Gourmet Flyer This is a continuation of my passionate and unbiased reviews of the food and dinner service in the main dining room (MDR) of Princess Cruises, and this particular itinerary is a seven-day Alaska journey. One new update that is a bit different is that I am posting the online menus from the app instead of pictures of the paper version from the restaurant. They can easily be accessed from the app by tapping the “Book Dining” tab on the top of your home screen, or by selecting the option “Reserve Dining”. Do note that dinner menus are sometimes not posted until late in the afternoon, as breakfast or lunch options (where available) will be displayed during most of the day.
Those of you who would like to see the actual menus from the restaurant that you’ll physically hold in your hand, you can find them from my previous reviews on the Mexican Riviera and Caribbean itineraries.
Table of Contents
- Day One: Sailaway Dinner
- Day Two: Captain’s Welcome (First Formal Night)
- Day Three: Princess Dinner
- Day Four: Italian Dinner
- Day Five: Chef’s Dinner
- Day Six: Gala Dinner (Second Formal Night)
- Day Seven: Farewell Dinner
Day One
This Princess cruise offers plenty of local Alaska flavor and specialties and the first one that we sample is the panko-crusted salmon bites accompanied by a mildly zesty lemon garlic aioli. The Japanese style panko is less oily and also gives more of a crunch to the bite. The salmon is fresh and tasty.
Our local specialties journey continues tonight with the pan-fried rockfish which is a whitefish known for its firm and flaky meat that carries a mild sweetness. The dish is delicious and very well prepared, but the portion size is literally tiny. The serving is mostly skin and there are maybe two to three bites of meat.
Next up is the Alaska ale braised short ribs which loosely refers to the malty beers crafted by the Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau which resemble a Northern German style ale. While the flavors are good, the meat itself is on the tougher side, and lacks the balance of fatty and lean meats which could have yielded more tenderness.
If you really want to spoil yourself with an amazing dessert that comes with plenty of calories, then pick something that is really worth it — namely, the crème brûlée. When perfectly executed, the custard is smoothly creamy, and the hard sugary crust is torched to a slight burn. When you sink your teeth into it, the crust crumbles and melts with the custard in your mouth.
Parlova is a light and airy coconut meringue accompanied by fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It’s one of several pastries designed by celebrity chef Cécile Moritel who crafts her desserts like a piece of art, which sometimes look much better than they taste. But it could be that the spectacular presentation raises the bar on the expectations.
Day Two
Escargots Bourguignon is a cruise ship version of this French classic prepared with rich garlic butter and lots of parsley, hence the green sauce. The buttery flavor is enhanced with a touch of red wine which blends well with the flavor of the snails.
A great variation of the usually boring green salad is a blend of Belgian endive and baby spinach topped with balsamic dressing and garnished with bits of fruit pieces.
Our local seafood journey continues with the seared Alaska halibut, one of the most prized fishes caught in the 49th state. The local specie is known for its thick steak-like meaty filets which have a firm texture and a mildly sweet flavor. This dish is perfectly prepared and beautifully presented.
Duck a l’Orange is a roasted leg and thigh paired with a fruity and tangy sauce that carries a hint of liqueur. The meat is moist and tender – so tender that it almost falls off the bone.
The chocolate hazelnut bar with citrus cream is a richly creamy French dacquoise cake with toppings that look and taste like Malteser chocolate balls. This is excellent and is my favorite dessert on this seven-day trip. I highly recommend that you give this a try!
Day Three
The Fisherman’s clam chowder is creamy and quite tasty. The soup is not thick, so a bit on the watery side. But it is still quite filling as it is filled with plenty of clam pieces and potatoes.
I really like Princess’ Caesar dressing so I almost always get the classic Caesar salad at least once in the MDR on top of the several servings that I grab at the buffet. If nothing on the appetizer menu looks appealing to me, this is always a safe bet.
The shrimp spaghetti aglio olio is cooked in a classic Italian way that the pasta is tossed in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes. But the execution here is not perfect and the spaghetti is a bit dry. The portion size is also tiny with maybe two to three small shrimps. Another dish that I’ll place on my “not recommended” list.
Please don’t ask me why I order whole roasted turkey on a cruise because I really don’t know why and I won’t do it again. The meat is dry, overly processed, and very salty. This is one of very few dishes on this Princess itinerary that I would rate as an “avoid”.
Another one of my favorite desserts on this trip through the glacier filled Inside Passage is the strawberry napoleon which has the basic characteristics of a French napoleon cake with thin layers of puff pastry that are crispy and somewhat flaky. Tasty and creamy strawberry fillings are sandwiched between the crispy layers which makes it a yummy experience when you sink your teeth into this crunchy dessert.
Day Four
The minestrone soup has plenty of vegetables in it and is tasty and refreshing. It’s a nice change of pace to have soup as the appetizer. Of course, if you choose to, you can order a soup plus an app as well, which is not a bad idea on Italian night, as the menu is loaded with good stuff.
