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What’s cooking in onboard cuisine
A look at the newest trends in the evolving arena of cruise ship dining
This year's biggest culinary trend on cruise lines is not about what we're eating, but when we're eating. The flexible dining revolution has taken hold, forever changing the way hungry cruise travelers think about dinner. Since NCL introduced the concept of dining where you want, when you want, Princess and Holland America have followed suit with hybrid versions — passengers can choose to eat at an assigned table at a predetermined time, or they can sign up for a flexible dining plan and simply show up in the dining room within restaurant open hours.
This year, holdouts Royal Caribbean and Carnival are testing similar half-and-half programs on a few ships; Royal Caribbean has even announced plans to roll its new hybrid out fleetwide. Still, this trend toward anytime dining has divided the cruising public, causing plenty of debate and even some hostility. Traditional dining stalwarts groan and gripe about long waits and diminished service, while flexible enthusiasts celebrate the end of dining too early or too late (not to mention a new escape route from irritating dining companions).
The hullabaloo garnered by these simple restructurings just goes to show how much food is an integral part of the cruise experience. Cruise lines may have moved past the days of constant gorging at all-you-can-eat buffets and midnight smorgasbords, but many would-be passengers take dining options, quality and timing into account when choosing their next cruise. This focus on food ensures the cruise lines are constantly coming up with new restaurants, culinary events and menu options to keep their customers happy ... and well fed.
From onboard tandoor ovens to cooking classes in Slovenia, here's what's cooking this year in onboard cuisine.
The "trans fat is bad" revolution is now firmly entrenched on cruise ships. Crystal Cruises was the first to overhaul passenger menus to rid all dishes of the type of fat that results in higher levels of bad cholesterol (and a higher risk of coronary heart disease). Crystal's move has benefited more than just its passengers; crew galleys, too, have gone trans-fat-free, with a greater emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Crystal wasn't the only cruise line to ban trans fats. Royal Caribbean ships all feature trans-fat-free menus. A trans-fat-free cooking policy has also been implemented on two of MSC Cruises' ships: MSC Lirica and MSC Opera. And Carnival Cruise Lines, which began removing trans fats from cooking oils and salad dressings in 2005, took that program to the next level in 2007, finding trans-fat-free alternatives for pastries, buns, certain cheeses and dessert icings (cake mixes were already trans-fat-free).
Even before the trans fat revolution, healthful food had become and still is so important to cruise lines that new ships (and those older vessels undergoing refurbishments) feature light-fare cafes. Of particular note are the efforts of Celebrity; each of its Millennium-class ships has cafeteria style spa eateries and its Century, which underwent a massive re-do in 2006, unveiled a stand-alone spa restaurant. Even more comprehensive will be its new Solstice; that ship, due out in fall 2008, will feature spa cabins; in addition to a package of spa facilities, passengers will receive exclusive entry into a more formal version of the AquaSpa Cafe concept.
Costa gets credit, though, for fueling the spa cabin innovation; its Samsara Spas on its newest vessels — including Costa Concordia and Costa Serena — include formal spa restaurants, accessible to spa cabin residents. The concept is beginning to take hold in the industry; both Holland America, with Eurodam, and Celebrity, with Celebrity Solstice, have introduced some elements on new ships.
Most cruise lines incorporate healthful menu choices on all menus; Cunard's Queen Mary 2's Canyon Ranch choices are the best we've tried at sea. Royal Caribbean's Vitality program, introduced on Liberty of the Seas in 2007, not only includes healthy menu options (think natural ingredients and freshly prepared meals) but also better-for-you snacks, such as energy bars, protein shakes and green tea drinks.
The alternative restaurant trend continues to evolve onboard and is becoming more interesting. Carnival's variously named supper clubs, present on newer ships in the fleet, Celebrity Century's Murano (with its sleek 1940's ambience, and fantastic wine and food pairing menus) and the Crown Grill (a seafood and steak joint with an open kitchen) on both Crown Princess and Emerald Princess are among the most glamorous eateries, while Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean is the perennial winner of "most popular" for casual dining.
Ethnic food is also gaining a foothold in onboard dining — and we're not just talking about the usual French and Italian onboard restaurants. Holland America's new Eurodam sports a pan-Asian restaurant called Tamarind, with entrees like Shrimp Szechuan with Thai Basil and Red Curry Coconut Chicken. Carnival now has tandoor ovens on Carnival Freedom and Carnival Splendor, and offers a lunchtime Indian grill. Splendor, Freedom and Carnival Liberty also feature a Mongolian Wok station with made-to-order stir-fry. However, the long-time title holder in this category must be NCL's Teppanyaki — for putting on an exciting show while cooking yummy Japanese food.
Sushi bars have become almost ubitiquitous on cruise ships on lines ranging from Carnival to Crystal. Celebrity Century has that line's first ever designated sushi bar (adjacent to an Asian-themed seating area). Crystal Serenity offers the industry's most upscale sushi – world class master chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who launched Silk Road and The Sushi Bar there, will now expand the concept to Crystal Symphony.
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