First-Time Cruisers

Main Dining Room vs Buffet vs Specialty Restaurants

Published 12 May 2026 · 2 min read · Cruise Questions Canada editorial team

Quick answerThe main dining room delivers a full-service, multi-course included dinner with the same table and waiter nightly; the buffet offers flexible, casual, come-as-you-are eating at any hour; and specialty restaurants charge a cover fee for an elevated, smaller, reservation-only experience — most cruisers use all three across a typical week.

New cruisers often ask which of the three is "best," but the honest answer is that experienced cruisers use all three deliberately, for different moods and different nights.

The main dining room

A genuine multi-course dinner — appetizer through dessert — served by the same waitstaff at (usually) the same table each night, included fully in your fare. The pace is relaxed, the menu rotates nightly, and the ritual of "your" table and "your" waiter is one of cruising's classic pleasures. This is where most cruisers eat most dinners, and it's worth the modest dress-up effort it asks for.

The buffet

Available for most of the day, entirely flexible, zero reservation needed, and included in your fare. This is breakfast's natural home for most cruisers (quick, varied, no waiting), a solid lunch option, and — on nights when a swimsuit and flip-flops feel more appealing than the dining room — a perfectly acceptable dinner too. The quality varies more than the main dining room's, but the flexibility is unmatched.

Specialty restaurants

Smaller, reservation-only venues — steakhouses, Italian, sushi, sometimes a chef's table experience — charging a cover fee typically in the $30-80 per person range. These deliver a genuinely elevated meal, quieter atmosphere and more personal service than the main dining room's larger-scale operation. Worth booking for one or two special nights (an anniversary, a "treat ourselves" evening) rather than every night, given the added cost.

The week that actually works for most people

A typical rhythm: buffet breakfasts, a mix of buffet and casual lunches (especially on port days when time is tight), main dining room for most dinners, and one or two specialty restaurant nights as highlights. This spreads the included value across the week while treating the paid options as genuine occasions rather than routine.

Booking ahead matters for specialty venues

Popular specialty restaurants and prime reservation times can sell out on busy ships — booking through the app before sailing, once online check-in opens, secures your preferred night and time rather than leaving you with whatever's left once aboard.

Want this priced up properly? Speak to a licensed cruise consultant — same price as booking direct, plus perks like onboard credit and prepaid gratuities the websites don't show. No fee, no obligation. You can get a quote or book online.

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Planning your week's dining

Setting a dining preference (which nights, which specialty venues, any dietary needs) before you sail ensures reservations land where you want them rather than being an on-the-fly scramble during a busy first day aboard.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the buffet free on a cruise?

Yes — the buffet is included in your cruise fare with no cover charge, available for most meals throughout the day, making it the flexible default for breakfast and lunch especially.

How many specialty restaurants should you book on a first cruise?

One or two for a 7-night cruise is typical for first-timers — enough to sample the elevated experience without overspending, with the main dining room and buffet comfortably covering the remaining nights.