Good video. I appreciate focusing on what is included in the base cruise fare; cruise ships put so much advertising into speciality restaurants when there is already more than enough food available without paying extra.

I had no idea the Solarium Bistro was complimentary! I thought it was a specialty dining place! Thank you for the info, I'll definitely keep that in mind on my next cruise!

I love the MDR. Nearly every meal there has been great. Our waitstaff has always been friendly and made us feel right at home.

Just returned home from our first cruise! Symphony of the Seas! Just wanted to thank you for your tips! They made us feel very comfortable with this new to us vacation! The entire trip went smooth as glass and your tips helped that happen! Thanks again for your efforts!

Shhhhhhh The Solarium Bistro is a secret!! It's never crowded and the selections are surprisingly very good. Haven't tried El Loco Fresh yet. I'll definitely be going there on Odyssey on my TA.

Great Video as always Matt! So many people don’t take the time to explore all of the great complimentary options. I think your rankings are very well thought out from the overall perspective. We have been on 20+ RC cruises, and we still love the MDR and the Windjammer. We are going on Oasis in September and it will be my first shot at El Loco Fresh, and I am pumped! Love Dog House, Sorrento’s, Park Cafe…Solarium Bistro is for sure a hidden gem! Next you should do a video on the best complimentary food item. The Roast Beef sandwich at Park Cafe is top notch, and I know it’s not on the actual ship, but the Chicken Sandwich (secret style) at the Snack Shack at Coco Cay is AMAZING!

I've watched all of the cruise video channels, yours is by far, head and shoulders above all of the others. Also the way you film the food, it's so crystal clear and makes the food look so appealing!

The main dining room will always be the top on my list! The Mexican restaurant looks yummy, I would be there all the time! 😉 Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for this. I haven't cruised since most ships only had 1 or 2 specialty restaurants. I was beginning to think that the complimentary restaurants were seriously lacking. Glad to know there are some decent options😀

Am on the Anthem of the Seas, from Southampton to Spain and Portugal 4600 on board! With so many on board Main Dining taking 2hrs, waiters working so hard. Queues move really quickly. The Windjammer main buffet, quality and choice of food is incredible. Even at busy times like days at sea, staff are processing through the queues to tables very efficiently. Staff always helpful

The dog house could be higher if they put more effort into it. No chili or cheese? No Chicago dog? No raw onions? No bacon? Slaw dog? No brown mustard? They are not even trying...

the windjammer is absolutely incredible value. I have said for years that you could probably stick to included buffet (even without the dining room) and still have a perfectly enjoyable cruise. If you have the cash to enjoy the other locations or buy a dining package, you definitely should... but If you are sailing on a budget and just trying to squeeze the most bang out of your buck (or maybe the dining experience just isn't one of your primary cruise appeals), the windjammer will rarely leave you disappointed. the only problem I still have with it is the chaos that you sometimes see in there. there is a reasonable level of class and manners that you see in the main dining room and other locations, but the windjammer tends to be where you see that break down the most. people touching food and putting it back. spilling things, using the wrong utensils to serve and cross contaminating, people bumping into you or reaching over you, etc. It's not common and most people are VERY polite (and the staff maintain standards well), but at busier times it can be enough to make you want to avoid it for a few days.

I am a huge fan of the solarium bistro! Less overwhelming than either the MDR or windjammer - a bit more upscale than the windjammer. Not a Sorrento’s fan - bland to me. Love El Loco Fresh!

I am so excited for my cruise in september! Thank you Matt for these videos. They are really entertaining and informative.

I think you're on target Matt. The one thing I would offer that reinforces your #1 & #2 rating, is that if you have food allergies, the MDR and Costal staff are always ready to make sure any special needs are addressed. Windjammer and the others are more hit and miss.

I agree with your rankings. Good overview of complementary food options. Thank you!

My wife and I did there main dining room with Mardi w. We didn’t care for there breakfast. Now there dinner wasn’t too bad. We loved the 555 Fahrenheit steak house. Guy’s two restaurants.

wow i am definitely going with royal carribean on my next cruise, being that i've only sailed with Carnival i've realized that i have been missing out a lot on different amenities such as food, activities and entertainment.

My wife and I have been on 30+ cruises and we love the MDR! We have no intention of eating in Specialty Dining. Why would we when the food in the MDR is wonderful!

The solarium bistro on quantum was fantastic. I loved all of the greek style appetizers, I think I had more than 5 of them plus the main course!

In 33 cruises we have done a specialty dining venue only twice. And one of those was part of the Mystery Dinner Theater. We have found no need to pay for meals.

