2024-06-27
We are often asked if the food on a cruise is repetitive, and this article aims to answer that question.
I think it’s normal to have some concerns about the food when booking a cruise for the first time.
If you don’t like the meals on board, you don’t have many alternatives at sea, right?
So, to help you understand what the dining experience on a ship is like, here is my honest opinion about the food during a cruise.
I have also included many photos of food served on cruises, so you can draw your own conclusions about whether it is repetitive or not!
And to clear any doubts, I don’t think the food on cruise ships is repetitive. So, take a look at the photos and my comments on the meals on cruises.
What is the food like on a cruise?
Usually, on cruises, you can choose between buffet restaurants and à la carte restaurants. Both are typically included in the cruise packages, so you don’t need to pay extra to dine at these restaurants.
Additionally, some cruises have specialty restaurants that are not included. I recommend being cautious to understand which restaurants have additional costs to avoid any surprises if you are charged for meals.
I only used the buffet and the included à la carte restaurants, and honestly, I felt well served.
On the MSC Orchestra, we chose to have lunch and dinner always at the buffet restaurant. We got used to it and since we were satisfied, we didn’t look for alternatives.
I found the variety of food acceptable, but of course, after a week, it did start to feel a bit monotonous.
However, on the MSC Divina, we decided to have dinner at the à la carte restaurant. To clarify, this restaurant was included in the cruise price, and we didn’t have to pay any extra.
For lunch, we always preferred the buffet restaurant because it was quite convenient.
Nonetheless, I should mention some inconveniences with the à la carte restaurant, as reservations are done in shifts.
This means that dinners are at fixed times, unlike the buffet restaurant, which is open almost all day.
To give you an idea of the type of food on the cruise, here are some photos. It doesn’t look monotonous, does it?
In conclusion, we don’t think the food on a cruise is repetitive!
The trick, in our opinion, is to explore the dining options on the ship and not always go to the buffet.
Everything you need to know about dining on a cruise
Are drinks included in the meals on cruises?
When purchasing your cruise, you have the option to buy a beverage package. This means that sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t, depending largely on the cruise line you choose.
In any case, based on my experience, typical beverages such as coffee, tea, water, and juices are included at breakfast.
Additionally, in buffet restaurants, even if you haven’t purchased an additional beverage package, there are usually free beverage dispensers offering water and lemonade.
The same applies to drinks at bars and by the pool. If you have purchased a beverage package, you are entitled to the drinks included in that package. Otherwise, drinks are paid for at the time of purchase.
👉 Is it worth buying beverage packages on cruises?
Final note on meals aboard a ship
As I mentioned before, I don’t find the food repetitive on board; there’s plenty of variety to have different meals every day.
However, I wanted to mention something that surprised me: the size of the plates at the buffet. Actually, they’re not plates; people serve themselves food onto trays.
This makes it very difficult not to overeat.
Of course, everyone is responsible for themselves, and I understand that with such large trays, you don’t need to go back for more, or at least, you go to the buffet less frequently, which helps manage the restaurant’s flow of people.
In this sense, I understand why the trays are so large. However, the impression I got is that it encourages overconsumption. And that doesn’t seem positive to me.
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