On-board Buffet Lunch Breisach

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Avalon Artistry II Lunch

Back from our first official excursion to the Black Forest, it was now time for our first lunch on-board the Artistry II.  As with everything on this cruise, you had choices.   We opted for the buffet lunch in the main dining room.

In this picture you can see guests in the background helping themselves to salad and the main dishes.   Another table had hot and cold soup selections along with breads.   Other choices included daily selections, which could be ordered via one of the waiters, or you could have a light lunch in the lounge if you preferred.

Soup & Salad

The complete lunch buffet included a selection of salad fixings with choice of dressings.

There were two soup choices - Vegetable Bouillon with Potato Strudel and Chilled Pineapple.  Both of the soups were very good.
In fact the chilled soup was so good that instead of dessert, I had a second cup of soup.


Main Dishes

Pictured here are two of the entree choices - Roast Beef Loin with gravy and Strips of Turkey Breast "Chop Suey" over rice.

Each lunch had one or more dishes at the carving station - usually a meat and a pasta as well as self-service selections.

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

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Artistry II Embarkation Dinner

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Dining on a River Cruise

Dining on a river cruise is very similar to the large cruise ship experience, but on a smaller scale.  Each evening the menu will offer starters, appetizers, main courses, and desserts that are unique as well as selections that are always available.

On Avalon, several wine and beer selections are also offered - some for free, and others at reduced pricing.

Our Dinner Selections

• Lamb's Lettuce with Potato-Bacon Dressing
• "Zuricher Geschnetzeltes" Pan fried strips of Veal Loin in Creamy Mushroom Sauce served with Rosti Potatoes
• Classic Vanilla Custard with Berries
• Freshly Sliced Fruit

View the rest of the menu in our photo album.

Dining Room with a View

Dining on an Avalon river cruise is open seating.  There were several different size tables for you to select from.   Pictured here was a typical table for six. 

You'll notice the large picture windows in the background.   We had a front row seat for all the action as our ship entered one of the 35 locks we'd traverse during the cruise.  If you look at the rest of the pictures in our photo album, you'll see that we were lowered quite a few feet before our ship exited the lock.  Also, the sun was setting making for an enjoyable backdrop.

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

Artistry 2 - Embarkation Dinner

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Star Princess Main Dining Room

Star Princess

Amalfi Dining Room

 In our last post about our Star Princess 12-Night Greek Isles and Mediterranean Cruise, we were preparing to sail away form Civitavecchia, Italy.  

As usual, my husband was taking pictures somewhere on the open decks before we sailed.   I had no idea where he'd gone and decided to return to the cabin and get ready for dinner.   Hoping that he'd gone to the dining room, I headed there and found him at our assigned table already engaged in conversation with two of our table mates from England. We had a table set for 8, but ended up with only 6 of us since their friends had to cancel due to illness.

At the advice of our waiter, Jigger, we ordered the spring rolls for our appetizer and the tenderloin of beef for our main course.   We've learned that you won't go wrong if you follow the advice of the wait staff. 

We've posted several more photos on our Facebook Fan Page and will be adding more as we continue to bring you the story of our cruise vacation. 

For those not familiar with dinners on a cruise ship, you select one or more appetizers, soups & salads, and the main course.  Following dinner the waiter will describe the desserts from which you can select one or more of those.   Some nights there may be a special appetizer or dessert prepared  such as a special pasta for an appetizer or cherries jubilee for dessert.

The food quality was very good.   We only had one meal that we didn't enjoy and that was the veal scaloppini which was too cold when it was served.  Our waiter notified the head waiter who came over to apologize and got the meals replaced.   Those were very hot.  We suspect the others had been left out too long.

Overall the dining experience in the Amalfi Dining Room was very enjoyable.  Our waiter and assistant were excellent.   After the first night, we never had to ask for ice tea again as they would bring it to us when we sat down. The only issue we had in the 12 nights was the one meal that must have been sitting   at the serving station too long before being server to us.  

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Solarium Bistro Indulgences

Solarium Bistro

Indulge your taste buds with a meal that's just as good as it is good for you.  This contemporary bistro offers health-conscious breakfast and lunch buffets in a casual setting.   The bistro is located in the Solarium, Deck 15 on the Allure of the Seas.

Healthy Main Entrees

The lunch selections on this particular sailing day included Starch Fava Bean and Chick Peas Stew with Root Vegetables, Brown Rice, Crepes Sauteed Shrimp, Mushrooms, Baby Spinach and Roasted Garlic, Crepes Vegetarian, Roasted Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms, Wilted Spinach and Thyme.

Miso Soups, Salad Bar, Fruits & Healthy Desserts

In addition to the main entrees, the bistro features a selection of Miso soups which are traditional Japanese soups consisting of a stock which has miso paste and other ingredients added to it.

Varieties available on this particular day were Chicken Noodle, Baby Shrimp and Brown Rice, and Vegetarian Miso soups.

Healthy Deserts

  Healthy Dessert Selections

The desserts included a selection of various fruits as well as Soya Panna Cotta, Lemon Cup Cake, Sugar-free Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Fig Bars. 

There is a salad bar that includes various types of lettuce and healthy toppings.   Even the salad dressings are of the healthy variety.

Additional Solarium Images (Click Here)

We've often said that just because you go on a cruise, you don't have to depart from you healthy eating style.   The Solarium Bistro makes it easy for you to eat healthy while still enjoying a relaxing day in the sun.    Just put on your cover up and stroll from the whirlpool to the bistro for breakfast or lunch.   

As night falls,  the Solarium Bistro converts into Samba Grill, a starlit Brazilian-style dining experience, featuring specialty caipirinhas along with rotisserie-roasted meats and seafood, straight off the grill and carved table-side.   There is an additional charge for the dinner.