I recently had a request from a first-time cruiser to write a post about all of the dining options onboard, from the main dining rooms, to the adult-only restaurants, to room service, to snacks, and basically everything available to eat on the ships.  It can be a bit confusing for first-timers, especially knowing what is included in your cruise fare, what costs extra, and what you need to reserve in advance.  So, I’m going to attempt to share with you everything I know. It is a lot of information, so I am going to break the food options up by time of day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and all day/other. Also, unless I specifically state that there is an extra charge for something, you can assume that it is included in your cruise fare.

Breakfast

Cabanas

Cabanas is the buffet restaurant at the back of the ship on the same deck as the pools (deck 9 for Magic & Wonder, deck 11 for Fantasy & Dream).  It is usually opens around 6:15 – 7:00, and closes around 10:30-10:45.  Check the daily navigator or the navigator app for the times on each day of your sailing as they do usually vary by day. This is the largest variety you will find for breakfast.  It is also open on the final morning of your cruise, although that fact is not well advertised and many people do not know this.  This might be a good option for people who have early dining but do not want to have to be in the main dining room at 6:45-ish for their scheduled breakfast time on the final morning (more on this later).

Room Service

Room service is available every morning of the cruise, typically from 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM, except for the final morning when you disembark.  There are not hot items available, unless you are sailing concierge.  Here is the breakfast room service menu:

You can either call and place your order that morning, or fill out a card (found in the desk drawer) and hang it on your door the night before.

It is customary to tip $1 – $2 per item for room service.  You can either use cash, or write it on the receipt and charge it to your onboard account.  However, I often find that the CM who delivers does not have the receipt handy, but I’m sure if you ask, he/she will produce it.  But, because of this, I always bring lots of $1 bills as I find it quicker and easier to use cash.

Concierge guests can order from the menu above, or from the menu of whichever main dining room is serving breakfast that day, so hot items are included as well.  However, you can only order from this menu during the hours that the dining room is open for breakfast (usually around 8:00-10:00 – check the daily navigator).

Main Dining Room

Each day except for the final morning, there is 1 main dining room open for breakfast.  Check the daily navigator for location and hours, as they vary but are usually somewhere around 8:00-10:00.  On all ships except for the Dream, this is a table service meal.  Last I heard, Enchanted Garden on the Dream still had breakfast set up as a buffet, but with table service for your drinks.  Also, note that this buffet is much, much smaller in selection than Cabanas.

On the final morning of your cruise, you will be assigned a designated time for breakfast in the same main dining room that you ate dinner in the night before. You will have the same serving team that you had for dinner the entire cruise.  The times are usually 6:45 AM for early dining, and 8:15 AM for late dining.  If you do not want to be tied down to a certain time for breakfast on your final morning, there is also a buffet in Cabanas that you can visit at your leisure.

Pool Deck

Daisy’s De Lights on deck 9 of the Wonder and Magic is usually open in the mornings and offers things like fruit, wraps, and pastries.

Concierge Lounge

The concierge lounge is open to concierge guests (you can read all about the benefits of concierge level here) and will have a small breakfast spread available.  They also have an amazing coffee machine so be sure to check it out.

Brunch

Palo

Palo is an adult-only restaurant (ages 18+) on all 4 ships.  They offer a brunch on sea days, usually between 10:00-12:30.  I have also heard that the Dream sometimes offers it on Nassau day on the 3 night itineraries, since there is no sea day.  You can read my review of Palo brunch here.  There is an upcharge of $40 per person (which includes 1 mimosa), and you should add gratuity on top of that (you can read my post about gratuities here).  Platinum Castaway Club members (10+ sailings) receive 1 complimentary Palo meal (brunch or dinner) per sailing and it extends to everyone in the same stateroom as the Platinum member who is at least 18 years old.  This brunch consists of both a buffet and a small menu of made-to-order items.  You must have a reservation and should reserve this online in advance of your cruise.  If you are unable to do so, you can go to the designated location on the first day of your cruise and see if they have any availability.  The time and location for Palo reservations will be noted on the front page of the daily navigator that you get while checking in at the cruise terminal.  Palo has a dress code which you can read about here.

Remy

Remy is an adult-only (18+) restaurant, only on the Dream and Fantasy, and they offer brunch on sea days as well.  Remy differs from Palo in that it is a more upscale, gourmet experience, and is a multi-course set menu with an optional champagne pairing.  Like Palo, you must have a reservation and can reserve this online before your cruise.  The cost of brunch is $75 per person (plus gratuity) and the optional champagne pairing is an additional $30 per person.  You can read my review of Remy brunch here.  Remy has a strict dress code which you can read about here.

Triton’s on the Wonder

There is occasionally a table service brunch in Triton’s on the Disney Wonder.  I don’t know the pattern of when they offer it, but it tends to be on a sea day from about 9:00-1:00.  Check your daily navigators, and no reservation is needed.

Lunch

Cabanas

Cabanas is open every day for lunch from about 11:30-2:00.  This is the largest lunch selection you will find on the ship.  In addition to the standard American fare, each day they have a small section that alternates through different ethnic cuisines, such as Mexican, Asian, and Indian, and possibly more.

