Gourmet Flyer What Princess Cruises promote as the “ultimate balcony dinner” is indeed the most unique and romantic dining experience that is unlike anything else that we’ve seen on a cruise ship, or really anywhere else. Whether it is for a special occasion or an intimate date night, you and your loved one will savor every moment of and remember it for a very long time. Look, you are on the Love Boat already, what else can be better than an elegant dinner at the comfort and privacy of your own balcony, under the backdrop of your own choosing, whether it’s a gorgeous sunset or a scenic sail away.
Princess does an excellent job in both the design and execution of this epic menu. What you’ll get is a five-course dinner that comes complete with a glass of champagne, a cocktail of your choice, gift of delicate friandises, and a dedicated server in your stateroom for the entire duration of the meal.
Table of Contents
The Set Up
Our server arrived with a full-size room service cart full of food, drinks, and all the necessary tableware, as well as a foldable square dining table complete with white tablecloth. She meticulously set everything up as if our balcony were part of an exclusive fine dining restaurant.
Perfectly folded napkins, sparkling champagne glasses, silverware, plates, bread, butter, and flowers were artfully arranged on the tabletop, which set the stage for the phenomenal evening that we’ve been really looking forward to.
At this time, a photographer came to take several pictures for us under this romantic and elegant setting. Note that one photo USED TO BE included, but is no longer. You’ll have to purchase the photos if you like them. But even without the free picture, the ultimate balcony dinner by Princess is still be best bargain on any cruise ship.
Canapés
Our indulgences tonight started with drinks and canapés. (Note: Usually at this time the server would open the bottle of champagne, but we decided to stick with our beer and wine for the moment and save the champagne for later.)
I should give you a heads up and recommend that you have a very light lunch and no afternoon tea or any snacks and be literally starving until dinner time. As you’ll see if you read on, there would be plenty of food.
Beautifully garnished with fresh strawberries and cheeses, the flavors of the canapés from left to right were cream cheese, salmon, tuna, and shrimp.
Appetizer
This was a rather creative dish that the crab cake was baked in a pastry crown. It’s like what I would describe as a crab cake quiche… almost! It was served with a refreshing tomato chutney with a hint of garlic and herbs. A creamy mustard sauce with a mild Dijon flavor accompanied the dish.
I really enjoyed the taste of the dish, especially that it did not have a strong fishy taste or smell, which was important to me.
Salad
The salad was huge for a five-course meal. This was almost like a meal by itself, but if you like eating a lot of vegetables, then this is great. It’s composed of a blend of greens tossed with freshly cut pear, walnuts, and a rich balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Main Course
The highlight of our Princess ultimate balcony dining menu was a choice of filet mignon, lobster tail, or the best of both worlds – the surf and turf, which was what we ordered. The presentation was Instagram worthy so I had to stop our enthusiastic server from removing the shells of our lobsters so that I could take this picture for my fans and followers.
The food had been close to perfect the entire evening. The lobster tasted very fresh and we both liked the texture of the meat. The steaks were closer to medium than medium rare, but that’s really a non-issue considering the fact that the food had to be brought to our room from the kitchen downstairs and then stay in a warmer. The filets were very tender and flavorful, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dessert
A quartet of chocolate mousses was accompanied by a band of delightful red berries and drizzles of cherry syrups. While this may sound more like an orchestra than a dessert, the plate was indeed presented like a piece of art. We were then faced with the dilemma of whether to look at it and adore it, or to eat it! The flavors of the chocolates from left to right were dark, Swiss, milk, and white.
Friandises
A plate of fine chocolates, chocolate coated strawberries, and macarons were waiting for us at the conclusion of our meal. We’ve had so much food that we needed to save these and some leftover desserts for later. Our server already brought some extra plates with her, and she stored everything nicely for us, covering them with another plate on top. She also left the flowers in our room, which stayed fresh for the remainder of our cruise.
Conclusion
My wife and I have been blessed with many romantic dinners at exotic locations with breathtaking views, like at the edge of the caldera in Santorini or at a terrace looking over the Grand Canal in Venice. But there is nothing quite like the experience of the ultimate balcony dinner on a Princess cruise ship. We could feel the romance in the air as we savored every magical moment of the evening.
Not only was the food plentiful and delicious, the service was also impeccable. Our server always left the room after setting up each course and let us enjoy it in our privacy. But somehow, she knew when to be back and would always appear out of nowhere whenever we needed something, or just to check on us to ensure everything was fine. Among all the specialty dining options on Princess, I assure you that this is the most unique experience and is also the best value. I highly recommend that you book this early, as prices this low won’t last long.
Price: As of this writing, $57.50 per person + 20% gratuity which includes
- One small bottle of champagne
- One cocktail per person
- Canapés
- Four course meal with appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert
- Friandises and flowers
- A dedicated server
Menu:
