We tried out the NCL "Best of the Best" dining event for lunch at Le Bistro. The premise was that Norwegian would let you eat some of the very best they have to offer from their specialty restaurants. At a cover charge of $15, it took little convincing to try it out. Some of the dishes were put out buffet style in the forms of some simple dishes from the Lotus Garden (the Asian specialty restaurant). They were not much better than the stuff from the Garden Cafe- dishes like Lo Mein, fried rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork and BBQ Spareribs were decent tasting but not what you would consider "best of the best". They also were not as warm as they should have been. On the positive side there were salmon and tuna sashimi on the buffet, and the desserts were outstanding. The highlight we thought was the Coconut Tapioca Pudding dessert that came from the Lotus Garden.

For appetizer we went for the Italian Antipasti Platter (from La Cucina), the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes (from Cagney's) and the Escargots Bourguignonne (from Le Bistro). The Crab Cakes were the best of the bunch. Since we had eaten at Le Bistro, we thought the appetizer w/ the four cones should have been on this "Best of the Best" menu as well.

For soup we went for the Onion Soup au Gratin (from Le Bistro). It was a bit bitter and salty but grows on you, but we couldn't finish it- too salty. For our main entrees we went for the Lemon Pepper Shrimp (from Lotus Garden) and the Fillet De Saumon D' Atlantic (from Le Bistro). The shrimp dish was so-so, but the salmon entree was quite good- the fish was cooked nicely with a crust but yet not overcooked.

Overall the food from the Norwegian Cruises "The Best of the Best" on the NCL Pearl was a bit disappointing. The service was excellent as usual, however, and there was even small band playing some live music. Since it was just $15 per person, I would recommend trying it out for the chance to eat some of the dishes from the specialty restaurants that you haven't eaten before. The name of the event was a bit misleading though- it definitely wasn't the best of the best, but rather "Select Dishes from the Specialty Restaurants".

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NCL Shabu Shabu Review on the Norwegian Pearl
Posted by: CruiseReporter on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - 08:47 PM
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We haven't tried the Shabu Shabu dining option at the Lotus Garden aboard the Norwegian Pearl so we decided to give it a shot. A large fondue-like pot with hot broth was brought out and placed on the heating element located in the middle of our table. The servers then proceeded to bring out a huge plate of vegetables, tofu and chicken, as well as a plate of thinly sliced beef. The vegetables consisted of baby bok-choy, napa cabbage, scallions, onion slices, snow peas and wild mushrooms. You also get two dipping options in the form of a peanut sauce and ponzu. Four pork dumplings that were already steam-cooked also included.

Four different types of noodles also accompanied the other plates. There were udon, Hong Kong style egg noodles, rice vermicelle, and white rice noodles. Personally I thought the egg noodles tasted the best.

The thinly sliced beef was the star- dip into the boiling broth for 2-3 seconds and it's ready to be eaten- very tender and melts in the mouth. We finished the first plate and asked for a second plate, which came out frozen but still tasted good. The snow peas you have to make sure they are not overcooked. Same goes for the dumplings or else you risk the breaking apart. The broth was not too salty and the flavor kept increasing due to all the ingredients that were placed in the pot.

For dessert you get your choice of green tea ice cream w/ green tea cake or sashimi fruit. Both were terrific- you can try both if you ask for it. The "sashimi" fruit was pretty much thinly sliced fruit with two tasty dipping sauces- one was vanilla-like and the other seemed to be made out of passion fruit.

Overall it was an enjoyable dinner, though we thought NCL could have improved the Shabu Shabu/hot pot experience a couple ways. Firstly there was a glaring lack of seafood. No shrimp, fish or scallops came with it. Perhaps the $15 per person cover charge was not enough to include seafood which would have really intensified the flavor of the broth. What would have made the hot pot super-special was if raw geoduck were included. Also if NCL had included a third sauce in the form of the sandy Chinese/Taiwanese style BBQ sauce w/ soy sauce and raw egg it would have improved the overall experience as well. Actually any addition of egg would have been a welcome addition to the broth (and the mouth).

Service was very good overall. A team of four servers helped bring out the pot and plates as well as put some items on the plates into the broth. You could easily ask for more helpings of any particular vegetable, dumplings, meat, etc. no problem.

We give the Norwegian Cruise Shabu Shabu a 3.5/5. It's definitely worth a try, especially if you're on a chilly Alaska cruise.

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What's The Biggest Cruise Ship Like?
Posted by: CruiseGuy on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 07:10 PM
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By Katy Hastings On the Independence Of The Seas

Cruises are for the newly wed and the nearly dead, right? Wrong. With an ice rink, surf simulator, rock climbing wall, numerous swimming pools, nightclubs, bars and restaurants the Independence of the Seas really dispels any preconceived ideas of your typical cruise.

Having never stepped foot on a cruise liner - and to be honest, never having wanted to - my fears were simple.

One, I would spend most of the time in a stuffy shoe box-sized room feeling rather sea sick.

Two, I would feel trapped in a floating version of Butlins, selling dodgy food and cheesy music.

Three, I would not be able to wait to get on dry land.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Never one to like to admit I may be far off the mark, but designers at the Royal Caribbean have indeed excelled themselves.

From the moment you get near the port of Southampton you are speechless at the enormity of the ship. It is ENORMOUS. It dwarfs the QE2 and, given the chance, the Titanic.

And once inside the wow factor continues. Photographs really do not do the boat justice.

It is like walking into a floating town, it even has a wedding chapel.

Toddlers through to teenagers are cared for while those who like to get away from youngsters also have an adult haven in which to retreat.

There are so many memories including sitting down to dinner in a chandelier encrusted dining room similar to the one in the Titanic film.

But what really sticks in my mind is working out on a treadmill in the huge fitness centre, positioned on one of the top decks (there are 15) at the front.

In front of you is the most amazing panoramic view of the ocean. It was not until then that the awe of where I was really hit me. It really felt like you were running on air.

One of the company's catchphrases is to "exceed expectations".

And I'm sure, every one of the 4,300 paying passengers who will set sail on its maiden voyage today, will agree they certainly do that and more.

The downfall? Once you have been on this cruise liner - any other just wouldn't be good enough.

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