Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 4/7/23 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 4/7/23

Fine Cut Steak House on Celebrity Beyond

An upscale steakhouse that serves USDA Prime steaks.

Fine Cut Steakhouse can be found on all Celebrity Edge-Class ships and is a venue that serves USDA Prime steaks along with other offerings. Fine Cut Steakhouse is open for dinner every evening and may be open for lunch on some days, depending on your itinerary.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere at Fine Cut is definitely upscale and has the feel of a premium steakhouse. In the evenings, the lights are turned down low to give a romantic vibe. There are some oceanview tables, but you may have to arrive early to snag one of those.

Cost

On our sailing, there was a $65 per person cover charge to dine at Fine Cut. Reservations are most definitely required and the restaurant was completely full on our visit. However, our cruise was also booked to capacity. There is an 18% gratuity (or service charge) added to the bill. The total cost for our meal was $153 for two people.

The Menu

The menu at Fine Cut is quite extensive and offers something for everyone. In addition to the beef and lamb, there other meats and seafood on offer. However, first and foremost, Fine Cut should be reserved for lovers of beef.

The menu claims that they serve USDA Prime steaks, including a 30-day Dry Aged NY Strip. Many cruise lines claim to serve “Prime” steaks, but that term has little meaning in the real world of beef. USDA Prime, on the other hand, is an official classification only given to the highest quality beef. I was anxious to see if Celebrity truly does serve USDA Prime. And yes, I can tell the difference between Prime and Choice (the second-highest grade of beef from the USDA).

Service

Service was a little slow on our visit to Fine Cut but, most likely, that was because the restaurant was fully booked. Our waiter and wine steward were both very nice, but I was unable to get anyone’s attention after our main courses had been served. I was hoping to get another portion of the Chimichurri sauce to go with my steak.

Wait time in between courses, however, was acceptable for a high-end steakhouse.

Food Quality and Taste

We ordered three starters. Rickee ordered the Heirloom Tomato Salad, which she felt like was just okay.

I ordered the Black Pepper Bacon and the Signature Crab Cake. The Black Pepper Bacon was a large chunk of pork belly slathered in a steakhouse-sauce glaze. The flavors were good, but the piece of pork I received was nearly all fat. Sadly, this starter was a miss.

The Signature Crab Cake, however, was one of the best I have ever eaten. The large cake was filled with chunks of crab meat, perfectly fried and served with a lemon pepper aioli that was the perfect complement to the dish.

Rickee was not in the mood for steak, and quite frankly, did not bring enough of an appetite to make Fine Cut worth the trip for her. She ordered the Slow Pan-Roasted Chicken. Once again, she was underwhelmed. However, I think it may be because she was not that hungry. I tried a bite of her chicken and thought it was very good.

For my main course, I ordered the 16oz 30-day Dry-Aged NY Strip Steak from the Premium Cuts menu. I have never seen a dry-aged steak offered on a cruise ship before, so I had to see for myself if this was the real deal.

When my steak arrived, it was nearly 2” thick and served on a plate with no sauces, no mushrooms, just the steak and some natural juices that had leaked out from the meat. Honestly, that is EXACTLY how a good steak should be served, with nothing to hide the flavor.

When I cut into the steak, I could tell it was perfectly cooked to Medium, as I had ordered. The first bite confirmed that this was for sure USDA Prime beef. That alone would snag a $75 to $85 price tag at a Dallas-based upscale steakhouse.

The depth of this steak’s flavor could only have come from dry aging so, while not an expert on the matter, I am going to say that their claim of dry-aged beef is accurate. The steak was also perfectly seasoned. I never once had to reach for salt or pepper. Quite simply, this was one of the best steaks I have ever had on a cruise ship, and one of the best NY Strip steaks I have had anywhere.

As for sides, I ordered the creamed spinach and the Chimichurri Sauce. The creamed spinach was good, but I have had better. The Chimichurri was delicious, but the portion was tiny. I wanted to order more, but as I mentioned earlier, was not able to get a waiter’s attention to bring me more.

For dessert, Rickee and I shared the Ultimate Chocolate Sundae which was definitely large enough for two people to share. And, as with every dessert on this cruise, it was delicious.

Final Evaluation

If you follow our blog and YouTube channel, you know that my favorite cruise ship steak of all time is the Bistecca Fiorintina on Viking Ocean Cruises. It is a delicious, massive, tender and juicy Rib Eye. I have had the Bistecca at least a dozen times on four different Viking Ocean ships and it never disappoints.

That said, this Dry Aged NY Strip at Fine Cut is right up there in terms of quality and flavor. While not as tender as the Bistecca (a NY Strip is never going to be as tender as a Rib Eye), it has a depth of beef flavor that is hard to find outside of a high-end prime steakhouse on land.

My personal opinion is that if you are not a beef eater, dine somewhere else on Celebrity Beyond. You will probably be just as pleased with your meal and you will save $65 plus gratuity. BUT, if you love steak and can really appreciate a great cut of meat that is perfectly prepared, you DEFINITELY should make a reservation at Fine Cut Steakhouse.

Now, as for the $65 cover charge, if you eat steak here it is not overly expensive when you compare the quality of the meat to what you would pay for the same cut at a land-based steakhouse. I am confident that the same meal with the sides, the wine, the dessert, the starters and the steak and chicken would have easily been over $200 at our favorite prime steakhouse in Dallas. And, while Fine Cut is not a bargain, it is certainly competitive with the best steakhouses on land.

Bottom line, we will definitely be dining at Fine Cut Steakhouse on our next Edge-Class sailing.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/26/20 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/26/20

Chef's Table on Carnival

The ultimate dining experience aboard Carnival show off culinary talents.

The Chef’s Table is the ultimate dining experience aboard a Carnival ship and is limited to only 14 guests per evening (may vary depending on the ship). We had the opportunity to try the Chef’s Table on our recent Carnival Panorama cruise. It should be noted that there is a charge of $95 per person for the Chef’s Table (plus 18% gratuity).

