Is Food Included On Royal Caribbean Cruises [Free Items]
Booked a Caribbean vacation? Are you now pondering over “What food is included in a Royal Caribbean cruise?” Deals on this ship can vary, but whether it covers food and snack expenses is a great concern.
Royal Caribbean includes free food and snacks. However, there are paid meals available as well. You can incur additional costs for these options, along with some implications.
Don’t pack food or alcohol as there are scanners, detectors, and drug dogs to check for such activities. But you can bring some packed snacks, provided they are not in your travel bags.
We will comprehensively discuss complimentary food options, special dining alternatives, and more. So, let’s open up the food menu of the Royal Caribbean cruise!
Does Royal Caribbean include Food?
Yes, Royal Caribbean does include Food. However, there are a variety of dining options that you can choose from.
So, if you’ve paid for your cruise spot, you will get free food. This purchase incorporates all the meals in free dining choices.
Free Mealtimes included on a Caribbean Cruise
The main dining room is the hub of dining on any cruise. This dining hall is open for breakfast and dinner.
In contrast to breakfast and dinner, you’ll get lunch occasionally. Let’s figure these mealtimes out in the main dining room.
#1 Breakfast
Beginning the day with a healthy breakfast on the Royal Caribbean ship is an adorable experience. The main dining hall is open for breakfast throughout your cruise journey.
#2 Lunch
The main dining hall is only open for lunch on sea days. Yes, you won’t get lunch at no cost every afternoon on the Royal Caribbean ship. So, you might end up paying for lunch.
However, you can expect lunch on exciting sea days on a cruise,
#3 Dinner
Ending the day on a cruise with free dinner on the table is not a hoax. The main dining room is open for dinner at no additional cost whatsoever.
All Included Complimentary Dining on a Caribbean Cruise
Complimentary dining on a Royal Caribbean cruise means free meals on board.
These free-of-cost food options include these venues.
- Main Dining Room and Windjammer
- Mini Bites, El Loco Fresh, Dog House, Solarium Bistro Restaurant
- Café Promenade, The Café @ Two70, Park Café, Splashaway Café and Vitality Cafe
- Noodle Bar, Sorrento’s Pizza, Coastal Kitchen
- Surfside Eatery and Surfside Venue and Casual Kitchen
Most of the Food you get here will cost you nothing. However, additional eatable and drink options will require disbursement.
The main all-included complimentary venues are the “Main Dining Room” and “Windjammer.” You’ll find the widest selection of free food in these two places on a Caribbean ship.
Food In The Main Dining Room
The main dining room is open for breakfast and dinner but not for lunch every day. You can only get lunch in this Royal Caribbean food hall on sea days.
Your Royal Caribbean cruise fare will cover all the Food in the main dining room. However, this excludes alcoholic beverages and soft drinks or additional charging food items like Lobster or Steak.
The general rule of thumb in this dining hall is that you have assigned seating arrangements. However, for dinner, this seating can vary.
Dinner dining options in the cruise’s mess include the old school “Traditional style dining” and “My time dining.”
1- Traditional Style Dining
To begin with traditional style dining, you pick between early to late seating. So, you will pick your seating, which will remain the same throughout your journey.
Your dining time will remain the same every day. In addition to the same dining timing, the waiters and tablemates will also remain the same.
Hence, if you opt for traditional-style dining on the Royal Caribbean cruise, there are no new faces.
2- My Time Dining
As the name implies, “My Time Dining” means dinner on the table anytime you want in this dining style. You can reserve time in advance and show up even before your time to wait for the table to free up.
In contrast to traditional style dining, you’ll mostly get different waiters and table mates around. But you can always request otherwise to hang around the same fellows.
Windjammer
Windjammer is a classic Café offering a buffet open daily for all meals. Your Royal Caribbean cruise fare is enough for all the food here.
As in the main dining room, your fare won’t cover additional food items. These cost-bearing eatables and drinks include alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and steaks or lobster.
Windjammer is a classic Café offering a buffet open daily for all meals. This buffet offering café presents the customers onboard with different options. Unquestionably, Windjammer Café offers the widest range of food.
Unlike the main dining room, you can get a free lunch daily. So, you can walk up and pick any food item you want, even in the afternoon.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Room Service
Depending on the order, room service might even cost you. To begin with the no-cost eating, in the morning you can get continental food through room service. Continental food comprises tea, coffee, and diverse eatable breakfast options.
For food items outside the service room menu, you’ll incur 7.95 USD. However, this price will remain the same no matter the number of eatables you order.
