What Is Food on a Cruise Really Like?

You can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for free on a cruise.

This includes access to all complimentary food venues onboard. Main dining restaurants feature versatile menus that cater to a variety of tastes and dietary preferences, which comes included in your cruise fare.

Complimentary restaurants vary depending on which ship you sail on. These are a few of our complimentary onboard restaurants.

Main Dining on Millennium- and Solstice-Series Ships

Main Restaurant is an airy, open concept with a varied menu of contemporary dishes plated and presented like never before. There’s a wealth of choice each evening at the Main Restaurant, where menus are both sophisticated and satisfying.

Main Dining on Edge-Series Ships

Choose from four complimentary main restaurants on Celebrity Edge and Apex, each emulating different destinations and culinary styles around the globe. At each restaurant, you’ll find the same menu, which changes nightly, along with options inspired by the regions each represents.

Here are the complimentary dining options you can expect to find on Edge Series ships:

• Cyprus invites you to Greece for meze and a refreshing Mediterranean menu full of classic Greek salads and creative seafood mains.
• Normandie plants you in the heart of fine dining in the French countryside with refined dishes like duck confit and toasted baked brie.
• At Cosmopolitan, enjoy New York strip and mouth-watering pork chops for a remix on New American classics.
• Tuscan is the fourth main restaurant available on Edge-series ships. Travel to an elegant Italian trattoria and ristorante on board, where you’ll savor handmade pastas, regional wines, and rustic Italian favorites.

Here are a few other complimentary dining experiences that await on board:

• Luminae (exclusively for guests of The Retreat™) features signature dishes designed by Brand Culinary Ambassador Chef Daniel Boulud and a menu you won’t find anywhere else on board.
• Blu (exclusively for AquaClass® guests) is a spa-influenced culinary experience with bold, contemporary flavors and biodynamic, sustainable wines.
• Eden Cafe (exclusively on Celebrity Edge) offers up fresh breakfast bites and light lunch fare, like build-your-own salads and hot, pressed paninis.
• Spa Cafe (available on Edge, Millennium, and Solstice-Series ships) rejuvenates you after an invigorating spa treatment with fresh, nourishing juices, smoothies, and salads.
• At Mast Grill (available on Edge, Millennium, and Solstice-Series ships), you’ll find hearty fare and grilled delights like burgers, sandwiches, and salads in an unpretentious poolside setting.
• Oceanview Cafe (available on Edge, Millennium, and Solstice-Series ships) includes an array of stations inspired by culinary traditions around the world. Enjoy anything from hot stir fry to oven-baked pizzas, all with sweeping vistas of the sea as you dine.
• Darwin’s Restaurant (only available on Celebrity Xpedition) includes a menu of fresh vegetables, locally-grown fruits, and fish caught by Galapagos fishermen.

Unlike complimentary restaurants on board, specialty dining doesn’t come included in your traditional cruise fare. Specialty dining provides exclusive culinary experiences, restaurants, and venues that you can experience on your vacation.

With Specialty Dining Packages, you get the most out of every possible dining experience. The selection of available restaurants will vary based on which ship you’re sailing on. Here are a few of the options you might find on board:

• Fine Cut Steakhouse is your spot for prime cuts, grilled meats, and fine wine in a traditional American steakhouse setting.
• Eden Restaurant takes you on a culinary adventure, where each dish is designed to be a sensory experience.
• Le Petit Chef™ is an interactive, 3D dining experience where your tabletop comes to life with the help of an adorable animated chef.
• Murano Restaurant modernizes French cuisine, elevating classic entrees and mains with thoughtful contemporary touches.
• Tuscan Grille takes you to an authentic Italian ristorante. Savor homemade pastas, crispy flatbreads, butcher cut meats, and artisanal salumi.
• Raw on 5 Restaurant satisfies any craving for sushi, sashimi, lobster, and many other Japanese specialties.
• Sushi on Five’s menu is crafted by expert sushi chef Yoshikazu “Yoshi” Okada, which is a real treat for those looking to sample handmade nigiri and classic salmon, yellowtail, and octopus sashimi.
• Le Grand Bistro lets you pretend you’re in Paris having a coffee or croissant, fusing the French tradition of boulangerie and patisserie into one chic experience.
• The Porch emulates a casual New England raw bar, where you can enjoy wine by the glass, oysters, lobster rolls, and the freshest seafood at sea.
• Rooftop Garden Grill is your backyard barbecue at sea, offering up weekend crowd-pleasers like chicken wings, pulled pork sliders, and smothered French fries.
• Lawn Club Grill fires up the grill for an interactive dining experience where you watch your favorite surf and turf grill to perfection before your eyes. Try a crispy flatbread starter and finish with a wholesome crumble or cobbler.

