our LED candles to the white table cloth meal and dined as the sun reached the horizon of the Caribbean.  It was a memorable evening for us as well as our steward,

 

We were thanked profusely by our steward for letting him watch the sunset and we tipped him much more than he would have earned if he was running Room Service trays.

 

Thank you for an informative and interesting post.  

 

Our definitions of "fine dining", I suspect, differ.  There is nothing wrong with that.

 

Such an experience is what I am learning from participating on the CC Message Boards for Silverseas and Seabourn.  

 

Have you considered cruising on one or the other of these cruise lines?  I am interested in learning your thoughts.  Thank you.