In recent years, cruise ships have not only grown in size but also in the incredible variety of restaurants they offer. I remember my first cruise with MSC in 2007; there was basically only one restaurant at night, and that was it. Nowadays? Seriously, you can find far more restaurants on a cruise than in a shopping mall.
However, dining on a cruise ship raises many questions. Is everything complimentary? What do I have to pay for? Are there plenty of options like seafood, Japanese restaurants, and pasta? Does Norwegian have a main dining room? Let's delve into some of the most popular questions and topics.
Dietary Needs
You can either contact NCL directly or inform Famvia of your dietary needs, so we can reach out to them as soon as we book your cruise. According to their official website, Norwegian requires at least 30 days’ notice before sailing to accommodate dietary requests. The earlier we provide this information, the better.
Dress Code
Norwegian Cruise Line emphasizes freestyle cruising, which means there is no strict dress code. During the day, most guests wear casual attire such as shorts and t-shirts. In the evening, many opt for jeans and slightly more formal clothing.
However, there are some exceptions to the freestyle dining policy. NCL specifies, for example, that men are not permitted to wear tank tops, flip-flops, baseball caps, visors, or overly faded jeans with holes or tears below the hips in the Main Dining Rooms or specialty venues.
Even with freestyle dining, Norwegian encourages dressing a step above in the main dining hall and specialty restaurants. They recommend the following: “Dress smart casual in our more upscale specialty restaurants. For women, this includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts, and tops. For men, it means jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toe shoes. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants”.
Our advice? Dress comfortably during the day and opt for jeans and your favorite shirt in the evening.
Room Service with Norwegian Cruise Line
Room service is available fleetwide, 24/7, for a fee of $9.95, though continental breakfast is priced at $4.95. If you're staying in a suite or Haven Suite, these charges are waived. Please note that an additional 20% gratuity fee will be added to your order.
Does Norwegian Cruise Line have a Main Dining Room?
Yep, Norwegian Cruise Line does have a main dining room. In fact, their most recent ships, such as the Norwegian Prima and the Viva, feature two or more main dining rooms. These restaurants are typically larger than others on the ship and offer a menu that changes slightly each day.
With freestyle dining, you don’t need to select a dining time before your trip with NCL. The main dining room is open from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, allowing you to simply show up, find a seat, and enjoy your meal within that timeframe.
Reservations are generally not required. Most guests report that they’ve never needed to make reservations and have always found available seats. The only exception might be if you’re traveling with a large group of 8-10 people; in this case, making a reservation in advance could be a good idea.
Restaurants aboard Norwegian Cruise Line
There are several restaurants aboard NCL ships, with recent vessels featuring around twenty dining options each. This includes a good mix of complimentary and specialty restaurants. Specialty dining options are becoming increasingly common on newer ships, with recent additions such as steakhouses, teppanyaki-style restaurants, and more.
The general consensus is that complimentary restaurants are often average - nothing extraordinary, but still decent. Specialty restaurants, on the other hand, are improving each year and usually receive positive reviews online.
Buffet aboard Norwegian Cruise Line
Sometimes, all we want is to have a quick bite. You know the drill by now. Grab a hamburger with fries and then go straight back to the pool. Ah, that’s the cruise life! Fortunately, Norwegian Cruise Line offers classic buffet restaurants included in your cruise fare, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, if you wish, you could spend your entire trip enjoying burgers, hot dogs, and fries.
Indulge Food Hall
Available on: Norwegian Viva and Prima (and the upcoming Aqua).
Indulge Food Hall is a new buffet experience introduced on the Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima. The concept is to offer a global culinary journey within a vibrant plaza. You’ll find a wide range of options, from tapas and tacos to steak and burgers, and much more. The main benefit of Indulge Food Hall is the diverse variety of food available, allowing you to try something new each day.
