The Truth About the Food

Let’s face it. A big part of cruising is the food. The joy of eating what you want, when you want. No muss! No fuss! No cooking! No clean up!

But to get this privilege, we have to bend on quality. And settle for quantity instead. Some food for thought when next you dine on the mass market sea:

If you’re feeding an army, how good can it be? If you ever go on a galley tour, you’ll hear how many eggs cruisers consume, how many pounds of potatoes and all the rest. You can’t help but be impressed with the vast quantities of stuff we ingest. In short, when they’re cranking out so many meals, they’re not likely to lovingly and artfully prepare and plate your food.

Ready to load onto your main dining room salad

Forget medium well. Our waiter on Celebrity once told us we have two choices for our Beef Wellington: rare or well done. You can generally get accommodation for special health needs, but want food made to order? Go to a specialty restaurant.

They take shortcuts. Wouldn’t you, with thousands of hungry mouths to feed? On one galley tour, I witnessed a crew member emptying a bag of frozen fries into hot oil.

The galley tour on the Caribbean Princess had some surprises

Some of the best food is at the buffets. Since the main dining room has to cater to average tastes, the food can’t be too seasoned or spicy. What you end up with is bland. But since the buffet offers so many choices, they can include some really different stuff. I’ve had a few dishes that were so terrific on Royal Caribbean, I tried to recreate them (unsuccessfully) at home.

An eye-popping chocolate-lover's dream--in Harmony of the Seas' Windjammer buffet

Want fine dining? You’ll have to pay for it. We resisted the specialty restaurants for years. After all, we reasoned, we’re already paying to be fed in the cost of the cruise. But in the end, our hunger for better food forced us to open our wallets. And what we found is that not only is the food much better, but so is the service.

Melt-in-your-mouth squash soup at Harmony of the Seas' 150 Central Park

The little spot that could—and does. Think Oasis class’ Park Café. Celebrity’s Aqua Spa Café. Princess’ International Café. These alternatives deliver great bang for no extra bucks.

Goodies awaiting your appetite at Regal Princess' International Cafe

In the end, no matter whether we find ourselves served by waiters or serving ourselves, dining dressed up or dressed down, we’re going to be well fed. Few are the folks who can claim they lost weight on a cruise!

Photos by R James Photography

More on Unleashing Your Inner Artsy-Fartsy with a Camera and a Cruise Ship

Sea days are the best days. Not just for sleeping off a tropical drink around the pool, but also for getting crazy behind the lens.

Here are a few ideas for making your cruise ship your canvas:

That’s a great reflection. Mirrors on the wall, in elevators, encased in a frame—even on the ceiling—create different kinds of selfies.

Almost like being there. Some of the artwork—particularly large murals—lends itself to a great backdrop. It’ll really confuse your buddies when you pull up a photo of yourself in front of changing leaves or a sign of Route 66…when you’ve been in the Caribbean.

Route 66 via Harmony of the Seas

Funky framing. Partitions with holes, translucent glass artwork, windows fringed with “snow”—you never know where you’re going to find a new way to frame a photo.

 

Peering through the window of Regal Princess' Sabatini's 

Find the pattern. Sometimes, all you need is a chandelier or a pile of corks to create something unique.

 

Golden globes of the Regal Princess

A Chihuly chandelier on Celebrity's Constellation

The Emerald Princess' cork collection

Be in the moment. A dog washing the floor with his tongue, a bride waltzing around the atrium, two toddlers having an earnest chat, a sky blazing with color—these are just a few of those great-shot moments you can stumble on if you’re lucky. But you can make your own luck by having a camera with you as often as possible.

Enjoying dessert on Allure of the Seas

Being creative with the camera has a bunch of benefits—not only will it sharpen your eye and make you a better observer, but looking and laughing at those photos is a sure-fire time killer when you’re waiting for the curtain to go up in the ship’s theater.

As a Cruiser, Do You Know Your Rights?

If you don’t remember the Carnival Triumph engine fire and power loss in the Gulf of Mexico in February 2013, be glad.

It wasn’t one of the industry’s shining moments.

But it did have one positive outcome: in the wake of the event, the industry was spurred to create the Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights in May of that same year.

With its upcoming five year anniversary, it’s a good time to revisit the proclamation.

So, what is it exactly? 

It’s a set of standards for the cruise lines to ensure we are safe, comfortable and well cared for during our cruise.

