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A 5 Star Dining Experience While Cruising
Amazing Cruise Cuisine Requires Extensive Grocery List One of the most-anticipated aspects of a cruise vacation is all of the wonderful food onboard. Cruise ship dining is legendary, and for good reason. You're likely to find everything from favorites like cheeseburgers and fries to innovative gourmet dishes (prawns wrapped in pancetta and flamed in Armagnac, anyone?) onboard. Plus, everything will be freshly made and beautifully presented by a talented culinary staff. Most cruise ships are ready to take care of guests' hunger pangs 24 hours a day, with a wide array of choices that range from super-healthy to deliciously decadent. Larger ships offer an increasing variety of dining venues, including traditional dining rooms, specialty restaurants, buffets, sushi bars, coffeehouses and ice cream parlors. For the ultimate in private dining, you can even call for room service. The sheer variety of food available on a cruise ship often amazes guests, to say nothing of the quantity. One of the questions most frequently asked by cruise passengers is, "Just how much food is consumed on a cruise?" The answer may surprise you! Here is the shopping list for a 14-day cruise aboard the Celebrity Infinity, which can carry up to 2,038 guests: Beef: 24,236 pounds Lamb: 5,040 pounds Pork: 7,218 pounds Veal: 4,600 pounds Sausage: 1,680 pounds Chicken: 10,211 pounds Turkey: 3,146 pounds Fish: 13,156 pounds Crab: 350 pounds Lobster: 2,100 pounds Fresh Vegetables: 25,736 pounds Potatoes: 15,150 pounds Fresh Fruit: 20,003 Milk: 3,260 gallons Cream: 1,976 quarts Ice Cream: 600 gallons Eggs: 9,235 dozen Sugar: 5,750 pounds Rice: 3,800 pounds Cereal: 1,750 pounds Jelly: 450 pounds Tea Bags: 2,450 Coffee: 2,458 pounds Cookies: 1,936 pounds Herb and Spices: 120 pounds Wine: 3,400 bottles Champagne: 200 bottles Gin: 200 bottles Vodka: 290 bottles Whiskey: 350 bottles Rum: 150 bottles Sherry: 45 bottles Liqueurs: 600 bottles Beer: 10,100 bottles and cans Imagine how many shopping carts that grocery list would require! Of course, it does include most everything needed for all of the thousands of meals, snacks, desserts and refreshments served on a two-week cruise. If you follow a vegetarian, kosher, diabetic, low-fat, low-sodium, low-cholesterol, gluten-free, lactose-free or other special diet, be sure to let me, your Personal Cruise Expert know. Cruise ship culinary staffs are accustomed to accommodating special requests. With advance notice, they can provide a memorable dining experience within the limitations of virtually any special diet. Happy Cruising! Teresa Knox |