Up again at 8:00 am could become a short term habit for us. Unfortunately, this hasn't made it possible for us to be served quickly in the main dining room.
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We made it to the dining room at 9:15 am, knowing that we'd have to wait a little. After standing on line to reach the restaurant's reception desk, we took a pager and walked to a nearby sitting area to await the buzzer. About 20 minutes later, we walked back to the restaurant, and we were seated without waiting. However, the restaurant is supposed to close itself off to new diners at 9:30 am, so everyone seated afterward might be affected by the pre-lunch preparations that start at the end of breakfast service.
Well, it took over 15 minutes for us to even be noticed by wait staff, and that was only because I had to flag someone down. This server noted that things were busy today, and that they were having trouble handling the volume of cruisers wanting a served breakfast. (I feel that NCL is skimping on staff at all levels, but that's a topic I'll cover elsewhere.) Our order was eventually taken, and we were waiting until after 10:00 am for our food to come. (We were thinking of skipping out and going to the buffet, as service was that slow.) When it came, my Eggs Benedict were missing. It took another 10 minutes (or more) for them to come. By the time they came, staff had already started to clear the tables and cleared off the coffee creamers before we were finished with our coffee, and then they cleared the butter pats off the table before I had finished buttering my toast. This was not a good omen for future visits.
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Lunch was at the ship's "American Diner" venue, and I made a big mistake before going here - I forgot to bring my sweater. If the place had a good windbreak, I'd have enjoyed dining here. RQS had a freshly grilled burger here, while I had the fish sandwich. Both were done well, and were very tasty. Would I eat here again? Only on a warm and calm sunny day, as this venue is open to gusty winds that can bring in unpleasant weather.
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Around 7:00 pm, we headed to the ship's theater to see a musical revue. The ship's musicians and dancers performed a show centered around British Pop Music which became popular in the US, with songs from groups like the Beatles, the Who, David Bowie, Elton John, and the Spice Girls. There was a little something for everyone in the music, but the dancing left a bit to be desired.
Sadly, we left the theater early, as we had 8:00 dinner reservations at the ship's Mediterranean restaurant. (Think of Greek Seafood.) Both of us loved our meals, but I wish portion size was larger - the octopus appetizer was the best I've ever had, as it was flavorful, tender, but not chewy! (Too bad I couldn't get a dinner sized portion of the dish.)
All too soon, reality hit us and we went back to our cabin after missing half of the comedy show. We were in for the night, and will need to see if we can make reservations for the Noodle Bar tomorrow.
