Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
- Introduction: A 14 Day Atlantic Crossing on the Norwegian Escape
- Delta Air Lines Premium Select Experience (Premium Economy) – What has Changed?
- High Risk – I Flew to my 14 Day Cruise Departure City on Embarkation Day!
- Using Caesars Discount Plus Amex Offers and More to Lower the Cost of Cruising Norwegian
- Starlink Internet Performance on Norwegian Cruise Lines Escape Review
- Bidding for Haven and Suite Upgrades With Norwegian Cruise Lines is no Longer Cheap
- What is the Weather Like on Transatlantic Cruises. Will you get Seasick?
- Comparing the Norwegian NCL Vibe Beach Club to Spice H20 Experience
- The Impact of Time Change on Transatlantic Cruise Crossings – The good and the bad
- Family Balcony Cabin 15862 On Norwegian NCL Escape Review
- What to Expect from the free Main Dining on Norwegian Escape
- Comparing the old Norwegian NCL Cruise App to the New App – What has Changed
- Entertainment on the Norwegian NCL Escape – Choir of Man is a Must See
- Final Thoughts on another NCL Atlantic Crossing
When you think of cruising what is one of the main things about that type of vacation that instantly pops into your head? It’s the food right? After all a cruise really is an all-inclusive vacation so once onboard you should be able to enjoy just about everything for no additional charge (other than extras). So just how good is the food on NCL? Let’s dive in to breakfast lunch and dinner.
Breakfast is served each day in the main dining room where you can expect white table cloths and personalized service from at least 1 if not 2 servers. One thing I love about NCL is you can just about always expect excellent fresh fruit as a starter course if you want (and I often do).
The breakfast menus has all the staples you would expect with a few specialty items and items that are specialty’s for that day like biscuits and gravy as one such example.
Omelets are always on the menu and you can pick whatever ingredients, and as many of them, as you would like. A BIG tip is that you should ask for them to make your omelet with FRESH eggs. Otherwise you will get a mix that is not as good.
I absolutely love poached eggs but do not have the patience to cook them at home so when onboard I have them frequently. I love that NCL places them on a piece of toast so that when they arrive the are hot and dry from boiling. Now on to lunch.
On sea days you can enjoy the main dining room but the choices are somewhat limited compared to the dinner menu. During port days main dining is closed and if you want a sit down choice you have the sports bar (O’Sheehans on this ship but the name varies ship by ship) that also offers a limited menu that is the same for lunch and dinner. Pictured above is a reuben and yes, I asked for white bread.
I don’t know about you but I love me some chicken wings! You can get them with all kinds of sauces and as many as you can eat. Want all drums? No problem just ask. Want 10 (when menu says 8 is standard)? No problem. Here is one tip – they come in a metal basket that is a pain. Ask for your wings on a plate!
One of the best things you can get every day in the sports bar is a cobb salad. It is the perfect size and fresh and delicious and highly recommended. Now on to dinner in main dining.
As a starter you can select from a number of soups each day as well a soup of the day. Stock salads are also a solid fresh choice.
There are also rotating specialty appetizers each day like the potstickers above and if it is offered please get it and maybe even a second order – they are simply amazing!
For our sailing there was a shrimp cake (think crab cake with shrimp instead) and it was outstanding and I had it more than once. on to some main dining dinner options next:
Speaking of shrimp here are a few examples of what you can enjoy. Oh and if you really love shrimp fee free to have them add a few extra when you order as they are happy to oblige you. Num! My wife loved the pork loin with brussels spouts. So tender and flavorful.
Two last meal examples. Every day you can order a strip steak and on this sailing they were simply outstanding and large (compared to the shoe leather on MSC -yuck). I also enjoyed the pork belly but they did overdo the top a bit but a minor complaint. Overall just so good. On to a few dessert options:
I have to admit that most days I do not have room for a dessert but sometimes my wife and I split one. The pound cake was perfect and the chocolate whatever it was equally good. A number of days we simply had some chocolate ice-cream with an after dinner drink.
Before I wrap up I should mention that each night there are specialty dinner options in addition to about 5 stock choices. I can not say I have ever had a bad meal in NCL main dining and while specialty dining restaurants are nice they really are not that much better when meals are this good.
Bottom line is you are in for a treat when dining with NCL. Sure you can always visit the buffet but why when you can have this kind of service with outstanding flavors. You do not have to dress up and can wear shorts to dinner every night if you wish (just no bathing suits for dinner). – René
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
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This was such a fun and detailed read — brings back memories of my own time on the Escape! The main dining room meals really surprised me with their quality, especially the seafood and the variety of soups. That said, after a few days, I definitely started craving some familiar flavors from home — a little spice, a little crunch, or even a warm digestive tea after a heavy dinner.
For anyone who enjoys Indian flavors, I’d suggest packing a few lightweight favorites for the trip — things like digestive churan, herbal teas, or even ready-to-eat snacks from thedesifood.com. It’s not about replacing the cruise food (which is great!) — just nice to have a taste of home in your cabin for late-night cravings or sea days when you want something comforting but simple.
Loved this write – up! Their dining is very good. One thing you could have left out is your opinion about MSC. It looks petty next to most all of what you post, which I usually enjoy reading