3 dining tips every Royal Caribbean passenger should know

The cruise line has made some major changes to its main dining room menu, but that’s not all passengers need to know about Royal Caribbean Dining.

Royal Caribbean changed its main dining room (MDR) menu earlier this year, sparking a wave of complaints from longtime cruisers. Essentially, the cruise company has removed the “classic” section of their menu. These were basic items such as New York strip steak and pasta bolognese that appeared on the menu each night.

Cruise lines have removed those items and moved to a new set of menus each night with themes such as ‘Italian’, ‘Mexican’ and ‘Caribbean’.Not all nightly services fit the theme, but Royal Caribbean (RCL)- Get Free Report has streamlined its nightly service to reduce waste and speed up dinner service to about 75 minutes.

Do not miss it: Royal Caribbean Revamps Main Dining Room Menu

But MDR is not the only option when sailing with Royal Caribbean. You can actually experience great food on your cruise without having to set foot in the main dining room.

However, you should know these three things before boarding.

All-you-can-eat at Royal Caribbean is a bargain

Nearly all Royal Caribbean ships have at least three additional sit-down specialty restaurants, but Oasis and Odyssey class ships have many more. These eateries offer all-you-can-eat meals for a flat rate at each restaurant, but you can save much more by purchasing the cruise line’s ‘Ultimate Dining Package’ (UDP).

Sold at fixed prices that vary according to cruise length and demand, the UDP offers dinner in a specialty restaurant each evening. You can also dine at the paid restaurants on sea days, earning $20 credit each day with extra-cost options like Playmaker and Johnny Rockets on ships that offer these eateries.

On a 7-night voyage, you can often find around $220 UDP per person plus 18% tip (although it can be more or less higher). Assuming each dinner she’s worth $50, you can make a ton of money without using any sea days or extra credit perks.

Royal Caribbean’s specialty restaurants typically offer a first-class experience with more upscale cuisine than offered on the MDR, so UDP may be the best value for your cruise.

Ask a Royal Caribbean waiter what you want

Royal Caribbean’s main dining room waiters are eager to meet your needs. Having the same waiter every night if you eat at MDR at set times can greatly enhance the experience. If you want a glass of wine or extra bread on arrival they will take care of them.

MDR waiters can also accommodate important things like food allergies and other dietary restrictions. is.

Just because an item isn’t on the menu doesn’t mean it isn’t available. While this is not an official policy, a waiter at Royal Caribbean was once able to offer a guest a menu item that was not available on one night.

Before the menu change, let’s say I had shrimp cocktail and escargot every night (both were on the ‘classic’ menu). If you make a request on the first night the waiter may be able to fulfill it. Waiters can’t always make the impossible possible, but they can often find a way.

Lunch and breakfast at MDR, dinner at Windjammer

Many passengers are unaware that sit-down breakfast and lunch is served in Royal Caribbean’s main dining room. Both offer a far more chaotic experience than the Windjammer buffet. No reservations are required for either meal, but you’ll need to check with Cruise Compass (found on the Royal Caribbean app) which of her MDRs on each ship serves breakfast and lunch.

In both cases you order from the menu and are served by a waiter. Many people don’t know that MDR is an option for these meals, but it’s not only an option, it’s included in the cruise fare.

Conversely, if a sit-down dinner isn’t your thing, or if you have a show plan that doesn’t allow you to eat for 75 minutes, Windjammer actually offers much of the MDR dinner menu. The majority of the evening’s themed menu is usually served at the buffet.

Lobster is not served on lobster night, but most other options are offered. Windjammer is also typically a madhouse at breakfast and lunch (especially on sea days), but it’s less crowded at dinner.

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/3-things-royal-caribbean-passengers-need-to-know-about-dining 3 dining tips every Royal Caribbean passenger should know