Surfside Cafe & Grill
Available on: Norwegian Viva and Prima (and the upcoming Aqua)
Wait, two buffet restaurants on NCL’s newest ships? Absolutely. The Surfside Cafe & Grill provides a more traditional buffet experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While it may not offer the exclusive options found at Indulge Food Hall, it features a larger space and a broader selection. You’ll find typical stations offering pasta, grilled items, salads, and more.
Garden Cafe
Available on: Fleetwide (except on the Norwegian Viva and Prima)
The Garden Cafe is the traditional buffet option on the older Norwegian ships. It’s quite similar to the Surfside Cafe & Grill and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While it may not offer the finest dining, it’s available all day with a broad range of choices. It’s also the quickest place to grab a burger before heading back to the pool to work on your tan.
The Best Restaurants aboard Norwegian Cruise Line
Food Republic
Type: paid, international cuisine, lunch and dinner during sea days
Available on: Norwegian Prima, Viva, Bliss, Encore, Escape and Joy.
Food Republic is an aptly named venue, offering a global culinary journey with a diverse menu featuring dishes from around the world. The concept is simple: you can enjoy a variety of small plates from different cuisines that are perfect for sharing with friends. So, you might find yourself savoring sushi alongside pork ribs and Korean crispy chicken all in one meal. Each dish typically costs between $8 and $20.
Le Bistro
Type: paid, French cuisine, dinner
Available on: Fleetwide
If you’re looking for a romantic dinner in an elegant and delicious (though pricey) setting, Le Bistro is the place to go. The menu highlights seafood and premium meats such as duck and lamb. The lamb and tenderloin, in particular, receive excellent reviews. As this restaurant is a popular choice for couples, making reservations in advance is highly recommended. The menu is à la carte, with dishes like onion soup priced at $10 and tenderloin at $50.
Cagney's Steakhouse
Type: paid, steakhouse, dinner
Available on: Fleetwide
Cagney’s is a classic steakhouse found on every NCL ship, typically offering a fun atmosphere reminiscent of the 1950s. The focus here is on meat, with an à la carte menu featuring cuts like filet mignon for $45 and prime rib for $40. Sides are priced separately. Often regarded as the best steakhouse on Norwegian Cruise Line, Cagney’s is frequently praised above the Brazilian Steakhouse Moderno.
More Restaurants aboard Norwegian Cruise Line
Starbucks
Type: paid, breakfast, snacks
Available on: Fleetwide
Let me introduce you to a unique restaurant you might not have heard of before: “Starbucks.” They offer a great selection of coffee that many find irresistible. It’s cool that NCL has partnered with Starbucks to feature kiosks or full Starbucks locations on their ships, catering to those who can't live without their daily fix.
Hasuki
Type: paid, Japanese teppanyaki, dinner
Available on: Norwegian Prima, Viva and Aqua.
Hasuki is a Teppanyaki restaurant featured on the newest Norwegian ships. Not familiar with Teppanyaki? No worries. It’s a popular dining option on modern cruise ships where you’re seated at a circular table with other guests, and a chef cooks your meal right in front of you. At Hasuki, each meal includes edamame, soup, salad, a choice of entrée, and dessert. Menu items feature New York Strip, jumbo shrimp, and more. It costs $59 per guest.
Los Lobos
Type: paid, Mexican, dinner
Available on: Norwegian Prima, Viva, Sun, Bliss, Dawn, and the upcoming Aqua.
Who doesn’t love a great Mexican restaurant? Los Lobos offers more than just tacos and burritos, with a menu that features delicious options like carne asada, which receives rave reviews from guests worldwide. The menu is à la carte, with entrées ranging from $8 to $18. If you love Mexican food, make sure to book a spot here in advance.
The Haven Restaurant
Type: international cuisine, included for The Haven guests, breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Available on: Norwegian Prima, Viva, Bliss, Breakaway, Encore, Epic, Escape, Getaway, Joy, and the upcoming Aqua.
