celebrity cruises dinner buffet

Everything I Ate on my Celebrity Cruise (Photos and Menus) – Food Review

If you are taking a cruise with Celebrity you may be wondering what the food will be like. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are all included at no extra cost on a Celebrity cruise.

I have just disembarked a cruise on the Celebrity Edge, and in this post, we will look at everything I ate in the main dining room, buffet and in some Speciality restaurants. Menus are also provided.

I took my first Celebrity cruise in 2019, and I have always found their food quality to be excellent .

There are Four Main Dining Rooms – All Food In These Restaurants Is Included In Your Cruise Fare

There are four main dining rooms on the Celebrity Edge, all of which have their own theme.

As well as serving the standard selection of food in each restaurant, they have a couple of regional dishes specific to that restaurant’s theme. The themes are French, Italian, Mediterranean and American.

You can book the restaurants via the celebrity App when you wish to have your dinner. It is quick and easy to do.

Normandie Restaurant

• Normandie Restaurant features contemporary French cuisine as well as the standard Celebrity Cruise ship menu.

Cyprus Restaurant

• Mediterranean food is served here. The regional dishes on the menu’s main focus is mostly on seafood -but there are plenty of other dishes if you aren’t a fish lover.
• There are lots of Greek-style salads, and we enjoyed some amazing “Saganaki” (fried cheese, pictured below)

Tuscan Restaurant

Italian cuisine inspired by authentic southern Italian eateries is served here. The pastas are all “homemade” and, according to Celebrity are “prepared with a rustic flare.”

Cosmopolitan Restaurant

• This is the only main restaurant I didn’t get to try whilst onboard.
• Celebrity describe the food as being “Creative cuisine with new American with global influences.”

We never found any of the main restaurants open for lunch, even on sea days. This meant the only included lunch options were to get food from the buffet, or Mast poolside grill.

Oceanview Cafe Buffet

This buffet, found on deck 14, is always open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

It offers a wide range of hot and cold dishes, and there is lots of wonderful bread, all made freshly onboard.

There is a daily feature food station. One day when we were there, there was a British Day, serving Fish and Chips, “Bangers and Mash” (Sausages and Mash!) and Guinness and Steak Pies.

On other days there were Indian dishes, Mexican, French – all sorts.

The buffet on Celebrity Edge was undoubtedly one of the best I have ever been to .

Tucked away at one end is an ice cream counter, serving a variety of Ice Cream and Sorbets, most of which don’t cost extra.

For some reason, one of the flavours was at an extra charge – and was clearly marked as such. I am not sure why .

As I didn’t have a drinks package, it was lovely to see juices offered at breakfast and other fruit drinks and lemonade offered throughout the day.

As with most other cruise ship buffets, tea coffee and water were available whenever the buffet was open.

Mast Poolside Grill

As with most cruise ships, there is a poolside grill serving a variety of burgers, hot dogs, and Chips/Fries.

There is also a self-service cold drinks machine and a soft-serve Ice Cream Machine.

My veggie burger was cooked to order for me at the Mast Grill.

Cafe El Bacio

This cafe serves a wide selection of teas and coffee – at an extra charge. However, all the cookies and cakes here were free! I regularly came by, to see which cookies were available.

Speciality Restaurants That I Tried

I was invited by Celebrity to try the following two speciality restaurants. I did not pay for the cover charge. All opinions are my own.

Rooftop Garden Grill

Open for both lunch and dinner, with a menu described by Celebrity as:

“Gourmet backyard BBQ favourites.” Celebrity Cruises

Our drinks were served in jam jars / Kilner jars with handles – which I thought was an amusing touch!

You can enjoy dinner under the stars at the Roof Top Grill. It is positioned in its own corner of the Rooftop Garden.

The rooftop garden itself was a favourite of mine, with wonderful plants and foliage – and even its own (live) lizard hiding amongst the plants .

The cover charge for the Roof Top Grill is around $65 at the time of writing.

Eden Restaurant

Situated at the back of the ship, this restaurant gives you wonderful views of the wake. Celebrity says:

Dinner at Eden Restaurant isn’t just a meal. It’s an extraordinary culinary journey, featuring an open kitchen, innovative dishes, and three levels of design excellence Celebrity Cruises

I must give Celebrity full credit here, the three-level space that makes up Eden is absolutely STUNNING! It is hard to believe that they could design a space like this on a cruise ship at all.

I was totally wowed.

