One of the Best Parts of Cruising
If you have the time, the main dining rooms are lovely places to eat. You can take your time, eat in courses, and order of their wonderful and varied menu. They have a section at each meal that remains the same of go to favorites, for example at dinner there are always roasted chicken and New York steak as options. The appetizers and a section for entrees will rotate each day. Yes, you'll see certain things pop up often, like bruschetta, but they will have new and different things each day. Most people get on board the ship and go straight to the buffet, but if you'd like to eat in style, head downstairs instead!
Depending on the ship, they will have two or three main dining rooms. They all serve the same menu, but offer different experiences. For example, on the Breakaway Plus class ships, they will have a large dining room at the back of the ship with big windows looking out at the wake, and lots and lots of tables. There are also two smaller dining rooms with windows that look out the side of the ship on either side. These are typically my preference as I don't enjoy crowds and I struggle with having lots of activity happening around me. But lots of people really like the hustle and bustle of the big restaurant.
Each ship will also have an *almost* 24 hour pub. They used to be 24 hours, but since Covid they started closing it in the wee hours of the morning - probably due to lack of use, which makes sense. These will have a set menu for the whole cruise with a variety of pub fare from chili to nachos, sliders to burgers. They also have delicious chicken salad and reuben sandwiches and a rather good cobb salad. I will typically eat here at least two or three times a cruise, often when the other restaurants are closed between meals, or when I'm just craving a sandwich!
On the Breakaway Plus ships (my current favorite in case you hadn't noticed), they also have the American Diner. This restaurant used to be a specialty restaurant, meaning you had to pay extra to eat there, but in recent years they have converted it to an included lunch option, with a few upgrades for purchase. And by upgrades, I mean milkshakes. They look delicious, but I haven't tried them with my dietary requirements, so I can't vouch for them. What I have tried is the Lechon Asado, which is incredible. On my last two cruises I went back and ordered it multiple times! It's Cuban roast pork, white rice, plantains and black beans with a cilantro twist. Absolutely delicious, and gluten free! Most of their menu mirrors the pub menu, but they add in some comfort food options, like the one I just mentioned, and they have some special desserts. I like to get the chocolate mousse without the graham crumble.
And let's not sleep on the buffet! The Garden Cafe, as it has been dubbed, has a wonderful assortment of dishes for each meal. While people with serious allergies are cautioned to avoid it because of the risk of cross-contamination, if you just have an intolerance and you're used to navigating it, you're usually pretty safe. You can ask the chef at any station if the ingredient you're avoiding is included in any of their dishes and they should be able to help you. For breakfast you will see a full spread of meats and breakfast breads like pancakes, waffles and French toast. They'll have egg options and fruits and, of course, pastries galore! They'll have an oatmeal bar with lots of toppings and yogurt and cottage cheese. But my favorite is the made-to-order omelets. The chefs at these stations are personable and fun, sometimes telling bad egg jokes or singing fun morning songs. The omelets always come out perfect and they don't hold back on the fillings, they'll give you everything you want! Lunch is like a mini dinner with various entrees around the cafe. There will always be an Indian food station and a noodle bar (think Pho). Again, I'm fond of the made-to-order salads which switch up each day. I love being able to eat salads and not have to spend an hour chopping up the vegetables! Dinner will have a different theme each night which is advertised from the morning on. They might have Prime Rib or Alaskan Salmon being highlighted, perhaps it will be a Hawaiian luau or Italian night. There are so many options that everyone should be able to find something they like, and it's all pretty tasty!
I've saved the best for last, the Specialty Dining. These restaurants all have a cover charge or are a la carte where you pay for what you order, although you can opt for some specialty dining at a discounted price of $20 per person for the first two people in a room when you book, and once you've achieved Platinum status, you get two specialty dinners per cruise. This is where you're going to find the BEST food onboard. Don't get me wrong, the other restaurants are very good, but these are super extra very good. My two favorites are Cagney's, the line's signature steakhouse, and Los Lobos, their Mexican restaurant. Cagney's has incredible appetizers, but the star of the show is certainly the steak. I almost always order the Ribeye which has perfect marbling and is melt in your mouth tender. The filet mignon isn't bad either though! My favorite thing to eat is the guacamole which is made table-side just the way you like it and served with freshly made tortilla chips. Their elote makes for a wonderful side and I haven't gone wrong with any of the entrees I've tried. The hard part comes with dessert. I really like both of their sorbets, the lime and the passionfruit, and this restaurant is the only one you can order them at. Here's my strategy, I sweet-talk the server into giving me both! Oops, I almost forgot to mention the Food Republic. This is a tapas style Asian-fusion restaurant where you order multiple small plates to share. With the dining package, each person can order 4 things, including dessert. They have full sushi rolls included with this! The caramelized pork belly was to die for and the pho almost had me licking the bowl!
You'd think with the extra charge these restaurants would be empty or easy to get into, but quite the opposite! Reservations for dining open online 120 days before the cruise, 125 days for high level Latitudes Rewards cruisers, and many of the most popular times are filled within the first week. One thing I've found, though, is that if you go to the dining reservation location on the first day of the cruise, shortly after boarding, they seem to keep a set of reservations aside that you can get in on. Again, you do have to do it early!
Okay, I know I said Specialty Dining was last, but I did have to give an honorable mention to the Suite dining. I know that this is not accessible to everyone, so I almost didn't include it, but this truly is the most outstanding food you'll find on Norwegian. If you stay in the Haven, you'll have access to the Haven restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are in a regular suite, they will have a special breakfast and lunch for you served in one of the specialty restaurants, typically Cagney's. I believe this all comes from the same kitchen. The menu is set and does not change during the whole cruise, but there are so many options on it that you'd be hard pressed to try it all. You can get surf n turf for dinner with a delicate lobster tail over a steak cooked to perfection. You can order a variety of upscale breakfast items in addition to a buffet of pastries and specialty options. There is fish and chicken and pork. They have vegan options and salads. My husband likes to order a Caesar salad with lunch and dinner every day. He certainly doesn't get bored with the options!
Here's the Thing: No matter what you eat on your cruise, you're eating on a cruise! That's pretty awesome in itself. I've heard people complain and people rave over the same dishes on the same night. I think most of your enjoyment is going to be what you bring to it. If you nit-pick and seek out things to be unhappy with, you'll always find them. But if you focus on the kind servers and the attention to detail all of the staff bring, you will be blessed! Now I'm hungry - how about you?
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