The Chef’s Table experience begins by meeting at a specific gathering point in the lobby (Deck 3 on Panorama) at 6:00pm. Soon, Sous Chef, Plato Fernandes, greets us and invites us to follow him into the ship’s galley. Once inside the galley, we all wash our hands then stand around a stainless steel prep table where we are each poured a glass of Moët Champagne. A small square wooden block in front of each station is actually an electro-magnet. We are each assigned the task of placing the multi-faceted white cube over the block so that it will hover over it. It was a fun exercise, but had nothing to do with the dining experience.

We enjoyed a few small tastings in the galley area. First, a mushroom “tea”, more like a broth actually, was served with a mushroom and truffle tasting. Both were delicious.

*Mushroom Tea and Mushroom w/Truffle Appetizer*

Another tasting is offered on a small gold spoon. I cannot remember what it was, but it too was delicious.

Here, Chef Fernandes places a mixture of yogurt and coconut creme onto a freeze plate to create another unique Amuse Bouche with thinly sliced sirloin on top. It sounds strange, but was very good.

*Sous Chef Uses Anti-Griddle to Freeze Appetizers*

After our tastings in the galley, we were led into a nicely-appointed dining room just off the galley. One wall was glass so we could see all of our courses being prepared. Once seated, we were each poured a choice of still or sparkling water and our choice of red or white wine (or both).

The remaining menu consists of nine courses (click menu image to see each course). Before each course is served, Chef Fernandes explains the dish as well as the preparation techniques used in preparing the dish. You can see that a lot of thought has gone into the creation of each course and only the best ingredients are used.

A butter dish with two types of freshly churned butter is accompanied by a flaky, buttery and delicious dinner roll. Think of the best, flakiest crescent roll you can imagine, then imagine it is twice that good.

The first course is a Sabyon of Peach and Parsley that arrives under a rosemary-infused air bubble. Poke the bubble and it disappears with a rosemary smoke escaping revealing a chilled strawberry and peach flavored soup.

The dry-aged duck was prepared with 20 different African spices and is accompanied by a blueberry glaze and tiny carrot.

A choice of Layer Cake Cab Sav or Oyster Bay Savignon Blanc was generously poured throughout the meal.

The Chef’s Taste course arrives in a series of stacked wooden boxes, and when disassembled, reveals four small delicacies (see menu for details).

Everyone at the table agreed that the sea bass course was probably the best piece of fish any of us had ever had. It was light, perfectly cooked and floating in the most delicious sauce you can imagine.

The Celery Root “Pastrami” was the vegetarian course, and Rickee and I thought this one was a little strange. I guess you have to be a vegetarian to appreciate it.

The lamb course was nothing short of amazing. A nice chunk of perfectly cooked lamb loin was accompanied by a small crispy slice of shredded lamb neck. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and as tender and mild as any lamb I have ever eaten. Delicious.

Next was the beef course consisting of a slice of crispy beef bacon (made from the brisket) and a chunk of medium-rare sirloin. The meat was, once again, perfectly cooked and expertly seasoned.

For dessert (as if any of us have room left), a mango tart and bitter chocolate tart are followed by a glass dish with various chocolate offerings.

The Chef’s Table experience took about three hours to enjoy, and enjoy we did! We have participated in Chef’s Table dinners on four different cruise lines (Azamara, Princess, Viking Ocean and Carnival), and Carnival is right up there with the best. The Carnival Chef’s Table seems to explore more molecular gastronomy than the others showing a lot of creative technique with more complex dishes.

Without hesitation, we can highly recommend the Chef’s Table on Carnival. There is limited space at Chef’s Table, so you should make reservations online, in advance of your sailing, to ensure you will be included. Bring a big appetite and an open mind. This is one of the most creative dining experiences on land or sea.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/15/20 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/15/20

Bonsai Sushi on Carnival Panorama

Excellent Sushi and a great value.

In my opinion, Bonsai Sushi is the most underrated restaurant on Carnival ships. On our recent Carnival Panorama sailing, we dined at Bonsai Sushi two different evenings. And, we did the same when we sailed on Carnival Vista in 2017. The restaurant is conveniently located right in the middle of the ship (Deck 5 Midship) across from Alchemy Bar. We never found Bonsai to be overcrowded and have never had to wait for a table. Reservations are not needed to dine here and they are open for lunch and dinner.

Bonsai Sushi has an àala carte menu and the prices are very reasonable. The à la carte menu is perfect for those times when you are a little hungry, but don’t want a four-course meal, or when you need to get in and out in a hurry. Service has always been very efficient and the wait staff are always very pleasant.

The edamame with sea salt and togarashi makes a great appetizer (below) for only $2 and is enough for two people to share. However, the next time we visit Bonsai and order the edamame, we will ask them to leave off the togarashi (spicy powder).

We were hoping for Sapporo beer, but instead we had the Kirin Light (regular Kirin also available) and found it to be an acceptable Japanese beer alternative to Sapporo.

On our first visit, Rickee ordered the Shrimp Tempura (below) with tempura vegetables and dipping sauce. We were surprised to see five large, lightly battered and delicately-fried shrimp for only $7.

My favorite is the Spicy Tuna Roll (below). This may be the best bargain on the ship, or in the world of sushi. You get eight large pieces for only $5! I have had Spicy Tuna Roll on at least a dozen different cruise lines (including Crystal) and Bonsai Sushi has the best. I love the very thin layer of rice-filled fresh spicy tuna topped with a small dollop of spicy mayo and potato straws. A delicious bargain!

On our second visit, we were not very hungry, so we decided to each have one of the Noodle Bowls ($7 ea). We both chose the Udon noodles. I ordered mine with chicken and mushrooms and Rickee ordered hers with egg. The rich vegetable broth was brimming with delicious and toothsome Udon noodles and the selected ingredients. Both were served piping hot and were delicious.

