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Food on a European river cruise - questions, expectations and experiences


notamermaid
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What a tangent this thread has gone! Right, UK keyboards = £ above the 3, $ above the 4 and at the side of the 4 is €, I haven't fired up the laptop yet but I'm pretty sure the other symbols appear in the drop down top right hand side Symbols button. Will fire it up later when I'm more awake and find out. I realy more on the inclusions rather than keystrokes. CA

P.S. I use my iPad for quickness and my Windows laptop for everything else as I know my way around Windows better just laziness as he who should be obeyed uses Apple, I can but its I'm much slower with it, a bit like switching between Windows systems.

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And just to brighten it up before I retire to the BIG match, here are some photographs of the food.

 

Now I know you can't taste photographs :p but, as a retired restaurant owner, I was pretty impressed with Viking's food.

 

34352419991_aa530dbe99_z.jpg

 

34352420661_5a32a352cd_z.jpg

 

 

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PS. if you've missed my original review thread here is the link...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/05/12/viking-eir-rhine-getaway-april-2017/

 

There are some interesting pictures of Minsters/Muensters, Cathedrals/Kathedrale and Doms.

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Thanks for information on the UK keyboards. You would think I would remember I could look that up on the internet! LOL!

 

SolentRichard, thanks for posting the Viking menus. Were there any nights when Viking offered regional cuisine?

 

The other thing I noticed was that one of the vegetarian entrees would have little to no protein (I'm thinking the Porcini Mushroom ravioli's would at least have some ricotta which is protein) but it seems to me that there is not a lot of options for vegetarians to get a good bump of protein on the menu with the "polenta sandwich" which they would really need after all the walking done on the tours. If I were a vegetarian and going on this ship, I think I would bring along some vegetarian protein bars, just in case.

 

I wonder if they use any meat substitutes in any of the vegetarian menu items or have options containing beans and rice?

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Hello CPT Trips,

 

thank you for the mention of Hausmann's in Frankfurt airport in a post a few days ago. I missed it to comment then. Hope you have a great time in Europe.

 

In Hausmann's you are in famous company (if he is there, which I doubt) that restaurant being owned by Tim Mälzer. He is a German celebrity chef: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_M%C3%A4lzer

 

Gezupfter Schweinacken mit Pflaumen (plums) und BBQ Soße sounds nice and hearty, good for this cool May day.

 

I wonder if the "ß" is hidden somwhere as an ASCII-Code for an English keyboard?

 

Weather not looking promising for great sunny days I am afraid.

 

I am sure you will have a splendid time, regardless.

 

notamermaid

 

It was a wonderful trip. GCT performed at their usual excellent level. We were pleasantly surprised that they were serving some pretty nice local (on this itinerary Hungarian and Austrian) wines with dinner.

 

Also new this trip, free house wines, beer and soda any time. The house wines were not as good as those served at dinner, but were quite nice.

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Inspired by a recent thread about food on a specific river cruise where I learnt quite a bit about different pancakes and cheesecake I would to start this thread about food.

 

My thoughts I take away from that thread: Does cooking American food by chefs of all sorts of nationalities work on river cruises? What is local variation and what is simply a wrong statement on the menu, like lobster is lobster and not crab. Can one be compensated for the first scenario at all, or only for the latter?

 

What does one expect on a river cruise as regards food?

 

My experience was very good, I allowed for the occasional hiccup in preparation and the fact that I am not adventurous, expecting to be served by a nice waiter and a chef that could work at a popular local restaurant. I was not disappointed.

 

So, everyone fire away with questions or with anything you might like to share. :)

 

notamermaid

 

Good morning NotaMermaid.

 

Having recently sailed with Viking along the Rhine I'll jump in, if you don't mind, with my take on river cruise food.

 

As a retired restaurant owner I find that when one considers the numbers catered for, the time available for Dinner and the size of the galley, most river cruise lines do a damn good job with food.

 

The pressure comes off somewhat at lunch times due to most ships having an alternative 'light' dining menu - in Vikings case the Aquavit Terrace...

 

34461777026_beca509543_z.jpg

 

Though I have noticed more recently the number of Asian chefs being employed there certainly appears to be a monopoly of European chefs at 'Head Chef' level.

 

Perhaps my only irritation, and it really was only minor, was the breakfast buffet and the paraphernalia of a certain group of passengers choosing what they wanted in their omelettes. Invariably there was a queue and I hate queuing for food.

 

Oh, and my choice, I avoid that crispy bacon that some Americans fawn over. You know, the pieces that when you stick your fork in it it flies across the breakfast table. :D:D

 

Other than that I think I covered food quite well in my recent Viking Rhine cruise review...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/05/12/viking-eir-rhine-getaway-april-2017/

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Good morning NotaMermaid.

 

Having recently sailed with Viking along the Rhine I'll jump in, if you don't mind, with my take on river cruise food.

 

As a retired restaurant owner I find that when one considers the numbers catered for, the time available for Dinner and the size of the galley, most river cruise lines do a damn good job with food.

 

The pressure comes off somewhat at lunch times due to most ships having an alternative 'light' dining menu - in Vikings case the Aquavit Terrace...

