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In this video I look at the 8 cruise dining mistakes I keep seeing my fellow cruise passengers make these days. As things are changing constantly, it is easy to slip out, get caught out and not quite get dining right.
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0:00
everything has changed so we all need to
0:03
too when I started cruising there was
0:05
one main dining room with the first and
0:06
second seating and a buffet all I had to
0:09
do was decide which seating time and
0:12
table size I wanted and that was it but
0:14
now dining is so much more complicated
0:16
and there are things I see cruises keep
0:19
getting wrong until now if you follow
0:21
these tips you definitely won't welcome
0:23
aboard I'm Gary behmage and let's go
0:25
cruise ship dining before a cruise I
0:29
first of all make sure I know the
0:31
current evening dining setup and options
0:33
really important because it keeps
0:34
changing there are two key venues that I
0:37
check first of all what the main dining
0:40
room situation is on the particular ship
0:42
right now and it's not actually as
0:44
simple as it sounds for example a cruise
0:46
on Celebrity silhouette and there was
0:48
one large main dining room now a couple
0:51
of months later I returned to celebrity
0:53
this Summer's going on edge but instead
0:55
of one main dining room there were four
0:58
small theme ones that I had to choose
1:00
from and rotate around the Cosmopolitan
1:02
Tuscan Normandy and Cyprus attitudes
1:04
which what time what table size and who
1:08
I dined with every single night now my
1:11
next Cruise which is on Disney Magic
1:13
they also had no main dining room but
1:16
three dining rooms Rapunzel's World
1:17
Table animated palette and Luminaires
1:21
but instead of being able to choose
1:22
which and when I was given a strict
1:25
schedule and I had to rotate through
1:27
them on set days or is it the same table
1:30
number with the same table Companions
1:32
and waiting staff the cruise after that
1:34
was on Cunard Queen Elizabeth a line I
1:36
thought I knew the dining set up well to
1:39
find instead of the two Set dining times
1:41
that I'd known literally for decades
1:43
they were now three early late and
1:46
anytime dining another complication with
1:48
main dining rooms on some ships is which
1:51
one you eat in may also depend on what
1:53
cabin type that you're actually in so
1:55
for example on Celebrity While most
1:58
people dying in the main dining room or
2:00
those main dining rooms those in aqua
2:03
grade cabins dying in a restaurant
2:04
called blue and those in Suites in
2:07
luminai Cunard of course is famous for
2:09
having four different main dining rooms
2:12
based on the grade of cabin Britannia
2:14
Britannia Club princess and queen's
2:17
Grill on the big resorts like Norwegian
2:20
Embassy cruises Royal Caribbean they
2:22
also have different main dining rooms
2:25
for sweet and regular guests so once
2:27
I've fathomed all that out once I'm
2:29
clear on where I'm dining I personally
2:31
prefer to go for the anytime dining
2:32
option if they have that where I can go
2:34
when I want rather than those fixed
2:37
dining times but the key then is finding
2:39
out if I can book those times before
2:42
I have to do during the cruise or if
2:44
it's on a first come first serve basis
2:46
each evening that being my least
2:48
favorite because it can often mean
2:50
hanging around waiting at busy times it
2:52
is really important you find that out so
2:54
you can plan your evenings in advance
2:56
because you may decide you want to use
2:59
the buffet some evenings for example now
3:00
talking of Buffets that is not as simple
3:03
as it used to be these days I now find I
3:06
also need to check if the buffet is an
3:09
evening option or not and I had always
3:12
found and assumed that buffet
3:14
restaurants would be open in fact most
3:16
of the day on every single cruise line
3:18
and always for dinner but I've learned
3:20
that may not be the case any longer now
3:23
while it still is on Resort lines like
3:26
Carnival Norwegian or Caribbean MSC and
3:29
the premium lines as they're called like
3:31
princess Holland America celebrity it is
3:33
not always an option on other lines
3:35
particularly more premium lines now for
3:38
example on that Disney Magic cruise I
3:40
was talking about the buffet was not
3:41
open in the evenings on some small ship
3:44
lines like Azamara Ultra Luxury lines
3:46
like region 7c Seabourn silver C the
3:49
buffets turned into an A La Carte served
3:52
