The Best Cruise Ships For Dining
Nothing can turn a vacation up to 11 like a great meal, so we pulled the data from the 25,000+ user reviews we've received since 2015 and determined the best cruise ships for dining based entirely on the scores of our members.
Only ships with at least 100 reviews were considered. See the Honorable Mentions for ships that almost made the cut.
1. Disney Dream (92%)
Remy - Photo by Disney Cruise Line
Kids love the animated entertainment in Animator's Palate, but the best venues on Disney Dream are adults-only: Remy provides the perfect date night with a romantic atomsphere and French-inspired cuisine, while Palo offers excellent Italian options and an extensive wine list. Plus, Disney's fantastic idea of rotational dining, where passengers circulate with the same waiters into a new restaurant every night, helped ensure their the top spot on this list.
“Food was excellent in all areas--fast food, buffets, and dining rooms.” - Barbie 67
“No matter how good you've heard the food is, up it by 10 points!” - santaloveroh
2. Celebrity Reflection, Equinox, and Solstice (90%)
Qsine - Photo by Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity clearly knew what they were doing with their Solstice-class ships, three of which tied for second place on our list. The Italian steakhouse Tuscan Grille proved wildly popular with reviewers, and passengers on Reflection loved Qsine, an experiment from Master Chef James Beard where you can find twists on modern favorites like sushi lollipops and lobster escargot. Plus, AquaClass and suite passengers also have access to the modern eclectic offerings of Luminae and the "clean cuisine" of Blu.
"My wife has a couple of food allergies and the staff went above and beyond the help her. The chef came out and spoke to us one night, and on more than one occasion made her a special dish that wasn't on the menu. Fantastic service, and the food was great too!" - JasonWright
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3. Freedom of the Seas (88%)
T-bone steak from Chops Grille - Photo by Royal Caribbean
In a time where upcharging specialty restaurants are becoming the norm, it's refreshing to hear so many positive reviews about a Main Dining Room, which is exactly what we heard about Leonardo's, Isaac's and Galileo's, the three levels of the MDR on Grandeur. Those looking for speciality dining options flock to Chops Grille, the classic steakhouse found across the Royal fleet.
“All of the food was very good. They had food for those who like to indulge, or those who like to watch their weight more. Even gluten free and the staff were always friendly and helpful.” - tvelji
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4. Grandeur of the Seas (87%)
Sushi at Izumi - Photo by Royal Caribbean
Chops Grille is also on a hit on Grandeur, but what sets it apart from Freedom are Izumi, the pan-Asian restaurant specializing in sushi and sashimi, hot-rock grilling, and hot pot dishes, and the excluive Chef's Table Experience, a five-course dinner hosted by the executive chef and sommalier.
“Food was very good and it had a varied menu. We enjoyed a fabulous meal at Giovanni's Table. My only complaint was that the food was so good and there was soooo much you waddled out the door. Service was fantastic too!” - jebamu
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5. Regal Princess (87%)
Sabatini's - Photo by Royal Caribbean
Princess's first entry on the list comes with a well-rounded list of specialty offerings: Seafoood lovers adore the Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar's sushi and caviar tapas as well as the calamari and lobster of the traditional Italian venue Sabatini's. Plus, the chophouse Crown Grill specializes in mouth-watering steak, lamb, and pork chops.
"Plenty to eat and very delicious. Wide variety to select from. Came home 5 pounds heavier." - mao622
"Loved all of it - from the lobster to the hot dogs! Always fresh and tasty." - noracl
6. Celebrity Summit (87%)
Tuscan Grille - Photo by Celebrity Cruises
The French Normandie Restaurant was recently replaced with the Italian Tuscan Grille (an excellent upgrade in our opinion) and the buffet at Oceanview Cafe surprises passengers with an amazing view to complement the casual fare.
"Food on any Celebrity Ship is outstanding. None better on the seas. Blu was great and a nice Aqua Class perk. Food was great, didn't feel stuffed, staff attentive and remembered your name after the first night. Poached egg station in the Ocean View Café was a nice addition. " - sgibs
7. Celebrity Silhouette (86%)
Blu - Photo by Celebrity Cruises
Yes, it's another Solstice-class ship from Celebrity, and honestly, we're not all that surprised. Like its sister ships, the offerings of Luminae, Blu and Romano combined with sophisticated (but not too stuffy) service make Celebrity the line to beat in dining.
"Breakfast and casual meals, most of which we had on the oceanview cafe on the 14th floor, were very good, and I particularly liked that they offer many healthy alternatives. A tiny spa cuisine cafe on that same floor was delightful and had small, creative light dishes. Our best meal was lunch at the Murano specialty dining room (extra charge)." - pvivo
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8. Allure of the Seas (86%)
Black cod with mahogany at 150 Central Park - Photo by Tim Aylen / Royal Caribbean
Allure comes in as Royal's third entry on the list. Like most megaships, Allure has more venues than most people can try during a one-week cruise, but travleres shouldn't miss the pizza and pasta of Giovanni's Table and the constantly changing six-course offerings at 150 Central Park.
"Food was excellent in the Windjammer and My Time Dining Room. Nice variety and delicious subtle flavors. Loved the desserts. The two women who staffed the My Time dining were a pleasure to meet and very efficient every night. The dining room was amazing in organization and seating. Kudos to the Maitre D'." - kagibson
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9. Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Escape (86%)
Rack of lamb from Le Bistro - Photo by Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Escape may be considered "Breakaway Plus" class, but its rating is exactly the same the Breakaway-class Getaway. Both ships feature the wildly popular Le Bistro with specatcular French cuisine that cruisers can enjoy inside or outoors, as well as Cagney's, a traditional steakhouse with four varities of Angus beef. Unique venues include Getaway's Ocean Blue and Escape's Bayamo, a latin take on seafood from Iron Chef Jose Garces.
"Food was excellent! The music in the Manhattan Room during dinner was a nice touch. Cagney's Steakhouse was excellent! Because we liked to eat in Savor or Taste for breakfast, the staff became accustomed to our group & knew we'd need a table for 10 as soon as they saw us." - BMAHews
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10. Caribbean Princess (86%)
Chef's Table - Photo by Princess Cruises
While it received slightly lower ratings than its sister ship Regal Princess, Caribbean Princess still came in with a fantastic rating bolstered by the staples of Sabatini's and Crown Grill. Also worth mentioning is the Chef's Table, where the ship's executive chef gives guests a backstage look at how their food is prepared.
"We never ate in the specialty restaurants because the regular dining room food was so good." - Reader27
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Honorable Mentions: These ships didn’t meet our minimum criteria of 100 reviews so they couldn’t be judged fairly, but they likely would have landed somewhere on the list if they had. Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wonder all emulated the great performance of Disney Dream and Celebrity Eclipse was the only Solstice-class ship that didn’t meet the minimum review threshold. Amsterdam and Veendam from Holland America along with Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 all had excellent ratings, and the brand new Carnival Vista likely would have made the list as well.
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1 Comment
Posted by canadiandreamer
The Norwegian Epic has the best bread pudding I have ever had! It was so good I looked up the recipe and have made it myself. I get so many compliments and requests to make it all the time. I think if and when we go cruising again it will be with this line!!