Menus?

Hello--we are wondering how the meals in the dining room work on Explorer of the Seas. Do we choose from a menu at dinner? Or do we choose ahead of time? Or do they just bring food and hope you like it? I'm allergic to fish, so I'm hoping there's always a non-fish meal to choose. Thanks a lot; all of you experienced cruisers are such a great resource for the newbies!

I have only been on Mariner, but I bet that the restaurant situation is the same.

In the Dining room, you will be presented with a menu when you sit down for dinner (and breakfast and lunch). The menu is also posted at the restaurant before that meal. So you can wander by in the afternoon and take a gander at the menu. If there is nothing to interest you, you could try to get in to one of the specialty restaurants (upcharge of $20 each), or go to the Windjammer.

At dinner, there will be a Chef's Special, plus about 3 other regular entrees (meat, fish, poultry). In addition, there is a section called "lighter fare" with grilled meats, veggies, appetizers, etc. You will certainly have many choices in appetizers, soups, salads and entrees and will not have to have fish! Same thing in the Windjammer, and at the specialty restaurants.

If you have a severe allergy, be sure to take a bottle of Benadryl onboard with you, plus Epi Pens (if you need them) and advise your waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter the first night. You can also e-mail RCCI and let them know about your food allergies. I am seriously allergic to shellfish, so our servers were very cognizant of everything that I ate, and the head waiter even advised me of what to stay away from at every meal.

Have a wonderful time!

The main dining room on a cruise ship operates the same way as any nice restaurant you have at home. There's a different menu every evening with a choice of two or three appetizers, a couple of soups and salads and then four main courses. After dinner you'll get a dessert menu with four choices and then a few choices of plain ice cream. You order what you want, and however much you want.

Some of the entre choices we have had on cruises have even include duck, lamb, and veal.

You will have a choice of appetizers, salads, and soups before your entree, too. You can choose as many as you want! If you want 2 appetizers, you can have them. If you want to entrees, you can have them! If you want every desert (as my DH did on our first cruise) you can have them! If you try something and you do not like it, your server will bring you something else. It is not like at home where if you want a different entre, you pay for it.

Another thing - if you cannot decide which food you want, ask your waiter what their suggestion is - they know their food!

Have a great cruise!

Thanks so much for the advice/answers to my question! You are all wonderful!

Hi English Teacher......not sure which itinerary you are doing but if you look at my review I did today from the Bermuda route, I pretty much remembered all of food. Not necessarily all the preparations, but I wrote down as much as I could. There is always a nice variety.

Also, you could ask to have something different if you give them a days' notice and they have the ingredients on the ship.

Every night they will also have "simple" items available such as grilled chicked, grilled salmon, a regular steak. If you don't like what is on the menu, you can always order one of the "everynight entrees".