Is ship dining "all you can eat"?

[dishealth11]

In some all you can eat type restaurants (never been on a cruise), because they still have table service they limit the amount you can eat by avoiding your table .

 

what about in the premium cover-charge restaurants. Are they one app/entree/desert per person?

[frontrangecruiser]

In some all you can eat type restaurants (never been on a cruise), because they still have table service they limit the amount you can eat by avoiding your table .

 

what about in the premium cover-charge restaurants. Are they one app/entree/desert per person?

 

Its not "all you can eat" in the dining rooms...sounds like you want to eat at the buffet...;)

[karfest]

You can order as much as you like. I often order two soups because I can't decide. One night I wasn't hungry so I just order an appetizer and our server was astounded and almost insisted I had to order more. My husband skipped appetizer and soup, ordered one entree, but they brought him 2 entrees because he didn't order enough!!

 

On lobster night, we each ate 1 tail and the server came around asking if we wanted more. We all declined- she was stunned!

 

However, I have been known to order 2 or three desserts, I do have my priorities.

 

One thing my daughter couldn't grasp was ordering from each area on the menu so here is a tip for a first-timer:

- the menu is divided into 4 categories- appetizer, soup/salad/main course and dessert.

- you can order as many items from each section as you like, or you can skip a section

-don't order your dessert until after your meal. They will bring the menu back so you can refresh your memory.

 

It works this way in the main dining rooms and in the specialty restaurants. If you really want to load up- go to the buffet.

 

Believe me- no matter how much you eat, there will always be someone who has eaten more so GO FOR IT!!

 

Bon Appetit:D

[Host CMLA]

Its not "all you can eat" in the dining rooms...sounds like you want to eat at the buffet...;)

I have to disagree with you on this one. While I don't call the dining room an all you can eat experience, we've always been able to eat all that we want. You can order as many items as you like from any of the categories. And as karfest said...I've had waiters look at me funny if I didn't seem to order enough and brought me extra desserts if I seemed to be on the fence about which one to get. I don't think you'll be hungry EVER. ;)

[smeyer418]

On the Crown recentlly, we were eating lunch in the Dining room, two women at the next table were complaining about the size of the portions, when one of the officers(the hotel director) came by and they said to him the portions are small, he said "order as many as you like, we keep the orders small so people can decide to eat more than one thing but feel free to order as many as you like". Except at the extra charge restuarants (where there may be a limit on the entrees)there is no limit-only what you can eat. I actually prefer the smaller portions they are much more to my style than a plate heaped with food that is not prepared well.

[CaptData]

On Hal is the Specialty restaunt you can only order one main entree. I have seen people order two entrees and one dessert, a salad with three desserts ect.

 

Buffet is all you can eat.

[immargaret]

With Freestyle you can also eat more than once for dinner. Dine at one restaurant early and another later that same evening. You could dine at the same restaurant several times if you want to spend your evening eating.

 

:)

[Clay Clayton]

While given my size (6'-7" and 315#) this may be hard to believe but I can't imagine ever needing more than what they serve...that being said, when my partner and I had dinner in ilAdiago, the italian surcharge on the SUN, he was having trouble deciding between the Veal chop and the steak so he asked the waiter which he preferred...the waiter said they were both good, Mike decided on the chop...well when the entrees came, not only did he get the steak but the chop came also....so we shared it. So it doesnt appear that there is a limit on entrees in the surcharge restaurants either.

 

Don't worry, you won't go hongry!

 

Clay

[shoreguy]

With Freestyle you can also eat more than once for dinner. Dine at one restaurant early and another later that same evening. You could dine at the same restaurant several times if you want to spend your evening eating.

 

:)

 

You can even start with the sailaway BBQ at 4pm. Stop in Blue Laggon for fish and chips or chilli between meals in all 3 main dining rooms. If your really still hungry back to the cabin for a little room service but make sure you return to the Casino at midnight for the snacks.

[gambit57]

I believe on the surcharge restaurants on most lines, they limit you to one entree but as many of the other items as you want.

 

As for the regular (included) dining restaurants, my usual practice is to order 2-3 appetizers, 2 entrees, and every desert on the menu. The number of soups depends on what's offered and I don't ever recall ordering a salad (yes, I'm a healthy eater). :P I've never had a problem ordering more than one item. However, some cruise lines do run out of certain items so that can limit how much you can order.

[shoreguy]

I believe on the surcharge restaurants on most lines, they limit you to one entree but as many of the other items as you want.

 

As for the regular (included) dining restaurants, my usual practice is to order 2-3 appetizers, 2 entrees, and every desert on the menu. The number of soups depends on what's offered and I don't ever recall ordering a salad (yes, I'm a healthy eater). :P I've never had a problem ordering more than one item. However, some cruise lines do run out of certain items so that can limit how much you can order.

