*All opinions are my own.
Before I started my job as a Travel Guide, I scanned countless Youtube videos and Cruise Critic photos with one question in mind: What is the food like on a cruise ship? After all, this vessel would be my floating home for the next five months–the place where I would work, sleep, and eat! Now that I’ve already worked over half of my contract (wow, where does the time go?), I have a better understanding of what cruise ship dining is like. Are you curious where cruise crew eat on a cruise ship? Let’s explore! And of course, all of this is made possible by the amazing Food and Beverage team and colleagues. They work so very hard. Thanks to them!
Buffet Dining in the Lido
Something I love about this job is that we’re able to eat in guest areas, such as the Lido buffet. There is a mess (cafeteria) just for crew, but most of the time my schedule allows me to take advantage of the Lido. It’s also a great way to have the chance of interacting with guests. So it’s a win/win! This is where I eat the majority of my meals, and I appreciate the variety that you see in here. There’s the main grill, a pasta station, salad bar, sushi, and more!
A beautiful breakfast genuinely gets me excited for the day (and some days can be very long, indeed), so I love knowing that I can always find something delicious. I feel spoiled knowing I can swing by the omelette station, grab a pastry, or load up on as much smoked salmon as I’d like.
Main Dining Room
The dining room is first and foremost a guest space, but if there’s space, I’m sometimes able to get in for special occasions (for example, my birthday!). It’s a nice change of pace because you’re being served three courses and get to relax in a beautiful setting. I’ll always go for the caramel lava cake for dessert if it’s on offer!
Specialty Dining
What really adds a sense of occasion is going to one of the specialty dining restaurants onboard. My ship has Pinnacle Grill (a steak house) and Canaletto (an Italian restaurant) as well as some pop ups here and there. I could lie and say that I only go for special occasions, but sometimes the occasion is: I just want to get dressed up with friends and eat a nice steak! Pinnacle is famous for its Clothesline Candied Bacon appetizer…but I’m always a sucker for the crab cakes instead!
Eating in Port
Even though the food onboard is delicious, sometimes it’s nice to just get a bit of variety. This summer contract in Alaska took me to a lot of the same ports over and over, so I was able to find some favorite places (like Wildflour Cafe in Sitka, AK!). Honestly, I try to limit my eating in port, because food is always free on the ship! Eating on the ship is one of the best ways to save money during a contract, but a treat in port now and then is good for morale 😉 And if I ever get a contract that takes me through Greece or Italy…well I’m sure all bets will be off at that point!
So, that’s a little bit about what crew eats on a cruise ship! Do you have any other questions about cruise ship life? Comment below or drop me a line on Instagram!
Hugs,
Xx Denae
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