Decadent meals are one of the best parts of any cruise. Most people I know return from a voyage with just as many photos of their entrees as they have of the scenery. If you are sailing on an Alaskan voyage with Princess Cruises this season, you are in for a real treat with all of the new, elevated dining experiences onboard.
My wife and I had the pleasure of touring the Ruby Princess while it was docked in Seattle and had an opportunity to try a few of the signature dining options. Our first stop was Curtis Stone’s SHARE, which encourages connecting with family and friends by offering dishes served family style.
The restaurant’s design is stunning and looks like something you would find on land, not on a cruise ship. The space feels open and the comfortable, inviting atmosphere plays into the theme of family and sharing – with details like large communal tables and thoughtful design elements like the words etched into the handblown light fixtures.
Chef Stone’s menu starts with a wonderful charcuterie platter that includes a delicious chicken liver parfait along with freshly baked epi bread. From the selection of appetizers, we tasted the shrimp salad (turnips, lemon gel, citrus salt, brioche) and the tagliatelle pasta with roasted Alaskan king crab. The portion sizes were perfect for sharing.
From the entrees, we tried the roast turbot which was a delicate white fish with a Gruyère crumb coating and served with a white vermouth sauce. We also tried the twice cooked duck, which was very flavorful. The braised kale side dish included smoked ham (making it the best kale I have ever had) and the potatoes gratin were simply decadent with the truffles and cream sauce.
SHARE by Curtis Stone has a cover charge of $39/person which includes one selection from each course.We did not try the desserts during this visit, but the menu had items like Dark Chocolate Cremeux with Toasted Hazelnut Feuilletine and Burnt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
As we walked through the Ruby Princess, I was just amazed at the design. The ship felt spacious as we strolled along the large walkways. The grand lobby soared several stories and made me wish that I had brought along a wide angle lens to take it all in.
We passed by several pools, hot tubs, and lounge areas during our tour.On the sun deck, we saw the Calypso pool which has a 300-square-foot LED screen used for “Movies Under the Stars.” Sadly, they wouldn’t let me take the TV home even when I told them how great it would look in my living room.
Next on our tour, we stopped by the Wheelhouse Bar on Deck 7, which becomes the “Salty Dog Gastropub” in the evenings. The bar had an extensive selection of craft beers and the menu was created by chef Ernesto Uchimura (inaugural chef of the original Umami Burger in Los Angeles).
The Salty Dog has a $19/person cover charge, which seems like a bargain after trying Chef Uchimura’s “The Ernesto” rib eye burger. I also tried one of the signature drinks, a Seawitch Steam, that had a combination of Woodward Reserve bourbon, sweet vermouth, syrup made of Seawitch IPA, and fresh lemon. The room started spinning a little at that point, but I do remember thinking that the food, combined with the drinks and live entertainment made the bar a great little place to relax during your voyage.
Our last stop was the Crown Grill where we experienced “Chocolate Journeys” where we sampled several desserts by Chef Norman Love. Princess Cruises offers Norman Love’s chocolate creations on select main dining room desserts menus, in addition to Sabatini’s Italian Restaurant, Crown Grill, Sterling Steakhouse, and at the Chef’s Table experience.
We had a wonderful time touring the Ruby Princess and were delighted by the variety and quality of the cuisine offered onboard. Thank you to Princess Cruises for the fantastic day!
