12 Cruise Dining Etiquette MISTAKES You're Probably Making

Going on a cruise & wondering about cruise ship dining? While there are few hard strict rules to dining on a cruise, here are some cruise dining etiquette rules & best practices to be aware of!

Beyond cruise line dress codes, there are cruise etiquette do's & don'ts that all cruisers will want to know. Don't make these common cruise mistakes when it comes to the main dining room, specialty restaurants & buffet on a cruise. Cruise ship crew & fellow cruise passengers will appreciate the effort.

This video is great for first time cruisers or anyone looking for cruise tips & information. Good for cruise travelers on Carnival cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises & more! These useful cruise travel tips will help as you plan our cruise vacation.

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Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.

ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
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Some of the video B-Roll footage courtesy of RCCL, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises.
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Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic

[wendyflemons]

I once worked with a fellow and his luggage was lost. His clothes consisted of what he had in his carryons and some people were incredibly unkind and he was very embarrassed. I think compassion should be something we all practice because we don’t know everyone’s story.

[karenturnbo]

My husband and I were on a Carnival cruise in 2021. We got chatting with the Waitstaff who were mostly from the Philippines. They found out that my husband is a minister and began asking for prayer for their families who were under a hurricane warning at the time. We were more than happy to pray with them and it felt like we had a special connection with them.

[limabima]

I asked for ginger tea one night to settle my stomach and the waiter had tea on the table every night from then on. It was soooo nice that he remember one night we didn't go to dinner and he said the next day "I had your tea and you weren't here" so sweet I loved him.

[leighsweet]

As a chef, I have a nemonic device for the plates: B-E-D ( bread, entree, drink) left to right. Utensils: start on the outside and work your way in. Forks and spoons at the top are for desserts. If you need a special utensil-- they will provide one. Another hint for salt at pepper shakers if not clearly marked: white (salt) goes on right. And if you want a light meal in a main dining room, order from the kids section. You can even mix and match: 'adult salad' and 'kids' entree.

[krickenthekraken]

Not sure where I learned this, but on recent cruises, I have been taking pictures of the name tags of the best staff to mention them. Then I have the right spelling and remember who they are. They are extremely appreciative of this and it costs nothing.

[wceorwx]

When wearing perfume or cologne, please keep it light. If I can smell it at the next table (and my sense of smell is my weakest sense), I will end up with a miserable sinus infection as I am allergic to many scents.

[ashleyboss]

Our waiter this last time was amazing. His name was Vincent on the Carnival Valor. They asked to give a round of applause for the waiters and waitresses. Our section loved him so much we chanted “Vincent, Vincent, Vincent” and he loved it. We also gave him a $100 tip. If you have someone who goes above and beyond they should know you are thankful.

[vickyburton]

My pet peeve is going to the main dining room and having unruly children next to me. There are family friendly options for families who can not control their children. I actually got up and left one of our formal dining evenings when a table of screaming kids was next to us. I did (and I think others did too) brought this to the attention of the main waiter. It just eludes me how people just don’t think of how rude this is!

[cheryldonofrio]

On a recent cruise we were seated at a table for two, right next to a large family. They were all happy and obviously enjoying every minute of the cruise, which added to the atmosphere. They actually added to our enjoyment of the cruise. One of the last evenings, we sent them over a bottle of wine to thank them.

[Sandi-eedj]

People should be having fun and not worrying about what others think you can't please everyone

[jema]

I've found that one courtesy I try to give all of the crew is to learn how to say thank you in their language. It gives them a little surprise and they usually appreciate the gesture.

[carolynsteele]

I wish, when you mention ordering multiple appetizers or entrees, that you would also request that people only order these extras if they are going to eat them. Wasting food drives me crazy.

[DBlake]

We developed a great relationship with our waitstaff. They treated us like royalty. When we skipped the main dining room, the young lady told us she missed us. She was such a sweetheart. I loved them❤

[StacyLawlerThomas]

A genuine smile is your best accessory in any situation.

[rickrich]

My wife is under control diabetic and doesn’t need to be super careful but on our recent Cruise on Majestic Princess our Dining rm manager ( who was Great) brought the next evenings menus for her to look at and preselect with any alterations needed, was a great help to her to know there wouldn’t be surprises in selections!

[shannongiancola]

What is this unfinished wine you speak of?

[michelecastor]

Recently we were on a carnival cruise. I was surprised that they don't have physical menus at the table. There is a QR code. You have to ask for a physical menu. Having to pull out your phone to see the menu really degraded the experience .

[AlienFrequency]

Here's my dining tip: You can certainly ask for the same wait team every night, if you get one you really like. We do this every cruise. You 'may' have to wait longer for a table, but it's worth it to us.
Many/most of these are common sense and good advice for life, not just on a cruise. Do some cruises still have shared tables? I'd honestly hate that. My wife and I are quite introverted... unless maybe we've had a few adult beverages, but yeah it's definitely not our thing. Also, to one of your points: we LOVE talking to the crew. They're what makes a cruise great IMO. They're always SO nice and have something interesting, kind or funny to say! I highly recommend getting to know them.

[perfesser]

For any TRUE gentleman or lady, a video like this would be superfluous. For the common cruise passenger you see nowadays, it is a MUST.

[erinhuff]

Just got off a Princess cruise last week. My husband is diabetic. We told the waiters, and they brought out sugar-free ice cream for him every night that was not listed on the menus, which he said tasted great. It is worth asking for dietary alternatives if needed. Thanks for the video!