Is 2016 The Year? Part Deux

Are you still deciding whether 2016 will be the year you take the plunge and book a cruise holiday?

In my last blog I tried to dispel some of the jargon used about cabins. In this blog I am going to talk about dining.

I will start with one of my favourite topics – food!

Whether you are on a 3 night short break, 14 night Med Cruise or a full world cruise, dining options, range and choice of food are important.

Traditionally, cruise ships offer a choice of dining, usually 1st dining between 6.00pm and 6.30pm and second dining, between 8.00pm to 8.30pm ( these times vary, it depends upon the cruise line ) meaning you would sit at the same table with the same passengers and waiters for the duration of your cruise. These options  still appeal to lots of people, you get to know your fellow cruisers, your waiters will soon be aware of any likes or dislikes you have, if you need to dine early for medical reasons, you can plan your evening etc. Opting to sit at a large table is usually a nice idea, you get to meet different people who can all share in the conversation, rather than say a table for 4 where you may feel uncomfortable starting up the conversation.

Then, a number of years ago the larger cruise lines introduced a third option, this goes under many names – Freedom, Personal Choice, Select to name just a few. This choice of dining, again it varies by cruise line, offers you the option of eating at a time that is convenient to you. If you wish,  you may ask for a table for 2 – these are always in demand, and you may have to wait a while or you have the option to dine with different passengers on different table sizes each night of your cruise.

One thing for sure though, whether you like to dine early, late, sit at an intimate table for 2 – You won’t go hungry.