Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its Freestyle Approach to dining. This means no set dinner times, table arrangements, or main dining room. Instead, the cruise line offers a variety of dining options. While there are several complimentary options, many of the dining venues do charge an additional fee beyond your standard cruise fare. Further, the cruise line’s pricing has also transitioned to a la carte at many of these venues. Luckily, there is the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package (SDP) to help you save some money.
This package entitles users to dine at many of the for-fee restaurants on any NCL ship for one set price. The question becomes, is the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining package a good value? Given that each ship has an array of different restaurants, deciding on whether you should get the package might be ship dependent.
Once you have your cruise booked, you will want to examine the list of specialty restaurants on your ship. If there are two or more venues that look appealing to you, and you have the funds in your cruise budget, you should consider purchasing a specialty dining package.
Of course, if you booked your cruise during NCL’s Free at Sea promotion (which is pretty much constant nowadays), then you might have scored one of these packages for free. Though, it is important to note that guests will still be responsible to pay the additional 20% service charge for the package. The same is true for the “free” beverage package perk.
Through the specialty dining Free at Sea perk, a typical three to six-night cruise entitles guests staying in any cabin receive one specialty dining meal. On seven to 11-night voyages for those staying in an oceanview cabin or below, it’s also one meal. Guests staying in a balcony cabin or above on the same cruise length get two meals. On 12+ night voyages, oceanview cabins or below get two meals, while balcony and above get three meals. This perk applies only to the first and second guests on a reservation.
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Complete Guide to Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package (2024)
Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package Basics
You can purchase the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package pre-cruise similar to beverage packages using your My NCL account. You may also purchase the package once onboard the ship during the first two days of your sailing. For 3 and 4-day cruises, you can only buy the dining plan prior to sailing or on the first day of your cruise. If you choose to wait to buy the plan once on the ship, each package will cost slightly more money than if you buy ahead of time.
If you received the package for free at part of a promotion, you can always purchase an additional specialty dining package for extra meals. For instance, if you plan on dining at a specialty restaurant every night of your seven-day cruise, you would likely purchase a five or six-night meal plan to supplement the one or two-night plan that you received as part of the Free at Sea promotion when booking your cruise.
These specialty dining plans are available for all NCL ships. Published plans range from two to 14 days, though you can call NCL to inquire about pricing for cruises longer than 15 days. The total amount of meals cannot exceed the length of the cruise. When purchasing, you should plan the number of meals accordingly, as no refunds will be issued for unused meals.
The Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package is available for purchase on an individual basis. Thus, you cannot transfer meals to other guests. If you wish to pay for someone else’s dinner, you will have to pay regular prices.
Specialty Dining Packages do not include beverages. Further, some premium menu items will incur extra charges. Additional entrée charges may also apply. Additionally, there is no discount pricing for kids’ specialty dining packages. The same dining package pricing is applicable to all guests ages two and older.
Further, a 20% gratuity will be added to all SDP purchased. As noted earlier, this same fee is applied even if you get the package for “free”.
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Using the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package
You can make reservations online for the specialty restaurants up to 90 days prior to your sail date. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended. Once onboard the ship, reservations will be subject to availability. Keep in mind, some restaurants are very popular among cruisers and do fill up quickly. Prime dining times also fill up quickly.
If your plans change, you can cancel your reservations 24 hours in advance with no charge (just remember any unused meals are not refunded).
In a la carte restaurants, the specialty dining package covers one appetizer, one soup or salad, one main course, and one dessert. If you want additional menu items, you will need to pay the a la carte prices. This limit does not apply to cover charge restaurants such as Moderno and Teppanyaki.
In restaurants where sharing amongst the table is encouraged (Food Republic and Pincho Tapas Bar and Sushi), a specialty dining package meal includes any four menu items (including dessert) per person. Across the board, all specialty restaurant items are eligible for the specialty dining package except for the Seafood Platter in Raw Bar.
Also, cruisers can use a specialty dining meal credit for entertainment-based restaurants on select ships for an additional surcharge. To reserve a spot at an entertainment-based restaurant, visit NCL’s online “Entertainment” section or visit the box office once onboard.
There is no maximum to the number of meals that can be redeemed each day.
You may be wondering how the restaurants will know that you have a dining package. When you check in with the hostess at the restaurant, they will scan your card to see if you have a meal plan. Then, they will ask if you want to use a meal credit from your Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining package at the venue. Of course, you always have the option to pay a la carte. This option comes in handy if, for example, you are only popping in for a few appetizers or for dessert.
Still, you will still have to sign a receipt at the completion of dinner even when using a meal credit from your specialty dining package. It will detail the prices of the meal and your (most likely) zero balance.
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Where Can You Use the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package?
Cruisers can use Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Packages at most specialty venues. These include Cagney’s Steakhouse, Food Republic, La Cucina, Onda by Scarpetta, Le Bistro, Los Lobos, Moderno Churrascaria, Pincho Tapas Bar, Q Texas Smokehouse, The Raw Bar, seafood, sushi, and Teppanyaki.