Free Food Items on Royal Caribbean and Where to Find Them
The answer to the question “Is food included in Royal Caribbean?” is “Yes.” You’ll find free food on the deck in many locations including the main dining room and Windjammer.
You will get many eatables at diverse food stations onboard.
| Free Food Item, Cuisine Type or Restaurant Category | Venue |
| Poolside snacks | Mini Bites |
| Café Food | Café Promenade and Café @Two70 |
| Pizza Slices | Sorrento’s |
| Fast Food Noodles | Noodle Bar |
| Healthy Breakfast and Lunch food | Vitality Café |
| Only Continental Food Items | Room Service |
| Poolside snacks | Mini Bites |
| Kids Poolside snacks | Splashaway Café |
| Casual Mexican Cuisine | El Loco Fresh |
| Formal Restaurant Cuisine | Main Dining Room |
| Casual Restaurant Cuisine | Windjammer |
Snacks and Drinks on a Caribbean Ship
What will you do if you feel hungry outside of mealtimes? You’ll even get complimentary snacks and drinks on Royal Caribbean.
So, outside mealtimes, you can munch as much as you want to steer through your Caribbean journey. In addition to snacks to keep you hydrated, even on the sea, drinks are also available. Isn’t it enticing?
Snacks
Some all included complimentary food venues do offer a wide range of snacks to pick from. The places on board Royal Caribbean that offer free snacks include
- Sorrento, Doghouse, Mini Bites, and El Loco Fresh
- Park Café, Café Promenade, Café Latte Tudes, Café Patisserie
For free, you can eat sandwiches, pizzas, desserts, and much more at these venues. These food spaces are open most of the day, so feel free to use these places anytime.
These “Grab and Go” food stations offer many tasty choices. Some top picks include these food items.
| Top Snack Picks | Snacks from Venue |
| Pizza Slices | Sorrento’s and Café Promenade |
| Roasted Beef Kimmelweck Sandwiches | Park Café |
| Cookies | Café Promenade, Café Latte-tudes and Café Patisserie |
Drinks
Your Royal Caribbean cruise fare does cover some basic beverages. These free drinks will ensure you stay hydrated and fresh throughout the itinerary.
| Common Drink Types | Included For Free or Not |
| Tap Water and Flavored Water | Yes |
| Juices | Yes, but not fresh and are available only at breakfast. |
| Iced Tea and Normal Tea | Yes |
| Coffee (Caffeinated and Decaffeinated) | Yes |
| Milk | Yes |
| Lemonade | Yes |
| Hot Chocolate | Yes, but only through instant packets |
All the other drinks like soda, some juices, and beverages will cost extra on the Caribbean Ship.
Special Dining Options for Additional Cost
You might be wondering if we get so much for free, then “Are special dining packages worth it?”
They are worth a try if you want special food items. It’s just like different strokes for different folks. You’ll find it on board if you want special dining options and venues.
Royal Caribbean Cruise does offer special food venues where you can sit up any time to order. Contrary to free dining alternates, these special ones will cost you extra.
Special Dining Venues include
- Chef’s Table, Giovanni’s Table, Cupcake Cupboard, Sabor, Chops Grille
- Café Latte-tudes, Jamie Italian by Jamie Oliver, La Patisserie, Room Service, and Johnny’s Rockets
- Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Izumi, Sichuan Red, Hooked Seafood and Wonderland
- Portside BBQ, Johnny Rockets Express, Sugar Beach, Coffee and Tea Shop and Fish and Ships
- Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, Teppanyaki, Chops Grille, Samba Grill and Pier 7
- The Mason Jar, Pier 7, Deserted, 150 Central Park and Starbucks.
Most of these dining spaces charge you, but you’ll find some free food items in some stations.
Wrap Up
To summarize, Royal Caribbean does include Food. However, there are free-of-charge dining options as well as paid ones.
With the wide range of Food on board, you won’t have to spend a single dime if you want to. But for those who want something out of the ordinary, it will cost them some cash.
We’ve comprehensively discussed “What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise concerning food”. Check out the latest deals on the Royal Caribbean Cruise to sail on and book now.
If you’re not cruising in a group then book a GTY stateroom to save money and dine in special places. We hope this helped you out!
I am Zoe Grace, a passionate enthusiast of cruise ships. With a decade of firsthand experience in the cruising industry, I have developed a deep understanding of the intricacies and wonders that these majestic vessels hold.
Now, I am excited to embark on a new journey as an author, sharing my knowledge and insights with readers who share my fascination for the world of cruising.
Join me as we explore the captivating world of cruise ships together.
