General Questions | Booking Questions | Airline Questions
Should I choose early or late dining? Early Dining usually begins between 6 pm and 6:30 pm. Late Dining begins between 8:15 and 8:45 pm. If you are traveling with small children, generally go to bed between 10 PM and midnight or you're an early riser, you may want Early Dining. If you consider yourself a night owl, it takes you or your spouse a while to get ready for dinner and you don't want to feel rushed after a day at port, you may want to choose Late Dining. Most ships now have Bistros on all of their ships. This is a separate a la carte restaurant open between 6:30 and 11:00 pm where you can go to dinner anytime you'd like. These restaurants are more casual allowing you to be more flexible with your meal time and dress.
How does dining on the ship rate? There is a wide variety of selections on board the ship. Meals include appetizers, salads, soups, vegetables, and desserts. There is no limit to how much you can order. Low-cal, spa, or fitness menu selections are also available. After a big meal, you can jog, do aerobics, work out in the gym, swim, golf, play tennis, and much more. Burning calories can actually be fun!
Will the ship accommodate my special diet? If your request is made in advance, most ships can accommodate salt-free, low-carbohydrate, Kosher, or other diet preferences. Let your Cruise Planner know of your special diet when you book your cruise.
Can I choose whom I dine with? If you wish to move to another table, speak with the maitre d'. The staff will do their best to accommodate your wishes.
On larger lines this request is a little more difficult to confirm. The newer ships are being built with more tables for two. We can never confirm a table for two, we can only request it. Table and Dining Assignments are made by the ship's Dining Coordinator who works in the cruise line's corporate office. Again, we can't guarantee you'll get it, but we will make the request for you. Always check with your Maitre'd if you are not happy with your dining arrangements.
Will I miss breakfast if I miss dining? No. Breakfast and lunch are always available in the buffet. Breakfast is usually served until 10 a.m. or later.
Yes, you can eat anytime you want. Most ships have room service available 24 hours a day. Some lines are even letting you order off the dinner menu (during dinner hours) if you prefer to eat in your cabin. You can actually eat all day if you like.
Almost all ships have a smoking and non-smoking section in the dining rooms and lounges. Some cruise ship dining rooms are now totally smoke-free. If you want your dining table in a non-smoking area, just tell your Cruise Planner at time of booking.
How do we celebrate a special day? Just let your Cruise Planner know at time of booking as to what the occasion is (anniversary, birthday, etc.) Most cruise lines will even treat you to a complimentary cake and a chorus to honor the occasion.
Plan for about $2.50 to $3.00 per person per day for your room steward and dining room waiter, and about half that amount for your busboy. Tipping is a purely personal matter and should be considered based on the service provided.
What type of attire is required for dinner? There are three catagories for dinner which include formal, informal and casual. Formal attire consists of a dark suit or tuxedo (can be rented on board). Informal would be a suit or sports coat with tie. Casual consists of slacks and a sports shirt. Some of the newer ships are moving toward alternative dining which allows you to dress any way you like. On a seven night cruise they will normally have two formal nights and one or two informal nights. 3 and 4 night cruises have one formal night.
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