I agree with these rankings although I haven't tried Coastal Kitchen yet. Technically not a restaurant, but I would have included Room Service somewhere near the bottom of the rankings since it's food and complimentary. What surprised me most about Royal was there wasn't a "burgers and fries" place by the pool as on other cruise lines. Yes, we could go to the Windjammer but it just wasn't as convenient.

Nice video Matt. I didn’t even know mini-bites existed! I think Sorrentos deserves to be higher than cafe promenade since they always appear to be busy, plus the pizza is pretty good.

About three weeks since our cruise and all this did was make me miss our cruise!

My gf and I forgot to pre-book our dining room times so all of the times were late. So we had to find alternatives and the Solarium Bistro was THE place. The food was always great. We could always get in early. Never busy. Like you said, very few people know it exists. So glad we discovered it.

Main dining room, Wind jammer, Play makers, Mason jar, Wonderland, Chill grill, Skippers grill🔥🔥

I love MDR, and enjoy Loco Poco! I have not been to any specialty restaurant, but I do want to try the Solarium Bistro. Windjammer is the first place we go once on the ship. So much variety to chose from. Thanks for the ranking!! 😀

This is a great video Matt! The boardwalk dog house on the oasis class ships is really good, but I can see why it’s at the bottom! The hotdogs and sausages are lukewarm at best! I think if they brought them up to temperature, they could really have something special! I do agree they should offer some additional toppings like chili, cheese, and peppers!!

I've only been on 2 cruises, with the last one being Symphony of the Seas (their final cruise before pandemic shutdown in 2020). It was AMAZING and the main dining room was top notch. I used to think I would want to try all the restaurants and maybe someday I will, but I'm so happy with the food and service in the main dining room that I look forward to going there each night of the cruise. I've always had a specific meal time but I am trying "my time dining" on my next cruise, which is March 2023 on Oasis of the Seas. Can't wait!!!

Thanks Matt. I like your ranking. Can you create a video that advises people with special diets (especially gluten free) on how to get the best gf eating experience on their cruise and what each restaurant offers? It seems like a treasure hunt at times - e.g. discovering the made-to-order gluten free crepes at the Windjammer, which restaurants have gluten free bread upon request and which don't, the gluten-free pizza option at Sorrentos, etc.

The best pizza at sea in Sorrento's on Odyssey last month. I ordered a custom pizza from Evan the mngr there, with pineapple/sausage/pepperoni He called it "Caribbean Dream" and we got it the next day and took it to our room. Crispy and delicious. ALWAYS ask if you want something special or something that is not to your liking, they aim to please! MDR had the best onion soup I ever had as well. Food much improved on Odyssey last month. Ewwww the Key lime pie in MDR...mmmmmmm "yes yes yes, I'll have what she's having" El Loco is a great quick eatery, not TexMex and no refried beans😪 just black beans, but still tasty!!!! We ate pool deck lunch there 2 times.

Why would put any place that the majority of people aren’t allowed to walk in or even make a reservation. I have been cruising on RC for over 20 years we don’t book suites.

The antipasto selection that you'll find at Sorrento's (olives, cheese, grilled veggies, etc.) is really nice, so don't sleep on that. It's nice to have alongside the pizza or as an accompaniment to a Bloody Mary.

Just cruised RCCL Nov 26-Dec 3rd and for us, we were really disappointed in the complimentary dining. The lack of selection and the quality of the menu options that were offered were really subpar in the windjammer and Park Café, and Café Promenade. At the Windjammer we found rock hard biscuits, water gravy and warm yogurt. The cruise industry was built on quality cuisine offerings and we just didn't find that in the complementary but did find it in the specialty restaurants. We would rebook, but only because of the outstanding care of the staff and activities of the ship.

Thanks for the overview. I will make a list of places to eat at before I cruise.

Including Coastal Kitchen seems unfair. That’s because it is not complementary to all passengers- only those who pay extra for a cabin. Otherwise El Loco Fresh I’d rank a bit higher. Then Cafe Promenade lower. Park Cafe would be in my top 3 for it’s fresher choices. Plus it’s location in Central Park is ideal. I get whet you’re saying about the hous of operation though.

I haven’t set foot in the MDR in years. All specialty and Windjammer for us

Great video! Can't wait for our next cruise!

On the quantum of the seas when i did a cruise in march from brisbane in Australia the windjammer buffet for breakfast and lunch and main dining deck 3 for dinner are my favourites

Love the Solarium Bistro on Allure. Had lunch there most days and breakfast a couple of times. Food was great and loved taking it to an outside table to eat. Sorrentos was great for the midnight pizza craving--had that a couple of times and did not disappoint.

El Loco Fresh is soo delish for lunch. All the guacamole you want!!! Yum!!!!

