Luxury Cruise Food And Alcohol

I never thought I’d get sick of unlimited alcohol, free caviar, and sooooo much lobster.
Hey! I’m Spencer, and I recently went on my ninth cruise. I think one of the biggest misconceptions about cruising is that the food is bland, mediocre, or just plain unappetizing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This was also the most luxurious cruise line I’ve ever sailed on, so I wanted to show you everything I ate in a day, because there’s deffffffinitely more to offer than what you’re probably thinking.
Most cruisers are convinced that we can make our money back by eating as much food as possible while on board, so I always order multiple entrées and appetizers per meal. Each cruise line typically has “specialty” restaurants that basically offer fancier and more unique dining experiences for an extra cost, but those restaurants are actually free on the cruise line I sailed with, so I absolutely took advantage. All non-alcoholic drinks (specialty coffees, smoothies, sodas, etc.) are also free, and alcohol can be purchased per drink or via an all-inclusive package. I had the alcohol package (specifics + prices further down in this article) because I’m relatively new to drinking and don’t know what I like or don’t like yet, so this let me taste-test a lot and really experiment. Okay, let’s get started!
This 24-hour food challenge occurred during an at-sea day, meaning the ship was sailing the entire time without docking at a port. As soon as I woke up, I headed to the on-board coffee house for some homemade pastries, which were made from scratch every single day. I’m a sucker for a pain au chocolat, so that’s what immediately called my name.
I’m one of those annoying people who works out on vacation (I know, I know), so I also wanted to eat something a littttttle healthier before getting a solid workout in. The fruit on board was so fresh, so I grabbed a mixed platter. This was somehow my first time trying passion fruit, and I loved it. One of my favorite things about cruising is that there’s no limit to how much food you can order, so that really encourages me to try new things. Cruises also highlight sooooo many different cuisines from all over the world, so over the years I’ve been able to have a lot of “food firsts” while sailing, like escargot and even rare sushi cuts from literal sushi masters.
After the gym and sauna, my friend and I met for breakfast at one of their sit-down restaurants (there were over a dozen bars and restaurants in total). I ordered an egg-white omelette and some avocado toast, which were both great. Here’s a pic of the full menu below, in case you’re curious.
I also ordered something called an Aquamar Muesli, which…was not for me. It was full of granola and pecans and pumpkin seeds and mango, which sounded super healthy, but it made me feel like a bird that was picking at random scraps in a bowl. My friend loved it though! I also ordered a hot chocolate and a Pure Immunity juice (a blend of orange, lime, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne pepper). It was so good that I literally ordered it every single morning. It also made me feel invincible from every type of illness imaginable, which, if you’re stuck on a cruise ship with 1,000+ other people, is super important.
After breakfast, my friend and I lounged by the pool. I did a little reading, waded in the water, and got the tiniest tan before realizing that I deserved a sweet treat (something I ~often~ realize). I love anything chocolate, and ice cream is always my go-to, so I ordered a scoop of their Regatta Royale (dark chocolate with orange zest and sea salt). I added chocolate chips and syrup on top, and then I judged my friend for ordering plain vanilla.
To me, vacations – and especially cruises – are about ordering things I wouldn’t typically buy for myself in the real world. Yes, this is the perfect time to treat myself, but I’m also stingy and don’t want to feel as if I wasted money if I don’t like the taste of something. Sue me! So, after some more reading and tanning by the pool, it was finally time for lunch. I went to one of the sit-down restaurants near the pool and ordered a surf-and-turf wagyu burger with truffle mayo. I also got a side of fries, because why not?
The great thing about cruises is that there’s always unlimited ice cream and gelato on board. So, after lunch and 18 holes of mini golf, it was time for my second mid-day snack. My friend and I split a massive bubble waffle bowl, which was stuffed with some of the creamiest gelato I’ve ever had.
Here are some close-ups. It was glorious.
I’m very competitive, and I love games, so my friend and I decided to unwind on our balcony with some cards and a ginger ale (I’ve never felt seasick on a cruise, but her stomach was a little nauseous, and all non-alcoholic drinks were free anyway, so just to be safe she grabbed a Canada Dry). We also had a really late dinner planned, so I forced my friend to order a little room service (which was also free) because I’m too much of a baby to call someone on the phone myself. We then played some more cards and listened to the waves crash against our ship as we waited for pizza and chocolate cake to be delivered.
Was I completely stuffed after this? Absolutely. But that’s what vacation is about! It’s also about relaxation, having fun, and getting appropriately tipsy, so after a little bed rotting it was time for some pre-dinner drinks. My friend and I grabbed a table at a bar that served Hollywood-inspired cocktails (pic of the menu below), with drinks dedicated to everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Frank Sinatra to James Bond. But you’re probably curious about alcohol prices, so let’s get into it!