The Haven Restaurant is a top-tier perk for guests staying in a Haven Suite with Norwegian Cruise Line. This exclusive dining option is available all day and night and offers a varied menu that remains the same throughout your trip. While the food is praised and comparable to some of the best specialty restaurants, you might want to complement it with other dining options and specialty restaurants available on the ship.
There are way more options than what we listed here. Here are a few more restaurant options you can find aboard Norwegian Cruise Line:
- American Diner (a complimentary restaurant offering american cuisine, available on older cruise ships)
- Asian restaurant (a complimentary asian restaurant)
- Atrium Cafe (coffee and snacks available on older ships)
- The Local Bar & Grill (comfort food plus sports in an awesome bar)
- Cadillac Diner (BBQ restaurant available only on Pride of America, the NCL ship that cruises to Hawaii only)
- Coco’s (snacks and ice cream)
- Dolce Gelato (similar to Coco’s, offers ice cream and snacks all day)
- La Cucina (a classic Italian restaurant available on older ships)
- Onda by Scarpetta (similar to La Cucina, only a tier above. Italian cuisine available on the Norwegian Prima, Viva, Encore, Spirit and the upcoming Aqua)
- Moderno Churrascaria (a Brazilian steakhouse)
- Nama Sushi & Sashimi (sushi available on the Norwegian Viva and Prima)
- Ocean Blue (seafood available on older NCL ships)
- Palomar (mediterranean food available on the Norwegian Viva, Prima and the upcoming Aqua)
- Pincho Tapas Bar (tapas available only on the Norwegian Escape)
- Q Texas Smokehouse (BBQ aboard the Norwegian Encore, Bliss and Joy)
- Teppanyaki (a japanese restaurant that offers a teppanyaki dining experience)
Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Packages
We are happy to say that Norwegian Cruise Line offers traditional beverage packages for those that either love drinking soda all day or just enjoy a good beer… or wine… or a cocktail… or vodka… it’s all up to you.
So, what’s included in your cruise fare? Unlike other cruise lines such as Virgin Voyages, soda is not included. However, lemonade, iced tea, some juices, milk, tap water, and standard coffee and tea are available at no additional charge.
Let’s check all the drink packages. Those can be bought before your trip or once you are onboard.
Unlimited Open Bar Package
Price: $109.99 per guest, per day
The Unlimited Open Bar Package is one of the most popular options and is often included as a More at Sea perk that you can select when booking. This package must be purchased for all guests over 21 years old on the same reservation. Guests under 21 years old should purchase the soda package.
With this package, you get:
- Selected premium cocktails and spirits up to $15
- A variety of beers and wines by the glass up to $15
- 20% off all bottles of champagne and wine
- Unlimited soft drinks and juices
Premium Plus Beverage Package
Price: $138 per guest, per day
A step up from the Unlimited Open Bar Package. This package must be purchased for all guests over 21 years old on the same reservation. Guests under 21 years old should purchase the soda package.
This option includes:
- All premium spirits and cocktails
- All beers, red wines, and the exclusive rosé champagne by the glass
- Selected premium bottles with dinner, including the exclusive rosé champagne, and a 40% discount on all other bottles
- Unlimited soft drinks and juices
- Unlimited still and sparkling water
- All coffee and specialty Starbucks beverages
- Energy drinks
Unlimited Soda Package
Price: $12.50 per guest, per day
A popular choice for young guests who love soda, this package includes unlimited Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, ginger ale, tonic water, Fanta, and sparkling water. Soda packages are available for adults and children aged 3 and up.
Unlimited Starbucks Package
Price: $16.50 per guest, per day
Love Starbucks? I sure do. This package includes (almost) everything related to Starbucks, from classic coffees and teas to the delicious Frappuccino and other special beverages you love. Canned and bottled drinks, food and Starbucks merchandise are not included.
Hawaii Drink Package
Price: $109.99 per guest, per day
Available only on the Pride of America, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship that travels exclusively to Hawaii. Enjoy a wide selection of beverages up to $15 throughout your cruise. This includes beer, soda, cocktails and Starbucks coffee as well.
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