Cruise ship dining - reviews and articles

The days are past when the only thing to do on a cruise was eat. However, when you tell people you have been on a cruise, one of the most frequent questions is “How was the food?” Thus, dining is still an important part of the cruise experience. In addition, cruise ships have so many dining options these days that it is helpful to have some guidance on what all the dining venues on the ships are about. Accordingly, this week focuses on dining on three of the ships that we have been covering recently.

First, there are three restaurant reviews. We have the fine dining experience of the Murano Restaurant on Celebrity Century. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-review-Murano.html Then we have the sophisticated but informal Cagney’s Steakhouse on Norwegian Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Cagneys-Review.html Finally, there is the family style Italian restaurant Giovanni’s Table on Allure of the Seas. http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-review-Giovannis.html

All three restaurants are quite different experiences. My hope is that these reviews will not only inform you about the specific experiences I encountered but that they will also provide an indication of the range of dining experiences that one can have on a ship.

Speaking of the range of options that one has on a ship, we have two new dining guides. Food and Beverage Director Ivo Belev provides commentary on the many different dining venues that guests have to chose from on Norwegian Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-dining.html Along the same lines, Executive Chef Claudio De Carlo discusses dining on Celebrity Century. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Chef.html (Our guide to dining on Allure of the Seas with Food and Beverage Director Joao Mendoca was published earlier and is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-art-FB.html ).

Celebrity Century - Profile, Photo Tour and Interviews

When you speak to the officers of Celebrity Century about their ship, invariably one hears phrases such as a “ship with a soul” or the “ship has a great heart.” What they are referring to is an atmosphere aboard the Century that makes one feel that traveling on this ship is special.

Century is smaller than most major cruise ships. She did not start out that way. When she entered service, she was one of the largest cruise ships in operation. However, over time, cruise ships have become bigger and bigger and so Century has become relatively more intimate. Moreover, the layout of her public rooms somehow adds to this feeling of intimacy. The major rooms flow very well together so there is a feeling that nothing is very far away.

Century’s age also plays a part. She is now 15 years old and while that is less than middle age for a ship, there is a feeling that this ship is tried and true. People have been enjoying her for years. There is no doubt that this ship works.

Overlaid on this is the fact that Celebrity spent $55 million to revitalize the ship in 2006. This included the addition of a fine dining specialty restaurant and numerous balcony cabins. The ship also got a makeover of her public spaces and existing cabins which somehow managed to preserve her pre-existing sophistication.

Century also lends herself well to the modern Celebrity product. Her facilities allow her to present most of the Celebrity Life activities that one encounters on the larger Celebrity ships. In addition, the typical Celebrity passenger appreciates her large contemporary art collection, the elegance of her wood-paneled Michael’s Club, the grandeur of her main dining room as well as quality of her culinary options.

Beyondships’ profile of Celebrity Century is at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Profile.html The photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Tour-1.html
In addition, we have interviews with her hotel director Jan Willem Kuipers http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-HD.html
and her cruise director. Sue Denning. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-CD.html

Norwegian Gem - - Profile, Photos and Interviews

Norwegian Gem has certainly matured in the less than four years since she entered service in late 2007. Gone is the “It Girl” hype that surrounded her launch. In its place is a very solid cruise experience at a reasonable price.

The first thing that I noticed about the Gem when I sailed on her recently was how happy the crew seemed to be. Everyone was friendly and seemed to enjoy going about their work. Both Gem’s captain Roger Gustavsen and her Hotel Director Steve Jacobsen confided to me that ensuring that the crew is happy is a top priority. A happy crew makes for happy guests. They clearly seemed to be right.

Another thing that was underscored during my cruise on Gem was just how good the ship is technologically. Gem cruises out of New York in the winter. For many years, the common wisdom was that the sea conditions off the East Coast of the United States were just too difficult for a cruise ship in the winter. NCL proved the common wisdom wrong when it based Norwegian Dawn in New York year round in the early years of this century. The Gem, which was built by the same shipyard as the Dawn and which is a more advanced design had no difficulty.

Gem gave another example of her abilities while we were in the Bahamas. The itinerary called for the ship to go overnight from NCL’s private island Great Stirrup Cay to Nassau on New Providence island - - not a great distance. The plan had been for the ship to drift slowly overnight from one island to the next. However, a medical emergency arose and Captain Gustavsen put the Gem up to full speed. In the public rooms, one could not feel a thing. However, standing on the outdoor promenade, one could see the water whipping by. The ship can do more than 26 knots. Gem arrived in Nassau at 11 that night rather than her scheduled time of eight the next morning.

Several guests mentioned to me during the cruise, how impressed they were with the food on the Gem. This was not just in the specialty restaurants but also in the complimentary venues as well. More about the food on the Gem in a subsequent posting.
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NCL has two ships based in New York. However, I could detect no rivalry between them. While Gem’s officers were able to articulate why their product was better than other cruise lines ships, they said the experience was just the same on the Jewel.

Beyondships’ profile of the Gem has been updated and expanded with new daily programs, new menus and other new information about the Gem. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Profile.html The photo tour of the ship has also been expanded with many new photos of the ship’s interior. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Tour-1.html There is also a new photo essay with new exterior photos of Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Photos-Bahamas.html Finally, there are interviews with Captain Gustavsen http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-captain.html and Hotel Director Jacobsen. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-interview-HD.html

Holland America's Westerdam - - Profile and Photo Tour

Holland America’s Westerdam exudes a feeling of quiet elegance. The ship is not ornate. The basic interior design is contemporary like the top executive offices at the headquarters of a large corporation. The lighting is soft, the walls are un-detailed but covered in nice materials. What makes it interesting is the use of museum quality art work to populate the spaces. They often do not immediately catch the eye but upon closer inspection there is much to discover about them.

This type of atmosphere appeals to the typical Holland America guest. They are worldly and usually experienced travelers. They want subtle sophistication. The ship is a relaxing refuge as they go about exploring but still one that offers intellectual and cultural stimulation.

Westerdam is one of four Vista class ships in the HAL fleet. At over 80,000 gross tons, she is one of the biggest ships that HAL owns. However, she is not as large as many ships being built today. Thus, she has space for all of the features that one would expect from a modern ship but still has an intimate feel.

Beyondship’s profile page for the Westerdam is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Westerdam.html and the multi-page photo tour begins at. http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Westerdam-Tour1.html

While I was on the Westerdam, I spoke with the Hotel Manger Marcella Himmelreich and asked her about what makes a cruise on the Westerdam a premium cruise experience. Our conversation is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Westerdam-Article-HM.html