There is a cover charge of around $65 per person for the standard menu and around $100 for the seven-course tasting menu.

All of these dishes were on the main menu.

Breakfast at Eden

Eden also has a small cafe that opens for breakfast. Breakfast food is free , but the cafe is only open for a couple of hours, and shuts quite early – I only made breakfast here once.

Most food is cooked to order.

Breakfast In the Eden Cafe does not have a cover charge.

Other Speciality Restaurants Onboard That I Didn’t Try – Additional Charges Apply to All.

Fine cut steakhouse.

Celebrity describes this as an “upscale steak and seafood experience where service is elevated to an art form”

The Fine Cut Steakhouse serves a variety of steaks, seafood, and Lobster

Expect to pay a cover charge of around $55 per person – and if you want to add an additional main course, an additional $20 will be added to your bill.

Le Grand Bistro

Le Grand Bistro is Inspired by classic French bistros. Celebrity say

The mouthwatering sights, scents, and sounds of a bustling boulangerie-patisserie are sure to excite and entice. Celebrity Cruises

There is a planter-edged sidewalk and an inner café, giving wonderful views of the sea.

Menus include steak, trout, chicken and wild mushroom tart.

In addition to this, there is a “plats du jour” offered. This is a different set dish for every day of the week – like Coq Au Vin, Lamb Shank Bourguignon to seafood dishes.

Expect to pay a service charge of around $30, slightly less for their lunch or breakfast menus.

Le Petit Chef

On Celebrity Edge, you will find a very unique, animated dining experience called “Le Petit Chef”.”

This speciality dining restaurant features an immersive and visual dinner where an animated chef is projected on the table from above.

You watch him preparing each course.

Understandably this means the menu is reasonably limited. When I tried this restaurant on Celebrity Silhouette, the animated chef was catching and preparing Lobster – which is something I would never eat!

It wasn’t a problem, it just meant my finished dish didn’t match the animation like everyone else’s did .

Expect to pay around $65 per person for this restaurant.

The display at the entrance of the restaurant showcases a display of oysters, crabs, and lobsters that you can choose from.

Their menu is also available at the Magic Carpet when it is positioned on deck 5 Then it features more casual offerings like Shrimp Salad, Lobster Roll and sushi and sashimi.

Expect to pay up to $75 per person, depending on what you choose from the menu.

Dinner on the Edge

This is the amazing pop-up restaurant on the Celebrity Edge’s “Magic Carpet.”

You can’t book this restaurant before you board the cruise, reservations have to be made once onboard.

It serves a three-course meal, including steak, Lobster, fish etc.

The cover charge for this at the time of writing is $129 per person – but the views as the sun sets must be stunning!

As a budget-conscious cruiser, I decided to give the “Dinner on the Edge” speciality restaurant a miss .

To learn all about Celebrity’s unique Magic Carpet, watch this video next – it explains all!

Before You Go!

Do you want to compare Celebrity’s food to that of a less luxurious Cruise Line? I took a really cheap cruise on the Italian mega-ship Costa Smeralda. The food was of good quality, the menu was mostly Mediterranean.

To find out exactly what I ate on that cruise, click here:

Everything I ate on Costa Smeralda

Compare this to the food served on America’s biggest cruise line, Carnival. The menu was very different from Costa’s!

Carnival Food Review – EVERYTHING I Ate During my Cruise: (Photos and Menus)

Let Us Help You Book Your Next Cruise

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• Celebrity Menus / Cruise Line Restaurant, Room Service, and Bar Menus / Cruising / Food and Drink

Celebrity 7 Night MDR Menus 2023

by Prof. Cruise · Published February 13, 2023 · Updated February 13, 2023

Today’s post is mostly a selfish one, but I’m hoping it can help others booked on or considering a 7-night Celebrity cruise too. While these menus are available on the Celebrity app, I prefer to have them laid out in one place where I can scroll through without having to click on a bunch of different links. After all, I need to save my finger clicks for booking more cruises.

A few things to note. First, the menus may vary some depending on your particular itinerary , so always double check on the app for the most accurate and up-to-date information for your specific sailing. Second, all the breakfast, lunch, regular dinner, and kids menus are available on every Celebrity ship regardless of class. However, on Edge class ships (Edge, Apex, Beyond, and Ascent), there will be an additional “exclusive” section to the dinner menu each night depending on which of the four main dining rooms you chose to dine in. The four main dining room restaurants (all complimentary and available to dine in any night) are:

Cosmopolitan Cyprus (Greek-themed) Normandie (French-themed) Tuscany (Italian-themed)

I’ve posted the menu items exclusive to those restaurants below the regular dinner menus.

