Of all the restaurants on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the buffet is still one of my favorite places to eat.

I love the mix of food variety, how easy it is to get in and out, and the fact there's something for everyone.  I love that I can enjoy Indian curry, customized salads, or an overloaded burger while my kids can get chicken fingers or pizza. It's win-win for everyone.

While I'll primarily eat at the Main Dining Room or specialty restaurants, I like going to the Windjammer on embarkation day for welcome aboard lunch or hit it up for dinner after a long day in port.

When I pick the Windjammer to go eat, I always do four important things at every meal. I think these really make the meal more enjoyable from start to finish.

Wash my hands, even if i just did

It may sound clichéd to talk about how important it is wash your hands, but I'll do it every single time I walk in or out of the restaurant.

Quite frankly, I'm astounded how many people don't do this.  Stand near the Windjammer entrance for 30 seconds and you'll witness it yourself.

Cruise ship or not, washing your hands before you eat is a smart idea to mitigate the chances of getting sick while eating. It's not foolproof, but I'll do whatever I can to stay healthy on a cruise.

Most ships have handwashing stations at the entrance now, but on older ships there is a crew member that offers hand sanitizer.

Anytime I walk in, I'll take the time to wash my hands because it's too easy to become complacent.

Get a seat first, then go to the buffet

It's so tempting to grab a plate and hit the first buffet station you see, but that's a mistake.

It's usually very busy at the Windjammer, especially for breakfast.  You really ought to find a seat and then get food.

Early on when I cruised, I'd get my food and then do the awkward walk trying to find a table with two hands full of food.  Not only is it cumbersome, but the chances of accidentally spilling the food while looking for a table is quite high.

This strategy is not only a good idea to ensure you have somewhere to sit, but works well with families too.  Kids needs to know where you're going to be, and if they're young, you probably need to take shifts going up with the kids and then go back for yourself.

Usually the further you're willing to sit from the actual buffet stations, the higher the likelihood of finding an open table.

Be sure to prioritize outdoor seating if your ship has an outdoor area of the Windjammer. It's so nice to dine al fresco when possible on a cruise!

Check out all the stations before taking any food

The next thing I'll do is survey the food options because this is a lesson I learned the hard way.

It's so tempting to grab a plate and fill it up with the first options you see, but inevitably I see there's something else I would have rather have gotten.

Of course I can discord my plate of food and get a new plate with what I wanted instead, but I feel bad being quite that wasteful. There's no penalty or anything like that, but I try not to waste food when possible.

Instead, I'll do a quick walk around the buffet stations to quickly see what's around. 

Keep in mind in most Windjammers, one side is usually a mirror of the other, so you don't have to necessarily check out both sides of the buffet.

This strategy is especially helpful with the next thing I always do in the Windjammer.

Prioritize the cooking stations

My favorite thing about the Windjammer are the cooking stations, and I'll look to these first.

These cooking stations custom cook a specific type of cuisine the way you want it, and it really hits the spot for me every time.

The Asian stir fry is my absolute favorite, followed by the pasta station.  I think we all prefer our food prepared with one ingredient over another, and there might be something we'd rather have left out of it.

Plus, because it's cooked on the spot, it just tastes better.

There's no cost to the cooking stations, so take advantage of them whenever you can.

I've sailed on every class of Royal Caribbean cruise ship in an ongoing effort to find the best free food on Royal Caribbean.

Every ship has certain restaurants that are included in your cruise fare, and I've generally been pleased with all. Not everything is amazing, but you definitely won't go hungry on the ship.

Eating at the "free" restaurants is a great way to stay on budget, as well as take advantage of what the cruise line has to offer. I know specialty dining gets so much attention, but I think Royal Caribbean has upped its included food game, especially with the casual grab and go spots.

It's quite tempting to dine at the specialty spots, but on some cruises I recently took, I opted to eat just at the included restaurants. Part of it was a challenge to myself to see what the food experience is really like without spending extra. But I also really enjoy the food, especially if I'm on a ship that I know has certain options.

Some meals were surprisingly great, others… not so much. Here are my top picks.

Which restaurants are included on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Every Royal Caribbean ship differs slightly in which restaurants are offered, both included and specialty.

There's a lot of carry-over between the ships, but some restaurant concepts only exist on a handful of ships.

Here's a list of the major free venues that apply across most ships, keeping in mind your ship may not have all of them:

• Main Dining Room (MDR)
• Windjammer buffet
• Cafe Promenade/Pearl Cafe/Cafe Latte-Tude
• Park Cafe/Cafe@Two70
• Boardwalk Dog House
• El Loco Fresh
• Sorrento's Pizza
• Solarium Bistro
• Aquadome Market
• Coastal Kitchen (suite guests only, but still "included")

What I ate at each restaurant and what I thought

Since you won't find every included restaurant Royal Caribbean offers on any one ship, I thought I'd break this down by restaurant and list the last ship I tried it on.

There's usually a good consistency between ships, but some iterations do vary depending on the ship class.  As an example, the Windjammer's size and stations are vastly different on a Vision Class ship compared to an Oasis Class ship.  

11. Boardwalk Dog House

I want to love Boardwalk Dog House more than I do, but the product falls short of the concept.

As you might imagine, this is a spot to get all sorts of hot dogs and brats.

The meat is fine, but it's everything else where it falls flat.  The buns are hard (previously frozen), and really take away from the food.

The sauerkraut is also strange, and not the same one they serve in the Windjammer. I can't describe it exactly, but it's not as good as the kraut you'd get at almost any hot dog stand you've been to on land.

10. Sorrento’s Pizza

The trope about cruise pizza is it's nothing special, but tastes better the later (and drunker) you are.

Royal Caribbean has upped its pizza game in recent years, and the product is better than it used to be. While I wouldn't go specifically for a meal, it's the perfect snack almost any time of day or night.

My kids swear by Sorrento's, and eat a few slices each day.

The fact it's open late (usually until 2 or 3am), makes it a convenient option.

There's usually three or four varieties of pizza offered: cheese, pepperoni, and something else.

The additional toppings can really vary in how good they are or not.  Carnivore and veggie are top picks.

9. Basecamp

Available only on the Icon Class ships, it's a convenient snack spot near the water slides, Flowrider and everything else at the back of the ship.

It used to be half included, but now the menu has been converted over to fully included.

The pretzel bites are worth a stop here, as they're akin to the microwaved soft pretzels you may have had over the years.  Eat them quickly before they harden back up.

The chicken fingers are also pretty good, and like the rest of the menu, it's the kind of food you'd want to grab when you're feeling peckish.

8. Cafe Promenade

Your ship will have a coffee shop onboard that may have different names (Cafe Latte-Tudes or Pearl Cafe) but the concept is similar across all iterations.

It offers both free and extra cost coffee and tea, as well as snacks.

The best version is Pearl Cafe on Icon Class ships because the quality of the food here is significantly better.

I usually find something to munch on when I'm on other ships too.  

In addition to the premium coffees, I really like the turkey wrap or the roast beef sandwich.

7. Park Cafe

One of the underrated choices for a meal is at Park Cafe (or Cafe@Two 70) that serves snacks and light meals.

I love going here for breakfast on a port day when I want something quick to eat without fuss.  

It's also a great embarkation day lunch spot that's going to be a lot less crowded than the Windjammer.

The best food here is the roast beef sandwich, that is served in au jus and topped with a kimmelweck bun. 

6. Solarium Bistro

The most easily overlooked included restaurant on any Royal Caribbean ship, but a fantastic alternative to the Main Dining Room.

