Think of a cruise and one of the first thoughts (besides sun and water) is likely going to be food. Cruising is synonymous with all-you-can-eat buffets as well as white tablecloth fine dining. For many, it’s not a matter of whether they will gain weight on their vacation, but a matter of how much given all the food options available.
That might give you the idea, however, that when you pay for your cruise fare, all the food on the ship is included. That’s not the case at all on most cruise lines.
Below, we cover what’s free, what’s not, and the ins and outs of what you’ll want to know.
The Ship’s Buffet (Free)
Without a doubt the restaurant where the most meals are eaten is going to be the ship’s buffet. It’s open nearly all day, and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. What you can get ranges from waffles, French toast, and omelets in the morning to burgers, dogs, and salads for lunch to prime rib, chicken, pasta, and more at dinner. Of course, desserts are also included.
How’s the food? We like to refer to it as “buffet quality.” It’s nothing to write home about, but serviceable.
All the food here is included in your cruise fare. Whether you just want a snack or get serving after serving, you’re free to dine here as much as you want.
Main Dining Room (Free With Paid Options)
If the buffet is the most popular place to eat as far as meals served, the main dining room is definitely a close second place.
Here, you are seated at a white tablecloth table and have personal service from the staff. The menu rotates each night but there is also a section of items (such as steak or grilled chicken breast) that stay the same.
The meals include a list of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and the vast majority is included with your cruise.
Why not all? There can be some charges if you decide to order multiple entrees. As well, many lines have started to offer items from the steakhouse (such as lobster tails or filet mignon) as options on the menu. There’s an extra charge for these, but it’s less than what dining at the steakhouse costs.
Specialty Restaurants (Extra Charge)
The buffet and dining room are always included in your cruise fare. These days, however, most lines have transitioned other sit-down dining into what’s called “specialty restaurants.”
Put simply, these are like regular restaurants you see on land. For instance, if you want to eat at at a steakhouse or the Italian restaurant, or the hibachi grill, then it’s going to fall into this category.
These restaurants are more intimate and smaller venues than what you get with the buffet or the main dining room, which are designed to serve hundreds at a time. And frankly, since the food is individually prepared instead of being mass produced, the quality is usually higher.
These specialty restaurants are an extra charge. The rates will vary, but the least expensive are normally about $15 per person, with the highest-end (such as steakhouses) being $50 or more.
Casual/”Grab-and-Go” Restaurants (Free)
Depending on your cruise line and your cruise ship, it could be that there are smaller stand-alone restaurants that don’t fit into the specialty restaurant category. Typically, these are casual “fast food” style places. For instance, Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival or The Local on NCL.
These places are still designed to feed a lot of people. They can also run the gamut of options, but are most often the things you would consider casual like pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and tacos.
In this case, the casual “grab-and-go” restaurants are typically included with your cruise.
Snacks Around the Ship (Free and Extra Charge)
Sometimes you just want a little snack or a touch of dessert. Many cruise lines have small cafe or coffee shop offerings on the ship.
These spots normally have small, snacky items like small sandwiches, sliced fruit, muffins, cake slices, and more.
Whether or not they are included will depend on your specific cruise and the venue. We’ve seen some places that charge a few dollars for snacks like this, notably coffee shops on cruise ships that also serve pastries.
Others, however, have everything free of charge and you just order what you’d like.
For these, you’ll just have to check once you’re on your ship.
Room Service (Extra Charge)
On a cruise, you don’t have to even leave your cabin to get something to eat. Room service is ubiquitous on cruise ships. Look around your cabin and you’ll find a menu somewhere. Just pick up the phone, place an order, and soon you’ll be eating without having to put on real clothes.
But, you’ll likely have a charge for room service.
First, most ships have some sort of continental breakfast options that are free with the cruise. There’s often a hang tag that you fill out and put on the outside doorknob the night before. The crew collects them and then delivers your breakfast the next morning.
What if you want something else? There’s a full room service menu serving everything under the sun from light snacks to full meals. This usually costs money. These days, it’s typically a set fee (often around $10) for whatever you want to order. So if you just have to have a piece of chocolate cake in the middle of the night, you can get it.
More on Food/Dining on a Cruise:
- Everything to Know About Eating in the Main Dining Room on a Cruise
- Worth It? Everything to Know About Specialty Dining on a Cruise
- Cruise Ship Buffets: What to Know From a Veteran Cruiser