Third, Aqua Class guests can dine at an exclusive restaurant (Blu) for breakfast and dinner and Suite guests can dine at an exclusive restaurant (Luminae) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have not posted those menus here, but will include them in a future post (so be sure to check back if you need them).

So, here are the menus…

INDEX (Jump to):

Breakfast Menu Lunch Menus Dinner Menus (all ships) Edge Class Exclusive Dinner Menus Kids Menu

Celebrity Breakfast Menu 2023

Celebrity Lunch Menus 2023

Celebrity ships usually serve lunch in the main dining room only on sea days .

1st Sea Day Lunch Menu

2nd Sea Day Lunch Menu

3rd Sea Day Lunch Menu

Celebrity Dinner Menus 2023

Night 1 celebrity dinner menu.

Night 2 Celebrity Dinner Menu

Night 3 Celebrity Dinner Menu

Night 4 Celebrity Dinner Menu

Night 5 Celebrity Dinner Menu

Night 6 Celebrity Dinner Menu

Night 7 Celebrity Dinner Menu

Celebrity Edge Class Supplemental Dinner Menus 2023

The items on these supplemental menus, available exclusively in each of the four main dining rooms offered on the Edge, Apex, Beyond, and Ascent, will be the same every night in addition to the rotating dinner menus posted above. So, for example, if you choose to dine at the Cosmopolitan dining room on night one of your cruise, you’ll have the night 1 menu presented above PLUS these selections exclusive to the Cosmopolitan:

Celebrity Cosmopolitan Exclusive Dinner Menu 2023

Celebrity Cyprus Exclusive Dinner Menu 2023

These supplemental items will be available every night in the Cyprus main dining room on Edge class ships in addition to the regular rotating dinner menus:

Celebrity Normandie Exclusive Dinner Menu 2023

These supplemental items will be available every night on Edge class ships in the Normandie main dining room in addition to the regular rotating dinner menus:

Celebrity Tuscany Exclusive Dinner Menu 2023

These supplemental items will be available every night on Edge class ships in the Tuscany main dining room in addition to the regular rotating dinner menus:

Celebrity Kids Menu 2023

For kids and full-grown adults who frantically search every menu for mac and cheese, not because their taste buds never developed beyond it, but because it’s delicious and they want some with their marmite diepoise. But speaking of sophisticated tastes, is anyone else disappointed that Jello isn’t on the menu?

And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Did you find these menus helpful? Be sure to share them with your cruising companions and social media groups. And PIN to refer back to later:

Homework (10 points): Share to the comments your favorite MDR items on Celebrity.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling down if on a mobile device) and follow Prof. Cruise on your favorite social media sites:

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About Prof. Cruise

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising.  Home port: Seattle.  Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human.  Lover of books and dessert.  Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

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Celebrity Millennium Restaurants: A Quick Guide With Menus

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One of Celebrity Cruises’ mid-size ships, the Celebrity Millennium offers an intimate and elegant cruising experience. Its dining options are varied and all are excellent, so your choices may be difficult.

Here’s a quick guide to all the Celebrity Millennium restaurants to help narrow your options while onboard.

COMPLIMENTARY RESTAURANTS

Two complimentary dining options are available on the Millennium – the buffet and the main dining room.

Oceanview Cafe

The Oceanview Cafe on Celebrity Millennium offers a buffet-style dining experience with American and global cuisine. From Mexican to Indian to Greek favorites, you will find something to enjoy. Made-to-order stations such as sandwiches, omelets, and eggs benedict may be there, as well as carving stations for meat. A full bar is nearby for cocktails, wine, and beer. Be sure to check out the ice cream and gelato stations!

• Location: Deck 10 aft
• Specialty: Buffet
• Dress Code: Casual
• Breakfast hours: 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Lunch hours: 12:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Dinner hours: 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Metropolitan Restaurant

The main dining room of Celebrity Millennium is a two-story visual delight. Serving breakfast and dinner daily, Metropolitan provides guests with a more elegant alternative to the buffet.

