Allure Of The Seas By Royal Caribbean
The largest of its Oasis-class ships, Royal Caribbeans Allure of the Seas is a great foodie pick both for its superb specialty restaurant 150 Central Park, and for its more casual dining spots. 150 Central Park offers prime seafood specialties, including lobster salads and crab cakes. Youll need to reserve a table and pay a little extra, but the exceptional menu is crafted by celeb chef Michael Schwartz, and definitely warrants a taste test.
If youre craving some simpler sustenance, head to the Boardwalk Dog House, Allures open-air hot dog stand. If youre feeling particularly peckish, you can sample a sausage from seven different styles, from German bratwurst to Sicilian sausage to Coney Island dog.
Best Premium Foodie Cruises
Fine dining, spacious staterooms, more inclusive fares – what could be better? While mainstream cruises may be the best value option on the cruise market and luxury cruises may be the cream of the crop when it comes to all-inclusive fares, the best premium cruises combine the best parts of both. Premium cruise lines typically offer smaller, more intimate cruise ships that focus on providing high-quality service, entertainment, enrichment, and yes, dining. While they do come with a heftier price tag, these cruise lines also include plenty of extras. Some may include a meal in a specialty or a la carte restaurant some may include an excursion on port days.
Of course, while bottled water may be included on many premium cruise lines, foodies and oenophiles should be advised that, like mainstream lines, investing in beverage packages in preparation for their premium cruise is a good idea.
Here are our top two picks for the best premium foodie cruise lines on the market and the accompanying best cruise ship restaurants.
Cruise Line With Best Food Maybe
Okay. Were convinced that Oceania offers some of the best cruises for food lovers perhaps even the best cruise for foodies?
So were ready to twirl chopsticks and use lobster forks on Oceania Cruises! How about you?
Oceania Cruises
Disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with Oceania Cruises and the SheSavvy Influence Network. All opinions , however, are our own.
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If Youre In The Mood For Fancy Feasting: The Main Dining Room
Maybe you want to treat your special someone to an elevated date night at sea. Or maybe youre celebrating a special occasion. Sometimes its just nice to take your family dinner to the next level and theres no better place onboard to do that than the Main Dining Room. The largest dining venue on most our cruises, the Main Dining Room delivers a traditional multi-course dinner experience in a beautiful upscale setting with a dedicated wait staff all included in your cruise fare. Dinner here is meant to be savored. The menu spotlights international dishes with several rotating options, and you can order as many of each as you like. Theres also a kids menu offering finger foods like burgers, pizza and chicken fingers. The recommended style of dress for dinner in the Main Dining Room is resort casual, so think sun-dresses, nice slacks, blouses and collared shirts. And on formal night, you can always dial it up a notch.
Best Burger: Carnival Breeze
Well be the first to admit: Carnivals cruise food hasnt always been the main draw of the line. But we also have to admit that Guys Burger Joint on Carnival Breeze is an amazing exception. The menu is built from five official burgers with a smattering of different toppings ranging from the traditional to the intense . However, you can also make your own custom burger at the toppings bar, and feel free to slather the included side of fries with whatever you like as well.
This super-casual eatery can usually be found by the pool, and we have it on good authority that the fries are best enjoyed al fresco. An added bonus for this spot is that Guys Burger Joint is totally free for all passengers.
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What Does The Cdc Say
CDC guidance calls for cruise ships to eliminate self-service dining, Caitlin Shockey, spokeswoman for the CDC, told USA TODAY.
Served buffets, though, are acceptable by CDC standards as long as social distancing standards can be upheld.
We still are learning about the virus, and fomites may play a role in transmission, she explained. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.
Because surfaces are still a risk, the cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces is an important practice, as is avoiding the sharing of items, like food.
She said the CDC gave cruise lines the same advice it gave shoreside dining facilities: buffets are a bad idea right now.
A self-service operation would be considered a high-risk practice as customers touch shared tongs and serving spoons and this could play a role in COVID transmission, Shockey said.
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Sterling Steakhouse Princess Cruises
Serving premium, grass-fed beef, Sterling Steakhouse is a popular choice for Princess cruisers. The cruise line bills the restaurant as a classic steakhouse experience with staple cuts like the New York Strip, Porterhouse, Rib-eye and Filet Mignon. The restaurant on board Princess Cruises shipsalso caters to surf and turf lovers with options like chilean sea bass and grilled tiger prawns. Just make sure you leave room for raspberry crème brulée!
Sterling Steakhouse | Photo: Princess Cruises
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From Crystal To Silversea These Cruise Lines Will Keep You From Ever Wanting To Go Ashore By Janice Wald Henderson
N ews Flash: Old-school cruise cuisine has been tossed overboard! The ship has sailed on cruise classics like veggies smothered in hollandaise and floating baked Alaskas. Top lines now partner with celeb chefs, iconic food magazines, and revered cooking schools. Shipboard chefs obsess over primo ingredients, sense of place , and the latest trends. Now, many at-sea restaurants are as cutting-edge and quality-driven as the crème de la crème on terra firma. Even shore excursions stoke gastronomic passionthink cooking with a countess in a Venetian palace. So next time you’re contemplating a bon voyage, consider these ships. You won’t want to go ashore.