It's usually open for all meals, and is one of the best choices for a less crowded breakfast. Because most cruisers don't know about it, it's quiet and still has custom made to order omelets.

There's also lighter and healthier options available.

5. Main Dining Room

I've been a fan of the Main Dining Room ever since my first cruise because I really like having the same table and waiter each night for dinner.

The menu has changed a lot over the years, but I've consistently found a few things to order on any night.

I think there's a good variety of choices to satisfy most palates, and the service has always been impressive. It's not perfect, and I've had nights where I've ended up in the Windjammer after, but more often than not, it hits the spot.

Certainly some nights are better than others.  Italian night, Welcome Aboard, and Mexican night are really good, but I'd skip Caribbean night.

It's also where you'll find an Indian dish every evening, and it's the best kept Royal Caribbean dining secret out there.

My top picks for the Main Dining Room are:

• French onion soup
• Shrimp cocktail
• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Indian curry choices
• Lobster (on second formal night only)
• Roasted beef tenderloin
• Lasagna al forno
• Chili-lime salmon
• Key lime pie

Dinner is the best meal offered, but breakfast is a good choice if you're in the mood for a casual start to your day.

A few dishes were disappointing:

• Turkey dinner
• Stuffed eggplant

4. Windjammer Buffet

The sheer variety of food in the Windjammer means you're probably going to find something to eat, even among the pickiest eaters.

I love the array of international cuisine. Not only is there usually a couple of Indian dishes, but Chinese, Italian, and Greek food.  

I think most people find breakfast to be pretty darn good, and lunch or dinner is more hit or miss depending on which theme there is that evening.

If you're eating at the Windjammer, I'd skip every buffet station and check out what's available at the cooking stations first. At breakfast, it makes customized omelets, and for other meals it could make pasta, stir fry, or some other cuisine. 

The food I'd recommend trying here are:

• Omelet station
• Stir fry station/Mongolian grill
• DIY Burger
• Indian curries

By far the worst food are the scrambled eggs that are served in the buffet tray. They're made from a mix and taste too watery.

I also think the desserts generally look better than they actually taste.

3. El Loco Fresh

The quick service Mexican restaurant is one of the best included restaurants you'll find, and it's the perfect pool deck meal.

There's tacos, burritos, nachos, and build-your-own options too.

The reason I like it so much is because you get to customize it the way you like it.  Grab tortillas and go to town making tacos with the amount of meat and toppings you prefer.

Because quesadillas or tacos are such crowd pleasers, it's one of the most popular options on any ship. 

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how fresh and customizable this is, and how it works for picky eaters too.

The best combo I've come up with is to take the plain tortilla chips that come in a bowl and top them off with every topping available, including a few hot sauces.

2. Coastal Kitchen

I'm including Coastal Kitchen in this list because it's complimentary for suite guests.

Essentially, it's a Main Dining Room for suite guests only (and Pinnacle Club members), that's open for all three meals.

Just like the MDR, some of the food is better than others.

Embarkation day dinner is probably the best menu offered, with a fantastic steak choice.

Plus, there's French onion soup served every day for dinner.

The weakest meal is lunch, and I always skip it.

Be sure to take advantage of breakfast on the final morning too.

1. Aquadome Market

Royal Caribbean's first food hall concept, it's one of their best included restaurant ideas that have launched in recent memory.

This became my favorite included restaurant from the moment I tried it. Everything is prepared fresh and there's a certain level of customization to it.

The must try's include:

• Crepes
• Gyro sandwiches
• Mac and cheese

The only food I thought was lacking was at the Asian hall, because it's the same Chinese food you can get at the Windjammer without much difference.

What I would not do again

The only restaurant I've sworn off from eating at again is the Boardwalk Dog House. Every time I eat there, I'm disappointed.

I also wont go to lunch at Coastal Kitchen because the choices there just aren't that good.  Plus, I think El Loco Fresh or Park Cafe would be better options and quicker too.

One other thing I need to stop doing is overlooking Solarium Bistro. I admit I forget it exists because it's in a weird location that I don't walk past a lot.

What I’d do differently on my next cruises

One lesson I learned from eating at the included restaurants is to check the menu ahead of time, and pick the restaurant based on that.

The Main Dining Room is often better than expected, but certain theme dinners are better than others.

Alternating the dining room and Windjammer to provide more variety is a good baseline for many meals.

I also need to consider the smaller included venues more often.  I think my mistake was viewing meals in the context of a sit down meal, meaning I assumed I needed to pick one restaurant to have my meal at.

Instead, I could grab a slice of pizza to tide me over, but then go to El Loco Fresh for more later.  

I've also come around to embracing Coastal Kitchen as a really good choice. For dinner, there's usually something good available to try. Plus, eating here feels like a step up from the Main Dining Room but without the price tag of a specialty restaurant.

In fact, I'd like to start working in Coastal Kitchen when I have the opportunity for dinners. As a Pinnacle in Crown and Anchor Society, I can usually dine there and the French onion soup alone is reason to make a reservation.

When I'm on a port intensive itinerary (like in Europe), embracing the Windjammer is key. After a long day of touring, I just want something easy without fuss.

Ultimately, I'd recommend not overlooking any of these options simply because they're "free".  Specialty dining is wonderful, but you might be surprised how good the included food is, which could also free up money in your vacation budget.

If you haven't been on one of Royal Caribbean's newer cruise ships, you haven't seen yet the next-gen take on specialty restaurants known as "eatertainment".

Extra cost restaurants on cruise ships aren't new at all, and they've been a fad in and of themselves for many years.  Every cruise line saw the demand for other types of cuisines and cooking styles, and it's made them a lot of money too.

With the top cuisines covered, Royal Caribbean wanted to delve into something greater than just a new restaurant based on a region or country. Plus, Royal Caribbean sees themselves competing against major tourist destinations on land, such as Las Vegas or New York.  

That sort of thinking lead them to explore a new approach to specialty dining that has arguably gotten better with each iteration.  In fact, I love combining food, entertainment, and even destinations and coming up with something totally new.

With more new ships on the horizon, you should expect more restaurants delving into this hot trend of going beyond a restaurant by offering experiential dining.

Mason Jar

Royal Caribbean calls this new trend "eatertainment", and its first foray was with the Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas.

Launched in 2022, the Mason Jar was a traditional specialty restaurant with a twist. There was a typical sit down specialty restaurant with a cover charge, but they included a bar area with a band performing.

The idea was to combine a meal with musical entertainment so that guests could enjoy country music with their southern American foods.  By adding live music, Royal Caribbean wanted to make the vibe reminiscent of a meal in the south.

Instead of dinner theater, Royal Caribbean wanted to give its guests a meal they could enjoy with something more.  That something more would be more apt to create memories and be an experience, rather than just something you ate. The goal is to makes passengers talk, and have them longing to enjoy it all over again.

"I don't want you to get bored when you're having dinner," is what Royal Caribbean Vice President, Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza said when coming up with an idea like the Mason Jar.

"We’ve been leaning into this notion of eatertainment where we’re really trying to blend entertainment and great dining together."

The success of the Mason Jar lead Mr. D'Souza and his team to think even bolder with its next idea.

Empire Supper Club

Icon of the Seas has revolutionized the cruise industry in many ways, including its approach to dining.

If the Mason Jar was version 1.0 of eatertainment, the Empire Supper Club was going to be version 2.0.

The idea was to create Royal Caribbean's most elegant restaurant to date, with fine dining, musical entertainment, and impeccable service.

