RCI Food and Drink Questions

[TheDivineMrsM]

Less than three months to go before husband, college-aged son and I take our first cruise. I'm starting to focus on it more now and had a few questions about the the food and drinks.

 

If you don't get a drink package, what is available to drink? Coffee? Water? Milk? I can't justify paying hundreds of dollars for one week's worth of stuff to drink when most of the time we drink water with lemon.

 

But I read that some cruise lines allow you to purchase a bottle of wine at the ports and bring it on board. Is this true of RCI?

 

We are traveling to the Bahamas for an 8 day trip. We have two formal nights I think. So do we eat in the main dining room every night, or is the option to eat the buffet stuff available if we don't chose to do that? But I was wanting to understand that at any time we go to the MDR, it is dressier than if eating at the buffet and formal attire for the two formal nights?

[Ourusualbeach]

Coffee, water, tea, milk, lemonade, flavored water, orange juice are all available free.

 

You may bring 2x750ml. Bottles of wine per stateroom only at embarkation. Wine brought on board at ports of call will be held for you until debarkation.

 

There are 2 formal nights on an 8 day cruise where you will find a variety of attire. The WJ buffet is always available and is always casual dress even on formal nights.

[proudpatriot07]

We always bring some sodas onboard, but they have coffee, tea, water, lemonade, milk, and some really good flavored waters in the Windjammer. Hot chocolate is also available (I poured a packet into a cup then got coffee on top of it- this was yummy).

 

I do believe you can bring wine onboard when you get on the ship, but anything alcoholic you buy in port, they take from you once you get back on, and the steward delivers it on the last night.

 

There are 2 formal nights... otherwise the dinner dining room dress is in the daily newsletter, cruise compass. It isn't super formal on non-formal nights. You can wear t-shirts and shorts in the dining room at lunch and breakfast, though. The dining room has lunch on sea days and I highly recommend it.

 

If you don't want to dress formal, just go to the Windjammer those nights, they have most of the same foods. Or order room service :).