|
||||||||
Dining Care to eat dinner twice? That’s what you’ll need to do if you’re on the typical 7-night cruise and want to try out all ten Norwegian Pearl restaurants. OK, so you may be up to the challenge, but just know that with NCL’s “Freestyle Dining” program it’s all about choice. Most restaurants suggest reservations; some rarely have a wait exceeding a few minutes. Some cost extra; some are included in the cost of your cruise. Most are “themed” by cuisine and matching décor, but the two main dining rooms serve a constantly rotating fare that on any given night will suit everyone at your table. Restaurant “status signs” positioned throughout the ship give you the 411 on capacity and anticipated wait times. How good is the food? That’s a highly subjective subject but most guests rave about the extra-cost specialty restaurants (Le Bistro and Cagney’s Steakhouse, for instance) and are a bit more reserved in their judgment of other restaurants. Food is generally good, well-presented and service levels are excellent. Our recommendation is to reserve a dinner or two at one of the specialty restaurants and follow your taste buds the other nights. The two main restaurants aboard the ship offer two distinct dining atmospheres. The Summer Palace Main Dining Room is all about Czar’s and St. Petersburg and museums. The Indigo Main Dining Room is into indigo, of course. In both, the cuisine is “continental,” with themed nights to mix it up a bit. These are the two largest restaurants aboard and the easiest to enjoy. Size has its advantages as you can typically just walk in when you’re hungry. Both are complimentary. Another “waltz-in-when-you’re-hungry” option is the convenience of the buffet-bistro styled The Great Outdoors and the Garden Café. In both, the dress is always casual and there are nightly specials in addition to the standard fare. Adjacent to the Garden Café is the Kid’s Café – devoted to the little ones. The portions and even the chairs and tables are scaled for kids. These restaurants are complimentary as is the Blue Lagoon – a 24/7 snacks place off the atrium. The cuisine at La Cucina Italian Restaurant is self-evident – a trattoria with a country farmhouse appeal. As with all of the ship’s extra-cost “specialty restaurants,” the restaurant is relatively small; reservations are almost always suggested. The same goes for Mambos Latin/Tapas Restaurant – the Pearl’s venue with a Latin leaning. The restaurant overlooks the sea and the always-busy atrium. An extra cost applies here, as well. The Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant is actually three restaurants in one. Most tables are located within the main Lotus Garden area, overlooking the Promenade. But there’s a separate Teppanyaki Room for those who enjoy a meaningful relationship with their food and chef. Near the entrance, just past the Sake Bar is the Sushi Bar. An extra cost applies here as well as a strong recommendation for reservations, particular if you prefer the Teppanyaki Room. Finally, there are NCL’s two signature restaurants: Le Bistro French Restaurant, and Cagney’s Steakhouse. Each offers its respective cuisine; Cagney’s offers filet mignon, New York Strip, prime rib, lamb chops as well as delicious lobster and fish. Le Bistro features delicious beef, seafood and poultry, including a mouth-watering Duck ą l’Orange. And the desserts at both are irresistible. An extra charge applies at each and reservations are a must. And this being an NCL ship, there’s even more! The Grill, located just a few wet steps from the Tahitian Pools, will grill your burger, hot dog and chicken breast to order. Indoors and down a few decks overlooking the atrium is the Java Café where specialty coffees and pastries can be had. A limited 24-hour Room Service menu is also on hand for those who want to sleep in, watch a movie on closed-circuit TV or share their meal with the views from their balcony! Oh, and save room for the Midnight Chocolate Extravaganzas – another of NCL’s signature offerings! |
 |