This blog is focused on a focal point of all cruises; Food
& Beverage. This March 14th 2013 Transatlantic Cruise is the final
Azamara cruise sailing under the policy of complimentary wines with lunch and
dinner. Starting on the very next
cruise, complimentary wines, beer and spirits will be included and available at
all times.
The various food outlets include: Discoveries Restaurant for semi-formal
elegant dining offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Windows Café open non-stop offering buffet
meals, with several cooking and carving stations. Mosaic Café, open all day and eve offering
finger sandwiches and pastries along with specialty coffees and teas. A poolside grill offering hearty fare in the
most casual setting. The specialty
restaurants Aqualina serving mostly seafood, and Prime C serving mostly prime
steaks were open for dinners, and an occasional brunch, at a slight upcharge
(included for guests in suites). High
tea was served daily in two locations; an elegant rendition in the beautiful
Looking Glass lounge, or a more casual version in the Windows Café. Of course, 24 hour room service as well,
including high tea service.
~A
WIDE VARIETY OF CUISINE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, USING FRESH LOCAL INGREDIENTS
WAS AVAILABLE IN DIFFERENT VENUES RANGING FROM FORMAL TO CASUAL. NEVER A NEED TO DON A SUIT OR TIE IF NOT
DESIRED, YET STILL ELEGANT~
As one typically finds on a cruise ship, at any time you can
dine either formally or casually. This
is certainly the case here, even with such an intimate sized ship there are
many options. The main dining room
Discoveries presented three multi-course meals daily in a semi-formal elegant
setting. White tablecloth, fine china
and silverware in a beautiful room with windows all around. Dinners from Aqualina and Prime C were the
most formal, jackets and ties were common.
Otherwise not, with resort casual being the norm elsewhere.
Before I get into further detail with my synopsis of the
food & beverage, and service on board I wanted to present my credentials
and the parameters I used for my assessment.
I grew up in “fine dining”, and much of my career has included
critiquing dining, accommodations, etc. at a professional level. My father was an accomplished European and
American Maitre’d, and among his friends were other restaurateurs such as Arnie
Morton who started the Morton’s Steakhouse, Gene from Gene & Georgetti’s in
Chicago, and many more. As a child I ate
family dinners at Morton’s with Arnie and his family. I was an international Tour Director for many
years, taking cruises, staying at fine hotels and dining out, with detailed
written reports on all services being a big part of my duties. As a Concierge and Chief Concierge at 4 and
even 5 star properties, I dined out at fine dining establishments often and
reviewed everything with a critical eye as a part of my professional duties. I arranged dining as part of my duties
setting up tours, including around the world private jet tours which cost
around $100,000 per person. I watch
cooking shows in my spare time, and have taken cooking classes. I yada
yada yada…, you get the picture. I know
this aspect very very well, and I don’t impress easily.
That said… I was
impressed with what I saw on board the Azamara Quest!!
~MY
ASSESMENT OF FOOD & BEVERAGE ON BOARD ALONG WITH SERVICE WAS THAT IT
CONSISTENTLY RANGED FROM VERY VERY GOOD TO OUTSTANDING, AN ASSESMENT SHARED BY
ALL OTHER GUESTS ENCOUNTERED ON-BOARD~
Starting with the main dining outlet, Discoveries
restaurant, we dined here everyday at least once. There was only one evening that there was an
ever so slight few minute wait to be seated, otherwise instant seating. Service was professional and fairly crisp
with only the slightest nuance of being less than impeccable. It was friendly, unrushed, and consistently
excellent. More on service in my next
blog!
The food presented ranged from classically prepared dishes
such as New York Strip with Café de Paris Herb butter, to unique innovative
creations such as an amazing combination of Avocado and Watermelon in a chilled
soup that was fantastic in every way! Sicilian
Chef Fabio D’Agosta uses his classical training and European influence in many
ways. His Italian influence is clear in
the outstanding Veal Shank cooked in an Tomato
Veloute with Orange Zest over Risotto.
His traditional Osso Bucco was perhaps the best my companion and I have
ever enjoyed. Meals were always
executed technically proficient; never any negative issue such as sauce
separating, or under / over-cooked.
Quite an accomplishment!
~A
WIDE RANGE OF FRESH WHOLESOME FOODS; SEAFOOD FROM LOBSTERS, CRAB AND SCALLOPS
TO MUSSELS, FOUL FROM DUCK, QUAIL AND PHEASANT TO SQUAB, MEATS FROM VEAL,
TENDERLOIN AND LAMB TO VENISON LOIN WERE PRESENTED AND COOKED TO PERFECTION,
SERVED WITH A RANGE OF APPROPRIATE SIDE DISHES EQUALLY AS IMPRESSIVE~
Vegetarians would be happy as well, with fresh vegetables
and salads of all kinds readily available.
My companion was very pleased and impressed with the variety of
innovative eggplant dishes. Fresh fish
of all kinds were presented as well.
I had a nice conversation with Chef Fabio which focused more
on his management of the behind the scenes part of his duties; something which
I could not view and assess as a guest sailing on board. I will share this with you in my next blog,
which ties is with another conversation I had with Captain Carl Smith. The upcoming blog will focus on staff and
overall service and interaction, which has become clear what sets Azamara apart
and is the primary reason why Azamara cruisers are so devoted and loyal.
Now to finish up on Food & Beverage service without
having a blog way too long.
The specialty restaurants did step it up a half notch
regarding food and service, however the primary reason to dine at Aqualina or
Prime C was to have a bit more intimate of a setting. The cuisine and service in the main
Discoveries Restaurant was just fine, even for the most discriminate
gourmand. Each specialty restaurant
offered more dishes within their respective specialties, and all outlets posted
their menus at the entrance hours in advance.
This enables one to decide in advance where to dine based on an
individual meal that may be most appealing to you. There was never any lack of variety in any
restaurant at any time; the specialty restaurants simply offered more of that
type of cuisine in their more intimate setting than what you would find in
other dining areas which offered a couple / few selections within a wider
variety of food types.
~BEVERAGE
SERVICE WAS CRISP, WITH A CAPTAIN OR SOMMELIER ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE. EVEN THE WAITERS WERE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE
WINES PRESENTED, AND THE HOUSE WINES OFFERED WERE QUITE NICE THEMSELVES; VERY
GOOD QUALITY WINES OF NOTABLE VINTAGE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, FROM ARGENTINE
MALBECS TO FRENCH CABERNETS FOR REDS, TO ITALIAN PINOT GRIGIO’S TO SOUTH
AFRICAN SAUVIGNON BLANC’S~
I will end this blog regarding Food & Beverage on-board
with a hearty salute and well-deserved kudos to Chef Fabio and his staff, and
my assurances that you can rest assured that dining on board an Azamara Club
Cruise will not only meet but exceed your expectations, providing a high level
of enjoyment as fine dining should!!
My next blog discusses service and staffing on board, and
comparisons to other luxury cruise lines in general. See you again soon!