Food is a big deal on any cruise. With dozens of restaurants feeding thousands of passengers to spots for snacks to room service, there’s food being ordered and eaten every minute of the day.
But when it comes to the main meal on the ship — dinner — it’s the main dining room that stands out above everything else. Eating dinner in the dining room is a classic tradition that goes back decades. And even today when there are lots of other options on the ship, it’s still the dining room that sees the biggest crowds for dinner.
For one, the dining room is included in your cruise fare, meaning passengers don’t have to shell out more for the evening meal. But more than that, there’s something about the more formal atmosphere that makes eating in the dining room a memorable event than just another meal.
Chances are you’re going to eat here several times during your cruise, if not every single night. But there are some secrets and hacks you might not realize that can make the experience even better.
Dining Rooms Are Also Open for Breakfast and Lunch
By far the most visited spot for breakfast and lunch is the buffet. We’ll be honest — the buffet is serviceable but there is something about food that’s sitting out and standing in line with a thousand other passengers that just doesn’t sit right. We eat there when we have to, but like to hit other spots as often as we can.
Many people don’t realize it, but the dining rooms offer both breakfast and lunch. Crowds are much, much smaller, and the food is all freshly prepared and plated instead of having it sit out until you grab it.
Now, it will take more time for your meal than the quick-eating at the buffet, but we think it’s worth it.
Dine When You Want
The dining room can feel a bit stuck in tradition with the idea of set dining times. There are normally two seatings. There’s an early time (typically around 5:30 p.m.) and then a later time (7:30 or 8:30 p.m.). There’s also an option to eat at any time (often called “Anytime Dining” or “MyTime Dining.”)
The truth is that eating in the dining room is all anytime dining. While you might be assigned a dinner time, it’s not a law. We’ve been assigned a late dining time — much later than we ever normally eat — and just ignored it. Instead, we simply arrived at the dining room when we are hungry and are seated.
It might take a few more minutes to get your table ready, but it’s no issue.
The Upcharges Can Be a Good Deal
One reason for the popularity of the dining room is that many other spots around the ship charge money for dinner. When the option is to pay $50 per person and setup a reservation to eat at the steakhouse or just head to the dining room, then a lot of people will choose the less expensive meal.
But as a way to earn money in the included dining room, cruise lines have rolled out some items from the steakhouse onboard that are listed on the menu, but are an extra charge. The thing is, these are good deals.
The menu prices are significantly less than what you’d pay to eat at the steakhouse for the same food. As well, you don’t have to worry about finding a reservation meaning you can get a steakhouse dish for cheaper and easier.
Don’t Be Shy With Requests
Have allergies? A certain ingredient doesn’t sit right with you? Or maybe you are on a special diet like vegan or keto or anything else?
In that case, you don’t have to be shy about your requests. First, when the waiter introduces themselves, usually that’s quickly followed by asking any allergies you have. Here if you have any health issues they need to know about, you can let them know and they will advise the kitchen.
Beyond that, with literally millions of meals served every year, dining rooms have seen any special order or request that you can imagine. So if you want a vegetarian option of a meal or simply don’t like a certain ingredient, you won’t be the first person to ask for a change.
Order Multiples to Try New Things
This is one hack that many people know about but it’s worth mentioning because it’s important. When you order, you’ll be asked for an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. But there is no rule that you’re limited to just that.
If there are multiple items you want to try, then just order them. Note that there may be a small charge (usually $5) if you order multiple entrees on some lines. But it’s not uncommon at all to try several items.
In particular, we find the portions of each item small so we like to order multiple appetizers to not only try different things but also to get a bit more to eat.
Time of Evening Will Impact Service Times
One thing that might catch you off-guard is how long it can take to eat in the dining room. Go to a restaurant on land and you can normally be in and out in about 45 minutes. But the dining room meal can go on much longer. It’s not uncommon for it to take up to an hour and a half from the time you sit down until the time you leave.
What we’ve noticed, however, is that the time of evening definitely impacts the length of the meal. If you go when it’s not busy (such as right when dinner opens or near closing time), then meals can be much quicker. But at busy times the waiters have their hands full and its simply takes longer to serve everyone.
We’re not big fans of taking forever to eat, so we find eating early means we get meals in at a reasonable length.
Let The Staff Know If You Have Somewhere to Be
Evenings on the ship can be busy. There’s a lot of activity between dinner, evening shows, events, the casino, and more.
Trying to get it all in can be difficult — especially with dinner that can take a bit longer to eat than a normal meal. But if you have a showtime you want to make, then one tip is to just let the staff know.
They are aware of the showtimes that night and in fact, they might even ask if you are attending the show. If they don’t, just let them know and they can help to speed up the service so that you can get out of the dining room on time and not miss anything.