*Udon Noodle Bowl with Chicken & Mushrooms*

Of course, there are many other choices available at Bonsai Sushi, and I am confident that they are equally as delicious. Double-click on the menu above to see the entire selection. The friendly, service-oriented Bonsai Sushi chefs and waitstaff make dining here are real joy.

Your next Carnival cruise should include a visit (or two) to Bonsai Sushi!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/15/20 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 2/15/20

Bonsai Teppanyaki on Carnival Panorama

Great food and great fun on Carnival Panorama.

Most of us have been to a Benihana or similar Teppanyaki-style Japanese restaurant. Whether you have or not, you should definitely treat yourself to an evening of fun and delicious food at Bonsai Teppanyaki aboard Carnival Panorama (and Horizon). This multi-course ‘cooked-at-your-table’ meal is one you will not soon forget. And, at only $32 per person, it is a real bargain.

When you are seated at the griddle table (holds 10 guests) your place setting will have a small cup for water, a fork, chopsticks and three sauces. One sauce is for veggies, one for chicken and the other for beef. But honestly, they all taste good no matter what you dunk in them.

Each guest will be served three appetizers and a bowl of Miso soup, so your only decision is which entree you want. You can choose from salmon, lobster tail, chicken, shrimp, black cod, tofu (seriously?), or filet mignon. And, even though it is not clearly indicated on the menu, you can choose any combination of two proteins.

Rickee and I both ordered the Filet Mignon and Spiced Grilled Chicken. After our server introduced herself, she served each of us water and took drink orders. Rickee and I also each tried the Bellini cocktail.

Soon after our drinks arrived, we were each served the Kabuki Salad at about the same time as Chef Ronaldo arrived to introduce himself and begin preparing the grill. The salad was very fresh, crisp and dressed with a light ginger-infused dressing—— a very nice way to begin the meal.

Chef Ronaldo wasted no time getting the massive amount of fried rice cooking on the grill, making jokes and showing his twirling skills with utensils the entire time. He was hilarious and made sure that everyone at the table was having a good time.

Of course, Chef Ronaldo put on a fire show, a Teppanyaki tradition. Here he is cooking the vegetable course along with a shrimp appetizer. As the shrimp appetizer is cooking, our salad bowls are cleared and the Pork Belly Yakatori (sorry, no photo) appetizer arrived. This was our favorite appetizer. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. More please!

A huge bowl of buttery fried rice (maybe the best we have ever had) was placed before us as the Spicy Tuna On The Rocks arrived. Soon after, the Teppanyaki White Shrimp appetizer was served and turned out to be the only disappointment of the entire meal. While it was delicious, and perfectly cooked, it was extremely difficult and messy to get out of the shell to eat. We would have preferred a peeled shrimp appetizer. The Spicy Tuna On The Rocks (not pictured), however, was delicious.

Our next course was the grilled vegetables (below) after which Chef Ronoldo began preparing the meat courses.

The seafood dishes were prepared first, then the grilled chicken, and finally, the filet mignon. You can see the huge chunks of beef being prepared below.

The final meat course shown below was perfectly cooked and seasoned (I had already eaten all of my vegetables). We were both already getting full before our protein course arrived. Rickee could not even finish half of her steak and chicken. I somehow was able to power through and finish all of mine.

*Filet Mignon and Spiced Grilled Chicken*

And finally, dessert. We each received a Bento Box with six different desserts including Green Tea Ice Cream (top left). The little chocolate truffle (center bottom) was my favorite.

In summary, our dinner at Bonsai Teppanyaki was one of the most fun and delicious meals we have ever had on a cruise ship (remember, we have been on more than 130 cruises!). The food was excellent, service crisp and friendly, and all at a very reasonable price. Your next Carnival cruise will not be complete without a visit to Bonsai Teppanyaki.

NOTE: They are also open for lunch.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/25/18 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/25/18

The Chef's Table on Princess Cruises

The Chef's Table is the ultimate dining experience on Princess. But, is it worth $95?

Oct 25, 2018 - The Chef's Table is a special, once-per-cruise event, that is strictly first-come, first-served for reservations and is limited to no more than 12 guests. We met the 10 other guests in La Patisserie at 6:45 where we were each fitted with white jackets to wear during the galley portion of the event.

*Rickee with Silvio Zampieri, the Maitre'd Hotel, in the galley*

We were escorted into the galley on Deck 5 by Silvio Zampieri, the ship's Maitre'd Hotel, where we were introduced to Executive Chef Dirk Daumichen.

Chef Daumichen took the time to explain how galley operations work on a Princess ship. Each guest enjoyed a glass of champagne during his presentation. Soon, trays of appetizers began to appear, one-by-one. First was Breaded King Crab Legs with Sauce Maltaise. More dipping sauce, please.

Our second appetizer was a decadent Foie Gras Lollipop with Port Wine Jelly and Truffle Brioche. The expensive, fatty duck liver has been shaped into a golf ball-sized portion, placed on a stick and dipped in a port wine jelly. Basically, you grab the stick, roll the lollipop through the crushed pistachio, then enjoy. A small truffle brioche helps to cut through the fat of the duck liver. I am not a fan of Foie Gras, but I have to admit, it was delicious.

As if the Foie Gras Lollipop was not creative enough, next up was White Tomato Soup that was as tasty as it was unique. Chef Daumichen explained how he was able to make the white tomato soup by straining the water from ripe tomatoes and adding heavy cream. You get the distinct flavor of tomato with a while, almost silky, texture. It was quite good.

The Pancetta-wrapped Angus Beef with Stilton Cheese Cube was drizzled with a balsamic glaze. This was our least favorite of all the appetizers, but still quite interesting. I am just not a fan of bleu cheese.

