And yet, some of the best food experiences at sea are already included in your fare.

After years of sailing on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and other premium lines, I’ve learned a simple truth: You don’t have to spend extra to eat and drink well. You just have to know how the system works.

Here are five proven food hacks cruises don’t want you to know.

1. Order more than one entrée. Or three.

In the main dining room, you can almost always order multiple appetizers, entrées, and desserts. Want the steak and the salmon? Done. Torn between chocolate cake and cheesecake? Get both.

Cruise dining is one of the last places in America where abundance is baked into the business model.

Now, some cruise lines have started charging for more than two entrées in the main dining room. But appetizers and desserts are typically unlimited. The key is to ask politely and order intentionally. Smaller portions of multiple dishes often beat one oversized plate anyway.

Think of it as a tasting menu you design yourself.

2. The free drinks are better than you think.

Yes, beverage packages get all the marketing love. But the included drinks can be pretty great if you get creative.

Water is free and your best friend at sea. Staying hydrated improves everything — energy, digestion, mood. Coffee is included in most dining areas. So is hot cocoa. Basic juices, too.

Now here’s where it gets fun. Pack flavored water packets and turn that standard-issue H2O into tropical bliss. Add a shot of hot coffee to a cup of complimentary soft-serve ice cream and you’ve got a makeshift affogato that feels downright bougie. Mix lemonade with iced tea for an Arnold Palmer. Bring a reusable bottle and create your own “spa water” with sliced fruit from the buffet.

You don’t need a drink package to feel fancy.

3. Ask for hidden menus.

Cruise ships offer more variety than what’s printed on the main menu.

Vegetarian and vegan menus often exist but aren’t prominently displayed. Kids’ menus can be ordered by adults and sometimes even include comfort-food gems. Pop-up restaurants may appear on select sea days, brunch menus sometimes replace standard breakfast fare, and afternoon tea may happen once or twice per sailing. On many ships, themed lunches or late-night snacks aren’t heavily advertised either.

Don’t see something you like? Ask the staff to whip up something with the ingredients you want, such as a different pasta sauce or side pairing. After all, cruise kitchens are massive operations capable of feeding thousands. Within reason, they can customize more than you think.

The best dishes at sea are sometimes hiding in plain sight.

4. Pack snacks to go.

This one feels rebellious, but it’s perfectly acceptable.

Heading out for a shore excursion? The buffet is your friend. Cereal boxes, small sandwiches, burritos, whole fruit, cookies, folded pizza slices, and bagels all travel well. Most cruise lines allow you to take food off the ship for personal consumption, though fresh items may be restricted in certain ports due to agricultural rules.

The point isn’t to hoard. It’s to prepare. After all, excursion and disembarkation days can be long, and port food isn’t always convenient or affordable.

Having a simple snack in your daypack keeps you energized and can be the difference between a great afternoon and a cranky one.

5. Take advantage of free in-room dining.

Room service isn’t always free anymore. Some lines charge delivery fees or per-item pricing. But many still offer complimentary continental breakfast.

Fruit. Pastries. Yogurt. Coffee. Juice.

There’s something deeply civilized about eating on your balcony while the ocean rolls by. Ordering breakfast to your room also buys you time. Time to wake up slowly. Time to avoid buffet crowds. Time to enjoy the quiet before the day ramps up.

If you’ve already paid for the cruise, you might as well enjoy every inch of it — including free breakfast in your cabin.

To be fair, cruise ships don’t actually want you to miss out on good food. But they do want you to believe the best bites cost extra. (They don’t.)

With a little curiosity and a willingness to ask, you can eat abundantly, creatively, and memorably — all without spending another dime. And that, my friends, tastes even better than chocolate lava cake.

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah, with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.