Best cruise line for inclusive dining options and entertainment ?

[never_cruised]

In your opinion which of the main Cruise lines offers the widest choice of inclusive dining options and entertainment.

 

Which is your favourite ship for this ?

[spookwife]

they are all pretty much the same as far as  the type of options: a main dining room,  a  buffet, room service and  one or two other venues that offer nibbles and light snacks.   entertainment is also pretty much the same until you get to the mega ships of Royal and others with their  so called 'broadway quality' shows

 

if you want better than   banquet food included, you need to step up to the  premium and luxury lines: Crystal, Oceana ,Azamara., etc

 

as for entertainment, it really depends on what you want.  

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, never_cruised said:

In your opinion which of the main Cruise lines offers the widest choice of inclusive dining options and entertainment.

 

Which is your favourite ship for this ?

 

I'd have to say Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class has the widest choice of inclusive dining and entertainment options.  

[janetz]

 

Entertainment on the Oasis class ships is outstanding 😊

[Hlitner]

WOW!  We certainly cannot agree with the post that implies that all the cruise lines are the same.  We have cruised on 15 lines (more then 75 different ships) and can assure folks that this could not be further from the truth!   Yes, nearly all cruise lines have MDRs and Buffets.  But what is served in those venues (and the hours those venues are open) varies greatly.   And it is the same with entertainment.  For example, there is now a HAL ship (Maasdam) that does not even have any Production Shows!  None!  And there are lines like MSC that will have a production show every night.  Other lines might have "dark nights" or perhaps show a movie in lieu of a show (HAL has been doing this on some cruises).  There are small ship lines that do not have any "Production Shows" but rely on guest entertainers or perhaps mostly on a single piano bar entertainer.  

 

As to "Banquet Cuisine" we do agree that this is a norm on the mega ships...although it might not be the case on the more upscale smaller ship lines.  And there is now an assortment of alternative dining venues (which varies greatly between cruise lines and even ships) which make it possible for folks to get high quality cuisine (not banquet food) on some large ships.  We understand that the OP asked about "inclusive dining options" but depending on how you book you might be able to get some alternative dining "included" in your cruise fare.  

 

The cruise industry has been evolving and there are now more options then ever, for those who expand their horizons and try different lines/ships.

 

Hank

[Sauer-kraut]

On Norwegain's new ships EPIC and newer they offer a wide selections  dining options for free as well as several upcharge restaurants.  Their main shows are very good, shows that have been on Broadway.  In the past there was Chior of Man, Priscilla of the Desert, After Midnight, Rock of Ages, Million Dollar Quartet and others.  There are also many musical groups/combos that will play all over the ships in different lounges.  THere is also a "Cavern Club" on these ships with bands and Howl at the Moon which is an all request show (after 10 pm the show does get a bit bluer).  All in all the newer ships have a lot of entertainment of different genres as well as a dinner show (for a fee) and a dinner show some nights in the MDR.

[never_cruised]

Which mainstream line offers the best variety of live music around the ship ?

 

Our last few cruises have been on Royal Caribbean and we've been generally a little disappointed in this area. They have been older ships so not sure if that's a factor.

 

What are Carnival and NCL like for live music around the ship ?

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, never_cruised said:

Which mainstream line offers the best variety of live music around the ship ?

 

Our last few cruises have been on Royal Caribbean and we've been generally a little disappointed in this area. They have been older ships so not sure if that's a factor.

 

What are Carnival and NCL like for live music around the ship ?

 

Carnival is not known for having a lot of live music choices.  NCL and RCI are.  My recommendation remains the same as what I said earlier.  I believe RCI's Oasis Class has the most venues and the most choices.  

[sanger727]

Best for the dining options and entertainment is hands down norwegian. Great entertainment. All ships have an MDR and buffet, like all cruise lines; but also a free 24 sit down restaurant w a pub like menu and many have a free sit down Chinese restaurant. NCL also will

inckude a free specialty dining package often with your booking (have to pay gratuities) and you’ll then get 3-4 meals in the upcharge restaurants included.

[SRQbeachgirl]

I have cruised several times on both RCI and Carnival and would agree with others that RCI has better entertainment.

 

For included dining options, though, I have to give it to Carnival. They have the standard MDR, Lido Marketplace multi-station buffets, and room service, but they also have Blue Iguana Cantina for amazing burritos and tacos (including for breakfast), Guy Fieri's Burger Joint, Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que, Pizzeria del Capitano (24/7 made-to-order pizza--yes, please!), Mongolian Wok, Sweet Spot (amazing cakes!), Tandoori Indian cuisine (on some ships), and 24/7 soft serve ice cream, all included in the price of the cruise.

 

For an extra charge, they also offer Fahrenheit 451 Steakhouse,  Cucina del Capitano Italian Restaurant (free at lunch on embarkation day), Red Frog Pub, Plaza Café (coffee/ice cream/dessert shop), and the Seafood Shack (on some ships.) And don't even get me started on the Alchemy Bar, with arguably some of the best bartenders at sea.

 

[AdoraBelle]

Looks like it’s going to be Virgin Voyages, albeit at a price premium.

