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CRUISE SHIP DINING:
DINING GUIDE TO EMERALD PRINCESS With commentary by Maitre 'd Hotel Generoso Mazzone page 3 by Richard H. Wagner |
Above: A selection of gellato from the International Cafe.
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International CafeThe International Cafe is located in the Piazza at the base of the atrium in Emerald Princess.
“In Italy, the piazza is the center of all activity. You see every one passing by. People can sit down and have something to eat, read a paper, look around. Sometimes people don't have time to go home and eat so they go to the bar in the piazza, sit down grab a salad, a sandwich and run away. Here, it is the same." “The Piazza, you have entertainment, a juggler, a magician, a comedian. Everything happens in the Piazza.” The International Cafe “is a lovely traditional cafe. In the morning, we serve breakfast there. There is a great selection there. They bake fresh croissants, a great selection of coffee. Turning into lunch, paninis.” There is also soup, pastries, cookies and gelato. “It is a full selection from the cold food to the hot food as well.” Guests can sit down at one of the tables in the Piazza or take something with them back to their stateroom or wherever they are going. “ They can just grab it and go.” Most items, other than gelato and various specialty coffees, are complimentary. |
Vines
Also in the Piazza is Vines, the ship's wine bar.
“With drinks, we serve complimentary sushi and tappas. Again, if someone does not want to have a full meal, maybe a light bite, a glass of wine, listen to the music, they can just come here. There are more than 30 different types of wine to sample by the glass.” |
Horizon Court
The Horizon Court is Emerald Princess' buffet restaurant. “It is a buffet but with service. [The waiters] provide the beverages and then every night, it changes into a dinner venue. The guests serve themselves but the food is plated.”
“The selection is great. Every night, it is something different. There are certain dishes from the dining room up there plus the theme of the evening. We have Italian, we have French, Greek, India, we have Indonesian.” |
There is no dress code here so “someone who has come from a shore excursion, who is hot and does not want to change can go to [this restaurant]. We are always quite busy.”
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Pub Lunch
On sea days, Emerald Princess offers a British-style pub lunch in the Wheelhouse Bar.
The menu features British comfort food such as Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, Steak and Kidney Pie and curries. There is no charge for the food. Drinks are their regular prices. |
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Afternoon Tea
A culinary event that occurs each afternoon in the Da Vinci dining room is afternoon tea.
Princess was at one time owned by the British line, P&O. Therefore, it is not surprising that this repasse generally follows the British model with a selection of sandwiches, scones and cake. “We follow certain procedures like scones with jam and the clotted cream, which is typically British, of course. Then we do something different as well so as not to be so conservative.” |
“It is a nice break between lunch and dinner. There is music playing so it is also very entertaining.”
This event is complimentary. |
Other Dining Alternatives
Emerald Princess has several other casual dining venues on Lido Deck near the main swimming pools..
The Pizzeria - - “I love pizza. Everyday I go there and I try it. Here, the pizza is done from scratch every day. It is fantastic. Every day there is margarita and pepperoni plus a special.” Guests can also order pizza from room service. “We make it exactly how you like. It is a custom pizza made just for you.” Whereas the pizza in the pizzeria is complimentary, the room service pizza it is $3. “It is a different product, it is not a slice. It is nine inches, exactly what you like and we make it for you.” |
Adjacent to the Pizzeria is Scoops where guests can get complimentary ice cream.
On the other side of the Neptune's Reef Pool is the Trident Grill. “People like a burger, a hot dog, bratwurst, things like that. You grab it and eat it. We make our own burgers. I never eat a burger outside the ship but here I know [the quality].” |
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Cruise ship dining - - Princess Cruises - - Emerald Princess - - Dining Guide - - page three