Dining Aboard the NCL Getaway: A Culinary Adventure

 

(Dessert Disappointment: The Crème Brûlée Letdown
One dessert we were excited to try  at the sit downs was the crème brûlée (imaged), but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to our expectations. While it looked beautifully presented, it was too cold when eating, which took away from the rich, creamy texture we were hoping for. Not exactly the decadent finish we wanted to our meal!)

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Dining Aboard the NCL Getaway: A Culinary Adventure

One of our favorite things about cruising is the food, and we were excited to explore and compare the different dining experiences aboard the NCL Getaway. With so many options, from complimentary sit-down restaurants to the ever-popular buffet, we made it a mission to try as much as we could.

Complimentary Dining: Savor, Taste, and The Manhattan Room

Included with boarding are three main complimentary sit-down restaurants: Savor, Taste, and The Manhattan Room. These restaurants serve the same menu each night, with classic entrees available daily alongside a rotating selection of featured dishes. While Savor and Taste are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (on sea days), The Manhattan Room is open only for dinner.

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Double (or Triple) Dessert?
One funny thing we noticed at the sit-down restaurants was that, on multiple occasions, they brought us more than one dessert—even when we didn’t ask for it! Sometimes it was a second serving of what we ordered, and other times, they just surprised us with an extra treat. Maybe they thought we looked like we needed more sugar? 😂 While we weren’t complaining, it did make us wonder if this was just their way of keeping guests extra happy—or if they just had too many desserts to go around!

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We dined at The Manhattan Room just once during our cruise, as we were busy indulging in specialty restaurants on other nights. One unique aspect of The Manhattan Room is that it occasionally features live music and entertainment, making it a more lively dining experience. However, we did notice some confusion among guests regarding reservations—especially for parties larger than four—so if you’re traveling with a group, it's best to reserve ahead of time.

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A Few Sit-Down Standouts
While we generally found ourselves gravitating toward the Garden Café for its variety (especially the delicious Indian food), we did notice that some dishes at the sit-down restaurants were better quality. In particular, the pasta and shrimp dishes at Savor, Taste, and The Manhattan Room were noticeably better than what was offered at the buffet. The pasta was cooked to the perfect texture, and the shrimp tasted fresher and more flavorful. If you're craving either of those, the sit-down spots might be the better choice!

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Buffet vs. Sit-Down Restaurants: Food Quality & Experience

A common theme we noticed on the NCL Getaway was that many of the buffet items at The Garden Café overlapped with what was served at the sit-down restaurants. The biggest difference? Service and presentation. While the sit-down meals were plated beautifully and served to us, the quality of the food wasn’t drastically different.

That said, there were some small variations. For example, Savor and Taste served eggs benedict for breakfast, while the Garden Café did not. However, the French toast was the same across all three!

On most nights, we opted for a sit-down restaurant when we wanted a quieter dining experience, as The Garden Café was often packed. But when we were okay with the crowds—or timed it to go before or after peak hours—we found ourselves returning to the buffet for a surprising reason...

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A World of Flavors at the Garden Café
One of the biggest surprises for us was the variety of food options at the Garden Café. While they always had the standard salad bar, burgers, and fries, there was also a rotating selection of international cuisine. The Indian food station was a standout! Every day, there were different Indian dishes, and we made sure to grab a little of everything to try. From fragrant curries to flavorful dals and perfectly spiced vegetables, the quality was impressive. It was no surprise that the head chef was Indian—the food was absolutely delicious! Top Class!

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The Unexpected Star: Indian Food at The Garden Café

One of the biggest surprises of our cruise was discovering the amazing Indian food at The Garden Café! While the buffet had the usual staples—salad bar, burgers, fries—we loved that it also had a rotating selection of international cuisine, particularly Indian dishes. Every day, we found something different to try, and it was delicious.

It turns out that the head chef on board was Indian, and it showed! Despite there not being many Indian passengers on the cruise, we appreciated the variety and authenticity of the dishes. Because of this, we often found ourselves gravitating toward the buffet, just to try the latest Indian dish of the day.

Honestly, we could have spent the entire cruise just eating our way through the ship, and we wouldn’t have minded one bit! 🍽️😋

What’s your go-to dining experience on a cruise—buffet or sit-down? Let us know in the comments!

- The Trekking Pawns 🚢

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