11 cruise dining hacks to enhance mealtime at sea

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You can hack your way to better cruise dining no matter which cruise line you choose. You just need to be clever and use smart strategies to create your own best food experiences.

Knowledge is key. Sometimes it’s as simple as knowing where to find the best ice cream and toppings – even when the two aren’t located in the same place. It might be watching for special food events and organizing your schedule to access the best dining opportunities.

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And never be afraid to ask for what you want so you get the best vacation meals. The worst anyone can say is no. With that in mind, here’s my list of 11 cruise dining hacks to help you eat your way to cruise food nirvana.

Upgrade your ice cream

Finding the ice cream station — be it a soft-serve machine or a hand-scooped gelato bar — is a high priority for me and many cruisers. One of the easiest and most rewarding cruise dining hacks is figuring out creative ways to upgrade your frozen treat on the cheap.

Create DIY ice cream sandwiches using cookies from the buffet or snack counters. If brownies are on the buffet, a brownie sundae could be in your future. Just put your treats in a bowl and take them to the self-serve station to top with a creamy swirl.

Have your kids save Froot Loops from the breakfast buffet to crunch up and sprinkle over a midday ice cream snack. Your adult cruise mates might like a shot of Bailey’s drizzled over their cup of vanilla; the pool deck bar is often conveniently located near the soft-serve machines.

Plus, on some cruise lines, the ice cream served in the main dining room is a cut above the soft serve and might include flavors you can’t get anywhere else on board. I’ve been known to pop into the main dining room after I’ve eaten elsewhere to see what the flavors are. Servers will happily bring you a dish to go if one sounds tasty to you.

My mom recently discovered a fun Carnival Cruise Line ice cream hack in the main dining room: She orders the cute little banana splits from the kid’s menu. No one thinks to ask her age.

Related: Best cruise ship desserts to tempt you at sea

Make friends with a bartender

Nobody ever said bars on cruise ships were just for alcoholic beverages. I drink Sprite, but I like it topped with lime and cherries. Whether you buy a soda package or pay by the glass, order your soft drinks at a bar, and you can have all the add-ins you want. I also enjoy orange slices in my water bottle. Bartenders will happily provide these at no charge.

Who has most of the ingredients and blenders needed to accommodate well-deserved vacation whims like milkshakes or root beer floats? Most often, it’s the poolside bartenders. My go-to is the solarium bar because it’s usually less busy. You might need to bring your own ice cream, but the bar should have the rest.

I keep my first weird requests simple and always ask with a smile and a “would you mind?” Pleasant banter goes a long way, as do tips. By the end of the cruise, they’ll whip up almost anything for you if you’ve been asking nicely the whole cruise.

Research your way to a better dining experience

Knowledge is power when it comes to thoroughly hacking your cruise dining experience. Sometimes the best meals are easily missed unless you’re trying to learn about all the available dining options.

Check out the cruise line app and the interactive TV screens in your stateroom to browse menus and hours of operation for the week. You want to know when the best dishes will be served so you don’t miss lobster night in the main dining room because you reserved a specialty dinner on the same night.

Scour the daily newsletter (or schedule on the ship’s app), and check signs around the ship for pop-up food and beverage events. These will alert you to various options like brunch or afternoon tea, some of which are only available on sea days.

Related: 12 dining mistakes you must fix on your next cruise

Once, on a Viking cruise, I noticed the head chef buzzing around the poolside burger bar late one afternoon. I promptly made my way over to investigate. Apparently, I had missed a tiny notice in the daily briefing about a poolside surf-and-turf dinner. It was one of the best dinners I’ve ever had on a cruise, accompanied by a live band and a fabulous dessert bar, but it was only attended by about a hundred lucky people in the know.

Enjoy specialty dining at a discount

If you want to try specialty restaurants but don’t like the hefty price tags, it is possible to get a reduced-rate reservation.

