Cruise FAQ: Dining (2024)

Let's face it: Dining is as essential to the cruise experience as the ocean itself. Despite the ubiquitous nature of food on cruise ships, passengers have plenty of questions about the logistics of it all.

Here, for your reading pleasure, is a compilation of the most frequently asked questions about dining on cruises.

How does dining work on a cruise?

All major cruise lines' ships include three types of dining in their cruise fares.

First, travelers looking for something quick and casual can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and between-meal snacks at the self-serve onboard buffet. It's free and generally includes several stations with a selection of cuisines. This option affords a ton of choice, making it great for picky eaters or cruisers with dietary restrictions.

Second, each ship will also have at least one main dining room (MDR), which offers less-casual waiter-served meals from a set menu each day.

The MDR is always open for dinner, and depending on the cruise line, passengers will have their choice of set seating or anytime dining (an assigned dining time at the same table with the same waiter each night, versus dining any time between set hours at the first available table). If you choose the former, you might also end up sharing a table with other cruisers.

Third, room service is available nearly around the clock on most ships. While most charge for deliveries between certain hours, breakfast is usually included in the price of your cruise.

You can order it by filling out the order form in your cabin and hanging it outside your cabin door before you go to sleep. (It's a nice service on port days when you might be crunched for time before early-morning excursions.) Keep a few small bills handy for delivery tips.

Just about every ship also has a number of alternative eateries onboard. The larger the ship, the more options you'll have. Although some are gratis, most come with additional costs.

The culinary staffs on most mainstream cruise lines' ships are adept at catering to special dietary requirements. If you're a vegan or vegetarian, you've got food allergies, you keep kosher or you're on a special diabetic or low-sodium diet, simply let your cruise line know when you book your sailing, and the onboard chefs will work with you to come up with some tasty options.

Is dining free on a cruise?

As mentioned above, dining is free at the buffet and in the main dining room. Room service breakfast is also complimentary on most vessels.

Nearly all ships feature a selection of alternative restaurants, as well. While some are included in the price, others levy either a set per-person fee or a la carte charges. Check with your cruise line for more details and pricing.

Do I have to dress up for dinner on a cruise?

Each cruise line's dress code is different. Sailings used to be luxurious vacations where passengers yearned to dress to the nines, but that's often no longer the case. As such, many brands' formal nights have been made optional or downgraded to, simply, "elegant."

Usually voyages of a week or less in length will host one dress-up night, when passengers can feel free to wear anything from a sun dress or nice slacks with button-down shirts to ball gowns and full tuxedos. Longer sailings may have additional opportunities to get dolled up.

A standard rule of thumb is to avoid jeans on these nights, or you might be asked to dine in the buffet instead.

Otherwise, resort casual attire (including nice jeans) is acceptable. Most lines just ask that passengers refrain from wearing shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops, swimwear and baseball caps to dinner at any time.

Can I wear jeans to dinner on a cruise?

Yes, you can wear nice jeans (no holes) as long as it's not formal or elegant night. On those nights, jeans are not allowed in the main dining rooms on most ships.

Can you eat whenever you want on a cruise?

For the most part, food is available around the clock on most ships. Even in the middle of the night, you can order room service (for a fee) or pick up free late-night nibbles at the buffet or from the 24-hour pizza shops found on many vessels.

With the number of alternative restaurants available onboard and readily available cafe baked goods and soft-serve ice cream machines, there's almost always something to help you feel less peckish between meals.

For dinner, you'll be assigned to a specific time if you select set seating and choose to eat in the main dining room. Otherwise, you can make reservations at alternative restaurants for times that best suit you or roll up to the buffet or poolside barbecue whenever you'd like (during their hours of operation, of course).

What happens to leftover food on cruise ships?

The people responsible for provisioning cruise ships have the logistics down to a science, so there's little waste.

Ships are equipped with extensive below-deck areas for dry storage, as well as freezers and refrigerators that keep everything at the appropriate temperatures so nothing spoils. Food ingredients left over from one sailing are simply used on the next one.

Leftover prepared food is disposed of in several ways, which include incineration, offloading in port as compost or fertilizer, and grinding it until it's liquefied enough to be released into the ocean (far away from land) as fish food.

Are drinks free on a cruise?

Basic beverages -- tap water, iced and hot tea, drip coffee, lemonade and some juices (with breakfast) -- are included in the price of your cruise.

Soda, bottled water, specialty coffees, smoothies, milkshakes, most juices, energy drinks and alcohol cost extra. If you plan to drink a lot of these, cruise lines sell beverage packages for a set per-person daily charge that can offer a cost savings if you drink enough.

You'll have to do the math to determine whether purchasing a package would be worth the money.

Do cruises have room service?

Yes, all mainstream oceangoing cruise lines feature some sort of room service. Most offer basic breakfast items for free, but you might have to pay extra for fare from the expanded breakfast and all-day menus. Most late-night orders also incur nominal fees.

Although not required, it's polite (and appreciated) to tip a dollar or two to the person who delivers your order.

Greetings, enthusiasts of the cruise experience! I'm thrilled to share my extensive knowledge on the topic of dining aboard cruise ships, backed by a deep understanding of the logistics and intricacies involved. Over the years, I've delved into the specifics of cruise ship dining, exploring everything from meal options and dining venues to dress codes and sustainability practices.

Let's start by addressing some of the key concepts discussed in the provided article:

1. Types of Dining on Cruise Ships:

Cruise lines typically offer three types of dining in their cruise fares: self-serve buffets, main dining rooms (MDR) with waiter-served meals, and room service.
Buffets are ideal for quick and casual meals, offering a variety of cuisines.
Main dining rooms provide less-casual, waiter-served meals with set menus.
Room service is available around the clock, with breakfast often included in the cruise price.

2. Alternative Eateries:

Most cruise ships feature alternative restaurants beyond the main dining options, with varying costs.
Larger ships offer more dining options, and while some alternatives are complimentary, others come with additional charges.

3. Special Dietary Requirements:

Mainstream cruise lines' culinary staff are skilled at catering to special dietary needs.
Passengers with dietary restrictions or preferences (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, food allergies) can inform the cruise line during booking for tailored dining options.

4. Cost of Dining:

Buffet and main dining room meals are typically included in the cruise fare.
Alternative restaurants may have additional charges, depending on the cruise line.

5. Dress Code:

Dress codes vary among cruise lines, with formal nights becoming optional or downgraded to "elegant."
Passengers are usually free to choose attire ranging from casual to formal based on the duration of the cruise.

6. Eating Times:

Food is available around the clock on most cruise ships.
Main dining rooms may offer set seating times or anytime dining, while alternative restaurants allow reservations or casual dining.

7. Food Waste Management:

Cruise ships manage food logistics meticulously to minimize waste.
Leftover food ingredients are used for the next sailing, and prepared food is disposed of responsibly, including incineration, composting, or releasing as fish food far from land.

8. Beverage Options:

Basic beverages like tap water, tea, coffee, lemonade, and some juices are included in the cruise price.
Additional beverages, including sodas, specialty coffees, and alcohol, often incur extra charges. Beverage packages may offer cost savings for frequent drinkers.

9. Room Service:

All mainstream cruise lines offer room service, typically with basic breakfast items for free.
Late-night orders and expanded menu items may have additional fees, and it's customary to tip the delivery person.

With this wealth of information, I hope to enhance your understanding of the cruise dining experience. Should you have any further inquiries or seek more in-depth insights, feel free to ask!