Every day I get questions from first time cruisers or just folks who have general questions about cruising. Now, while I have never claimed to be an expert, if I don’t have the answer, I will get it.
I checked my email after getting back into town today and someone asked me a question about dining on a cruise ship and it’s a common questions that I get asked a lot.
How much do I have to pay for my meals on a ship?
A big misconception of cruising is that people think they have to pay for every little thing. The good news is , you don’t! Especially when it comes to on board dining.
When you book your cruise, you are booking a all inclusive package that includes three meals a day, more if you want. The dining on a cruise ship consists of a buffets, regimented forms of dining, and little restaurants scattered through the ship (pizza, sushi, tacos).
While most of the restaurants are free, there are some that come with charges (alternative dining). These restaurants are commonly a step up in atmosphere, food quality and service. Most of the steakhouses for example come with a surcharge that is not included in your cruise price. Typically the surcharges range from $25 and up.
So you won’t go broke eating on a cruise ship because the food is included. Just don’t eat too much! 🙂
2 Responses
Doug…Great comments. I would like to add that many years ago, cruises were pretty much “all inclusive” meaning that the only thing you had to pay for was casino chips, alcohol and shore excursions. Over the years, the cruise lines have figured out how to make more money since they are heavily discounting the cabins. Watch out for “the extra’s” for example $2.50 for “fresh squeezed” orange juice at breakfast, having to “sign out” a towel so that if you don’t bring it back, you get hit for $20.00 on your bill, and watch out for gratuities automatically added to your bill. For more great tips, stay tuned to Cruise Radio!
Scott Lara
Is’nt it odd that customers complain that the meals in the dining room arent as good these days maybe cruise lines are doing this on purpose so that pay for the specility restaurants. I saw the menu’s for P&O cruises new ship Azura on https://www.cruise.co.uk and I’ve got to be honest the main meal didnt look that appealing
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