10 Big Dining Mistakes NOT to Make on a Cruise
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- Cruises are different that other types of vacations, & this includes food & dining. These are the dining mistakes that cruise passengers are making, that you want to avoid!
Whether you're going on a cruise for the first time or you're a frequent cruiser, these cruise tips will help you have the best cruise main dining room experience. Good tips and cruise information for Carnival cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity cruises & more. If you're cruising with food allergies & restrictions, this video is full of helpful cruise advice & cruise mistakes to avoid.
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ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!
Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travelers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
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We are seasoned cruisers. I’ve been on 35+ cruises. We always select open time dining, *but*, did you know that on the first day, you can request to have the same wait staff?! You may not sit at the exact table every night, but you will be placed within their section, so you will have the best of both worlds! We have done this for years! It always works ❤️. Pro tip! 😉
Ordered you planner
@@michealmeyer822 thanks for your purchase:)
Great video. I’ve never been on a cruise and I am thinking about finally going but I have a question about the menu’s. Are the menu’s always in English or do they also have menu’s in Spanish, Italian or Portuguese?
@@carlospadilla1642 I believe they do have various languages probably depends on the ship you are on. I would guess the Spanish is most common though.
In our 70’s and usually cruise just the 2 of us. After many cruises, we have developed a dining system. We book in advance so we get Early Dining and a table for 2. This way, we know where our table is and have the same waiters. Usually take in the show after, so I can ask for expedited dining and the wait staff will really help. Take a book and get to the theater early to have a good seat. Have cruised with a group and have found that the larger the group, the longer the time in the MDR. Then you are late for the show. We tip our waiter on the 2nd night for taking care of us during the cruise. Also address them by name. Goes a long way. Same with cabin stewards. This may seem anti-social, yet we really enjoy the intimate dining experience, with just the 2 of us. Your suggestion of asking the waiter to honestly suggest a menu item is spot on. They know what is good and what’s not. Especially soups. Fruit plates are great if you are starting to gain weight! After the show, I escort my wife to the cabin where she picks a movie and I hit the casino. Works for us! Keep up the enjoyable videos, Ilana!
Wait, u put her n room for Movie, you hit casino for fun? What’s up with that? Nope! Watch a movie at home! Go have fun! Don’t have to spend lot of money, play nickel machine or watch others. Listen to music, meet new friends, Karaoke, piano room etc. Look at amazing stars. And No, don’t have to drink Alcoh to have fabulous time. I tried silent disco 1st time alone, was a blast! And even More fun watching others. If staying n room is what u want/need, ok, but have fun like spouse. Hell, (whoops) beat him in poker :) watch TV later. Get out, Live! If not feeling great, rest, isolate. Have room service, deliver Free items. Feel special! So many great shows, music, games and fun on ships. 🚢 Even Bingo gives away Free cruise if win. We’ve Never had a bad cruise, been on many! If middle age +, Last one, MSC, loved it!! RC, Norwegian, Princess, fabulous too, Carnival is reasonable, crowded, younger crowd seems, mostly partiers may or may not remember their cruise😳, kidding, kinda. 😂. Save for MSC private island, not crowded, Hawaii Islands or Alaska someday! Fantastic! I’m Thinking I should be a cruise agent love so much. They could send me to review all, I tell all about? Have fun, be safe, be smart on excursions. And most important, Take care of those that care of you on ship! They work so very hard to make all have a great memory. Lovely people from all areas.
Another important tip:
Purchase travel insurance! It’s SO worth it if anything happens. Know a young family that needed. Was a Save money big time and get treated promptly!
Have Fun All!
I’m looking forward to my next cruise. My parents are octogenarians and do not want to leave the ship at port… fine with me. I do not like casinos as I have never been lucky. I’m going to enjoy just sitting on balcony with my Parents and help them as needed. My idea of cruising isn’t all the stuff going on it is the beautiful scenery and no phone calls. That’s why they offer something for everyone. My last cruise with friends, we watched an old black and white movie and sang the song the rest of the trip. It was a fun memory.
@@toddylu6869We are taking my 89 yo parents on a cruise, too. We will celebrate their 65th Anniversary 🎉. Same plan, to just spend fun, quality time together! It’ll be different than our previous cruises, but I think will be more special ❤️❤️❤️❤️
My son is a foodie, and at 6 years old was sick of the kids menu on night two in the main dining room. Our server asked if he wanted an adult menu and the boy was in heaven. Escargot, calimari and a cheese plate for dessert. I’m so grateful to that server because we were first time cruisers and didn’t even think to offer my son that. Meanwhile, my 8 year old ordered the same thing every night with perfect happiness.
My wife and I cruise Royal Caribbean. They use to have shrimp cocktails on the menu, then we noticed they were no longer on the menu. So we asked the waiter if they had them any more, and he said sure if you want them they would make them up for us. Some of the other guests asked us how we got them and we told them all they had to do was ask. After that night they were always at our table when we arrived. To me that was extra tip worthy. Many of the other guests were ordering them as well.
Royal Carribean is horrible on many levels
We are older and prefer early fixed time dining and then go to the show.
@@kathrynstewart5863 How so? Cruise newbie
@@fredrosenbaum8630on our Celebrity cruise in a few days shows are at 7 and 9 so unless you eat at 5:30 it’s going to be tough to make the early show. Esp because I’ve heard you should go 30 min early.
And when you have excursions?@@fredrosenbaum8630
We Were eating in the main DR on Royal Caribbean. I wanted the Surf & Turf but it cost extra. Our waiter suggested ordering either the steak or lobster tail and getting the other as a side dish. No extra charge. It was great and he got a little extra at the end of the cruise. So if you want two main meals you can order one as a side dish.
What an amazing idea
What cruise line was this?
Cruise lines have started charging for good meals, just like the "specialty restaurants" for about $40 each. Wine extra of course.
We always choose early dining. This allows us to enjoy all of evening activities and to walk off dinner long before bedtime.
