Onda by Scarpetta is the newest Italian specialty restaurant on NCL. It was created in partnership with LDV Hospitality and was inspired by their acclaimed Scarpetta restaurants located in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, London, Miami, New York City, Newport, and Philadelphia. It’s a step up from NCL’s other Italian specialty restaurant, La Cucina, which is also very good.
Read on for the Onda menu, photos of cocktails, appetizers, pizzas, pastas, desserts, and sides, our review, and answers to frequently asked questions about Onda on NCL.
These menus reflect updated pricing.
This delicious bread basket and accompanying toppings is served as a complimentary first course.
As a family with a carnivore, a vegetarian, and a 9-year-old, it can be challenging for us to agree on anything (except for our love of cruising), but especially a specialty dining venue on NCL. If the carnivore had his way, we’d eat at Cagney’s every night; and if the 9-year-old had his way, we’d eat at Teppanyaki every night; and if the vegetarian (me) had her way, we’d skip specialty dining altogether (because I’ve found the vegetarian options usually aren’t worth paying extra for). However, we all loved Onda so much on our last cruise, we ended up eating there twice!
The carnivore recommends the Fritto Misto (fried seafood appetizer plate), the Macellaio Pizza, and the Tagliatelle Pasta.
The vegetarian recommends the Creamy Polenta appetizer, the Contadina Pizza, the Mezzelune Pasta, and the Rosemary Lentils as a side (although all the vegetable sides were delicious).
And the 9-year-old recommends the Bread Basket, Mac ‘n Cheese, Jello and sampling (read as hogging more than half of) your parents’ desserts (which were all excellent!).
The only things we didn’t like at Onda were the cocktails. With the exception of the oversized round ice cube served in mine (which was a cool touch), we hated them! Our recommendation would be to order wine or an off-menu cocktail when dining there.
Which NCL ships have Onda? Onda is available on the Encore, Spirit, Prima, and Viva.
Do kids have to pay to eat at Onda? If they order from the Onda menu, they will have to pay. However, kids can order from the regular NCL kid’s menu for free or can share items with their parents (my son ordered from the kid’s menu one night and just shared with us one night, so we never paid anything extra for him).
Is Onda included as a Platinum meal? On some ships, Onda will replace La Cucina as a Platinum option (it did for us on the Spirit) – double check on your particular sailing by stopping by the CruiseNext desk on embarkation day.
Is Onda included in the dining package perk? Yes, Onda is one of the options available under the dining package perk.
What am I permitted to order at Onda with the Platinum meal or dining package perk? You are permitted to order one appetizer course, one entree course, unlimited sides, and one dessert per person.
Can I order a pizza as an appetizer course? Yes! We did this several times (this is an especially great option if you have kiddos with you and want to share).
And with that…
Class Dismissed!
Homework (10 points): Check out my recent Norwegian Spirit Review and Ship Tour (Post Refurbishment) and share to the comments which speciality restaurant on NCL is your favorite.
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