As part of its longstanding support of military men and women, Carnival Cruise Line has debuted its “Heroes Tribute Bar,” a first-of-its-kind venue on the new Carnival Panorama. The special bar salutes America’s military heroes.

“The Heroes Tribute Bar is a project that is very near and dear to my heart and one that everyone at Carnival is extremely proud of,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. Read more...

Since beginning its partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2010, Carnival Cruise Line has raised more than $18 million.

Now, Carnival has announced that it will raise its pledge to a total of $33 million by 2024.

“Because of the generosity of our guests and team members, we are able to increase our fundraising goal and look forward to continuing to support our friends at St. Jude,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. Read more...

Cruise ship passengers know that the mandatory safety drill is important and necessary. Maybe not fun but a procedure that must be done before the ship sets sail. Stateroom videos also help reinforce that safety message.

Taking its safety as seriously as it takes its fun, Carnival Cruise Line combined the two. And who better to spread that big message but the line’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal. The result? Carnival is unveiling an entertaining and creative new safety briefing video. Read more...

Visitors are heading to the Bahamas again after the islands took a major hit from Hurricane Dorian in early September. Carnival Cruise Line and other ships have already resumed port calls in Grand Bahama and the country’s tourism board says it expects flights between the island and Fort Lauderdale to resume in mid-November. Read more...

With the success of its shipboard breweries, Carnival Cruise Line now offers another first. Carnival has become the first cruise line to can and keg its own private label craft beers.

Cruisers can now pop the top on 16-ounce cans of ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale, West Coast IPA and ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat. The beer will be available to thirsty guests on all 26 Carnival ships. Read more...

ABOARD THE CARNIVAL SENSATION –  Do you like green eggs and ham? How about moose juice or goose juice?

Chances are your children like them. And youngsters know exactly where such creative food came from – Dr. Seuss.

Now children of all ages can enjoy an exciting partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Carnival Cruise Lines. Read more...

ABOARD THE CARNIVAL VICTORY – I didn’t know what to expect when I went to my first night’s show in the Carnival Victory theater.

On a previous cruise, the nightly entertainment was more audience participation and that got tiresome after a while. I’m sure it was enjoyable for the many passengers who raised their hands and rushed the stage for a chance to perform or chat or be part of a game show with the entertainers. Read more...

ABOARD THE CARNIVAL VICTORY – What happens to those cute little towel animals when cruise ship passengers leave their cabins? The critters party.

At least that’s what a new show on the Carnival Victory says occurs once passengers head out of their staterooms and close the door. Read more...

ABOARD CARNIVAL VICTORY – Leaving the sterile steel-and-concrete cruise terminal to board the Carnival Victory, I saw the woman ahead of me stop and marvel at the huge nine-deck ship atrium.

“Oh, it is so gaudy,” she said.

 “I love it,” responded the woman next to her. Read more...

But on a long-ago cruise when I ordered clam chowder, I received a big white bowl with some chopped clams in the bottom. Mighty skimpy.

Then the dining room waiter poured a small pitcher of clam chowder over the clams. That’s more like it, I thought.

On my Carnival Victory cruise, I saw the same look on the face of a newlywed bride at the dining room table next to mine. She had ordered chilled peach soup.

What she got was a big white bowl with a blob of chopped peaches. Then the dining room waiter poured a pitcher of soup over her peaches. I could hear the bride and her husband laugh as they realized how puzzled they had been.

Cruises are a wonderful way to try something new. In fact, Carnival encourages that yearn to try unusual food.

On our Carnival Victory dinner menu under appetizers is an item called “Rare Finds.” The food listing goes on to explain that these are “foods you always wanted to try but haven’t yet dared.”

Very cute idea. And very popular judging by my dining companions on the Carnival Victory. I must be an adventurous eater because I have already tried most of them.

It’s a safe bet that if you don’t like that night’s choice, a Victory server will be sure to bring something else that you do like. A couple of times I have not finished my appetizer or entrée – certainly not that it wasn’t good, just that it can be food overload on a cruise. Invariably, my server would ask if the choice wasn’t to my liking and if I would prefer something else.

