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 Anyone determined to eat around the clock could do so aboard many ships, but the weight-conscious should excercise restraint, especially at self-service buffets
The message to remember is this: generally speaking, as in most restaurants on land, you get what you pay for. High-quality food ingredients cost money, so it’s pointless expecting low-cost cruises to offer anything other than low-cost food. It’s not that the cruise lines don’t try. They know that you will spend more time eating on board than doing anything else, so their intention is to cater as well as they can to your palate while keeping the cruise price competitive. They even boast about their food, but the reality is that meals aboard most ships are not gourmet affairs. How could they be when a kitchen has to turn out hundreds of meals at the same time? Most of the cuisine compares favorably with “banquet” food in a family restaurant – in other words, often tasteless. What you will find, therefore, is a good selection of palatable, pleasing, and complete meals served in comfortable surroundings. Maybe you will even dine by candlelight, which at least creates some atmosphere. Menus are typically displayed outside the dining room each day so that you can preview each meal. Menus are delivered to suites. Fresh versus frozen Aboard low-priced cruises, you will typically be served portion-controlled frozen food that has been reheated. Fresh fish and the best cuts of meats cost the cruise lines more, and that cost is reflected in the cruise price. Aboard some ships, the “fresh” fish – often described as “Catch of the Day” ( but which day?) – has clearly had no contact with the sea for quite some time. Sushi bars are the latest fad but, in 90% of cases, fish used in sushi (with rice) is cooked, and raw (sashimi-style, without rice) fish is not available, as storage and preparation facilities are inadequate. The only ships with authentic sushi bars and authentic sushi/ sashimi are Asuka II, Crystal Serenity, MSC Musica and MSC Poesia. Note also that many items of “fresh” fruit may have been treated with 1-MCP (methylcyclopropene) to make them last longer – apples, for example, may be up to a year old. Bread and pastry Most bread baked aboard cruise ships is unappealing because, with little time for fermentation of natural yeast , it is made instead with instant dough that contains dried yeast from packets. Many baked goods and pastry items will be made mostly from refined flours and sugars A typical day From morning till night, food is offered to the point of overkill, even aboard the most modest cruise ship. Aboard the large resort ships, pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs, ice-cream and frozen yoghurt are almost always available. If you’re still hungry, there’s 24-hour room service - which aboard some large resort ships , may cost extra. Some ships also have extra-charge cafés and patisseries.If you prefer to eat at set times rather than graze, these are the options: 6am: hot coffee and tea on deck for early risers (or late-to-bed types). Full breakfast: typically with as many as 60 different items, in the main dining room. For a more casual meal, you can serve yourself buffet-style at an indoor/outdoor deck café, although the choice may be more restricted. Lunchtime: with service in the dining room, buffet-style at a casual café, or at a separate grill for hot dogs and hamburgers, and a pizzeria, where you can watch the c ooking. 4pm: Afternoon tea, in the British tradition, complete with finger sandwiches and scones. This may be served in a main lounge to the accompaniment of live music (it may even be a “tea-dance”) or recorded classical music. Dinner: the main event of the evening, and apart from the casualness of the first and last nights, it is generally formal in style. Light Bites: sometimes served in public rooms late at night. These have mostly replaced the traditional midnight buffet. Gala Midnight Buffet: It’s almost extinct, but if there is one, it is usually held on the penultimate evening of a cruise when the chefs pull out all the stops. It features a grand, colorful spread, with much intricate decoration that can take up to 48 hours to prepare. Seating arrangments Open Seating - you can sit at any available table, with whomever you wish, at any time within dining room opening hours – just like going out to a restaurant ashore. You'll probably have a different waiter each time, because you'll be seated in different locations, so the attraction of your waiter learning your likes and dislikes is missing. Unless you are with your own family or group of friends, you will be seated next to strangers. It is the responsibility of the restaurant manager – who is also known as the maître d’hôtel – to seat you with compatible fellow