Some cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, offer discounted specialty dining reservations on the first night of the cruise when most people go to the main dining room. Carnival keeps the cover charge the same but offers free or half-priced wine with your meal. You might need to reserve your spot pre-cruise through your travel agent or the cruise line’s website to get the best prices.

Lunch in select specialty food venues also costs less than dinner, even though the menu and portion sizes vary only a little. Specialty lunches are often served only on sea days, and reservations are almost always required. If you don’t book pre-cruise, do so soon after you board. Holland America’s Pinnacle Grill and Royal Caribbean’s Chops Grille are among the specialty restaurants offering discounted lunch.

Some cruise lines sell specialty dining packages for a select number of nights at a discounted price from the full daily rate. Again, these rates could be even lower before your cruise begins. You should be able to shop for them along with excursions and beverage packages. Or, look for booking promotions offering free meals in these extra-fee dining venues.

Discover the secret breakfast venues

Some cruise ships have an almost secret breakfast venue beyond the main dining room or buffet. These hidden gems are typically less crowded than the main morning venues, so you get your food more quickly and with less stress.

On a coastal cruise with American Cruise Lines, I discovered the Back Porch Cafe has a short-order cook who can whip you up an omelet or breakfast sandwich on the ship’s back deck. Celebrity has the AquaSpa Cafe in the Solarium for healthy breakfast treats, and Carnival dishes out spicy breakfast tacos at Blue Iguana each morning.

Viking offers Scandinavian breakfast fare at Mamsen’s in the Explorer Lounge, while Norwegian Cruise Line offers complimentary alternative breakfasts in a pub atmosphere at The Local and O’Sheehan’s.

It’s not complimentary, but on select MSC ships, the Butcher’s Cut steakhouse serves an a la carte brunch with some fabulous items you won’t find elsewhere on board.

Related: Cruise ship restaurant nirvana: The 9 best meals you can have at sea

This cruise dining hack works best early in the cruise before the rest of your shipmates stumble upon these lesser-known breakfast venues.

The same principle applies to lunch options on embarkation day. Check for quieter choices in lounges and specialty venues before you head to the buffet for your first meal of the cruise.

Don’t skip the snack counters

You won’t always find the best snack locations on the ship’s app. When you’re looking for a mid-afternoon snack, you might need to do a little undercover snooping to find the best options.

Check the specialty coffee counters, bars that offer daytime coffee service and health food eateries near the spa. I’ve scored free treats at the Viking Bar on Viking cruise ships and the Yacht Club bar on Windstar Cruises‘ ships.

Snacky spots are likely to have food and beverages that cost extra, but additional snacks, ranging from gooey cookies to tasty sandwiches, are often complimentary. If there’s a charge, they will usually have prices listed either on the menu board or in the case next to the food.

Examples on mainstream lines include the free sandwiches, cookies and pastries at Carnival’s Javablue Cafe, Royal Caribbean’s Promenade Cafe and Celebrity’s Cafe al Bacio.

Take advantage of free room service

Mainstream cruise lines charge for most room service orders, but Continental breakfast delivered to your stateroom is often yours for a simple cash gratuity. I like to call it “first breakfast.” Sometimes you need a cup of tea or coffee, along with a flaky pastry and a bite of fruit, to start your day before you’re ready to leave your cabin.

Free room service extends to other meals on luxury lines and in upper-level suites on the mainstream lines. It’s an ideal way to add a bit of decadence to your cruise. In these cases, it pays to check out the room service menu at the start of your cruise. There are almost always items on the menu you won’t find elsewhere. But I’ll let you in on a secret: You don’t have to be in your cabin to order them.

I once ordered a slice of chocolate layer cake for dessert in the main dining room that I’d only seen on the room service menu. It caused a tiny bit of a “don’t-tell-anyone” fuss, but I got my cake. My husband has done the same with a chef’s salad from a room service menu.

