Cruise Thoughts, Advice, and Opinions, Please.

[Daruma]

Hello, folks.

This will be long, and I apologize for that. 

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here... ye've been warned...

On April 13, 2025, I'll be taking my 3rd lifetime cruise. My last one was a Disney cruise back when my now 22 yr old was 8, and the first... I'm not even sure of the cruise line, but we went to St. Marteen and St. Thomas... and some 3rd stop that I don't recall, YEARS before my son was born, and MAYBE on Princess. 

I remember my wife being disappointed when we pulled into each of those ports... she'd been expecting something like Gilligan's Island huts... not modern houses and buildings, lol... she was only 24/25, and had never been out of CT ... so give her a break.

I'll be cruising alone because my wife hates beachy, swimmy, warm vacations. She likes hikey, woodsy, cooler vacations. She says that because we live in Sarasota, FL that our regular lives are swimmy, beechy, and warm all the time, lol.

So, we vacation together the week between Christmas and New Years to go to my In-Laws/Neices in Sharon, MA, and then all of us together meet up at Smugglers Notch, VT during 4th of July week.

Then she, along with our son, (I won't "let" her travel alone... if he can't go, then I go with her... hating it the whole way, lol), goes on her hikey, woodsy, cooler vacation. Then in the Summer I take a tropical, beechy, swimmy vacation, (usually to a resort, but in 2025 a cruise).

So, with all of that out of the way, this is intended to be a "help a fella out with advice" thread.

Oh, in sailing solo, I enjoy being solo, so I don't plan to attend solo meetings, or dine or do excursions with anyone... these vacations are  "me time," so I don't need info/advice about meeting others, as I have no desire to do so, but thank you all the same. 

Now, I've read a lot, posted some questions, and know a very few things so far. 

Here's what I've learned, (or think I have, lol), so any additional information/advice, expounding further on what I've learned, or  corrections on what I think that I know, are greatly appreciated. Frankly, just any additional thoughts in general on anything below is greatly appreciated. 

I don't drink alcohol so I don't know the names of cocktails other than Piña Colada... I created a thread and asked for suggestions, and got some names to ask for in "virgen/mocktail" form... but always willing to get more suggestions 😆

I'm kinda going all out on the "extras," as well.

I know that there's a differing of opinions on the following: 

I upgraded my FAS drink package to the Premium package at what amounts to $34/day for soda, juice, water, sparkling water, and Starbucks... I'll definitely consume $34/day worth of those items given their ala carte price... or close enough to not be of "OMG DID I OVERSPEND" concern, lol.

I plan to get the Vibe pass to be a bit less overwhelmed by crowds, and not dealing with kids, (I love my son, I love kids, I teach martial arts to kids... but as even parents will say... it's nice to get away from them at times 😂).

I'm getting the Thermal Spa pass for the week. There's definitely difference of opinions on this one, but I know I'll use it daily. I work out twice per day, (heavy bag work for an hour in the mornings, then lifting and cardio for about 1.5 hours in the early every... basically after work), then I use the sauna and/or jacuzzi after each workout... I'll be keeping that routine up during my cruise, (working around port calls/excursions of course) ... including a strict rule about stairs only, no elevator, (I'm in a solo balcony on deck 11).

Why am I adhering to that exercise/workout schedule, and avoiding the elevator while on VACATION? 

Because, judging by threads here, and YouTube reviews, while most people apparently cruise for alcohol, (heck my post asking for nonalcoholic drink suggestions got about 5 replies, but a thread about no more Veuve or Gray Goose for Premium drink package upgrades... apparently top end liquors... generates 23 PAGES of replies 🤪), I'm cruising for FOOD... and lots of it !! I plan to eat anything that doesn't eat me first, lol.

So, gotta keep up the workouts, lol.

I do 2x 2 week water only fasts, and 1x 30 day water only fast each year... I'm going to time it so that I'm coming off a 2 week fast, with 3 days to properly re-feed before my cruise... so food... ya better go into hiding, lol.

Speaking of food...