It was created by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the trade association for the cruise industry. To continue to be part of CLIA, its more than 50 cruise line members had to pledge to abide by these standards.

In short, you’ll be pleased to know that Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are part of CLIA and are thus bound to comply.

They have agreed that you, as a cruiser, have the right:

To get off a docked ship if basic essentials such as food, water, restroom facilities and medical care can’t be provided onboard*

To access full-time, professional emergency medical attention while you’re on the ocean, until you can get it on land

For a ship that’s well trained in emergency and evacuation procedures

These relate to mechanical failure on board:

For a full refund for a trip cancelled, or partial refund for one ending early because of such a failure

For lodging if you have to get off the ship and stay overnight in an unscheduled port if a cruise ends early because of a mechanical failure

To get transportation to the port of disembarkation or your home city if the trip ends early for the same reason

Timely updates on itinerary changes due to mechanical failure

Needless to say, we all hope we don’t need to test out these rights on our cruise, but it’s comforting to know the lines have committed to adhering to them in case something does, indeed, go wrong.

Now, the cruise lines have some expectations of their own from us. Check back in two weeks as we take a look at the cruise contract. 

If you’re not sure what that is, it’s that long document with the tiny print that you electronically sign when you check in online. And if you’ve never read it, you’re not alone.

See you in two weeks!

*Subject to the ship’s concern for safety and port immigration requirements

Source: cruising.org

You’re Hungry. It’s Late. Where You Gonna Go?

It’s midnight—a whole three, four, five or more hours since you’ve last eaten. You’re itching to nosh again. So, where you gonna go?

One thing the ships know is food and you can count on them to keep you fed, no matter when you want to consume. Here’s a sample of what’s around way after the sun’s gone down*:

Princess

International Café. You can’t beat the International Café in the piazza, the hub of the Princess ships. It’s all it’s rumored to be—good variety, good quality, always open and ready to serve you. There are great sandwiches, quiches, salads and desserts. And did I mention, they’re all free?

The sandwiches are always changing in the International Cafe

Horizon Court. I’m adding Princess’ buffet to the list because it stays open long after the ones on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival close. Horizon Court serves full dinner up to 11 p.m. Which means you can eat in the main dining room at 6 and have a second dinner in Horizon Court at 10. Or a cookie or two.

 

A Regal spread

Room service: You can get free ‘round the clock chow delivered to your door, but note there’s a fee for some menu items.

Royal Caribbean

Promenade Café. Royal Caribbean’s café in the Promenade neighborhood is the place to go for free sandwiches and sweets when the restaurants have shuttered. The quality isn’t as good as the International Café, but what it loses in cuisine it gains in entertainment. Sit at a “sidewalk” table in the front and watch the cruise crowd go by. And it’s open 24/7.

 

Some of the free offerings at the Promenade Cafe 

Pizza for your pleasure.  Also along the Promenade is Sorrento’s, where you can get pizza by the slice—cheese, pepperoni, the style of the day or one custom made. That beer, though, will cost you extra. It’s open until 3 a.m., so you can grab a slice—and then breakfast just three and a half hours later at Windjammer.

Pizza and people watching on the Allure of the Seas

Room service:  There’s a service charge of $7.95 (and 18 percent tip) for any room service other than continental breakfast. RCI has upgraded their menu selections and it now includes items like hamburger, Philly cheesesteak and salmon. Available 24 hours.

Celebrity

The only free choice on Celebrity after the dinner hours is the Oceanview buffet, which has pizza, pasta and salad until midnight, and Café al Bacio with pastries and cookies, also to midnight.

Room service: Late night munchies off the menu will cost you a $4.95 fee. Any other time, it’s free.

Carnival

Pizza, pizza, who wants pizza? You can always be sure to find pizza on a Carni ship, as both Pizzeria Del Capitano and Pizza Pirate do them all day and night. You can finish off your off-hours meal with soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt on Lido deck, which runs as long as you do.

Room service: Room service from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. will cost on Carnival, with prices for menu items ranging from $2 to $6. Choices include grilled cheese, turkey wrap and brownies.

Musing’s Top Tip: Don’t like any of the late night options? Take back nibbles from the buffet and you can have just what you want, when you want it. The crew doesn’t mind—they even give you a frig to make it easier.

* Restaurants and hours vary by ship; verify with your onboard newsletter.

