For many passengers, the buffet is the first stop to start their morning aboard a cruise ship. However, did you know you can get free room service delivered to your cabin?
Food is readily available on all cruise ships, from the buffet to the Main Dining Room and quick service grab-and-go options.
While the buffet has endless breakfast options and the MDR's quality is higher with freshly plated meals, one of my favorite ways to kickstart my day on a ship is with room service.
Most cruise lines include basic continental breakfast options if you order during certain hours — think pastries, fruit, coffee, juice, and milk.
However, outside the limited menu and hours, you'll typically have to pay per item or a set delivery fee. One of the notable exceptions is Disney Cruise Line, which has free room service 24/7.
My partner and I decided to skip the busy Windjammer and opt for room service ahead of our snorkeling excursion in St. Thomas. Given that our 7-night cruise was during spring break, the ship was packed with families, and the buffet was especially crowded in the mornings.
Read more: How to beat the crowds on your cruise ship
Plus, since we splurged on a balcony cabin for our anniversary cruise, we wanted to take advantage of the extra space. Though we didn't have an ocean view, we loved opening our infinite verandah and people watching in Central Park.
The night before we wanted room service, we filled out the paper menu and hung it on our cabin's door
The front of the menu asks for your stateroom number, the number of people in your cabin, and what time you want your food delivered.
Since our meeting time was at 7:00am in the Royal Theater, we elected for the earliest option: 6:00am to 6:30am. However, if you're enjoying a relaxing day at sea, you can ask for your food to be delivered as late as 10:30am to 11:00am.
To our surprise, our cabin's phone rang at 5:45am, with a crew member telling us that our food was on the way. It arrived less than five minutes later — an earlier wake-up call than anticipated. Still, it was better than feeling rushed or waiting on a late order when we had a strict meeting time.
We skipped the extra-cost items like scrambled eggs, pancakes, and hash browns with a delivery service charge of $7.95. Instead, we opted for two fruit plates, grits, a croissant, and coffee. The food was simple and enough to get us going without feeling too full before our early excursion.
However, if you do want something a little more filling, you can order as much food as you like from the "American Breakfast" section. In other words, Royal Caribbean doesn't charge $7.95 per item, just per order.
Still, we didn't think it was necessary to pay extra for a quick breakfast, especially since we usually aren't overly hungry at 6:00am.
Read more: Your Really, Really Dumb Cruise Ship Dining Questions Answered
Something else to note is that alcoholic beverages, even if you have a drink package, aren't included. As such, you must pay the current bar pricing, plus an 18% gratuity. Additionally, Diamond vouchers can't be redeemed on room service drinks, either.
Specialty coffees also aren't on the menu. As such, if you want an iced latte from the Pearl Café, Café Promande, or Café Latte-Tudes, you'll have to retrieve it yourself. Otherwise, you can enjoy the standard coffee pot included with room service, which is what we did!
Though we splurged on a drink package, we wanted to rest as much as possible, rather than wait in line for coffee. While I prefer iced beverages, the hot coffee delivered did the trick, especially at 6:00 in the morning.
The grits were served hot, but I wish the fruit plates were fresher
Growing up in the South, I frequently ate grits for breakfast. However, I find plain grits a little too bland on their own. I was pleased to discover that the room service team sent sharp cheddar cheese to top my grits with, as it definitely made them more enjoyable.
Similarly, my partner didn't have any issues with her croissant, though she thought the chocolate ones served at the Pearl Café were better.
The most disappointing part of our breakfast was the two fruit plates. The selection of fruits was fine, with everything from grapes to kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe. However, the fruit was either underripe or overripe.
For example, I couldn't bite into the kiwi because it was so hard. On the other hand, the strawberries were mushy.
Still, we didn't really expect the food to be perfect, especially considering we were on the largest cruise ship in the world. I can't even begin to imagine the logistics of mass meal prep on a cruise ship, and the convenience of having breakfast brought right to our door made up for the minor shortcomings.
Should you order cruise ship room service?
I'll typically order room service at least once on a 7-night cruise, especially if I have a balcony. While I prefer the offerings elsewhere on the ship, there's nothing quite as relaxing as having breakfast brought to you!
The food is basic, but it's enough to get you going. For example, if you have younger children, you may not want to drag them to the buffet before an early-morning excursion. Instead, you may find it easier to have pastries, fruit, cereal, and oatmeal delivered to your cabin while getting everyone ready.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