restaurant at night so there's no Buffet
3:54
option so once I've got all that sorted
3:56
out here is the next big mistake that I
3:58
see all too often Cruisers do not take
4:00
the time to understand what food is
4:02
currently included in the cruise fan now
4:05
that's key because it's changing as the
4:07
lines look to cut back us and increase
4:09
our actual onboard spend so for example
4:12
on returning to hunt America I found
4:14
that they were starting to charge for
4:16
some items like a lobster in the main
4:18
dining room other lines have you know an
4:21
added surcharges for other included
4:24
items so watch out for that so what
4:26
dining and food is included does
4:28
actually differ by Cruise Line and again
4:31
it can also vary based on the grade of
4:33
carbon let me give you a typical example
4:34
of usual occlusions in food based on my
4:37
recent holiday America conning stamp
4:38
Crews included was the main dining room
4:40
breakfast lunch and dinner Lido
4:42
Marketplace Buffet opened from about 6
4:44
a.m to about 11 30 p.m early riser
4:47
breakfast options in the coffee shop
4:48
areas Dive In burgers and pizza on the
4:51
pool deck soft serve ice cream room
4:53
service afternoon tea regular tea and
4:56
coffee and special events like a special
4:58
chocolate night but if you're in a suite
5:01
there was also included food all day in
5:03
the Suites Neptune Lounge right the way
5:05
from breakfast to evening snacks and
5:07
canapes the more premium line you go on
5:10
the more of course this can be included
5:12
so on lines like Oceania as Amara region
5:15
70s Viking and so on even the specialty
5:18
of restaurant food is included you don't
5:20
pay extra to go to those so don't miss
5:22
out by not asking and checking exactly
5:25
what food and dining options are
5:28
included in your fair the third big
5:29
mistake I see is around specially dining
5:31
adding a lot of cost to the cruise by
5:34
feeling almost the need that you have to
5:37
go in case you're missing out on
5:38
something now I ask three questions do I
5:41
have a budget for it like do I show
5:42
onboard credit for example is there a
5:45
special event like a birthday happening
5:47
while I'm on board which makes it worth
5:48
the extra or 30 is it a food or dishes I
5:52
can't get in my included venue on the
5:54
cruise so for example on Holland America
5:55
they have Tamarind and incredible Asian
5:58
fusion especially restaurant that I like
5:59
to go to now assuming that all these
6:02
questions answer these questions
6:03
convince me I should do special a dining
6:05
there are still a couple of things I
6:07
check out to avoid kind of other
6:09
mistakes and overpaying first of all I
6:12
check if there are offers or included
6:14
specially dining there often are so for
6:16
example I've recently booked an MSC
6:18
Norwegian fjords cruise and in my cruise
6:20
planner there are heavily discarded
6:23
packages online of two or three
6:25
specialty dining nights many lines offer
6:28
50 of especially dining on the first
6:30
night and on embarkation day they set up
6:33
promotional stores around the ship with
6:35
specialty dining deals so always check
6:37
those out now on that MSC cruise I've
6:39
booked as a status match other Cruise
6:42
Line status I used my Cunard status to
6:44
get diamond status on MSC which also now
6:47
means I get specially dining for one
6:49
night for free so I always check the
6:52
offers and if there are any inclusions
6:54
in loyalty status or the fare if I'm
6:57
thinking of doing Special dining now
6:59
next issue with that is booking now many
7:02
specially restaurants fill up fast on
7:04
popular days particularly sea days and
7:06
of course at popular times so I book
7:08
specially dining as soon as the bookings
7:10
open online because there are usually no
7:12
cancellation fees if I want to change
7:14
your mind so no risk finally I check on
7:16
the rules now some lines limit how often
7:19
you can book to go like on Disney Magic
7:20
I could only go to the amazing Paulo the
7:23
Italian special restaurant once they
7:25
also had a rule that it was adult only
7:27
many lines also have Smart dress codes
7:29
for specially dining so I then know what
7:32
I need to pack another mistake or
7:34
perhaps missed opportunity is not taking
7:37
advantage to try local or regional foods
7:40
on offer while on a cruise now find that
7:43
most lines have local or Regional themed
7:46
nights or dishes these are often in the
7:48
buffet with selected dishes in the main
7:50
dining room now this for example was the
7:53
