What you get to eat onboard is a spectacular bonus, often underplayed in the brochures or the day-dreaming before that vacation-of-a-lifetime starts.

Yet it's all about cruise eating! All aboard for a spectacular ocean-bound foodies' extravaganza!

Cruise eating is the jewel in the crown of on-board enjoyment, with sumptuous, round-the-clock food from all-you-can-eat breakfasts, through lazy lunches and bejewelled dinners, to early hours snacks in the moonlight. Not forgetting the availability of as many snacking experiences in-between that you can think of.

If you haven't cruised before, you need to get ready for this onslaught on your taste-buds and be prepared either to be very disciplined indeed or be fully prepared to let your belt out a notch or two. Be prepared for eating to be more a gastronomic experience than a necessity!

These days, pretty well all of the cruise lines operating throught the multitude of destinations over the world, take incredible care to show off the best of cuisine. Cruise eating has become an art-form with no possibilities being excluded!

It's an opportunity to amaze, astound and sear into the memory, culinary delights that guests may never have experienced before in their lives - and might never again, unless they want to come back. You see the quality and quantity of food on offer is unbelievable!

Worldwide, culinary experience has shifted in the last 10 years. We are much more multi-cultural in our eating experience every day, so to maximize the impact, cruise eating has had to shift up a gear (or two, or three!) as well.

Yet it's not all about wondering how many posh frocks you need to take with you in your trunk. Cruise lines have been listening hard to their clients as well. So now you will be able to find a cruise eating experience that you want.

From easy buffets to themed restaurants, still for casual dining; to the expected formal dinners and on some cruise lines, there are the upgraded exclusive restaurants that the more priviledged frequent.

You see nowadays, cruise lines offer a wide range of restaurants, bars, bistros and snacketerias where guests can enjoy and try out food from across the globe, from traditional western dining, through Sushi bars to Indian delicacies. If you choose carefully, you will find every possible combination on offer.

For the ultimate, choose one of the few cruise lines that will teach you how to choose a great wine or even cook for yourself. Such 'experiential' vacations are perfectly suited to cruising and will, after all, ensure that you have the cruise eating experience that you personally deserve, especially if you are eating your own creation!

It's about attracting clients who want a certain experience. For example, affluent retirees will usually have different tastes to those of families. Singles might enjoy different cruise eating choices than honeymooners.

So choose your cruise line carefully and have the cruise eating experience that you want.