Empire RestaurantCarnival Spirit Cruise Ship
Out Of Sydney
If you like your food then don't rule out a cruise - especially if it's on the Carnival Spirit.
While the rumours of wall to wall food aren't completely wrong (there's food everywhere), it's the quality that is surprising - in a good way.
There are lots of people on board but the meals are actually personalised despite the numbers. There are so many options available at Empire Restaurant each night it's hard to know where to start. They have a menu that lasts the duration of the cruise with about half a dozen entrees and another half a dozen mains - but wait, there's more.
They also have another six choices each day as well for both entrees and mains. With a dozen of each every day it's food bliss!
Our starters very tasty. We had a prawn cocktail served with cocktail sauce. Surprisingly they also had escargots - burgundy snails in garlic butter with Chablis and Pernod and a toasted baguette - tres bien.They also had panko crusted jumbo prawns served with zesty tomato sauce and homemade spicy chips. But you can get anything on the menu as an entree or a main course - just ask, they are so flexible here.
Main courses are just as varied. We had grilled salmon fillet served with steamed vegetables of the day - cooked as much or as little as you request; a delicious Guinness mince, mushroom and cheese pie made from minced chuck steak and white mushrooms braised in dark ale baked in a fluffy pie crust with aged cheddar cheese; pan-seared chicken schnitzel served with chips and tomato sauce and finally a lovely spice wrapped, grilled 220 grams rump steak from grain fed beef, three peppercorn sauce, sauteed green beans and potato mash.
And lets not forget desserts, where there are just as many options to salivate over.One of our favourites, in fact one of the most popular among everyone on the ship, was the warm chocolate melting cake. This chocolate fondant was amazing with its soft crust hiding a pool of molten chocolate inside - and you can even ask for the level of cooking you prefer! It was so hard not to simply order this dessert each and every night.
The mango, raspberry and pineapple sorbets were colourful and a good dessert if you wanted to freshen your palate.
We all loved the vanilla creme brulee - a traditional brulee with a lovely toffee crust on top and a smooth custard underneath.
Empire Restaurant is the main restaurant of the many places to eat on Carnival Spirit. You can pretty much get any variation on the menu and often things not on the menu, just by asking.
The quality of the food and service is impressive - especially when you realise that they are feeding a few thousand people every night and are prepared to personalise each and every meal if needed.
We'll be posting a series of write-ups from our recent cruise on Carnival Spirit showing you what you can expect if you travel with them. It's not all food as well, even though there's plenty of it and it is impressive!
