When you book a cruise fare, it comes with a number of things included.
In addition to your stateroom, your cruise fare includes access to the ship's pools, most of the entertainment, and many onboard venues. You also have access to the main dining room and select restaurants.
On Royal Caribbean, those options include snacks at Cafe Promenade, Mexican favorites at El Loco Fresh and pizza at Sorrento's, as well as other select locations depending on the ship.
Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) offers free meals in its main dining room, as well as included pizza, Guy Fieri's Burger Joint, Shaq's Big Chicken (on select ships), and a free Mexican restaurant, Blue Iguana Cantina.
Related: Royal Caribbean shares warning with passengers
On both cruise lines, the selection varies by ship, but you won't go hungry even if you don't spend any extra money. Royal Caribbean and Carnival also offer room service.
On Royal Caribbean, passengers can order continental breakfast items for free, while a hot breakfast or lunch and dinner menu costs $7.95 plus an 18% gratuity (total $9.38). It's a good deal since passengers can order as much as they want for that one price.
Carnival passengers also receive a free continental breakfast, but the rest of the menu is a la carte. It is not expensive but passengers pay per item. The cruise line has also made a major change to the way passengers order breakfast through room service.
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Carnival changes room service
Before going to sleep, many cruise passengers ask for breakfast to be delivered to their door. Traditionally, passengers filled out tags, marked with their breakfast orders, to hang on door handles for room attendants to collect.
The cruise line has chosen to change that system, according to brand ambassador John Heald. On his Facebook page, Heald said it was Mother's Day in the UK and reflected on the tradition of breakfast in bed.
“Now, the reason I'm talking about this is to remind everyone that while we no longer have signs hanging on the door for room service, you can call room service at 8000 the night before to order your coffee and pastries free from 6 am to 10 am, etc. ” he wrote.
Heald also issued a request that may offend some passengers.
“One last thing and I hope I'm not out of line in saying this. If you order room service, regardless of the time of day or night, remember to tip the waiter if you think he or she deserves it,” he wrote.
“A dollar or two is nice because watching a waiter carry a tray of sandwiches and drinks to your cabin and have it placed on the dresser, ignoring the sight of someone in their underwear disappearing into the bathroom is bad enough. Getting shut down the door In your face with the bastard, every tip is much, much worse.”
Carnival has improved dining options
A common complaint from passengers on Royal Caribbean ships has been that after the Windjammer buffet closes for the night, Sorrento's Pizza and snacks at Cafe Promenade are the only dining options besides room service.
The cruise line solved that problem on its newest ship, Icon of the Seas. Icon, the world's largest cruise ship, offers Aquadome Marketplace, a hall of five separate restaurants offering Chinese, crepes, Mediterranean, sandwiches and more late into the night.
Carnival has addressed the problem by adding a late-night menu that goes far beyond pizza and cookies.
Last year, the cruise line added its Good Eats late-night snack menu. It includes pizza but also chicken soup, fried chicken tenders, hot dogs, meatball sandwiches and a ham and cheese roll, among other options.
It's not the famous midnight buffet that many passengers miss out on, but the deal gives late-night diners more options than they previously had.