Same here! I prefer early dining and can usually get out of there just in time for shows. Once I traveled with friends (I'm usually a solo cruiser), and they wanted the 8pm dining. I was miserable! I wondered if anything was worse than that. Welp, turns out, YES, there is! We all went on a cruise earlier this year because my son was proposing to his girlfriend. He insisted we do Anytime Dining. It was torture for me!!! 😵
In my normal life I dine very late but on the cruise ship I like early dining as well! Then again, if someone else wanted to pay or treat me and they preferred later dining I’d be happy to try it. But as a solo traveler, the only way to make the solo supplement worthwhile is to do what you want to do and make the best of it! If I ever find a travel buddy or travel with a partner, it would be nice to compromise and do what they want to do sometimes.
Dining preferences often depend on *which* cruise, and *where* the cruise is, and *who* the cruiser is.
For example, on a DCL cruise, early dining is generally the "families with kids" dining time. If you don't like kids, or want a quieter dinner, early dining on DCL won't be it.
But it's the opposite on HAL, the early dining times will be a lot of seniors, and very quiet.
Also, bunch of jet-lagged east coast passengers on a Pacific Coast or Hawaii cruise may find 8pm dining far too late for them (midnight their time) - at least until they have adjusted to the time change. Meanwhile, west coasters on a Bermuda cruise may find 5PM dining *far* too early - practically lunchtime for them.
The difference is even worse for those on opposite sides of the planet.
Also, some people, particularly those with T1D/T2D may need to eat at specific times, or time medications with meals. Those needs absolutely matter.
About dress codes - disregarding a dress code is fundamentally disrespectful to other passengers, crew and the cruise line.
The customer refusing to respect guidelines is assuming THEY are "above" the rules that apply to everyone else.
Cruise company websites are *very* clear about dress codes.
If a customer CHOOSES to REFUSE to comply with a dress code or regulation, then THEY have CHOSEN to exclude themselves - and they also CHOOSE the consequences.
A guest who continues to CHOOSE to defy/disrespect cruise standards is making a deliberately belligerent, selfish behavioural CHOICE.
Other passengers are perfectly capable of complying/being respectful of others.
Many ENJOYING dressing up.
The reality is, cruise ships are private property, and as such they are absolutely entitled to enforce dress and behaviour standards as THEY wish. Simply purchasing a ticket does NOT grant anyone the "right" to bad, rude, disrespectful or disruptive behaviour.
If a customer doesn't *like* standards on a cruise... don't go. 🤷
Plenty of other customers *want* and enthusiastically support guidelines.
great tip
Me too. Then I can get my late night snack....
I was turned away on a HAL cruise at the MDR because I had on shorts. This was my fault, totally. I had worn shorts to dinner on embarkation day and there was no problem because our suitcases had not arrived at our cabin. This turn away happened the next day. I was not mad and didn’t complain. Just went back to our cabin and changed. Problem solved. Rules have reasons.
Thanks for sharing
"Rules have reasons". You are paying thousands for a cruise. Sometimes tens of thousands, yet your happy to have the cruise company pontificate to you about what you should wear! Seriously.
@@lizzy9975 ✅️
I appreciate this. A simple thing to separate the beach from nice eating venues.
@@lizzy9975your comment is the definition of entitlement. If you're paying that much for a cruise, I'm sure you can afford a pair of pants.
I think cruise ships are missing a great opportunity to reach out to single people by not have a "singles meet and greet" table that is always set where singles can meet and at least have a meal with some conversation. Just keep the place setting ready and people can just sit down, maybe do something like that green/red coaster thing to alert the server you are ready or need attention.
They do have that on Carnival. I haven't participated, because I am usually with a group of singles already, and I like hanging with my own group.
@@elouise5593 well, I'm not single as it happens, but I wasn't aware of it being a regular thing. So if you are with a group of singles, why wouldn't you want to sit at the mingling table to eat even if it is as a group. The best I've seen on cruise is when they get busy they will ask you if you want to share a table with other people. Not the same thing, but we have always enjoyed that, and we still have the option to dine at a table for two if we don't
@@elouise5593 I guess my point is, they don't really reach out to the singles community as a place to meet people.
I think you can probably reach out to the cruise program director and ask to have the single meet up on the itinerary. Like using the conference room
@@youbyoubalancedliving9700 that is not the point. I'm pointing out that REGULAR things on the cruise do not cater to singles. They already have single meetups, but what about the regular stuff like meals?
We went on a family Thanksgiving cruise. Our niece has Crohn’s and we made sure they knew about it in advance. The maître d' and our waiter really outdid themselves trying to find yummy things she could eat. They definitely earned our loyalty (and extra tips!)
I totally agree that cruising is a great time to eat what you usually wouldn't eat. As a solo traveller who lives alone, there's some dishes I just wouldn't cook at home due to waste, so it's amazing to get some of these meals on the ships!
So true!!
Shorts, a wife beater t shirt and sandals with socks is not a good look clean it up next time
Adventure of the seas March 😀
Can't wait
Woo Hoo !!
what I still can't understand is why there isn't a big 20-30 seat table always set for singles to come and go as a meet and greet situation.
... sure beats eating the same entree for three meals ...
My sister, niece, and I sailed on the Navigator of the Seas on November 11 and had a wonderful experience in the dining room on Deck 3. When the Head Waiter stopped at the table I asked about the cold soups they used to offer as appetizers - strawberry, peach, watermelon, etc. I would always order if they were available. He did remember them and noted that the menu had changed. The next night, and every dinner after that, our waiter brought me a different cold soup. I was very surprised and thankful. I also received Grand Marnier Soufflé on nights when it wasn't on the menu as I had told our waiter that it was one of the favorite things I love about RCCL. The collaboration between the HW and waiter was obvious; I made sure to thank them for their extraordinary effort. Many smiles all around this cruise!
Wow! Amazing
Thanks for your review my husband and I will be on that ship next month for my 60th birthday!
@@Stacie_Edwards2001 You're welcome! This was the first time I have ever posted a comment. In the 20 years that I have been cruising I have never been disappointed in the dining room on RCCL. My husband will sometimes just order multiple appetizers rather than an entree. If a food choice wasn't what I expected, the wait staff will happily exchange it for something else. We also enjoy the dining room for breakfast and lunch. The wait staff and crew work very hard to make our vacation a pleasant experience and I truly appreciate all their efforts. I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
I worked with many Filipinos over the years as I have run call centers. I noticed that my waiter on a Carnival ship was a Filipino and after a while, I asked him what night would abobo (the national dish) be served. On the last night, we were served a plate of chicken adobo which I thought was pretty cool.
