Who Does Free Cruise Dining Best: Royal Caribbean, Carnival or Norwegian?

What's on Offer: As is standard on mainstream cruise ships, Carnival offers a main dining room (two per vessel) and a cruise buffet. On top of these venues, Carnival ships offer anywhere from four to 10 additional spots to grab a free bite, even if just at select times.

Many of these extra options are located near, yet separate from, the buffet. These include the Seafood Shack (on select ships) and Tandoor, the line's regularly lauded spot for Indian fare (found on four ships). Pizza Pirate (found on most of the line's ships) is usually near one of the pools rather than inside the buffet. Guy's Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina are the line's most popular alternative free eateries. Both are available on the majority of ships, with more scheduled to receive them during their upcoming dry docks. At Guy's Burger Joint, you'll find a selection of greasy yumminess (beef, pork and veggie burgers, and fries), while BlueIguana serves up tacos and burritos (the breakfast burritos get rave reviews) with a full toppings and salsa bar.

Five ships are treated to another Fieri-helmed eatery -- Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que, which serves up smoked meats in all shapes and sizes. (On Carnival Horizon, this venue is Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse and Brewhouse, which is bigger than those on the other ships and also includes a brewery.) All venues have set dining hours and are not open all day.

On select nights, cruisers on all ships can get a taste of menu items served at the line's for-fee restaurants -- as well as at free eateries either available on their ship or those located on other ships -- at the Taste Bar. Choices might include a chicken, avocado and lime tortilla soup (BlueIguana Cantina), Nonna's meatballs and ricotta bruschetta (Cucina del Capitano) or short rib croquettes and pumpkin bisque (Steakhouse), among others. While not enough for a full meal, the tasters make for excellent pre-dinner appetizers.

Ratings: Cruise Critic editors who have sailed and reviewed Carnival ships rate dining at an average of 3.8. (Dining ratings do not differentiate between free and for-fee venues.)

Read what other cruisers are saying in our Carnival cruise reviews.

Caveats: Several of the free venues onboard Carnival ships are not standalone eateries but counters where cruisers can grab a bite to eat elsewhere (the Taste Bar, for instance). Others, like the Mongolian Wok and Carnival Deli, are really just part of the buffet, even though Carnival brands them as separate entities.

What's on Offer: The first cruise line to offer an expanded selection of for-fee alternative restaurants, Norwegian Cruise Line is well known among cruise enthusiasts for its variety of dining venues -- including a handful of free eateries. Par for the mainstream cruise ship course are two free main dining rooms (three on the Breakaway- and Breakaway Plus-class ships) and the buffet, most of which are adjacent to complimentary outdoor grills. Beyond these, most Norwegian ships offer at least one or two additional venues from which cruisers can get free food items.

On the house, onboard most of the line's ships, is a 24-hour pub-style eatery called O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill (or The Local Bar & Grill on Norwegian Bliss, which boasts the same menu and design as O'Sheehan's). It offers a traditional breakfast menu in the morning and pub favorites like fish 'n' chips, chicken potpie, meatloaf, chicken fingers and burgers the rest of the day.

The remaining ships have different complimentary venues, such as the 50s-themed Cadillac Diner (Pride of America); Longbeard Bar (Norwegian Sky), which serves breakfast and lunch; and Las Ramblas Tapas Bar & Restaurant (Norwegian Sun), which serves a selection of hot and cold tapas items.

A number of Norwegian ships also have a free Asian dining venue onboard.

Ratings: Cruise Critic editors who have sailed and reviewed Norwegian Cruise Line ships rate dining at an average rating of 4.0.

Read what other cruisers are saying in our Norwegian member reviews.

Caveats: Despite being the two newest ship in the fleet, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Escape offer fewer free dining spots than the rest of their fleetmates, with no free Asian restaurant or outdoor grill by the buffet. Additionally, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Sea, originally a complimentary restaurant, is now a la carte.

What's on Offer: Unless you're sailing on one of Royal Caribbean's newest or largest ships (including Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas), you won't find a huge selection of free dining venues.

Like Carnival and Norwegian, ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet all feature one or more main dining rooms and an upper-deck buffet. Menus are the same in all dining rooms, and the buffet -- known as the Windjammer Cafe -- serves standard cruise buffet fare and includes a poolside grill. Both the buffet and grill have set hours and do not remain open all day.

Most of the ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet offer one to three additional venues from which cruisers can get free food items. Among these options are one or more of the following: a pizza place; Solarium cafe or bistro serving sandwiches and burgers; a deli-type venue serving sandwiches, soups and pastries; and a lunch- or dinner-only sushi spot.

Other options might include a hot dog counter and Vitality Spa Cafe for lighter fare. Symphony of the Seas has a ship-exclusive complimentary option -- El Loco Fresh, a colorful Mexican eatery located on the pool deck, open for breakfast, lunch and late-afternoon snacks. 

Ratings: Cruise Critic editors who have sailed and reviewed Royal Caribbean ships, rate the dining onboard at an average rating of 3.7.

Read what other cruisers are saying in our Royal Caribbean member reviews.

Caveats: Only a few ships in the fleet provide six complimentary dining venues or more, beyond the main dining rooms and buffet. Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas offer even more places (eight to 10, depending on the ship) to get free food, ranging from free breakfast at Johnny Rockets and a specialty hot dog at the Boardwalk Doghouse to yogurt in the spa and a chocolate croissant at Cafe Promenade. They also offer an additional free main dining room only for suite passengers. Similarly, Anthem of the Seas offers six additional spots to grab free food.

You'll find the most variety of complimentary dining on Carnival, with more than 75 percent of the fleet now offering Guy's Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina in addition to longtime favorites like the Pizza Pirate and Tandoor. The food quality is also some of the best we've had, when it comes to eating for free.

Royal Caribbean ships vary widely in the number of complimentary dining venues onboard, so choose your ship carefully if free food is important. Norwegian Cruise line is known for its many onboard restaurants, but the majority of them cost extra.