Sushi Festival?

I will be taking my first cruise next week, aboard the Ruby Princess to Alaska. I've seen pictures on Yelp of tables and tables of varying types of sushi (almost like a sushi festival), and I was wondering, was that from the buffet, or do they have a special sushi-themed lunch or dinner one day?

Most likely you have seen pictures from the buffet. While I will sample some as I love variety in my meal, I will sadly point out that if you are a regular eater of sushi the cruise line variety will generally be disappointing.

Most likely you have seen pictures from the buffet. While I will sample some as I love variety in my meal, I will sadly point out that if you are a regular eater of sushi the cruise line variety will generally be disappointing.

Lol! Good to know! Yeah, I hope to make at least one trip to the buffet during the trip, but I think my travel partner was looking forward to eating in the dining room. We have the assigned seating, and he's looking forward to getting to know everybody at our table. Have you seen the sushi out in the buffet for lunch, dinner, or both?

Usually there for lunch as we do not usually eat dinner at the buffet. DW agrees though that it is not the best. Remember your fixed seating is only for dinner. Hope you get a "good" table.

Usually there for lunch as we do not usually eat dinner at the buffet. DW agrees though that it is not the best. Remember your fixed seating is only for dinner. Hope you get a "good" table.

Thank you! I wasn't sure if assigned seating was for all meals, or just dinner. What do you mean by a "good" table?

Thank you! I wasn't sure if assigned seating was for all meals, or just dinner. What do you mean by a "good" table?

Some people like to be in a particular place like by a window etc.

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Thank you! I wasn't sure if assigned seating was for all meals, or just dinner. What do you mean by a "good" table?

That you get a waiter who provides good service, like any restaurant some are better than others and that you have tablemates who are pleasant and easy to spend time with. Over the years and over 20+ princess cruises we have had tables with people who were okay, and some that were fabulous with people who we really connected with.

Now we tend to do "anytime" dining because we prefer the flexibility of dining at different times on different nights. We still like to sit at tables for 6-8 just as a way to meet other folks and will sometimes follow up by meeting for dinner later in the cruise with someone we have met earlier.

Some people like to be in a particular place like by a window etc.

 

 

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Oh, right. I just hope that we get a table with people we end up liking!

I will be taking my first cruise next week, aboard the Ruby Princess to Alaska. I've seen pictures on Yelp of tables and tables of varying types of sushi (almost like a sushi festival), and I was wondering, was that from the buffet, or do they have a special sushi-themed lunch or dinner one day?

Princess has never served real sushi, it has always been fake sushi with ingredients that would never find their way in sushi in Japan making it a total abomination. One example is the constant need to put avocado in it for Western tastes. This was possibly originally done by a Japanese/American due to the fact that western tongues were not used to wasabi.

If sushi has avocado in it then I call it fake sushi and refuse to eat it. These California rolls of sushi are totally fake and bear no resemblance or taste to real sushi.

At present the Diamond Princess has the closest thing to authentic sushi that is found in Japan due to the Japanese staff on the ship and the fact it is based in Japan.

In Japan I believe the nigirizushi is the most popular with toro (fatty flesh), maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe). That is also my favourite type but I personally like the tobiko (flying fish) and ikura the most.

The only sushi I have seen on regular Princess cruises ships are often served at the Vines wine bar and are of the nigirizushi type. There are four pieces of sushi on rolled rice per plate and they are often the sake and maguro and sometimes ebi (prawn). They are the only types of sushi I have seen on Princess cruises regular sailings that resemble Japanese sushi. The rest are an abomination due to ingredients in them that the Japanese would never put in.

Oh, right. I just hope that we get a table with people we end up liking!

We tend to just go with the flow on this point. We have seen tables where no one showed up but us the entire week and had others where we had excellent conversation. Depending on how many are in your group you could be at a small table or a large one. It's really hit or miss. The one thing I have found that they do try to sit similar together...i.e. Families with young kids, families with teens, young couples, older couples etc.

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We tend to just go with the flow on this point. We have seen tables where no one showed up but us the entire week and had others where we had excellent conversation. Depending on how many are in your group you could be at a small table or a large one. It's really hit or miss. The one thing I have found that they do try to sit similar together...i.e. Families with young kids, families with teens, young couples, older couples etc.

 

 

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We're a party of two, in our early 40s, no kids, so it'll be interesting to see who we get paired with!

In our experience, cruise ship sushi is not good. We always try it thinking it might be better now, but we are always disappointed.

We're a party of two, in our early 40s, no kids, so it'll be interesting to see who we get paired with!

It is also possible to meet interesting passengers if you choose to share a table at Anytime Dining.

It is also possible to meet interesting passengers if you choose to share a table at Anytime Dining.

I will talk to him and find out if he has his heart absolutely set on dining with the same people, at the same table every night. I'm not thrilled about the idea of eating at 8:30 every night, but I'm totally fine with doing it if he has his heart set on it. I have a preference toward Anytime, but it's not a strong preference. The one thing I like about it is I might actually be hungry for dinner at that time. Since I'm going to be eating breakfast and lunch (and probably a lot of it!), I'm more likely to be hungry later than earlier.

I will talk to him and find out if he has his heart absolutely set on dining with the same people, at the same table every night. I'm not thrilled about the idea of eating at 8:30 every night, but I'm totally fine with doing it if he has his heart set on it. I have a preference toward Anytime, but it's not a strong preference. The one thing I like about it is I might actually be hungry for dinner at that time. Since I'm going to be eating breakfast and lunch (and probably a lot of it!), I'm more likely to be hungry later than earlier.

One advantage of late dining is that you can take advantage of the afternoon tea (held in a main dining room every afternoon at no charge). You can eat the scones, the little sandwiches, and the little pastries - may be enough to tide you over until dinner.

One advantage of late dining is that you can take advantage of the afternoon tea (held in a main dining room every afternoon at no charge). You can eat the scones, the little sandwiches, and the little pastries - may be enough to tide you over until dinner.

I'll definitely try it, but I'm normally not hungry for dinner as it is, and I usually skip it in normal, everyday life, since I'm not hungry for it. I'm thinking if I am hungry for dinner, it likely won't be until close to the time we're scheduled to eat. But I'll definitely put it on the to-do list, to try the tea at some point while we're there!

We usually prefer Anytime Dining so that we meet a variety of people. Our upcoming cruise does not have this option, so I am hoping for pleasant table mates at our assigned table on the Diamond. Over the years, I have only met three couples I disliked:

!. A couple who were Jehovah's Witnesses who declared that God had sent them on the cruise to convert the non-believers, including their poor room steward!

2. A British couple who complained about everything, including the fact that the Captain didn't greet them personally and shake their hands when they boarded!

3. A self-important couple who claimed to have business connections that were obviously bogus, and offered us "investment opportunities.". (Probably in jail, now, for Ponzi schemes.)

If you consider how many cruises we have done over the past 16 years, that is a very good record! We have met so many lovely people and enjoyed our evenings. I wish you a lovely sailing, and I hope you have fascinating table mates.