Unlike the Mason Jar where the music was on the periphery of the dining experience, Empire Supper Club would put diners and entertainers in front of each other.

Royal Caribbean Chief Innovation Officer Jay Schneider described it once as, "a blend of best of entertainment and best of culinary."

A live three-piece jazz band performing music that connects with the meal you're being served. The combination of premium food, paired cocktails, and live music, put Empire Supper Club in a different category of dining.

Mr. D'Souza called it a "full immersive dining experience" that goes well beyond a typical specialty restaurant.

"Empire Supper Club is what I would say is the most elevated dining experience we've created at Royal Caribbean."

"It really is an elevated food experience that's tied together with a really elevated beverage experience."

While pricey at $200 per person, the experience stands out something unconventional that does exactly what eatertainment is all about: makes memories.

"It was hands down one of the best meals of my life and can't recommend it enough," wrote TheMaxRebo on our message boards.

"The creativity with the dishes and the cocktails, the amount you got, made the food alone worthwhile but the music just made the event."

If it feels like specialty restaurants tend to feel repetitive and uninspired, the Empire Supper Club stepped away from that trope.

Royal Railway

Once again, Royal Caribbean sought out to come up with something radically different for itself on Utopia of the Seas that would be as compellingly different as Empire Supper Club, but go even further.

Building on eatertainment was a trend Royal Caribbean first noticed on land. Mixed reality immersive dining experiences were popping up in various cities, and it caught the cruise line's attention.

An early such concept was "Sublimotion" in Ibiza, Spain.  It was a new high-end Mediterranean dining concept with virtual reality and immersive film projections.

Since no one had really done thematic immersion on a cruise ship, it seemed like a good opportunity with the launch of Utopia of the Seas to give it a go.

The concept Royal Caribbean came up with was Royal Railway, which offers a meal inside a classic train car that looks, feels, and sounds like a real train.

This immersive train dining experience was going to be more than just one restaurant. It could transport you to different areas of the world, with different menus.

"What if we put a train on a cruise ship that could take you to more destinations?" posed. Mr. Schneider near the launch of the new ship.

The area has a classic train station platform, with separately numbered dining cars, and real train steam. Guests would dine in the train and blend entertaining performances with amazing culinary dishes.

The result has been one of the hottest tickets right now on any Royal Caribbean ship.  Reservations regularly sell out almost as soon as they become available because of how many passengers want to try it.

Traditional restaurants aren't going away

This new trend is exciting, but it won't replace regular restaurants. Rather, it's there to augment them and offer something different.

Mr. Schneider explained recently the company's guiding credo is "tradition, evolution, and revolution," which means they want to always offer familiar, evolved, and different on all of its ships.

"There's no reason that you wouldn't expect to find a Chops on every ship that we build in the future...And then there needs to be experimentation."

Not every passenger on a ship wants the same thing, but expanding the variety allows Royal Caribbean to stand out from other vacation choices.

"New cuisine also then takes you to new experiences," Schneider said. 

Part of the rationale for developing new concepts is food is a major reason why people go on a cruise. On a high level, Mr. Schneider says the two predominant reasons people book a cruise are for destinations and food.

"You want that kind of diversity, given again, people want destinations and food is their two drivers to go on a cruise."

Royal Caribbean has pushed a new update to its website that adds a very useful function to its dining plan.

Last month the cruise line added the functionality to book its Unlimited Dining Package online and pre-reserve restaurants before getting on the ship.

This was a huge improvement, because prior to that feature, passengers had to wait to make reservations once they got on their ship.

It took the cruise line much longer than they originally estimated to roll out the feature, but a year later, the first version was implemented. It's a major upgrade for passengers, because it makes it significantly easier to get reservations instead of running around on embarkation day to make them.

This week, it appears there is a new update that has rolled out to allow anyone with the Unlimited Dining Package to change or add reservations after booking it.

When the online booking feature was released last week, it came with a giant caveat that you could only pre-book restaurants at the time of purchasing the dining package. There was no means to add reservations unless you cancelled and re-booked. This would be a problem for anyone that booked the dining package at a better price than offered today.

With the new update, it appears that issue has been fixed.

Guests can go to their order history and modify their purchase to be able to select restaurants and times.

To do so, go to your sailing and click on your name in the top right and then click Order history.

Find the purchase you made with the Unlimited Dining Package, and then click Modify.

The choice of days and restaurants should appear for you to pre-book restaurants.

A big improvement

Allowing passengers to make dining package reservations before their cruise begins is a huge help, and this new update makes it even easier.

When you can avoid running around the ship on the first day trying to get dining reservations, it's one less "errand" to have and reduces the stress of trying to get things done.

Royal Caribbean has steadily worked on making the first day of the cruise as relaxing and enjoyable as possible, from making check-in and embarkation as smooth and efficient as possible, to reducing things passengers need to stop and do on day one.

"We spent a lot of time researching with guests what their day one experience is," explained Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider.

Mr. Schneider reported his team found having to wait until the day of the cruise to book reservations generated a great deal of "angst".

The feedback from guests was to make it easier by not having to go to various booths that Royal Caribbean would set up only on day one of the cruise on the Royal Promenade.

Along with the dining package change, some ships now auto-connect the WiFi via the Royal Caribbean app so passengers do not need to visit the Voom desk for assistance.

On Icon of the Seas, there's a new chat feature within the Royal Caribbean app to communicate with Guest Services so you don't have to stand in line. They also added virtual queues to reduce lines.

Other dining packages not supported yet

In case you're wondering, the ability to pre-book restaurants appears to only be available for the Unlimited Dining Package so far.

In our spot checking, there is still not the ability to pre-book restaurants with the three night dining package, or any of the other dining packages.

Considering how the ability to modify or add new reservations took just a few weeks to complete, there's good reason to believe Royal Caribbean will push new updates soon with similar functionality for the shorter duration dining packages.

Should you book the unlimited dining package?

Specialty restaurants are a very popular add-on for any cruise, so is a dining package a good value?

If you think you might want to dine at more than two specialty restaurants during your cruise, a dining package can make a lot of financial sense.

At it's core, the unlimited dining package promises a flat fee to enjoy as many specialty restaurants as you like for a fixed price.

It will absolutely save you money compared to eating at the same amount of restaurants if paying out of pocket. 

A caveat to that flat fee is certain restaurants will still have a surcharge to dine there. This is because the dining package covers up to a certain amount, but certain experiences or restaurants cost more than that, and Royal Caribbean offers a discount if you have the dining package.

As an example, if you bought the unlimited dining package and wanted to dine at these restaurants, you'd pay:

• Izumi Hibachi/Teppanyaki: $15
• Royal Railway: 
  • Adult $50
  • Child $25
• Chef's Table & Holiday Dinners: $50
• Izumi Omakase: $60
• Empire Supper Club: $130

Another compelling reason to book the dining package might also be based on your opinion of the Main Dining Room.

Some cruisers have an aversion to the ship's complimentary Main Dining Room, based on cuisine, seating, or regimented times.

Lastly, the decision to buy a dining package also depends on which Royal Caribbean ship you are sailing on.

Each ship has a different line-up of specialty restaurants, and some offer many more options than others.

Icon, Oasis and Quantum Class ships offer the greatest variety of restaurants before you'd have to repeat.  

The line's older and smaller cruise ships have less specialty restaurants. In fact, Enchantment of the Seas only has Chops Grille and Chef's Table as specialty offerings.

It looks like Royal Caribbean has finally given its customers a feature they've been clamoring for since the inception of a dining package.