Plus, if you’re sailing on certain lines — like Princess, which offers food, drink and gift shop item delivery anywhere on board for a fee; Carnival, which offers anywhere-on-the-ship pizza delivery; and Virgin Voyages, which allows you to shake your phone to have Champagne brought to wherever you are while you’re on the vessel — you can have food and drinks delivered to you in various onboard locations.

Hack the main dining room menu

You don’t have to order three courses every single night or follow the menu’s suggestions for what to eat first. Hack the menu to create the meal you want.

Try a selection of appetizers, or ask for a half portion of an entree. Soup and salad is a fine meal if it suits your mood. Most cruisers know they can have two desserts, but consider taking one with you for a midnight snack. As long as it won’t melt, it’s perfectly fine.

You can also reorder a dish you particularly enjoy for another night. Sometimes your wish will be granted but not always. It’s easy with appetizers, but if you ask a day ahead, you might even be able to order a rerun of an entree or a dessert.

I once had Grand Marnier souffle served three nights in a row on a Celebrity ship, and I’ve heard of people requesting that a specific type of bread be served every night. It never hurts to ask, but keep your special requests in mind when it comes to extra tips at the end of your cruise.

Dining room hacks also apply to breakfast. On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise, I inquired in the dining room about the sticky buns they serve in the buffet and was treated to a plate of them every time we ate breakfast in the dining room.

I’ve also witnessed cruisers ordering things that don’t exist on any menu on board. Several cruise lines are known to happily prepare Asian or Indian meals. I’ve seen it happen on Carnival and Viking, as well as on AmaWaterways river cruises. Speak to the head waiter for special requests; he’ll need a couple days’ advance notice.

Save your wine, or take it with you

Experienced cruisers know it’s cheaper to order a bottle of wine than several individual glasses. If you want the savings but can’t finish a bottle in one sitting, try one of these two cruise dining hacks.

Ask to have an opened bottle of wine held for you by dining room staff, and you can finish it another night, even in another dining venue on board. Just ask your waiter the next night to find the bottle for you.

Alternatively, you can take the rest of the bottle back to your stateroom. It’s nice to have a nightcap on the balcony or a pre-dinner glass of wine while you get ready for the evening. Your room steward will be happy to supply glasses if there aren’t any in your cabin already.

Related: Cruise ship drinks packages: A line-by-line guide

Dress up that cruise burger

Cruise ship hamburgers have improved a lot over the years, but in most cases, there’s quite a bit you can do to improve the basic burger from the poolside grill. The trick is to hit the buffet salad and sandwich bars after snagging your burger.

Why? You’ve got more options for burger toppings. The buffet will usually have better choices of cheese, a variety of lettuce and bacon bits. You can find sauces like ranch, bleu cheese or thousand island dressing, as well as barbecue sauce. Do you adore hot peppers or relish? Snatch them from the buffet, and have your burger your way.

Bring your own mixers

Drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, can blow up your cruise tab in a hurry. One hack is to bring items from home to spiff up the free beverages so you don’t need to pay extra for specialty drinks.

If your cruise line allows it, you can bring your own soda or juice to avoid purchasing soft drinks at inflated prices on board. You can also lower your overall costs by packing flavored drink packets and powdered sports drink mixes to combine with tap water.

Plain drip coffee and a variety of tea bags are readily available on board most ships at no cost. If you have a favorite, don’t waste your vacation budget on trips to the extra-fee specialty coffee counter. Instead, bring your own tea bags, powdered sweeteners, flavored instant coffee or even ground coffee and a French press. (Electric coffee makers are a no-no and fall on cruise lines’ lists of banned items.)

Bottom line

Everyone has their own idea of how to best eat their way through a cruise. You might love the buffet or hate it, prefer complimentary dining venues over the added costs of specialty restaurants, or perhaps you like a smattering of all of those.

Any way you slice and dice it, food plays an important role on any cruise. Cruise lines want to satisfy your every craving — even if it means crew members going out of their way to serve you something different. The best cruise food hack is arming yourself with the knowledge to find what you want when you want it.

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