There’s plenty of fine dining on most cruise ships. You won’t find rubber chicken and rice as one of your dining choices. What you will find will probably include escargot, lobster, beef wellington, and roast lamb. And those could be the choices for just one meal. Prefer something a little less formal? Almost all cruise ships also have a buffet option for all meals. The part that most people will talk about after the cruise is of course the dessert. And the best part, with the exception of some specialty dining options, everything is included.
A cruise vacation combines relaxation and adventure in one fun-filled experience. But there’s no need to choose between the two; you can have your cruise and eat it too! Here are five things you didn’t know about dining on cruise ships.
Grand Buffets
While many people prefer to eat what they want, when they want, cruise ship cuisine revolves around large-scale buffets. These are available at most meals and offer a variety of dishes in one place, making it convenient for everyone in your family or group to pick out exactly what they feel like eating. In fact, nearly all cruises offer at least one or two grand buffets during each meal time.
Cuisine from around the world
The beauty of cruising is that when you’re docked in a port, you can explore a new place and immerse yourself in its culture. Similarly, once onboard, you have access to all manner of cuisine from around the world. The food may be slightly different from what you’re used to at home, but after a few meals it will seem familiar. That goes for dinner and breakfast as well as lunch—most cruise ships offer lunch buffets several times per week.
Specialty restaurants offer a la carte dining
The all-you-can-eat buffets are fine for breakfast and lunch (and dinner, if you have a hearty appetite), but for better quality food and an actual dining experience, don’t miss out on booking one of your cruise line’s specialty restaurants. These higher-end eateries are far more intimate than your shipboard cafeteria; in some cases they may seat only 50 diners at once.