Do you eat to live, or you only live to eat ? 😢
I think a dress code video would be excellent
Hi Ilana. I love watching your videos!!My fiance (soon to be husband) and I will be going on our first cruise Sept. 30-Nov.7th for our Honeymoon!! On Carnival Vista. Your videos have helped me so much on what to do on almost everything!!! When we planned on doing a cruise I then began to panic because I have no idea what to do,but then i came across one of your videos and now watch only your videos because you explain so well what to do in each video. Makes me feel like I now know what to do. I'm sure I'll make a few mistakes here and there but I am so appreciative of your videos. Thank you for all you do!! Keep up the great work and videos!!
Often for desert my husband will say "what kind of ice cream do you have?" They name 3 and he says, "Yes". They happily bring him a scoop of each.
In 40+ cruises, one of the waiters has always guided us to our table for the first time. No need to look for it ahead of time. I have even had waiters offer an arm when walking me to my seat!
Agree!
Correct, no NEED, but if you might want a different location better to check it out first!
Love Carnival because they have your time dining where you can check in and they send you a message when your table is ready
We loved this last cruise, we literally would get the text and by the time we came down they were ready for us. I think we are going to try the MDR out for brunch.
Good advice! We enjoy eating in the main dining room for any meal, and taking our time. You are definitely right about asking your waiter for something you want. One night on Princess there was onion soup and my husband liked it so much he told our waiter he wished he could have it ever night. Our waiter said, "I'll see what I can do!" So every night afterwards my husband had his onion soup! I once asked our waiter on HAL, "This is a Dutch ship. Do you have any Edam cheese? I really like it." He brought me a plate of cheese and crackers that night and every night afterwards he had a little package of crackers and Edam cheese to take with me for a midnight snack!
We did the Chef Table on the Carnival Valor and our son was Vegtarian. They did a complete Vegetarian menu just for him making a separate item for every course. It was Such an amazing experience.
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing
That sounds so nice! I would love to see a video of the vegetarian food on Carnival. I have heard so many mixed things and a lot of negative things but also a lot of positive and would love to see some videos that focus on the more positive aspects.
I traveled around the Mediteranean with MSC (around 2017) and told them beforehand that I needed a gluten free meals. Each time I visited the main dining room they would come to me to talk through the menu to tell me which items would be good choices. After a couple days they came to me without asking. Then they offered things that weren't on the menu that the chef was very proud to cook. My table mates started joking that I had my own 'waiter and chef' and that's how it felt. Speak, be nice and the staff will be much more receptive. Much better than I could have imagined. After this P&O and Cunard were a let down.
My last cruise we ate in the MDR every night and I ate strictly Carnivore. I spoke to our waiter the first night about my preferences and he told me to order my meals "naked"...that means just the featured meat dish with no sauces or sides (the meat is naked, not me 😉).
Every night I had the beef entre, the fish or seafood entree and a NewYork Strip steak, all on one plate with a little dish of melted butter to pour over everything. Then 2 pieces of cheese for dessert. They were very accommodating and everything was delicious and satisfying. Because we told them not to serve us any bread or sides, nothing was wasted.
Lots of great options for lunch at the buffet too....they got to know me very well at the Carvery Station.
A cruise is a terrific place to stick to your preferred way of eating... amazing professionals preparing and serving you exactly what you ask for. I can't wait for my next cruises coming up in Jan & Feb 2023. (Note: I lost 5.5 lbs on that 2-week cruise eating that way which is way preferable to the 5-10 lbs I used to gain eating all the things on previous cruises).
Thanks so much for sharing! I know a lot of people worry about how they can keep up their dietary lifestyle on a cruise. Smart to mention so you don’t waste as well
A new video on dress codes, particularly with Carnival would be great.
I think using the traditional dining if you have a group of 8 or more, or if you have younger children, is definitely the way to go. We used to cruise with our sons a lot, even when they were very young. The wait staff was always fantastic and would bring their favorites even if they were not on the menu that evening. For instance, on Princess, they would bring out the alphabet soup for them as soon as we were seated because the boys were always hungry after playing all day. Then a bowl of strawberries for younger son and a bowl of broccoli for older son because it was their favorites and helped us get something healthy into them right away. I even have fantastic pictures of my young boys asleep at the table, laying across two chairs each, with tablecloths draped over them. The amazing waiters saw them nodding off at dinner and rather than my husband and I having to rush through dinner, they wanted us to enjoy our meal and let our little guys get some sleep. I can’t say enough wonderful things about our waiters on Princess! Sorry so long.
i was on my first cruise at age 10. The family next door had a kid who discovered ripe olives and he kept that waiter hopping.
How nice of these waiters to be so.,helpful.
Love it!!
We always try to have breakfast in MDR..absolutely worth the effort. Buffet seems easier but there’s no comparison.
I prefer the traditional dining at the same time each night.
I like that there's a dress code in the main dining. There's casual areas in plenty other places.
A flexible dining tip. If you find that you enjoyed your table wait staff don't hesitate to ask the host to seat you at that wait staff station on the next night. I always ask for a name card from a wait staff that I like. This might involve a slight wait but we have never experienced anything longer that a couple of minutes to be seated. I have found that the wait staff feel good that requested them again.
We've done that too! One cruise there were two tables available in a certain area, and a family was about to be taken to the table of the guys we especially like. He saw us, and kept them going to the other table. Then they seated us at his! He said, "So glad you got here before anyone else was seated at my table! :D We had such fun with him and the rest of his team! We've done that on other cruises as well!
I LOVE flex dining. There were so many times in the past when I didn't want to leave the pool area because of dinner being early or I was tired after Port Day and wanted to take a nap, so flex dining works perfect for me.
So many things vary with different cruise lines. One hint--find out in advance what the policy is about changing reservations, as well as whether those reservations need to be made in advance or after you board. We were encouraged to make dining reservations in advance of embarkation for our recent cruise, but the show schedule wasn't available till after boarding. However, there was no problem with altering our dining reservations and the app let us see what was available as well as times. We couldn't always get the "perfect" restaurant and time, but could move things around across a couple days to make it all work out. In addition to dietary issues, DO make the Maitre'd aware of any physical needs you might have. These may include a chair without arms so facilitate transferring from a wheelchair or a chair with arms to help an older person get out of the chair...or, in one case, "not one of those bar stools without a back." No matter what the "standard" chair in that dining room, there are a few "other" chairs that can be brought for people who need them. If you do traditional dining, you should only have to make them aware on embarkation day. But don't limit yourself to traditional; this is a simple request that should be met at any restaurant whether thru choice of table or them bringing a chair that will work. Sorry--I've cruised with 2 people with physical limitations.
