Cruising and Dining in Style: How to Make the Most of Your Onboard Dining Experience

You have planned, saved, packed everything, and now it’s time to take that cruise.  Cruise ships are exciting, beautiful, and often overwhelming for the first-time cruiser, and the dining room is all of that and more.  It is a magnificent place where you meet new people, enjoy exotic foods, and indulge in the lap of luxury while being waited on at least for a short time.  Being prepared for how to dine with style can be stressful to some.  In this blog post, I will tell you how to dress appropriately, what to order, and how to know just which fork is which.  The next time you cruise you will be dining like a pro.

A cruise ship usually consists of a formal dining room, a casual buffet (usually found on the Lido Deck), a café, and several specialty restaurants.  The larger cruise ships will have more options, varying by cruise line.  Most dining areas are included in the cost of your cruise fare, except for the specialty restaurants requiring an additional fee.  Most of the included restaurants also do not require reservations, unless you are set up for a My Time dining experience and then you can make reservations via the app or with the maître d. 

The dining experience in the main dining room is more like an onboard activity and usually involves a show provided by the waitstaff on select nights.  To get the full cruise experience, I highly recommend eating in the main dining room, especially on formal nights, during your cruise. 

How to dress for dinner

On most nights dressing for dinner is usually casual or smart casual.  Attire consisting of dresses or pants for ladies and long pants with a polo style or button-down shirt for men is acceptable. They request that people do not wear swimsuits or shorts in the dining rooms.

Formal nights are a little different but aren’t as done up as they used to be.  You will want to dress a little nicer if enjoying the main dining room or a specialty restaurant on this night.  Cocktail dresses or formal pantsuits are acceptable for ladies and a shirt, tie, and dress slacks are appropriate for men.  However, if you prefer to go all out that is perfectly fine too. Men can wear tuxedos or suits and ladies can wear evening gowns to dress to impress and get some great photos taken on these nights. 

              *3-5 night cruises usually have 1 formal night (usually day 2 or the first full sea day)

              *6-7 night cruises usually have 2 formal nights

              *8-10 night cruises usually have 2 formal nights

              *11-14 night cruises usually have 3 formal nights

              *15+ night cruises usually have 3-4 formal nights

The number of formal nights varies by ship and itinerary. People who choose to not dress formally for dinner are welcome to dine at one of the other venues such as the buffet, the café, or enjoy room service.

How to order dinner in the main dining room

Ordering dinner in the main dining room seems like a no-brainer to most, but for others, this can be in fact very stressful.  The menu looks very different than your average restaurant or café and is miles away from a fast-food restaurant experience. 

Ordering drinks

Most cruise fares include tea, water, and lemonade. Do you prefer soda? You may consider pairing it with your evening meal. If you do not have a beverage package, you should be prepared to hand over your Sea Pass card for charging.  If you do have a beverage package they will also check this on the first night. Then they will usually have your favorite soda waiting for you each night with your meal.  (Yes, the staff is that good at remembering. )

Ordering your meal

The menu consists of appetizers, main entrée, and dessert sections.  They serve bread first, but it’s not listed on the menu. They will bring you a basket of mixed bread to choose from and try.  If you have a seed allergy, as I do, be sure and tell your waiter and he/she will accommodate your needs.

If you are unsure of what to order, ask your wait staff what he/she recommends.  They will not steer you wrong, as they know the menu inside and out.

Because the meal is served in courses, you should order something from each section. If you want to try a soup and salad with your meal all you need to do is order both.  If you don’t like your first choice of main entrée they will be happy to let you try a different option. 

Daniel often orders two desserts when we cruise.  It’s perfectly fine.  Trying new foods is one of our favorite parts of cruising. 

The menu will offer a variety of foods including vegetarian, kosher, and sugar-free.  If you have food allergies let the kitchen staff know ahead of time and they can usually accommodate.

How to know which silverware to use

Picture this, you sit down at the table and there are plates, cups, and silverware everywhere.  How do you know which fork to use and when? Simple, let the wait staff help you. 

After you order they will remove whatever you don’t need. They will slide the correct utensil over within your immediate reach. 

For example, if you don’t order a soup then you won’t need a soup spoon.  Therefore, they will remove it and slide the salad or appetizer fork over.  They will bring a knife later if you order a steak, so you don’t have to try to use a butter knife to cut into your meat.

Before serving dessert, they remove all the unnecessary silverware and clean up the crumbs from the table.

If all else fails and you are still concerned about messing up, work from the outside in with the utensils.  Remember, no one is watching you or judging you. You will never see 99% of these people again so who cares.  Just enjoy your dinner! You are on vacation, remember?

Final Thoughts

Eating in the main restaurant aboard a cruise ship adds to the overall cruise experience and is a pleasant and important aspect. It does not have to be stressful for the first-time cruiser.  Be prepared by knowing how to dress, how to order, and how to know which silverware to use. You can have a more relaxing and enjoyable meal. 

Still looking for more information on what to pack for a cruise. Which excursions do you try? For more cruise information, be sure and check out my other blog posts.  Ready to plan your next cruise and don’t know where to start? Contact me today at: amberh@destinationsinflorida.com and remember… Life’s Short… Take the Trip!

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