Cruising with Herm: Dining at Sea

Dining on your favorite cruise ship has come a long way over the years. Most lines offer 24-hour room service, Kosher meals, late night buffets, specialty restaurants, casual and formal night options without the need for a black tie unless you want to. There are coffee shops, hot dog stands, ice cream parlors and just about anything you desire. They are all found on the cruise ships of today.

I will only comment on my last four experiences on three different cruise lines, and I must say they were all flavorable.

Holland America I experienced the cuisine prepared on the ms Oosterdam while on a four day cruise San Diego to Vancouver. As a group participant on this sailing I chose to eat dinner when assigned with the folks attending our meeting. The experience was delightful, food always excellent, and the service was hard to match. On my next cruise with HAL, I will not miss out on the opportunity to dine at the Pinnacle Grill; I heard nothing but praise from the folks that experienced it.
Princess Cruises The venue I liked the most on the Golden Princess was the Sterling Steakhouse. This Southwestern style restaurant specializes in choice cuts of beef; however you won’t want to miss out on their Mexican favorites as well. The Golden has three main dining rooms, and the menus are identical, I sampled each one with clearly no complaints. She offers 24 hour room service for those of you that like late snacks or perhaps breakfast in bed.
Royal Caribbean I spent time on both the Oasis and the Allure, the two biggest cruise ships afloat, and I assure you, you will need more than a 7-day cruise to eat your way around either ship. For the most part they are the same with many fun places to eat. Without breaking down each venue I experienced, not one was a disappointment.