case on my recent Holland America South
7:54
America cruise where they had Chilean
7:56
and Argentinian nights but they also had
7:59
Japanese and Indian nights too so a
8:02
chance to try unusual Foods so look out
8:05
for and go to these it gives a real
8:07
opportunity to try and experiment with
8:09
unusual and unique foods for no extra
8:12
cost by the way talking of things to
8:14
look out for menus these days are often
8:16
also going to have a spa section with
8:18
low calorie low sugar and salt options
8:21
and of course more vegan and vegetarian
8:23
dishes so look after those or ask for
8:25
those and also don't assume there is no
8:27
flexibility in the menus while on some
8:29
cruise lines you can go way off menu
8:31
like in Q not Queens grill or an Ultra
8:34
Luxury lines like Regent you can pretty
8:36
much order anything you want but on most
8:39
lines there still is flexibility within
8:41
the menu so I've been able to ask for
8:43
example for an extra main dish or
8:45
perhaps a selection of desserts not just
8:47
one dressings on the side you know extra
8:50
seamed vegetables or a green salad even
8:52
though it's not on the menu dishes can
8:54
often be adjusted like for example on
8:55
her America recently that was talking
8:57
about they only offered creamed spinach
8:59
but I was just for normal spinach and
9:02
you know straightforward baked potatoes
9:04
it was all possible even though it was
9:06
not on the menu now many lions can do
9:09
this because the Kitchens on cruise
9:10
ships often serve all of the restaurants
9:12
so it's one Central Kitchen the most
9:15
extreme example of that for example I
9:17
found on Disney where even though I was
9:19
rotating around the different
9:20
restaurants each night with different
9:21
menus I could actually order any dish
9:23
from any of the other menus if I wanted
9:25
if you do have any dietary issues let
9:29
the line know when you book and as soon
9:32
as you can once you're on board talk to
9:34
the maitre d in the main dining room
9:36
they will be the absolute key for
9:38
ensuring that your knees are catered For
9:40
Now how lines deal with diet is vary
9:43
some will give you menus in advance
9:44
check others just at the time of the
9:46
meal and I always encourage friends who
9:48
have allergies to stick to the main
9:50
dining room and avoid the buffet because
9:52
it is much harder to be sure and check
9:54
the dishes met your needs and I forget
9:56
messages from people who've had a bad
9:58
experience by relying on the buffet
10:00
talking to the buffet I also recommend
10:02
following some guidelines that the
10:04
well-known Cruise review site Cruise
10:06
Critic has about what to do and what to
10:08
avoid in the buffet it's a list I follow
10:10
and it's definitely worked for me so
10:12
they suggest for example avoiding foods
10:15
and serving implements that others will
10:16
have manhandled a lot so focus on items
10:19
served by the crew like stations making
10:22
for sandwiches the carvery salad
10:26
station a pasta making station and so on
10:28
avoid foods that could go off or not be
10:31
perfect if they've been sitting for a
10:32
while like sushi or pizza you know grab
10:34
those as they're being made or pizza
10:36
when it's just come out the pizza oven
10:37
if you're having self-serve ice cream
10:39
use a tub rather than a cone because
10:42
people have been touching the handle
10:44
avoid big communal sauce bottles ask the
10:47
crew for sachets of ketchup or
10:48
mayonnaise instead another change from
10:50
the past and some mistake many make is
10:53
taking food from dining venues and
10:56
taking them out into Port now on my
10:57
recent cruises in the Caribbean and
10:59
South America and even in the
11:00
Mediterranean the local authorities no
11:03
longer allow us to take food products
11:05
off the ship and many of them had
11:07
searches or used dogs to check regions
11:10
are becoming increasingly concerned
11:11
about introducing bugs or contaminants
11:14
So Gone are the days of perhaps making a
11:16
sandwich taking some pastries or fruit
11:18
out into the port if I want to take
11:21
something out I look for sealed items
11:23
you know like snack bars which are
11:25
sometimes a fine available in the buffet
11:27
for example possibly one of the most
11:30
important things to do now is watch this
11:33
video where I look at the main dining
11:35
room do's and don'ts where I start with
11:37
a thing that most Cruisers do not
11:39
realize is critical in the main dining
11:41
room see you over there
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