I get 2x specialty dining for a balcony reservation, and I purchased 2 more.

Despite my comment above regarding eating everything... not so much... I'm a meat 'n tators plus sweets kinda guy. Seafood and veggies of all kinds can disappear from the universe and I won't care a bit, lol. This is why I work out so much... because I am NOT a healthy eater 😂

I'm a HUUUGGGEEE Breakfast guy... so any thoughts/suggestions/advice on where to get the best, biggest Breakfast are greatly appreciated... especially suggestions on "Oh, you gotta try this..."

With my Speciality Dining, I plan to make reservations at Moderno, Cagney's, La Cucina, and Le Bistro. I think I'm going to try the duck at Le Bistro since it seems to be highly recommended... and it's MEAT 😅

It's also been suggested that when I'm able to book my reservations online,  to do Moderno first to be safe... apparently that one can still charge you sometimes depending on the order in which you book your reservations. 🤷‍♂️

Any specific meal/dish/food recommendations or avoidances at these restaurants, or the MDR, feel free to chime in, please. 

I'm hoping to see all the shows, but especially Choir of Man... you can't swing a dead cat, as they say, without hitting 180 recommendations for that show... I'll give someone my free beer, lol.

My stops and current excursion planning... recommendations, yay/nay definitely appreciated here...

Roatan, Honduras: The ATV Zoo excursion. In addition to food, I'm a HUGE animal lover... and no, not just for eating, lol:
https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/RTB_89/ATV-Eco-Jungle-Beach-Adventure-Min-Age-16?destination=Caribbean+Cruises&port=RTB&duration=0+To+Less+Than+3+Hrs.%2C3+To+Less+Than+5+Hrs.%2C5+To+Less+Than+7+Hrs.&priceRange=0+2000&sort=searchFeatured&sortOrder=asc&perPage=48

Cozumel, the dolphin encounter at Chankanaab. I've done the one at Discovery Cove in Orlando twice, and it was amazeballs 😆: 

https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/CZM_84/Dolphin-Encounter-All-Inclusive ?destination=Caribbean+Cruises&port=CZM&duration=0+To+Less+Than+3+Hrs.%2C3+To+Less+Than+5+Hrs.%2C5+To+Less+Than+7+Hrs.&priceRange=0+2000&sort=searchFeatured&sortOrder=asc&perPage=48

Costa Maya, a Mayan ruins tour... gotta get some culture in there, right?:

https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/CMA_10/Chacchoben-Mayan-Ruins?destination=Caribbean+Cruises&port=CMA&duration=0+To+Less+Than+3+Hrs.%2C3+To+Less+Than+5+Hrs.%2C5+To+Less+Than+7+Hrs.&priceRange=0+2000&sort=searchFeatured&sortOrder=asc&perPage=48

Harvest Caye in Belize... probably just going to "beach it" frankly. I might do the Flight House package though... maybe:

https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/BPI_24/Flighthouse-Zipline-Adrenaline-Package ?destination=Caribbean+Cruises&port=BPI&duration=0+To+Less+Than+3+Hrs.%2C3+To+Less+Than+5+Hrs.%2C5+To+Less+Than+7+Hrs.&priceRange=0+2000&sort=searchFeatured&sortOrder=asc&perPage=48

I want to drive down from Sarasota to Port Canaveral the day before, (Saturday), stay in a hotel, and either use their port shuttle, if they have one, keeping my car in their lot, (we did this with our Disney cruise out of Orlando), or drive my car from the hotel on Sunday, and park at the terminal for the week... either way, if anyone has recommendations on how best to handle this, I'm all ears.

Ok, if you've made it this far... thank you for reading, and if you have any input, thank you very much for that as well

Take care, 
Lou
 

[www3traveler]

Depending on the ship you choose, there may be a Spice H2O on an upper deck (like Deck 15) at the rear of the ship which is free for your use and child free until about 7 P.M.  Would NOT waste money on Vibe.

Nor would I spend money on the Thermal Spa- totally different from the gym (which free to use except for some classes).

