From the moment you embark on a cruise, your holiday becomes just as much about the food as the destinations you visit. For those who are new to cruising or trying out a different cruise line, figuring out your dining options can be overwhelming. Typically, there are two main choices, the inclusive main dining room and intimate speciality restaurants.
Here is everything you need to know to master the cruise dining scene, save your budget and eat like royalty on your next voyage.
Main dining room (MDR)
The MDR is the heart of a ship's evening experience, featuring grand, multi-tiered rooms with white tablecloths and attentive waitstaff. The atmosphere is lively and social, and the cost is fully included in your cruise ticket. With menus changing nightly to offer a mix of regional specialities and classic favourites, the best part is that if you're torn between two starters or can't decide on desserts, your waiter will typically bring you both at no extra charge.
Speciality Dining
Speciality venues on a cruise ship are intimate, boutique restaurants that offer a unique dining experience away from the bustling main dining hall. Often operating on a pay-per-entry basis, these venues typically charge an extra cover fee of £15- £60+ per person or offer à la carte pricing.
With an exclusive "date-night" atmosphere and highly personalised service, they focus on curated, niche cuisines such as steakhouses, sushi bars or rustic Italian eateries. The use of premium ingredients, such as 28-day-aged steaks or fresh sashimi, elevates the dining experience, making it feel more like a high-end restaurant on land, perfect for celebrating special occasions.
Might be worth mentioning here that on luxury vessels, these ‘speciality’ venues are often included - e.g. on Windstar, but on mainstream ones, that isn’t typically the case.
Top cruise lines dining options
1. P&O Cruises
Main dining: In the main dining rooms, such as the Meridian, Peninsular or Pearl, you have two dining options: Club Dining (enjoy the same time, same table and same staff every night), or Freedom Dining (arrive at your convenience).
Speciality restaurants: For a little extra, experience Sindhu for contemporary Indian-British fusion cuisine, The Epicurean for molecular gastronomy and fine British dining or The Glass House, a wine and tapas bar curated by wine expert Olly Smith.
2. Marella Cruises
Main dining: Main restaurants such as Latitude 53 or 47° offer stunning floor-to-ceiling sea views and a rotating menu that changes every 7 nights. Marella Cruises also offers Italian dining at Vista or Gallery 47°, providing guests with an upscale dining experience at no additional cost.
Speciality restaurants: If you want to treat yourself, try the popular Surf & Turf Steakhouse (famed for its steaks and lobster tails) or Kora La, a pan-Asian restaurant serving curries and sushi. On Marella Voyager, you can even try Silver Fork for elevated, contemporary British classics.
3. Celebrity Cruises
Main dining: The newer Edge-class ships feature an MDR divided into four themed venues - Cosmopolitan, Normandie, Cyprus and Tuscan. Guests can choose between Celebrity Select Dining (flexible) or traditional dining, and they also have access to the excellent Oceanview Café buffet.
Speciality restaurants: Experience Le Petit Chef, a 3D-animated dinner show projected right onto your plate. Fine Cut Steakhouse offers premium meats, Murano provides sophisticated tableside French dining, or you can enjoy the breathtaking Eden Restaurant with its nature-inspired cuisine.
4. Cunard
Main dining: Your primary dining option is determined by the tier of your stateroom, which may be Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill or Queens Grill. This ensures that dining remains exclusive and intimate. Additionally, you can enjoy a complimentary British pub lunch at the Golden Lion Pub, featuring menus created by Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
Speciality restaurants: Pay a supplement to dine at Sir Samuel's for a premier steakhouse, Aji Wa for contemporary Japanese sushi and omakase, Aranya for playfully reimagined Indian cuisine or Tramonto for sun-soaked Mediterranean flavours.
5. MSC Cruises
Main dining: The main dining rooms feature rotating daily menus highlighting Mediterranean and global specialities, with both fixed and flexible seating options. MSC Cruises is also renowned for its expansive Marketplace Buffet, which operates 20 hours a day and serves freshly baked pizza and authentic mozzarella.
Speciality restaurants: Upcharge options include the popular Butcher's Cut American steakhouse, Kaito Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar for high-energy culinary showmanship, and Hola! Tacos & Cantina for a casual, street-food-style Mexican feast.
6. Royal Caribbean
Main dining: Inside the main dining room, there are two options, traditional dining and my time dining, which provide greater flexibility. In addition to these options, several casual dining choices are included in your fare. You can enjoy late-night pizza at Sorrento’s Pizza, delicious Mexican dishes at El Loco Fresh, and a wide variety of selections at the Windjammer Marketplace buffet.