• Location: Decks 4 and 5 aft
• Specialty: Upscale cuisine
• Dress Code: Casual; Smart Casual for dinner
• Breakfast hours (Deck 4): 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
• Dinner hours (Deck 4): 5:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Dinner hours (Deck 5): 5:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Ultimate Cruise Planner

Need a little assistance organizing and planning your cruise? Our Ultimate Cruise Planner can help!

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS

Celebrity Millennium has three specialty restaurants: Tuscan Grille, Sushi on Five, and Le Petit Chef at Qsine. They are open to all guests but do incur a cover charge.

Tuscan Grille

One of three specialty restaurants onboard the Millennium, Tuscan Grille offers both familiar Italian and steakhouse fare in an elegant but warm atmosphere. From your fresh-baked bread with olive oil and balsamic reduction, all the way to your tiramisu, you will be taken well care of.

• Location: Deck 3
• Specialty: Italian Steakhouse
• Dress Code: Smart Casual
• Dinner hours: 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Cover Charge: $55 per person

Sushi On Five

For sushi lovers, Sushi on Five is open for both lunch and dinner. Enjoy sushi rolls, ramen, and tempura in an elegant Japanese-style setting.

• Location: Deck 5
• Specialty: Modern Japanese fare
• Lunch hours: 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Dinner hours: 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Cover Charge: $30 for lunch; $45 for dinner

Le Petit Chef at Qsine

Fun for both children and adults alike, Le Petit Chef takes you on an animated adventure as your courses are served. An overhead projector illuminates your white tabletop with amazing animation throughout your meal. Two fixed menu options are available to ensure you have the best dining experience possible.

• Location: Deck 11
• Specialty: Interactive dining experience with French cuisine
• Dinner hours: 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
• Cover Charge: $55.00 per person

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Other eateries.

In addition to the main restaurants, the Millennium has several smaller eateries to tempt you between meals.

Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria

Cafe al Bacio is an Italian coffeehouse with an adjacent gelateria. Pastries are complimentary, gelato is for sale, and upscale coffee drinks require a beverage package or are for sale. It’s the perfect centralized location to people-watch onboard.

• Specialty: Coffee, pastries, and gelato
• Cafe hours: 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
• Gelateria hours: 12:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Located next to the solarium, the Spa Cafe is the best place for a healthy light bite or fruit smoothies. The food is complimentary, but the fresh-pressed juice and smoothies incur a cost unless you have a beverage package.

• Location: Deck 10
• Specialty: Healthy light fare
• Breakfast hours: 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
• Lunch hours: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Hungry for a burger? The Pool Grill, adjacent to the pool deck, is open throughout the afternoon with quick burgers, veggie burgers, hotdogs, and fries.

• Specialty: Hamburgers and hot dogs
• Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Exclusive Dining Options

Two restaurants are available exclusively to guests in either AquaClass or Retreat staterooms: Blu and Luminae.

Exclusively for AquaClass guests, Blu offers classic upscale cuisine as well as healthy alternatives.

• Specialty: Upscale healthy cuisine
• Breakfast hours: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

A Retreat Class Exclusive, Luminae offers exquisite continental and American cuisine for three meals a day while the ship is at sea, and two meals a day when the ship is in port.

• Location: Deck 4
• Specialty: Continental and American cuisine
• Lunch hours: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (sea days)

Our Gift For You

Download your free copy of our Celebrity Millennium Restaurants Guide. Enjoy!

Millennium Restaurant Guide

Would you like a restaurant handout you could print and take on the Millennium? Our exclusive handout gives you the location, dress code, and hours of all the restaurants on the ship. Of course, the hours are subject to change.

Final Thoughts On Celebrity Millennium Restaurants

You are sure to find what you’re hungry for at one of the many Celebrity Millennium restaurants. From hamburgers to filet mignon, soft-serve ice cream to creme brûlée, your options on the Millennium are many and varied.

Happy cruising!

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The Ultimate Guide to Food on Celebrity Cruises

• Post published: October 11, 2021
• Post category: Celebrity / Cruise Tips
• Reading time: 13 mins read

Compared to other mainstream cruise lines, Celebrity Cruise Line’s food is just a step above.  Or does it feel that way because everyone has a beverage package and you can have bubbly three meals a day?  

I think it’s the food.  

Breakfast 

Buffet breakfast .

The breakfast buffet on all mainstream cruise lines is suspiciously similar.  Omelets stations, fruit stations, bread stations, bacon you cannot get for yourself.  Celebrity is no different.  We almost always have the exact same breakfast no matter what cruise line we are sailing. 