Against the Tide: The Case for Off-season Cruising

Years ago, while on a Celebrity Constellation cruise, we decided to visit the sales office to book the next one. As our appointment neared, I got a brilliant idea. Why not cruise the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and leverage my days off from work?

Then we met with the sales agent. Just so you know, he said, there’ll be about 500 children that week. Wow.

If you’re traveling with kids, this most likely wouldn’t be an issue. But if you’re not, you’d probably prefer to avoid this scenario.

So, after the sales guy burst my balloon, we began to discover the benefits of off-season Caribbean cruising.

What’s defined as “off-season”? The “in-season” is typically the winter months—December through March—when folks want to get away from the cold.

There are also other times, though, that can mirror the in-season, such as school vacations.

Thanks to the popularity of Caribbean cruising, you can now find trips year round and if you time it right, get just the experience that’s right for you.

Benefits of being a bit off

If you’re able to be flexible in when and where you go, you can:

Save moola. The difference between one month and the next—or even one week or the next—can mean a huge difference in cost. For example, booking a trip in the week between Christmas and New Year’s can be $1,000 per person more than that same trip another time of the year. Watch for cruise line promotions, which offer lower rates for harder-to-fill dates.

Get your pick of the litter. If you pick a downtime of year, you can be choosy when choosing your cabin. Want a bump-out balcony? The big one at the stern? The closest room to the elevator? You’re more likely to get it. Note that even off-season and off-weeks can sell out, so the earlier you book, the better your chances.

Snag an upgrade. The cruise lines get more generous when the ship’s not filled. We recently booked a balcony room on Princess for April and were upgraded to a mini-suite—for free.

 

You may just get an upgrade to a mini-suite for free on Princess

When to avoid

Hurricane season! This past year showed us in neon lights the risk of booking a cruise from June 1 through Nov. 30. It may be cheaper, but is the risk really worth it?

When school’s out. This is when a lot of parents need to cruise, so the rates tend to be higher. The tough part is figuring out when school is out, because spring and winter breaks vary. We’ve found, as a general rule of thumb, when you price compare trips, the cheaper the cruise, the less likely it will be school vacation time.

You might want to be conscious of college breaks too, as there are occasionally complaints on the cruisecritic.com boards from cruisers who had to contend with unruly college kids.

When to go

So, when’s the best time to cruise? Well, whenever you can, of course. But if you’re flexible, we’ve found these to be great times in general for more room choices and better prices: late November, the first half of December, April (not during Easter week) and May.

But whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, here’s the best part of all: you’re on a vacation and the vacation is on a cruise.

Musing’s Top Tip: Got a minute? Check out the new video series, “Musing’s In One Minute,” the best in Caribbean cruising in just 60-ish seconds. The first in the series features “Royal Caribbean’s Sea Day Secret.” Watch it here:

The Good Ship Lollipop

"It's a sweet trip to a candy shop"...
at Candy Beach on Allure of the Seas

“On the Good Ship Lollipop 
It’s a night trip into bed you hop 
And dream away 
On the Good Ship Lollipop.” 

– “The Good Ship Lollipop” by R. Whiting and S. Clare

When chocolates started disappearing from our pillows, was that the end of our candy on cruises?

Nah! Those little silver-coated bedtime treats may be gone, but there’s still “good & plenty” of sweets on your next Good Ship Lollipop.

Why, you many wonder, with all the food onboard, do we really need candy too?

Well, the kids want it. And sometimes, we do too. So, while our pillows no longer come sugar-coated, the cruise lines still find ways to deliver the goods:

Onboard shops

Princess: The Celebration shop on Regal and Royal Princess – Visibly planted in the atrium, the store’s shelves are lined with boxes of creamy Norman Love chocolates and Godiva. Some are in just-for-cruisers packaging and make great gifts.

"Happy landing on a chocolate bar"...on the Regal Princess

Royal Caribbean (RCI): Candy Beach Sweets – The Boardwalk neighborhood shop on Oasis class ships is chock-full of penny-candy-ish and carnival-style colorful sweets.

 

"On the sunny beach of Peppermint Bay"...on Allure of the Seas

Disney: Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats – The Disney Dream features a dessert shop with gelato, baked treats, chocolate lollipops and other confections.

The convenience stores

Craving a Snickers? A bag of Gummy Bears? You might just find one in the convenience store shop. You know which one I mean—where all the shirts have the ship’s logo and the first aid cream is twice what it costs at Walgreens.