Yes, I have seen 2 cruise line menus--one was a special vegan menu, the other was a primarily vegan/vegetarian menu with a few meat dished listed separately. Every menu on that ship noted items that were "gf" for gluten free, "v" for vegetarian, and something else for vegan.
And yes, DEFINITELY try breakfast and lunch in the regular dining rooms, MDRs, or whatever your line calls them. Again, depending on the line, we've found little things that make a difference. For instance, the MDRs served real brewed iced tea while the buffet area only had the stuff made from syrup. And the food in the MDRs is typically wonderful! Also, tell your server if there is something you or your child really likes. For instance, my daughter had something that came with broccoli one night and mentioned to the server that it was her favorite vege. EVERY night, there was a bowl of steamed broccoli for her, even when it wasn't on the menu.
...look at shore excursions too. book them along with the cruise if they let you ... cxcl later if you have to ...
We were on a recent cruise where my husband commented to the head waiter how he loved Indian food. On our Italian cruise there were Indian dishes on the menu every night. Next night at dinner we were treated to a feast! So much food, we literally ate like kings that week. Every night he brought us small samples of Indian food, it was great. You just have to ask!
Our last cruise on Serenade of the Seas I told our Indian server that I wanted to try more Indian food.
He was overjoyed at describing dishes and making recommendations. It was phenomenal ❤
I love the Your Time/Any Time dining option. It allows for flexibility in planning your evenings on the ship. If you make a reservation in the morning for a specific time that evening, most times they can accommodate your request. Love it.
I must not get this right! I cannot get the time I wish to dine on a recent Celebrity cruise and found that I had to line up to enter the dining room. Having cruised for many years and never have I been subjected to this. I prefer a fixed time dining and efficient service!
I try to come back home after a cruise around the same weight that I arrived at. Working out at the ship gym, walking a lot, ordering all sauces and butter on the side and eating fruit 90% of the time for dessert has helped a lot!
That fruit has as much sugar as that dessert.
That’s an awesome goal. Though I enjoy a delicious man-made sugar filled desert too.😂I’m going to include more fruit on my next cruise since fruit has nature’s sugar and not man-made sugar. Thanks for sharing.
@@ladyc3205 It's still glucose and sucrose. The chemistry is the same. Have the Cheese as the dessert.
We took our 8th Holland America cruise over Christmas this year. Fun to have all those decorations up without having to do it - or out them away - including the gingerbread village with the model train. The first night people were dressed very casually in the main dining room (MDR) but the second night was Christmas Eve and a sea day, “gala night” so the expectation was higher. There were still a few men who showed up in tank tops for that, but starting Christmas Day they were turned away. We enjoy sitting at a table for two, having a relaxed dinner, dressing up, and not having to put up with people who don’t understand dress codes. We always enjoy eating there, including occasional breakfasts and lunches. The variety and freshness are superb.. thanks for focusing on MDR and possibilities.
Detailed dress codes would be great! Thank you for all that you do to make our cruises more enjoyable!
Something I enjoyed and strongly recommend is if you are a Solo Cruiser to have open booking and get the Mixed/shared table. It is so nice to meet different people and hear there stories compare how many cruises people have done what they do and after 7nts of Breakfast and Dinner you start to have a large number of people you'll recognise and talk with.
On my first cruise, my friend and I only went to the dining room once. That was a mistake in and of itself because the food was as good as any fine restaurant I've been to. The people at my table were so nice and very interesting as some of them were veteran cruisers with good advice and stories. I just booked a second cruise and I won't make those mistakes again.
When you eat with other solo diners, you may discover WHY they are solo.😮😮
Was not really a solo because my husband was second engineer and had to eat in officer's mess. Due to scheduling, I was usually seated with a family which was fine. Thankfully, they opted to sleep in one morning so I was alone. Ordered a baked apple and it exploded - red juice everywhere.
😂😮😅 wow
I told my late husband when we go on a cruise, I want to meet new people. I cannot wait until my sister and I go.
My husband is country. Formal wear is a new pair of jeans. It was our first cruise so I told him no jeans. He got these nice jean like pants that were in khaki, black, dark gray and dark blue. He loves them and they looked very nice with a collared shirt.
I love the dress code. I cruise on Oceania. I have casual wear for day trips, the cocktail dress for high tea. Then I enjoy going formal for supper. One of the things I love about Oceania is that you aren't stuck at one table with the same people. You sit wherever you want.
Three things:
1. We always book the 8:00 seating because we found that on port days it gave us time for a nap and to get a snack on some buffet items that were in the MDR menu as a preview.
2. If you're sharing a table with others at a fixed seating time and will either be late or not attending dinner that night, please do let the head waiter know so that it doesn't hold up dinner service for the rest of your tablemates.
3. How can we preview menus either before the cruise or at the very beginning for the entire cruise? We're on Princess and knowing this in advance would make planning for a specialty restaurant much easier. TIA.
We’ve seen the dress code change a great deal over 40 years of cruising and years ago really enjoyed dressing every night and the gowns & tuxes but even us old folks find lessening up a bit on formality makes it nice as well. We will dress on formal nights now but leave the tux & gowns in storage.
We were recently on Symphony with the family, one daughter in law is vegan, they were so helpful with her meals. The head waiter would come every night after our meal to get her to decide what she wanted to eat the next night. It was excellent service, that is why we always do Celebrity or Royal. Their service is exceptional!
Thanks for sharing!! Great to hear 👏
I saw someone do this on my MSC cruise with a person at the table next to me who was gluten free. I’m regular vegetarian & they just told me to order off the regular menu haha which is fine for me though as I like to jet off to the evening show right after dinner & wouldn’t have enjoyed having to linger. As a solo traveler whose usually really eager to make friends on the ship, I probably wouldn’t want to back myself into the hole of having to pre order - I’d feel guilty if I wanted to stay in bed and order room service or made a new friend on an excursion or at the club or something and went to the buffet with them instead. The best part about solo traveling for me is the spontaneity you can have when you don’t have to okay the days plans with anyone except yourself and can do what you really want to do (or not do) every day. I did enjoy eating most days in main dining with the other solo friends I made but I did spend 2 days in bed on my last cruise and I loved having the flexibility to do that.
