What's For Dinner Avalon Artistry II Cologne

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Enjoying 

Another Great Dinner Onboard

Avalon Artistry II

Every great meal begins with tasty starters. After an enjoyable day sightseeing in Cologne and enjoying the scenery along the Rhine River, it was time for some socialization with our new friends over another special dinner in the main dining room.

Have You Ever Tried Cream of Green Apple Soup? 


We've had many tasty meals on cruises over the last 30+ years. Some of those meals are quite memorable for various reasons - the food, the company, the great wait staff. I think what I'll remember most about the Artistry II dinners and lunches will be the homemade soups. Tonight's Cream of Green Apple Soup was very refreshing.

Chef's Choice

The featured Chef's Choice was the selection we opted for. It was a Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach and Mozzarella Cheese. It was served in a Vegetable Sauce with Broccoli and Creamy Potatoes.

Leave Room for Dessert 

Always leave room for dessert. The Creme Brulee was always a favorite as was the Fresh Fruit Plate.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page

 

Artistry II Dinner - Cologne

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Sailing From Cologne

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All Aboard 

Artistry II 

Sails from Cologne

Onboard lunch was served starting at 12:30 PM with final all aboard at 1 PM.  Shortly after that, the ship sailed from Cologne.

We had the usual buffet lunch in the main dining room with a selection of entrees, soups, and desserts.

Afternoon Activities - Sights Along the Rhine

The Largest Fair on the Rhine is a fair in Düsseldorf, drawing more than 4 million visitors annually. It is one of Germany’s biggest fairs. It took place the third week in July (2015 dates: July 17-26) on the left bank of the Rhine River, in the district Düsseldorf-Oberkassel. The fair features beer and food tents, amusement park rides, vendors, all of which we could see from our vantage point onboard our ship.

Shown here is Alpina Bahn, a transportable classic eight roller-coaster for families. It is possible to operate up to five trains simultaneously. The five trains consist of five cars for four people in two rows.  This was just one of the many sights seen along the Rhine River as we sailed away.

Galley Tour

Besides watching the scenery along the Rhine River, we took a peek inside the ship's kitchen where all the fantastic meals were prepared in a small space.  Go behind the scenes in our article: Avalon Artistry II Galley Tour.

Wheel House Visit

There was also an open house in the wheel house.  Here we were able to see how the ship is operated.  The First Captain was on hand to answer questions.   

It was a very enjoyable afternoon sailing along the Rhine River on our way to our next port of call in The Netherlands.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page

 

Cologne Sail-away

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Avalon Artistry II Galley Tour

Chef Takes Us

Behind the Scenes

What does it take to feed the passengers and crew of Avalon Artistry II?

A small galley crew prepares fresh meals from regional menus each day of the cruise.  Each dinner menu consists of appetizers & starters, a main entree, and desserts.  Breakfast and lunches have several choices which are served buffet style.  It is also possible to order from a daily menu of optional choices.

We got the opportunity to go behinds the scenes for a closeup look at the galley.  It's much smaller than galleys on ocean ships, as you might expect.   What it lacks in size is made up by talented chefs and assistants with the desire to make every meal special for their guests.  Click on the image below for a closer look at the galley.
 

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Avalon Artistry II Galley

 

Artistry II - Chef's Dinner

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Food Too Pretty To Eat

Food Creation by Caribbean Princess Chefs

Go Behind the Scenes - Princess Cruise

Galley Tour

Not To Be Missed Culinary Extravaganza At Sea

That Looks So Good - I Don't Want to Eat It

Have those words ever come out of your mouth?  I suspect that they have - I know I've said them.  We've been cruising for more than 30 years now, and yet I'm always amazed by the talent that goes into food presentation on board cruise ships.   Every plate at dinner is a masterpiece in its own right, with everything placed in the exact spot and all the ingredients working together to make an appealing dish. But that is just the beginning of food presentation on a cruise ship ...