Some ‘Rare Finds’

In case you are curious, here are Rare Finds choices on my cruise.

–          Frog legs with Provençale herb butter served with warm brioche

–          Braised rabbit in puff pastry shell with red wine sauce

–          Braised ox tongue with onion marmalade

–          Cured salmon and candied tomato with dill cream, grapes and lemon dressing

The salmon was great. Frog legs and rabbit, I didn’t need to try. I ate both rabbit and frog legs plenty of times as a child when my father caught them and my mother cooked them.  Ox tongue I have never knowingly eaten and don’t intend to eat, even though the server said it is quite delicious.

Also as part of Carnival’s new American Table style is a different place setting than many passengers are accustomed to seeing. There are no tablecloths except for the formal Captain’s Dinner. Instead, the lovely wooden tables get to show their shine.

Doesn’t bother me at all not to have tablecloths. Just think about all the laundry that saves. So much more environmentally friendly. On other cruise ships, I have seen servers changing tablecloths as soon as diners get up to leave so the table is ready for the next diners.

On the Victory, servers respond quickly to clean tables and set them anew. We do have cloth napkins, plus a big carafe of ice water sitting on the table.

Part of the dinner table décor for American Table is cute little bread plates with images of American city landmarks. For dinner my first night, I had a plate with the Hollywood logo sign.

Each table has a wine bottle with a stone on a rope around it with the table number. I don’t have a reserved table but have been escorted to a window dining table every night. That’s because on the first night when asked where I would like to sit, I answered “window” and the dining room staff remembered that.

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The menu is long and seems to offer something for everyone. It starts with about 10 appetizer choices, including fried calamari, chilled Vietnamese roll, cream of ripened tomatoes, shrimp cocktail, smoked chicken quesadilla, corn chowder, heart of lettuce, kale or romaine Caesar salad or lychee bisque. That’s was our first night’s dinner.

Next on the menu is entrees – slow cooked prime rib, spanakopita and stuffed bell peppers, grilled jumbo shrimp, teriyaki salmon fillet, spiral pasta with mushrooms and aged parmesan or the featured vegetarian of Indian style vegetable dish with lentils, basmati rice, pickles, papadam and raita.

Each evening, diners can also select “From the Grill” entrees such as salmon fillet, flat iron steak, chicken breast and pork chop.

For an extra $20, diners can choose one of the following: broiled filet mignon, New York strip loin steak, broiled Maine lobster tail or surf & turf.

All the entrees come with side dishes but those also can be ordered separately. Side dish options include mac & cheese with bacon, creamed spinach, ratatouille, baked potato with all the toppings, sautéed green beans and french fries.

‘Port of Call’ cuisine

A fun section of the menu deals with each “Port of Call” on our cruise itinerary. For example, in Cozumel, the menu notes that “Mexico is famous for producing some of the sweetest and juiciest corn in the region as well as grass-fed sustainably raised livestock. And, of course, tequila.”

The “Port of Call” offers a special cocktail, appetizer and entrée. The Cozumel cocktail was a margarita made with El Jimador Tequila, Patron Citronge and lime juice. Appetizer was tortilla soup with braised chicken. And entrée was steak tacos grilled over an open flame and topped with fresh pico de gallo, cilantro and avocado-arbol chili.

Desserts have included Carnival’s signature melting chocolate cake, crème brulee, chocolate hazelnut cake, apple crumb pie with ice cream, baked Alaska, cheese plate, tropical fruit plate or ice cream.

On the featured wine list are several choices, including Carnival’s special Gifft wines by celebrity winemaker Kathie Gifford – a chardonnay and a red wine blend. Carnival Cruise Line began offering Gifford’s wines in 2015.

Before that, the “Today” show host and former Carnival spokeswoman had joined the cruise line in the 1980s where she sang and danced her way through several ad campaigns.

That’s a fun thing about cruises – a chance to try something different and learn something new.

Photos and article by Jackie Sheckler Finch

Chilled peach soup comes with a small amount of peaches and the soup is poured atop

Chilled peach soup comes with a small amount of peaches and the soup is poured atop

Bread plates feature images of American city landmarks

The Atlantic Dining Room is light and airy with ocean décor