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

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

He used to live in the forest, soaking up the rain. Now he lives on the Carnival Sensation, basking in the sun.

That’s the Carnival story about the RedFrog. And they’re sticking to it.

In fact, the little tree frog has made himself so at home on the cruise ship that he has his own private label draught beer, custom-brewed specially for Carnival – ThirstyFrog Red.

The first pub ever on a Carnival ship opened May 2011 on the Carnival Magic with ThirstyFrog Red beer and the response was overwhelming. The ship ran out of the private label draught beer.

So popular has ThirstyFrog Red become that it is now served fleet wide. Carnival describes the specialty beer as having “rich taste and delicate aroma with toasted notes resulting from the fine caramel and black malts using during the brewing process.”

I’m not a beer connoisseur but I thought it tasted good.

A new option I saw on the Carnival Sensation – at least new to me – is a self-service beer station in the Lido buffet. Passengers can pour their own beer at 29 cents per ounce. All you have to do is place a glass under the tap, swipe your Sail & Sign cruise card, pull the tap and pour up to 14 ounces of ThirstyFrog Red.

 New dining options, bars added in 2017

In the ship’s 2017 remodel, the Carnival Sensation received a RedFrog Rum Bar and a BlueIguana Cantina. The Sensation also has a BlueIguana Tequila Bar.

Located on the Lido deck, the BlueIguana Cantina serves up freshly made tacos, burritos and tortillas with no extra charge. The Cantina serves breakfast and lunch. Tacos are topped with choice of chicken, pork or fish. Burritos offer chicken, pork, fried fish or shrimp.

Both come with unlimited toppings such as refried beans, cilantro lime rice, roasted corn, charred green peppers and more. Then head over to the salsa bar to add even more to the meal.

I never tried BlueIguana Cantina for breakfast but I was told that the breakfast burritos are good and that you can get scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, hash browns, cheese, salsa, pico de gallo and more. Huevos rancheros also are a possibility.

Blue Iguana’s tale

Of course, the Blue Iguana has to have a tale to tell. What makes him blue? Some think he was born that way. But legend has it that he spent too much time in the blue agave fields soaking up the spirit of tequila.

You also might be asking how an iguana finds a pair of purple sunglasses … that fit. Let’s just say it boils down to one memorable trip to Cozumel, Mexico. The rest of the story, it is said, can be heard if you treat Blue to a tall tequila drink.

To keep it fun, the BlueIguana and the RedFrog have devout followers who engage in friendly competition.

“We think it started when Blue stole Red’s drink and put it on his menu,” a bartender said. “We think that’s where the rivalry started.”

As RedFrog himself might say – “Chill out. Live life to the fullest.”

Photo by Jackie Sheckler Finch

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

On our first dinner aboard the Carnival Sensation, the woman at the table next to me was surprised to see dining room tables without tablecloths.

Doesn’t bother me at all. 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 Sensation, servers respond quickly to clean tables and set them anew. We do have cloth napkins. Just no tablecloths except for the formal Captain’s Dinner.

It’s all part of Carnival’s new American Table style. I like it.

One of the American Table changes I like most is a big carafe of ice water sitting on the table. I can pour it myself when my glass is empty. Usually, a server will quickly notice and do the pouring for me. But I like the option of knowing that there is plenty of ice water right within reach throughout my meal.

The Carnival Sensation has two dining rooms – Fantasy and Ecstasy. Ecstasy is open for scheduled seating. I’m in Fantasy because I chose “Your Time” dining. That means I can show up in the dining room anytime between 5:45 and 9:30 p.m.

Some folks like a set reservation for each night’s dinner to prevent any possible waiting in line for a table. I prefer the flexibility of “Your Time” in case I want to stay ashore a little longer, finish a shipboard activity or write a blog while it’s still fresh in my mind. I prefer to dine early so have had no trouble getting a seat around 6 p.m. I have noticed a bit of a line when I’m leaving the dining room around 7:30.

American Table décor and menu

Part of the dinner table décor for American Table is cute little bread plates with images of American city landmarks. So far, I’ve had a plate with the Hollywood logo sign, another one with the Statue of Liberty and one with the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love.”

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 and have never been escorted to the same dining table twice. But that is fine with me. Lets me see more of the dining room and be seated near different passengers.

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 salad or cured salmon with candied tomato. That was our first night dinner.

Next on the menu is entrees – sweet and sour shrimp, grilled swordfish steak, honey glazed pork loin, braised beef brisket, vegetable lasagna and Indian vegetarian. 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 Ocho Rios, the menu notes that “Jamaica is famous for its street food and jerk cooking. The jerk method of dry rubbing meats with spices and seasonings, then slow roasting it for many hours was used by the Jamaican Maroon people to preserve the meat for days. Originally only done with pork, today you find chicken, fish, sausage and other meats jerked as well.”

The “Port of Call” offers a special cocktail, appetizer and entrée. The Ocho Rios cocktail was pirate punch made with Bacardi Rum, Bacardi 8, Amaretto and orange juice ($8.95). Port of Call appetizer was jerked chicken wings served with banana chips and jicama slaw. Entrée was shrimp curry, sautéed shrimp in Caribbean curry sauce with lemongrass, chilies and tropical fruit, served with coconut rice.