Food Art

The ship above is amazing.  It almost looks like we could sail the seven seas - all we need is a crew. During our behind the scenes Galley Tour we had the opportunity to see how food is prepared and also experience some of these works of art. This is the first in a mini-series about the talented chefs onboard Caribbean Princess.

Here we have a violin that is perched above the buffet counter.  It reminds me of art on a shelf in gift shop or gallery.

All that is missing is the sign: "Pretty to look at, pretty to hold, but if you break it, consider it sold."

Click on any of these images for a closer look.  We simply loved the time and effort that the Princess Cruises staff put into these culinary works of art.   They definitely added to the enjoyment of our cruise.

Not To Be Missed Culinary Extravaganza At Sea

Culinary Extravaganza

Caribbean Princess

As you sit down to dinner in the main dining room you wonder...

"My delicious meals arrive in front of me, but how do they get there?"

Come with us for a "taste" of two of the culinary extravaganzas that await you on your Princess cruise.


Culinary Demonstration and Galley Tour

Giuseppe Pollara, Executive Chef, and Angelo Balbiani, Maitre D' Hotel (MDH), on Caribbean Princess during a recent voyage presented an exciting cooking demonstration in the Princess Theater, followed by the Tour of the "Caribbean" Galley.   We joined the demonstration and tour as part of my ongoing Princess Commodore training, where I strive to keep up to date with behind the scenes information for my guests.   Fortunately, this event is open to the public, so you too could go behind the scenes.

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Dave, our Cruise Director, and Angelo, our MDH, set the stage for what we were about to see in the theater and afterwards in the galley.   We were able to watch on the big screen as the Chef and his assistants prepared a couple dishes from the Princess cookbook which we would be able to purchase following the tour.

Entering the galley, following the cooking demonstration, the first thing that strikes me is how spotless all the counters and equipment are.   Having worked in a kitchen or two in the past, I really appreciate the effort that went into keeping the galley in such condition.

There are several "stations" throughout the galley, each of which is dedicated to a particular task and type of food.   We passed by meat, fish, vegetable, and many other preparation and storage areas.

Courses A Culinary Journey

Following the galley tour we had the opportunity to speak with Executive Chef  Giuseppe Pollara and Maitre D' Hotel Angelo.

The answer to your question:

234 Galley Personnel under the supervision of the Executive Chef prepares all your delicious dishes!

274 Dining Personnel under the supervision of the MDH serves all your delicious dishes!

Armed with our autographed copy of the Princess cookbook, the goal was to keep the cruise lasting beyond disembarkation.

Chef's Table Culinary Experience

Carnival Cruise Line

Chef's Table

Culinary Experience

One of the popular activities while onboard a cruise ship is participating in the galley tour.  Even if you aren't much of a cook at home, and don't really get excited seeing stoves and other cooking gadgets, it is still amazing to see the quantity of equipment and staff required to keep the passengers and crew fed during the voyage.

Carnival Cruise Line has taken the galley tour to a new level, introducing the "Chef's Table", as a pilot program last year, onboard Carnival Dream and Carnival Ecstasy.  The program is a one-of-a-kind culinary experience which includes an exquisite multi-course dinner hosted by one of the line’s master chefs along with a private cocktail reception and a personalized tour of the galley.  This year the program is being rolled out to six more ships.

The Chef's Table experience, which is limited to a select group of 12 guests, begins with cocktails and hors d’ouevres hosted by the ship’s chef de cuisine. The chef then takes the group on a personalized tour to see the galley in operation, providing participants with a unique perspective on Carnival’s extensive food and beverage operations. A traditional galley tour typically occurs when there isn't much activity in the galley and with much larger groups of passengers.

The evening concludes with a sumptuous full-service dinner with delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts created by the line’s master chefs.  Depending on the vessel, the meal takes place in non-traditional dining venues throughout the ship – the galley, library, conference center, etc.

The Chef’s Table program is being rolled out to the following six ships over the next several weeks:  Carnival Liberty, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Pride and Carnival Fascination.

The program can be booked on board through the ships’ guest information desk. The cost is $75 per person.