Have you ever wondered…

is it really possible to keep your REAL food lifestyle alive and kicking on a cruise?

We sacrificed and did the research, and the answer is absolutely YES!

As many of you know, Scott and I became empty nesters a couple of years ago and have tried to take a few trips to immerse ourselves in some of the beauty our world has to offer.  In case you missed it, we previously shared some of our experiences from our trips to Puerto Rico and Michigan.

We just returned home from our very first cruise.   

Our cruise ported in Vancouver and stopped in three Alaskan cities (Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan), plus a visit to Glacier Bay which was spectacular!  Not only was this our first cruise, but it was also our first trip to Alaska.    

Watch our video or read on to learn more!

Needless to say, we were skeptical whether we would like it.  We generally shy away from “touristy” things, and we were unsure whether we would be able to enjoy the caliber of REAL foods we love.  Especially enjoying all the veggies that are part of our routine and lifestyle at home and on the road when we have more control over what we eat.  On the cruise, of course, we were at the mercy of the foods available on the ship.

We are extremely happy to report that, with a little creativity and effort, we were able to really embrace a variety of delicious and healthy options, including lots of vegetables, fruits, and fresh fish – and we learned a few things along the way!  So, we hope this will give you some encouragement if there is a cruise in your future!  

We were on a Holland America ship called the Koningsdam, which can carry about 2,500 passengers.  The ship had several options for food:

• The Lido deck had buffet style food available pretty much all day starting at 6 AM
• The main dining room had set hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  On some days, the dining room was closed for lunch, or they served a brunch instead.  The quality of the food was a step above the buffet and, of course, there were fewer choices available.
• Several specialty restaurants (with an additional charge) provided even higher quality food and specialized in specific cuisines.  A few examples include Tamarind (Asian cuisine), Canaletto (Italian cuisine), and the Pinnacle Grill (specializing in steak and seafood).

Our Experience…

Hidden gems on the buffet!  As you can imagine, the buffet was loaded with all kinds of fried chicken and fish, cheesy and creamy dishes, pizza, burgers, hot dogs and an extravagant variety of desserts.   However, among the madness were plenty of veggies, fruits, grilled fish, beans, nuts, seeds and more.  Our favorite was starting with the salad bar.  We asked them to load our bowls with dark leafy greens, and then add “a little bit of everything.”  From the looks we got from some of the cruise ship staff, “a little bit of everything” wasn’t a common request!  “Everything” included all kinds of veggies, beans, nuts, and more.  Plus, a simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  Then, we went to another station where they had freshly grilled seafood (the salmon was amazing!) and we added a filet to our salad.

These huge salads were delicious and filling.  And they evidently looked delicious too!  As I was walking to our table, a woman stopped me and said, “WOW, I want that salad!”  She said she was having trouble getting enough veggies.  I gladly explained what I did, and she was so excited.  Then, as Scott got to the table he said, “This guy walked by and said, ‘That salad looks amazing – where can I get that?'”  Remember, you never know who is watching!

Surprisingly good breakfasts!

We enjoyed a few of our breakfasts at the buffet and a few in the dining room.  We were pleasantly surprised at the buffet.  I fell in love with their muesli, which is similar to overnight oats.  Oh my, it was creamy and dreamy and served cold with raisins and thin strips on honeydew.  Then, we added more dried fruits, nuts and seeds – it was so good we will be turning this into a website recipe soon!  We also enjoyed a savory breakfast, which included whole grain bread, fresh grilled fish, red onions, cucumbers, capers and more.  So incredibly tasty!

For our dining room breakfasts, we were rewarded by getting outside our comfort zone.  Remember, this is where the magic happens!  For example, there was a breakfast called Aloo Masala Bhurji.  We didn’t know exactly what this was, so we dove in tried it and WOW!  It is an Indian inspired breakfast with spiced scrambled eggs and sauteed vegetables in a curry sauce – so flavor loaded!  Another one was Congee.  I will admit I didn’t know what Congee was.  It’s similar to rice porridge and the toppings included seasoned chicken, tofu, hard-boiled egg, chopped peanuts and crushed red pepper flakes.  Again – mind-blowing flavor!  Yes, both of these will soon be making their debuts on the website!  Inspiration where we least expected it!

