USA TODAY 10Best
Best cruise ship for foodies? Our readers say Viking Sea!
Best Cruise Ship for Dining (2017)
Gone are the days when fixed seating meals in a single dining room are your only option aboard cruise ships. Modern cruisers enjoy their choice of several restaurants–over two dozen aboard some of the bigger megaships, cooking classes, creative menus and dishes created by some of the world's top chefs.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Cruise Ship for Dining are as follows:
- Crystal Symphony - Crystal Cruises
- Marina - Oceania Cruises
- Crystal Serenity - Crystal Cruises
- Seabourn Encore - Seabourn Cruise Line
- Star Pride - Windstar Cruises
- Viking Sky - Viking Ocean Cruises
- Viking Star - Viking Ocean Cruises
- Royal Princess - Princess Cruises
- Carnival Vista - Carnival Cruise Line
- Viking Sea - Viking Ocean Cruises
Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises
No. 10:
Crystal Cruises pioneered the cruise/celebrity chef partnership trend with specialty restaurants like Prego and Silk Road and the Sushi Bar (by chefs Piero Selvaggio and Nobu Matsuhisa respectively) on the Crystal Symphony. Afternoon tea is a meal all its own on Symphony, with three different themed tea services.
Photo courtesy of Oceania Cruises
No. 9:
The only trouble foodies face aboard Marina (Oceania Cruises) is the problem of deciding what to eat. Culinary highlights include Parisian bistro classics at Jacques and contemporary Asian fusion at Red Ginger. La Reserve by Wine Spectator takes wine tastings, seminars and pairing dinners to sea.
Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises
No. 8:
Passengers aboard Crystal Cruises' fleet have the option of the usual late or early seating for dinner, or Perfect Dining Choice, where guests choose when and with whom to eat. Nobu-trained chefs prepare Japanese cuisine at Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, while the Vintage Room hosts a variety of wine-themed dinners. Unique to Crystal Serenity is Tastes, a globally inspired restaurant serving Late-Risers breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Photo courtesy of Seabourn Cruise Line
No. 7:
The culinary program aboard Seabourn Encore focuses on quality ingredients infused with regional flavors. Seabourn was one of the first cruise lines to introduce open-seating dining in the ship's main venue, The Restaurant. Guests can also choose between iconic American chophouse favorites at The Grill by Thomas Keller, fresh seafood at Sushi, a casual breakfast and lunch buffet at The Colonnade or casual poolside dining at The Patio.
Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises
No. 6:
Sailing aboard the Star Pride feels like vacationing aboard your own private yacht, and that feeling extends to the table as well. Guests can dine at any venue, any time (including 24-hour room service), and the chefs try to source as many local ingredients as possible while in port.
Photo courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises
No. 5:
Viking Sky continues the tradition of culinary excellence that the Viking name has become known for, with seven unique restaurants to choose from (six included in the cruise fare). Passengers can choose to eat at one of two specialty restaurants, Manfredi's or The Chef's Table, at least once on each sailing.
Photo courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises
No. 4:
Cruisers aboard Viking Star have plenty of options come meal time, including the spacious main dining venue, The Restaurant. Manfredi's (Italian), The Chef's Table (global), The World Cafe (buffet), Mamsen's (Norwegian deli) and Wintergarden (afternoon tea) provide variety. The Kitchen Table takes passengers on an excursion into a local market at port before returning to the ship for a multi-course feast.
Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises
No. 3:
Passengers aboard Royal Princess can opt for traditional set-time dining in the Traditional Dining Room, or go with more flexibility at one of the ship's numerous restaurants through the Anytime Dining option. The ship's three specialty restaurants, Sabatini's, Crown Grill and Crab Shack, serve Italian, steaks and fresh succulent seafood respectively, while casual eateries include Horizon Court top deck buffet, Chocolate Journies, Alfredo's Pizzeria and Vines wine, sushi and tapas bar.
Photo courtesy of Kim / Flickr
No. 2:
Aboard Carnival Vista, the cruise line's newest vessel, guests can savor the ocean's bounty at Seafood Shack, sip sake at Bonsai Sushi or tour Asia's culinary landscape at JiJi Asian Kitchen. Vista also has two celebrity chef Guy Fieri eateries on board, Guy's Burger Joint and Pig & Anchor Smokehouse.
