{"id":317,"date":"2015-01-23T02:37:57","date_gmt":"2015-01-23T02:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awaywego-origin.carnival.com\/?p=317"},"modified":"2017-10-05T16:22:51","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T16:22:51","slug":"7-things-wish-id-known-foodie-first-cruise-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/cruising-fun\/what-to-expect\/7-things-wish-id-known-foodie-first-cruise-vacation","title":{"rendered":"7 Things I Wish I’d Known as a Foodie on My First Cruise Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"

What? You\u2019re a foodie and you\u2019ve never been on a cruise before? Say it isn\u2019t so. A cruise is like\u00a0a foodie choose your own adventure with more options than a small city.<\/p>\n

Drink of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For some, it\u2019s not officially vacation until you have a fruity umbrella drink in hand.\u00a0If that’s you,\u00a0then you are going to love trying out the \u201cDrink of the Day\u201d. I\u2019ve yet to sail a cruise line where this wasn\u2019t a \u2018thing\u2019. Often times the \u201cDrink of the Day\u201d will be served in a souvenir glass (bonus) and will be discounted for that day only. This special cocktail can most often be found on the pool deck and is usually offered by wandering cocktail serves offering trays of them to thirsty guests.<\/p>\n

Mixology Class<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Bartenders on cruise ships serve a lot of drinks. As such, they have mad skills at pouring and mixology. I will always sign up for mixology classes when they are offered on a sailing. These add-on experiences usually come with a nominal fee and can be booked at the guest services or shore excursions desk. I like to inquire on embarkation day which classes will be offered as some of them tend to fill up quickly. Most times the cost of the class is offset by the beverages\u00a0sampled throughout the class. Cocktails not your thing? Ships also offer wine pairings, beer sampling and other \u201cintroduction to\u201d spirits tastings.<\/p>\n

Brunch<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Oh brunch\u2026why do you always have to show up on Sunday? \u00a0I love you so much with your beautiful mix of breakfast and lunch for my indecisive heart. Can it be? Brunch\u2026not on a Sunday? Be still my indecisive heart! Most cruise lines offer a wonderful \u201cSea Day\u201d Brunch. \u201cSea Days\u201d are those days where the ship is traveling and does not port anywhere. Think about it. Port days normally start at a very early hour due to the fact that the ship is only in port for a set amount of time. On average, you will be able to get off the ship to explore early in the morning and then be required to be back on board in the late afternoon. Most cruisers will pick evenings preceding \u201cSea Days\u201d as their late-nights. Why? Because they can sleep in on those \u201cSea Day\u201d mornings since there is no port to explore. Cruise ships do passengers a solid by offering these magnificent \u201cSea Day\u201d Brunches. Have more then one \u201cSea Day\u201d on your cruise itinerary? Lucky you. I bet you will have the chance to do brunch more than once.<\/p>\n

Splurge on the Signature Dining<\/strong><\/p>\n

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At least one night per sailing my husband and I try and sneak away and try out the ship\u2019s \u201cSignature Dining\u201d location. If you\u2019re lucky, your vessel may have more then one of these restaurants. Dinners in the main dining room are included in cruise fare, however, most cruise ships will have an additional \u201cSignature Dining\u201d option which offers guests something beyond the included dinner service. The \u201cSignature Dining\u201d locations are going to be an added fee and range in price from under $10 per person to $50 or $75 extra per person, it just depends on which restaurant you choose and which cruise line you are sailing. Often times the \u201cSignature Dining\u201d will be a steakhouse or\u00a0provincial restaurant depending on the ships theming.<\/p>\n

Try Something You\u2019ve Never Tried Before<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cruise ships do a fantastic job of providing a plethora of food choices for both lunch and dinner. Buffets are overflowing with options like healthy salads and sandwiches to more naughty things like cheeseburgers, fries, pasta and pizza. Dinners are almost always three course affairs with many options to satisfy even the most picky eater. Don\u2019t like that entree that was delivered to your table? Order another one. Your wait staff will be happy to bring you another option. They aim to please. Can\u2019t make up your mind between the three appetizers being offered that night? Order all three of them. It\u2019s allowed and often times encouraged. You don\u2019t have to finish them all. Just take a few bites. Don\u2019t stick with your old \u201csame old same old\u201d. All of this delicious food is included in your cruise fare. What better time to try out something you would have never ordered from a restaurant where you are paying per entree. Cruises are a fantastic way to expand your palate and discover new foods to add to your foodie arsenal.<\/p>\n

Local Cuisine<\/strong><\/p>\n

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More often than not, the main dining room will post it\u2019s dinner menu just outside the restaurant\u2019s entry door so that cruise patrons can find out in advance what their options will be for dinner that evening. You may even be able to request your entire cruise itinerary\u2019s dinner menus at the \u201cguest services\u201d counter on the first day. Pick the night that is the least appealing and venture out into your port of call for an authentic taste of that country\u2019s cuisine. If your ship\u2019s departure time is before dinner, try and grab a regional lunch off the ship. At the very least, sample a local beer or snack.<\/p>\n

Afternoon Tea<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This is something that I am ashamed to admit I discovered only recently, and I have been on a lot of cruises. Afternoon tea gives guests a chance to sample finger sandwiches and pastries that are usually only available at tea time. Check your daily in-room guide for times and make it a point to head over for a spot of afternoon tea. On most ships,\u00a0this treat is offered free of charge.<\/p>\n

This post was created as part of my collaboration with Carnival<\/a>. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.<\/em><\/p>\n

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