Dining At Sea

As more and more of us become more food orientated these days with some of the amazing tv shows like Masterchef and Great British Bake Off it got me thinking about how many of us think about food options when it comes to being on a cruise. Do any of you stress about the weight you may gain which on an average 7-day cruise can be anything upwards of half a stone if your not careful or do you completely relax because you are on holiday? At home, I am not a huge breakfast person and usually, grab a glass of orange juice on the go but on a cruise, I’m up and thinking about the delicious breakfast choices that I am going to be faced with today. Did you know that on an average-sized cruise ship can go through 4500 eggs just on breakfast.

Most cruise ships have one or more main dining rooms. These are typically large, sit-down restaurants with waiter service, where multicourse meals are included in your cruise fare.  Some ships — including all ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas — do not have traditional main dining rooms, opting instead for multiple, smaller onboard eateries. However, even these ships have included restaurants that are a bit larger than the for-fee options and are somewhat akin to the main dining venues on other ships.

Main dining rooms will serve breakfast, lunch (generally only on sea days) and dinner. When eating in the main dining room, you will receive a menu and order dishes from a waiter. Occasionally, a buffet might be set up in the restaurant to complement the menu choices. Unless specified, you can order as many dishes as you want (two entrees, a dessert plus ice cream, etc.) in any menu category. You can also request a large portion of an appetizer as your main dish or an appetizer portion of an entree as a starter. Dinners are often leisurely affairs, lasting a couple of hours.

Main dining room cuisine tends to be international with a focus on American and Continental fare. A typical dinner menu might feature appetizers/salads/soup, entrees and dessert. Most menus will change daily, but certain basic items — grilled chicken or salmon, Caesar salad — will be available every night. Many lines now mark vegetarian, healthy and chef’s special dishes on the menu. If you have food allergies or difficult dietary restrictions, it’s best to alert your cruise line’s Special Needs department in advance of your sailing and meet with the maitre d’ on board to discuss your needs. Most cruise lines can accommodate any special diet, even if it means pre-ordering certain foods or having you make your menu selections in advance.