Food Republic On Norwegian Cruise Line
Many cruise ships feature Asian, Mexican, and American inspired specialty restaurants. However, Food Republic on Norwegian Cruise Lines Breakaway and Breakaway-Plus class ships combines the best elements of various cooking styles from around the world into one unforgettable experience.
This fusion restaurant is a hidden gem. The best part is that this a la carte menu is now included in the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package. With the package, each individual can order up to 4 items. Depending on what you order, this should be enough for a couple to share the several small plates.
Food Republic pairs a worldly menu with a clean, modern ascetic that is very 21st century. Ordering via tableside iPads, you can place your order at your own pace. Among our favorite menu items are the kimchee fried rice, the firecracker shrimp, salt and pepper calamari, spicy Korean fried chicken, and the elote Mexicano.
Sushi lovers too will enjoy the selection of rolls, and the small sugar pump items are just the right amount of sweetness to complete your meal.
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Carnival Cruise Line’s Dining Experience
Carnival Cruise Line is famous for its fun atmosphere, including comedians and celebrities performing on stage for you each night. The food is also some of the best among cruises, with dishes like freshly made pasta, hand-carved prime rib, or lobster just waiting to be savored by your taste buds.
Carnival Cruise Line offers the following specialty restaurants in addition to their main dining experiences:
- Big Chicken Shaq has got all your chicken wants and needs covered at this coming soon dining option
- Blue Iguana Cantina At this Mexican restaurant, you can get fresh food and a festive atmosphere
- Carnival Kitchen Learn a new skill during dinner and enjoy the fruits of your labor
- Seaday Brunch This experience is just for breakfast and lunch, but it will leave you coming back every sea day
- Seafood Shack Everything under the sea is offered at this restaurant
- Steakhouse As you probably guessed, this restaurant offers premium meats cooked to perfection
It is well known that the Blue Iguana Cantina is a star among cruise lines and Carnivals dining experience. Stop in for a breakfast burrito, and do not forget to check out the salsa bar.
The Seafood Shack is not available on all ships, and it does come with an added cost, but it may be a great option for you if you enjoy seafood. However, the reviews overall were mediocre for the seafood offerings.
Manfredis On Viking Ocean Cruises
One of our favorite aspects of Viking Ocean cruises is the all-inclusive feel. This luxury cruise line includes all specialty restaurants as part of its cruise fare. While all of the dining on Viking is certainly a step above many mainstream cruise lines, our personal favorite is Manfredis Italian Restaurant. This restaurant is popular, so make sure you book a reservation pre-cruise.
Located on Deck 1 aft, this restaurant is simple yet elegant. The decor is warm and inviting with rich colors and wood tones. Keeping with the cruise lines theme of simple elegance, Manfredis offers just enough distinction to set itself apart from the main dining room and other restaurants on Viking ships.
Where the restaurant particularly shines is the food. Again, the focus is on simple, yet delicately crafted Italian classics. From the homemade bread basket to the flavorful seafood dishes such as calamari and fruti di mare, you might need more than one visit to sample it all. Each entree features perfectly paired fresh ingredients, with some of our standouts being the chicken parmesan, the rib-eye, the osso buco, as well as the homemade pasta.
Further, there is no better way to complete your dinner than a complimentary glass of limoncello and one of the traditional Italian desserts!
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Sea Day Brunch On Carnival Cruise Line
Most cruisers reserve the main dining room for its elegant multi-course dinner. We are known for eating a majority of our nighttime meals in the MDR with our dedicated waitstaff. Although, we often avoid the main dining room during the day. This was not the case on our Carnival Panorama cruise!
At least one sea day during your voyage on a fun ship, you need to enjoy a Sea Day Brunch in the main dining room. This inventive combination of foods is available on all Carnival Cruise Line ships. Breakfast lovers will want to savor the signature skillet cake or 12-hour french toast. For those looking for lunch, you can choose from a variety of salads, pastas, and the lines signature tower.
Or, you could opt for the steak and eggs featuring a filet mignon and fried eggs to get the best of both worlds!
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The all-inclusive Regent Seven Seas Cruises dining experience is hard to beat. No matter your craving, Regent offers high-end onboard dining for all palettes from its beautiful restaurants and poolside cafes to high-quality room service so you can kick back in the comfort of your own suite.
Regent’s Tuna & Avocado Salad is a fresh, delicious favorite aboard several ships.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises features several gastronomical experiences that are as diverse as they are delicious. Chartreuse is one such place – a fine dining French restaurant featuring both modern and classic French dishes. You can find Chartreuse on the Seven Seas Voyager, Seven Seas Mariner and the Seven Seas Explorer, dubbed The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built.
