As 2020 begins, cruisers have new culinary options from contemporary cruise lines. Most notably, Carnival Cruise Lines’ new Carnival Panorama, sailing roundtrip from its home port in Long Beach, CA, has debuted the brand’s first Carnival Kitchen.
Fifteen separate culinary classes — everything from a “Carnival classics” workshop class with dinner to an Asian cooking class with dinner, a pasta master class, cake workshop, sushi rolling and more — are offered. One-hour and two-hour morning, afternoon and early evening sessions (for $30 to $59 per person) are available mostly on sea days.
Each class can accommodate up to 18 guests at a time. Cruisers learn to prepare dishes at nine marbled-granite cooking and prep stations; they have cooktops, sinks and refrigerators, as well as electronic tablets displaying recipes. Pre-measured ingredients save time and move the classes along.
As class participants enter Carnival Kitchen, they’ll encounter a long, elegant table; it’s set up for those taking classes that include dinner. A large, wall-mounted, flat-screen TV is available for instructional / entertainment use. A humongous cabinet between the dining area and the cooking stations also houses pots, pans, cooking utensils and other culinary items that class participants may need.
Carnival Kitchen is located in the Deck 4 aft space (occupied by Club O2 on other Vista-class ships); Club O2 has been relocated. Cooking class reservations can be made pre-cruise on www.carnival.com or, once the guest is onboard, at any restaurant. Classes fill up quickly, though, so clients should book early.
Another new ship, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore, sailing this winter from Miami and this summer from New York, has a savory new specialty restaurant, Onda by Scarpetta. The new restaurant concept was developed by LDV Hospitality, which has Scarpetta restaurants in New York City, Long Island (NY), Las Vegas, Newport (RI), Philadelphia and London, UK. Now, cruisers can experience the Scarpetta experience on the high seas.
The eatery’s name is derived from the Italian expression, “fare la Scarpetta,” which means to savor a meal to the last bite, and separately, Onda is the Italian word for “wave.” Serving what’s being called elevated Italian cuisine, the new restaurant offers such delicacies as yellowtail crudo and braised octopus, along with pastas made in house daily such as Scarpetta’s signature Spaghetti Tomato and Basil.
Norwegian Encore has a savory new specialty restaurant, Onda by Scarpetta.
Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas will soon emerge from a $165 million revitalization with new culinary and bar spaces; it’s part of the line’s $1 billion Royal Amplified fleet update program. Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar will offer family-style, rustic dining with an enhanced menu of Italian staples, complete with hand-tossed pizza from the new in-house pizza oven, an expansive charcuterie station and a good selection of wines and limoncellos.
Allure of the Seas’ Portside BBQ, a new concept that first debuted on the recently revitalized Oasis of the Seas, will serve a menu of tasty dishes that include brisket, pulled pork, chicken, beef ribs, turkey legs, burnt ends, mac and cheese, homestyle cornbread and more. Portside BBQ is Royal Caribbean’s first barbecue concept; dishes are priced à la carte.
Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade will offer game-day parties on big-screen TVs as well as tournaments, complete with bar bites and brews. El Loco Fresh, featuring casual Mexican “street fare” is another option. Allure of the Seas will sail a summer Mediterranean season of cruises from Barcelona.
Now sailing from PortMiami on winter season Caribbean voyages, MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia offers a two-story Mediterranean-style promenade lined with shops and specialty restaurants — including HOLA! Tapas Bar and Ocean Cay, restaurants by two Michelin-starred Spanish chef Ramón Freixa. Additionally, there is the Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Café, an open-fronted chocolate atelier by renowned pastry chef, Jean-Philippe Maury.
MSC Meraviglia has a total of 12 different dining venues offering a wide range of tastes and styles, including Asian to French, from casual to upscale. In addition, the line’s recent partnership with home and lifestyle expert Martha Stewart means guests have new exclusive culinary and discovery experiences onboard and ashore in the Caribbean.
Costa Cruises’ first new LNG-powered ship, Costa Smeralda, just began sailing in the Mediterranean. In addition to sizable environmental pluses, the vessel offers 16 restaurants and “food experience” areas. Most notable is Tutti a Tavola, a new eatery (with no extra fee) that’s specifically conceived for casual dining for families with children; it’s located on Deck 16 adjacent to the play area.
Also fun for culinary buffs is Ristorante LAB – Kitchen Lab with 24 cooking stations for classes. To learn more about dining and other features of this new Costa ship, travel advisors can access a Costa Smeralda e-brochure at Costa Extra, the cruise line’s newly redesigned portal for travel professionals.
Yet to come? In August, Carnival Cruise Line will debut a new seafood restaurant designed by chef Rudi Sodamin on the line’s new Mardi Gras. Rudi’s Seagrill on Deck 8 will boast an 80-seat indoor dining room as well as an al fresco area on The Lanai.
The star of that eatery will likely be Sodamin’s food face-themed artwork. Other fun culinary highlights will include fish-shaped ‘Gurgle Pots’ that make comical gurgling sounds when poured out. Mardi Gras is going to be a new home ported ship at Port Canaveral, beginning year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises later this year.
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