Photo courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises
No. 1:
All meals are free of charge aboard Viking Sea, even at specialty restaurants. The star of the ship, Manfredi's, serves a menu of hearty Italian fare in a homey setting. The Chef's Table is themed to a different region of the world each night, while The World Cafe serves global specialties buffet-style. For an extra cost, guests can sign up for The Kitchen Table, part restaurant and part shore excursion into a local market to pick out ingredients for dinner.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Don and Heidi Bucolo (EatSleepCruise.com), Anita Dunham-Potter (ExpertCruiser.com), Danielle Fear (Cruise Miss), Carrie Finley Bajak (CruiseBuzz.net), Linda Garrison (TripSavvy), Sherry Laskin Kennedy (CruiseMaven.com), Jason Leppert (Popular Cruising), Chris Owen (ChrisCruises.com), Doug Parker (CruiseRadio.net), Aaron Saunders (From the Deck Chair) and Ming Tappin (Your Cruise Coach Consulting) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of the cruise industry.
Congratulations to all these wining cruise companies!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Aaron Saunders
Aaron Saunders is the founder of From the Deck... Read More
Aaron Saunders is the founder of From the Deck Chair, an online site dedicated to cruising. He writes weekly about cruises in his Ports and Bows column, which is syndicated across seven different newspapers in Canada, and is the author of three books on cruising and maritime history, including the Frommer’s 2017 EasyGuide to Cruising. He is based in Canada.
Aaron Saunders
Aaron Saunders is the founder of From the Deck Chair, an online site dedicated to cruising. He writes weekly about cruises in his Ports and Bows column, which is syndicated across seven different newspapers in Canada, and is the author of three books on cruising and maritime history, including the Frommer’s 2017 EasyGuide to Cruising. He is based in Canada.
Anita Dunham-Potter
Anita Dunham-Potter is a cruise journalist whose... Read More
Anita Dunham-Potter is a cruise journalist whose articles offer advice and insight for travelers. She is editor-in-chief of ExpertCruiser.com and has penned numerous columns for Porthole Magazine, MSNBC.com, USA Today Travel Alliance, Smarter Travel, Tripso, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Frommers, Fodors, and others.
Anita Dunham-Potter
Anita Dunham-Potter is a cruise journalist whose articles offer advice and insight for travelers. She is editor-in-chief of ExpertCruiser.com and has penned numerous columns for Porthole Magazine, MSNBC.com, USA Today Travel Alliance, Smarter Travel, Tripso, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Frommers, Fodors, and others.
Carrie Finley Bajak
Carrie Finley is a cruise travel writer who lives... Read More
Carrie Finley is a cruise travel writer who lives in Southern California. Carrie cruises around the world and reports about her adventures on CruiseBuzz.net and via social media where she shares cruise news, tips and insight from the ships and ports. Carrie has curated small ship and river cruise experiences for AFAR.com and is frequently a guest Blogger-at-Large for cruise lines.
Carrie Finley Bajak
Carrie Finley is a cruise travel writer who lives in Southern California. Carrie cruises around the world and reports about her adventures on CruiseBuzz.net and via social media where she shares cruise news, tips and insight from the ships and ports. Carrie has curated small ship and river cruise experiences for AFAR.com and is frequently a guest Blogger-at-Large for cruise lines.
Chris Owen
Chris Owen is a photojournalist from Florida... Read More
Chris Owen is a photojournalist from Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information about cruise vacations with travelers. Also certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris offers a unique perspective; tapping his behind-the-scenes working knowledge of cruise vacations. Beginning his cruise history as a family vacation option, Chris has written his way through a variety of cruise lines, ships and itineraries. His goal is simple: to never forget that travel has a positive impact on our world, and to introduce cruising to as many people as possible.
