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Way Too Many Cruisers Make These Cruise Dining Mistakes..
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Jan 28, 2025
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. For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron: --------------------------------------------------- * Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * YouTube Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products: --------------------------------------------------- * T-Shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore * Mugs, notebooks, hoodies etc: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/tipsfortravellers?ref_id=22354 My social media: --------------------------------------------------- * Blog: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com * Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers * Instagram: http://www.instgram.com/garybembridge * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bembridge
View Video Transcript
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
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carbon let me give you a typical example
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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
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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
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the Suites Neptune Lounge right the way
5:05
from breakfast to evening snacks and
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canapes the more premium line you go on
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the more of course this can be included
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so on lines like Oceania as Amara region
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70s Viking and so on even the specialty
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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
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mistake I see is around specially dining
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adding a lot of cost to the cruise by
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feeling almost the need that you have to
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go in case you're missing out on
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something now I ask three questions do I
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have a budget for it like do I show
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onboard credit for example is there a
5:45
special event like a birthday happening
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while I'm on board which makes it worth
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the extra or 30 is it a food or dishes I
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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
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fusion especially restaurant that I like
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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
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example I've recently booked an MSC
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Norwegian fjords cruise and in my cruise
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planner there are heavily discarded
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packages online of two or three
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specialty dining nights many lines offer
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50 of especially dining on the first
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night and on embarkation day they set up
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promotional stores around the ship with
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specialty dining deals so always check
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those out now on that MSC cruise I've
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booked as a status match other Cruise
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Line status I used my Cunard status to
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get diamond status on MSC which also now
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means I get specially dining for one
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night for free so I always check the
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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
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next issue with that is booking now many
7:02
specially restaurants fill up fast on
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popular days particularly sea days and
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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
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the rules now some lines limit how often
7:19
you can book to go like on Disney Magic
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I could only go to the amazing Paulo the
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Italian special restaurant once they
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also had a rule that it was adult only
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many lines also have Smart dress codes
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for specially dining so I then know what
7:32
I need to pack another mistake or
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perhaps missed opportunity is not taking
7:37
advantage to try local or regional foods
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on offer while on a cruise now find that
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most lines have local or Regional themed
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nights or dishes these are often in the
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buffet with selected dishes in the main
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dining room now this for example was the
7:53
case on my recent Holland America South
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America cruise where they had Chilean
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and Argentinian nights but they also had
7:59
Japanese and Indian nights too so a
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chance to try unusual Foods so look out
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for and go to these it gives a real
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opportunity to try and experiment with
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unusual and unique foods for no extra
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cost by the way talking of things to
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look out for menus these days are often
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also going to have a spa section with
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low calorie low sugar and salt options
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and of course more vegan and vegetarian
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dishes so look after those or ask for
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those and also don't assume there is no
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flexibility in the menus while on some
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cruise lines you can go way off menu
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like in Q not Queens grill or an Ultra
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Luxury lines like Regent you can pretty
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much order anything you want but on most
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lines there still is flexibility within
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the menu so I've been able to ask for
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example for an extra main dish or
8:45
perhaps a selection of desserts not just
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one dressings on the side you know extra
8:50
seamed vegetables or a green salad even
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though it's not on the menu dishes can
8:54
often be adjusted like for example on
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her America recently that was talking
8:57
about they only offered creamed spinach
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but I was just for normal spinach and
9:02
you know straightforward baked potatoes
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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
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ships often serve all of the restaurants
9:12
so it's one Central Kitchen the most
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extreme example of that for example I
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found on Disney where even though I was
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rotating around the different
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restaurants each night with different
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menus I could actually order any dish
9:23
from any of the other menus if I wanted
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if you do have any dietary issues let
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the line know when you book and as soon
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as you can once you're on board talk to
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the maitre d in the main dining room
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they will be the absolute key for
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ensuring that your knees are catered For
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Now how lines deal with diet is vary
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some will give you menus in advance
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check others just at the time of the
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meal and I always encourage friends who
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have allergies to stick to the main
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dining room and avoid the buffet because
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it is much harder to be sure and check
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the dishes met your needs and I forget
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messages from people who've had a bad
9:58
experience by relying on the buffet
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talking to the buffet I also recommend
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following some guidelines that the
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well-known Cruise review site Cruise
10:06
Critic has about what to do and what to
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avoid in the buffet it's a list I follow
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and it's definitely worked for me so
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they suggest for example avoiding foods
10:15
and serving implements that others will
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have manhandled a lot so focus on items
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served by the crew like stations making
10:22
for sandwiches the carvery salad
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station a pasta making station and so on
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avoid foods that could go off or not be
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perfect if they've been sitting for a
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while like sushi or pizza you know grab
10:34
those as they're being made or pizza
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when it's just come out the pizza oven
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if you're having self-serve ice cream
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use a tub rather than a cone because
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people have been touching the handle
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avoid big communal sauce bottles ask the
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crew for sachets of ketchup or
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mayonnaise instead another change from
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the past and some mistake many make is
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taking food from dining venues and
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taking them out into Port now on my
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recent cruises in the Caribbean and
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South America and even in the
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Mediterranean the local authorities no
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longer allow us to take food products
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off the ship and many of them had
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searches or used dogs to check regions
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are becoming increasingly concerned
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about introducing bugs or contaminants
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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
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you know like snack bars which are
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sometimes a fine available in the buffet
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for example possibly one of the most
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important things to do now is watch this
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video where I look at the main dining
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room do's and don'ts where I start with
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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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