What should you know?

The breakfast and lunch buffets would be competitive with many Las Vegas resorts, and includes about as wide a variety of items as you’ll find anywhere. Breakfast includes everything from fruit, yogurt and oatmeal, to doughnuts, lox and custom-made omelets. Even cold cereal has options – besides the usual corn flakes and granola, there’s a “build your own” muesli bar where you can add ingredients ranging from brown sugar to exotic dried fruits. Don’t worry if you skipped dessert last night – you can get several at breakfast here. We haven’t asked, but we’d bet hard cash that the staff would make you filet mignon if you asked nicely.

Lunch is a similarly lavish spread, including everything from chicken tenders, sandwiches and hamburgers to salmon steaks and pasta. A big draw at lunch is the peel-and-eat shrimp bar, usually complimented with clams, oysters or crab legs.

Dinner entrees usually include chicken, fish, steak, and vegetarian options. We recommend Cabanas for dinner at sunset on longer cruises, as an alternative to dining a second time at one of the main restaurants.

What’s it like inside?

Cabanas is the largest restaurant on the Fantasy, taking up around a quarter of the space on all of Deck 11, including the entire aft section. A series of buffet tables forms a long U-shaped serving area around the inside of the restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating arranged around the buffet. The indoor seating is air-conditioned and includes floor-to-ceiling windows affording excellent ocean views. Outdoor seating is great on mornings when the ship is docking, since you’re sometimes able to watch the port come in to view. Large, colorful, tile murals line the walls and display ocean reefs populated with characters from Finding Nemo. Coffee, soft drinks, juices and water are served from dispensers placed at regular intervals throughout the restaurant.

What are the specialties?

Made-to-order omelets for breakfast; lunch seafood bar including oysters, clams, crab legs and peel-and-eat shrimp.