You get what you pay for!

There was no extra charge for eating at the buffet or in the main dining room.  And, like I said, the quality of the dining room food was a notch above the buffet (not surprising).  Meals at the specialty restaurants required an additional charge.  However, since we booked as a group (there were 12 of us), we received a couple of “free” meals in these restaurants.  And, a little tip, we got an AARP membership (for $12), which gave us a $100 onboard credit that we were able to use for dining in these specialty restaurants.

Our meals at the Asian and Italian restaurants were loaded with creativity and flavor – they were really delicious!  And our lunch at The Pinnacle Grill was so good Scott and I went back on the last day of the cruise to enjoy it one more time (it was up there in the top 3 best salmon dishes we have ever had)!  The specialty restaurants also give you a break from the masses of people in the buffet and main dining room.  Using these specialty restaurant meals strategically was a nice addition to our cruise experience.

And now we know!

For what it’s worth, we also discovered the fresh, local seafood in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest is dramatically better than the seafood we get from our local stores at home.  Now we get it and, based on this experience, we are planning to start purchasing at least some of our seafood that we know comes directly from those areas.

A few other tips:

• Seek out the locals.  The ports can feel very touristy.  In fact, a lot of the shops at the ports are either owned by or affiliated with the cruise lines.  There are some hidden gems when you get away from these touristy areas.  When we were in Juneau, we were talking to a local woman who used to live in Skagway (our next stop).  She told us about her favorite hikes and was raving about a local gin distillery.  When we got to Skagway, we went a little off the beaten path to the distillery, where the manager gave us a rundown on the gins they make using all kinds of fresh local fruits and botanicals.  As we were tasting one of their creations, he said, “feel free to help yourself to the raspberries on the bushes right outside the door – we don’t spray so they are all natural.”  He obviously didn’t realize who he just told this to – we couldn’t resist and enjoyed handfuls of the fresh raspberries right off the bushes!
• AllTrails for some amazing views.  Ahead of our arrival at the ports, we used the AllTrails app to find some great walking and hiking trails.  We experienced some views that we wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.  The app gives you reviews, ratings, photos, maps and more.  The app is free, or you can pay a small annual fee to be able to download the maps (to use when you don’t have cell service) and unlock a few other features.  We really love this app and it has been extremely helpful.  We have found the paid version well worth the money and we now always download the map so we can stay on the right trails even when we lose cell service.
• Double up on the salads and veggies.  At some of our meals on the cruise, the serving size of the salads and veggies was less than what we are used to.  Whenever we asked them to double it, they gladly accommodated.  The service everywhere on the ship really was very impressive.
• Dessert and alcohol in moderation.  Did we have dessert?  Yes.  What about alcohol?  Ditto.  When we had desserts, we tried to make sure it was something that would bring us joy (not just dessert for the sake of eating dessert).  And Scott and I would split whatever we ordered so we each got to try something new.  We had more dessert than we normally would, but didn’t go overboard and were perfectly satisfied.  It was the same with alcohol.  We did enjoy pairing the wines with our dinners and even tried a couple of cocktails that we normally wouldn’t drink.  Again, we kept it in moderation and drank A LOT of water during our week on the ship.   Plus, using that All Trails app helped us find walks and trails to work off some of those extra calories!
• Splurge for the balcony.  We went back on forth on whether to pay extra for the balcony when we booked the cruise.  After listening to recommendations from friends, including Zonya, we absolutely don’t regret our decision to get the balcony!  Being able to get some fresh air and time away from the crowds was money well spent!

Our verdict?

We really enjoyed our Alaskan cruise.  And we enjoyed the food even more than we thought we would.  Our favorite part of the cruise was the day in Glacier Bay – more beautiful than you can even imagine!

Will we do another one?  We will definitely consider it.  We might seek out a smaller ship and a destination that we might not otherwise travel to if we had to make all the arrangements ourselves.  Maybe somewhere like southeast Asia?!

What has been your cruising experience?

We would love to hear from you!