passengers. If a reservation has been arranged prior to boarding, you will find a table assignment/seating card in your cabin when you embark. If not, make your reservation with the restaurant manager or one of his assistants as soon as you embark. Tables for two are a rarity; most tables seat four, six, or eight. It is a good idea to ask in advance to be seated at a larger table, because if you are a couple seated at a table for four and you don’t get along with your table partners, there is no one else to talk to. And remember, if the ship is full, it may be difficult to change tables once the cruise has started. Depending on the size of the ship, it may have one, two or four seatings: Single Seating doesn't mean seating for single passengers. It means you can choose when you wish to eat (within dining room hours) but have the same table assigned for the cruise. Two Seatings: you are assigned (or choose) one of two seatings, early or late. Typical meal times for two-seating ships are: Breakfast: 6.30am–8.30am; Lunch: 12 noon–1.30pm; Dinner: 6.30pm–8.30pm. Some ships operate two seatings for all meals and some just for dinner. Dinner hours may vary when the ship is in port to allow for the timing of shore excursions. Ships that operate in Europe and the Mediterranean or in South America may have later meal times. Some ships operate a mix of open seating (dine when you want) or fixed dining times, for greater flexibility. The Captain’s table The captain usually occupies a large table in or near the center of the dining room on “formal” nights, although this tradition is disappearing. The table seats eight or more people picked from the passenger or “commend” list by the hotel manager. If you are invited to the captain’s table, it is gracious to accept, and you will have the chance to ask all the questions you like about shipboard life. Alternative Dining Extra-cost “alternative” restaurants were pioneered by RMS Queen Mary in 1936 and introduced in modern times by NCL in 1988 and Crystal Cruises in 1990. Now the large resort ships, never reluctant to embrace an additional source of revenue, have joined the trend, offering their customers an escape from the huge, noisy main dining rooms with their singing , table-dancing waiters who know little about food. These specialist restaurants are typically smaller, a la carte venues where you must make a reservation, and pay an extra charge of between $6 and $30 a person. In return, you get better food, wines, service and ambience. The costs can soon add up, just as when you dine out ashore. As an example, take David's Supper Club aboard Carnival Pride. The food is good and the ambience is modestly refined. But a couple having two glasses of decent wine each can, with the cover charge, easily end up paying over $100 for dinner. 10 Recommended Alternative Restaurants 1. L'Enoteca - MSC Orchestra 2. Le Champagne - Silver Shadow 3. Le Cordon Bleu - Seven Seas Voyager 4. The Sushi Bar - Crystal Serenity 5. Olympic Restaurant - Celebrity Millennium 6. Oriental Restaurant - Europa 7. Palo's - Disney Wonder 8. Regent Seven Seas Cruises - Prime 7 9. Teppanyaki Grill - Norwegian Pearl 10. Umihiko - Asuka II
Molecular gatronomy The term invented in 1992 by physicist Nicholas Kurti, signals food's collision with science. Molecular cuisine was first introduced to cruising by Italy's Emilio Bocchia in the extra-cost restaurants aboard some of Costa Cruises' ships. To provide it, you'll need blast chillers, a Pacojet (a machine that can turn everyday ingredients into ice cream)., liquid nitrogen, thickening gums (such as algin and xantham), malic acid and flame retardants (such as gellan). You'll also need a qualification in molecular engineering. The end result is rather like a plate of colourful toy portions of 'food foam'. It can look pretty, and is reassuringly expensive, but it still tastes like foam food. In the world of molecular gastronomy, bacon can be made to taste like melon. Britain's Heston Blumenthal became famous for his snail icecream. This type of cooking is, in the most literal sense, a matter of taste. Special needs Cruise lines tend to cater to general tastes. If you are allergic to any kind of ingredients (such as nuts or shellfish), do let the cruise line know in writing well ahead of time and, once on board, check with the restaurant manager. Vegetarians should make sure that soups are not made with a chicken stock, as many so-called “vegetarian” soups are. Menus are typically displayed outside the dining room each day so that you can preview each meal. Menus are delivered to suites. Plate service versus silver service PLATE SERVICE: When the food is presented as a complete dish, it is as the chef wants it to look. In most cruise ships, “plate service” is now the norm. It works well and means that most people seated at a