We are cruising in September on Ovation. We have never cruised RC so I think we will go by your scale.

I love Coastal Kitchen, especially for breakfast to avoid the crowds. This is the reason I book suites on RC.

It's good to know, I can get a coney island, while shipboard when the hankering grabs me ❤😁

Are you sponsored by RC? If not, you totally should be, thanks to your channel, I will cruise with them and many others, love all your vids, i have watched half of them!

Of your free options Main Dining room is the best. There are some I haven't had yet.

All in all, with the exception of a couple of differences in why one is better than another, I agree with how you ranked the free food. Well done. I am looking forward to the vlog on Specialty Dining, which is our go to (my wife is a foodie). 😎

The cold salads at Sorento's are fabulous!! If you've never seen people getting them it's because you're not looking.

Thank you for the information, this will be my second cruise and I'll be cruising on The WONDER OF THE SEAS in March 2023 this will be a great help.

Thank you for going a detailed list where to eat fir complimentary places. You were extremely detailed. Planing my next cruise next week

I have a good friend that works on the Ovation and she has nothing but praise for the Main Dining Room and Windjammer.

I'd put Cafe Promenade dead last. I much prefer RC's food to NCL's, but I mass-produced stuff from the steamer at 2am will never compare with freshly made wings or burgers in the middle of the night at Norwegian. I wish there was a non-room service option to get decent food on Royal after the Windjammer closes, which there really isnt

Thanks for the video. Looks like I will be putting on the pounds for my cruise in August.

Going in November and I am so excited.

I love Mexican food, and that El Loco Fresh looks like a dream come true. How are the Chinese food options on RC? Anyone know?

Thanks! And thanks for showing lots of desserts and baked goods! 😍😋

Good ranking. I'd put Sorrentos over Cafe Prominade. Just pizza is way better then the snacks there. 😀 Good call on Dog House. I don't eat hot dogs on cruises. Just tried Solarium Bistro on my last cruise. Loved it.

Sorrentos is number 1 in my heart lol. Top favs are Sorrentos, Coastal Kitchen, and Cafe Promenade/Windjammer (tied)

Is the pizza worth paying for? If it comes down to that? Cus, it looks like generic boxed, microwave pizza. I'm taking my first cruise ever in September, can't wait!!

I love the Location of cafe two70. Grab some food and drink and enjoy the beautiful view in the two70 lounge

Thanks for the opinions. Looking forward to the roast beef sandwich at Park Cafe. And Sorrento's Pizza, for sure. And I'll absolutely be having a hotdog or three at the Dog House. Oh, and I'll be checking out El Loco Fresh. And, yeah, the Windjammer for certain. Is it September yet?

Thanks Matt. I wanted to try El Loco on my Symphony cruise in June but the line was so long every time I went I never got to try it. I would actually put the pizza place at number 5. Nothing beats late night pizza mixed with a beer from the pub right next door!

The Solarium Bistro is the absolutely best complimentary restaurant fleet wide, hands down!!! It's so under rated. Their dinner is delicious!

Windjammer is the only place we eat the main meals at when we're on a cruise.

I love pizza. So sorrento's scores high for me. And for it's availability I score it high and because it's pizza. Also like the speed and that they have pizza. Also I appreciate the water with cucumber and that they have pizza.

Going on my first Alaskan cruise on the quantum so I’ll definitely have to check out Cafe 270

Great video. Very helpful and useful information.Thank you

Nice list Matt! Interested to see where you’d place Room Service in this ranking ☺️

I was on the Odyssey and the main dining room wasn't all that great. I understand they were still short-staffed. I also went to El Loco Fresh and got a chicken quesadilla. There was only a single tiny piece of chicken in the two I got. Showed it to the ships officer and she spoke to the cooks about actually putting chicken in them She was hilarious because she told me they were probably Romanian chickens (se was from Romania) and they were pretty small. Then we were on the Enchantment of the Seas and the MDR was fantastic- as well as the staff. The Odyssey had terrible crab cakes and the Enchantment had the best crab cakes I have ever eaten, and I live in Maryland. So same line, different ships = different food experiences.

❤As I woll be going on my first cruise in a few weeks I really appreciate this list! Thanks! For the short amount of time we will be there, there are so many choices for everything it seems overwhelming andnyour vlogs are so helpful! There is a sandwhich that you mentioned a few times but I could not figure out what you said...can you clarify? Looking forward to the culinary adventures on the seas!

I've never has a bad waiter in the MDR! Hoping it stays that way! I had NO idea the Solarium Bistro existed! I'll be looking for it on my next cruise!

I really love Sorrentos and the Dog Haus, they are usually our go to when we don’t want to go to the windjammer or MDR.

