Dining on the NCL’s Epic Raises the Bar on the High Seas

We just returned from a week in the Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ship, The Epic. The weather sucked, which normally kills a cruise like this one. But for yours truly, the dining was such that it took our minds off the omnipresent clouds and hazy-at-best sunshine.

The one rule of thumb on a ship like the Epic, or for that matter most cruise ships, is that the general and endless buffets are at best adequate, and often less than that. However, the Epic boasts a number of specialty restaurants (which require a surcharge) that range from a very mediocre churrascaria to a delightful French (Le Bistro) and Italian (Cucina). And there’s the totally amazing Haven (it should have an additional “e” in the spelling).

We tried the Spaghetti Carbonara and Shrimp Risotto at Cucina. Both were light and exceptionally flavorful. The Carbonara was good, maybe even better, than that at my longtime Congress favorite La Traviata. The risotto had its own compelling personality, and the shrimp were uber-fresh. And the service was exceptional.

Le Bistro’s French offerings were on the traditional side, but how can one go wrong with fresh butter and garlic?

But the Haven, with a menu that lists no prices, and a view from the very top of the ship that is breathtaking, astonished on every visit. True, it is exclusive and only for those who book a premium passage, but we lucked out with an upgrade that enabled us to dine there. The first night we tried the boneless short rib (melt in your mouth tender) and a duck ravioli with just a hint of truffle oil that was perfect. Another night Marge had a light and creamy filet of salmon with a beet salad along with butter lettuce. I had classic beef stroganoff which was indeed classic. Only needed an extra dollop of sour cream to blend the the savory brown jus. The egg noodles were beautifully al dente.

And it wasn’t just dinner that rocked. The breakfasts were, in their own right, symphonic. I never tire of well made Eggs Benedict (but with sausage instead of Canadian bacon) and oh-so-tasty hollandaise. Haven made each breakfast a food critic’s paradise. And the last day I broke my low-carb regimen (again) and splurged on French toast with sausage and blueberries. Again, spot-on.

So the sun was iffy. So what? On a cruise line with multiple dining options and a lot of deck to walk off all that consumption, life was good.