For those of you wondering, no, I don’t normally get to eat the food the guests eat. Not without paying extra money anyway. We usually get a good variety of foods as there are two messes. The crew mess usually has more international dishes from India and the Philippines as they are the most represented nationalities on any of our ships as well as Caribbean dishes like goat curry and boiled bananas. Don’t bother asking what a boiled banana tastes like. I’ve yet to be adventerous enough to try it. The staff mess tends to do more western style food. It isn’t terrible food, but it definitely doesn’t have to be on the same standard as what the guests get served. The quality of our food varies depending on the head chef and any of the senior staff that chooses to dine in the crew and staff messes. So the quality is not guaranteed. On the Explorer, one of the captains actually made a point to visit the staff mess and try a little of all the food to ensure the quality and temperatures were good. Not all ships are so lucky.

I do miss having the options of Johnny Rockets on the ship, but my wallet and my waistline are thankful. The nice thing about the Johnny Rockets is that on the ships I was on, it was all you can eat for a fixed price. My usual order ended up being a Rocket Double, an order of onion rings, and chili. I know. Not the healthiest of options, but it was so good. We do have an Asian restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and a steakhouse onboard. While we do have to pay extra and it can be expensive, it is well worth the cost as an extra treat for us crew members.