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