Last night I was eating sushi with friends and someone asked me about dining on a cruise ship. I was telling her that this topic could go on for days but I will give her the cliff notes version.
What is cruise ship dining like?
If you appreciate good food then you will love cruise ship dining. Even if you don’t love food, you will still love it, there is something for everyone!
Lets start with the options:
Fine Dining: This dinner is typically a four or five course meal in a fine dining room setting. Depending on the occasion and how full the ship is, you could be sat with strangers or as a couple. The dress for this dining option is generally dress casual (depending on the cruise line) and the times are set. The fare offered usually consists of steak, seafood, and pasta. Tea and water are complimentary.
Speciality Dining: This dining option typically requires reservations and is available for a nominal fee (starting at $15). This setting is intimate and perfect for a couple wanting some rest and relaxation. Fine steak houses, seafood, and japanese restaurants typically fall within the speciality dining category. You don’t have to do it every night but its a great break from the ordinary.
Buffet: If fine dining is not your cup of tea then this is perfect for you! You will find a variety of meats, vegetables, rices, breads, and desserts. The meal time for the buffet is not set to a certain time frame and generally spans over a three hour period. You don’t have to eat in the dining room either, you can take your meal by the pool or on one of the decks. You will usually find the pizza and pasta bar in this area. Tea, lemonade, and water are complimentary.
Room Service: Last but certainly not least we have the room service. I have personally used this service quite a bit when I have had late nights in the casino. The menu consists of items like burgers, chicken wings, salads, veggies, etc. The room service is available 24 hours a day but some cruise lines charge a fee for service after midnight.
So you see you do have lots of options when it comes to dining. You should know that soft drinks and alcohol drinks do have a charge across the whole ship….but, if you have a soda card, you are set to go and don’t have to worry about the charge for soda products.
If you have any comments, I would love to hear them.
3 Responses
This is some fantastic info. I have heard about some of the options before and was a little mislead on them. Thanks for clearing those up.
Once again…great comments. I had probably been on 3 cruises before my wife told me…”Hey..let’s go to the main dining room for breakfast!” I was so used to going to the buffet that it just didn’t occur to me. On one hand, it’s good to do that because you do meet other people, but then if they yap yap yap, you have to listen to grandma tell you about her 18 great great grand kids…then she whips out the pictures. Ok, that’s on Holland America. Of course on Carnival you will hear some girl say, I met a boy last night at the casino (I think his name was Doug or Matt…I forget…but I think he is in RADIO)…he was hot! Anyway, for the most part, the food on the ship is great. The soda card is a MUST if you drink soda like my wife does…like a fish. Oh…again about the bar bill…I can’t tell you how many people I know who on that last night get that bill under the door…and they are shocked…I drank THAT MUCH!
Great suggestion, Scott. Thanks for the comment!
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