My most favorite appetizer of the night is mushroom arancini, which is like a fried mushroom dumpling, for the lack of a better analogy. The breading is light and not greasy, while the mushroom filling is moist and tasty. The zesty tomato sauce also proves to be a perfect companion for the dish.
Tonight’s Italian culinary delights continue with the classic giant meatballs topped with melted parmesan cheese that sit atop a bed of creamy polenta and accompanied by pool of delicious marinara sauce. The all-beef meatballs are flavorful, moist, and soft. This is certainly a well-executed dish.
The local specialty of the night is Alaska halibut and chips, which is probably the most disappointing regional cuisine of this seven-day Princess cruise. The texture of the fried halibut is not firm, but soft and mushy. It does not taste like a fresh local fish, but rather a frozen filet from a box in Costco.
Mochaccino semifreddo is a classic frozen Italian dessert rich in cocoa flavor with a touch of expresso. It is not ice cream, although its texture might fool you to think it is. It is more like a frozen creamy mousse.
You can’t conclude Italian night without the classic tiramisu and here it is, as good as it gets and beautifully presented. The airy and crispy lady finger is an added bonus to the plate.
Day Five
The French onion soup is a pleasant surprise. It’s individually baked in tiny metal pots and the melted cheese on top is slightly burnt. The broth is rich in flavor and carries a hint of wine.
The artichoke and spinach dip is a refreshing change of pace after having so many heavy meals. It’s one of very few vegetarian dishes that I actually enjoy.
As you can probably tell by now, the menu on this Princess cruise offers plenty of Alaskan fishes and tonight we are enjoying a dish of spicy teriyaki coho salmon with avocado salsa. It really isn’t spicy, maybe very mildly so. The coho salmon is a leaner cut of fish, and the meat is firm in texture, and has a mild flavor.
The French classic chicken cordon bleu (French for blue ribbon) is made with a chicken breast filet that is rolled up or stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded, and deep fried. The execution of this dish is good — the crust is golden brown while the meat remains moist and tender.
The Pistachio Love Boat, designed by celebrity pastry chef Cécile Farkas Moritel, is a vanilla shortbread topped with pistachio mousse. Cecil is known to place a significant focus on the art form and presentation of her desserts. While it is certainly elegant, the taste is rather bland and lacks the richness of pistachio flavor.
Day Six
Ketchikan is the Salmon Capital of the World, so it is entirely appropriate to feature a slice of smoked salmon on tonight’s seafood deviled eggs. The salmon is delicious and pairs well with a glass of chardonnay. The eggs are creamy and accompanied by honey mustard dressing. Overall, this is one of my most favorite appetizers on this seven-day journey.
The Princess dinner menus on the ship this week is probably a seafood lover’s dream come true. Another great appetizer that I highly recommend is the lump crab cake with a golden-brown crust and buttery crab meat in the filling. The dish comes with spicy remoulade, which is a French sauce made primarily with mayo and mustard.
Surf and turf is typically served on the second formal night of a seven-day cruise. The beef filet is perfectly medium rare as ordered and is tender and flavorful. Something interesting is that we only get served half a lobster tail on this particular dinner on the Royal Princess. We’ve always had a full tail, so I am hoping that this might be a ship-specific cost cutting practice but not a fleetwide policy.
I am a big fan of the chocolate pistachio dome. Smooth and bittersweet dark chocolate mousse is molded into a dome shaped dessert that is beautifully garnished with finely chopped nuts. Chocolate lovers will be delighted to find the mousse richly flavorful and is further enhanced by drizzles and lines of more… chocolate syrup!
Day Seven
The seafood cocktail is a blend of shrimps, scallops, and crab meat served with a zesty citrus sauce that is quite refreshing. Here is another one of the apps that pair well with a glass of white wine.
I think we’ve tried almost every new creation or local specialty so on the final night we are going back to the basics — the shrimp cocktail, which is a Princess classic that is available nightly. The presentation is sort of interesting that shrimps are served in a large shot glass like vessel and garnished with a bed of lettuce, a lemon wedge, and cocktail sauce.
The highlight of tonight’s farewell dinner is the prime rib, which is pink in the center, tender and flavorful. It’s a yummy conclusion to this seven-day journey up and down the Inside Passage. A glass of cabernet sauvignon will be the perfect companion.
If you think you’ve had way too much red meat and seafood for the week, the grilled chicken breast is available every night. The chicken is good, although nothing very special or spectacular, but it hits the spot. Accompanied by mashed potatoes, vegetables, and brown gravy, this is the classic American favorite.
This is a Princess Cruises tradition, and this journey is no different that the baked Alaska parade followed by the dessert of the same name is the ultimate clue that your dream vacation is really coming to an end. Neapolitan ice cream is sandwiched between layers of shortcake and topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, making this the most pleasurable indulgence that is the most appropriate way to say “goodbye”.
