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jim_1

A long cruise - we're on our way, part 3

jim_1 (Zone 5B)
9 years ago

Aah! Food!
This is the morning pastry selection. It is out and ready for Continental Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. The regular food service in the buffet area begins at 7:00. Those of us who don't sleep late huddle in the Lido Restaurant quietly waiting for the official time to sugar-up! Once in a while someone sneaks over, moves the cover and grabs something and moves away quickly.

The Lido Restaurant serves buffet for all three meals, breakfast until 10:30; lunch from 11:30 until 2:00; snacks from 2:00 until 5:00, dinner from 5:30 until 8:00 and late snack from 10:30 until 11:30. No more midnight buffet. Other cruise lines do feature a modified menu all night. Room service, at no charge, is available 24 hours. Really, not bad food.

Comments (6)

  • jim_1 (Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    This is a view of the Lido Restaurant. Evening meals will have cloth table coverings.

    For the mid-day meal, there is a salad station, an Asian station, a pasta station, a made-to-order sandwich station, a traditional meat and veggies station, and of course, the desert station. At the desert station, there is an employee who will scoop ice cream/sherbet for you and there are lots of toppings offered.

    We got to be regulars at the Lido and really get to know the service staff. Beverage servers and bus personnel are generally at the same 'station' for all three meals. On a long cruise like this, it gets to be first name basis and they learn quickly about your preferences. For those with disabilities, the staff will carry your plate from the beginning of the line all the way to helping you to your table. Again, they get to know you early on and they are on the lookout for those who need assistance. They are well-trained and very personable. I never hesitated to compliment them on what they did.

  • jim_1 (Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I forgot to mention that they prepare the orange juice fresh every morning. I never counted, they I would guess that they offer at least six other juices, plus milk, coffee and hot water for tea or cocoa. Oatmeal is available every morning, along with all the usual toppings that folks like to use.

  • jim_1 (Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    If you don't want to do the Lido for breakfast, then the Explorations Cafe is open 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.Specialty coffees are available for a charge. Best buy is to purchase a "coffee card" that will save you both in the cafe and in the formal dining rooms.

    As you can see Rhoda also has pastries in the morning, sandwiches and cookies in the mid-day hours and deserts in the evening. Rhoda and my wife got to be best buddies during our cruise. As with all beverages that have a charge, an automatic 15% tip is included on the ticket.

  • west_gardener
    9 years ago

    That's what I've been waiting for, the food.

  • jim_1 (Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here's Tiwi at the ice cream station. She has a wonderful smile, but she is somewhat shy.

    Tomorrow, I'll take you to some of the bars.

  • anneliese_32
    9 years ago

    I would not mind that breakfast buffet. My biggest problem would be to figure out what to eat.

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