The omelet station is something that it often takes people a couple of days to discover so make sure you check it out early for the shortest lines. Usually at least one of the omelet stations will also do eggs any way you request them so you can get fried or scrambled eggs if that is how you prefer them.  Other stations include the pastries, bread, fruit and pancakes.  (There is also a British area for your baked beans and grilled tomatoes.)  

I happen to think the regular coffee on Celebrity is better than some other cruise lines. Since the beverage package is included you can also get a latte, espresso, cappuccino, etc. from the friendly waiters who are walking around.  

Main dining room breakfast 

The main dining room has basically the same options as the buffet, they are just served to you in a much more classy environment.  

On days where we want to feel a little elegant we choose the main dining room, but we have decided over the years that the food is generally not much better.  It still has to travel to get to you. 

The main dining room menu is like the menu at dinner. You can order as much as you want. The servers typically walk around with trays of pastries and juices to start the meal and then you order as many dishes and sides as you need off the main menu. These options range from “healthy” parfaits to eggs benedict, to waffles and much more!

Personally, I don’t think the choice of buffet or dining room is about the food – it is about atmosphere. If you want to sit and be waited on at a leisurely pace then the dining room is a great experience. If you want to get your own food at your own pace and be more casual about it, then the buffet is probably for you. The breakfast foods on Celebrity Cruises are great either way!

Room Service 

Celebrity is the only cruise line we have ever been on that included hot breakfast items in their free room service breakfast.  We were not especially pleased with the hot items – they were hot – they just were not to our preference.  However, the coffee was plentiful, the pastries were good and the view was unbeatable.  

Full disclosure – we have never quite managed to eat in the main dining room for lunch.  It is open, at least on sea days.  But it’s just too challenging to be dressed at lunch time.  Swimsuit cover-ups are acceptable at the buffet and that is where you find us!

The buffet on Celebrity, or the Oceanview Café, is a step up from other cruise ship buffets.  It has standard items like hotdogs & hamburgers, nachos, Asian food of some sort, American, salads and a carvery.  But they also regularly have some special or noteworthy options such as the occasional filet mignon on the carvery or the exotic fruit stand.  This is really where the food on Celebrity Cruises is just a step above other cruise lines and where Celebrity really shines.

But sometimes it is just the standard vegetable lo mien that is the standout dish of the day. You just never know until you’ve tried everything on the buffet – or at least attempted to!

Other lunch options for when you can’t make it out of your swimsuit or don’t get hungry until 3pm

Pizza is open all afternoon and is pretty standard.  It’s not the most amazing pizza I’ve ever had at sea, but it’s not the worst either.  Same thing with burgers from the pool-side grill.  Pretty standard.  Not the best at sea, but not the worst either.  

Afternoon Snack 

I think the afternoon snack is Celebrity’s attempt at an afternoon tea. It included scones, finger sandwiches and cake, but if it’s not a sit-down affair with white table clothes, is it really a traditional afternoon tea?  

(Sorry Celebrity, but this is one Carnival totally does right!  Check out Carnival’s FREE high class tea here .) 

That being said, its totally worth popping by if you are hungry in the 4-5 time range and you’re dinner isn’t until 8.  It has enough to make a nice little unhealthy afternoon snack.  

Dinner 

The buffet is open for dinner, but unless we are exhausted from some excursion we always make a point to go to the main dining room(s) for dinner at night.  

Like other cruise lines, food is unlimited at dinner and you can order however many appetizers, main dishes, lobsters and deserts you want.  And of course bread.  There is always plenty of bread.  

Like any other cruise line, I don’t think it’s possible to actually go hungry on a Celebrity Cruise. There are plenty of options with overlapping times and for people of all different tastes.

The food is absolutely one of the most important onboard activities no matter if you are sailing Celebrity or another cruise line – it should always be a main focus!

What to read next when you’re still interested in food on a celebrity cruise:

Trying to decide between cruise lines? Check out this post comparing Celebrity to Royal Caribbea n!

Trying to decided a cruise line based on food? Check out T he Ultimate Guide to Food on Carnival Cruise Lines

Looking for more information about what’s included on a Celebrity Cruise? Find out more here .

Cruising in the Caribbean? Check out these Caribbean Cruise Tips .

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11 cruise dining hacks to enhance mealtime at sea

You can hack your way to better cruise dining no matter which cruise line you choose. You just need to be clever and use smart strategies to create your own best food experiences.

