Al Fresco Dining at Sea

click images to enlarge

Imagine Watching the Sunset as you Enjoy Your Meal....

Do You Want a View with Your Meal?

Al Fresco dining (eating outside) has become a necessity in the COVID-19 era as restaurants added this option to stay in business with limited indoor capacity imposed by most local governments.   However, Al Fresco dining has been popular long before that.

(Updated 10/14/21)

Can I Dine Outside on a Cruise?

Most ships these days have one or more outside dining options.   Typically, they are found around the pool deck, offering the opportunity for guests to grab a quick meal and get right back to having fun in the sun.   With the advent of specialty dining, introduced by Norwegian Cruise line in 2000 as Freestyle Dining, many restaurants are located on a deck dedicated to these specialty restaurants.   You have the option to dine indoors or outdoors in many cases.

Some of Our Favorites

Rooftop Garden Grill, located on deck 15 on Celebrity Edge offers splendid views of the sea while enjoying lunch or dinner outside.  Dine in early evening and you can be engulfed in color as the sun gently sets into the sea. See our blog post, Rooftop Garden Grill Dining, for details on one of our recent meals.   You will enjoy a great meal with great views .

When Norwegian Cruise Line introduced their Breakaway Class, they introduced The Waterfront, a revolutionary, quarter-mile oceanfront walkway lined with shops, restaurants and bars.   Pictured here La Cucina, Norwegian Escape's Italian restaurant. It is warm, cozy, family friendly (lots of big tables) and has its own bar and even a pizza oven, not to mention tables outside on The Waterfront. A Carnival cruise ship passes by as we dine outside. This is one of our favorite restaurants on Norwegian Cruise Line, due to the ambiance and good food.

On Carnival Cruise Line ships, you have several options to dine outdoors.  Guy's Burger Joint, pictured here, serves up your choice of Guy Fieri's famous burgers topped with your favorite ingredients. Blue Iguana Cantina serves up some of the best burritos at sea.  Enjoy breakfast or lunch poolside with your choice of fixings.

Perhaps the most memorable Al Fresco dining we experienced on a cruise ship was a cookout on Azamara Journey.  They turned the pool deck into an amazing dining venue, complete with entertainment.   The highlight was these grilled lamb chops prepared on deck.  How many of you thought you would ever see a BBQ grill on a cruise ship?

If you enjoy Al Fresco dining, add that to your bucket list for your next cruise vacation.  It's been worth the extra charges, when applicable, to dine outside at one of the specialty dining venues.  We'd be happy to help you select a cruise ship that offers you the most choices including ships with free options.  

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

Connect With Us On

    
    

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat