PHOTO: Cagney's Steakhouse on Norwegian Epic is among the specialty restaurants that will eliminate cover charges. (Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line)
As part of an overall effort to improve the shipboard food and increase dining flexibility, Norwegian Cruise Line is eliminating the cover charge and adding à la carte options to its signature specialty restaurants.
Starting on the new Norwegian Escape in October, cover charges will be eliminated in Cagney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro, La Cucina, and the new Bayamo by Jose Garces. Instead, guests will select à la carte items and the cost will be added to their onboard accounts.
The new à la carte dining will be available fleetwide beginning Jan. 1. Ocean Blue, the Geoffrey Zakarian seafood restaurant on Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, will begin offering à la carte options on Oct. 3 instead of a $39 cover charge.
Moderno Churrascaria and Teppanyaki will still have cover charges of $19.95 and $29.95, respectively. Norwegian's "entertainment dining," which includes a meal and a show, will continue to levy cover charges.
Guests who buy a Specialty Dining Package will dine at no charge on an à la carte basis at La Cucina, Le Bistro and Cagney's, but will pay a $15 fee at Bayamo and Ocean Blue instead of the $39 cover charge.
Until the change, cover charges are $29.95 at Cagney's, $29.95 at Le Bistro, and $14.95 at La Cucina.
At Cagney's Steakhouse, starters on the new à la carte menu range from $4.99 to $7.95 and main courses, including Certified Angus Beef brand steaks, are $17.99 to $29.99. At Le Bistro, main courses start at $15.99 and include traditional French favorites such as bouillabaisse, pan-seared jumbo bay scallops and veal medallions with morel sauce. La Cucina courses will start at $12.99 and include osso buco alla Milanese, free-range chicken with prosciutto, and pan-seared sea bass filet.
Norwegian has been making a raft of changes to shipboard dining lately. The line eliminated the cover charges for its Asian restaurants, added a $7.95 room service delivery fee, and revamped the Specialty Dining Package so it's more flexible, allowing guests to decide how many nights they want to eat outside of the main dining room. Starting in August, the new Specialty Dining Package is priced from $59 when purchased online in advance for three nights in specialty restaurants. Guests on a seven-day cruise can choose packages ranging from three to seven nights at a savings from the regular cover charges.
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