Eating on a Cruise

What's one of the things people most remember on a cruise? The food! There's plenty of it, and it's all included in the price! And, it's good, too! Cruise ships can offer up some of the most delicious and well-prepared food around.

For many people cruises mean food, food, and more food. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, mid afternoon snack or tea, dinner, midnight buffet and room service, you’ve never had so many eating opportunities. They have to think up names for all the different meal times. Depending on your cruise line, you may have as many as 10 opportunities a day to eat.

Food on board is covered in your cruise package, but there are extras that can add up, quickly busting your budget. Many will have specialty coffee shops or pool side snack bars that are not included. If you want to save some cash, try to stay away from these. There really is no need to put extra charges on your account for these wasted snacks.

Complimentary ice cream is often served during the late afternoon in the buffet area and offered as a dessert selection in the dining rooms. Free coffee and tea are usually are available 24-hours a day someplace on most ships and you might consider brining an insulated mug from home to fill up at the beverage station.

Do remember, though, that sodas and alcoholic beverages aren't free. But, don't worry, we do offer some tips for drinking on a cruise.

Dinner Seating Times

You will be able to request your dinnertime, so it’s a good idea to explore this a little more closely. With so many opportunities to eat, seating and such can be an important part of your cruise.

Cruise ships generally offer two main seating schedules. The early seating generally starts with a breakfast around 7:00 a.m. with lunch at noon and the first dinner seating at 6:00. Late seating starts around 8:30 a.m. for breakfast with lunch at 1:15 p.m. and dinner at 8:15 p.m.

These times, obviously, aren’t exactly the same for every ship, but these examples should be close. Once you pick a mealtime you’ll be expected to follow it for the three main meals of the day. Some ships are more flexible about breakfast and lunch than dinner.

If you can’t make your mealtime, you might let your waiter know so they don’t wait for you. You’ll have lots of other meals that you can catch. You can’t go hungry on a cruise ship. There are lots of other opportunities to find food. Early breakfast on deck, maybe an informal lunch on deck by the pool, tea, midnight buffet and most ships have free room service, some for all 24 hours.

It’s up to you and those in your party to choose which mealtime is better for you. Are you early risers or late sleepers? When do you usually eat at home? What type of cruise activity is your favorite?

The early schedule will cut into your sunning on deck time. The late seating cuts into your nightlife. If you like to linger over a long dinner, the later seating will feel less pressure to clear the table since there won’t be another seating immediately following your dinner.

If you take the second sitting, you’ll have more time to spend on shore exploring the ports of call or participating in shore excursions.

Dine Alone or with Others?

Many ships have 2, 4, 6, 8 and larger person tables in their dining rooms. The Cruise Line will do its best to match you to your preference, but just like the cabins, those who book earliest will have a better chance at getting their request.

When deciding what size table to sit at, there are a couple of points to consider. If it’s just the two of you, and you want privacy, go for the table for 2. You will have to move quickly, since there is a limited number of two-person tables available. The four-person-tables can be risky for a couple. You’ll only have one other couple at the table, and you might get lucky or get stuck with someone you don't click with. Many cruisers enjoy the chance to get to meet others and go for the larger tables. A bigger table will also increase the chance that you’ll be able to find others in the mix whom you will enjoy meeting.

If you’re not happy with your seating or your companions, Speak with the Maitre d’ immediately. They probably won’t be able to do anything immediately since all the tables will already be full, but they can start to work on solving your problem.

Your seating request should be listed on the cruise information packet that you’ll receive after booking. Some Cruise Lines will confirm your seating before you arrive. You’ll usually also find a meal assignment card in your cabin when you arrive. It should have your table’s number on it. You might want to take the assignment card along to your first meal, so you know where you are going.

Every cruise line will state that "no requests are guaranteed" and that your table assignment will be confirmed at embarkation. The worst way to start your cruise vacation is to find out at embarkation that the cruise line wasn't able to honor your dining preference.

Also, if you are just traveling as a couple and want a table for two, you won't know whether you have a table for two until you arrive at dinner that first evening. The worst scenario possible is you think you have a table for two and then find out at dinner that you've been put at a table with four other couples.

To avoid these problems, make sure at embarkation that your dining preference, as well as all others in your group show what you requested. Your boarding cards issued by the cruise line at embarkation should reflect your dining room assignment — early or late — and table assignment.

Verify that all members of your group have the same dining room and table assignment. If not, as soon as you board the ship, go immediately to the dining room and meet with the Maitre d' to ask him to make the needed changes. The Maitre d' will usually always try to accommodate your wishes if at all possible. The key here is that changes are made on a first-come, first-serve basis, so the earlier you see the Maitre d' the better your chances are to get the needed changes made.

Similarly, if you are expecting a table for two, visit the dining room as soon as you board the ship and find your table (each table is numbered). If it isn't a table for two, speak with the Maitre d' to get it changed. You spend a lot of time at dinner and you want it to meet your expectations.

Remember Those Baggies!

Bring along some zip-lock Baggies; they’ll come in very handy for shore trips. Order up a sandwich from room service and pack it in your Baggie to take on shore with you. This way you won’t have to eat in a restaurant that will most likely break your budget.

Synonyms:  ruise, criuse, cruse, crusie, rcuise, cuise, curise, crise, cruie, cruies, and cruis are typos for "cruise."