 |
|
|
 Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | May 2006 
Cruisine: Options Abound for Dining at Sea
 Luisa Frey Gaynor - USA Today
| | Trellis dining on the Celebrity Infinity. |
Cruising and dining have always gone hand-in-hand. But while cuisine is still one of the main focuses on most large cruise ships, gone are the days of limited, fattening food choices. In fact, it's goodbye midnight buffets – with their connotations of excess and overindulgence – hello sushi, salad bars, and appetizing light entrees. Sure, you could still pack on a few pounds during a cruise, but you now have lots of options that are light and healthy, yet gourmet.
Choice is the big buzz word these days when it comes to "cruisine." This applies not only to the varied cuisine types but also to when and where passengers can dine. Most major cruise lines now offer numerous options in addition to the traditional two seatings in the main dining rooms, including alternative, upscale restaurants, casual buffets in the dining room and room service. Note that alternative specialty restaurants usually charge a flat fee ($20 to $25 range per person) to cover tips for the waiters, etc. and reservations should be made soon after embarkation.
Here's a rundown of the food and wine offerings on the major cruise lines:
ABERCROMBIE & KENT
A & K's informal dining room fosters camaraderie between passengers and naturalists. Even though A & K's ships are small, the line's wine list is large, with over 100 choices. www.abercrombiekent.com
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
Carnival recently announced a new alliance with renowned French master chef Georges Blanc, who operates six highly acclaimed restaurants in France. He has created Georges Blanc Signature Selections for all Carnival ships and provided training to the line's master chefs. Another popular dining feature is the reservations-only supper club, available only on Carnival's eight Spirit and Conquest-class ships. And if you like the wine you try on board, Carnival has launched a new mail-order wine club, with bottles selected by Carnival President Bob Dickinson delivered directly to your home.www.carnival.com
CELEBRITY CRUISES
While Celebrity Cruises' alternative restaurants on its Millennium-class ships resemble a classic liner, the cruise line also embraces innovation: Celebrity was the first line to offer pizza delivered right to passengers' staterooms. Another unique "cruisine" feature is Gourmet Bites, which are carried around the ship by waiters in the wee hours instead of fattening midnight buffets. www.celebrity.com
CLIPPER CRUISE LINE
Clipper Cruise Line's fleet of small ships offers extensive regional foods and drinks based on the ship's destination. This includes excursions that introduce local delicacies such as sipping traditional tea while in England and visiting vineyards in Portugal. www.clippercruise.com
COSTA CRUISES
Costa ships celebrate Italian cuisine, with its Trattoria Italiana specialty restaurants operated by some of the most famous Italian chefs such as Marchesi and Zeffirino. At Costa's Notte Mediterranea, passengers receive a passport and must secure stamps from various lounges representing Mediterranean countries to show that they've sampled the international cuisine. www.costacruises.com
CRYSTAL CRUISES
Once again this year, Crystal Cruises is featuring a Food and Wine Festival aboard 12 cruises. During these voyages, cooking demonstrations, gala dinners and wine tastings are offered by top name sommeliers and chefs. All Crystal departures also offer Wine Makers Dinners whereby ten to 14 guests can pay extra for gourmet menus and four to eight unique wines. www.crystalcruises.com
DELTA QUEEN STEAMBOAT CO.
Delta Queen's steamboats emphasize regional American cuisine found along the waterways they ply. For example, if your cruise explores the Heartland, you'll find Memphis ribs on the menu, or along the lower Mississippi, Bayou stuffed catfish is sure to be offered. www.deltaqueen.com
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Disney Cruise Line is known for its unique rotation dining program whereby passengers sample different restaurants nightly and their waiters move along with them. Some other unique Disney dining features include character breakfasts for kids and tea with Wendy from Peter Pan. For adults only, there is the upscale Palo specialty restaurant. www.disneycruise.com
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
As part of its Signature of Excellence program, all Holland America ships now have Culinary Arts Centers. These state-of-the-art show kitchens offer specialty chefs on over 60 cruises throughout 2006 as well as food-related activities for kids. All ships also have a Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurant featuring Northwest cuisine and steaks. www.hollandamerica.com
MSC CRUISES
Since MSC Cruises' roots are in Italy, the company offers Italian specialties on all sailings, as well as exotic "breads of the day" at dinner. The line's newest addition, MSC Musica, has a variety of dining experiences ranging from a sushi bar, complete with Zen garden, to a wine tasting bar and even kosher wines. www.msccruises.com
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its "Freestyle Dining" whereby passengers can dine where and when they want. A new feature is plasma screens in lounges so that guests can see how long of a wait there is at all the various restaurants. The line's alliance with Cooking Light magazine allows it to offer low-calorie yet tempting dishes while former White House chef Henry Haller has created a "President's Menu" of dishes fit for dignitaries. www.ncl.com
PRINCESS CRUISES
Princess Cruises' "Anytime Dining" allows a lot of flexibility in times and venues for dinner. The Crown Princess, which debuts in June, has three new venues that allow passengers to watch artisan chefs while they dine: Vines wine and seafood bar, Crown Grill steakhouse, and the International Café which boasts an Italian street café atmosphere in a piazza-style atrium. www.princess.com
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Regent Seven Seas was the first line to introduce permanent Le Cordon Bleu restaurants at sea. RSSC's Navigator has an Italian restaurant complete with singing Italian waiters, while the Voyager and Mariner serve Indochine cuisine. Additionally, the line offers complimentary pouring wines along with extensive wines for purchase. www.rssc.com
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
Most (but not all) of Royal Caribbean's ships have alternative dining rooms for dinner, including Portofino Italian restaurant or Chops Grille. The Voyager class ships have 1950s-inspired Johnny Rockets, complete with dancing servers, as well as Café Promenade which serves pizza, sandwiches and sweets 24 hours daily. www.royalcaribbean.com
SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
Seabourn pours a selection of wines for free at dinner while also featuring Vintage Seabourn, which allows passengers to pre-purchase specialty wines. The line just launched a new restaurant on its ships called "2" which pairs two complementary dishes in each of six courses. In addition, during afternoon tea service, guests can now choose from loose, rare teas from around the world. www.seabourn.com
SILVERSEA CRUISES
Silversea Cruises recently revamped its specialty restaurants into Relais & Chateaux wine-themed restaurants where the focus is on upscale vintages. Food is then designed to complement the wine, instead of the other way around. Guests can enjoy rare and costly wines while only paying the normal nominal fee to dine in the restaurant. www.silversea.com |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us