Cruise ship passengers can book a dining package, where they can get a bulk discount on specialty restaurants.  Up until now, there was no mechanism to prebook a reservation at a specific restaurant and time before boarding the ship if you had a dining package.

Nearly a year to when they announced plans this upgrade, Royal Caribbean now is allowing guests booking the Unlimited Dining Package to pre-book days and times for restaurants online.

The advantage of this feature is it makes it significantly easier to get reservations instead of running around on embarkation day to make them.

In August 2024, pre-booking was opened up just for Allure of the Seas as a test.  But now it appears the test is available for all ships.

Here's how it works.

Login into Royal Caribbean's website and go to the Cruise Planner for your sailing.

Go to the Dining section, and choose the Unlimited Dining Package.

Click the Reserve button and then select the people you want the package for, and click add to cart.  At this point, you wait for each day's options to open up, with the ability to select times for each restaurant.

Be sure to follow through and make payment for the dining package to lock in your day and times.

There are two catches to its current implementation, keeping in mind Royal Caribbean is constantly working on improving its offerings.

First, the ability to pre-book times appears only available for the Unlimited Dining Package, and not the 3-night dining package.

Second, there does not appear to be a way to pre-reserve restaurants if you have already booked the dining package yet. You could cancel and rebook the Unlimited Dining Package, but you'd be subject to the prevailing rates for it.

Why this feature is so helpful

By allowing passengers to make reservations before they get onboard, it assures them of a specific day and time for their reservations.

Moreover, up until now, passengers had to hustle on the embarkation day to go make reservations.

Not only did this take away from enjoying the start of a vacation, there was usually lines to make a reservation and if someone waited until later in the cruise to book a time, they risk the frustration of restaurants being booked up.

Having to wait until boarding the ship to make dining reservations was the top pain point for passengers that booked a dining package.

With this change, a great deal of frustrations are removed from the cruise planning experience.

This change also benefits Royal Caribbean. If there are less passengers wanting to make dining reservations on embarkation day, they can move staff around to other places and reduce congestion on the Royal Promenade where crew members would wait to take reservations.

Is a dining package worth it?

If you're planning to eat at more than two specialty restaurants on your cruise, there's a good chance a dining package will save you money.

Royal Caribbean offers a flat cost to enjoy as many restaurants as you like with the Unlimited Dining Package, with the caveat if a restaurant is priced a la carte, you can only dine there once per day and with a stipend.

Examples of restaurants priced a la carte include Playmakers Sports Bar, Izumi sushi, and Portside BBQ.

Note that certain restaurants have an upcharge, such as Izumi Hibachi ($15), Chef's Table ($49.99), and Empire Supper Club ($130). 

The UDP doesn't include premium items in the Main Dining Room, the Taste of Royal experience, Celebration Table, or Chops Grille premium cuts. 

I've purchased a dining package about 20 times, and there's no question it can save you money, assuming you eat at the restaurants every night.

An example of how a dining package won't work out financially is if you have busy port day plans or are simply too tired to go to a restaurant for dinner and end up in the buffet or a counter service restaurant.

Likewise, if you're not interested in more than 2 or 3 specialty restaurants, then skipping the dining package makes sense too.

In addition to the Unlimited Dining Package, there are smaller offerings, such as the 3-night dining package, or the Chops + Your Choice package. These offer fewer evenings to dine, but it's cheaper and a good introduction to specialty dining.

As someone that cruises about once per month, I get to eat on Royal Caribbean cruise ships a lot, and dinner is usually a big deal on any sailing.

Some restaurants are included with your cruise fare while others cost extra. I like to go back and forth between what's included and not to not only get a wider variety of food, but also evaluate how each restaurant is. Menus change, and as I try new restaurants, it's good to go back and see how other venues compare.

The cost of a Royal Caribbean restaurants vary from included to hundreds of dollars per person. Luckily, I've had the chance to dine at nearly every restaurant on Royal Caribbean's ships.

I'm not a food critic or trained in evaluating restaurants. I just know what I like, and I go often enough to get a good sense of what seems to stand out, so here are my humble opinions on the top Royal Caribbean restaurants I'd recommend to anyone going on a cruise.

Coco Beach Club restaurant

In terms of food, I have never left the Coco Beach Club restaurant disappointed because the food quality is so good.

Located within the Coco Beach Club section of Perfect Day at CocoCay, the restaurant is included as part of your admission cost to enter the club. Club admission prices vary depending on the sailing, but it can be less than $100 per person or as high as $200 per person.

I think the filet mignon served at the Coco Beach Club restaurant is just as good, if not better, than the steaks you find on Royal Caribbean's ships. 

Friends who eat seafood rave about the grilled Bahamian lobster served, as well as the Coco lobster sandwich.

Usually private island food is nothing exciting, but Royal Caribbean broke the mold with the Coco Beach Club restaurant, and it's just as good as the food I've found on the ships.

150 Central Park

If there's a top quality specialty restaurant that flies under the radar, it's 150 Central Park.

Available on the Oasis Class ships, 150 Central Park is a modern American restaurant that might appear overly fancy, but the cuisine is not only approachable, but fantastic.

I could rave about the entire menu, but there's three items I order every single time I go because they are just so good.

The garlic bread served when you sit is simply amazing, especially if you can manage to snag the middle piece before someone else at your table does. It's not drowning in oil, but has more than enough to make every bite satisfying.

The beef tenderloin for two is large enough you can actually share it with a tablemate, or keep it all to yourself. No judgements.

I think this is the best cut of steak on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship (although the new Iconic cuts at Chops Grille on Icon and Utopia of the Seas might change my opinion on that).

To finish out the meal, the fried cheesecake balls are just about the best comfort food I've found on a cruise ship.

While it doesn't have the widest menu out there, I think 150 Central Park has enough going for it that it warrants not only trying, but eating at every single time you're on an Oasis Class ship.

Aquadome Market

Royal Caribbean's first foray into a food hall concept quickly became one of my favorite restaurants to visit, day or night.

Aquadome Market is a series of stalls that serve a specific cuisine.  Each is freshly prepared, and it's perfect for a quick bite or a full meal.

• Crèpes
• Asian
• Mac and Cheese
• Greek pitas and bowls
• Sandwiches and salads

First and foremost, all the food in Aquadome Market is included in your cruise fare. Plus, it's all really good.  Best yet, it's open late, so you can get something other than a sandwich or pizza past 9pm!

I think the crèpes, pitas, and Asian bowls are the best choices available, and every time I happen to be anywhere near deck 15, I'll think twice if I want to stop by for something from the market.

Izumi Hibachi

If there's an award for restaurant I always leave full, satisfied, and entertained, it's Izumi hibachi.

Teppanyaki dining is as popular on Royal Caribbean's cruise ships as it is on land because it combines freshly grilled meats, rice, and vegetables with a show.  

When we eat at hibachi, I know we aren't leaving hungry. There's a lot of food served, and usually by the end the chef is asking if anyone wants third or fourth servings.

There's the choice of many different proteins with your meal: chicken, beef, lobster, shrimp, or scallops.  If that isn't enough food, you can actually order sushi too.

Whenever I'm asked for one specialty restaurant to recommend to try for families, couples, friends, or random people from the internet, my first choice is hibachi because of how well-received it is.

Main Dining Room

In coming up with this list, I wrote down my list on a piece of paper and really struggled with which I would pick for my fifth choice, but it was too difficult to overlook the Main Dining Room. 