Knowledge is key. Sometimes it's as simple as knowing where to find the best ice cream and toppings – even when the two aren't located in the same place. It might be watching for special food events and organizing your schedule to access the best dining opportunities.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

And never be afraid to ask for what you want so you get the best vacation meals. The worst anyone can say is no. With that in mind, here's my list of 11 cruise dining hacks to help you eat your way to cruise food nirvana.

Upgrade your ice cream

Finding the ice cream station — be it a soft-serve machine or a hand-scooped gelato bar — is a high priority for me and many cruisers. One of the easiest and most rewarding cruise dining hacks is figuring out creative ways to upgrade your frozen treat on the cheap.

Create DIY ice cream sandwiches using cookies from the buffet or snack counters. If brownies are on the buffet, a brownie sundae could be in your future. Just put your treats in a bowl and take them to the self-serve station to top with a creamy swirl.

Have your kids save Froot Loops from the breakfast buffet to crunch up and sprinkle over a midday ice cream snack. Your adult cruise mates might like a shot of Bailey's drizzled over their cup of vanilla; the pool deck bar is often conveniently located near the soft-serve machines.

Plus, on some cruise lines, the ice cream served in the main dining room is a cut above the soft serve and might include flavors you can't get anywhere else on board. I've been known to pop into the main dining room after I've eaten elsewhere to see what the flavors are. Servers will happily bring you a dish to go if one sounds tasty to you.

My mom recently discovered a fun Carnival Cruise Line ice cream hack in the main dining room: She orders the cute little banana splits from the kid's menu. No one thinks to ask her age.

Related: Best cruise ship desserts to tempt you at sea

Make friends with a bartender

Nobody ever said bars on cruise ships were just for alcoholic beverages. I drink Sprite, but I like it topped with lime and cherries. Whether you buy a soda package or pay by the glass, order your soft drinks at a bar, and you can have all the add-ins you want. I also enjoy orange slices in my water bottle. Bartenders will happily provide these at no charge.

Who has most of the ingredients and blenders needed to accommodate well-deserved vacation whims like milkshakes or root beer floats? Most often, it's the poolside bartenders. My go-to is the solarium bar because it's usually less busy. You might need to bring your own ice cream, but the bar should have the rest.

I keep my first weird requests simple and always ask with a smile and a "would you mind?" Pleasant banter goes a long way, as do tips. By the end of the cruise, they'll whip up almost anything for you if you've been asking nicely the whole cruise.

Research your way to a better dining experience

Knowledge is power when it comes to thoroughly hacking your cruise dining experience. Sometimes the best meals are easily missed unless you're trying to learn about all the available dining options.

Check out the cruise line app and the interactive TV screens in your stateroom to browse menus and hours of operation for the week. You want to know when the best dishes will be served so you don't miss lobster night in the main dining room because you reserved a specialty dinner on the same night.

Scour the daily newsletter (or schedule on the ship's app), and check signs around the ship for pop-up food and beverage events. These will alert you to various options like brunch or afternoon tea, some of which are only available on sea days.

Related: 12 dining mistakes you must fix on your next cruise

Once, on a Viking cruise, I noticed the head chef buzzing around the poolside burger bar late one afternoon. I promptly made my way over to investigate. Apparently, I had missed a tiny notice in the daily briefing about a poolside surf-and-turf dinner. It was one of the best dinners I've ever had on a cruise, accompanied by a live band and a fabulous dessert bar, but it was only attended by about a hundred lucky people in the know.

Enjoy specialty dining at a discount

If you want to try specialty restaurants but don't like the hefty price tags, it is possible to get a reduced-rate reservation.

Some cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises , offer discounted specialty dining reservations on the first night of the cruise when most people go to the main dining room. Carnival keeps the cover charge the same but offers free or half-priced wine with your meal. You might need to reserve your spot pre-cruise through your travel agent or the cruise line's website to get the best prices.

Lunch in select specialty food venues also costs less than dinner, even though the menu and portion sizes vary only a little. Specialty lunches are often served only on sea days, and reservations are almost always required. If you don't book pre-cruise, do so soon after you board. Holland America 's Pinnacle Grill and Royal Caribbean's Chops Grille are among the specialty restaurants offering discounted lunch.