As a vegan I had that same experience with Princess. I couldn't believe the level of personal attention night after night!
@@glendacollins2898 I’m glad to hear they accommodated you! I hope to be able to take a cruise with them soon!
I’m a pretty good home cook and I agree completely with choosing dishes you wouldn’t have at home. Lamb, short ribs, cold soups, salads with unusual ingredients are always on my radar since those are things my husband doesn’t really care for so I don’t make them at home.
We really like the traditional dining and prefer the early seating around 5:30 or 6 because by the time we finish the show, I’m ready for another little treat. 😊
That's exactly what we do. I often see the same people from the show and then at the buffet again. LOL
I like the fact that they put a dress code I've taken over 35 cruises on I don't know six different Cruise Lines it's just kind of part of the ambience of the cruise get with it
I have always preferred the main dining room at 6pm. That way by 8pm I’m off to all the night life activities. I still make sure that I experience a couple of specialty restaurants as well.
Hey Illana - something I did on my HAL cruises - there was a fantastic white chocolate mousse offered on the Main Dining menu (dinner) on our first evening yet it didn’t appear the next night, I asked about it and our server said “no problem, we can definitely get that for you if you’d like” - absolutely and I was able to have it, upon request each addt’l night, if desired. Thank you for reminding folk to “ask servers” for items on/off menu.👌🏻
What is HAL? Holland America?
Wow!! Nice to know
I wish that was an option on our recent RC cruise. I was hoping for more basic appetizers - a simple shrimp cocktail - but was told I was only able to get what was on menu for the night.
Thanks for the informative video. I wanted to add that my group of 10 cruised Royal Caribbean, Symphony of the Seas last minute booking in December 2023 for Sailing on January 7th 2024 and requested Halal meal option which is supposed to be requested at least 90 days before the sailing date, however, we were pleased to know they had halal chicken and beef option. The head chef from the main Dining Room explained all the steps they take in the kitchen to prevent "cross contamination" and set aside a clean separate area where the halal meals are prepared. They did also requested that we select our dinner meal the night before so it's prepared accordingly. We were very impressed with how knowledgeble all the waiters n servers were to inform us even at Windjammer what items were halal n what was not. They also provided the Indian special "Masala Chai" (tea with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, lots of milk) for breakfast and dinner. That really was the bonus for our cruise.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing this
About 6 years ago on Royal Caribbean we noticed people underdressed for dinner even though there was a sign at the door. The head waiter told us they have difficulty enforcing it. Our last cruise even on dress nights there were people with hats, shorts, t shirts and it really took away from the special feel of the evening. I remember my first cruise which was Celebrity every night people were dressed up. Now you are hard pressed to find a tux, suit or gown/fancy dress. I know people want to be relaxed on vaca but if you choose not to dress up on the fancy nights hit the buffet. We primarily cruise Royal Caribbean and I do wear jeans with heels or sandals with a nice blouse/ shirt to dinner but I miss the elegance of those dress nights. I still bring a fancy dress or gown and my husband wears a suit.
I absolutely agree with you %100 on all points. And you’re right, it takes away from the ambiance of the entire evening. We go all out for formal night and it chaps my ass when people stroll in with a Tommy Bahamas tshirt, cutoff shorts and flip flops. Go up to the buffet or the pizza place on formal night if you choose to dress like that. 😡
You sound so stuffy and out of touch with anything of value. God forbid cruise ships really change their procedures for people who are not old. I don't mind wearing nice pants and a nice shirt but having to pack a damn tux or gown for dinner is wasteful in so many ways. You want formal stick to Cunard.
I always wear what I call casual work clothes ( pants with a nice shirt) in the dining room, never shorts, halters or bathing suits, but on 20+ cruises I’ve never worn a formal & I never intend to. I could care less what others wear. I love a drama free life & I don’t sweat the small stuff.
We had breakfast in the main dining room one morning on our most recent cruise, and it was the best one of the trip. It was lovely and relaxed, much more enjoyable than going to the buffet. Our package included a couple of specialty restaurants, and those were outstanding. The lobster bisque was the best I've ever had, and we came home with the recipe.
We're trying the breakfast this cruise at Christmas, always wanted to, but never had. Thanks for the tip!
I love breakfast in the dining room. I have never waited for a table and not have to deal with the crowds and finding a seat is wonderful
i had the opposite experience myself haha I found myself really missing the speed and flexibility of being able to get up and get my own refills on my water/lemonade/iced tea and get myself things like extra napkins / ketchup / hot sauce the one morning I did breakfast in main dining. I also missed being able to pick my own portion sizes and take little bits of lots of different foods. I liked having people to sit with though as the buffet can get a little lonely as a solo traveler but I wish we could refill our own beverages so we don’t have to sit there thirsty waiting if the servers are busy.
Our last cruise on RC we had breakfast in the main dining room on debarkation day and it was incredible!! Wish I had realized it sooner. Agree about lunch-/had several outstanding lunches there too. Had to drag my husband but he loved it. At home we sacrifice not going out to eat and it’s our favorite part of the cruise.
@@susancook1448 we did the same on our cruise in June - every other day we were happy to go to the buffet restaurant for breakfast but we saw how busy it was on the last morning so went off to the calm of the dining room!
I am definitely all about utilizing the main dining room. I thought all of your tips were spot on!
Took my first River Cruise on Viking and since I traveled solo I paid about twice what the amount was for 2 people in a stateroom! Enjoyed the cruise very much though. It was casual dress for eating in the dining room. Even saw people wearing shorts! I liked being alone in my stateroom very much. I had Viking schedule my air travel so therefore my transfers from plane to hotel to ship were all done by Viking! Extremely helpful!
I did have the “My Way” dining years ago. It was alright but at the same time, I do like traditional dining. I enjoy having the same waiter or waitress every day. I love that they remember your name, your preferences (Coke, iced tea, etc). It takes special people to be able to do that. I love it!