 

As a solo passenger, I rarely make dinner reservations.  Just walk up the the Restaurant Hostess Desk.  Only a certain percentage of reservations can be made pre-cruise for the restaurants.

 

Unless you do a Norwegian excursion, I would not try to do a Mayan Ruins tour.  Very long bus ride in each direction not a lot of time to actual see very much.

 

I hope this helps

 

Enjoy your cruise

[Daruma]

6 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

Depending on the ship you choose, there may be a Spice H2O on an upper deck (like Deck 15) at the rear of the ship which is free for your use and child free until about 7 P.M.  Would NOT waste money on Vibe.

Nor would I spend money on the Thermal Spa- totally different from the gym (which free to use except for some classes).

 

As a solo passenger, I rarely make dinner reservations.  Just walk up the the Restaurant Hostess Desk.  Only a certain percentage of reservations can be made pre-cruise for the restaurants.

 

Unless you do a Norwegian excursion, I would not try to do a Mayan Ruins tour.  Very long bus ride in each direction not a lot of time to actual see very much.

 

I hope this helps

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

Thank you... I forgot to say... I'll be on the Escape... and there is a Spice H2O... I might give that some thought... but after 7pm kids are allowed in Spice H2O? Probably make that a "no go" route for me.

 

I know the gym and Thermal Spa are different, but I work out pretty hard, so I use saunas, steam baths, Jacuzzi/hot tubs, etc regularly after working out for recovery... at 56, (I'll be 57 when I cruise), I don't recover as quickly and easily as I used to, lol, so I deem this to be a necessary purchase. 

 

Being a cruising neophyte all of my excursions will be through the ship. I don't want to risk becoming a "Pier Runner" if my excursion is running late. It's my understanding that if I book through NCL that the ship has to wait for me if the return is running late.

 

As for Speciality Dining reservations...I figure that I'd rather make a reservation in the vein of better safe than sorry, lol. Plus I'm an Engineer by trade... things... must... be...planned, lol.

 

"Enjoy your cruise." You betcha.

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and respond. 

 

Take care, 

Lou

[www3traveler]

13 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... I forgot to say... I'll be on the Escape... and there is a Spice H2O... I might give that some thought... but after 7pm kids are allowed in Spice H2O? Probably make that a "no go" route for me.

 

I know the gym and Thermal Spa are different, but I work out pretty hard, so I use saunas, steam baths, Jacuzzi/hot tubs, etc regularly after working out for recovery... at 56, (I'll be 57 when I cruise), I don't recover as quickly and easily as I used to, lol, so I deem this to be a necessary purchase. 

 

Being a cruising neophyte all of my excursions will be through the ship. I don't want to risk becoming a "Pier Runner" if my excursion is running late. It's my understanding that if I book through NCL that the ship has to wait for me if the return is running late.

 

As for Speciality Dining reservations...I figure that I'd rather make a reservation in the vein of better safe than sorry, lol. Plus I'm an Engineer by trade... things... must... be...planned, lol.

 

"Enjoy your cruise." You betcha.

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and respond. 

 

Take care, 

Lou

13 minutes ago, Daruma said:

After 7 P.M., family friendly movies are shown followed by the late night dance parties.

Thank you... I forgot to say... I'll be on the Escape... and there is a Spice H2O... I might give that some thought... but after 7pm kids are allowed in Spice H2O? Probably make that a "no go" route for me.

 

I know the gym and Thermal Spa are different, but I work out pretty hard, so I use saunas, steam baths, Jacuzzi/hot tubs, etc regularly after working out for recovery... at 56, (I'll be 57 when I cruise), I don't recover as quickly and easily as I used to, lol, so I deem this to be a necessary purchase. 

 

Being a cruising neophyte all of my excursions will be through the ship. I don't want to risk becoming a "Pier Runner" if my excursion is running late. It's my understanding that if I book through NCL that the ship has to wait for me if the return is running late.

 

As for Speciality Dining reservations...I figure that I'd rather make a reservation in the vein of better safe than sorry, lol. Plus I'm an Engineer by trade... things... must... be...planned, lol.