Our last galley appetizer was Red Bliss Potato with Hackleback Caviar. I am not a caviar fan either, but this was pretty good, if I do say so myself.

We remove our white jackets and are escorted to a special table at the back of the dining room. Each place setting is marked with a name card.

After we are seated, a white wine is poured just prior to our starter course arriving: a Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Jumbo Shrimp. The arborio rice was cooked perfectly al dente with tiny chunks of asparagus. The jumbo shrimp was also cooked to perfection with a nice snap when you bite into it. The accompanying foam added an additional layer of complexity to a perfectly-executed dish. In any other restaurant, this easily could be a main course.

For an intermezzo, Chef Daumichen once again reached into his bag of tricks to produce a Bloody Mary Sherbet with Grey Goose Vodka. Sounds weird, right? Trust me, everyone at the table agreed it was incredible.

By the time the main course arrived, or should I say main courses, we were already full. Two giant silver platters were presented for our visual, as well as culinary, pleasure. The first platter was filled with rack of lamb and beef tenderloin.

The second tray held Grilled Sea Scallops and Main Lobster Tails.

Before the main course arrived, we were each poured a glass of Spellbound Shiraz, one of Rickee's favorite red wines. We wondered if we would each get to select one "surf" and one "turf" from the two platters. Oh no, there would be no selection. We were each given a platter with everything! Two sea scallops, two lamb chops, a fist-sized chunk of tenderloin, and a very nice-sized lobster tail.

A sweet potato mash was the perfect accompaniment to a plate of perfectly-cooked proteins. Everything was simply amazing, and there was much more than even I could finish. But wait, there's more! Two more courses, if you can believe it. A cheese course was a ramekin filled with Chives and Pink Peppercorn Cheesecake. I don't even know how to describe this dish. It was sweet, savory, and spicy. Definitely one of the most interesting, and delicious dishes I have ever tried.

Finally, the dessert course arrived. The Sable Breton was almost too beautiful to eat. Imagine white chocolate dollops atop a mango panna cotta atop a crispy cookie base and layered with thin sheets of chocolate.

And, just in case someone is still wanting more, a tray of Chef Dirk's Homemade Petit Fours was passed around.

Chocolate covered strawberries | Island Princess | CruiseReport

Each lady at the table was presented with a rose and the Chef's Table event finally came to a delicious end. Of course, there were a couple of other surprises thrown in, but we have to leave something to your imagination. This is a meal we will remember for a long, long time. It far exceeded our expectations, and is one of the the very best meals we have ever had on a cruise ship.

If you love good food and good wine, do whatever it takes to get on the list early for a seat at The Chef's Table. At $95 per person (at the time of this review), it is a real bargain.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/23/18 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/23/18

Sabatini's on Island Princess

Sabatini's offers an Italian-themed menu at a very reasonable price.

Oct 23, 2018 - We showed up at Sabatini's early for our dinner reservation, but they were gracious enough to get us right in and seated at a nice table with a view of the ocean. Sabatini's is Princess' Italian Restaurant with a menu that is the same each night. There is a $29/pp charge to dine in Sabatini's. Princess recommends that you make reseervations in advance, which we did through the Cruise Personalizer website.

Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

As soon as we were seated, our waiter, Noel, introduced himself and presented the menus. We learned that Noel has been with Princess nearly 20 years!

When we were presented with the wine list, we chose the Rex-Goliath Moscato ($30). We like sweet wine with Italian food and this one was perfect.

The menu is filled with a variety of creative Italian dishes. From the list of Starters, I chose the Artichoke Souffle. The souffle was swimming in Castelrosso Cheese Sauce (whatever that is) and topped with a slice of black truffle. It was delicious.

Artichoke Souffle at Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

Equally as tempting was Rickee's Burrata alla Panna con Carpaccio di Pomodori. a fist-size chunk of Burrata cheese (similar to Mozzarella) sitting atop thin slices of tomato, drizzled with olive oil and surrounded by jewels of Balsamic syrup.

For my pasta course, I chose the Penne con Brasato di Manzo, which is basically braised beef short rib over penne pasta. Try to imagine shreds of the most tender pot roast sitting on perfectly cooked penne pasta. The dish was delicious, and could easily be a main course. However, it is very rich.

Penne con Brasato di Manzo at Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

Rickee opted for the Manicotti alla Sorrentina, pasta shells filled with spinach, Ricotta & Fontina cheese roulade on a tomato coulis. Rickee and I agreed that we preferred the Manicotti, but both dishes were excellent.

Manicotti alla sorreentina at Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

My Main Course was the Lombata di Vitello al Forno, a thick veal chop with mushroom ragout. The veal was very tender and flavorful, and quite large. I could not quite finish the entire chop.

Vitello al Forno at Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

Rickee has been on a shrimp kick this cruise, so she decided to try the Gamberi alla Caprese con Verdurine di Stagiono. That translates into six large garlic-infused shrimp with cherry tomatoes and vegetables. Noel suggested that the tomato sauce be served on the side, and that was a good choice. The shrimp were delicious without the sauce, and we found the sauce to be somewhat bitter. If you like shrimp, this is an excellent choice.

Gamberi alla Caprese Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

For dessert, Rickee enjoyed a small glass of Limoncello (lemon-flavored liqueur) and I thought it only fitting to try the Tiramisu. Sabatini's take on Tiramisu is very creative in their use of chocolate. The dish was as beautiful to look at as it was delicious to eat!

Tiramisu at Sabatini's on Island Princess | CruiseReport

This was our third time to dine at Sabatini's on as many Princess ships. Hands down, this was the best Sabatini's meal we have enjoyed so far. If you are planning a cruise on Island Princess, make sure to reserve at least one dinner at Sabatini's. It is a bargain at only $29.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 7/25/17 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 7/25/17

Fahrenheit 555° Steakhouse on Carnival Vista

We enjoy an excellent meal at Carnival's premium steakhouse.