 

emphasis on “all inclusive”. 

[MyTMo777]

I've only cruised on NCL, but I will say that one of my very favourite things about cruising is the live music all over the ship! Even on the smaller ships, there are usually at least 4 different venues each night with different kinds of music. On the larger ships there are even more options. I just love hanging out with a drink listening to the music!

[paul929207]

After reading the above, it is clear that each has his/her own preference. So try a few and see what works best for you

[Hlitner]

On ‎3‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 9:05 PM, AdoraBelle said:

Looks like it’s going to be Virgin Voyages, albeit at a price premium.

 

emphasis on “all inclusive”. 

We will be very curious to hear about this line once they start operating.  Personally they would not be on our own radar because of the very limited itineraries (most of our cruises are several weeks or months in length) but that could change as the line grows.   It remains to be seen how this line will compare in terms of quality, cuisine and entertainment.

 

Hank

[Winnigirl]

I guess if you don't have kids, you don't think of Disney Cruiseline, but you should.  Firstly, don't assume you're going to be surrounded by hordes of kids 24/7.  If a curious 6 year old wanders into the adult pool area, they will instantly be whisked away by a fairy godmother.  Disney wants adult cruisers.  They go out of their way to ensure that adults have their own pools, own beaches, adult restaurants - and no one enforces these rules like Disney.  Be that as it may, the entertainment on their ships is incredible.  Lion King, Beauty and the Beast - all from Broadway, a real movie theatre that shows currently running movies - as Disney says:  "we can show them cause we own them'.  .Dining is an entertainment in itself, with diners moving to different dining rooms every night  We've been on 2 Disney cruises - took the kids the first time - left the home for the second. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 3/10/2019 at 9:24 PM, sanger727 said:

NCL also will inckude a free specialty dining package often with your booking (have to pay gratuities) and you’ll then get 3-4 meals in the upcharge restaurants included.

keep in mind that it's not as free as they make it sound, because they will charge a higher rate for the base fare if you select anything other than Sailaway guarantee rate.

[AdoraBelle]

My experience with the “adults only” part of DCL was ... underwhelming.

 

Due to the design of the Dream, kids and general foot traffic are constantly routed through the adult pool area. It’s not the quiet, serene area you’d hope for. Pool also closed early, IIRC. 

 

Despite being assured that the late dining seating would be quieter, there were kids (7-8 years old, not toddlers) being allowed to run, scream repeatedly, and literally lie down on the floor in the path of waiters carrying food trays. While the parents looked on fondly. None of this bothered me too much except the screaming, which you can’t politely ignore when it’s ten feet from you. 

 

The bar areas were ghost towns at night.

 

The spa literally had like one hot tub and a few showers. 

 

(The concierge service was all it had been cracked up to be, though. Palo was also fantastic .)

 

I don’t have any kind of DCL vendetta, and the ship was very nice, but we were childfree folks who fell for the “adults only stuff is great!” sales pitch and I like to just spread the warning now and then. We would sail DCL again, if the prices weren’t astronomical, but only in concierge and probably spend most of the time in the suite.

 

 

[Joebucks]

Royal Carribean Oasis class is going to be second-to-none as far as amount dining and entertainment options. However, it's still not "the best" to everyone. 

 

To be honest, I don't think there is any cruise that has a shortage of food options. I've never once been on a boat and wished there were more things to try. If anything, I wish there was more time to try more things or even eat something again that I really liked. The big food difference is the type of food. Different preferences prevail there. When you really think about it, looking for the most food choices is often excessive. 

 

Entertainment is where you will vary the most. Some are weak with entertainment. Some have almost none. Some have too much. Some may have things that won't interest you. 

 

It's not always about who offers the most. Although, that's not to say that an Oasis class wouldn't be a great start.

[sanger727]

17 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

keep in mind that it's not as free as they make it sound, because they will charge a higher rate for the base fare if you select anything other than Sailaway guarantee rate.

 

That’s not really an apples to apples comparison since some people won’t book guarantees and see value and therefore pay a higher price to choose their room. The perks are included in that price.

[AF-1]

I like Royal Caribbean for their entertainment and dining options.  I like NCL for the laid back; don't get dressed up for dinner vibe, and I like Princess for consistent quality of dining, and entertainment options. On all my cruises; I have sailed with grandkids and without.  Last two cruises did not see that many kids on board; even though the cruise was sold out. 

[cb at sea]

Very true that all lines are a bit different.  It really depends what you're looking for.  If you want 5-star dining, none of the "mainstream" lines will give you that.  If you want "Broadway" shows, really only RCI has that on their newest, biggest ships, but you won't get the "dining" you might be dreaming of.

 

I'd advise a trip  to Vegas.....you can get absolute fantastic food, and shows.....book what you want, when you want....and hotel rooms that are gorgeous, as well, if you book the right hotel.   If food and shows are "your thing", there are plenty of places to get that....it's just not always on a ship!

[Aquahound]

For what it's worth, all 4 of RCI's Oasis Class ships are in the top 5 of Cruise Critic's awards for best entertainment:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/cruiserschoice_index.cfm?Category=Ent&sort=large