 

"Enjoy your cruise." You betcha.

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and respond. 

 

Take care, 

Lou

 

[UKstages]

the vibe is well worth it. you'll have devoted servers and bartenders who will dote on you in a way that is uncommon elsewhere on the ship, including most haven sun decks, which usually do not have a bar on the sun deck itself (except for the very newest ships).

 

do you smoke?

 

in addition to being kid-free, the vibe is smoke-free.

 

smoking is allowed in spice H2O on the escape, on the starboard side. smoke travels. you might find that bothersome and that it will reduce the usable space in spice.

 

as for the witching hour of 7 pm, the vibe's bar service typically ends around 7 pm, too, so the fact that kids are allowed in spice H2O after 7 PM may not matter much. you are, however, usually welcome to stay in the vibe for another two hours using the hot tubs and loungers while they close down for the day and get ready for the next day.

 

with regard to the vibe and a thermal spa pass, i would suggest that you choose just one. there are only so many hours in a day. you'd be hard pressed to get value out of both, in my opinion. i've never done the thermal spa, so my vote is for the vibe.

 

as for all the other stuff, it's like a greatest hits medley of popular cruise critic threads. you've clearly done your homework and know what you want to get accomplished. my only observation is that there is very little room for serendipity and improvisation. be open to unexpected opportunities!

Edited December 20, 2023 by UKstages

[zqvol]

The vibe is a waste of money

[cruiseny4life]

14 minutes ago, zqvol said:

The vibe is a waste of money

Perhaps for you, but others find it creates a better vacation for them. I enjoy the thermal suite. I'm sure plenty of folks would say the thermal suite is a waste of money. I would disagree. 

[vacation44]

28 minutes ago, zqvol said:

The vibe is a waste of money

And then there are some who would never cruise without a Vibe pass.  My family would be in that group.   

[Daruma]

27 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

 

do you smoke?

 

 

 

Nope... BLECHY 🤢🤮🤢🤮

 

Which now completely rules out Spice H2O... because as you said, smoke travels. A reason why I won't use the casino at all either. 

 

You present an interesting argument regarding having both the Thermal Spa and Vibe, vis a vie having enough days to enjoy both.

 

I'll have to think about that. Due to various injuries & broken bones over 50+ years of martial arts training, (it's a tad bit more excessive than basket weaving, lol), my body really needs the therapy of a Spa for recovery... my joints, bones, muscles, etc simply NEED those tools.

 

My wife keeps telling me that I won't turn into a blob of fat by missing a week of working out, so just relax... but as a former "fatty" it's traumatic to me to not work out... I FEEL the fat building every minute that I'm not active, lol... thus I need the Thermal Spa.  

 

I may, as I've seen others post, just go all in so that I can have, specific to me, data on what various packages to get on a future cruise... cull the list or keep it because I used/enjoyed it all.

 

Thank you for your information... definitely some cud to chew.

[Daruma]

41 minutes ago, UKstages said:

be open to unexpected opportunities!

 

Most definitely... one of the first things I was taught in OCS was that no plan survives contact with the enemy... so have plans B - D ready to go, lol.

[UKstages]

2 minutes ago, Daruma said:

A reason why I won't use the casino at all either. 

 

when planning future cruises, remember that the newer ships... the bliss, joy, encore, prima and viva (and presumably the aqua) all have non-smoking casinos with separate, enclosed purpose-built smoking rooms. there is some seepage when the doors to those smoking rooms open, but those casinos are primarily non-smoking.

[Daruma]

5 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

when planning future cruises, remember that the newer ships... the bliss, joy, encore, prima and viva (and presumably the aqua) all have non-smoking casinos with separate, enclosed purpose-built smoking rooms. there is some seepage when the doors to those smoking rooms open, but those casinos are primarily non-smoking.

 

Ooh... good to know, thank you.

[smillerholmes]

 

All I can say is OH MY - following.  If nothing else this could end up being better than a water thread.