Also, I do like earlier dining. My first cruise, it was 7 day cruise and we had late dining. And it seemed like most shows were at 8pm and we always stayed late, eating and talking, etc. that was nice, but we missed out on shows and special events.
My husband and I always cruise with Princess. We are both Vegan and now get our own menu in the dining room. They are super helpful and friendly. Thank you for your wonderful videos. ❤
We definitely prefer set dining although we have open dining on our next cruise. My husband has multiple food allergies and we need to get to know our waiting staff so they can familiarise themselves with his requirements. We have always found them to be very helpful and give us a menu a day in advance for planning purposes. He has had a card printed with his allergies on it to save time.
I love having breakfast in the dining room. It is the best!
My wife and I went on our first cruise and assumed we had to have a table for two. One of the most fun we had was to ask to be seated with other people. We often sat with four strangers. We were all friends by the end of the meal. Great fun.
I love open dining. Sometimes with traditional dining I often felt rushed to get there on time.
Many also ignore there are two showtimes so you wont miss out unless you start dinner late then are slow.
We just went to our very first cruise last week with RCCL. We had an amazing time and plan on going on a cruise again. A month before our cruise I started watching your videos and truly helps my family (party of 11) on our first cruise. Thank you so much & more power to channel!
We’re you able to sit your party of 11 at one table?
I like the more relaxed dress codes, but am fine with defining what 'relaxed' or casual means. Trust some would show up to the dining room with wet bathing suits or no shirts, not considering how long it takes for that type of seating to dry...But not having to be formally dressed for dinner every night thankfully cuts down on the amount of clothing I have to pack.
Hey Ilana! Wanted to say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS on 100k SUBS! Outstanding job and you are producing amazing content! ~Kellie & Jason
Thanks so much Kellie & Jason!
I ♥️ the main dining room for breakfast and lunch! I usually order a light breakfast and coffee delivered to my room to nibble on while I'm getting ready. Then head to the main dining room for a regular breakfast. On HAL I also love the afternoon tea offered in the main dining room.
I have had both types of dining and I just prefer open dining. I'm about to go on a Norwegian Cruise (2nd time) and I loved going to eat when I wanted. We mostly ate in the Main Dining rooms but we did have several Specialty restaurants included in our package and they were fabulous. I'm not a fan of the buffet, preferring pubs or bar areas. These videos are great and I love to watch just in case there is anything new going on I should know about. Thanks for all your hard work keeping us informed.
Have had crazy experiences on my time dining and we always love a table for 2. Last week on explorer of the seas a man shows up on formal night with a bathrobe running shorts tank top. I try to imagine that his luggage was stolen so he had no choice. We also saw him by the pool in same outfit with a bottle of champagne……. That was his attire for the week.😊
When my sister and I cruise we always use open dining but usually make a reservation each day after we plan our evening. Sometimes we ask to dine alone and other times to join others at a table. We have met some wonderful cruisers and enjoyed hearing of their adventures. On longer cruises we he have also requested to sit in a certain section once we get to know the staff. We enjoy that you need to "dress up a little" for the dining room...it makes it feel more special! On the next cruise we plan to have at least 1 breakfast in the main dining room since we haven't done that yet! Congratulations on 100 000! 😁
Great comments & thanks so much!
Not sure if this tip is relevant for all cruise lines or locations but happened on a recent P&O cruise from Brisbane. I was talking to some people I met that made some errors when booking their dinner reservations. Because of this they did not turn up to one of their booked times and because they missed this the cruise line cancelled all of their reservations for the rest of the cruise. They had to make new reservations and were not able to get all of their previous selections. So I would highly recommend checking your reservations and make sure you change them if the time doesn't suit you, don't just not show up.
We were on Zaandam up the east coast of Canada over Labor Day, 2022. I fell in love with the portion size in the MDR and the speciality restaurants. At home, I frequently complain about portion sizes at local restaurants. I cannot possibly eat that size of meal at one sitting and have to get a "doggy bag" and finish it later. On HAL, the portion sizess are alway reasonable and I never feel wasteful with food left on my plate.
We just two weeks ago went on Holland America to Alaska, on a smaller ship (2100 passengers). I’ve been on larger Royal Caribbean ones before. 4 in our group, and we ate breakfast open seating and 5:30 seating in main dining. To me breakfast is best there, more relaxing and you can get what you want. I think we did that every day. So nice.
on my recent Carnival cruise I'd order all three courses but found I was pretty full by dessert so I would ask my table staff to leave the lid on and I'd take the plate back to my cabin...normally at home I'll have dessert an hour or so after dinner so being able to do the same on my cruise was most helpful..and surprisingly enough I actually weighed less after my cruise than before, even though I was eating more than when at home...
I always lose at least 5 lbs on a RCL cruise. The food is just not very good.
I have a group of 263 going on the Harmony of the Seas. Next year. One thing people don't know (and group specialists like me do) is we work with the Cruise line and matre'd early....and we can block an entire section of the dining room and assign people to their tables...
I get to see the table layout and plans... months in advance.
I also get to book blocks in advance for everyone to be booked in the same shows...ahead of the individual reservations.
Largest groups on the ship..mhave priority months ahead ...to ensure they get to be together. As a group.
Was recently on a Carnival cruise in Oct to the Mexican Rivera. My husband and I were not sleeping well so we were up early every day and had to have breakfast at the buffet because breakfast wasn’t served until 8:30am in the MDR. We were able to eat and then find prime seating in the serenity section of the boat. I’m hoping on our next cruise in June we are able to have at least a couple of breakfasts in the MDR.
I wanted to tell you that I am going on my first cruise ever in Sept. 2023. I will be 76 and my daughter 46. It is an Alaska Cruise and my daughter and I are taking a train (first time for that too) from Jacksonville FL to Seattle (2 night hotel stay) and getting on the Holland America Eurodam for a 7 day inside passage cruise and back home on the train. My sister who has never been on a cruise found your videos and sent me the link. I am going to watch them all. Thank you so much for these videos and I have already learned so much.. I will get in touch with you when I get back. I am really excited.
Glad you left some time between train and cruise, in case of delays! Done both, enjoyed both! Definitely follow Illana's advice! Enjoy! Kaye
Hi, we have just been on a 36 night cruise with Princess. Our allocated table was great at first but after the first hr we were freezing. We asked to be moved away from the air con! We did get moved but I would still recommend taking a wrap for the ladies.
