Cuisine

Most ships offering cruises out of U.S. ports serve food geared to the American palate, but there are also theme dinners featuring the cuisine of a particular country. Some European ships, especially smaller vessels, may offer a particular cuisine throughout the cruise -- Scandinavian, German, Italian, or Greek, perhaps -- depending on the ship's or the crew's nationality. Aboard all cruise ships, the quality of the cooking is generally good, but even a skilled chef is hard put to serve 500 or more extraordinary dinners per hour.

If you're unhappy with your meal, don't be shy about sending it back or requesting a different one from the menu -- your rights as a diner are the same here as they would be in any land-based restaurant. Often, you'll be able to combine different menu items to create the meal you'd like. And if you're completely displeased with what's on the menu at any given meal, it is possible -- especially on the larger ships -- to request a substitution on the spot. Omelettes and simple pasta dishes likely will dominate the offerings, but larger ship kitchens might be willing to produce a steak or rustle up other items from their well-stocked larders.

With notification well in advance, many ships can also provide a kosher, low-salt, low-cholesterol, sugar-free, vegetarian, or other special menu. Large ships usually offer an alternative "light" or "spa" menu based upon American Heart Association guidelines, using less fat, leaner cuts of meat, low-cholesterol or low-sodium preparations, smaller portions, salads, fresh-fruit desserts, and healthy garnishes. Some smaller ships may not be able to accommodate special dietary needs.

Wine at meals costs extra on most ships; the prices are usually comparable to those in shoreside restaurants and are charged to your shipboard account.