5 Cruise Food Trends
In Cruise Critic
Cruisers’ taste buds are more adventurous and restless than ever before, demanding the same quality and variety they can get on land. Cruise lines are answering the call (and their reply is delicious). While the cruising industry might be a year or two behind the food trends you’ll find on dry land, you’ll be impressed by what’s cooking onboard cruise ships these days. Gastronomic dreams like farm-to-table dining, cutting the lines at the hottest global gathering spots for gourmands and getting your hands dirty with meal prep in the kitchen are real culinary options onboard cruise ships currently plying oceans and rivers worldwide.
Get acquainted with the latest culinary offerings at sea with these five cruise food trends.
1. Locally (and Responsibly) Sourced Food
People want to know where their food is from, and on land, they’re paying for the privilege. The farm-to-table (or market-to-table) movement brings local, sustainable and mostly organic products from local producers to homes and restaurants. Items are typically intended to be prepared within a short timeframe from purchase — preserving their integrity. Market fare is not only considered to be fresher, but also healthier. This trend is taking to the sea, with more cruise lines sourcing ingredients from local vendors in ports visited. This can be a sizable feat on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, especially considering how many passenger meals a chef onboard might have to prepare for: hundreds to thousands each night. Due to a smaller passenger base and a high standard of excellence, luxury and river cruise lines are the most likely to offer such local cruise food menus. The chefs onboard Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection source seasonal produce and inspiration from the markets they visit, bringing those flavors to cruise passengers with wine pairings and even the opportunity to accompany a chef to a local market as part of a shore tour. Similar experiences are available on Oceania Cruises and Viking Cruises.
On the cruelty-free front, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates six cruise brands internationally, and Carnival Corporation, with its 10 brands, have committed to using 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2022 and 2025, respectively. Royal has further committed to sourcing pork from vendors using gestation-free crates by 2022.
2. Upgraded Bar Bites
Just because you want to grab a casual drink, doesn’t mean you’re interested in a communal bowl of peanuts. As on land, at-sea bar- and pubgoers are no longer satisfied with a simple, salty snack and cruise ship bars are responding with some downright gourmet takes on pub food, providing snacks that can stand alone — no booze required. You can nosh and imbibe with panache on your next cruise, without leaving your barstool. On Norwegian Escape, for instance, all of the 74 mostly craft beers at the ship’s District Brew House can be accompanied by the gastropub-style fare from Food Republic, just across the hall. Similarly, order a glass of wine at The Cellars on Escape and small plates like Iberico ham and Manchego cheese are provided by Pincho, a tapas bar designed by Iron Chef Jose Garces. Princess Cruises features the Salty Dog Gastropub, a space inside of the Wheelhouse Bar, on select ships. The menu offers droolworthy dishes such as spicy stout short ribs, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and the piece de resistance — “The Ernesto burger” from Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger (a ribeye and short rib beef patty, grilled pork belly, caramelized kimchi, beer-battered jalapenos and charred onion aioli, topped with cave-aged Gruyere cheese).
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