[Daruma]

Ok, here's another question... when I make my Speciality Dining reservations, wanting to dine solo... do I make my reservation for one? I'm assuming so, but on an NCL Solo Cruiser FB page someone asked essentially the same question, and was told to make it for 4, because it's the same size table used for 2, and this way he could invite dining companions should he wish.

 

I don't want dining companions, definitely just dining by myself... so do I just ask for reservation for 1, and if asked when I show, say "no" to sharing my table?

 

Thanks. 

[Seas2mountains]

25 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Most definitely... one of the first things I was taught in OCS was that no plan survives contact with the enemy... so have plans B - D ready to go, lol.

OCS? Officer Candidate School?  If so, did you try to connect your new Latitudes number to ID.me to register as a military veteran? Here are details on the 10% discount. https://www.ncl.com/military

 

 If you register, you will get a military packet with a ship patch and veteran pin in a cute vacation packet that looks like military orders and assuming they still do this program in April 2025, you will get invited to a military reception which has been neat. When these first started, there were probably 15-20 veterans in attendance but on our most recent cruises on the Spirit in September it was about 40-50 people and last week on the Pearl we were stunned to see about 200 people or so. 
 

We love the Thermal Spa on all ships. Do avoid the peak times if you want to avoid people. 

[UKstages]

 

11 minutes ago, smillerholmes said:

If nothing else this could end up being better than a water thread.

 

water is highly overrated.

 

for one thing, it's very wet.

 

i prefer my water less wet, OK?

 

RCL has perfectly moist water, unlike NCL's overly wet water.

 

my gawd, how many years have they been doing this? you'd think they'd get the moisture quotient right. how difficult can it be to get decent water? i bet you that in the haven, they're not talking about the water... you can get whatever kind of water you like in the haven.

 

hey, what do you suppose they tip for water delivery in the haven?

 

and if i have the beverage package, can i bring my own water onboard?

 

Just now, Daruma said:

when I make my Speciality Dining reservations, wanting to dine solo... do I make my reservation for one?

 

no, you reserve for two.

 

in fact, the system doesn't allow you to reserve for one. the lowest number in their system is two.

 

when you arrive, you say you're solo and that's that. a table for two is the same as a table for one. why your friends on that other social media site think that a table for four is the same size as a table for one or two is baffling.

 

 

[zqvol]

4 minutes ago, Daruma said:

Ok, here's another question... when I make my Speciality Dining reservations, wanting to dine solo... do I make my reservation for one? I'm assuming so, but on an NCL Solo Cruiser FB page someone asked essentially the same question, and was told to make it for 4, because it's the same size table used for 2, and this way he could invite dining companions should he wish.

 

I don't want dining companions, definitely just dining by myself... so do I just ask for reservation for 1, and if asked when I show, say "no" to sharing my table?

 

Thanks. 

You can’t make it for 1, make it for 2 that is the smallest table available, and you won’t be asked to share. 

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, Daruma said:

Despite my comment above regarding eating everything... not so much... I'm a meat 'n tators plus sweets kinda guy. Seafood and veggies of all kinds can disappear from the universe and I won't care a bit, lol. This is why I work out so much... because I am NOT a healthy eater 😂

I'm a HUUUGGGEEE Breakfast guy... so any thoughts/suggestions/advice on where to get the best, biggest Breakfast are greatly appreciated... especially suggestions on "Oh, you gotta try this..."

With my Speciality Dining, I plan to make reservations at Moderno, Cagney's, La Cucina, and Le Bistro. I think I'm going to try the duck at Le Bistro since it seems to be highly recommended... and it's MEAT 😅

It's also been suggested that when I'm able to book my reservations online,  to do Moderno first to be safe... apparently that one can still charge you sometimes depending on the order in which you book your reservations. 🤷‍♂️

Any specific meal/dish/food recommendations or avoidances at these restaurants, or the MDR, feel free to chime in, please. 

So, I'm going to be a bit controversial with my opinion here. Mainly because I enjoy food - I'm still very much a fatty, with lots of blobs of it floating around. I'm also an active fatty - in October, my husband and I, along with friends, did a rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon. That's neither here nor there, just to say we're active (and I'm bragging a little, because...well it's the Grand Canyon)! We do try to take the stairs, but will take the elevator and we only step foot in the fitness center when the spa raffle is underway. 

