On Radiance of the Seas, the Cascades Dining Room's food, ambiance and service proved to be excellent.We had no trouble finding delectable choices on the menu each evening.
We shared a table, however, with a family that thrived on torturing our waiters with special requests, only to leave their plates of food barely touched.
They did love their mashed potatoes, though, so every evening the waiters dutifully delivered extra bowls of the creamy carbs along with their dinner plates, even if the dinner plates also had mounds of mashed potatoes.
The formal dining rooms on cruises are also usually open for breakfast and lunch, and their omelets are particularly good. The buffet at the Windjammer Cafe, however, lured us away for many meals. We often asked ourselves, "How much would we spend for such fantastic ocean view dining at a land resort?"
On sea days, we frequently ate lunch poolside; sometimes that would be pizza from the Pizzeria near our Solarium lounge chairs or occasionally fried fish or chicken from the Seaview Cafe located at the back of Radiance on Deck 12.
We ate inside that nautically themed restaurant once when we returned to the ship for lunch on a day in port. You see, if we can pop back onto the ship for a meal rather than buy one on shore, we always do.
Why pay for an inferior meal when such great choices await on board?
We never ordered from the complimentary 24 hour room service this trip, and we eschewed the mid-night buffet, too. Three meals a day was plenty. Well, we did nibble on some peanuts in the Schooner Bar, and then of course there are the occasional hors d'eouvres circulating at the Captain's Party and late evenings in the nightclubs.
Somehow, we managed to lose a pound or two on this trip, like we always do. Although being active helps, the fact that the cruise lines have intentionally added more delicious low carb and low fat options really helps, as does taking the time to savor a meal served in courses where we have time to digest what we eat. Plus, we always have the choice of what we choose to put in our mouths.
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