July 25, 2017 - Carnival may not be the first name that pops into your head when you think of upscale, fine dining on a cruise ship. But, you need to "get your head right" as they say in Texas. Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse is right up there with the best dining venues at sea. Our most recent experience at Fahrenheit 555 was on Carnival Vista (July 2017). We remembered having a great experience at the steakhouse on Carnival Breeze back in 2014, so wasted no time in making advance reservations through the Carnival website weeks before our cruise.

The restaurant is located on Deck 5 midship, across from Alchemy Bar and Bonsai Sushi restaurant. The dark wood decor and lower levels of lighting make for a romantic atmosphere and gives the space a very upscale feel. We are greeted by the restaurant manager when we arrive and she accommodates us by seating us at the table for two we had requested when we spoke with her on embarkation day.

After ordering two glasses of Cabernet, we began looking over the menus, which were already resting on the charger plates. The menu offers an enticing variety of starters, salads, entrees, side dishes and desserts.

After we placed our order, our server, Mirela, brought us an amuse bouche, compliments of the chef. The cold tomato foam was topped with a small Parmesan crisp dotted with crème fraîche. What a great beginning!

Soon, our appetizers arrived. I ordered the New England Crab Cake, a crusty, crab-filled cake resting on a delicious roasted pepper remoulade.

Rickee ordered the Baked Onion Soup which resembled a traditional French onion soup. The rich beef broth was filled with onions and topped with a crouton and melted Gruyere cheese.

I ordered the Caesar Salad, which I had on my previous F 555 visit. This Caesar will stand up to any you will find on a cruise ship, or even on land for that matter. The fresh, crisp Romaine lettuce spears are coated in a tangy Caesar dressing and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and croutons.

Rickee's Beefsteak Tomato Salad consisted of four large tomato slices topped with arugula, purple onion and big chunks of bleu cheese.

The wait time between courses was surprisingly short. The galley did an admirable job of getting each course out in a timely manner, and Mirela, our server, was impressively efficient. Soon after our salad plates were cleared, our steaks arrived. I had the 14oz New York Strip topped with a roasted garlic. The steak was perfectly cooked medium, just as I had ordered. It had the characteristic chew that you expect in a NY Strip, not as tender as a Ribeye or Filet, but very flavorful.

Rickee's 9oz Filet Mignon was certainly more than 9 ounces. It was at least two inches thick and cooked medium rare. The filet is the most tender cut available and you could cut the buttery smooth meat with a fork.

Both steaks were delicious and way more than either of us could finish. We ordered Creamed Spinach with Garlic and an order of Wasabi Mashed Potatoes as side items. Both were perfect complements to the meal. For dessert, we decided to share the Carmelized Washington Apples. The warm, carmelized apple slices were served in a flaky pastry and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was the perfect ending to a delicious meal.

Our meal at Fahrenheit 555 was the highlight of our dining experience on Carnival Vista. In our opinion, it is a bargain at $35 per person. A meal rivaling this on land would easily set you back $55 to $85 per person. You get great food, great service and a great value to boot. No Carnival cruise is complete without at least one visit to Fahrenheit 555.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 5/30/17 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 5/30/17

La Terrazza Restaurant on Silversea Silver Muse

Silversea's signature Italian bistro gets an overhaul. But, is it an improvement?

La Terrazza is Silver Muse's buffet restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Each evening, La Terrazza is transformed into a proper sit-down, full-menu-service Italian bistro.

Breakfast and Lunch Service

Unfortunately, we did not have an opportunity to visit La Terrazza for breakfast on this sailing. There are three choices for breakfast on Silver Muse: Atlantide (a la carté menu service), room service and La Terrazza (buffet). La Terrazza offers the benefit of choice and, for breakfast, is an easy and quick option for those with morning shore excursions.

We did visit La Terrazza on two occasions for lunch. The first thing we noticed is that the restaurant is much larger than La Terrazza on other Silversea vessels, including Silver Spirit. The L-shaped buffet serving line is augmented with several individual islands featuring different cold food items. This greatly reduces traffic jams during peak periods.

One of the things we have always loved about Silversea lunch buffet service is the variety of excellent salads. We are pleased to see that this has not changed on Silver Muse.

One island is dedicated to cold seafood. Boiled cocktail shrimp was a daily staple as were large trays filled with fresh sushi rolls and sashimi. The sushi rolls are much more substantial than what we have experienced on previous Silversea cruises. Good job!

There is also an antipasti station (my name, not theirs) with freshly-sliced Parma ham, proscuitto, salami and cheese. Opposite the antipasti station is a stir-fry station where there is a different Asian stir-fry dish offered each day.

Of course, there is a carving station with a featured roasted meat of the day (beef, veal, lamb, turkey, chicken, etc.) and a variety of hot entreès and vegetable dishes.

With so many different venues open for lunch aboard Silver Muse (we counted seven), only La Terrazza allows you to build your own lunch with a variety of items.

At lunch, you can choose to dine inside, or al fresco on the large aft terrace. Tables at lunch are set with place mats on marble tables, but still have the fine linen napkins and other quality flatware and dishes you would expect on Silversea. There are plenty of two-top tables, and many larger tables to accommodate groups of up to eight guests (or more). Each table is equipped with a salt and pepper grinder and bottles of extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

If you choose to dine al fresco, there is ample seating as well. And, just in case it happens to be a little cool outside, space heaters help to keep you warm. No matter where you choose to dine, wait staff are always on hand to offer you a glass of complimentary white or red wine with your meal (or any other beverage you desire).

The choice of quality items makes La Terrazza one of the best buffets at sea and is no doubt the main reason this is the most popular lunch spot on Silver Muse.

Dinner at La Terrazza

Each evening, La Terrazza is transformed from a fast-paced, buffet-style venue, into a proper sit-down, full menu service, à la carte Italian bistro. The placemats from lunch are removed and fine linen tablecloths cover the marble table tops for a more elegant appearance.