table will be served at the same time and can eat together, rather than let their food become cold. SILVER SERVICE: When the component parts are brought to the table separately, so that the diner, not the chef, can choose what goes on the plate and in what proportion. Silver service is best when there is plenty of time, and is rare aboard today’s ships. What some cruise lines class as silver service is actually silver service of vegetables only, with the main item, whether it is fish, fowl, or meat, already on the plate. Self-serve buffets Most ships have self-serve buffets for breakfast and luncheon (some also for dinner), one of the effects of discounted fares and dumbing down – and fewer staff are needed. Strangely, passengers don’t seem to mind lining up for self-service food (reminiscent of school lunches and army canteens). But while buffets look fine when they are fresh, they don’t after a few minutes of passengers helping themselves. And, one soon learns, otherwise sweet little old ladies can become ruthlessly competitive at opening time. Passengers should not have to play guessing games when it comes to food, but many cruise lines forget to put labels on food items; this slows down any buffet line. Labels on salad dressings, sauces, and cheeses would be particularly useful. What’s not good is that if you ask anyone behind the self-serve buffet counters what kind of apples are in the fruit bowl they haven’t a clue, “red” or “green” being the usual answer (red apples, for example, could be Braeburn, Egremont Russet, Gala, Pink Lady, Starking Delicious, or Worcester Pearmain). Staff should know – but seldom do – the most basic details about food on display. Healthy eating It’s easy to gain weight when cruising – but not inevitable. In fact, taking a cruise could well be a reason to get serious about your well-being. Weight-conscious passengers should exercise self-restraint, particularly at the self-service buffets. The same rule applies as on dry land: eat slowly and chew well. Many ships' menus include 'heart-healthy' or 'lean and light' options, with calorie-filled sauces replaced by so-called 'spa' cuisine. It may also be wise to choose grilled or poached fish (salmon or sea bass, for examle), rather than heavy meat dishes or chicken - which is typically loaded with hormones and antibiotics - or fried food items. If you have a sensitive stomach, avoid the self-serve buffets. If you must use them (some cruise lines close their main dining rooms for lunch, leaving you with little choice), salads are a wise choice. Fruit and vegetables: Quality and variety are directly linked to the per-passenger budget set by each cruise line and are dictated by suppliers, regions and seasons. Companies operating large resort ships buy fruit at the lowest price, which can translate to unripe bananas, tasteless grapes, and hard-as-nails plums. The smaller, more upscale ships usually carry better-quality ripe fruits as well as the more expensive varieties such as dragon fruit, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, cactus pear, guava, kumquat, loquat, passion fruit, persimmon, physalis (Cape gooseberry), rambutan and sharon fruit. Some cruise lines are also putting a greater empphasis on fresh vegetables, whole grains and organic food. As well as being healthier, eating fruit regularly checks hunger pangs and so delays the need for heavier fare. If you take fruit from the buffet to your cabin it would be wise to wash it because it may have been sprayed with pesticides and fungicides. Exercise: There are plenty of opportunities for excercise, either in the spa or gym, on the jogging track often found above the main swimming pool deck, or by signing up for active shore excursions involving biking, hiking or river-rafting. Also to encourage good digestion, forget about the elevator and take to the stairs - they can be a remarkably easy way to shed pounds while on vacation, you'll skip those tedious lines for the elevator on large resort ships at peak times, and you'll feel fitter too. DID YOU KNOW .... * that most of the major cruise liens have replaces champagne with sparkling wine for the captain's welcome aboard cocktail party? * that the liner America in 1938 was the first ship to have an alternative restaurant open separately from the dining saloons? It was called the Ritz Carlton. * that the first a la carte restaurant aboard a passenger ship was in the German ship America of 1905? * that Tui Cruises' Mein Schiff is the only ship with an espresso coffee machine in every cabin? * that a whole country in Iowa raise all its beef cattle for sale to Carnival Cruise Lines? National differences Most cruise lines feature mainly American-style cuisine, or cuisine that is often described as international, while more European-style cuisine is typically provided aboard the ships