Desserts have included Carnival’s signature melting chocolate cake, crème brulee, chocolate hazelnut cake, apple crumb pie, 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.

A couple at the table next to me celebrating a young man’s college graduation ordered the Gifft chardonnay and said it was good, if a bit on the sweet side. They also plan to try the Gifft red blend at a later dinner. That’s a fun thing about cruises – a chance to try something we may not normally eat or drink at home.

Photo by Jackie Sheckler Finch

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By Jackie Sheckler Finch

On our first relaxing day at sea, I went to the afternoon tea in the unusual Touch of Class room. To enter the room, you walk through a doorway composed of two giant silver hands arched upward with fingertips touching.

Window seats also are created by the same arched hands. Red tiled walls have black and white handprints.

A little girl named Kimberly from Miami came skipping in the room along with her grandmother. Kimberly sat primly while she was served tea, tiny sandwiches and sweets.

“I’ve never had tea like this before,” Kimberly whispered, adding that her brother is swimming in the ship’s pool with their father while she enjoys her special time with “Grammy.”

I’ll bet that tea time with her grandmother is something that 5-year-old Kimberly will remember long after our cruise is over.

Photo by Jackie Sheckler Finch

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Memorable cruise moments often involve food, particularly spectacular desserts. One of my favorite ways to end a great cruise meal is with anything chocolate.

Carnival Cruise Lines, in particular, has a delicious Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. When it is listed on the menu, that is always my choice, especially if it is served with a scoop of ice cream.

For those who want to try the popular sweet at home, Carnival is sharing its recipe. But, be prepared. Your family and friends might like it so much that you’ll soon be making it for more than special occasions. Or you’ll be booking a Carnival cruise where you can sit back and order the cake without having to make it yourself.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

1 pound dark chocolate

1 pound butter

10 eggs

10 ounces sugar

6 ounces flour

Melt chocolate and butter. Mix eggs with sugar and whisk for a few minutes. Add flour. Combine egg mixture with melted chocolate and mix. Pour into individual greased molds. Bake in oven at 400 degree for 14 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and, if desired, garnish with fresh fruit. Serve warm with ice cream. Serves 12.

Photo by Jackie Sheckler Finch

“We are very excited to have Shaq as part of the Carnival Team,” Carnival Christine Duffy said in a news release. “He will serve as a great partner ensuring everyone knows all about our one-of-a-kind brand of fun. We’re confident that his embodiment of our brand values will inspire America to Choose Fun and discover the authentic, participatory and social atmosphere that Carnival offers.”

Shaq’s new title stands for “Chief Fun Officer.”

Shaq personifies the cruise line’s newest brand campaign “Choose Fun” which launched in 2018, officials said. His job is to help passengers find the Carnival cruise that best fits them.

“In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to choose fun, especially when everyone is busy with work, family and life in general,” Shaq said in a news release. “So, I’m honored to be appointed the Chief Fun Officer at Carnival – a company that lives and breathes fun.”

Carnival Cruise Line has a fleet of 25 ships that carry 5 million guests a year. The 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon will debut this spring as Carnival’s 26th ship.

Story By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

The massive LED “Dreamscape” atrium sculpture will offer 33 different artistic creations from St. Jude patients, one of Carnival’s largest charitable partners.

“As the hospital’s Official Celebration Partner, we couldn’t be happier to showcase these amazing creations designed by the talented St. Jude patients on our newest ship,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a news release.

“We are always looking to bring to life our partnerships in a way that also gives back,” she said. “We do that on each cruise with Groove for St. Jude and we did it on Carnival Vista with Brownie Buoy, a specially designed flavor with proceeds benefiting the hospital. This is just another way to recognize the work St. Jude’s does for the families and patients they serve.”

The eye-catching, three-deck high centerpiece in the Horizon’s atrium is a 24-foot funnel-shaped centerpiece. Designed by Techno Media, Dreamscape debuted on Carnival Vista and is comprised of more than 2,000 flexible LED tiles that have been customized for the shipboard environment. Each day, technicians on board program the rotating artwork based on the time of day, port or occasion.

For Carnival Horizon, the young artists from St. Jude were tasked with creating fun pieces with bright bold colors showcasing their personalities. The original creations complement the more than 100 images that continually rotate throughout the day and evening bringing the ship to life and providing guests of all ages with a unique and memorable vacation backdrop.

Carnival’s partnership with St. Jude began in 2010 and was expanded in 2013 with the cruise line being named the hospital’s official celebration partner. Over the past seven years, Carnival has raised more than $13 million for St. Jude through a variety of engaging activities, both on board and ashore.

“Featuring the inspirational artwork of St. Jude patients in the Carnival Horizon atrium is an extraordinary example of how Carnival Cruise Line continues to find creative ways to raise awareness of our mission to find cures and save the lives of children,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“Carnival has been a dedicated and deeply engaged partner of St. Jude for the past seven years – providing exciting and memorable experiences for patients and raising significant funds critical to advance the research and treatment of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. We are truly grateful for their longstanding support.”