Reservations are recommended at La Terrazza, but not required. However, this is a popular venue, so if you arrive sans reservations, you may find yourself waiting a bit to be seated. We made reservations for 8:00pm and when we arrived, the restaurant was near capacity. The only table for two was in the middle of a heavy traffic area, near the antipasti station. For this reason, I would recommend reservations for 7:00pm when the restaurant opens to give you a better choice of seating.

*Italian breads and roasted garlic served at La Terrazza*

On Silver Muse, La Terrazza is a much larger venue than on the other Silversea ships. Because of the layout of the restaurant, and the hard flooring surfaces, the busier La Terrazza gets, the noisier it gets. The table we occupied was in the center of the restaurant, so it may have been a noisier location than a table next to a wall.

In the past, the evening menu at La Terrazza would change every few days on a rotation basis. However, La Terrazza on Silver Muse has one evening menu and one menu only. That said, the menu is quite extensive. In fact, it is one of the most comprehensive menus we found on Silver Muse. You could easily dine at La Terrazza several times and never order the same thing twice.

As soon as we were seated, our waiter arrived with a bottle of Prosecco and poured each of us a glass. The bottle was different from the Prosecco served in the bars and was very good.

When we were presented the menu, Rickee mentioned to the waiter that her menu was in German. The waiter dismissed her claim and said that some of the words were in Italian. I noticed my menu had Italian titles for the dishes, but that the descriptions underneath were in English. Rickee insisted that her menu was in German, but the waiter never looked at her menu to verify. He left to do something and she handed me her menu. Sure enough, her descriptions were in German! A different waiter came by and asked if there was a problem. When we showed her the menu, she immediately replaced it with the proper one.

We each ordered the same antipasti course, Tris di Bruschette (a trio of bruschetta). Our table was located directly in front of the antipasti prep station, so we could watch the orders being made.

The bruschetta was delicious, but not very filling. For our second course, I had ordered a small portion of Risotto al Teleggio e Pistacchio (risotto with Teleggio cheese, pine nuts and butter), and Rickee ordered Carpaccio di Manzo (thinly-sliced Italian beef tenderloin with olive oil). My risotto was perfectly cooked, creamy and well-seasoned. Rickee's carpaccio was also nice.

*Small portion of risotto served at La Terrazza*

There was quite a long wait between our starter course and second course; however, our main courses arrived soon after our second course plates were cleared. I ordered the Cotoletta alla Milanese di Fassone Piemontese (breaded and fried veal chop with potato puree). It seemed almost sacrilegious to bread and deep fry a beautiful veal chop, and the pile of Arugula on top did little to improve the presentation. However, it was delicious! Rickee ordered spaghetti for her main course and it was also good, albeit only lukewarm.

*Cotoletta alla Milanese di Fassone Piemontese*

There were more hits than misses during our dinner at La Terrazza and we wish we had had the opportunity to visit a second time to try some different menu items. If you plan on dining there, make sure to allow at least two hours for dinner (not uncommon in Europe). Our 8:00pm seating had us skipping the dessert course just so we could make the 10:00pm show in the Venetian Theater.

The Verdict

This is one of the most popular dining venues on Silver Muse, so we recommend making reservations and make them for an early dining time if you want the best choice of tables. If you book a table for a later time, plan on at least two hours for dinner.

La Terrazza remains an excellent choice for buffet breakfast and lunch, and is a formidable Italian restaurant for dinner.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 5/29/17 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 5/29/17

Atlantide Restaurant on Silversea Silver Muse

A dinner at Atlantide brought some real surprises. But, were they good ones?

Atlantide is one of the eight restaurants on board Silversea's new flagship, Silver Muse. Silversea's description may lead you to think that Atlantide is basically an upscale seafood restaurant. And, perhaps it is. But, it is much more than that. To begin with, it is one of the larger dining areas on Silver Muse, with seating for up to 164 guests. The adjoining Atlantide bar allows guests to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail while waiting for their table. Atlantide is open for á la carte menu breakfast, lunch and dinner service each day. As far as breakfast and lunch are concerned, Atlantide is the closest venue you will find on Silver Muse to The Restaurant on other Silversea ships. While the breakfast menu is the same each day (as it is in The Restaurant), the lunch menu does change each day (on a seven-day rotation).

Lunch at Atlantide

We had lunch in Atlantide one day after returning from a shore excursion. The restaurant was nearly empty on our visit, not unlike many experiences we have had at The Restaurant on other Silversea ships. Many guests prefer the buffet at La Terrazza, making lunch at Atlantide a quiet, relaxing alternative. The menu on our visit was also reminiscent of what we would expect to see at The Restaurant on other Silversea ships: a variety of salads, soups, mains and desserts. A corn chowder was a nice start and my potato salad with grilled chicken was very good. The seared tuna main course, however, was way overcooked and dry. The tuna left us a little nervous about our dinner reservation at Atlantide later in the week.

Dinner at Atlantide

We made dinner reservations at Atlantide weeks before our cruise through the MySilversea website. As soon as we embarked Silver Muse, I inquired about our dining reservations at Reception. I was dismayed to learn that they had no record of any of our pre-bookings, for dining or excursions! I brought a printout of my online confirmations to show them, but to no avail. We then began scrambling to make reservations. The Hotel Director asked the Restaurant Manager to assist us and he assured us that he would take care of securing our reservations, which he did. However, there is no way (that we could find) to check all of our reservations either online, or through the stateroom interactive television. We just had to wait to see if the confirmation card was delivered to our suite.