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Disney Cruise Line 453 / 5
Yes, kids can get chicken fingers and mac and cheese at just about every meal if they so choose. But theres no denying the service on Disney is unforgettable, even for the smallest travelers. After the first night, everyones drinks are waiting on the table when you arrive at dinner, with kids drinks in plastic, lidded cups bearing their names. Waiters entertain small travelers with magic tricks and call all the little girls onboard princess at all times. Made-to-order requests for picky eaters are met with the kind of can-do attitude we wish all cruise lines had. And did we mention that the main dining room changes each night? Passengers rotate through three dining rooms throughout the cruise, and best of all, your waitstaff rotates with you.
Best Restaurants:
Palo We consistently hear high praise for Palo, with passengers raving that its well-worth the $40 price tag. The northern Italian-inspired venue is named after the long poles that gondoliers use in Venice, and serves up authentic Italian cuisine in the evenings. Dont miss Palos brunch either, which is arguably more popular than dinner there. In addition to a short menu, brunch includes a buffet with choices such as a wide variety of fresh seafood, a selection of international cheeses, and assorted meats and pastries.
Fantastic service and menu! Comparable to Victoria and Alberts at the Grand Floridian! – ddsteuck
If Theres A Picky Eater In Your Party: Both
If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, dont worry both Windjammer and the Main Dining Room will help you find something delicious that works for you. The menu in the Main Dining Room is completely customizable to suit different tastes and needs you can request modifications on any dish that catches your eye, or even ask the chef to surprise you based on your preferences. On the other hand, Windjammer offers an extensive range of options from morning to night. At breakfast, youll find stations serving up everything from custom fluffy omelets to indulgent treats like muffins, pastries and sweet breads not to mention fresh fruit and just-pressed juices. At lunchtime, expect comfort food like burgers, sandwiches and salads, plus rotating international options like Asian stir-fry, Caribbean-inspired entrees, Indian specialties and more. Dinner serves up just as much delicious diversity, with carving stations, vegetarian spreads and a decadent assortment of deserts.
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Hour Free Room Service
Princess Cruises FREE room service is really worth noting. While many mainstream cruise lines have started charging a fee for room service, this is still included on a Princess Cruise.
In your cruise cabin, youll find a menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options. You can also order from your Ocean Medallion app right from your phone.
Pasta At Onda By Scarpetta
Norwegian Cruise Lines newest Italian restaurant is Onda by Scarpetta. This upscale specialty restaurant is home to some of the lines most savory dishes. For starters, you cant go wrong with the smooth burrata or the braised octopus. For entrees, my veal chop was well-prepared, but the sign of any good Italian restaurant is its pasta. All the pasta at Onda is made daily in-house, using only simple, natural ingredients. So, no matter what you choose, whether it is the the tagliatelle or the ravioli, it is bound to be full of flavor.
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Scenic Luxury Cruises And Tours
Scenic Luxury Cruises are, well, luxurious, as you could have probably guessed. They started out offering luxury river cruises but have since expanded into the ocean cruise market as well. For cruisers looking for a boutique hotels feel with the passing scenery and opportunities for exploring that only a cruise can offer, Scenic Luxury Cruises is the company to check out.
Providing one of the most glamorous cruise experiences available, it makes sense that the state-of-the-art vessels feature mouth-watering gourmet cuisine. Lets take a look at just a few of their onboard dining facilities:
- Crystal Dining: varied menu prepared by award-winning chefs
- Portobellos: upscale Italian restaurant in an intimate setting
- River Cafe: casual dining spot with lighter fare and healthy options
- Table La Rive: exclusive dining experience for Diamond Members
Usually, this is the section where wed list the available restaurants at an additional charge, but since everything in Scenic Luxury Cruises is included, that means that you already have access to all the fantastic dining experiences their ships have to offer.
This cruise line offers dine anytime, anywhere options and is one of the most flexible cruise lines when it comes to meals. Their chef will even prepare a picnic basket for you if youd like to enjoy a bite next time you visit the shorewhat other cruise lines do that?
Recap: What Foods Are Included On Princess Cruises
In this this post I shared food and restaurant options that are free or included on Princess Cruise ships. Beyond the main dining room and buffet, there are many great options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks!
The 24 hour International Cafe has something delicious to eat literally all day and night! Plus, dont forget to try the afternoon tea or British Pub Lunch.
In addition to the food options that are included, Princess has some amazing specialty restaurants and experiences that have an additional charge. These specialty dining options offer a more romantic experience, and are perfect for celebrating a special occasion.
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Royal Caribbean Anthem Of The Seas/quantum Of The Seas
Jennifer K./Yelp
Oceania Cruises often claim to have the best cuisine at sea , and with master chef Jacques Pépin as the lines executive culinary director, its hard to argue with them. And the best part? Oceania has open seating so guests can sit wherever and whenever they would like, and there are absolutely no dining surcharges at any restaurant on the ship. Period. Whether guests choose continental cuisine in the Grand Dining Room, Italian specialties at Toscana, steaks at the Polo Grill, French fare at Jacques, semi-private vintage wine and gourmet food pairings at Wine Spectator Magazines La Reserve, or any of the other dozen restaurants aboard , they can expect a top-notch experience without needing to bring their wallets or keycards except, of course, to get back into their staterooms, where theres also complimentary room service.