Speciality restaurants: Enjoy steak at Chops Grille on any ship. Visit Izumi for sushi on most ships, or hibachi on Freedom, Oasis, Quantum, and Icon classes. Try Wonderland for unique, "magic" food on Quantum and some Oasis-class ships. For Southern comfort food, The Mason Jar is only on Wonder and Utopia of the Seas.
Tips & tricks for cruise ship dining
To get the most out of your meals, here are our top tips.
1. Booking & planning ahead
To enjoy speciality dining on your cruise, booking is essential, ideally done months in advance, especially before popular sea days and formal nights when venues fill up quickly. You can easily secure your spots ahead of time through the cruise line's website or app. Consider taking advantage of first-night discounts, as many passengers tend to choose the main dining room or buffet, leaving speciality restaurants quieter.
If you plan to dine at speciality venues multiple times, look into multi-meal dining packages offered by Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises, as these can save you up to 40% compared to individual cover charges.
2. Drink packages in speciality restaurants
Your drinks package works just as well inside a speciality restaurant as it does at the pool bar. If you are sailing with P&O Cruises, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises or MSC Cruises, your package is fully accepted in their speciality venues. Sometimes your drinks package covers up to a specific price limit per glass, meaning if you order an expensive wine at a speciality restaurant, you only have to pay the small amount that goes over that limit, so it’s best to check this with the Food and Beverage staff.
For total peace of mind, Marella Cruises includes standard drinks in their speciality restaurants for free as part of their brilliant all-inclusive fare. Drinks packages generally cover only alcohol by the glass, but if you want to buy a whole bottle of wine for the table, your package may give you a 20% to 40% discount.
3. Breakfast and lunch
While dinner is often the highlight, speciality dining can also be enjoyed earlier in the day. On sea days, select venues like Chops Grille (Royal Caribbean), Butcher's Cut (MSC Cruises) and The Glass House (P&O Cruises) offer lunch with reduced cover charges, making it an affordable way to experience premium dining.
Although most speciality venues are typically closed for breakfast, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises provide complimentary high-end breakfasts for top-tier suite guests at select locations. Additionally, P&O Cruises offers a paid premium breakfast at The Epicurean.
4. Dress code
When it comes to what to wear, dress codes vary by cruise line, with speciality restaurants often having stricter rules than the main dining room. P&O Cruises and Cunard uphold classic traditions, with Cunard requiring jackets for men on standard nights and tuxedos or evening gowns for Gala nights.
For a more modern approach, Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises embrace an "evening chic" style that allows formal blazers and jeans. Royal Caribbean and Marella Cruises adopt a more relaxed vibe, on Royal Caribbean, polo shirts and smart trousers are acceptable even on formal nights, while Marella Cruises has a simple "Smart" dress code across all venues, which avoids shorts, flip-flops and tracksuits.
5. Fixed vs. flexible dining times
When booking your cruise, depending on the line, you may be asked to choose how you want to experience the MDR. Here is how the two choices break down:
Fixed (traditional) dining
Typically, guests can choose between early seating, generally around 6:00 pm, or late seating at around 8:30 pm. The advantage of this is the consistency it offers, as you keep the same table, tablemates and waitstaff each night, allowing the waitstaff to quickly learn your preferences, such as your favourite wine or bread. However, the downside is the lack of flexibility, which requires you to structure your entire afternoon, shore excursions, and evening entertainment around a fixed dinner schedule.
Flexible (open) dining
Flexible (open) dining offers guests total freedom to dine whenever they wish between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. This flexibility allows you to plan your day easily on the go. However, patience is required, especially during peak dinner hours from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm, as you may encounter wait times of 15 to 40 minutes and be given a pager until your table is ready.
6. Speciality dining cancellation policies
Plans can change unexpectedly, so it’s important to know how to manage a cancellation. Prior to your cruise, you can cancel through your online planner up to 2 to 4 days before embarkation for a full refund. Once onboard, a minimum of 24 hours' notice is typically required for speciality reservations.
Late cancellation penalties vary: Royal Caribbean charges a $25 fee for standard venues and $50 for premium experiences, while P&O Cruises charges £10. Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises and Cunard may retain fees if a table cannot be refilled. If you must cancel at the last minute due to an emergency, it’s best to call the restaurant directly, as managers are often willing to waive fees if you reschedule.
Ready to taste the world?
Whether you want a hassle-free, package escape with Marella Cruises, a traditional home-from-home holiday with P&O Cruises, an action-packed mega-ship adventure with Royal Caribbean, or the ultra-refined luxury of Cunard, the perfect dining room table is waiting for you. Browse our latest cruise deals today!