Room Service

Room service is also an option for lunch, and it is the standard all-day menu with no additional options for concierge guests:

Note that most items are no extra charge, but there is an extra charge for the following: M&Ms, salted peanuts, buttered popcorn, salted cashews, wine, beer, juices, specialty coffees, sodas (which will come in cans), and bottled water.  An automatic gratuity of 15% will be added to sodas, bottled water, and alcohol.  As mentioned earlier, it is customary to tip $1 – $2 per item for delivery.

Pool Deck

Each ship has quick-service counters on the pool deck that open around lunch time and stay open throughout the afternoon (and some of them stay open through the dinner hours – check the daily navigator).  Options include pizza, chicken tenders, fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, wraps, fruit, salads, sandwiches, daily specials, and more.  The Magic and Wonder also have a noodle bowl station and a Shawarma (gyro) station.  Note that I have occasionally found soft pretzels (regular and cream cheese-filled) at the pizza counter on the Wonder.

Main Dining Room

There is always one main dining room open for lunch, usually around 12:00-1:30.  It is table service and reservations are not required.

Dinner

Main Dining Rooms

Dinner each night is served in the three main dining rooms (names of the dining rooms vary per ship). When you book your cruise, you’ll choose either early dining or late dining, usually at 5:45 & 8:15 PM (sometimes these times are slightly adjusted on certain itineraries). You’ll be assigned a dining rotation (written on your room key) and rotate through all of the restaurants throughout your cruise. Your serving team follows you to each restaurant, so that you have the same wait staff for the entire cruise. They’ll get to know your family, your likes and dislikes, and any food allergies. You have an assigned table reserved just for you every night, so no need to arrive early or wait in line.  You might be paired with others at your assigned table, so if having a private table is important to you, be sure and call DCL (or have your travel agent do it) a few weeks before you cruise to request it.  They will try to honor it, but there are no guarantees.  If you are unable to reserve the dining time that you want prior to your cruise, you can visit a designated location after boarding the ship (location & time will be on the front page of the daily navigator that you get while checking in at the cruise terminal) and see if they can change your dining time.  Sometimes they can, sometimes they can’t. There is a dress code (loosely enforced) which you can read about here.  Also note that dinners are a multi-course meal and usually take about 1.5 – 2 hours.  If you have young children who won’t make it this long at a dinner table, you can ask your server to bring out their food ASAP, and then you can either 1) participate in the dine & play program, available during the late seating, where a counselor from the Oceaneer’s Club will walk through the dining rooms and take kids who would like to go, 2) walk your child to the Oceaneer’s Club yourself (you will only be gone about 5 minutes), or 3) for children under age 3, reserve time in the nursery (additional fee of $9 per hour, reservations required).

Palo

Palo (all 4 ships) offers dinner nightly for those ages 18+.  There is an upcharge of $40 per person, and you should add gratuity on top of that (you can read my post about gratuities here).  There is an optional wine pairing for an additional $59 per person.  Unlike brunch, there is not a buffet at dinner.  It is an upscale, multi-course Italian meal and you make selections from a menu.  Reservations are required, and can be made online prior to your cruise or after boarding (if space is still available).  Brunch tends to fill up faster than dinner.  Remember that Palo has a dress code which you can read about here.

Remy

Remy (ages 18+) is only on the Dream and Fantasy, and is steps above Palo in terms of cuisine and service.  It is a more fine-dining experience – some compare it to Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian.  There is an upcharge of $125 per person, and you should add gratuity on top of that.  There is an optional wine pairing for an additional $105 per person.  You can read a review of the Remy dinner experience here.  Remember that there is a dress code (strictly enforced) which you can read about here.  Once again, reservations are required, and can be made online prior to your cruise or after boarding (if space is still available).

Room Service

Room service is also an option for dinner.

Pool Deck

The quick-service counters on the pool deck are an option for dinner.  However, some of them close around 6:00-6:30, so be sure and check the navigator.  There is usually 1 that stays open until 9:30-10:00 (typically the burger/hot dog/chicken tenders one), and the pizza place usually closes around 6:00/6:30 but then opens again around 9:30 and stays open until around midnight.  Once again, these hours can change daily so plan ahead and check the hours earlier in the day if you know you may want to do this option for dinner.

Cabanas

Cabanas is open for dinner except on the first and last nights of a cruise, usually around 6:30 – 8:30.  But, it is not a buffet like at breakfast and lunch.  It is a table-service meal and you order from a menu that typically has a few selections from what the main dining rooms are serving that night, and a few unique selection.  The menu will be posted outside the restaurant so that you can check it out beforehand.  I have heard that the menu is the same every night, though I haven’t personally confirmed this.  This was the menu on the night we dined there on the Wonder:

 They will only have a small area of tables open so that the servers don’t have to walk so far.  No reservations are required, so this could be a good option for people who don’t want to eat dinner at their assigned time in the main dining room for whatever reason.  We ate dinner here once on our Panama Canal cruise, and you can read about the experience here.  I would say that dinner here is nothing special, but an acceptable option for table-service if you can’t/don’t want to eat in the MDR, Palo, or Remy.  Worth noting is that my husband thought his steak was far better than any steak he’s had in a main dining room, as they cook it to order just steps away from you instead of being mass-produced and having to sit a while before being served.