The Main Dining Room is an institution on any cruise ship, and while it may not be the flashiest restaurant (and definitely not the newest), there's a reason it remains the top spot for dinner on every single Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

While not every single dish is necessarily my favorite, I can always find a few things each night that I really like. The sheer variety of food served in this restaurant across your cruise is impressive.

Not to mention the service gets just as much praise as the food. There are some seriously talented waiters that truly make an effort to get to know you and want to ensure you have a fabulous meal.

Whenever I go too heavy into specialty restaurants on a cruise, I get a hankering to return to the Main Dining Room because I really enjoy the tradition and ambiance you can only find there.

I've gone on many cruises by myself, but I recently ate in the Main Dining Room alone for the first time.

I recently took a 4-night Bahamas cruise on Freedom of the Seas without my family. It was a quick cruise to check out a few experiences in the ports of call, and going into the cruise, I assumed I would eat at the Windjammer buffet for my meals.

I enjoy cruising solo for how liberating it can be, but I've never dined in the Main Dining Room alone because it always seemed to be a weird idea. While I didn't think anyone would say anything to me, I just felt out of place to do it.

Read more: Dining on Royal Caribbean Guide

On embarkation day, I was browsing menus and changed my mind primarily because the dinner menu had a fish entree that sounded good, and a plated fish meal always tastes better to me than a self-service fish I grab from the buffet. For that reason, I decided to give the dining room a try.

Scouting ahead

Before committing fully to the idea, I took advantage of a good trick anyone should do on the first day of the cruise.

In the afternoon, I went down to the Main Dining Room to see what table Royal Caribbean had assigned me to.  I was curious to know if I had a table to myself, or I'd be seated with other guests.

Read more: How to not eat with strangers on a Royal Caribbean cruise

If you have Traditional Dining for your dinner plans, there is a deck and table assignment at the bottom of your SeaPass card to indicate where you'll be seated.

I walked into the Main Dining Room in the afternoon before dinner had begun to look for my table. If I had waited for dinner to see where I was assigned, it would have been far more awkward if I changed my mind because both guests and crew would have noticed me scooting out of there.

There's usually a crew member or two at the entrance doing some work, and you just have to let them know you're just looking around.

Sure enough, I had a table for two assigned to me. That seemed like it was a safe bet I had a table to myself.  

Some people cruising alone might actually prefer to be seated at a larger table so they can converse with others and feel less noticeably alone.  I actually preferred to be seated alone as to avoid having to make conversation. I don't mind talking to other guests in general, but a break at dinner seemed ideal to me.

Trying it out

I had the 5:45pm dinner time assigned, and was escorted to my table by a crew member as I entered the dining room.

Read more: How Royal Caribbean's Main Dining Room works and what to expect

Sure enough, it was just me at the table and I was pleased I had a table right by the window.

While my table was just for me, the neighboring tables are so close to each other that one could easily converse with the table next to you.  The people at the table next to me engaged in a few conversations with the table next to them.

The wait staff were warm and welcoming. I think they asked on the first night if I was dining with anyone else, but that was the extent of any questions or discussion that I was solo.

I ordered my food like I have in the past, and the entire meal went quite well. I never felt out of place, and I didn't feel like other guests were staring at me. In reality, no one cared.

I had lots of support

I shared my first dinner solo in the dining room on the Royal Caribbean Dining Facebook group, and a cavalcade of support followed.

Many others shared they really enjoyed dining alone, just as much as cruising solo.  I took a lot of solace in the fact my endeavor was not that far flung an idea.

Wendy Lamour wrote, "I eat alone all the time. I like the freedom of leaving when I want to. I also take my dessert to my cabin to eat later."

Cynthia Sirk added, "I took my first solo cruise in August and absolutely loved it. Peaceful, no worries about time, no one to consider but myself and sometimes we need that. I was treated so well by the staff and host. My table by the window was also wonderful!"

Caroline Cullen had a great outlook on the idea, "Don't ever be weirded out about dining alone. I do it all the time. Make yourself great company for yourself!"

There were over 200 comments on my post, and it reinforced how enjoyable dining alone can be.

I thought an idea by Daniel Kline was something I might consider in the future, "I sail solo a lot and dinner is a chance to reset and maybe read a book."  While I'm not a big reader, I never considered bringing something to read as a way to pass the time between servings.

The new menu changes made it easier

I ended up dining in the Main Dining Room for dinner on two other nights, and it was a great experience.

In retrospect, I think Royal Caribbean's speedier service in the Main Dining Room made eating alone in the Main Dining Room easier.

In 2023, Royal Caribbean revamped its Main Dining Room dinner menus. New themes, new items, and an attention to speedier service. I really think the speedier service made a difference.

Each of my three meals in the Main Dining Room was about an hour.  On night three, I was in and out in 45 minutes!

Prior to the menu update, dinner could sometimes take up to 2 hours, and I think not languishing in the Main Dining Room made it feel less awkward. Meals are long enough to feel like it's a sit down and relaxing experience without getting to the point that become restless.

I would eat alone again

Having tried eating dinner in the Main Dining Room alone, I would definitely do it again on a future cruise.

Any concerns I had about feeling out of place quickly disappeared during the course of the first evening. 

Just like how no one notices if you're sitting alone on the pool deck or in the theater, everyone else is wrapped up in their own meal.

I was glad I always had my phone with me to keep me occupied between courses. Investing in a WiFi package for anyone cruising solo is a great idea to be able to feel connected with friends and family back home.

I don't have another solo cruise booked for a few more months, but I would welcome the opportunity to eat alone in the Main Dining Room.

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas has 20 restaurants, from a hot dog stand to an "Alice in Wonderland"-themed restaurant.

The namesake ship of the Quantum Class launched in 2014 and is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world sailing to Alaska. The Quantum Class is best known for bringing industry firsts like the North Star observation capsule and SeaPlex, a multipurpose venue that hosts activities like roller skating, bumper cars, and more. 

Having never sailed to Alaska or onboard a Quantum Class ship, I was looking forward to this trip for months! Plus, it would mark the first time my dad and I would cruise by ourselves, and nothing beats quality time with your parents. 

Though the main appeal of the cruise was visiting Alaska, I couldn't overlook all of the food onboard, as it remains an important aspect of the cruise experience. 

Read more: I went on a 7-night Alaska cruise and stayed in a windowless cabin for $1,900

From delicious specialty restaurants to quick meals at Café @ Two70, here's a breakdown of what I ate during my 7-night cruise on Quantum of the Seas. 

Jamie's Italian 

We started off our 7-night cruise with lunch at Jamie's. We, of course, had to start with the delicious garlic buns. We ate two when they were served and saved the other two to dip in our pasta sauce! 

We also got the truffle arancini, as well as the truffle burrata. You can never have too much truffle, right?

Out of the two, we both enjoyed the arancini more— the Béchamel sauce is to die for! 

For our main course, my father and I ordered the penne vodka arrabbiata. We both have pretty high spice tolerances, so we didn't find this dish all that spicy; however, the pasta tasted incredibly fresh! Looking back, I should have asked for some extra red pepper flakes. 

After some indulgent appetizers and pasta, I figured I should start the cruise with some greens. The rocket salad is delicious. Though simple, the aged balsamic is flavorful enough. It doesn't need a ton of toppings! 

The tiramisu was one of the best desserts I had all week, topped only by those at Wonderland at Chops Grille. Truthfully, I don't order the tiramisu in the Main Dining Room anymore because it doesn't compare! 

My dad ordered the brownie and said, "You know, a chocolate brownie and ice cream is always good!"

