Post #6: Cruise Dining – by Tamar

For many people, food is a big draw for cruises. They are notorious for plentiful and accessible food. It is a true pleasure to go on a week’s vacation and have every meal prepared for you!

There were many options for dining on our cruise.

• The Lido Buffet was open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks every day. There was always a large variety of options to choose from. Breakfasts included cold cereals, an omelette bar, various breakfast meats, bagels, crepes, waffles, pastries, smoked fish, oatmeal, juices, fresh fruit and more. Lunches and dinners featured a salad bar (I think Ari and Amir ate caesar salads with seared ahi tuna every day for lunch!), pizza, pasta, meat and fish, vegetables, sushi and an Asian station that rotated cuisines. There was always a dessert area, with a variety of pastries, ice cream and cookies. The variety and speed were wonderful at the buffet, but some of us found it chaotic at times or challenging to juggle our various plates and bowls while we looked for a seat.
• Poolside during the day there was a taco bar and a burger stand. These were great options for a bit of a change of pace from the buffet.
• The Dining Room is a formal setting for meals, where you order off a menu like in a restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner were all available in the dining room. For breakfast, there was one menu all week. Afternoon tea is a delightful opportunity for a treat, with a pre-selected three tiered tray of sandwiches, scones, pastries and cookies along with black tea. The lunch and dinner menus changed daily (though a few items, such as Alaskan Salmon, served with capers, dill, brown rice and carrots, were available every day). We had a reservation for dinner as a group at two adjacent tables at 5:30 each evening. This was a wonderful time to connect with one another, along with eat delicious food. (We were delighted when the dining room accommodated us much later in the evening on two of the nights we were in port until the evening.) Depending on the evening, the menu is designed to order or a 3 or 4 course meal. The portions are quite small, but beautifully plated and usually quite good. It is perfectly acceptable to order as many dishes as you’d like – if you would like salad, soup, a steak, fish and two desserts – more power to you! Notably, dress for dinner is somewhat formal – shorts and athletic wear are never allowed, and on the two “gala nights” formal wear is expected.
• There were a few options for “elevated” dining. For an additional fee you could eat lunch or dinner in a steakhouse or Italian restaurant style location. None of us tried these.
• Room service, with a limited menu, is available 24/7 with no additional fee.
• There were a number of bars and a cafe on board, where folks could purchase alcoholic or specialty coffee drinks.

Above: The group at tea one afternoon.

Below: A close up of the treats provided at tea.

Above: Eating lunch poolside – our favorite day time spot.

I was very impressed with the dining staff’s dedication to accommodating every person’s needs. There was good labeling of foods at the buffet, and staff were always willing to answer questions. In the dining room, our waiters worked to get to know us and find out if we had any restrictions or allergies. After an initial misstep (the very first dish I was served was topped with sunflower seeds, though I had stated minutes before that I was severely allergic to them) our main waiter gave me special treatment – having me pre-order my dinner for the next day and looking over my dishes to ensure all was well. There were always vegetarian and vegan options. Every request for a substitution or special dish was accepted with a smile. (For example, the kids often ordered “plain” fish or chicken instead of the elaborate dishes offered in the dining room). Children were always welcome to order from the kids’ menu and adult menus as they wished.

Food safety and sanitation are clearly high priorities (which as a pubic health professional I certainly appreciate!). There are hand sanitizing stations at every entry to dining venues. Salad bars and hot bars are almost always staffed by kitchen professionals, which is a great way to cut down on exposure. There are even signs up wherever raw/undercooked food is served (e.g. sushi) alerting guests to exercise caution.

On the first and last days that were spent at sea, guests were invited to participate in a kitchen tour (as long as you were wearing closed toed shoes and certified that you were not sick). This was an eye opening way to learn about the impressive machine behind providing approximately 9000 meals each day.

The kitchen is split into multiple areas, used to prepare different types of food. There are sections for salads, cold appetizers, hot appetizers, hot line (most main dishes), sauces/soups and a pastry kitchen. There is a designated area for coffee brewing (drip and espresso) and a large dishwashing station. There is even a small kitchen dedicated just to room service. Considering the volume of food prepared, each kitchen area is quite small. There is incredibly efficiency in the use of space and equipment. I was particularly impressed with posters that had a photo of each dish they serve, along with the ingredients. In my line of work (health care quality improvement) we would refer to this as a visual management system, and it is a key tool for standardization and sharing information.

Photo above: The pastry kitchen, with trays of treats ready to go out.

Overall, the food was delicious and plentiful! We enjoyed the variety and service. I especially loved seeing our kids try some new foods. Now we are all adjusting back to cooking and cleaning up for ourselves, along with eating reasonable portions of healthy foods.