Cagney’s is NCL’s signature steakhouse serving up tender cuts of beef. Luckily, this staple venue is on all ships in the fleet.
Food Republic is one of our favorite restaurants on Norwegian Cruise Line. This tapas restaurant serves up flavors from around the world. It can be found aboard Norwegian Bliss, Escape, Encore, Joy, Prima, and Viva.
La Cucina is NCL’s Italian restaurant serving up classic Italian dishes in a rustic setting. This restaurant is on all ships in the fleet except Norwegian Encore, Spirit, Viva, and Prima.
Le Bistro is another Norwegian Cruise Line staple. This upscale French restaurant is the perfect spot to celebrate a special occasion. Luckily, Le Bistro can be found on all ships in the fleet except Pride of America.
Los Lobos is NCL’s take on a Mexican cantina. This specialty restaurant is on Norwegian Encore, Bliss, Dawn, Sun, Prima, and Viva.
Moderno Churrascaria is an all you can eat Brazilian Steakhouse. It starts off with an impressive salad bar, followed by a wide selection of slow-roasted meats carved tableside. This venue is located on Norwegian Breakaway, Dawn, Epic, Escape, Gem, Getaway, Jade, Jewel, Pearl, Star, Sun, and Pride of America.
Onda by Scarpetta is Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest Italian restaurant. This venue replaced La Cucina on Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Spirit. From our experience dining here, we’re happy to report that the food is fabulous! In addition to those ships, Onda is also located on Norwegian Prima and Viva.
Pincho Tapas Bar offers a menu of shareable small plates inspired by Spain’s culture and cuisine. Sadly, this unique venue is only on Norwegian Escape.
Q Texas Smokehouse is a casual specialty dining experience offering up some of the best BBQ at sea alongside live country music. Q Texas Smokehouse can be found on Norwegian Bliss, Encore, and Joy.
The Raw Bar is located adjacent to Ocean Blue on Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Breakaway. This casual bar-top is the perfect place to grab some drinks and seafood small plates.
Teppanyaki is a fan-favorite Japanese restaurant on most NCL ships. This dinner and a show hibachi experience is sure to provide an unforgettable dinner for the entire family. Teppanyaki (or its newer counterpart Hasuki) is found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships except Norwegian Sky.
Wasabi & Sushi is a contemporary sushi and yakitori bar offering traditional Japanese cuisine. Wasabi is on Norwegian Breakaway, Epic, and Getaway. Further, Sushi Bar is its older counterpart on Norwegian Dawn, Gem, Jade, Jewel, Pearl, Sky (Pinnacle Lounge & Sushi Bar), Spirit, Star, Sun, and Pride of America. On Norwegian Prima and Viva, the sushi bar is called Nama.
Room Service, SWIFT, Starbucks, District Brewhouse, The Bake Shop, Coco’s, Dolce Gelato, special occasion/holiday menus, and select entertainment-based meals are not included in the specialty dining package. Also, the package does not apply to Harvest Caye restaurants.
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Is the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package a Good Value?
For illustrative purposes, let’s say we’re taking a seven-night cruise and want to purchase a four-meal specialty dining package which costs $169 per person. With the 20% service charge, this comes out to $202.80 per person, or $405.60 for the two of us. This comes out to $50.70 per person, per meal or $101.40 per meal for two people.
If I go to Cagney’s and get one starter ($19), a soup ($11), a filet mignon ($31), a sauce ($3), a side ($9), and a dessert ($13), it would currently cost around $86.
For my next specialty dinner, I might choose teppanyaki which is currently $59 per person.
At Onda, I might order burrata ($16), tagliatelle ($31) or veal milanese ($45), roasted carrots ($9), and panna cotta for dessert ($12). That comes out to $68 to $82.
For my fourth meal, I might go for Q Texas Smokehouse and get lone star chili ($8), pork spare ribs ($21), corn on the cob ($5), and pecan pie ($8). That adds up to $42.
Remember, with the specialty dining package these four meals would cost $202.80. If I purchased them individually without a package, it would be at least $255. Keep in mind that the menu choices I used as examples were middle-of-the-road as far as pricing went. Just using my examples, this is over a $50 savings. Your savings mileage will vary depending on which package you purchase, which restaurants you dine in, and which menu items you choose.
Given my restaurant selections and choices in this example, Cagney’s and Onda were the best value. In contrast, Q Texas Smokehouse provided the least value, and actually would have been cheaper to pay a la carte.
When considering purchasing a specialty restaurant package, remember that if you have Free at Sea, chances are you automatically will receive at least one free specialty dining meal. Look at the specialty restaurants on your ship and decide which ones are a must for you, and then choose a specialty dining package (or not) based on your preferences.
To help, consider reviewing our most recent NCL specialty restaurant menus article to determine if getting the package is the right choice for your next cruise.
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