Main Dining Room - Welcome Aboard 

Overall, the Main Dining Room was a bit of a disappointment on our Quantum of the Seas cruise. Though nothing was truly horrible, there wasn't anything worth writing home about, either. 

I appreciated how chilled the shrimp cocktail was served, but the fried chicken was a letdown. Perhaps I'm just too picky when it comes to fried chicken having been born and raised in the South. 

I thought it lacked the crunch that true Southern fried chicken should have. That being said, my father and I thought that the honey Tabasco sauce was quite tasty.

Main Dining Room - French 

I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed the butternut squash soup. This isn't typically a dish I'd order; however, I wanted to try something new! It was creamy and tasted even better with sourdough bread! 

The seafood linguine was even more of a disappointment than the fried chicken. The seafood itself was good; however, the sauce was extremely bland and left much to be desired. 

It didn't take long for me to choose a dessert, as I'm a firm believer that you can never go wrong with apple cobbler. 

Though crumbles are technically a bit different, they're pretty similar, with the primary difference being that crumbles have a streusel topping, whereas cobblers have biscuit-like toppings. Either way, I love a warm fruity dessert with vanilla ice cream!

Main Dining Room - Breakfast

I've never been a fan of the Windjammer for breakfast. It's too chaotic and, usually, the quality of the food is just okay.

Thankfully, my dad feels the same way I do, so we began most mornings in the Main Dining Room. 

When it comes to breakfast, I typically don't order too much; I'd rather have a larger lunch or dinner! My go-to was the "Eggs Your Way," with hashbrowns and fruit. My dad got the hashbrowns a lot, too, and he said they were one of his favorite things on the ship. 

One day, I opted for the cheddar cheese grits, which were a bit disappointing. They were pretty bland, and the cheese wasn't shredded finely enough to melt well. 

On Mother's Day, we arrived at 9:00am for brunch, which featured an expanded menu compared to breakfast the rest of the week. Having lost my mother a few years ago, it's never an easy day; however, I try to make it special by ordering her favorite foods, one of which was eggs benedict. 

The ham wasn't my favorite, as it had a weird texture in my opinion, but the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce were great! I think she would have approved. 

And while it was still early in the morning, we ordered the Royal chocolate cake, which is exactly what my mom would have done! The size was perfect for a small sweet treat to kickstart our final day onboard the ship. 

Windjammer

On the first morning of our cruise, we ventured up to the Windjammer for a quick breakfast. 

After that, we decided it was best for us to wake up earlier and go to the Main Dining Room. The food itself was okay, but, personally, I don't like starting off my day at a crowded buffet! 

Before disembarking in Juneau, we had a quick lunch in the Windjammer, and this was our best meal in the buffet all week! 

They served Laksa, a noodle dish that's popular in Southeast Asia. My dad thought it was so delicious that he got a second bowl! 

I spiced mine up with a dash of sesame and chili oil. 

Though not bland by any means, I prefer for my meals to have a kick, and if there's a way to spice something up, I'm going to! Looking back, I should have added more chili oil than I did. 

We ate lunch in the Windjammer on the last day of the cruise, too. Everything was just okay, which is what I expected. We figured it would be a bit hard to mess up roasted vegetables and a salad bar! 

The most disappointing meal we had was dinner in the Windjammer. Personally, I thought the Asian dishes were too salty, and the Kung Pao Chicken sauce was too sweet. The stir-fry was alright, but the Laksa was much, much better. 

Solarium Bistro

On Day 5 of our cruise, we sailed through Endicott Arms en route to Dawes Glacier. Though we couldn't get extremely close to the glacier due to the abundance of icebergs, sailing through the majestic fjords was quite a site. 

We woke up around 5:15am to claim front-row seats in the Solarium by 5:45am and decided it was best to have breakfast at the Solarium Bistro, rather than venturing across the ship to the Windjammer or downstairs to the Main Dining Room and miss the view.

Café @ Two70

Café @ Two70 was our go-to spot for lunch the first couple of days. It's a great place to grab a quick sandwich or salad, as well as take in the amazing views from Two70. 

The quality of the food, however, did leave a bit to be desired. When I ordered the Reuben, it was placed under a panini press and still served cold; the cheese wasn't even melted! Similarly, my dad said his sandwich was in the microwave for too long. 

The Thai noodle salad was also a bit bland. It would have been a winner with just a little more flavor in the dressing.

The desserts, however, were wonderful. The coffee cream puff had a strong coffee flavor, which I loved, and the red velvet cake was moist with the creamiest buttercream! 

Learning from my first experience, I opted to skip the sandwiches and just get some roast beef the next day, which was a much better choice. 

Similarly, I crafted my own salad, which tasted fresher than the ones I had in the Windjammer! 

Again, the dessert was a home run. I could have eaten an unacceptable amount of these mudslide cookies!

Pub

My dad doesn't cruise as frequently as I do, and while he's been on Freedom and Oasis Class ships, he's never taken time to listen to the live music in the pub! 

He ended up loving it, and we enjoyed drinks in the Harp & Horn Pub most evenings. We loved the small food menu they had and tried a couple items during our 7-night cruise! 

Between the German pretzels, pulled pork nachos, and fried pickles, our favorite treat was the pretzels. 

They were incredibly soft and served with spicy mustard! In my opinion, the fried pickles had too much breading, which made them a bit hard to bite into. 

Sorrento's

After returning from our excursion in Juneau, we opted for a quick and easy dinner at Sorrento's. We missed our traditional dining time in the Main Dining Room and weren't in the mood to deal with the crowds at the Windjammer. 

Honestly, Sorrento's has never been my favorite. As controversial as it sounds, I think Carnival and MSC Cruises have better pizza. For a quick meal or snack, though, it always hits the spot, especially with some crushed red pepper flakes. 

I went with two slices of cheese, whereas my dad wanted the veggie pizza. He said his slices were a bit cold, and after trying the cheese, he said he should have gotten them to begin with! 

Splash Away Cafe

Day 6 was spent at sea, and rather than return to the Windjammer or Café @ Two70°, we decided to try the specialty options at Splash Away Cafe. Though they had complimentary chicken tenders, mini hot dogs, and chocolate chip cookies, we were interested in the Asian dishes.

After ordering and receiving our food, we headed inside to sit at the Windjammer because it was too cold to eat on the pool deck! This ended up being quite advantageous, as we were near the soy and hot sauces, which were needed to add an extra kick to the dishes. 

Between the Kung Pao Chicken and Cantonese Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup, we'd skip the chicken and just order the soup. Though far better than the Kung Pao Chicken my dad tried in the Windjammer, it still wasn't quite what you'd expect at a land-based Chinese restaurant. 

Wonderland

Having tried Wonderland on Symphony of the Seas last year, I was curious to see what my dad would think of this unique dining experience. He went into the meal with a few appetizers in mind, not knowing that the culinary guide would choose them for us! 

We were brought The Bird's Nest, Mad Hatter's Purple Potted Shrimp, Crispy Crab Cones, Liquid Lobster, Tomato Water, and Baby Vegetables in the Garden. 

The Crispy Crab Cones, Baby Vegetables in the Garden, and Tomato Water were new to me, and out of the three, I preferred the vegetables. The sauce drizzled on top was delicious, and each vegetable was perfectly tender. We finished just about everything on the plate, including the "dirt." 

For our entrée, my dad and I ordered The Rib "I" Luscious Short Rib, which, like the vegetables, was incredibly tender in its own way. 