We got a bit sick of the same ish meals so changed it up a bit. We asked for things not on the menu like pizza and lasagne. They were delicious. We also asked for changes to vegetables and extra potatoes or chips ( fries)
Princess were very accommodating and nothing was too much trouble.
This is great to know. We're booked on our first Princess cruise in March and I'll have to remember this.
I went on the cruise and did my time dining. Our waitstaff was amazing. It was wonderful seeing the same people every night. It was a wonderful experience.
On our last Carnival cruise, there was a very young couple sitting right next to us. It was their first cruise. Every night, they wore cut off shorts and tshirts to the dining room. We are in our 60s and have been cruising for 25 years or so, so we are old school and, at the very least, wear pants and nice tops to the dining room every night. Even on the “dress up” nights, they wore shorts and athletic like shirts. It was a bit disappointing for us, but they seemed quite comfortable!😕
Cruising from San Diego on Princess Diamond...a disaster on boarding, standing in line 2 hours. I tried following your suggestions, most of them worked, the magnets, etc. Overall the ports of Hawaii were great, disembarking was efficiently handled. My roommate began coughing on 3rd day out, I noticed others coughing as well. She went to medical care, $100.00, told she had a cold, no problem with upper respiratory but her coughing was deep. She was given a covid test 2x, sent on her way. We visited 4 Islands of Hawaii, Hilo being the 1st. On our way out of Ensenada, the last port of this 16 day cruise, the captain announced there are people in isolation for covid. There are at least 100 in quarantine SINCE HILO!!!!! Our 1st stop 10 days ago!! We feel deceived by staff and dishonest to the islanders with whom we have been in contact.
We took a Carnival cruise for the first time a year ago. My son is Type 1 diabetic. We had talked to them ahead of time and was told to just let the staff know the first day. Well that didn’t go very well. We were literally explaining over and over to different levels of staff that we had to have carb counts so that my son could take insulin. Most people only know about T2 diabetes and it’s totally different. My son has to take the right amount of insulin when he eats or his blood sugar can drop dangerously low or go extremely high if not dosed correctly. After about 2 hours of explaining we finally talked to the head chef. He couldn’t even give us any answers but did get back with us later that day and planned out meals with my son and the he would figure out the carbs for us ahead of time. The chef said “I had no idea how difficult T1D have it figuring out every carb that goes in their mouth.
In the states it is law that every restaurant has to have carb counts on menu items. When you ask for them most staff has no idea where to even look to find that information. There are apps for major restaurants and that helps but mom and pop restaurants are not listed. I was really disappointed that a cruise ship wasn’t prepared for this. They told us they had never been asked before for carb counts. Wasted a lot of time on our first day but hopefully our next cruise coming next month will be better prepared.
I have had type 1 diabetes for over 50 years and you really need a nutritionist to breakdown single serving sizes of foods to get accurate carbohydrate counts. That’s who does this at hospitals. Cruise Lines should have a professional on staff at headquarters to assist with this information. There are some good carbohydrate counters books and online sites that will help. Good luck 💜
We always do traditional dining. We love the MDR you don't have to dress fancy but you do need to wear clothes that cover your body. (Lol) If you choose to not want to cover up then eat at the buffet.
Learning so much from you and Gary Benbredge. I am beyond excited for our first cruise--land & sea, Alaska, on Holland America!
Booked our 2nd trip for June,can't wait,Alaska is amazing
I love eating in the MDR for Breakfast. It’s so nice!!
On our recent cruise on Norwegian, we foolishly made our specialty dining reservations only a few days before the cruise, with the result that all our reservations were at 7:30 p.m., which is a lot later than we prefer. We were able to dine earlier than that in two ways. First, immediately after we got back from a port day, at 5:45 P.M., I called up the restaurant reservation line and was able to get a table for 6 P.M. Second, on another day where we had a 7:30 reservation, and the people on the reservation line had told me that nothing earlier was available, we went to the restaurant and asked if we could possibly get in earlier. They seated us a few minutes later, at 6:30. Both of these were at Cagney's, the steakhouse, which I strongly recommend.
Drew I'm glad you didn't get upset. I hate it when people do it and not be turned away. If I want to be that casual I'll eat up stairs with the shoes and bathing suits.
I went on a solo transatlantic cruise and I almost always ate breakfast in the main dining room. The hostess even sat me at the same table every morning near the window. I also had the same waiter and as soon as he saw me he immediately brought me coffee and orange juice.
This is our first cruise for both of us. I went on a princess cruise when I was 12. Sooo this is really our first adult cruise you can say
I went on the Pacific Jewel (ret) in 2014, and I tried snails for the first time. It was so good, and though I've not had snails since, due to where I live, it was a dining experience to remember. As for dining times, I find traditional times are either too early or too late, so go for "my time".
Love escargot! I didn't see it on my cruise on the Paradise, though. I hope it was only because it was one of Carnival's smallest ships and not because Carnival has stopped serving it!
I prefer traditional dining….you have your consistent staff, table and you can always do something different if you prefer ie:buffet, specialty. Less confusion and disruption to your cruise.
Wow! I didn’t think my experience at the MDR being turned away because of wearing shorts would create such a verbal firestorm. To Lizzy: If you don’t want to dress appropriately for the MDR, dine at the buffet. No one will care or complain. No too many people want to see shorts and tank tops in the MDR. No need to use profanity in the comments here. My opinion on the MDR dining rules is that the majority of cruisers would like to dine in an atmosphere that is clean and appetizing. That is why you have several dining options on a cruise ship. To be clear, I was at fault for showing up at the MDR on the second night wearing shorts. I just forgot.
On my first and only cruise (so far) around Hawaii, on NCL, I ate in the main dining room every single meal except for the lunch times when they were closed for maintenance (that was twice in a week). I didn't try the specialty restaurants (too expensive) but that main dining room was AMAZING. Every meal was fantastic, which is saying something since I'm a home gourmet cook. For example, for most of my life I never ate at Italian restaurants because I cook better than they do, so if I find one that is good, I am thrilled. I tried their buffet during the closed times...gag...so we went looking for better restaurants onshore.
