Food—The core of many cruises

Cruise food is one of those topics that can make or break a trip. The good news is that the food included in your cruise fare is usually more than enough to keep you happy (and full) all week. On this sailing, the “free” dining options have done exactly what they’re supposed to do: give you reliable meals, lots of choices, and a comfortable routine.

Most cruises include the Main Dining Room (MDR). That’s the traditional sit-down restaurant where lunch and dinner are served on a set schedule. On this ship, dinner had three main seating times—5:00, 7:00, and 9:00—plus some “anytime dining” options that let you slide in during the in-between times. That flexibility helps, especially if your day is built around shore excursions, shows, or just a slow afternoon by the pool.

As for the MDR food itself, it has been about the same quality I’ve found across most cruise lines. The meals come out reasonably quickly, and they’re served warm (often piping hot). The staff has been friendly and polite, and the service is a big part of what makes the MDR feel special. That said, this isn’t gourmet, made-to-order fine dining. The kitchen is feeding a lot of people at once, so the food is designed to be consistent and meet expectations.

Tasty, hot, and filling. That is how I would describe this main dining room meal.

For most guests, that’s exactly what they want: a dependable meal that tastes good without any extra cost.

The buffet is the other big “included” option, and it’s hard to beat for variety. It offers a wide spread of choices and fresh items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you like being able to pick exactly what you’re in the mood for—fruit, eggs, sandwiches, pasta, salads, comfort foods—the buffet delivers. Between the MDR and the buffet, you can easily eat well for your entire cruise without spending a dime more.

The buffet offers choices and options. They had gluten free and vegan options and are able to meet most needs.

Of course, specialty dining is the tempting upgrade. Those restaurants cost extra, and some people choose to eat specialty almost every night. For this cruise, I decided to test just one: the Butcher’s Block (meat, meat, and more meat). It felt like a fun “try it once” experience, while still keeping most of my meals in the included venues.

One thing I’ve noticed so far: I haven’t found as many free grab-and-go food spots around the ship as I’ve seen on Royal Caribbean or Norwegian.

Gelato bar near the indoor pool is not free. It is delicious but will cost you an additional $5-$8 dollars. Worth it? Maybe. But that is up to you.

There are plenty of tempting extras—snacks, drinks, gelato—but many of them come with added cost, so I’ve mostly avoided them. I’ll keep exploring to see if there are more included options tucked away.