10 best cruise ships for foodies
A large draw of cruising is the variety of cuisine onboard. Sailing the world via cruise ship often means an endless array of food; however, the days of the cruise buffet being the only onboard food option are long gone as cruise lines up the ante with more specialty restaurants and interactive dining experiences at sea. Check out one of these 10 best cruise ships for foodies when it’s time to book your next cruise.
Celebrity Silhouette
Celebrity Cruises has raised the bar on dining with their ship, Celebrity Silhouette. The ship’s main dining room is two stories of modern opulence with excellent nightly dining choices. The real culinary fun, though, comes in the ship’s specialty restaurants. At Qsine, order from an interactive iPad menu. For dining al fresco, head to the Lawn Club Grill, where you can grill your own steak.
Oceania Marina
Renowned chef Jaques Pépin is the Executive Culinary Director for Oceania Cruises‘ luxurious ship Oceania Marina, which boasts a gorgeous specialty restaurant, Jacques, that serves superb French cuisine. The Oceania Marina also has a main dining room serving up multi-course meals each night, plus a wine-pairing restaurant: La Reserve by Wine Spectator.
Carnival Breeze
Carnival‘s brand new ship, Carnival Breeze, carries the cruise line’s branding of having “Fun Ships” straight to the cuisine. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri has created Guy’s Burger Joint for the ship, which serves up some of the best burgers at sea. Cruisers can also dine on Mexican fare at BlueIguana Cantina, nibble on BBQ ribs and more at Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ and dine with a la dolce vita flair on the Italian dishes at Cucina del Capitano.
Norwegian Epic
Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Vegas-inspired ship, Norwegian Epic, has over a dozen restaurants onboard serving up nearly every type of cuisine imaginable. Delight in the art of preparing food at Teppanyaki, where you’ll sit around a large Hibachi grill as a skilled chef slices, chops and cooks up your food right in front of you. Another dining highlight is the Moderno Churrascaria restaurant onboard, which serves tender barbecued meats that are carved tableside.
Silver Spirit
Luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises makes fine dining a priority on their Silver Spirit ship right down to the Lido deck. From top-of-the-line sushi served in the Seishin Restaurant and the destination’s regional specialties paired with the perfect wine at Le Champagne, the fine dining onboard Silver Spirit may have you never wanting to get off the ship.
Oasis of the Seas
It comes as no surprise that the World’s Largest Cruise Ship doesn’t skimp on dining. From Mexican-inspired fare in a laid-back setting at Rita’s Cantina to fine dining in the New York City inspired 150 Central Park, you have a wide range of options (25 to be exact) onboard Royal Caribbean‘s Oasis of the Seas to get your taste buds hopping.
Royal Princess
Princess Cruises‘ newest ship was christened by Duchess Kate Middleton, and the cuisine onboard is also fit for royalty. The specialty restaurants on the ship are especially pleasing to foodies. Sabatini’s serves up Italian dishes inspired by Tuscan recipes plus premium seafood. Crown Grill also specializes in custom-prepared seafood along with excellent cuts of steak cooked to order, and which are served up in an open, theater-style setting.
Holland America Volendam, Costa Victoria and Crystal Symphony
What do these three cruise ships have in common? They all sail around Asia. While many cruisers enjoy cruising due to the vast array of cuisine onboard, travelers to Asia often delight in the food that can be found in port. From the sizzling and spicy street food found in Bangkok to regional delicacies like chicken feet in China, an Asia cruise itinerary will introduce you to new tastes and dishes.
Whether you want to get dolled up for dinner or visit an onboard restaurant in your flip-flops, these 10 best cruise ships for foodies will have something just right for your cravings.