The buffets

Celebrity’s Oceanview Café buffet is legendary for its ice cream bar, where you can get several flavor choices, with M&Ms and other goodies to top off your scoop. In fact, according to Cruise Critic, you can hold the ice cream completely and just get a cup ‘o candy.

"See the sugar roll do the tootsie roll"...in Celebrity's Oceanview Cafe

Our last trip on RCI’s Allure of the Seas surprised us with a chocolate breakfast bar in the Windjammer, complete with chocolate fountain and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Sweets in a package

RCI, Princess and Disney all feature celebration packages* you can order online to enjoy onboard to celebrate an event, a romance or add something special to your trip. Here’s just a sampling of what they offer:

Princess

Anniversary package – Dinner for two at a specialty restaurant, champagne, framed photo, roses and a box of Norman Love chocolates.

“Kid’s Party Package” – Stanley the Stowaway Bear, inflatable Princess ship and a pack of Gummy Bears.

Royal Caribbean

“Decadent Romance Package – Champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, Belgian truffle collection and a bouquet of roses.

Disney

“Romance for 2” – Two Disney Cruise Line robes, a bottle of sparkling wine, a box of chocolate and a rose.

“Ahoy Matey” – Edible dark chocolate treasure chest filled with candy coins, an edible Mickey pirate head, chocolate bark treasure map and more.

Still not convinced that cruising and candy go together like chocolate and peanut butter? Consider this: the new Symphony of the Seas will not only still feature the Boardwalk candy store, but like the ship itself, it will be bigger than ever.

* Not available on all ships

Making the Next Time Feel Like the First Time

There’s just nothing like the first time. That thrill, that excitement, that joy at discovering something new.

You may have felt it during your first cruise; I know I did. But I also know there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy your second cruise as much as your first. Or your 5th as much as your 15th.

The secret? Doing something really different the next time around. Here are just a few ideas for rekindling that first-time feeling:

Try another line. While one line can feel much like another (after all, there’s a view of the sea and they feed you), there really are differences. You can ride a carousel on Royal Caribbean. Watch a movie under the stars and a blanket on Princess. Cook along with the chefs on Holland America.

Recapturing childhood joy on the Oasis

Jump ship. Going from small to big or the other way around can change things up if you’re married to one line. While Royal’s Navigator of the Seas at 139,500 tons is no row boat, Oasis of the Seas at 225,200 is a whole other class by itself.

Room for a change. Always get an inside room? Spring for a balcony. Pick off-season (e.g., not January-March) and a less popular itinerary (e.g., Western Caribbean), and you can get one at a great price. We’ve picked some trips on Princess just so we could afford a mini-suite.

Venture out. After many Caribbean cruises, we got out of our comfort zone (and our shorts) and took one to Alaska for an experience unlike any other. Or, look for Caribbean itineraries that go off the beaten path. We took one of Celebrity Constellation’s rare trips to St. Barts and got a sneak peek of the famous French chic, amazingly hilly, yacht-choked island. See the posting “Off Course and Worth It.”

 

Tough to find parking for your car--or your yacht--in St. Barts

Don’t or do an excursion. Always sign up for one? Wander around town next time. Always roam the port? Parasail, tour the island or cook up a Caribbean lunch for a change.

Dine differently. After years of set seating, we finally tried my-time style. And never turned back. On an upcoming cruise, we’re doing a five-night specialty package for the first time. Stay tuned for how that goes.

Drink it up. Whether you’re a big drinker or not, will get your money’s worth or not, you should try a drink package at least once. It was a throw-in on our recent Princess trip, and it was a blast trying some new drink each day, getting cappuccinos when we felt like it and ending the night with liqueur—and all without a thought about cost. Or who was going to get us home.

Experience this. You might try some shipboard activity you’ve never done—from climbing the walls on Royal, doing the pricey but unique Captain’s Dinner or grabbing the mike at karaoke. It will probably be the one thing you remember most about your cruise.

Take a camera. I don’t mean a smartphone; I mean a real camera. One that lets you get in close from really far away. Shoot the jugglers in low light. Take in the lights around the pool at night. With a camera, you can be creative. And there’s so much to capture inside and outside the ship. It’s particularly great for those lazy days at sea. See “Unleashing Your Inner Artsy-Fartsy” for ideas and photos.

