Fine dining is central to a Seabourn cruise, and the choices are diverse. For any meal, you dine when and with whom you like in the Restaurant dining room or the casual Veranda Café, an indoor/outdoor venue for buffet breakfast and lunch. In the evening, this venue becomes a second
restaurant, serving tasting menus and theme dinners by reservation. On sea days, lunch and some evenings feature alfresco dining at the Sky Bar Grill. Or one can dine en suite, choosing from the 24-hour cabin menu or the dining room menu, served course by course. Morning bouillon is
served in the Sky Bar, and afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches can be enjoyed in the Observation Lounge. Weather permitting, a lavish deck barbecue dinner is offered on one evening of the cruise. With Seabourn, the emphasis is on fresh ingredients, such as seafood, fruits, and vegetables, obtained in ports. Breads, pastries, and
ice cream are prepared onboard. Menus, changed daily and repeated on a 21-day cycle, are created by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer and offer three appetizers, two soups, two salads, five entrées, three desserts, cheese, and ice cream. Generally, dishes are innovative and sophisticated.
You will find a familiar fettuccine Alfredo, but you may be
tempted by seared reindeer or grilled marlin with strawberry and cilantro sauce. Vegetarian and lean specialties are available daily, as are classic steak, chicken, and fish.Menu entrées are cooked to order, and presentation is outstanding.Compatible wines are complimentary. Suggested wines are usually moderately priced; the wine list is more elaborate and offers attractive prices on rare and unusual wines bought as a package in advance. Wine is also available by the glass. Caviar available by request. The Restaurant is a pretty room dressed in pastels where tables are set with Porsgrund china, fine crystal, silverware, and fresh flowers.
Most tables seat four or six, but two, eight, and tens are available. Breakfast and lunch appeal most to those who prefer a quiet environment and full service. Dinner is a lavish, somewhat formal affair. One evening each week calls for black tie or optional dark suit, and for all but casual nights, dress suitable for fine dining in New York or Paris
is expected. Seabourn has expanded its passengers’ choices by offering a more casual dining alternative in Restaurant 2 in the Veranda Café on evenings when the suggested attire for the Restaurant is black tie. In 2006, Seabourn introduced two new dining options. The Sky Grill
was created by turning the Sky Bar area into an alfresco dining venue, complete with candlelight and table service for grilled steak and seafood, along with a great buffet. Sky Grill can accommodate about two dozen passengers and is available one or two nights of the cruise,depending on the weather. The other innovation is Tasting @ 2, when
the daytime casual restaurant is transformed nightly into a romantic yet casual evening spot for up to 50 passengers. The three tasting menus alternate with themed dinners such as Asian or Mediterranean cuisine, very different from those being served in the main restaurant. Service is unfailingly superb. In fact, service in the Restaurant is the best and most professional we have encountered on any cruise ship. Unlike on other cruise ships, singles are invited to join an officer’s table or one hosted by management or a social-staff member. An invitation
will be clipped to your door almost daily, and the mâitre d’ will seat singles with other guests, unless you indicate that you prefer to dine alone. At least once each cruise, a dinner dance is held in the Restaurant.
The informal, convivial atmosphere of the Veranda Café makes it the most popular choice for breakfast and lunch or for dinner after a long shore excursion. In the ships’ most recent refurbishing, the Café got fresh new decor and new contemporary menus. The lively cafe bustles with people and conversation indoors. Outside, tables are set under
protective awnings. In fair weather, the deck is one of the most delightful dining places anywhere. The breakfast buffet offers fruit, fresh breads, and pastries, smoked
fish, cheeses, and eggs, pancakes, and waffles made to order. The lunch buffet includes salads, made-to-order pasta, hot and cold seafood, chicken and meats, or grilled fish or meat on request. Hard to resist are the daily surprises: guacamole, an Asian buffet, or a cheese and dessert bar. The homemade ice cream is a passenger favorite. But these aren’t your ordinary self-service buffets. An army of attentive stewards take drink orders, assist you with your plate, and bring seconds.
Seabourn is continuing its highly appreciated Chef’s Circle, a guest chefs program that brings America’s most creative and celebrated chefs onboard, features their signature dishes in the Restaurant, and has them give cooking demonstrations during the cruise.
Unofficial Guide © 2009
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