Okay, last cruise post. Seriously.
One of the best things about crusing is the food! They say the average cruiser gains 5-10 pounds on a 7 day cruise and it is easy to see why. The food is available 24 hours a day, there are tons of amazing options and it is all included with the price of your cruise. We did some breakfasts in the main dining room and some in the buffet, lunches in the buffets, and dinners in the main dining room. The only thing we didn't try was room service.
Amazing appetizers. My favorite appetizer of the week was the strawberry soup which was served cold. Ryan ordered shrimp cocktail almost everyday.
Our only food complaint was that the sherbet always came out melty looking. The chocolate cake in the upper left hand corner was the best! I ordered it every night. The cake in the upper right hand was a little treat Ryan had arranged without telling me. On the first night in the dining room the waiters came and sang a little "happy honeymoon" song to us and surprised us with the yummy cake.
You can choose two dining options: anytime dining where you come and go or an assigned dining time. We did the assigned time. When you do the assigned time they give you a table and you eat with the same people each night. We were assigned to sit with a nice couple, she was a special ed teacher and he was a physical therapist. They only came to dinner the first two nights though, which was just as well. They had just finished a Disney Cruise and really just wanted to talk a lot about how this cruise didn't measure up to that one, which got a little tiresome. We also liked the assigned dining because we got to know our waitstaff so well. Soon they knew our drink preferences and greeted us by name.
I would definitely recommend cruising to anyone. Our cruise was very reasonably priced (partially because we didn't mind a tiny interior room and booked at the last minute) and is a great deal when you consider that price includes all your food, lodging and entertainment. And best of all, they just keep reminding you to "relax! You're on vacation!". We can't wait to plan our next cruise!
