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If you are planning a cruise with Celebrity Cruises, one of the most common questions is whether you will need to pay separately for meals. The good news is that most meals onboard are included in your cruise fare.
Your standard fare generally covers meals at the ship's complimentary dining venues, including main dining, buffet-style options, and selected casual restaurants. Celebrity's official FAQ states that the cruise fare includes "most meals onboard."
However, some restaurants are classified as specialty dining and have an additional charge. Understanding the difference can help you plan your food budget before you sail.
Your cruise fare generally includes:
Celebrity also describes complimentary food options as including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
The exact restaurants available depend on the ship. For example, Celebrity Reflection lists its Main Restaurant, Oceanview Café, Mast Grill, and Spa Café among its complimentary dining options.
This means you can normally eat throughout your cruise without paying an additional charge every time you have a meal.
Breakfast is available at complimentary dining venues. Depending on the ship and operating schedule, options may include the main restaurant and buffet or casual venues.
Oceanview Café, for example, is one of Celebrity's complimentary dining venues on several ships.
Lunch is also included at the complimentary restaurants.
A buffet-style venue such as Oceanview Café can be convenient when you want a flexible meal, while other casual venues may provide options near the pool.
Dinner in the main dining restaurant is included in the standard cruise fare.
On some ships, the main dining experience is organized differently. Celebrity Edge Series ships, for example, feature four complimentary main restaurants, each with its own design and regional inspiration.
Many complimentary food options are available between regular meals. Celebrity says its cruise dining includes late-night snacks and a range of complimentary food venues.
The availability and operating hours can vary by ship and sailing, so check your onboard schedule or Celebrity's app once your cruise begins.
Celebrity has several categories of dining, and the exact selection depends on the ship.
Common complimentary options can include:
For example, Celebrity Millennium lists the Main Restaurant and Oceanview Café among its complimentary restaurants.
On Celebrity Apex, guests can use four complimentary main restaurants as well as other complimentary venues such as Oceanview Café, Mast Grill, Eden Café, and Spa Café.
Because restaurant lineups change by ship, it is important to check the dining page for your specific vessel rather than assuming every Celebrity ship has exactly the same restaurants.
No. Specialty restaurants generally cost extra unless your fare, package, promotion, or stateroom benefits specifically include them.
Celebrity's FAQ specifically identifies specialty restaurants such as:
as dining that is not included in the standard cruise price.
Specialty dining is designed as an optional upgrade for guests who want a different culinary experience.
Celebrity also sells Specialty Dining Packages that can provide access to several specialty restaurants. Restaurant availability varies by ship.
The simplest way to understand Celebrity's dining system is:
| Dining Type | Usually Included? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Main dining | Yes | Main Restaurant |
| Buffet/casual dining | Yes | Oceanview Café |
| Poolside casual food | Yes | Mast Grill |
| Specialty restaurants | No | Murano, Fine Cut |
| Specialty dining packages | Optional purchase | Package varies |
| Certain exclusive restaurants | Depends on eligibility | Luminae, Blu |
Your ship, stateroom category, package, and sailing can affect which venues you can access.
Yes. The main dining restaurant is part of the complimentary dining available with the standard cruise fare.
Guests can generally enjoy dinner there without paying a separate restaurant cover charge.
The menu usually changes throughout the cruise, giving passengers different choices on different nights.
On some Edge Series ships, Celebrity offers multiple complimentary main restaurants instead of one traditional main dining room.
Yes. Celebrity's buffet-style Oceanview Café is listed among the complimentary dining venues on multiple ships.
It can be useful when you want a casual meal without a formal dining schedule.
The available food, hours, and exact setup depend on the ship.
Do not assume that every room-service order is included simply because meals are included.
Cruise fares cover meals at designated complimentary venues, while certain room-service items or delivery-related charges may be treated separately.
Check the room-service menu and the charges displayed for your particular sailing before ordering if keeping costs down is important.
Food being included does not mean every beverage is automatically included.
Celebrity's standard cruise-fare information says some non-alcoholic beverages are included. Its FAQ also identifies alcoholic beverages and certain other drinks as additional charges unless the guest has a relevant beverage package.
Depending on the fare and package, included beverages can differ.
The standard fare can include certain basic beverages, such as:
Other drinks may require payment or a beverage package.
Celebrity's current information also describes its All Included pricing option, which combines the cruise fare with Basic Wi-Fi and a Classic Drink Package for eligible guests.
Alcohol is not automatically included simply because your meal is included.
Beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits may cost extra under a cruise-only fare.
Celebrity offers beverage packages, and guests who select All Included pricing receive a Classic Drink Package under the applicable terms.
The Retreat also has different beverage benefits under Celebrity's current package structure.
Whether a specialty dining package makes sense depends on how you prefer to eat during your cruise.
A package may be useful if you expect to visit multiple specialty restaurants. Celebrity states that its specialty dining packages are designed to provide savings compared with purchasing specialty dining separately.
Before buying one, consider:
You do not need a specialty dining package to have regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner at complimentary venues.
Yes, meals are already part of the cruise fare; All Included adds selected extras rather than replacing the normal meal benefit.
Celebrity describes All Included as a pricing option combining the cruise fare with Basic Wi-Fi and a Classic Drink Package for eligible staterooms.