Carnival Horizon will offer a variety of onboard innovations, including the first-ever Dr. Seuss-themed water park as well as a groundbreaking bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction called SkyRide, and an IMAX Theatre.

A wide range of accommodations will also be offered, including spa cabins with exclusive privileges at the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, extra-roomy staterooms in Family Harbor, and tropics-inspired Havana staterooms and suites with exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.

Carnival Horizon is scheduled to make its maiden voyage April 2, 2018, with a 13-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona – the first of four round-trip departures from that port. Carnival Horizon will reposition to the U.S. with a 14-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to New York May 9-23, 2018.

Following its summer schedule of four-day Bermuda and eight-day Caribbean departures from the Big Apple, Carnival Horizon will shift to Miami and kick off a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning Sept. 22, 2018. Carnival Horizon will also offer a special two-day cruise to Nassau from Miami Sept. 20-22, 2018.

When the Carnival Horizon sails the ocean blue starting in April 2018, the new ship will be carrying on a time-honored tradition.

The 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon recently had a commemorative coin welded to the ship’s mast to mark a significant construction milestone – the successful completion of Carnival Horizon’s exterior outfitting.

Origins of the coin ceremony can be traced back to the ancient Romans who believed that attaching coins to a ship provided divine protection.

The ceremony was held at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, where the ship is being built. Fabrizio Timossi of Carnival’s corporate shipbuilding department represented Carnival at the ceremony with Clementina Zecchin of Fincantieri’s Marghera yard serving as godmother.

A sister ship to the hugely popular Carnival Vista introduced last year, Carnival Horizon will offer many of the innovative indoor and outdoor dining, bar, entertainment and activity options that debuted on Carnival Vista.

Among those is a bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction called SkyRide, an IMAX Theatre and a massive WaterWorks aqua park with corkscrew slides, a tipping bucket and other attractions promising lots of splash fun.

A wide range of accommodations will also be offered, including spa cabins with exclusive privileges at the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, extra-roomy staterooms in Family Harbor, and tropical-inspired Havana staterooms and suites with exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.

Carnival Horizon is scheduled to make its maiden voyage April 2, 2018, with a 13-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona – the first of four round-trip departures from this port.  Carnival Horizon will reposition to the U.S. with a 14-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to New York May 9-23, 2018.

Following its summer schedule of four-day Bermuda and eight-day Caribbean departures from the Big Apple, Carnival Horizon will shift to Miami and kick off a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning Sept. 22, 2018.

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Imagine zooming down a massive Cat in the Hat water slide. Or slipping through an enclosed body slide with polka dots and special lighting honoring mischievous duo Thing 1 and Thing 2.

And doing all this on a cruise ship.

Legendary children’s author Dr. Seuss is the inspiration for Dr. Seuss WaterWorks, a thrilling water park featured on Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, the 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon. The 3,934-passenger vessel is set to debut on April 2, 2018.

“Our ships are designed as the ultimate seagoing playgrounds and Carnival Horizon will take this concept to the next level with the spectacular Dr. Seuss WaterWorks which promises fun for guests of all ages,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a news release.

“Dr. Seuss is an iconic American brand and we’re delighted to expand our partnership with this incredible top-deck water attraction for our guests,” Duffy said.

Larger-than-life images of famous Dr. Seuss characters – including The Cat in the Hat holding an inner tube, The Grinch sporting a surf board tucked under his arm, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 frolicking atop their namesake slide – will greet visitors as they enter the park, with memorable Dr. Seuss phrases displayed on clear partitions that surround the facility.

Inspired by everyone’s favorite feline, The Cat in the Hat slide will feature an enclosed raft slide offering more than 450 feet of twists and turns. Located on Deck 12, Carnival Horizon’s Dr. Seuss WaterWorks will offer two distinctly different slides each promising their own splash fun.

The entrance resembles The Cat’s famous red and white hat with the distinctive color pattern carried throughout the slide in alternating translucent and opaque sections. Dr. Seuss WaterWorks will also include a 150-gallon tipping bucket patterned after The Cat’s hat, along with a kiddie splash zone with dozens of water spray toys.

Sure to be equally fun will be the Fun Things slide, an enclosed body slide with whimsical polka dots and special lighting effects and named after the mischievous duo Thing 1 and Thing 2 and encompassing 213 feet of exhilarating all-ages fun.

“We’re excited to build upon our relationship with Carnival by introducing our first-ever water park,” said Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “Dr. Seuss is all about family fun and togetherness and we can’t wait to see our characters come to life in this colorful and exciting space.”

Theodor “Seuss” Geisel wrote and illustrated 44 books for children and won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize. While Geisel died on Sept.  24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading.

Carnival Horizon will also feature the Dr. Seuss Bookville family reading and play venue and popular Seuss at Sea activities like The Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in the Hat and Friends and the Seuss-a-palooza Parade and Story Time.

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line