 

Anyway, back to the food! I just want to temper your expectations. Don't expect amazing quality food. Don't expect a foodie to be happy. You'll have loads of options. Many of them good. Some not-so-great. As an example, I try the buffet at least a couple times every cruise. I never find anything that is better than fair. The main dining room sometimes has good food - appetizer mini beef tostados (3 tortilla chips, with shredded beef, 3 or 4 strands of cheese, and a jalapeno), the chicken cordon bleu, chicken flautas (YUMMY), and some other items. 

 

When it comes to specialty dining, here's what you should expect (based on my experience):

 

La Cucina - Olive Garden quality, though the lasagna is hit or miss. We enjoy the carbonara, alfredo, shrimp diavolo, and the pizza. The filet is probably the best cooked filet I've had on NCL. I tried it with the blue cheese ravioli and won't order it again, due to the blue cheese. But, the steak itself was good. 

Moderno - very good, I'd put it on par with Texas de Brazil, though I do miss the potatoes au gratin. Meats seem to be cooked closer to medium than well done or med rare like Texas de Brazil options. 

Le Bistro - no clue as I don't really enjoy such fancy food

Cagney's - we went once. Have never been back. I've never had a steakhouse so thoroughly butcher the steak experience. On these boards you'll read really mixed experiences. Suffice it to say that even in La Cucina and the Haven Restaurant, I haven't really had a better than good steak on Norwegian. We're certainly not talking prime cuts of meat. I suppose they may be choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's all select. The vibe in Cagney's is certainly more upscale than the food. Give me Land of Magic, a family-owned steakhouse in middle of nowhere Logan, Montana over any steak, anywhere. The vibe is...well, it's Montana. I don't care about fancy. I just want excellent food. 

 

I'm sure plenty of folks will disagree with a lot of what I said above, but that's how both my husband and I feel about the specialty restaurants you mentioned. 

[Daruma]

4 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

OCS? Officer Candidate School?  If so, did you try to connect your new Latitudes number to ID.me to register as a military veteran? Here are details on the 10% discount. https://www.ncl.com/military

 

 If you register, you will get a military packet with a ship patch and veteran pin in a cute vacation packet that looks like military orders and assuming they still do this program in April 2025, you will get invited to a military reception which has been neat. When these first started, there were probably 15-20 veterans in attendance but on our most recent cruises on the Spirit in September it was about 40-50 people and last week on the Pearl we were stunned to see about 200 people or so. 
 

We love the Thermal Spa on all ships. Do avoid the peak times if you want to avoid people. 

 

Wow... THANK YOU... I didn't know that.

 

Yes, Army where I served 12 years in an Airborne Ranger officer billet, and left as an O4/Major.

 

"Do avoid the peak times if you want to avoid people."

 

Considering how early I wake up, do my first workout, then hit the spa... that likely won't be a problem, lol.

[smillerholmes]

2 minutes ago, Daruma said:

Ok, here's another question... when I make my Speciality Dining reservations, wanting to dine solo... do I make my reservation for one? I'm assuming so, but on an NCL Solo Cruiser FB page someone asked essentially the same question, and was told to make it for 4, because it's the same size table used for 2, and this way he could invite dining companions should he wish.

 

I don't want dining companions, definitely just dining by myself... so do I just ask for reservation for 1, and if asked when I show, say "no" to sharing my table?

 

Thanks. 

I primarily cruise solo and when I used to make reservations I believe the app defaults to "2".  If you choose to make them on the phone or in person they will definitely ask you - what they record is entirely nebulous.  

 

I would like to point out that I no longer even bother.  Unless you want to eat during peak times (5:30ish to 7:30ish) it is unnecessary.  I don't usually know what I have a taste for so I kind of wing it and I have never not been able to get a table - worst case I had to wait until 8:15 once.  

 

Perhaps an exception on a sold out/Holiday/Spring Break cruise, but typically not needed.