Obviously all non-alcoholic drinks were free, but there’s also an all-inclusive package if you don’t want to pay per glass of wine ($12–$16), beer ($6.50–$8), champagne ($14–$18), or specialty cocktail ($12–$14). I scoured each bar’s menu for exact prices, and you can also buy full bottles of wine (mostly between $45–$80, though there was a collection of rare wines that ranged from $150–$1,550!!!!!). But the drink package includes unlimited drinks for either $39.98 or $79.95 per person per day, so it’s verrrry easy to get your money’s worth (when booking with the cruise line I went on, you can choose between a free shore excursion credit or free wine + beer during lunch/dinner hours, and if you choose the drink option you can upgrade to their all-inclusive package for half off, which is why one of those prices above is cheaper). Anyway, here are some pics of me with a very sugary but delicious cocktail, and I also tried my first Cosmo too.
Also, as a pro tip from someone who’s been on nearly a dozen cruises, you should know that there’s almost ALWAYS a way to get free or discounted perks for drink packages, shore excursions, rooms, credit at the casino, and more when booking. This is especially true if you book with travel agents, which are typically free! Whenever I tell my friends this, they’re always so shocked, so I figured I should share that info with you here. Okayyyyyy back to our regularly scheduled programming! I was now on my third drink of the night, this time nursing a gin martini, which I think is my favorite alcoholic drink…despite still getting full-body shivers with each sip. But, hey, I feel super fancy whenever I drink one, so I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
Aside from the regular buffet, every cruise ship typically has a “grand dining hall” with tablecloth service during set hours for each meal. In my opinion, the food is always much better and more extravagant here anyway, so you’ll rarely catch me at the buffet unless I’m hungry during off-hours when the grand dining hall is closed. Ranked even higher on this list are the specialty restaurants, which I love but rarely eat at because they usually cost extra. However, they’re free on this cruise line, so I went to one that specializes in traditional Pan-Asian dishes. This was easily my favorite meal of the entire trip.
Below are some pictures of the menu during my dinner service. After ordering, our waitstaff shared a selection of chopsticks for each person to choose from, based on individual comfort and style (TBH this made me feel regal as hell). We also ordered some white wine to casually sip on throughout the meal.
I started with two different appetizers, which were the best things I ate on the entire ship. The first was a plate of chicken anticuchos with a huancaína sauce. This is a Peruvian dish, so at first I was super confused why it was even on the menu, but then I did some research about Nikkei cuisine, which is basically a fusion of Japanese recipes with Peruvian ingredients. It was otherworldly. My second dish was a Vietnamese pork spring roll, which was possibly the best spring roll I’ve ever had in my life.
This specialty restaurant had its own drink menu with cocktails that can’t be ordered anywhere else on the ship, so I decided to let loose. I asked one of my waiters for their go-to rec, and he swore by The Porcelain Marco Polo (porcelain gin, maraschino cherry, and amaro averna). Now, separately, I love gin and maraschino cherries, so I figured I’d like this one, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. To me, it tasted like childhood cough medicine that had expired years ago. But I was stunned when my friend – a notorious picky eater – loved it. She gladly finished the rest of my cocktail. I then ordered something new, very happy that I had the unlimited drink package and didn’t just waste $12 on something that I hated.
I had much better luck with The Porcelain High Tea (porcelain gin, lime juice, peach purée, and green iced tea). It was served in a tiny teapot, and the drink was HOT, which kinda surprised me. The taste was spot-on too. And, look, I’ve never stolen anything in my entire life, but I was so tempted to take that teapot home with me. I even asked two different waiters if the cruise line would notice if it went missing. It was so small and cute, but unfortunately I had to leave it at the table. Missed opportunities.
Every single person on board recommended the spicy duck and watermelon salad (crispy duck, watermelon, cashews, mint, basil, and a sweet fish sauce). It did live up to the hype, but I preferred my main course of the lobster pad thai (rice noodles, bean sprouts, lime, tamarind, and peanuts) instead. To be honest, though, I still regret not ordering their sake-soy-braised pork belly or miso-glazed sea bass too. Like, I was already stuffed, but there were too many dishes to choose from.
Below is a pic with the rest of my dinner order, which included extra sides of broccoli and shitake mushrooms, in addition to some stir-fried rice. I forgot to take a pic of the full dessert menu, but I ordered the Bounty Cake, which was topped with coconut, chocolate, and vanilla bean. It was light yet decadent, and I somehow found enough room in my stomach to eat the entire thing.
After dinner, we made a quick pit stop at the casino, where I promptly lost $50 at the roulette table. Then we met some friends for two rounds of gin martinis to help drown my sorrows. I verrrrrry slowly sipped these, despite their peer pressure.
Look, I was feeling really good at this point, so below is a drunken selfie I took during one of the, like, 12 times I peed that night. I then found a cookie, which was the perfect nightcap before heading back to our room.
It was a LONG day of great food and drinks, and I was exhausted. I ended the night (well, technically the early morning now) in bed with a ton of water while tipsily watching It’s a Wonderful Life and trying not to cry. Life doesn’t get much better than that.