Food on a cruise ship is not only a buffet, restaurants and pizzerias, but also a lot of free ice cream by the pool, and many other goodies. We combined our cruise experience on the topic of nutrition, and collected information from experienced travelers – the most insider lifehacks and recommendations about food on a cruise, so that you eat not only high-calorie food, but also tasty and varied.
So, 15 tips that will change the way you think about food on a cruise ship.
Service and self-service in the cabin.
Dining in the cabin is great. But if you order food through the staff, you will have to wait, and the menu is limited. Instead, you can grab a plate full of what you want and simply take it to your cabin. A wonderful dinner on the balcony is guaranteed!
Discount time.
Celebrating the end of your cruise vacation at one of the chic restaurants on board the cruise ship can be a great idea. But even more wonderful is the idea of starting your cruise with dinner at such an establishment. Moreover, this can also save you a decent amount. Many cruise lines offer great discounts or bonuses (like a bottle of wine) at their restaurants on the first day of the cruise.
“Ask, and it will be given to you.”
All cruise lines offer special diet menus – low in sugar, without gluten, shellfish or other allergens – but some of them go even further and accommodate even the most unusual desires. For example, Carnival Cruise Line may offer a three-course Indian meal (if you notify the head waiter). Premium cruise lines like Seabourn indulge even such indulgences as champagne and black caviar or Peking duck.
Tea bags and instant coffee.
Of course, this point should be taken care of by those who are going on a Standard class cruise. For many novice travelers, the news that drinks (even mineral water) are not included in the cost of the cruise comes as an unpleasant surprise. And the prices for these same drinks are a bit steep. Therefore, get ready for the fact that even for an ordinary can of cola you will have to pay, and the tea and coffee in the machines will be wildly diluted with water. But there are no hopeless situations, and good old bags of tea and instant coffee will come to the rescue. You can even grab a juice box (hello, 90s) and powdered milk.
“Secret” breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it is not at all necessary to go to the common buffet for it every day. In addition to the main restaurants, you can also have breakfast on a cruise ship at alternative restaurants that offer a morning menu. Their presence is no secret, but not many people know that AquaSpa Cafe on Celebrity, O’Sheehan’s on Norwegian Cruise Line and BlueIguana Cantina on Carnival offer an excellent, tasty and free alternative to the boring breakfast in the main restaurant.
Act outside the box.
In the main restaurant you are not required to take a “set lunch”: first, second and compote. You are free to order two salads instead of the second, or vice versa – half the portion of the main dish. Craving something sweet? Order a full plate of various desserts. Even if a 38-year-old bearded man orders the children’s menu, no one will say a word.
Cookies!
It’s easy to find free cookies in buffets and coffee shops, but what scope they provide for snacking! Tea or milk with cookies is the simplest thing you can think of. Break the cookies and sprinkle the resulting pieces over the ice cream, and if the ice cream is left for 5 minutes, you will get a great milkshake. Love burgers in any form? Place the ice cream between two cookies and voila – the cookie ice burger is ready!
Free snacks.
In cafes and coffee shops on board a cruise ship, you will be charged for cappuccino or tea (except when you are traveling on an all-inclusive luxury cruise), but sandwiches and pastries there are often free. On most cruise ships you can even have a free snack of fruit or cake between lunch and dinner.
Look at the menu.
Do you know that the menu of the main restaurant on a cruise ship is planned for the week, and you can find out in advance what will be for breakfast, lunch or dinner? To do this, you just need to ask for the menu at the reception desk.
“What do I get from this?,” you ask. This way, you can decide on which days dinner in the main restaurant is not worthy of attention and spend a romantic evening in another place, without the fear of missing out on a tasty treat like lobster or tuna.
Follow the news.
Restaurant specials are easy to miss if you don’t pay attention to the various advertisements and flyers. You can find out about some promotions before the cruise on the website, about others – in the daily brochure with the cruise schedule (it is brought directly to your cabin). Special offers are often limited in number or time, so don’t delay your decision to reserve a place for your favorite event.
I liked the dish? Order more. And more!
It happens that you liked a dish in a restaurant so much that your taste buds went into ecstasy and demanded more and more of it. But you won’t be able to get gastronomic pleasure for future use, and this dish is not on tomorrow’s menu. So what to do? Ask for another portion! They won’t refuse you!
Bring some food with you on your excursion.
When going ashore, it would be a good idea to take care of a small snack and grab it from the ship. You can take a couple of sandwiches from the cafe with you. Of course, local cuisine in a port restaurant is a great experience, but in case of a long bus ride, your stomach will thank you for the care.
Take a break from the kids.
Dinner with the whole family gives wonderful moments of togetherness, but sometimes you want to be alone, right? If you’re planning a romantic candlelit evening on a cruise, there’s no need to make reservations for children. Teenagers can stay in the cabin, ordering pizza and watching TV, kids can be sent to have fun in the mini-club, and the little ones can be left with a nanny.
That’s all. We wish you to find the cruise of your dreams and not gain weight from the abundance of delicious food (well, a little is possible).