Some cruise lines sell specialty dining packages for a select number of nights at a discounted price from the full daily rate. Again, these rates could be even lower before your cruise begins. You should be able to shop for them along with excursions and beverage packages. Or, look for booking promotions offering free meals in these extra-fee dining venues.

Discover the secret breakfast venues

Some cruise ships have an almost secret breakfast venue beyond the main dining room or buffet. These hidden gems are typically less crowded than the main morning venues, so you get your food more quickly and with less stress.

On a coastal cruise with American Cruise Lines , I discovered the Back Porch Cafe has a short-order cook who can whip you up an omelet or breakfast sandwich on the ship's back deck. Celebrity has the AquaSpa Cafe in the Solarium for healthy breakfast treats, and Carnival dishes out spicy breakfast tacos at Blue Iguana each morning.

Viking offers Scandinavian breakfast fare at Mamsen's in the Explorer Lounge, while Norwegian Cruise Line offers complimentary alternative breakfasts in a pub atmosphere at The Local and O'Sheehan's.

It's not complimentary, but on select MSC ships, the Butcher's Cut steakhouse serves an a la carte brunch with some fabulous items you won't find elsewhere on board.

Related: Cruise ship restaurant nirvana: The 9 best meals you can have at sea

This cruise dining hack works best early in the cruise before the rest of your shipmates stumble upon these lesser-known breakfast venues.

The same principle applies to lunch options on embarkation day . Check for quieter choices in lounges and specialty venues before you head to the buffet for your first meal of the cruise.

Don't skip the snack counters

You won't always find the best snack locations on the ship's app. When you're looking for a mid-afternoon snack, you might need to do a little undercover snooping to find the best options.

Check the specialty coffee counters, bars that offer daytime coffee service and health food eateries near the spa. I've scored free treats at the Viking Bar on Viking cruise ships and the Yacht Club bar on Windstar Cruises ' ships.

Snacky spots are likely to have food and beverages that cost extra, but additional snacks, ranging from gooey cookies to tasty sandwiches, are often complimentary. If there's a charge, they will usually have prices listed either on the menu board or in the case next to the food.

Examples on mainstream lines include the free sandwiches, cookies and pastries at Carnival's Javablue Cafe, Royal Caribbean's Promenade Cafe and Celebrity's Cafe al Bacio.

Take advantage of free room service

Mainstream cruise lines charge for most room service orders, but Continental breakfast delivered to your stateroom is often yours for a simple cash gratuity. I like to call it "first breakfast." Sometimes you need a cup of tea or coffee, along with a flaky pastry and a bite of fruit, to start your day before you're ready to leave your cabin.

Free room service extends to other meals on luxury lines and in upper-level suites on the mainstream lines. It's an ideal way to add a bit of decadence to your cruise. In these cases, it pays to check out the room service menu at the start of your cruise. There are almost always items on the menu you won't find elsewhere. But I'll let you in on a secret: You don't have to be in your cabin to order them.

I once ordered a slice of chocolate layer cake for dessert in the main dining room that I'd only seen on the room service menu. It caused a tiny bit of a "don't-tell-anyone" fuss, but I got my cake. My husband has done the same with a chef's salad from a room service menu.

Plus, if you're sailing on certain lines — like Princess, which offers food, drink and gift shop item delivery anywhere on board for a fee; Carnival, which offers anywhere-on-the-ship pizza delivery; and Virgin Voyages, which allows you to shake your phone to have Champagne brought to wherever you are while you're on the vessel — you can have food and drinks delivered to you in various onboard locations.

Hack the main dining room menu

You don't have to order three courses every single night or follow the menu's suggestions for what to eat first. Hack the menu to create the meal you want.

Try a selection of appetizers, or ask for a half portion of an entree. Soup and salad is a fine meal if it suits your mood. Most cruisers know they can have two desserts, but consider taking one with you for a midnight snack. As long as it won't melt, it's perfectly fine.

You can also reorder a dish you particularly enjoy for another night. Sometimes your wish will be granted but not always. It's easy with appetizers, but if you ask a day ahead, you might even be able to order a rerun of an entree or a dessert.

I once had Grand Marnier souffle served three nights in a row on a Celebrity ship, and I've heard of people requesting that a specific type of bread be served every night. It never hurts to ask, but keep your special requests in mind when it comes to extra tips at the end of your cruise.

Dining room hacks also apply to breakfast. On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise, I inquired in the dining room about the sticky buns they serve in the buffet and was treated to a plate of them every time we ate breakfast in the dining room.