So, the day before our reservation at Atlantide, we met with Mike Lafratta, the Maître d' at Atlantide. He assured us that we did, in fact, have a 7:00pm reservation for two at Atlantide on the following day, which happened to be our last night on board Silver Muse. He also was the first person to explain how the reservations and dress codes work on Silver Muse. We had been under the impression all week that reservations were required at Atlantide, Kaiseki, Indochine, La Dame and La Terrazza. Mike informed us that while reservations are recommended, they are not required. He also explained that if the dress code of the day as published in the Daily Chronicles is "casual," then that is the dress code for the restaurants, as well. So, on embarkation day and the night before disembarkation, you can eat at each indoor restaurant in casual attire.

We arrived about 30 minutes early for our dinner reservation, so we had the opportunity to visit the adjoining Atlantide Bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.

As with all bars and lounges on Silver Muse, service was fast and efficient. We also were treated to some substantial hors d'oeuvres of mini crabcakes and spinach-filled pastry puffs, which were delicious.

As promised, our table was ready at 7:00pm and we were escorted to a very nice location next to a window. We were offered a glass of white or red wine, complimentary on all Silversea ships. We opted for the Chilean red, which was very nice.

The menu at Atlantide has something for everyone. So, even though the menu is heavy on seafood, meat-lovers and vegetarians need not shy away from Atlantide.

*Even the elegant flatware at Atlantide is etched to reflect a seafood theme*

The Starters Menu is divided into three sections: meat, fish/seafood and vegetarian. I decided on the King Scallops & Strawberries. I love seared scallops and I love strawberries, but I have never heard of them being fused in such a manner. As strange as it sounds, the fruit was used to make a sweet salsa that paired nicely with the perfectly-seared scallops. A fois gras-coated crouton and lemon butter drizzle showed real finesse. The dish was as beautiful to look at as it was delicious to eat.

Rickee went the vegetarian route and ordered the Vegetable Vol au Vent, a flaky puff pastry filled with fresh green peas, potatoes and asparagus tips in a thick creamy broth reminiscent of a deconstructed chicken pot pie, without the chicken. She loved it.

The starters impressed us and when the plates were cleared, we sipped our red wine in anticipation of our Intermediate course. For our second course, I ordered the Velouté of Vine Tomato and Baby Meatballs. For my fellow Texans, that translates into cream of tomato soup with meatballs. Regardless of where you come from, the soup is delicious. A large bowl arrives with nothing but two lonely meatballs. Soon, our waitress arrives with a pitcher of creamy, delicious tomato soup that is carefully drizzled on top. The effort Silversea puts into the presentation of a bowl of soup extends to every aspect of the meal. The soup, er uh, Velouté, was delicious.

Rickee's Roast Cherry Tomato and Lemon Salad sounded quite intriguing and certainly won the award for most unusual presentation of the evening. Roasted red, green and yellow cherry tomatoes were carefully placed along the edge of the plate along with red onion, sage leaves and mandarin orange slices. Tiny pieces of oven-roasted lemon were scattered about. It was certainly one of the most interesting salad dishes we have ever seen. It was both beautiful and delicious.

For my main course, I ordered the Italian Veal, a 250gr (about 9oz.) veal chop. I can tell you from experience that the menu lies. There is no way my veal chop was only 9oz. It had to be at least 12oz. The thick, bone-in chop was perfectly grilled to medium, and was tender and delicious. It was as good a piece of veal as I have ever had. The five-pepper sauce was a nice accompaniment, but completely unnecessary.

Rickee's Porchini and Wild Mushroom Risotto was equally impressive. The rice was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of garlic, butter and aged Parmesan.

Neither Rickee nor I could even think about dessert after such a substantial meal. How do the rest of you do it? However, the dessert menu looked quite tempting.

The Verdict

Our dinner at Atlantide was exceptional, one of the best meals we have ever had on Silversea. And, that is quite high praise. Service was excellent, as always. There is a level of finesse in the preparation and presentation that is rarely found on a cruise ship. This was out last meal on our Silver Muse cruise, and I can think of no better way to end the trip.

After our meal at Atlantide, Rickee and I were beginning to grasp Silversea's new direction in cruise ship dining. After all, Silver Muse is the first cruise ship to my knowledge to have completely abandoned the idea of traditional cruise ship dining. There is no restaurant on Silver Muse with a rotating evening menu, such as is the case with The Restaurant on other Silversea ships. The idea is for guests to rotate between restaurants, each with their own menus that do not change. It took seven days for us to become comfortable with this, but now we are believers. When each restaurant only has to focus on a small range of offerings within their menu, they can execute the menu much more effectively.

Atlantide will be at the top of our list of reservations should be sail on Silver Muse in the future.

*On embarkation and disembarkation days, the dress code for all Silversea dining venues is casual.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 5/24/17 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 5/24/17

Kaesecki On Silversea Silver Muse

A Japanese teppanyaki restaurant that delivers big flavor, but it comes at a price.

Kaiseki is one of two restaurants on board Silver Muse that carry a cover charge of $60 pp, the other being La Dame. Located on Deck 4, Kaiseki is one of the smallest dining venues, seating a maximum of 38-40 guests. Up to 14 guests can sit "ringside" in front of the teppanyaki griddles where the chefs perform their culinary magic.

*Rickee sits at one of the grillside seats, waiting for the show to begin*

Another 24 guests can enjoy the experience at nearby tables for two, four or six, and tables can be joined together for large groups.

We arrived at Kaiseki right on time for a 7:00pm dinner. As soon as we are seated, we are offered Sake, a traditional Japanese wine which can be served warm or chilled. Of course, any drink can be ordered from the bar. Rickee ordered a Sapporo Japanese beer.

Everyone is served an Amuse Bouche of Edamame with pink Himalayan sea salt on the side. A sweet soya sauce was an unnecessary addition to the otherwise delicious beans, which we consumed so quickly I forgot to take a photo of them!

The menu offers three courses: a starter, a main course and dessert. The Kikkoyu Monyou Bowl starter course is selected from the Fish, Meat or Vegetarian options. Rickee and I both ordered the Meat bowl.

