Dining

Most cruise passengers are enthusiastic about their dining experiences aboard the Wind. They appreciate the food (its good, not great), the service (generally wonderful), and most of all, the options available. With "Freestyle Cruising" you get to choose where, when, and with whom you want to eat every night. This makes dining on the Wind enjoyable as it allows you to experience a variety of dining rooms and cuisine every night, either choosing to sit with old friends or meet new. Dining rooms are assigned according to cabin location but you can request a specific restaurant and table size.Although there are traditional formal nights in the three main dining rooms (Four Seasons, Sun Terrace, and Terraces), dining aboard the Wind tends to be relaxed and casual. You can nearly always find food somewhere and the selection of cuisine is varied enough so as to please even the pickiest eaters - even your kids!

Parents will appreciate NCL's children's menu, which includes food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, spaghetti and meatballs, and ice cream sundaes. Or try the Outdoor Café/Pizzeria, where you'll find a buffet serving hamburgers, hotdogs, and pizza throughout the afternoon hours.

While dishes were well prepared and presented, they were often disappointing and not as tasty as they looked. Desserts however were absolutely sinful. Don't miss the nachos and fresh popcorn in the Sports Bar or the Chocoholic buffet so good it's now expanded to two of the restaurants! The pizza is not great, but better than I expected. And unless you enjoy really, really well-done hamburgers, you can pretty much avoid them, not only here but on most ships. It's a health thing.

The food is fine, service is good, but the views are the best: the lobster tail and the strip steak come with a side of sea and sky in the three main restaurants all of which boast panoramic vistas. Tables for two, four, six and eight are featured. Dining rooms are assigned by cabin location (but guests can request a restaurant and table size if available). The Sun Terraces (234 diners) is arguably the nicest restaurant (most intimate) followed by The Terraces (308 seats). Both have terraced seating and floor-to-ceiling windows opening up to the ship's tiered aft decks. The Four Seasons (452 seats) has great tables next to glass walls on each side. Port side tables are best; some may find the starboard side tables (where a walkway crosses the restaurant) distracting: during early seating dinner on a formal night there may be a parade of casually-clad second seating passengers going to their cabins to change. Dining rooms offer open seating breakfast; lunch is open seating in port so guests can try all three main restaurants. As part of an alliance with Cooking Light, menus feature more than 160 of the magazine's delicious recipes. Le Bistro, a reservations-only, 78-seat alternative restaurant, serves Italian fare at no extra charge (recommended tip is $5 per person). There is no official Lido restaurant: the Four Seasons offers buffet breakfast at sea; and the Sports Bar features buffet breakfast, lunch, teatime snacks and fresh popcorn, but it is a very modest space for this number of passengers with only 85 seats inside (20 of which are for smokers) it was almost as hard to find an open table during bad weather as winning at bingo with only five numbers called. There is a poolside snack bar/pizzeria, ice cream bar and a small coffee lounge. The lavish Chocoholic buffet -a sumptuous spread of everyone's favorite treat-is the most popular of the midnight snacks. Room service is available 24 hours -a mid-afternoon order took only 13 minutes to arrive.

Restaurants

A major part of Freestyle Cruising is the change in dining arrangements. In addition to new dining choices, open, restaurant-style seating in the main dining rooms gives passengers the option to choose their dinner companions each evening and request tables of any size, seating from two to ten people.

There are six places to dine onboard. The two main dining rooms are found on Deck 9. The Terrace, situated aft, has plenty of glass and views of a swimming pool and beyond to the sea. The Four Seasons Restaurant, midship with glass walls on both sides offers a view from every table. There are quite a few tables for two in each restaurant. Alternative dining venues include The Sun Terraces, drenched in sunlight from the vast wall of glass that makes this spot virtually a solarium. Open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. it is an Italian Trattoria offering traditional Italian fare. Le Bistro, alternative restaurant, is open from 5:30 p.m. to closing. There is expanded seating in the Sports Bar and Grill, open from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. serving buffet style breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the day. In addition you'll find an on-deck Caribbean Night barbecue with Jerk-chicken, pork, ribs, and fish. Freshly baked pizza is always available at the Cafe and Pizzeria and the 24-hour room service features an extensive menu with a section just for kids.

Four Seasons Dining Room

Lobster tail, salad, wine, and a side of sea please!
The best part of this dining room really is the view. Light streams in through walls full of floor-to-ceiling windows and if your table is by the window you'll have a wonderful outlook over the ocean. The room is spacious and open with sage green and pastel decor giving it a light, airy feel. One of the three main dining rooms, it's located in the center of the ship on the International Deck and seats 452.

The Terraces Dining Room

Just because there's a monkey on the wall doesn't mean you're in the jungle.
Although this terraced (hence the name!) dining room is not located outside, so much light floods the room during the day that you kind of feel like you're outside. And don't be fooled by the giant jungle mural painted on the central wall and the tropical plants throughout the room! Situated on the International Deck aft, this multi-level room accommodates 308 with tables seating between 2 and 10.

Sun Terrace Dining Room

For those who prefer a more intimate dining experience.
In an effort to further diversify the dining experience aboard the Wind, this room was converted to an Italian Trattoria in the recent 2001 renovation. The cuisine of choice is, you guessed it - Italian! The room now features sage green décor, multi-level tables, hard wood floors, huge windows overlooking the ocean, and an intimate setting. Located on the Sun Deck, it is the smallest of the three rooms with seats for 243.

Le Bistro

For those who crave a calzone at 10:00 pm…
With open seating and flexible hours, this eatery is "Freestyle Cruising" at its best. It's a nice break from the traditional dining experience of the main three dining rooms with tasty Italian fare to boot. This intimate and elegant room is located on the International deck with regal purple and gold décor. Just be sure to make your reservation early because with seats for only 78, the place is popular and fills up quickly. A surcharge applies.

Outdoor Café/Pizzeria

Need something to tide you over between lunch and your last pińa colada?
Now you can snack all you like from 12 pm to 6 pm every day. The only trouble is choosing! Options, options, options - you get to choose what you like best from a large salad bar, pizza, cold cuts, and desserts. Situated next to Topsiders Bar and the pool on the Sun Deck, this pizzeria is an ideal location for those looking to cure the afternoon munchies.

Ice Cream Bar

You scream, I scream - that's right, we're all screaming for ice cream! Where do you go when you're looking for this tasty afternoon treat? Next to Champs on the Sports Deck - even if you're one of those people who can never find their own cabin, you're not likely to forget this spot.

Chocoholic Midnight Buffet

At the stroke of twelve the chocolate frenzy begins. Even if you normally go to bed promptly at 8:30, you'll find you might not be able to resist staying up at least once during this vacation. How many times in a lifetime do you get to see a delightful spread of goodies including chocolate cakes, pies, cookies, and even sculptures? You won't want to miss it.

Room Service

Sometimes there's nothing better than doing nothing at all. With 24-hour room service you can eat anytime you like in the privacy of your cabin.