You can easily avoid a dining mistake on your cruise that could otherwise leave you disappointed in your choices.
Royal Caribbean offers so much food to enjoy onboard, and it's a mix of included and extra cost options. The dining mistakes I'm talking about are things result in cruisers coming home and complaining they didn't like certain foods or lamented not knowing about others.
Ultimately, I'm a proponent of maximizing my choices and getting the most out of your cruise vacation, including what, where, and when you eat.
I came up with these 13 Royal Caribbean cruise dining mistakes and how to avoid each of them.
Not pre-booking specialty restaurants
On any ship you sail, there's going to be a few different specialty restaurants you could dine at, but don't wait to book any of them.
Royal Caribbean opens up reservations for them months before your cruise begins and lots of people start booking them up. By the time your cruise sets sail, there are not going to be many slots left.
Waiting to book a reservation on the ship means the restaurant could be sold out or just very late time slots left.
Plus, booking a reservation before the cruise will save you money.
Royal Caribbean regularly discounts specialty restaurants before the cruise in order to spur sales. You could save up to 30% off with a well-timed sale.
Making a specialty restaurant reservation pre-cruise could be the perfect use of onboard credit you have.
Ordering the same way you do at home
You can, and should, order more food at Royal Caribbean restaurants than you would at a land restaurant.
This tip always surprises new cruisers because it sounds so gluttonous, but the truth is portion sizes are smaller on a cruise.
Most people are conditioned to order just one entrée, and perhaps an appetizer or dessert. However, on a cruise you can order all of them (and more) because it's included.
When you are at the Main Dining Room or any restaurant, you're able to order multiple appetizers, entrées, or desserts.
In addition, ordering more dishes gives you the chance to try new foods. Your waiter will encourage it, so don't be shy.
Not taking advantage of the wine you can bring
Did you know you can bring wine on your cruise?
Royal Caribbean allows each adult to bring a bottle of wine on embarkation day to drink onboard the ship. It's the only alcohol you're allowed to bring.
There's no fee for doing so if you open the wine in your cabin, but there is a corkage fee if you bring the bottle to a restaurant or bar to be opened.
Not knowing about the free room service option
Room service usually has a $7.95 cost, but there's one exception.
There's a subset on the menu for the continental breakfast that has no delivery charge.
You can choose from bagels, coffee, pastries, and more.
Not only is this free, but it saves you a trip to the buffet or dining room to grab food in the morning. It's a great option for starting your day and getting everyone moving.
Skipping making My Time Dining reservations
If you chose My Time Dining for your dinner selection, you really should make reservations instead of showing up for a table.
Royal Caribbean gives you the choice of making a reservation pre-cruise or onboard. People with a reservation get seated before people that don't have a reservation.
In my experience, this is the difference maker in not becoming frustrated with the experience. There can be long lines for My Time Dining, especially in the early hours.
No one likes to wait, but waiting is even worse when you're hungry.
Skipping the extra-fee restaurants
While everyone is on a budget, I think it's a mistake to write off every extra cost venue simply because they cost extra.
That isn't to say you should only eat at specialty restaurants. Rather, I think you ought to include a visit to at least one or two during your cruise because it will add to your overall experience.
Specialty restaurants offer cuisines and cooking styles you won't find elsewhere on the ship, plus the ambience is more relaxed. It feels like a step up, and I think it's a nice way to enhance your vacation.
I love the teppanyaki dinners at Izumi, Italian food at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, or bar food while watching your favorite team play at Playmakers.
You don't have to spend a lot to enjoy them, especially if you take advantage of the first tip in this article.
Not checking for theme nights
Did you know there will be themes for certain nights of your cruise?
Royal Caribbean likes to make their evenings fun with different themes, such as white night, Caribbean/tropical night, formal night, and more.
You won't be turned away from the Main Dining Room (or any restaurant) for not adhering to the theme, but a lot of new cruisers wish they knew about it advance so they could have joined in.
You can find out about theme nights before your cruise begins so there's no excuse for not knowing about them.
Getting your food before finding a seat at the buffet
No matter which buffet or casual grab-and-go restaurant you go to on Royal Caribbean, I'd recommend finding a table first and then getting your food.
This tip is especially important for breakfast in the Windjammer or embarkation day lunch, because these are the busiest times at the ship's buffet.
It can be challenging at times to find a table, but it's easier (and less frustrating) to find a table without a plate full of food in your hand.
Try to look for tables towards the back, or even ask a crew member for assistance in clearing a dirty table or finding an open one.
Not trying new foods
One of the best things about a cruise ship vacation is all the food choices, and it's the perfect opportunity to try something outside of your comfort zone.
You don't have to go crazy, but since food is included and there's no charge for uneaten food, this might be the time to sample foods you might otherwise never order because you didn't want to pay for it.
While you shouldn't be wasteful, Royal Caribbean's waiters encourage cruisers to order something they might like and give it a try.
Trying escargot (baked snails) or an Indian curry might end up being a favorite dish. And if you don't love them, it could just be a good story to tell friends later.
Not checking the menu before dinner
Royal Caribbean has a different menu each night in the Main Dining Room, but there might be one or two that you don't love.
Let's piggyback on the tip earlier about not skipping specialty restaurants.
You can check the menu in advance on the Royal Caribbean app, or look at the menu that's posted outside the Main Dining Room that evening.
If the menu doesn't look that great, that's the night to book a specialty restaurant and go elsewhere. Or you might go to the Windjammer for dinner instead.
Buffet etiquette mistakes
There are a few mistakes not to make in the buffet to avoid coming off as rude or putting your health at risk.
- Not washing your hands before entering
- Reusing the same plate
- Grabbing food with your bare hands
- Cutting in line
The top two mistakes you really, really want to avoid are reusing the same plate or cutting in line.
I know you think you're doing the staff a solid by not taking another plate, but the risk of cross-contamination is too high. Not only does the crew want you to come up and get a new plate each time, they have an industrial dish washer.
And of course, don't cut in line. Keep in mind some buffet stations are repeated on the other side of the Windjammer, so you might find less of a line there.
Not speaking up if the food isn't what you expected
I've run into this mistake with friends and family during a cruise who complain there's something wrong with their food to me, but don't say anything to the waiter.
When I sailed on Enchantment of the Seas, my tablemates quietly lamented the slow service and lack of drink refills. So when the head waiter came around, I spoke up and alerted her to the issue at hand.
The dining room staff want you to have an amazing dining experience, but mistakes happen. Or if the food isn't cooked well or to your liking, you should tell them.
No one wants to be a bother, but let your waiter and head waiter know when there's an issue that can be resolved. Don't just chalk it up to the way it is and "suffer".
Not walking around the buffet first
From my own personal experience, I'd recommend taking a quick glance over what's available at each of the buffet stations before getting in line.
Many times I've started loading up my plate, only to realize there's something I want even more.
No one will yell at you for wasting food, but it's also not something you should intentionally do.