 

We needed a Panasonic GX7 to get this shot on the Caribbean Princess

An excuse for a cruise. Whether it’s over a national holiday or your personal celebration, it’s a great excuse to splurge while onboard. Buy a box of divine chocolates. Make a reservation at a specialty restaurant. Do a couples massage. Throw a party. Don a tiara. Make it special and make it memorable.

 

Norman Love chocolates and more on the Regal Princess for your personal celebration

Bring along friends or family. Perhaps nothing changes the cruise experience more than changing who you’re with. Maybe you’ll finally get that “I’ll-never-be-caught-dead-on-a-ship” person you know to actually take the plunge. And here’s a new experience to look forward to: telling him (or her) “I told you so.”

Getting to 100 and How Cruising Keeps Surprising

Welcome to a milestone. This is post number 100, born from 20 cruises, 14 ships over 10 years on 4 different lines. Number of Caribbean islands? Too many to count

Musing About Cruising started the day the old Pacific Princess—otherwise known as the “Love

Boat”—in August 2013, made its final voyage—to that dry dock in the sky.

While my old Saturday night companion didn’t do much to get me cruising, once I started many decades later, I looked back at the show through different eyes.

And what’s kept me embarkation-bound over the last decade is cruising’s ability to keep surprising:

In the beginning

The magnificent midnight buffet. Alas, it’s been gone quite a while now, but what a show! Celebrity’s Constellation filled the main dining room with rows and rows of eye candy. Ice sculptures and vegetable carvings everywhere! Breads made into villages! Candy made into chess sets! Elaborate cakes and pastries by the many dozens! It was so spectacular that they let us in early just to take photos.

Feast for the eyes at midnight--gone but not forgotten

Black tie waiters and stellar stewards. On our first cruise, the room steward ran down the hallway just to open the stateroom door for us. The formally dressed waiters did napkin tricks and told us stories of their native lands.

Then later on

Chicago, Cats, the ice and aqua shows. When our infatuation with Celebrity wore off and we itched

to try other lines, we gave our nightlife to Royal Caribbean. Broadway shows, ice dancing and high diving—all for no cost and with the best seats in the house.

Ice and delight on the Navigator of the Seas

Off course, but oh, so worth it. We dabbled in some new ports not found on many itineraries and discovered some real gems. The “B” in the ABCs—the pristine Bonaire with its blue glass-like waters; the sleepy and lovely St. Croix; the chic hilly yacht and beautiful-people mecca of St. Barts—all held new wonder.

 

Laid back and lovely is the Virgin Island of St. Croix

A Northerly course. While we cringed at the idea of a cruise where we couldn’t wear shorts, the otherworldly landscape and quaint frontier towns of Alaska more than made up for it. The eerie silence, ice chunk-filled waters and frozen walls of Glacier Bay; the heavy fog looming over the mountain tops; the crisp and piercing clean air that penetrated our down coats—these memories will remain with us always.

The icy waters of Glacier Bay from the balcony of the Golden Princess 

And then there’s now

Making Diamond Club. Getting to Royal Caribbean’s Diamond Club was quite a thrill. The best loyalty club of the mass market lines gives us unlimited free drinks during their extended happy hour. White wine under the white lights in Allure’s nearly deserted Central Park at night has become a cruise highlight.

 

Central Park under the lights

Surging wave of technology—From the robotic bars of Anthem and Harmony of the Seas, to the touch screen room finders on Royal Caribbean ships, to Princess’ shipboard smart phone app that makes walkie-talkies obsolete, the ships are, thankfully, at last, wholeheartedly embracing the digital age. Even the customs folks are getting into the act with the newly launched passport app.

Just a bit more

Then there’s finding a new port that was better than you expected, like the gorgeous calm beaches and spectacular foliage of Carnival’s own Mahogany Bay in Roatan…or doing something new at ports you’ve been to, like picking up paintings for a song in Royal Caribbean’s Labadee…or watching ports grow and change, like the ever-lively Philipsburg, St. Maarten, with its new modern waterfront area with a nostalgic Dutch-style automat.

Mahogany Bay--Carnival's paradise for day

What’s coming next

In the past 10 years, I’ve not run out of things to share, guide and amuse on the world of Caribbean cruising…and the topics just seem to keep floating to the surface.

So, if you promise to keep on reading, you can be sure I’ll keep on writing.