Therefore, choosing All Included does not mean you are buying your meals separately. The standard cruise fare already covers most onboard meals.
Yes. Guests staying in The Retreat can have access to exclusive dining benefits.
For example, Celebrity Apex has Luminae at The Retreat, a private restaurant reserved for Retreat guests.
The Retreat experience can therefore provide dining options beyond those available to guests in standard accommodations.
Celebrity also offers Blu as an exclusive restaurant for AquaClass guests on applicable ships.
Celebrity describes Blu as an exclusive dining venue for AquaClass guests, while availability and restaurant details vary by ship.
If you are booking AquaClass, check the dining options for your specific ship and sailing.
The reservation rules depend on the type of dining.
Celebrity's FAQ says guests do not need to book reservations for the main restaurant on its river cruises, while specialty dining requires reservations.
For ocean cruises, your dining arrangements can depend on the restaurant and dining style selected for your sailing.
Specialty restaurants generally require reservations, particularly when demand is high.
Celebrity allows guests to purchase specialty dining through its Cruise Planner before sailing or through onboard dining staff during the cruise.
Celebrity's specialty dining information says guests can purchase specialty dining up to 72 hours before sailing online, while onboard purchases can be made through a maître d'.
If you already know that you want a particular specialty restaurant, booking earlier can help you plan around your preferred dinner time.
Not necessarily.
Celebrity states that a 20% service charge is added to specialty dining covers and specialty dining packages at checkout.
Always check the final price before purchasing a package because the advertised dining price may not represent the complete amount you will pay.
Although most meals are included, you should budget separately for certain onboard expenses.
Examples can include:
Celebrity's FAQ lists specialty dining, shore excursions, spa services, shopping, photographs, and other services among items not included in the standard cruise price.
You can have a full cruise dining experience without purchasing specialty restaurants every night.
Make the most of the Main Restaurant, Oceanview Café, Mast Grill, and other complimentary venues available on your ship.
If your booking already includes benefits through All Included or The Retreat, check what you have before purchasing additional packages.
If you want several specialty meals, compare the individual restaurant prices with the available dining packages.
Do not purchase a package based solely on a restaurant you saw advertised. Confirm that the restaurant operates on your particular ship and sailing.
Specialty dining can involve service charges and additional costs for certain food, beverages, or pairings. Celebrity notes that additional items and gratuities may not be covered by certain specialty dining package credits.
Generally, children can eat at the ship's complimentary dining venues as part of the cruise fare associated with their booking.
However, access to certain exclusive restaurants can depend on the stateroom category and venue rules.
Families should check the specific ship's dining information before sailing, particularly if they want to use specialty restaurants.
Celebrity provides dining choices designed to accommodate different dietary preferences, and its complimentary dining venues offer a range of menu options.
If you have a food allergy, medical dietary requirement, or serious intolerance, communicate your needs to Celebrity before sailing and speak with onboard dining staff.
Do not rely only on menu descriptions when you have a medically significant allergy. Confirm ingredients and preparation procedures directly with the cruise line.
No.
Celebrity's dining lineup differs between ships and ship classes.
For example, Celebrity Apex has four complimentary main restaurants, while other ships have a different combination of complimentary and specialty venues.
This is why it is better to check your ship's official Eat & Drink page before making dining plans.
If you are happy with complimentary restaurants, your additional food spending can be relatively low because most meals are already covered by your cruise fare.
Your food budget increases if you choose:
Drinks should be considered separately because beverage charges depend on your fare and package.
Most meals are included in the cruise fare. Complimentary dining typically covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks at designated onboard venues. Specialty restaurants usually cost extra.
Yes. Dinner at complimentary dining venues, including the Main Restaurant on applicable ships, is included in the cruise fare.
Yes. Breakfast is available at complimentary dining venues, although the exact restaurants and operating hours vary by ship.
Yes. Lunch is included at the ship's complimentary dining venues.
Yes. Celebrity's Oceanview Café is a complimentary dining venue on multiple ships.
Generally, no. Restaurants such as Murano, Fine Cut, Le Voyage, and Le Petit Chef are specialty dining venues and normally involve an additional charge.
Some non-alcoholic beverages are included, but many drinks require an additional charge unless covered by a beverage package or fare option.
Alcohol is not automatically included with a standard cruise-only fare. Beverage packages and certain fare options can provide alcoholic drinks subject to their terms.
No. A dining package is optional. You can eat at the complimentary dining venues included with your cruise fare.
Yes, you can use the complimentary dining venues available on your ship. The number and type of venues vary by ship.
Yes. Complimentary dining is available throughout your sailing, subject to each venue's operating hours and the terms of your cruise fare.
Not every room-service item should be assumed to be complimentary. Check the room-service menu and charges for your specific sailing before ordering.
Yes, meals are included on Celebrity Cruises ships. Your cruise fare generally covers most meals at complimentary dining venues, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and selected snacks.
The important distinction is between complimentary dining and specialty dining. Main restaurants, Oceanview Café, Mast Grill, and other designated venues can be enjoyed without a separate dining charge, while specialty restaurants such as Murano, Fine Cut, and Le Voyage generally cost extra.
Before sailing, check the dining page for your exact Celebrity ship. Restaurant availability, exclusive dining access, packages, and charges can vary by ship, stateroom category, fare, and sailing.
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