Reserve your Royal Caribbean Europe cruise between April 2 – 15, 2012 on any select departure with Cruise Holidays and enjoy free balcony upgrades and great international air deals.
PLUS Crown & Anchor Society Members can receive 10% off shore excursions and earn up to $125 in onboard credit if you bring along family and friends!
Take a tour of the Jewel of the Seas courtesy of cruisenow.com.
Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas offers the ultimate “at sea” experience by combining speed, added comfort, greater space, sweeping ocean vistas and an exceptional staff committed to serving your every whim. Among her spectacular features are the ten-story glass-constructed Centrum, glass elevators facing the sea, and the highest percentage of outside cabins in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Your Fun on a Carnival cruise vacation starts with your savings with Cruise Holidays. Book early and save up to 20 percent. Plus if the price of the cruise drops, then your price will drop too – guaranteed!
Receive up to 20% savings on: 3-5 day cruises when you book 3 months prior to the sail date, or 6+ day cruises when you book 5 months prior to the sail date.
Here is a quick HD look around the Carnival Triumph.
The Great Cities of the World is the theme for Carnival Triumph, one of the largest ships in Carnival’s world-renowned fleet. As her guest, you’ll experience an exciting cosmopolitan atmosphere combined with the incomparable fun you can only find on Carnival. This sun-loving ship has an outdoor entertainment area that’s three football fields long. So Carnival Triumph fun ship has lots of space to give you four pools, seven whirlpools, a 214-foot spiral waterslide, shaded bars, entertainment stages and huge areas for sunning, dancing and outdoor dining.
Take a virtual tour of the enhanced dining experience coming to the new Royal Princess cruise ship. Arriving June 2013, the new Royal Princess features an evolutionary design that builds on all the features that passengers have grown to enjoy onboard the current Princess Cruises fleet.
Cruise travel experts from Cruise Holidays have utilized their epicurean expertise in selecting the top 10 specialty restaurants aboard cruise ships. Cruise Holidays consultants reflected on their own cruise experiences – as well as their clients’ feedback – to select their three favorites. An impressive 39% of respondents selected The Pinnacle Grill on Holland America Line as their favorite cruise line specialty restaurant. Tamarind, also by Holland America Line, took second place in winning the hearts of 31% of the respondents, and Celebrity Cruises’ Murano placed third, picked by 21% of respondents. There were 44 specialty restaurants to choose from across 13 major cruise lines.
The list of the top ten specialty restaurants aboard cruise ships, as selected by Cruise Holidays cruise consultants, includes:
Although Holland America Line took the top two honors, Celebrity Cruises can boast having four of its specialty restaurants in the top ten. Three restaurants from Royal Caribbean International made the list, and Disney Cruise Line cast one of its restaurants in the top ten.
Cruise Holidays agents were able to use any criteria they desired to select the best specialty restaurants. For the purposes of this poll, a specialty restaurant is one that is separate from the main cruise ship dining room and buffet; each may or may not entail a cover charge.
“The exhaustive list of restaurants – nearly four dozen – demonstrates the growing trend in alternative dining options available to cruisers. Because Cruise Holidays agents routinely board ships either to accompany groups of clients or to inspect the latest onboard offerings, they are in the position to guide travelers who are in search of a special type of unique dining experience but aren’t sure where to find it,” said Mark Schiffner, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cruise Holidays.
About the Top 3
The Pinnacle Grill – Holland America Line
The Pinnacle Grill, available fleet-wide, is known for creative and innovative menus, with Sterling Silver Beef®, fresh sustainable seafood and an extensive wine list serving as its cornerstones. A typical meal might begin with poached lobster with haricots verts and citrus, or butternut squash soup with huckleberries, include a main course of seared Alaskan black cod, and finish with crème brûlée “Le Cirque.” Also, on virtually every voyage, The Pinnacle Grill transforms for at least one night into a Le Cirque-like atmosphere, thanks to a partnership with the illustrious Le Cirque restaurant.
Tamarind – Holland America Line
Tamarind offers Pan-Asian fare and is only available on board Holland America Line’s Signature-class ships, ms Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam. Tamarind offers a lunch time Dim Sum menu that includes everything from classic steamed dumplings to shrimp shu mai. Its exotic dinner menus offer selections like snapper baked in rice paper, Penang red curry coconut chicken, and wasabi and soy crusted beef tenderloin served on an oak plank.
Murano – Celebrity Cruises
Murano transports its guests through palate and décor to an Italian piazza. Samples from the menu include a pan seared filet mignon prepared tableside, or Crispy Loup De Mer, featuring roasted artichoke, eggplant caviar, kalamata olive puree, sun dried tomato pesto and balsamic reduction. Murano is available on Celebrity Eclipse, Solstice, Century, Silhouette and Equinox.
A growing number of cruise lines have enlisted top culinary experts to lead and expand their gastronomic offerings. James Beard Award nominees and winners, or other internationally renowned chefs, are increasingly at the helm of these impressive epicurean teams.
Cruise Complexity Lends Itself to Travel Agent Usage
“It’s a cruising myth that dining aboard cruise ships consists of one endless buffet and one large, fancy dining room. The reality is that cruise ship dining has become a tantalizing way for cruise lines to strategically differentiate themselves. Because of this, a travel agent who specializes in cruises can help clients navigate through the myriad of options,” said Schiffner.
For continuing cruise trends information, go to www.shericlarke.com.
Prefer port stops? Dreading sea days? Check out 10 ways to avoid boredom onboard with this article from Cruise Critic.
On your next cruise, consider dining at the “Chef’s Table” – it’s a delightful, delicious experience.
What is the chef’s table? It usually takes place at an evening meal, with a small group of guests seated at an exclusive table. Expect to enjoy multiple courses of gourmet dishes that aren’t available on the ship’s usual menus; thoughtful wine pairings with each course; a visit from the chef; and, perhaps, a tour of the galley.
Guests at the chef’s table on a Princess Cruises’ ship enjoy a Champagne and hors d’oeuvres reception with the executive chef, followed by a galley tour at the height of dinner preparations. After being seated at an exclusive table in the ship’s dining room, the group (limited to 10 guests) enjoys a multi-course menu that may include the creative use of fresh ingredients from the day’s port of call. The chef rejoins the group during dessert to discuss the fine points of the meal.
On Carnival ships, the chef’s table is limited to 12 guests. Depending on the ship, the meal may take place in an intimate, non-dining venue, such as the ship’s library or inside the galley itself. The evening begins with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a tour of the galley in full operating mode. The group then dines on special appetizers, entrées and desserts.
Norwegian Cruise Line introduced a fleet-wide chef’s table program in March 2012. The experience begins with a Champagne reception, where guests can mingle with the ship’s executive chef as well as the food and beverage director, restaurant manager, assistant maitre d’ and head wine steward. The executive chef remains with the 12 guests throughout the meal, describing the ingredients and techniques used to produce each of the nine courses.
While chef’s table programs require an extra fee, they are very popular and reservations fill quickly. Most cruise lines take on-board reservations only, so make your reservation as soon after you board the ship as possible.
For more information about ships with a chef’s table program, email me at sclarke@cruiseholidays.com.