Chris Owen
Chris Owen is a photojournalist from Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information about cruise vacations with travelers. Also certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris offers a unique perspective; tapping his behind-the-scenes working knowledge of cruise vacations. Beginning his cruise history as a family vacation option, Chris has written his way through a variety of cruise lines, ships and itineraries. His goal is simple: to never forget that travel has a positive impact on our world, and to introduce cruising to as many people as possible.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized... Read More
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Don and Heidi Bucolo
Don and Heidi Bucolo are the husband and wife team... Read More
Don and Heidi Bucolo are the husband and wife team behind EatSleepCruise.com. Their love for cruising began after taking their first cruise together back in 2007. Having spent over 180 days at sea on more than 30 cruises with various cruise brands, they have learned a thing or two about planning and executing the perfect cruise vacation. The couple was voted as one of Porthole Cruise's Top 10 Cruise Influencers and is featured in the new book Cruising Interrupted. You can find them on the web and social media sharing detailed cruise ship reviews, port guides, packing tips and planning tips to help travelers "sea the world, one port at a time."
Don and Heidi Bucolo
Don and Heidi Bucolo are the husband and wife team behind EatSleepCruise.com. Their love for cruising began after taking their first cruise together back in 2007. Having spent over 180 days at sea on more than 30 cruises with various cruise brands, they have learned a thing or two about planning and executing the perfect cruise vacation. The couple was voted as one of Porthole Cruise's Top 10 Cruise Influencers and is featured in the new book Cruising Interrupted. You can find them on the web and social media sharing detailed cruise ship reviews, port guides, packing tips and planning tips to help travelers "sea the world, one port at a time."
Doug Parker
Doug Parker is the creator and executive producer... Read More
Doug Parker is the creator and executive producer of Cruise Radio, a weekly podcast that shares cruise reviews and other cruise news.
Doug Parker
Doug Parker is the creator and executive producer of Cruise Radio, a weekly podcast that shares cruise reviews and other cruise news.
Jason Leppert
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert... Read More
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 150 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents’ shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. Now, he regularly sails and writes “he said, she said” cruise columns with his wife Heidi. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West. He also contributes to Cruise Travel, Porthole and Cruise Business Review magazines; USA Today 10Best; Oyster.com; MiceChat.com and the Cruise Radio podcast.
Jason Leppert
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 150 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents’ shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. Now, he regularly sails and writes “he said, she said” cruise columns with his wife Heidi. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West. He also contributes to Cruise Travel, Porthole and Cruise Business Review magazines; USA Today 10Best; Oyster.com; MiceChat.com and the Cruise Radio podcast.
Linda Garrison
Linda Garrison has sailed over 150 times and spent... Read More
Linda Garrison has sailed over 150 times and spent more than 1100 days on ships of all types, sizes, and price categories. Linda has enjoyed cruise destinations on all seven continents and visited hundreds of ports of call from a ship. Linda's MBA in accounting helps her analyze various cruise options and the importance of getting great value for your vacation dollars. She was responsible for the About.com Cruises site from July 2000 to May 2017 when the content was transferred to TripSavvy.com. Linda continues to contribute to TripSavvy and other cruise travel outlets and lives in the Atlanta area.
Linda Garrison
Linda Garrison has sailed over 150 times and spent more than 1100 days on ships of all types, sizes, and price categories. Linda has enjoyed cruise destinations on all seven continents and visited hundreds of ports of call from a ship. Linda's MBA in accounting helps her analyze various cruise options and the importance of getting great value for your vacation dollars. She was responsible for the About.com Cruises site from July 2000 to May 2017 when the content was transferred to TripSavvy.com. Linda continues to contribute to TripSavvy and other cruise travel outlets and lives in the Atlanta area.
Ming Tappin
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been... Read More
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined.
Ming Tappin
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined.
Sherry Laskin
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than... Read More
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than 25 years. Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online. During a year and a half of living in Alaska, Sherry has cruised and spent time at every port in the Last Frontier except for Nome. She’s become an avid transatlantic cruiser since 2005, as that is the only way for her to get to Europe without flying. Sherry hopes to inspire and encourage her readers to travel slow and travel solo, experience new cuisines and cultures.
Sherry Laskin
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than 25 years. Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online. During a year and a half of living in Alaska, Sherry has cruised and spent time at every port in the Last Frontier except for Nome. She’s become an avid transatlantic cruiser since 2005, as that is the only way for her to get to Europe without flying. Sherry hopes to inspire and encourage her readers to travel slow and travel solo, experience new cuisines and cultures.
