Updated 21 September 2026. Prices and policies below were checked against the cruise lines’ own websites where they publish them. Specialty dining prices vary by ship and sailing, so treat the figures as a guide and confirm in your cruise planner.
Food is included in your cruise fare, but not all of it. Every major line gives you a main dining room and a buffet at no extra cost, then charges for specialty restaurants, some room service and, almost always, a service charge on top. This guide explains what is free, what costs extra on the biggest lines, how the dining packages work, and how to keep the bill down.
What is included in your fare
| Line | Included at no charge | Room service |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Main dining room, Windjammer buffet, some casual venues depending on the ship | $7.95 service charge plus 18% gratuity per order |
| Carnival | Main dining room, buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint and other casual spots | Continental breakfast free; charges apply to other items |
| Norwegian (NCL) | Up to three main dining rooms, buffet, American Diner, The Local and other casual venues | Convenience charge of up to $9.95 per order; $4.95 for breakfast |
| Celebrity | Main Restaurant (four on Edge-class ships), Oceanview Café buffet, Mast Grill | 20% gratuity applies |
| Princess | Main dining rooms, three buffets, International Café, deck pizza, burgers and soft-serve | Check current policy for your ship |
| MSC | Main dining room and buffet | Per-delivery fee; check current policy |
For most cruisers, the included venues are enough. Specialty restaurants are the upgrade, not the default.
What specialty restaurants cost
Mainstream lines price specialty dining in one of two ways: a fixed cover charge per person, or à la carte pricing per dish. Steakhouses are the most common specialty venue and a useful benchmark:
- Carnival Steakhouse (Fahrenheit 555): $52 per adult and $15 per child 11 and under, plus a 20% service charge.
- Princess Crown Grill: $55 per adult and half price for children 3 to 11, rising to $60 on Sun Princess and Star Princess, plus a service charge.
- Royal Caribbean, NCL and Celebrity show specialty prices in the cruise planner for your sailing rather than on their public sites. Expect steakhouse pricing in a similar range to the two above, and check your planner for the exact figure.
- MSC has moved to a fixed price per specialty restaurant covering a starter, main and dessert, with supplements for premium items.
Dining packages by cruise line
If you plan to eat at more than one or two specialty restaurants, a package usually works out cheaper than paying per meal. Each line structures them differently:
- Royal Caribbean sells packages by number of meals (including a steakhouse-plus-one option and 3, 5 and 10-night packages) and an Unlimited Dining package, which must cover the whole cruise. Prices vary by ship and sailing length. Bought before the cruise, packages include the gratuity; bought onboard, 18% is added.
- Norwegian replaced its old “More at Sea” bundle with “Free at Sea” for bookings from 5 November 2025. It includes free specialty meals based on cruise length: one meal on 2 to 4 nights, two on 5 to 6 nights, three on 7 to 8 nights and four on 9 nights or more. Children 2 to 12 eat free. The upgraded Free at Sea Plus costs $49.99 per person per day and adds 50% off extra specialty meals. You must select the perk at least 24 hours before sailing.
- Princess bundles dining into its Premier package: unlimited specialty and casual dining plus crew tips, at $100 per person per day bought before the cruise or $105 onboard. The cheaper Princess Plus ($65 before, $70 onboard) includes some casual meals but no specialty dining.
- Carnival does not sell a multi-meal specialty dining package. Its value packages include a small dining discount rather than meals.
- Celebrity sells dining packages with lower pre-cruise pricing; a 20% gratuity is added when you buy.
- MSC offers single fixed-price meals and packages of two, three or four specialty meals, with gratuities included and discounts for booking online before you sail.
Service charges add up
Two separate charges apply. The daily crew gratuity is added to your account automatically, and a percentage is added to specialty dining and drinks:
| Line | Daily gratuity (standard cabin) | Added to specialty dining and drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | $18.50 per person | 18% |
| Carnival | $17 per person | 20% |
| Norwegian | $20 per person | 20% |
| Celebrity | $19.50 per person | 20% |
| Princess | $18 per person | 20% |
Suite guests usually pay a higher daily rate. On a 7-night cruise for two, the daily gratuity alone comes to roughly $240 to $280 before any specialty meals, so budget for it.
Luxury lines: mostly included
Higher fares on luxury lines buy you out of most of these charges:
- Viking: every restaurant is included, with no cover charges. Only special experiences such as the Kitchen Table cost extra.
- Oceania: Jacques, Polo Grill, Toscana and Red Ginger are complimentary. Privée and La Reserve carry a surcharge.
- Regent Seven Seas: specialty restaurants and 24-hour in-suite dining are included.
- Explora Journeys: nine dining venues and gratuities are included; the Anthology tasting menu costs extra.
- Silversea: most dining is included; the S.A.L.T. Chef’s Table costs $180 per person.
How to spend less on cruise dining
- Buy before you sail. Royal Caribbean includes the gratuity only on pre-cruise purchases, Princess packages cost $5 a day less before sailing, and MSC discounts online bookings.
- Count your meals before buying a package. A package only saves money if you would otherwise book several specialty meals. For one steakhouse night, pay per meal.
- Check children’s pricing. NCL’s Free at Sea meals are free for children 2 to 12, Princess charges half price at Crown Grill, and Carnival charges $15 for kids at its steakhouse.
- Look at what your fare already includes. Norwegian’s Free at Sea and Princess’s Premier bundle dining into the fare, which can beat buying meals separately.
Which card to pay with
Cruise fares usually count as travel on credit cards with travel bonus categories, but onboard spending may not. Chase, for example, includes cruise lines in its travel category but excludes onboard purchases, so specialty meals charged to your cabin may only earn the base rate. Check your card’s category rules before you sail.
If you cruise with one line often, its co-branded card can earn more on onboard spending: the Royal ONE Visa Signature cards (no annual fee, or $99 for the Plus version) for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea; the Carnival Rewards Mastercard (no annual fee) launched in September 2026; and the NCL World Mastercard (no annual fee) for Norwegian. Welcome offers change often, so compare the current offer with a general travel card before applying.