of European cruise lines (examples: Cunard Line, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Hebridean International Cruises, P&O Cruises and Tui Cruises). Note that beef, lamb and pork cuts are different on both sides of the Atlantic, so what you ordered may not be quite the cut, shape or size you thought it was going to be. For example, there are 15 British cuts of beef, 17 American cuts, and 24 French cuts. There are 6 American cuts of lamb, 8 British cuts, and 9 French cuts. There are 8 American cuts of pork, 10 British cuts, and 17 French cuts. While American passengers typically like iced water, or a jug of iced tea at lunch, most European passengers don’t like ice in their water, and few drink iced tea. If you care about cutlery, note that only a few cruise lines with large resort ships provide the correct, specially shaped fish knives, or the correct soup spoons (oval for thin bouillon-style soups and round for creamy soups). Dining room and kitchen staff Celebrity chefs make the headlines, but it’s the executive chef who plans the menus, orders the food, organizes his staff, and arranges all the meals on the menus. He makes sure that menus are not repeated, even on long cruises. On some cruises, he works with guest chefs from restaurants ashore to offer tastes of regional cuisine. He may also purchase fish, seafood, fruit, and various other local produce in “wayside” ports and incorporate them into the menu with a “special of the day” announcement. The Restaurant Manager – also known as the Maître d’Hôtel and not to be confused with the ship’s Hotel Manager – is an experienced host, with shrewd perceptions about compatibility. It is his responsibility to seat you with compatible fellow passengers. If a reservation has been arranged prior to boarding, you will find a table assignment or seating card in your cabin when you embark. If not, make your reservation with the restaurant manager or one of his assistants immediately after you embark. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the dining room operation, the sooner you tell someone the better. Don’t wait until the cruise is over to send a scathing letter to the cruise line – it’s too late then to do anything positive. The best waiters are those trained in European hotels or catering schools. They provide fine service and quickly learn your likes and dislikes. They normally work aboard the best ships, where dignified professionalism is expected and living conditions are good. Many lines contract the running and staffing of dining rooms to a specialist maritime catering organization. Ships that cruise far from their home country find that professional catering companies do a good job. However, ships that control their own catering staff and food often try very hard for good quality. Hygiene standards Galley equipment is in almost constant use, and regular inspections and maintenance help detect potential problems. There is continual cleaning of equipment, utensils, bulkheads, floors, and hands. Cruise ships sailing from or visiting US ports are subject to in-port sanitation inspections. These are voluntary, not mandatory inspections, based on 42 inspection items, undertaken by the United States Public Health (USPH) Department of Health and Human Services, under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control. The cruise line pays for each ship inspection. A similar process takes place in Britain under the Port Health Authority, which has even more stringent guidelines and requirements. A tour of the galley proves to be a highlight for some passengers, when a ship’s insurance company permits. A video of Behind the Scenes, for use on in-cabin television, may be provided instead. In accordance with international standards, all potable water brought on board, or produced by distillation aboard cruise ships, should contain a free chlorine or bromine residual equal to or greater than 0.2 ppm (parts per million). This is why drinking water served in dining rooms often tastes of chlorine. Smoking/nonsmoking areas Most ships now have totally nonsmoking dining rooms, while some still provide smoking (cigarettes only, not cigars or pipes) and nonsmoking sections. Those wishing to sit in a no-smoking area should tell the restaurant manager when reserving a table. At open seating breakfasts and luncheons in the dining room or at a casual self-serve buffet venue, it is sometimes possible that smokers and nonsmokers may be seated close together.
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publications 2010
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by potter, maidstone (14 Feb 09 14:21)
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Very informative as my daughter has an eating problem and needs to eat away from strangers
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