Cyrano de Bergerac Dining

The dining room, done up in blues and whites, is located on the middle deck. It can seat all passengers at once at tables of four, six or eight, with seating assigned at the beginning of the cruise. There's nowhere else to eat, although afternoon tea and canapes do appear in the lounge every day. The ship does not offer room service.

Food is exceptionally tasty, particularly given the low price of the voyage. Breakfast is a buffet comprising cheese, cold cuts, yogurts, fruit, pastries and a couple of hot dishes (scrambled eggs and bacon). For lunch and dinner, a set, three-course menu offers a couple of starters, a choice of two or three mains and a dessert. We enjoyed some excellent soups and salads for starters, while mains were pretty meat-focused; beef, veal and lamb all appear on the menu with imaginative sauces and dainty portions of vegetables. We requested vegetarian meals and were delighted to receive dishes like puff pastry filled with mushrooms -- a far cry from the France of yesteryear, when vegetarians were offered omelets and fries as "gourmet" meals. One criticism would be that there wasn't much choice on the menu, but our group included several picky eaters and the chefs tried hard to accommodate their requests.

There's a choice of red or white wine, both of which are decent and generously poured. Soft drinks and beer are included in the cruise fare, too.

Service is generally willing and efficient, although not all the serving staff speak fluent English. Passengers with strong accents might need to be patient and speak slowly.