I've also witnessed cruisers ordering things that don't exist on any menu on board. Several cruise lines are known to happily prepare Asian or Indian meals. I've seen it happen on Carnival and Viking, as well as on AmaWaterways river cruises . Speak to the head waiter for special requests; he'll need a couple days' advance notice.

Save your wine, or take it with you

Experienced cruisers know it's cheaper to order a bottle of wine than several individual glasses. If you want the savings but can't finish a bottle in one sitting, try one of these two cruise dining hacks.

Ask to have an opened bottle of wine held for you by dining room staff, and you can finish it another night, even in another dining venue on board. Just ask your waiter the next night to find the bottle for you.

Alternatively, you can take the rest of the bottle back to your stateroom. It's nice to have a nightcap on the balcony or a pre-dinner glass of wine while you get ready for the evening. Your room steward will be happy to supply glasses if there aren't any in your cabin already.

Related: Cruise ship drinks packages: A line-by-line guide

Dress up that cruise burger

Cruise ship hamburgers have improved a lot over the years, but in most cases, there's quite a bit you can do to improve the basic burger from the poolside grill. The trick is to hit the buffet salad and sandwich bars after snagging your burger.

Why? You've got more options for burger toppings. The buffet will usually have better choices of cheese, a variety of lettuce and bacon bits. You can find sauces like ranch, bleu cheese or thousand island dressing, as well as barbecue sauce. Do you adore hot peppers or relish? Snatch them from the buffet, and have your burger your way.

Bring your own mixers

Drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, can blow up your cruise tab in a hurry. One hack is to bring items from home to spiff up the free beverages so you don't need to pay extra for specialty drinks.

If your cruise line allows it, you can bring your own soda or juice to avoid purchasing soft drinks at inflated prices on board. You can also lower your overall costs by packing flavored drink packets and powdered sports drink mixes to combine with tap water.

Plain drip coffee and a variety of tea bags are readily available on board most ships at no cost. If you have a favorite, don't waste your vacation budget on trips to the extra-fee specialty coffee counter. Instead, bring your own tea bags, powdered sweeteners, flavored instant coffee or even ground coffee and a French press. (Electric coffee makers are a no-no and fall on cruise lines' lists of banned items .)

Bottom line

Everyone has their own idea of how to best eat their way through a cruise. You might love the buffet or hate it, prefer complimentary dining venues over the added costs of specialty restaurants, or perhaps you like a smattering of all of those.

Any way you slice and dice it, food plays an important role on any cruise. Cruise lines want to satisfy your every craving — even if it means crew members going out of their way to serve you something different. The best cruise food hack is arming yourself with the knowledge to find what you want when you want it.

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Nautical Miles Ahead of Any Other Vacation

Celebrity is different.

As in "you'll never want to vacation any other way" kind of different.

Every detail is elevated beyond what you ever thought a vacation could be.

 You'll enjoy the intimate feel and thoughtful service of a smaller ship, the variety and excitement of a bigger one, and experiences you won't find anywhere else.

So, if you want to explore the world or get away from it for a little while, Nothing Comes Close to Celebrity Cruises.

What's Included in Your Cruise

Vacations should be easy, right? We couldn’t agree more. That’s why so much is already included in your fare, from live entertainment all around the ship to delicious meals sure to satisfy every craving.

From reinvented verandas that put more room in your room to the luxurious suites of The Retreat®, we offer a variety of accommodations to fit your vacation style.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner—and even a bite or two in between—are included in our main restaurants, Oceanview Café, and other complimentary dining spots.

From jaw-dropping stage productions to interactive gameshows to friendly pickleball competition, there’s never a dull moment on board.

Get your reps and miles in at our state-of-the-art fitness center with floor-to-ceiling views—or hit the outdoor walking/running track and enjoy fresh sea breezes.

Traveling with kids? We’ll keep young explorers entertained and inspired at our complimentary Camp at Sea (ages 3–12), while older kids can chill at our Teen Club.

Kick back at a pool that rivals any high-end beach club—minus the admission fee. Soak in the hot tub and soak up the view. Or unwind at our serene, adults-only Solarium pool. 

Plan like a Pro

Planning your cruise should be as relaxing as going on one. Below is everything you’ll need to find the perfect Celebrity vacation for you. Discover our destinations, explore our ships and accommodations, and get tips on flight, hotels, excursions, and ways to make your vacation, well, more you.

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