The starter bowls arrive stacked together to form a ball, then are un-stacked to make three separate serving dishes. Clever.

The Meat bowl included a seaweed salad, pork belly bon bon (meatball) and Wagyu beef tataki. All were excellent. The main course is served dégustation-style, so everyone gets to try each item from the Teppan grill. This was fine for us, but if you don't like, or can't eat, shellfish or seafood, you may want to consider another dining venue.

Rickee and I received a small tray with a variety of dipping sauces. For some reason, the couple sitting next to us did not receive theirs. They were a little puzzled as to why.

The first of three main course items we received was the Butterfly Lobster served with signature mustard dip. The lobster was plentiful, and the largest portion of the three meats served. However, there was no signature mustard dip to be found. If it was one of the sauces in our sauce tray, it was cleverly disguised.

The lobster was perfectly cooked and nicely presented in a hollowed-out tail. The mustard dip would have been nice.

The second item to arrive was the Miso Black Cod. This portion was small, but well prepared and well seasoned.

The final main course dish to arrive was the Wagyu Beef Teriyaki. The fork-tender chunks of Wagyu beef were cooked right in front of us by Chef Edmund.

The portion of Wagyu Beef Teriyaki was small, but delicious. Wagyu beef is very expensive, so I assume that is the reason for the small portion size. We each received about seven bite-size chunks of perfectly-cooked steak. The last item to arrive was actually the bowl of fried rice, which we also had the pleasure of watching Chef Edmund prepare.

Throughout the meal, Chef Edmund entertained us with his mastery of the knife and the spatula. He even performed a magic trick at the end of the meal.

For dessert, I ordered the Green Tea Sorbet and Rickee had the Signature Tempura Ice Cream. I was hoping for something along the lines of the Green Tea Ice Cream served at Seishin on Silver Spirit. However, what I received was cold but flavorless, and not even sweet.

Rickee's Tempura Ice Cream was basically three small scoops of vanilla ice cream dredged in corn flakes then deep fried. It was the better of the two desserts, but mostly corn flakes and little ice cream. Honestly, the dessert course did not live up to the rest of the meal.

The Verdict

Our dinner at Kaiseki was one of the most unique we have experienced on a cruise ship. Notwithstanding the lackluster dessert, all of the dishes served were well prepared and delicious. The meal is well worth the $60 cover charge, in my opinion, and is something every Silver Muse guest should experience at least once per cruise. After all, you are getting dinner AND a show!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 4/27/17 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 4/27/17

The Chef's Table on Viking Sea

An alternate dining venue that every Viking Ocean guest should experience at least once.

The Chef's Table is one of two 'specialty' dining venues aboard Viking Ocean ships. And, while there is no charge to dine in The Chef's Table, advance reservations are required. Viking also limits the number of times guests can dine in The Chef's Table to ensure everyone has the opportunity to dine here. Reservations can be made online, weeks before your cruise -- how far in advance depends upon your stateroom/suite category. Guests occupying larger suites can make two dinner reservations in The Chef's Table per cruise.

The Venue

The Chef's Table is located on Deck 1 aft, port side and is larger than we expected. I guess the name had us thinking it was an intimate dining venue. There are lots of two-top tables for couple's dining; however, the tables are fairly close together, so having a private conversation may be difficult. There are also larger tables to host groups of 4, 6, 8 or more. A separate private dining room can accommodate up to 10 guests.

The Chef Table's decor is light and soothing, much like the decor throughout the rest of Viking Sea. As is the case in other parts of the ship, there are some clever monitors positioned throughout the dining area that display artwork featuring subtle motion.

The Menu

The Chef's Table offers a five-course dégustation menu each evening with a theme that changes every three days. On our cruise, there was an Asian menu, followed by a West Indies menu, followed by Italian. A different wine is paired with each course. Your waiter will offer you the Premium Wine pairing for $25 per person, which is included if you have purchased the Viking Silver Spirits package. Otherwise, house wines will be poured with each course.

The Experience

We dined at The Chef's Table twice during our cruise and had the opportunity to sample two different menus. On our first visit, we were seated at a table for two next to another couple. Our waiter sort of treated both tables as a single table for four. Each of the courses for the two tables arrived at the same time and the waiter introduced each course and each wine to both tables simultaneously.

*A Chilled King Crab Amuse Bouche was inventive and delicious*

Each course began with its description by the waiter along with a description of the wine paired with the course. Courses were delivered quickly without an excessive wait time between courses.

*Lobster & Chicken Shu Mai (dumplings) were delicious*

We enjoyed each and every course. My personal favorite was the Lobster & Chicken Shu Mai. These tender dumplings were flavorful and served with a delicious sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. The Peking Duck main course was good, but once you have had Peking Duck in Beijing, nothing else can come close.

The Asian Trilogy dessert was a decadent trio consisting of a chocolate-banana spring roll, an expertly prepared crème brûlée, and a light and delicious green tea cheesecake. It was the perfect ending to a very good meal.

On our second visit, we were invited to join a group of eight other guests in The Chef's Table's private dining room. We had the opportunity to try a different menu and the premium wines ($25 per person). The West Indies menu offered much more 'fragrant' offerings than the Asian menu. The use of cardamom, cumin, paprika, ginger and tarragon was liberal.

The Spicy Tuna Tataki was my personal favorite. The perfectly seared tuna was rubbed with Szechuan peppercorns and coriander. This was one of the best seared tuna dishes I have had in quite some time. The main course of Beef Tenderloin with Four Warm Spices was cooked perfectly and so tender you could cut it with a fork. The Purple Potato and Mushroom Mash was an interesting color and was delicious.

And finally, dessert! A beautiful butterscotch Apple Tarte Tatin was a decadent ending to a wonderful meal.

The Verdict

We definitely give a hearty "two thumbs up" to The Chef's Table restaurant. The 5-course dégustation menu concept here is well conceived and well executed.