The mashed potatoes were mouthwatering, too, with the tomatoes being some of the juiciest I've ever had. The only quarrel I had with the short rib was that the cut of meat contained a lot of fat that I had to cut around. 

The star of the entire meal, however, was dessert. When we sat down, my dad saw the table next to us being served desserts and wanted to skip to the end of the meal! To be fair, he's a man who loves his sweet treats. 

He wasn't disappointed, either. In fact, he loved the salted caramel ice cream so much that he asked for more! Our culinary guide even offered to bring him another chocolate orb because he could tell that he enjoyed it so much. 

Chops Grille

In addition to Jamie's and Wonderland, we ate at Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean's signature steakhouse. Since we were docked in Victoria, British Columbia on the last night of the cruise, this was our final dinner onboard Quantum of the Seas— we saved the best for last! 

I started with the jumbo shrimp cocktail, which was indeed jumbo. I appreciated that it was served over a bed of ice, so the shrimp were perfectly chilled. 

I was stuck between ordering the lobster bisque and goat cheese salad for my second course. 

In the end, I went with the bisque, mostly because I wanted to compare it to the bisque I had at The Porch on Celebrity Reflection a few weeks ago! Overall, they were pretty similar; however, I think the one at Chops was creamier with a stronger lobster flavor.

I appreciate that they offered a petit filet, as I don't think I would have been able to finish a 9oz cut of meat. My dad and I ordered our steaks medium; however, his came out slightly more cooked—  it was definitely closer to medium well. 

When thinking about the steak I had at Tuscan Grille on Celebrity Reflection, the one on Celebrity was the clear winner. However, the filet at Chops was still delicious and juicy. 

For our sides, we split the mashed potatoes and asparagus. 

While I loved both, I preferred the potatoes served with my short rib at Wonderland. The asparagus, however, were so tender! I could have eaten more than two of them. 

My dad ordered the warm chocolate cake for dessert, and while it sounded tempting, I went with the warm apple pie à la mode. He thought the cake was good, but he was a bigger fan of the orb served in Wonderland. 

My dessert was wonderful and the best I had on the ship! It wasn't served too warm, and the scoop of vanilla ice cream was the perfect size to complete the slice of pie. 

We pre-purchased our three specialty meals through Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner, paying $137.42 per person for two dinners and one lunch

In addition, we spent close to $35 on snacks in the pub, as well as lunch at Splash Away Cafe. 

Though there was plenty of complimentary dining onboard Quantum of the Seas, we found it well worth the price to pay for a few specialty meals, especially Wonderland and Chops. 

Those sailing to Alaska will want to have some meals off the ship, too, especially if you love fresh seafood. 

We had some of the best crab legs of our lives at the Skagway Brewing Company (pictured above), though we'd skip the Crab House in Icy Strait Point. My dad loved the restaurant in Skagway so much that he purchased a t-shirt in the downstairs gift shop! 

Read more: Local’s guide of what to do in Skagway, Alaska

We had a wonderful dinner in Victoria, British Columbia, too. We disembarked the ship with no true plan in mind— we were going to wander the downtown area and see what we happened to stumble into. 

After my dad admired a large tree near the Parliament building, we continued to walk until we came across Bard & Banker. Not only was the building itself beautiful, but the food was delicious!, especially the parmesan brussel sprouts and prawn pesto linguine. 

Royal Caribbean is building a restaurant that will make you feel like you're dining on a train traveling through the Old West.

Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class ship, will be the only ship in the fleet to feature an immersive train car dining experience. 

Though still two months from entering service, the excitement around the brand-new specialty restaurant continues to grow. 

Royal Caribbean Blog had an exclusive opportunity to visit Royal Caribbean's headquarters in Miami, Florida for a sneak peek regarding what guests can expect when dining at Royal Railway - Utopia Station. From the unique dishes, specialty cocktails, and overall ambiance, I can confirm it's worth the hype. 

Welcome aboard

Royal Caribbean has been steadily improving its cocktail game, and you can expect a range of new beverages to set the mood with the Royal Railway.

Royal Caribbean's beverage team worked to develop new alcoholic beverages that reminisce about the Wild West.  The idea is the drinks evoke the spirit of the specific time period and place your train will visit.

Early ideas for cocktails include a Pisco Sour, a drink that was popular in San Francisco during the era, to cocktails inspired by the Gold Rush and even a bourbon cherry Coke for something a bit more mainstream. 

Since Utopia Station is very much a family-friendly specialty restaurant, kids can enjoy a non-alcoholic Sarsaparilla served in a flask. 

Special effects and a new atmosphere

Royal Caribbean's team was intent to set the mood by crafting this experience to have a real feel to it.

Some ideas include a departure board, boarding ticket, and mingling with other passengers.

The immersive experience begins before you step onto your designated train car. 

"This is truly a storytelling platform," said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer. 

It's clear the intent is to give passengers something completely different from a traditional cruise ship specialty restaurant, and in its early stage of development, they have some really fun ideas.

The Wild West theme, which is the first to debut on Utopia when the ship launches in July, is what Schneider referred to as a "long form" story that's a "lean in family experience." 

Schneider discussed how "short form" stories aren't out of the picture, though. 

"Short form would be whiskey tasting through the Tennessee mountains, or when we do our wine tasting today, we sometimes do it in [the] Main Dining [Room].”

“It would be much better to [do a] wine tasting in a room like this where...you're flying through Napa and can...pair wines with things as that kind of immersion," he said. 

Despite being an immersive dining experience, train passengers have time between theatrical moments to mingle with their party and enjoy the meal. 

Just like dining theater of the past, there will times where something is happening to capture your attention, and other times to enjoy being in the restaurant.

The experience is meant to appeal to guests of all ages, with jokes and elements targeted to be understood by different age groups. The guidebook, for instance, reads, “Ever since becoming a dry county in 1861, spirits here have been pretty low.”

A menu to match the journey

During our preview, the experience was an overview of what guests might expect onboard. It's not quite set yet, including the menu.

We were given an idea of what Royal Caribbean has in mind, as a means of understanding the overall idea and pace of the meal.  

Don't assume anything shown on the menu will make the final cut, but it's clear there's a motif in mind.  This will not be just another steakhouse, Italian restaurant, or something else familar.

The menu certainly seemed like it borrwed ideas from classic Western United States fare, to new takes on old favorites.

If nothing else, I hope the "Fart & Dart beans" name makes the final cut.

It's clear Royal Caribbean has built upon the concept of an entire menu with a cohesive theme, similar to Wonderland or even the Mason Jar.

Royal Railway's menu incorporates fun ideas along with crowd pleasers.  The “Royal Railway Cigar” dessert is one idea they are working on, and it ties back into the story of the ride.

From the steam on the platform to various effects on the train, the goal is to “trick” everyone’s senses as they walk into Utopia Station

While you may technically be on a cruise ship, you’re supposed to believe you could be boarding a train to the Wild West. 

Every seat, for instance, is equipped with a "butt-kicker." According to Schneider, “The intent of the butt-kicker is it’s timed with the noise jostling, so when you saw the actor kind of jump forward…these seats got a butt-kick…that butt-kick will be episodic"

They’re also working on incorporating scents into the experience, so if there’s an explosion, you should smell a hint of sulfur. However, they must be able to evacuate the smell for the next group. 

During my ride, I also heard a gunshot echo throughout the train car. In the future, however, passengers should expect to hear bandits running “across” the top of the car. 