All Day/Other

Drink Station

The Magic and Wonder have a self-serve drink station aft, near Cabanas, on deck 9.  The Dream and Fantasy have 2 drink stations, both midship, on either side of the pool on deck 11.  There are fountain drinks, water, lemonade, coffee, hot tea, milk, and half & half available.  Note that plastic lids and straws have recently been removed from the ships.  If you have young kids and need help avoiding spills, I have a post that you can read here with some ideas for items you can bring along from home to make your life easier.

Eye Scream

All 4 ships have a soft-serve ice cream station that is usually open from around 10:30 AM to around 11:00 PM.  There are cones next to the machines, or you can go to the drink station and get a cup if that’s what you prefer.  I have noticed that the Dream and Fantasy tend to always have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and banana available daily, while the Magic and Wonder tend always have chocolate and vanilla, but rotate the other 2 flavors throughout the cruise.  I can recall having mango, pina colada, banana, and blueberry.

Frozone Treats/Sulley’s Sips

Next to Eye Scream on all 4 ships, you will find Frozone Treats (Fantasy, Dream & Magic) and Sulley’s Sips (Wonder).  This is a counter that sells smoothies ($4-$5 range), bottled beer, and “Dole Whips” with or without rum for an extra charge.  The reason I used quotation marks is while the sign calls them a Dole Whip, reports are that they are not the same thing the sell in the parks.  People say that these are more like a Slurpee/slushie and not actually soft-serve.

Cove Cafe

All 4 ships have the Cove Cafe, and adult-only (18+) specialty coffee shop/bar next to the Quiet Cove Pool area.  All of the drinks here are an additional charge, but there is a small case of snacks that do not cost extra.  I have always been able to help myself, but I have heard reports of there being a sign asking you to ask a barista to fill your plate.  They do offer a rewards card that allows you to get your 6th drink for free.

Vista Cafe

The Dream & Fantasy also have the Vista Cafe on deck 4 in the atrium area.  It is similar to Cove Cafe, but is not adults-only. In addition to specialty coffee & alcoholic beverages (extra charge), it also has a case of snacks that are complimentary.

Vanellope’s/Sweet on You

The Dream and Fantasy have specialty gelato/ice cream/candy/pastry shops that are an extra charge.  On the Dream, it is called Vanellope’s and you can read my post about it here.  On the Fantasy, it is called Sweet on You.  They are both located near Cabanas on deck 11.  They both sell pretty much the same things, the only real difference is the theming.

Pompidou’s Dessert Experience at Remy

Remy offers a dessert experience at 3:30 PM on certain sea days on cruises of 4+ nights.  There is an upcharge of $60 per person plus gratuity, and an optional wine pairing for an additional $25 per person.  You can reserve a spot online before your cruise.  I have done this experience and you can read my review here.  There are 6 courses of desserts, and the chef and sommelier both explain each dessert/wine before it is served.  My advice is to only eat half of each dessert served, especially if doing the wine pairing, or you will leave with an unpleasant sugar coma and will more than likely not be hungry for dinner.  Remember that Remy has a dress code that is strictly enforced.

Preludes

Just outside of the Walt Disney Theater on all 4 ships is the Preludes Bar.  It offers a full bar, popcorn, candy and cookies for an extra charge.  You can purchase items at the counter, or waitstaff will be walking throughout the theater before the show so that you can purchase from your seat.  It is open every evening during show times.

Pub Menu

Each of the 4 ships has a pub venue that is open to all ages during the day, but only open to adults after 9:00 PM (O’Gills on the Magic & Fantasy, Crown & Fin on the Wonder, Pub 687 on the Dream).  There is a small menu with appetizer items for an extra charge, such as soft pretzels, tater tots, sliders, wings, etc.

Concierge Lounge

If you are sailing concierge, the concierge lounge is open all day and has a constant supply of finger-foods and snack items available, a fancy coffee machine, as well as a complimentary happy hour every day from 5:00 – 10:00 PM.

Pirate Buffet

On sailings that have a pirate night, there is typically a pirate buffet in Cabanas after the fireworks from 10:30 – 11:15 PM.  It is not well advertised and a lot of people never know about it.  It is mentioned in the daily navigator under “Late Night Snacks”, and sometimes our servers will tell us about it at dinner.  Part of me wonders if this is intentional, as the entire ship descending on Cabanas at once (and from what I understand, they only use half of the space) can create a huge crowd.  I tried to go once on our Panama Canal cruise (trip report here), but there was such a massive crowd trying to enter that we bailed.  This particular sailing had an enormous number of gold and platinum cruisers (i.e. more people who would know about the event from past sailings), which I believe probably led to the large crowd.  Normally I have not heard of crowds being an issue.

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To read my other posts about dining, click here.