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BLOG: Pushing the Envelope in Onboard Dining - David YeskelBLOG: Pushing the Envelope in Onboard Dining - David Yeskel

David Yeskel, who has covered the cruise industry for over 25 years - often writing with a focus on F&B topics - shares his experiences from several recent sailings in a series of stories for Seatrade Cruise.

February 5, 2025

4 Min Read
CREDIT: David Yeskel
CREDIT: David Yeskel

For players across the cruise industry spectrum, the continual game of one-upmanship that defines competition in the F&B space requires out-of-the-box thinking - and, consequently, a certain degree of risk.  That’s why pushing the envelope has become the new normal, as the lines continually strive to introduce distinctive differentiators.  And when it comes to the culinary product, that ethos is played out in these impressively-conceived-and-delivered concepts that I experienced this past year.

Asian Night Market (Virgin Voyages)

To spark bookings for Virgin’s annual, month-long, fleetwide Eat & Drink Festival, the line’s F&B team must continually come up with creative concepts that appeal to a diverse, international clientele.  And 2024’s Asian Night Market was a bold work of art: a multi-ethnic, deep dive into regional Asian cuisines that was impressively conceived and thoughtfully executed.  Taking place over multiple nights in The Galley - Virgin’s upscale food hall - Asian Night Market featured myriad dishes delivered across 11 unique stations.  Highlights included Pork Banh Mi on a perfectly crusty French roll; a delicate, rice noodle-wrapped Shrimp Summer Roll with Peanut Sauce; and a spiky Shrimp Dragon Ball.  Sweet East Treats featured gorgeously-presented Filipino Babinka, Malaysian Egg Tarts and a melt-in-your-mouth Indian Rasmalai Macaron.  Signage and promotional graphics surrounding the event matched the artistry displayed on dish presentation, while the soundtrack coursing throughout the room put the finishing touch on an incredibly creative survey of the Eastern hemisphere’s delights.

Related:BLOG: Quick fire interview with the F&B@Sea Awards judges - Bret Thorn

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Emporium Marketplace (Explora Journeys)

Offering yet another example of the MSC Group’s quest for market share in the industry’s luxury sector, the company wasn’t shy about lavishing money and talent on the culinary product aboard Explora Journeys’ first two - of six planned - new ships.   And although Explora I and Explora II’s four included specialty restaurants (French, Mediterranean, steakhouse and pan-Asian) all deliver an impressive, gourmet product, the casual Emporium Marketplace is the unlikely, true stunner that stands up surprisingly well to those aforementioned outlets.  Amidst a rich-looking, gleaming white marble design, Emporium Marketplace offers a casual-yet-gourmet food-hall concept that no other player in the luxury niche currently matches in terms of scale and scope.  With 18 unique food stations - spread over 9,600 square feet - purveying delicacies like fresh oysters in three preparations, grilled-to-order lobster tails and authentic pizzas crafted with a proprietary flour blend, Emporium Marketplace convincingly makes the case for dinner, even against its formidable onboard competition.    

Related:BLOG: Quick fire interview with the F&B@Sea Awards judges - Kimberley Brock

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Nightly Themed Buffets (Azamara)

Like “The Little Engine That Could," boutique-ship operator Azamara works overtime to prove its culinary chops, especially considering the size of its intimate ships and relatively small footprint in the industry.  In fact, I found Azamara Onward’s small size to be inversely proportional to the breadth of culinary options available to guests throughout the vessel.  But what impressed me most were the nightly, themed buffets featured in the ship’s casual dining venue, Windows Cafe.  With extraordinary attention to detail and a vast selection of dishes, these ethnic spreads offered a comprehensive and tasty dive into their respective cultures by dominating every buffet station.  Complemented by appropriate decor, the feasts rotate through an ambitious 26-day cycle, perfect for the line’s long voyages.  And while there was representation from across the globe, the Indian, Italian and French iterations were the most memorable.  Unexpected delights also made appearances, like the classic, warm Peach Clafoutis found at the dessert station on Taste of France night.  And the Chinese feast, enhanced for Chinese New Year, was supercharged with a Peking duck station, multiple varieties of dim sum, preserved plums and a delicious, complimentary vodka and lychee-based cocktail.         

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The Butcher's Block by Dario (Princess Cruises)

Taking a chance on a beef-centric concept outside of the safe confines of the traditional steakhouse format proves that Princess Cruises’ F&B team was willing to assume substantial risk on a novel concept seemingly out of context for the industry.  Closely replicating Dario Cecchini’s famous butcher shop-adjacent restaurant in Tuscany, the casual, family-style concept - only on Sun Princess, for now - serves guests multiple cuts of beef in courses, complemented by bottomless glasses of Chianti and rustic bread in an informal, convivial atmosphere.  And in a tribute to authenticity, Dario assured me that the identical cuts of beef, plus the same salt, side dishes and wine served in Italy also grace the tables in the Princess incarnation.  Claiming that his grass-fed beef is lighter, cleaner and more delicate due to the careful manner in which the cattle are raised, Dario also distinguishes his concept as “nose to tail, that is, every part of the animal can be as delicious as steak.”  And thus, he prefers to refer to The Butcher's Block by Dario as a “whole cow house,” rather than a steakhouse.      

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