I was sent on a Royal Caribbean press trip in November. My experiences and my opinions are mine alone.
Before we experienced what it’s like to cruise with Royal Caribbean, we heard a whole lot of tips, tricks, advice and anecdotes from our friends and family who had been on a cruise (or 7, in the case of my older brother). But one theme was consistent from person to person: everyone raved about how great the food is. And especially so on Royal Caribbean.
I will tell you that having a break for several days from having to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner was a HUGE treat. I would have been pleased as punch with mediocre food as long as I didn’t have to prepare it.
But friends, NOTHING is mediocre on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Every meal is perfection and so much fun. We had breakfast one morning in our room (room service is free of charge for the vast majority of the day!) and also enjoyed a character breakfast with the likes of Shrek and Fiona one morning. And don’t get me started on the waffles!
The chefs on Freedom of the Seas, the ship we sailed on, were so thoughtful about presentation. Eating happens with your eyes, as well as with your taste buds. I was smiling before I took my first bite!
We also enjoyed the lunch options, which were casual but, that doesn’t mean they weren’t excellent! As you can see below, attention to detail wasn’t spared. And the taste? Delightful!
This is the main dining room, where we enjoyed our extravagant dinners, as well as a few lunches and one special breakfast. You can’t help but feel totally spoiled eating in a room like this!
Our evening meals were true events: I particularly enjoyed taking time to “dress” for dinner (even though on most nights the suggested attire is on the casual side). We had 3 course meals that surprised and delighted us. And we were encouraged to let our server know if anything was less than stellar so that it could be swapped out for something different. One of my favorites was the seafood pasta I enjoyed. Since Tim doesn’t care much for seafood, I rarely make it at home. What a treat!
The desserts, as you can imagine, were their own little treasures. On our first night I enjoyed a cobbler that truly is one of the best I’ve ever had (and I’m from the South, where we don’t mess around with our cobblers, so that’s really saying something!).
And I also snapped a shot of my very favorite dessert of the entire cruise. Would you believe that it was served to me at lunch?! This flan was AMAZING!!!!!! Best I’ve ever had by leaps and bounds. I totally regret not asking for another one.
From the grab-and-go dining options on the promenade (pizza and pastries available around the clock, Ben & Jerry’s, and even a cupcake shop!), to the spectacular dining options at the Windjammer and main dining room, I really thought I had seen it all.
And then we had dinner at one of the specialty restaurants on board, Portofino’s.
I’ve had people ask me why you would pay an extra charge to eat at a restaurant on a cruise ship when the dining options are already so wonderful. Honestly, it’s a valid point. You certainly won’t be feeling shortchanged t by sticking to the complimentary options.
But now that I have had the experience, let me tell you what makes the specialty restaurants so darn special. First and foremost, there’s an intimacy about it that you won’t experience in the beautiful but vast dining rooms. It truly feels like a tucked away, quiet, romantic restaurant. Such great atmosphere!
The food is also a notch above what you’ll find in the main dining halls. I found that hard to believe since I was so wowed by everything I ate. But it’s true! You’ll find very premium dishes in these restaurants. And the presentation is just over the top!
I would recommend that you book one meal at one of the specialty restaurants during your cruise. The prices are quite reasonable when you consider the food quality and the service you will receive. It will also stand out as a #RoyalWow moment that you’ll remember for a long time to come.
If you’ve never experienced the joy of cruising with Royal Caribbean, and if you’ve never dined like a celebrity for a week (that’s what it felt like to me!), then let me suggest that you take a look at how to book a cruise with Royal Caribbean. The value, in my opinion, is simply unbeatable, unless you happen to have your own yacht, and your own house on a Caribbean island, I suppose. And if that’s the case, we should totally hang out on your yacht sometime!
Have you ever been on a cruise? What was the food like???
I love that you take pictures of all the desserts 😉 My husband and I went on a RC cruise for our honeymoon in 2001. I remember the food and drinks being SO GREAT–nonalcoholic Bahama Mamas and these huge green spinach wrap things were some of our favorites. What we didn’t love were the people that ATTACKED the food bars anytime they were replenished like it was the last meal they were ever going to get! Other than dealing with those bad mannered cruisers, we had a great time and would love to go on another cruise someday.
Yes, I definitely have a sweet tooth! Over half of the guests on the ship the week we went were bikers (as in Harley-Davidson enthusiasts). They were a rough looking lot, but you know what? They were very fun to cruise with! A very polite bunch of folks, I have to say! Sorry to hear that you had some buffet stalkers on your cruise! Yet one more reason to do one meal at the specialty restaurants…nobody will be trying to jump ahead of you for your food! 🙂
What ports did you go to?
I honestly can’t remember if it was Freeport or Nassau we went to–I remember some one telling us that the one we didn’t go to was the “rougher” place to visit–and I remember going to Cocokay and Key West and hearing about all the Hemmingway polidactyl cats that live in the area. And we went to an island owned by Royal Caribbean for a huge cookout–my husband lost his wedding band while swimming near the shore, but the water was so clear we were able to find it, even with tiny silver fish nipping at our hands while we searched! Wow, I can’t believe that was 13 years ago…I want to go on an Alaskan cruise but I don’t want to have to buy an entire wardrobe of warm clothing just to wear once. I know it has been getting pretty cold here lately but I don’t think two days of single digit weather in the last twenty years justifies that cost!