Fresh off a cruise on the Spectrum of the Seas which has Silver / Gold Dining and no Coastal Kitchen, i would say that Silver Dining which even Junior Suites get access to is considerably better than MDR. It has a smaller selection but everything is of higher quality, and the smaller crowd is wonderful.

We enjoy the MDR and Windjammer so much we hardly ever venture beyond them while on ship. I do like the pizza at Sorrento's too though if that is what one wants. I think we will try the Solarium this summer and maybe the Dog House.

I like the MDR too. And for breakfast you can ask for other things and I've created my own meal, like avocado. The WJ is the same food for each meal/every day and it gets old quick. The desserts are the best thing about WJ and bad because you usually have to deal with crowds, lines and seating issues.

I dunno, man, the brats at the Hot Dog house are super good. I do agree, though, I wish they had something more. They have small sides like cole slaw and stuff, but it screams for fries or onion rings or something to go with it.

I haven't been on a cruise B4 but would like the coastal kitchen, because it's designated to people who paid (extra) for a suite 🤑😏

Getting ready to go on my first cruise in over a dozen years and looking forward to seeing how things have changed. Esp Sorrentos. I ate it all the time on my past 2 cruises, and if it got even better, hell yeah 👍

I don’t know what people eat at home but the main dining room is 10 times better than what I’m eating.

The dog house was put in the dog house lmfaoooooooo 😂

Solarium Bistros brunch is amazing Love El Loco fresh especially after coming from an excursion and Sorrento’s is great when you’re drunk and hungry lol

Enjoyed watching this. The Solarium is where I would have lunch every day that it was opened. It also has very healthy food.

Loved the main dining room they were all great servers ❤

you cant go wrong with a hotdog! especially if you can get all the customization!

My personal favorite was the ice cream cone station.

Love the WINDJAMMER on embarkation day!!

solarium bistro is my fav spot for breakfast!

My wife, my daughter, and I put the main dining room towards the bottom. After our last cruise, we never go to them main dining room. It was a waste of time vs quality and amount of food. We always eat moderate meals (one or two a day) but the meal in the main dining room was tiny 😑

Im going on my first cruise and this video was great. Could you please do a video on Voyager of the Seas

Pretty accurate for me, I haven't had cafe 270, and I would probably put the doghouse a little higher, I really like hotdogs 😎. But everything you said is pretty spot on..... on Brilliance of the Seas, the Kimmelwick sandwich was in the Solarium, I had it everyday for lunch, so delicious!!

Lovely assortment of with the cruise offerings,,,,I appreciate for the budget cruiser you did this,,,at some time most of us are on an uber budget to get away or to add to number of getaways. It is superb to have many nice options in included fares. I have not been on Royal yet and look forward to it very much. I saw lots of fruit and bun or bread free and salad things one could do if dieting as well and you eat less calories so when hungry you are hungry and you can spread out bites all day on calorie watching time as well.

Im a waiter a Mexican food Restaurant. I walled right past El Loco Fresh straight to the ice cream machine..lol

Those roast beef sandwiches from park cafe are s tier

Amazing list! Really good advice!

Such a fun video! Please do this for all the ships!

Great list and a must view. A few of those while I know they exist I keep forgetting to go to them. I never think of the main dining room for breakfast/lunch. Going on a 14 night cruise this Oct and this will be something I'll keep in mind. I've found the solarium and cafe 270 are hidden gems as I've never seen them busy, then again they tend to be in locations you pass often

It would be nicer if the cruises had 3-4 distinct restaurants with unique cuisines included in the fare. If that makes the costs higher thats fine. Also more seafood options please specially bone in fish grilled to perfection. We are litterally in the ocean for most cruises but the fish variety is severly lacking in many cruises

Thanks Matt. Loved the comparisons.

My picks Top 5: 1 Coastal Kitchen 2 Solarium Bistro 3 Park Cafe’ 4 Main Dining Room 5 Windjammer

Onboard Spectrum, there's no solarium bistro, since this Quantum ultra class was specifically designed for Chinese market, they had Silver dining (for Sea, Sky, Star suite guests) at deck 14 right at solarium bistro (in other Quantum ships) and Gold dining (for sky and star suite guest) at deck 16 where the gym was supposed to be (in other Quantum ships), completely replaced Coastal kitchen. Silver dining were more or less like solarium bistro, a scaled down version of windjammers if you want somewhere less busy and quiet. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well, while gold dining is a traditional sit down dining, unfortunately the menu in gold dining didn't change at all, mostly Chinese "fine dining" dishes. I would personally rate Silver dining way to the top and gold at the bottom.