 

 

Gee, I wonder why they run out :D

[jdr2alaska]

The waiters are really going to be shocked at our little my wife and I eat :eek: since they probably don't have a lot of experience dealing with people who have had weight-loss surgery.:D

 

JR

(Weight-loss surgery 7/02 - down 236 pounds:) )

[seahorse]

The waiters are really going to be shocked at our little my wife and I eat since they probably don't have a lot of experience dealing with people who have had weight-loss surgery.

 

JR

(Weight-loss surgery 7/02 - down 236 pounds:) )

 

Congrats JD, that is fantastic about the loss.:D

 

I know and heard about people who have had this done. The worse is that people sometimes still try and eat the regular way:eek: , disaster.

 

You can eat small portions evenly spaced, right? Just think, you could taste everything that is offered on the ship.

 

My DH ordered the Filet M. and the lobster (it was lobster night) no problem, no extra charge, in the Bistro.

[greenie]

You can even start with the sailaway BBQ at 4pm. Stop in Blue Laggon for fish and chips or chilli between meals in all 3 main dining rooms. If your really still hungry back to the cabin for a little room service but make sure you return to the Casino at midnight for the snacks.

 

*perks up*

What? There are snacks in the casino?? Like what kinda snacks?

[dishealth11]

Hmmm, so I does sound like all-you-can-eat (I didn't know what else to call it), except for the lobster tail--which is what I really had in mind

[johnql]

*perks up*

What? There are snacks in the casino?? Like what kinda snacks?

It varies night to night. It could be kebabs (beef, chicken). One night it was buffalo wings. Usually cold cuts w/ a selection of cheeses. Always something sweet (brownies, cookies).

[jdr2alaska]

Ann,

 

Thanks! I don't think I could have been up to doing a cruise at my previous weight.

 

Yeah, I usually eat 5-6 small meals a day usually about 2-3 hours apart. We'll definitely sample all the stuff that we can (one of the side effects of this surgery is an intolerance to sugar in the majority of post-ops - my wife can handle sweets more than I can).

 

Looking forward to lots of good seafood...more the variety of it than the amount. Also looking forward to getting a bit of exercise during the week too - walking around the ship and spending time in the fitness center.

 

JR

[johnql]

Hmmm, so I does sound like all-you-can-eat (I didn't know what else to call it), except for the lobster tail--which is what I really had in mind

I'm not sure where you read that (maybe I missed it), but there is no "except for the lobster tail". You can definitely order more lobster tails when they're served in the main dining rooms.

[arubacassie]

Going on the Spirit to Alaska May 28th.........."what night is formal night"?

[dishealth11]

My assumption was that premium items were not unlimited.

 

 

 

I'm not sure where you read that (maybe I missed it), but there is no "except for the lobster tail". You can definitely order more lobster tails when they're served in the main dining rooms.

[johnql]

My assumption was that premium items were not unlimited.

You know what they say about assumptions. But seriously, the only limitation that I'm aware of is in the surcharge restaurants and that's only for the entree. In the main dining rooms, you can definitely order as many entrees as you like. That includes lobster night.

[Retired not Expired]

I'm not sure where you read that (maybe I missed it), but there is no "except for the lobster tail". You can definitely order more lobster tails when they're served in the main dining rooms.

 

Yep, I've got a friend who on one cruise with us, I say with red face :o :o , told the waiter, bring me a lobster tail for an appetizer, a lobster tail for a salad, a lobster tail for the main course, and a lobster tail for dessert. And that's what he got. My DW and I didn't sit with him on lobster night last cruise.

[dishealth11]

I would have sat with your buddy:D

 

 

 

Yep, I've got a friend who on one cruise with us, I say with red face :o :o , told the waiter, bring me a lobster tail for an appetizer, a lobster tail for a salad, a lobster tail for the main course, and a lobster tail for dessert. And that's what he got. My DW and I didn't sit with him on lobster night last cruise.

[greenie]

I would have sat with your buddy:D

 

Me too. Although I prolly wouldn't have made it through the dessert lobster tail. I have a new hero!:D

[jeannep]

On our last cruise on lobster night they also had duck. The 3 women in our group wanted duck but wanted to try the lobster. We asked the waiter for just a lobster tail. They were small so he brought us each 3 tails. What could we say so we ate them. We were so full but managed to eat dessert and have a small snack at midnight in the casino.

We are going on the Dawn again May 22nd and I am on a quest to loose 10 pounds before I go so I can gain and not feel too bad.(ha ha)

 

Jeanne