 

34461777026_beca509543_z.jpg

 

Though I have noticed more recently the number of Asian chefs being employed there certainly appears to be a monopoly of European chefs at 'Head Chef' level.

 

Perhaps my only irritation, and it really was only minor, was the breakfast buffet and the paraphernalia of a certain group of passengers choosing what they wanted in their omelettes. Invariably there was a queue and I hate queuing for food.

 

Oh, and my choice, I avoid that crispy bacon that some Americans fawn over. You know, the pieces that when you stick your fork in it it flies across the breakfast table. :D:D

 

Other than that I think I covered food quite well in my recent Viking Rhine cruise review...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/05/12/viking-eir-rhine-getaway-april-2017/

 

Richard, you are supposed to eat crispy bacon with your fingers, never with a fork and knife. No wonder it doesn't taste good to you! :D:D:D Seriously, what I have not seen on the Viking menus you provided was any food (other than cheese) from the region? Did Viking have that at all? On Uniworld, we had regional dinners every night. Anyway, as a chef, regional dining is very important to me on vacation.

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Thank you Solent Richard,

 

that was really what I had in mind when I started the thread, people posting photos of menus, saying what they liked about the wine selection and what not. And across the companies, as well. After an endless discussion of what was not to like on a specific Viking cruise I thought what was somewhat missing was a comparison of the kitchen's offerings.

 

SuiteTraveler,

 

the food on the SS Antoniette - what acwmom has posted - sounded a very nice balanced choice of foods with regional stuff. Sometimes only as a starter, sometimes only as a main. But they were also served regional cakes like the "Frankfurter Kranz" (a sligthly heavy, creamy cake from Frankfurt) on an afternoon. A nice gesture, it does not have to be only "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte" (black forest gateau).

 

notamermaid

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We recently returned from a Viking cruise on the Rhone. We had quite a bit of regional cuisine, including escargots, frogs legs, cassoulet, lamb with Provençal herbs, chateaubriand, beef bourgignon, coq au vin. One lunch was a Taste of Provence with salade Nicoise, lots of cheeses, olives, etc. The included wines were usually local, although we saw some from Argentina and Spain. The additional wine choices available with our Silver Spirits package were wonderful, many local wines from Burgundy and the Rhone, as well as other French and European wines. Sorry, no food or menu photos.

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Thank you Solent Richard,

 

that was really what I had in mind when I started the thread, people posting photos of menus, saying what they liked about the wine selection and what not. And across the companies, as well. After an endless discussion of what was not to like on a specific Viking cruise I thought what was somewhat missing was a comparison of the kitchen's offerings.

 

SuiteTraveler,

 

the food on the SS Antoniette - what acwmom has posted - sounded a very nice balanced choice of foods with regional stuff. Sometimes only as a starter, sometimes only as a main. But they were also served regional cakes like the "Frankfurter Kranz" (a sligthly heavy, creamy cake from Frankfurt) on an afternoon. A nice gesture, it does not have to be only "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte" (black forest gateau).

 

notamermaid

 

notamermaid, Yes, we were on the Uniworld SS Antoinette and we did have lots of regional food. It was really great!

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My favorite meals on a river cruise are frequently the breakfasts and the lunches. We have been in 6 Viking Cruises (5 river, 1 ocean). On the Viking river cruises at breakfast they usually have 3 different wonderful cheeses every day and a great selection of fantastic crunchy brown breads. On our Viking River cruise in China they had the best yoghurt I have ever tasted.

 

At lunch my favorite is usually the freshly prepared pasta station but I also like the selection of various types of salads.

 

While the dinners on the river and ocean cruises were about the same, the breakfasts are much better on the river cruises and the pasta station at lunch is also better on the river cruise.

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One key is the chef. We went on Viking Russia last year on the Truvar while we had friends who went in a different river ship.

 

The chef on the Truvar prepared for us fantastic meals, the best meals we've ever had on our 6 Viking trips. Everyone was raving about the food

 

While our friends had a different ship and chef. Most guests on their ship though the food was ok but not up to normal Viking standards.

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  • 1 month later...
Ira, please tell your doctor what happens, this can be a symptom of gout which is easily treatable.

 

"In towns where the economy is based on fishing, the cases of gout are much more pronounced. This can be caused by the increase of shellfish in their diets. Shellfish contain a moderate amount of purine, but regular consumption could push your body over the edge and cause a gout attack. Shellfish high in purine include lobster, scallops, clams, and crab. Along with fish being high in purine, a varied diet that contains more than just seafood proteins is key."

http://www.activebeat.co/diet-nutrition/10-trigger-foods-for-gout/9/

https://thegoutkiller.com/gout-diet/shellfish/

 

I have gout but thus far it is only bothering my finger tips. I am on a med that makes it much more tollerable. I have been told that there are definitely foods which cause an outbreak. Mine, is not one of those. Some people just make too much Creatine and it causes the swelling and pain.gotta have my Shellfish--grew up around the NC ocean and flounder, shrimp, nad scallops are staples!!

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I love to try new foods. So whatever the cuisine is each day I cannot wait to sample it! The only things that may make me pass will be anything liver and frog legs and oysters. Just could not accept the taste! I like fried Trype so go figure!

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