Top 5 things you need to know about dining on a cruise
Dining on a cruise can be confusing. There is a lot of food and a wide variety of different places to get it from. So as someone who has been on quite a few cruises here are my top 5 things you need to know when dining on a cruise ship.
- Know what is included
Most cruises include A buffet, a main dining room and a pool side grill. However, they often also have cafés, bars, Room service (which is free on DIsney but not on other lines) specialty dining. Specialty dining are restaurants that cost extra. They can vary from steakhouses to Italian restaurants to sushi bars. Know when booking your cruise what is included. Because nothing is more disappointing than getting onboard and finding out that the restaurant you really wanted to go to is 100 extra dollars and fully booked up. Also, sometimes when you book your cruise you can get one complimentary specialty dining meal. Also, if you are interested in specialty dining, you must book it in advance. Another thing to consider is drinks packages for alcohol and depending on the cruise line soda. On DIsney soda is included but not on other lines. So do your research and know what is included and what is not.
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- Know how dining works
Different cruise lines run dining differently. Most cruise lines have breakfast available in the buffet and a restaurant. Lunch is normally a buffet or poolside grill. Dinner is served in the main dining room. How dinner is organized depends on the line. Norwegian has anytime dining which means you can eat dinner at any time within a certain window. Disney has rotational dining which means that they have three main dining rooms and at your assigned time you eat at the restaurant you are assigned. You rotate through all the restaurants over the course of your cruise. Then there is the normal way dining works on a ship. There is one dining room and you have an assigned time to be there and eat. Knowing how the line you are sailing on runs their dining is a very good idea.
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3. Know your options
If there is one thing you will never be on a cruise, it is hungry. Cruises have a ton of options when it comes to dining. From buffets to grills, pizzerias, bars, cafes, ice creameries, restaurants, and room service. There are a lot of options on cruise ships. So, know what those are. For example, when you first get on the cruise most people rush to the buffet. However, most people don’t know that there is normally a restaurant open and serving lunch that day. Basically, you should know what is open for each meal. The best way to do this is to research and to explore the ship when you get onboard. You never know you might find a spot that not many people are aware of. Also do not assume that your only options are going to be chicken fingers, hamburgers, and ice cream. Cruise ships also have salads, sandwiches, and other healthy choices. Know where you can get those things. So that you can fully enjoy your cruise.
- (Make sure they) Know your allergies
Most cruise ships are very accommodating to allergies, vegetarians, vegans, dairy free, gluten free and other dietary restrictions. All you need to do is let the cruise ship know. They should be able to accommodate your diet. Also be sure to let your server know so that you can make sure that you do not have an unpleasant experience. However, you may want to avoid the buffet because it is not uncommon to have the serving utensils from different foods to be used on other food. So essentially if you are cruising with an allergy or other dietary restrictions make sure the cruise knows and double check before you eat anything to make sure it is safe.
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- Know that you can ask.
On most cruise lines you can ask for alterations to be made to dishes. Within reason for example if you want fries instead of mashed potatoes or if you do not want gravy with your steak. You can even order more than one of something. So, if you are torn between two different desserts or appetizers you can order them both. Just be polite and know that they might say no. But it is worth a try. Also, if you cruise with Disney, you can order a mickey mouse ice cream bar even though it is not on the menu. There is nothing wrong with asking. On cruises they want you to be happy. If there is something small, they can do to do that than most of the time they are willing to.
Those are my top 5 tips for dining on a cruise ship. Hopefully, they can be helpful to you if you are confused by cruise dining or are unsure of what to expect. No matter what you are looking for when it comes to cruise ship dining. I am sure you will find something delicious.