One of the best parts about complimentary food on a cruise is you can try, share, and order as often as you want. Venues like Oceanview Cafe and Eden Cafe are casual spots perfect for grabbing a quick bite.

At our complimentary restaurants, you’ll be able to pick and choose from our extensive menus. One insider tip? Try more on the menu by ordering tapas-style. Split mouth-watering appetizers, mains, and desserts among your travel partners.

A visit to Oceanview Cafe is a trip around the world in a single dining experience. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Oceanview Cafe is your international bazaar during your cruise. Pizza, Asian stir fry, made-to-order pasta, and a full salad bar are a sampling of the variety of food you’ll find.

Eating healthy on a cruise is easier than ever. On Celebrity Cruises, we pair innovative, high-end culinary experiences with the power of choice. Our menus are equipped with special symbols to demonstrate if menu items are gluten-free, vegetarian, and more. We’ve also introduced “fit fare,” which marks options crafted with balanced nutrition in mind.

Sip a nutrient-packed smoothie for breakfast, or opt for light breakfast fare at the Spa Cafe. Visit the build-your-own salad bar at Oceanview Cafe for lunch. You’ll find plenty of healthy food on our cruise ships.

Read: Ways to Stay Fit on a Cruise

We welcome all sorts of dietary preferences and accommodate allergies as best we can. When you arrive on your cruise, mention your dietary restrictions to our crew so we can take good care of you.

When it comes to understanding our menu, we’ve created symbols for various dietary preferences. We note our vegetarian menu options with a leaf. A small blue cow with a line running through it indicates a lactose-free option. If a dish has both vegetarian and lactose-free symbols, it is most likely vegan. Always check with your server before ordering to confirm that a menu item meets your expectations.

Here are more tips for eating vegan during your vacation.

On a cruise with Celebrity Cruises, you’ll enjoy extended room service to quell your late-night cravings. Indulge in coffee and breakfast from your veranda as your ship rolls into port—delivered right to your door. With a day’s exploration under your belt and the sun setting in the distance, wind down and order in for a movie night in your stateroom.

In-room dining runs from 11 am to 5 am, and every suite and stateroom menu includes light snacks like fruit plates or a fresh mixed greens salad. You can nosh on a hearty hamburger or turkey club sandwich with fries, or opt for seared salmon and vegetables. There are also vegetarian options available.

For kids, there are crowd-pleasers like a grilled hot dog and fries or a pepperoni pizza. Indulge your sweet tooth with cheesecake, dark chocolate ganache cake, or warm milk and cookies. Wash it all down with an iced tea or decaf coffee before turning in for the night.

The better question is, “What isn’t available on a cruise ship?” These are just a few of the culinary styles and experiences you can expect during your vacation:

Taste of France

Part patisserie, part boulangerie, Le Grand Bistro is inspired by the City of Love—Paris. Stop in for coffee and croissants, baguette sandwiches, and other plats du jour. Or savor remixed French classics at Murano, like an elevated charcuterie board of cheeses and dry fruits, caviar, and pan-seared Dover sole.

Flavors of Italy

Immerse yourself in a rustic trattoria when you dine at Tuscan Grille, where you can enjoy homemade pasta mains, flatbread pizzas, and a regional wine menu. Tuscan Grille also serves up salumi and fine butcher cuts, adding a modern twist to iconic Italian favorites.

All-American

Mast Grill is a family-favorite for pool days, where chicken tenders, crispy French fries, and cheeseburgers rule the menu. Laidback venues like Rooftop Garden Grill and Lawn Club Grill bring the backyard BBQ to you.

Premium cuts sizzle at Fine Cut Steakhouse. Filet mignon, grass-fed lamb chops, and braised short ribs are menu staples. Go all out and try the Wagyu tomahawk or a hearty dry-aged ribeye.

Fresh Catches

The Porch Seafood Restaurant will transport you to summertime along the coast of New England. A breezy, casual vibe compliments a fresh seafood menu. The Porch boasts ocean views, an entire raw bar, and a seafood tower. Adventurous palates should try the tuna tartare or red snapper ceviche, and you’ll also find classic soup and salad fare.

Taste of Japan

Sushi, sashimi, and seafood favorites await at Raw on 5 or Sushi on Five. Watch as our sushi chefs prepare a tantalizing selection from the raw bar, or go with a classic lobster roll.

Experiential

For a truly unforgettable evening on Celebrity Edge or Apex, head to Eden Restaurant, where the design and the menu are influenced by nature. Or, enjoy a multi-course adventure at Le Petit Chef. Delight in watching a tiny chef creatively prepare your dishes in 3D animation.