5 Mistakes You Must Avoid When Eating On A Cruise

Eating on a cruise ship is different from dining at a restaurant so some people may not know what to expect. There are some rules that have to be observed regardless of your experience with cruises and they may seem a bit baffling at first.

However, once you learn the ropes, it will become an enjoyable experience you can look forward to. Below are some mistakes you need to avoid when eating on a cruise.

1.Not making reservations

If you book open dining, you can visit the main dining area when you want, however, a table is not guaranteed right away. If you decide to eat at peak dinner time, the wait time for a table could be between 30 minutes to an hour. To avoid this, it is better to make reservations ahead of time. Fortunately, most cruise lines have an online reservation system which makes it easy to book tables beforehand,

2.Eating in the main dining area on the first night

For those who go on cruises regularly, it is tradition to eat in the main dining area on the first night. The practice can be traced back to when diners could enjoy the best dishes of the voyage on the night the ship sails. However, these great dishes are now often reserved for formal nights so there’s little reason to eat in the main dining area on the first night but people still do. This means specialty restaurants struggle for customers on the first night. This is a great opportunity to try them out.

3.Thinking you won’t pay extra for any meal

In the past, everything in the main dining area was included in the cruise cost but with the rising prices of ingredients, this is no longer true. Some dishes now come at extra cost. These meals usually contain prime ingredients like lobster.

4.Not demanding to see your table upon arrival

When you choose traditional dining, you will have the same table every day and won’t have to worry about reservations or waiting for spots to open up. However, it is worth noting that the table you get is the table you will keep for the rest of the voyage so if it is stuck near a toilet or a waiter’s station, that won’t change. Fortunately, it is possible to see your table on your first day. If you don’t like your table you can ask to have it moved.

5.Not knowing how to dress

Every cruise line has its own dress codes so it is best you learn yours before visiting the dining room. On an average night, it is fine to wear a t-shirt and jeans as long as they look neat. Avoid wearing anything casual for dinner and always wear a shoe because flip-flops get turned away.