Alternative Dining Thoughts

I just returned from a one week Caribbean cruise.  In the elevator during the early part of the trip, I overhead two middle-aged ladies chatting about dining on board.  The gist of the conversation was about the alternative restaurant options on board.  One of the ladies’ comments struck me. “You should not have to pay for your meals on a ship” she said. But thinking about this conversation, it became apparent that the comment was not really correct.  You don’t HAVE to pay for dining on any ship as each cruise line offers included dining in the main dining rooms, buffets and snack venues.  Optional restaurants have limited seating, upgraded menus and more interesting venues.  The cost, usually presented as a “cover charge”, runs from about $10 to $25.   If you are celebrating a special event while on board or just want an excellent dining experience once or twice while cruising, then consider alternative dining for just what it is “alternative and optional”.  Or you can blissfully dine 3 to 6 times per day at the no cost restaurants.  But if you have not sampled an alternative restaurant, be careful, you might get hooked!  It is quickly becoming a popular feature as cruise lines who used to offer only “traditional” first and second seating dining are adding flexible dining options as well as more alternative restaurants to their new and existing ships.