Cruise Ship Dining

Dining on a cruise ship is an enjoyable experience.  This articles explains what you can expect.

Title: Cruise Ship Dining Explained

Author: Mary Hanna

Article:
There are many cruise ships now that have Freestyle Dining
(Norwegian Cruises) or Choice Dining (Prince Cruise line)
available. Or on Disney Cruise Lines they have what is called
"Rotational Dining". They have you and your table mates rotate
through the three restaurants each evening.

CRUISE TIPS: There is usually open seating for breakfast and
lunch in the main dining room. Be adventurous with the menu
because if you don't like something you can send it back for a
replacement. And if they have two things on the menu that you
like ask for both of them. My husband, John, always orders the
Filet Mignon and the Lobster Tail when they are served on the
same night. Many times he tells the waiter to bring what the
waiter recommends for that evening.

This means you don't have to choose first or second seating.
(First seating is 6:00 to 6:30 and Second seating is usually
8:00-8:30). There can be more than one restaurant where you just
walk in when you are ready to dine. Every ship will ask for your
dining preference when you book your cruise. You can indicate
first, second or flexible dining, whichever will make you more
comfortable. The newer ships have a 24 hour dining spot which is
always casual so if you don't want to do the formal nights you
don't have to, although I find dressing up to be quite fun.

You will have many options for each meal. You may have any meal
delivered to your room, taken in the buffet restaurant or in the
dining room. There is usually outdoor dining around the pool
with hot dogs and hamburgers, pizza, salads, even Tacos.

There are also alternative dining rooms available on some ships
that require an additional fee but the service and food are
generally 4 to 5 star and worth it if you want to splurge.

In my experience families with young children and people who go
to bed early usually dine in first seating. But if you don't
want to be on a schedule or want to meet new people every night,
go for the alternative dining option. Of course you can always
ask for a table for two, but be aware that there are only a few
of them.

If you make a special request one night, John always asks for
blue cheese, your waiter will bring it every night. They pride
themselves on remembering your tastes. (This only happens when
you choose traditional dining). On one cruise we asked for Melba
toast, and you bet, every night we had Melba toast. There is one
thing I always make clear to the waiter. I am not a big eater
but I like to taste everything. I tell this to them the first
night so they don't think I am unhappy with the food. It is
their job to keep you happy and they take it very seriously.

If you don't want to eat in the main dining room almost all
ships have a Lido café where it is casual but you order from a
menu and are served by a waiter. It's one of the many choices if
you don't want to participate in a formal night or if you just
want to eat by yourselves. On Carnivals single cruises they
encourage this style of dining so the singles can meet more
people. There are exceptions to this but not many. On some of
the newer ships the Lido is open 24 hours a day.

On most of the cruise lines they offer the food of the region
that you are visiting. While on Hawaiian cruises expect to be
served Hawaiian food. When on an Alaskan cruise you will be
given the choices of salmon and Alaskan king crab legs. It makes
more fun to dine on the local cuisine.

All of the cruise lines offer healthy alternative menus or what
they call spa menus. So if you want low-fat, low-salt, low
cholesterol, vegetarian or any other type of diet, they are
available. It is best however to inform your travel agent of any
special needs so they can notify the cruise line ahead of time.
If you have special dietary needs make sure the cruise lines
knows before hand. For example, Royal Caribbean cruises cater to
food allergy, Kosher, Indian, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Diets.

To be really safe read all of the cruise reviews and cruise
critics sites for each ships food and service ratings.

Happy Cruising, enjoy it, we do!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in
your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice,
links and the resource box are unchanged.

About the author:
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing
eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet
Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites
at: http://www.CruiseGold.com
http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and
http://www.CruisingTips.com

 Bon Voyage and Bon Appetite!

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