By Margaret Malsam
Great food is part of the ultimate cruise experience, and cruise chefs know how to prepare and serve food so expertly and attractively that you feel like royalty. I’m sure King Tut would have loved cruise food. The delightful food is included in your cruise price, but you should learn to choose wisely to avoid weight gain.
Margaret Malsam and her husband stand beside the Rhapsody of the Seas.
On a recent Alaskan cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, we enjoyed many types of gourmet foods, including exotic international dishes like Indian curries, Brazilian stew and Asian duck. Even my adventurous grandchildren (ages 10-13) learned to like such sophisticated foods as escargot and sushi. I especially enjoyed the scrumptious seafood and chilled fruit soups.
It’s amazing how chefs on a cruise ship can turn out such sensational meals for so many people. We were privileged to cruise the galley where all the scrumptious food is prepared. I interviewed Executive Chef Patrick McCabe. He explained that even though recipes are made in large quantities, sample plates are taste tested before serving guests at each meal. He said the chefs cook about 10,000 meals daily for the 2,400+ passengers and 750+ crew.
Executive Chef Patrick McCabe
You may wonder how you can dine like royalty and still not gain mega pounds. It is possible to enjoy your meals on a cruise without feel guilty. Here are some sensible tips for cruise dining and recipes from Royal Caribbean’s Savor cookbook for your at-home dining.
Skip the midnight buffets and extra trips to the snack bars. If you are still up at that time and want to view the fancy vegetable, fruit and ice carvings, grab a small plate and fill it with fresh vegetables and fruits. Skip the rich dips. The veggies won’t add many calories and you will feel a part of the festivities.
Ask for the first seating of your dinner in the dining room. This gives you more time to use up of some of the calories before going to bed.
Don’t feel you have to order all courses (appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert) for your dinner. For example, you may want to skip the salad or soup and order an appetizer. Or you may want to have a low calorie dessert. For example, after indulging in a soup, salad and entree, I ordered a rainbow sherbet. It was just the light, elegant touch to end the meal, and I didn’t feel deprived of my dessert.
Order selectively by choosing the broiled, baked or steamed foods. On a cruise, seafood cooked in any way is very tasty and fresh, and it’s usually lower in calories (unless deep fried) than most other entrées.
Avoid any foods with rich cream sauces. Some cruise ship menus will have a symbol beside the low-calorie foods.
If you have special diet restrictions, request the head waiter to order meals that meet your individual needs.
Go easy on the wines and mixed drinks because they add calories very fast. These are items you must purchase except during the captain’s party when they are complimentary. Beware of the fancy mixed drinks served with umbrellas and other lovely decorations. One drink may contain as many calories as a main dish.
Try to eat all your meals in the ship’s white tablecloth dining room instead of at the buffet or snack bars. You’ll find more skinny choices in the dining room. For example, we ordered veggie omelets with egg substitutes for breakfast in the dining room. Only scrambled eggs with sausage or bacon were available at the top deck breakfast buffet. For lunch, we found more fresh vegetables and fruits and lighter broiled entrées in the dining room than at the snack bar . Best of all, we were not tempted to consume seconds when we ordered from a menu.
Take advantage of the ship’s exercise and spa programs. Most ships now have their own exercise rooms filled with workout equipment and a jogging track on the top deck. You can always walk around the upper outside decks several times for exercise in the early morning or late evening and view an elegant sunrise or sunset.
Use the steps instead of the elevators to go from one deck to another. Going up and down steps can burn off lots of calories.
Dance every night and exercise every day. On a large ship, you can usually choose from ‘50s ballroom, country western or disco dancing. Most ships will have several swimming pools. Don’t just dip in and then sun bath. Instead swim around the pool even if it is a small pool.