[Daruma]

8 minutes ago, UKstages said:

... no, you reserve for two.

 

in fact, the system doesn't allow you to reserve for one. the lowest number in their system is two.

 

when you arrive, you say you're solo and that's that. a table for two is the same as a table for one. why your friends on that other social media site think that a table for four is the same size as a table for one or two is baffling.

 

 

 

🤷‍♂️

[UKstages]

2 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm sure plenty of folks will disagree with a lot of what I said above,

 

i actually agree with most of what you say above although comparing la cucina to olive garden is unkind... olive garden, which i abhor, is an even more ersatz eye-talian experience than la cucina, in my estimation. but people seem to like those breadsticks!

 

what i think is missing from any discussion of "hit or miss" restaurant recommendations is the context... much like they say on those investment commercials... past performance is no indication of future results. cagney's could be great one night, dreadful the next. more importantly, the quality of each restaurant brand can vary wildly from ship to ship. one has a really good cagney's, but the moderno sucks. on another, moderno shines brilliantly, while cagneys is subpar.

[9tee2Sea]

I always take the stairs when on board.  I also walk 1 mile on deck after every meal

[Daruma]

8 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

So, I'm going to be a bit controversial with my opinion here. Mainly because I enjoy food - I'm still very much a fatty, with lots of blobs of it floating around. I'm also an active fatty - in October, my husband and I, along with friends, did a rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon. That's neither here nor there, just to say we're active (and I'm bragging a little, because...well it's the Grand Canyon)! We do try to take the stairs, but will take the elevator and we only step foot in the fitness center when the spa raffle is underway. 

 

Anyway, back to the food! I just want to temper your expectations. Don't expect amazing quality food. Don't expect a foodie to be happy. You'll have loads of options. Many of them good. Some not-so-great. As an example, I try the buffet at least a couple times every cruise. I never find anything that is better than fair. The main dining room sometimes has good food - appetizer mini beef tostados (3 tortilla chips, with shredded beef, 3 or 4 strands of cheese, and a jalapeno), the chicken cordon bleu, chicken flautas (YUMMY), and some other items. 

 

When it comes to specialty dining, here's what you should expect (based on my experience):

 

La Cucina - Olive Garden quality, though the lasagna is hit or miss. We enjoy the carbonara, alfredo, shrimp diavolo, and the pizza. The filet is probably the best cooked filet I've had on NCL. I tried it with the blue cheese ravioli and won't order it again, due to the blue cheese. But, the steak itself was good. 

Moderno - very good, I'd put it on par with Texas de Brazil, though I do miss the potatoes au gratin. Meats seem to be cooked closer to medium than well done or med rare like Texas de Brazil options. 

Le Bistro - no clue as I don't really enjoy such fancy food

Cagney's - we went once. Have never been back. I've never had a steakhouse so thoroughly butcher the steak experience. On these boards you'll read really mixed experiences. Suffice it to say that even in La Cucina and the Haven Restaurant, I haven't really had a better than good steak on Norwegian. We're certainly not talking prime cuts of meat. I suppose they may be choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's all select. The vibe in Cagney's is certainly more upscale than the food. Give me Land of Magic, a family-owned steakhouse in middle of nowhere Logan, Montana over any steak, anywhere. The vibe is...well, it's Montana. I don't care about fancy. I just want excellent food. 

 

I'm sure plenty of folks will disagree with a lot of what I said above, but that's how both my husband and I feel about the specialty restaurants you mentioned. 

 

First let me apologize for saying "fatty," as I meant no offense to anyone but myself.

 

Second... when I said "meat 'n taters" I was referring to my very plebian, (according to my father), pallette... I'm perfectly fine with "ok" food... I just want lots of it, lol.

 

If it's better than "ok" ... BONUS !! 😂

[Daruma]

1 minute ago, 9tee2Sea said:

I always take the stairs when on board.  I also walk 1 mile on deck after every meal

 

I see something very similar in my future... we walk our dogs about 1.5 to 2 miles after dinner every night... so that'll be typical for me as well.