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Is dinner free on a cruise?

Your cruise fare always includes food for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a cruise ship. However, not all venues that offer food will be free. The main dining room and cruise ship buffet will always be included in your cruise fare, though a few specialty items might cost extra.



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Your cruise fare always includes food for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a cruise ship. However, not all venues that offer food will be free. The main dining room and cruise ship buffet will always be included in your cruise fare, though a few specialty items might cost extra.

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Ships & Cruises – Frequently Asked Questions Your cruise price includes almost every part of your onboard experience, such as: Your stateroom along with all applicable taxes and port fees. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Soft drinks served at meals and at each ship's beverage station.

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Free Food on Cruises: Meals are free of charge in cruise ship main dining rooms, buffets and select specialty venues such as Princess' International Cafe, Carnival's Blue Iguana Cantina and Guy's Burger Joint, Royal Caribbean's Park Cafe and Boardwalk Dog House and Norwegian's O'Sheehan's.

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If you're planning a cruise and researching your cruise options, you've probably noticed that not everything is included with your cruise fare. Taxes, gratuities or a service charge, plus other “extras” are just some of the things not included with your cruise fare.

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Your cruise fare always includes food for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a cruise ship. However, not all venues that offer food will be free. The main dining room and cruise ship buffet will always be included in your cruise fare, though a few specialty items might cost extra.

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As a reminder, meals in the main dining room and buffet, water and juice from buffet or pool-area dispensers, select fitness classes and use of the gym, kids and teens facilities, some onboard workshops and seminars, the main pools, most entertainment and your room are included in the price you pay for your cruise.

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Cruise ships are good at making food available 24/7, so if you're hungry, there's usually no one to blame but yourself. The main dining room usually has set meal times, but sections of the buffet will always be open, and you'll usually be able to find a diner, cafe, or pizza shop that's open at all hours.

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If it's homemade, not in a sealed package or needs refrigeration or to be cooked, it's prohibited. The only food allowed on cruise ships is store-bought items in sealed, shelf-stable packaging. If you're tempted to try to smuggle something on board, it's not recommended.

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What Food Is Free on Carnival Cruises? Carnival's main dining room menus are available in two dining rooms per vessel in addition to a buffet. On top of these options, Carnival ships offer anywhere from four to 10 additional spots to grab a free bite, even if food is only offered at select times.

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What is the cheapest time to book a cruise? Prospective cruisers can usually find a lot of good deals at the beginning of the year during wave season, Goldberg-Glazer said. That period typically lasts from January until March. However, the optimal time to book may depend on when you plan to sail.

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Water is always free of charge on most cruise ships. You may be asked to pay a fee for some versions of bottled water. However, you can likely ask for a jug of iced water in any restaurant or bar for no added cost. There are several water dispensers present on a cruise ship so that you can help yourself.

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As a general rule, plan to have $50 to $100 each day in the local currency. Also, you may want to bring an extra $20 a day for tipping crew members. Make sure to include smaller bills for tips. Fifty to a hundred dollars a day should be enough to cover small purchases, tips and snacks at each port.

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No cruise line charges for pizza at this time, though some cruise lines do have fees for pizza that may be ordered through room service or otherwise delivered to guests. When picked up at casual dining venues, pizza is always free.

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Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival has one of the loosest beverage policies of all cruise lines, allowing each guest to carry on a maximum of 12 sealed 12 oz. cans or cartons of a non-alcoholic beverage (e.g., sodas, juices, milk, or sparkling water) – a policy that most cruise lines have eliminated.

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Food and drinking are usually complimentary on the cruises. You are also allowed to bring your own snack on the cruise so that you can have what you love. A certain time is fixed for every meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can either have it with everybody in the dining room or bring it to your room.

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You can eat as much as you want, so don't worry. On a recent cruise, we were next to a table with a family of 8. EVERY night they all ordered every appetizer, every soup, every salad and every entree. No, I'm not kidding---we felt so sorry for our waiter as he huffed and puffed with trays of food.

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Can You Take Sandwiches Off the Cruise Ship in a Plastic Bag? Sandwiches with fresh meat should not be taken off the cruise ship if the cruise port of call has a law against bringing fresh meat products into the country. Most countries do, so it's best not to risk it.

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Getting on your ship means a lot of choices on how to begin your vacation, but many guests elect to start things off with lunch. Embarkation usually begins in the late morning to early afternoon, so lunch is the first opportunity to sit down for a bite to eat.

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Do I need a passport? We recommend that everyone taking a cruise from the United States have a passport book. Though some “closed-loop” cruises may not require a U.S. passport, we recommend bringing yours in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected medical air evacuation or the ship docking at an alternate port.

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