Once completed, Utopia of the Seas will be one of the largest cruise ships in the world

Coming in at 236,860 gross registered tons and 1,188, Utopia of the Seas is slightly larger than Wonder of the Seas, the newest Oasis Class ship at sea that launched in 2022. 

As Royal Caribbean's first-ever ship built targeting the short cruise market, guests will find numerous brand favorites and new experiences on 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas. 

It's meant to attract passengers who may be weary about committing to a weeklong cruise but still want to get a taste of what makes Royal Caribbean one of the most popular mainstream cruise lines in the world. 

"There will be nothing better on planet Earth than having a phenomenal experience and party vibe onboard Utopia of the Seas," said Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

Guests can begin their day at the lively Lime & Coconut Bar on the pool deck before transitioning to the brand-new Caribbean-themed bar, Pesky Parrot, in the Royal Promenade. 

After enjoying a tropical cocktail, passengers can make their way to one of the many dining options onboard, whether it's Royal Railway - Utopia Station, the classic Main Dining Room, the two-story Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, or casual Windjammer Marketplace. 

Read more: Utopia of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

Of course, it isn't a Royal Caribbean cruise to The Bahamas without a stop at their award-winning private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

Guests have the option to enjoy the exciting amenities on the ships, ranging from the zip line to the FlowRider surf simulator, miniature golf, Perfect Storm water slides, and more, or venture ashore and test their bravery at Thrill Waterpark, relax at Coco Beach Club, head to the adults-only Hideaway Beach, or enjoy the complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas scattered throughout the island. 

However you decide to spend your vacation on Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean promises that it will be a memorable getaway.

Read more: Photos show Utopia of the Seas beginning her sea trials

Utopia of the Seas' inaugural voyage is slated to depart from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida on July 19, 2024

Initially, Utopia of the Seas was scheduled to begin making regular sailings on July 22; however, construction moved faster than planned, and Royal Caribbean bumped the highly-awaited maiden voyage up a few days. 

Rather than a 4-night cruise to The Bahamas, Utopia's first cruise will be a 3-night voyage to The Bahamas, with all planned itineraries afterward remaining unaffected.  

Port Canaveral is the second largest cruise terminal in the world, surpassed only by PortMiami, which is home to Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship. Utopia of the Seas will be joined by Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's second Icon Class ship, in 2025. 

On my recent Icon of the Seas cruise, I set out to find the best dishes onboard.

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship has gained notoriety for its size and innovations.

Along with upgrades in design and amenities, Royal Caribbean made an effort to improve the food onboard as well.

Icon of the Seas has an almost overwhelming variety of food available.

Not only does the ship have over 20 dining venues on board, but each venue also has a large selection of dishes to choose from.

One week certainly wasn't enough time to try it all, but I decided to focus on the complimentary options and find some new favorites.

Here are the top seven free dishes I think everyone should try on Icon of the Seas.

Read more: Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

Sugar cinnamon donuts 

Located at: Park Café

Park Café, the only complimentary restaurant located in Central Park, is somewhat of a hidden gem on the Icon of the Seas.

Nestled between the beautiful trees and bushes, this venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I highly recommend checking out their breakfast options.

If you love pastries of any kind, Park Café will have something for you.

Whether you're feeling donuts, muffins, croissants, danishes, or cinnamon rolls, there's a selection of every flavor imaginable.

My personal favorite here was the sugar cinnamon donut—a fluffy, sweet pastry perfect for a small breakfast.

And even though I'm someone who doesn't always love breakfast, I thought the pastries here were light, delicious, and not too sweet!

Avocado tofu salad

Located at: the Main Dining Room

This appetizer is usually served on Caribbean night at the Main Dining Room.

It features chilled tofu marinated in honey and soy sauce tossed with plump grape tomatoes, ripe avocados, and white sesame seeds.

I love avocados and soy sauce, so this dish hit the spot. 

The tofu was also well-handled, not too starchy or too mushy.

It's a lovely, refreshing marinated dish that mixes sweet and savory flavors.  

The only complaint I could make about this dish is that it's a little small, but the waitstaff at the Main Dining Room always encourage guests to order more dishes if they desire.

Read more: I ate at every new restaurant on Icon of the Seas and here's how I would rank them

Strip steak

Located at: the Main Dining Room

One of the main reasons I happily eat the complimentary food on a cruise is that the food included in the cruise fare is just so high-quality!

Whenever I order a steak dish at the Main Dining Room, I can't differentiate between it and a meal from the popular, extra-cost Chops Grille.

This strip steak from Icon's Main Dining Room menu comes made to order, and I usually ask for them to cook it medium.

Served with a baked potato, carrots, broccoli, and a creamy side of flavored butter, this meal makes for a hearty, delicious dinner.

Whenever I order this dish, I usually struggle to finish everything!

Mediterranean bowls

Located at: AquaDome Market

A brand-new food hall on Icon of the Seas, the AquaDome Market has more tasty dishes than I have space to recommend here.

The venue is located at the front of the ship's AquaDome and features five unique stalls of different types of food. 

Crème de la Crèpe serves sweet crèpes, GNGR offers up Asian cuisine, Mac's has various flavors of mac and cheese, Toast and Garden serves sandwiches and salads, and you can find Mediterranean food at Feta.

At Feta, you can select a base (gyro, rice, or lettuce), protein (chicken, pork, or egg), and toppings, and then add sauces to your liking.

The dish is completely adjustable to whatever you prefer, but I quickly learned that I loved creating a chicken bowl with lettuce as my base.

I would top it with onions, tomatoes, and hummus, and end up with a quick, delicious, healthy, and filling meal!

Bacon mac and cheese

Located at: AquaDome Market

Another type of stall at the AquaDome Market, Mac's, exclusively offers different types of mac and cheese. 

You can try multiple different kinds: classic, bacon, chili, broccoli, and pepperoni pizza.

My personal favorite was the bacon flavor: it was a simple yet tasty salty, cheesy mix.

Paired with a glass of lemonade, eating a bowl of this mac and cheese makes you feel like a kid again, enjoying a snack after school.

Hummus snack

Located at: Pearl Café

Another new free venue onboard Icon of the Seas is the Pearl Café.

Located above the Royal Promenade, next to the Pearl art installation, this café is the perfect spot for a grab-and-go snack or drink.

The Café serves complimentary and specialty coffee, juice, soda, snacks, and desserts, all in portable containers.

The desserts were located behind a counter, but the snacks could be found in an open-air fridge, meaning you could just walk up to one and pick out what you liked.

My favorite healthy snack at the Pearl Café is a snack pack filled with hummus, ranch, carrots, celery, and cucumbers.

Read more: The 10 Essential Dishes to Eat on Icon of the Seas

It's the perfect quick bite to eat; whether you're sitting down to enjoy live music in the Promenade or taking it back to your cabin.

While the dessert menu at Pearl Café changed daily, the hummus snack was something I could always expect to be there on every day of the cruise. 

Chicken madras curry

Located at: the Windjammer

Royal Caribbean's complimentary buffet was even larger and better on Icon of the Seas.

As someone who loves Asian food, I was glad to see they had distinct sections for both Chinese and Indian cuisine.

I love tasting the Indian food at the Windjammer, and the chicken madras curry was a dish I hadn't seen before stepping onboard Icon.

It's a fragrant, red curry made with paprika and tamarind, which adds a little bit of tang.

As someone who loves spicy food, I did find this dish was pretty mild, and wished they served a hotter version.

However, this does make it more accessible for anyone who can't handle spice but might like to try this dish.

I highly recommend this curry, and I loved pairing it with a cooling yogurt sauce on the side.