On a two week Panama Canal cruise we tried all but one specialty restaurant. We found the food in the MDR was consistently excellent but the specialty restaurants varied in quality. We had food in one Italian specialty restaurant that was actually bland - like tomato sauces that tasted only like tomato without onion, garlic, herbs, etc. We were rushing to a popular show or we would have requested a refund, but we did speak up.
I definitely prefer traditional dining. We’ve tried both and the 8:00 dining seems to work the best for us. I love getting to know our waitstaff. I would love to see the dress code video! Royal has a separate vegetarian menu as well as a kids menu.
I’d love to see some of the vegetarian menus on Royal! I hope to be able to afford to cruise with them one day. They seem to never give us solos a break on the supplement.
Is it less crowded at that time?
@@AceGoodheart No it’s about the same. All the tables are full usually.
Cruise dinner entrees never include enough vegetables. We have learned to tell our stewards on the first night that we would like a platter of fresh steamed green vegetables every night. We are always rewarded each night thereafter with a beautiful display of broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, green beans, and brussel sprouts. The servers size the platter to the number of people at the table. You could also ask for crudites before dinner if you are missing the crunch of raw carrots. In addition, we also send back any basket of white rolls and ask for whole grain instead. They are always so happy to provide anything we want, if it is available. They love to make their guests happy.
Hi! We love to cruise with Saga (we’re in the U.K.) - and we always book into the specialty restaurants during our cruise. The bonus with Saga is that their specialty restaurants (which are intimate, so really nice) are at no extra charge! We love it!
I have to eat gluten free (celiac) and found Celebrity Cruises to be wonderful! I notify them in advance of boarding. Once boarded, I talk with the maitre de so they are aware. Every evening after dinner they would bring me the menu for the next evening so I could preorder. If nothing really appealed to me they’d offer some other options not listed on the menu. I also spoke with the chef at the buffet and he always made sure the staff was aware. Their cruises are the best meals I’ve ever eaten since being gluten free!
Since I'm on my own, I like the flexibility. I'm willing to wait to be included at a larger table.
I like dressing up a bit for the diningroom. Formal nights are fun too. Why dress down for a white tablecloth service?
Pick one specialty restaurant just to spoil yourself. They are worth it!
When I go in for dinner, I specifically ask to be seated at a large table to meet other people. It's nice to have someone to talk to!
You are spot on with all your recommendations! You know going to a good golf course you need a collared shirt, and no blue jeans…..Not sure why you want to dress down on a good cruise ( flip flops & shorts in the main dining room). We love cruising! Keep up the good work!
Leaving in 2 weeks from today on a 11 day celebrity cruise! Been watching all your videos to prepare. Thanks!
How exciting!! Have fun!!
Hope you enjoy it!
We love open dining! I do make reservations for 2 out of 3 or 4 of our specialty dinners (we usually do 4-6 meals in specialty depending on the length of cruise), but the rest is when we feel like eating! If we have a full day of excursions, I do make reservations on those nights because we will be kinda tired and not feeling like waiting and often famished. Even for specialty, we have never waited longer than 30 minutes for our table.
I am going on my first cruise as a vegan on RC Oasis of the Seas & I’m very excited to see they have an all vegan separate menu in the MDR. It makes my dining experience so much easier as I am allergic to dairy.
there is a place on your cruise planner on most lines that asks about allergies, Kosher, vegan etc meals. The waiter will ask each day, but I'd be sure to mention it if it's really a health issue.
I am sensitive to dairy and gluten. I had a fantastic server on the Oasis in May. Let your server know on day one. He took extra care concerning my food choices the entire trip and even had menu items prepared specifically for me. He even had a dessert prepared for me each night. Another great tip. Bring a shelf stable carton of your dairy free milk and take it to the drink cafe by the spa. They made me a smoothie every morning using my milk for breakfast.
We’ve been on Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival, but gravitate toward Carnival. Carnival has never let me down on food quality, choices and dining experience.
The steak house on Carnival, Fahrenheit 555, is excellent. For the price, you can’t beat the quality and quantity of the food you get.
On sea days, they have a brunch that is phenomenal. On port days, if we’re not in a hurry, we’ll do breakfast in the dining room. It’s a very relaxing way to start the day as the dining room is t very crowded.
We mix it up between Main dining and buffet, based on our schedule and just what we feel like doing that day. We choose a dining time for the main room and request a table for two at the beginning of the cruise, but we don’t go every evening.
Great way to plan 👏
Are gratuities still required for buffets?
Gratuities are for each day of your cruise, so there are no extra gratuity’s for the buffet.
Should we let the staff know in advance if we are not going on the selected time? I like to have the early seating time but not sure I'll be there every night.
We cruised with our 3 year old grandson who wanted pizza or mac 'n' cheese every night, so we requested them. Our waiter was fantastic and would automatically bring them to Landon. Plus ice cream.
Going on our first cruise in February. We have booked traditional dining, but we'll miss the formal nights and go elsewhere on those nights. Very excited.
Which ship are you on as formal nights are not what they use to be.
@@julianigoe1291 We will be on the Grand Princess sailing from Melbourne to NZ. According to the app, there will be 2 formal nights.
@@queenslanddiva me to out of Melbourne. Just got off the majestic last week the formal nights are not that formal. Men can get away with Slack and a shirt. And the lady's basically the same. It's not like the old days of gowns and tails. enjoy your cruise.
My wife and I cruise about once a year. We like the open dining option, and will typically eat at the main dining area. We’ve never had a problem asking the hostess to seat us at a server’s table that we have gotten to know. It sometimes takes a few minutes more after arriving, but we are always seated with the serving staff we’ve asked for. We’ve also asked to sit at a particular table as well, and the hostess has been able to make it happen most of the time. We also like to eat at the specialty restaurants at least once on a cruise. The food and atmosphere are usually amazing at these restaurants, and we love the experience of this fine dining.
My mother and I prefer the Flexible DIning option to the more traditional one. We can eat whenever the mood strikes--even though there may be a bit of a wait, it's usually not a long one. At least not on the non-huge ships.
Plus, that way, we can usually get seated with other passengers that we don't know and we can get to know them! That's a huge plus for us.
I used to always feel rushed when choosing fixed dining especially on port days. I Love having the flexibility!
My husband was turned away from the MDR on Norwegian Epic last month. I told him, but do husbands listen?