Cruise ship restaurants are going well beyond a dining room, buffet, or steakhouse.
The supper clubs available exclusively on Royal Caribbean's Icon Class blend fine dining, crafted cocktails, and live music into a must-see-to-believe "eatertainment" experience.
Unlike traditional specialty restaurants, the supper clubs were designed to blend three pillars — food, beverage, and music — into an elevated, immersive take on "dinner and a show."
"As we thought of experiences that we want to create for Icon Class ships, we really thought about this series of supper clubs and bringing unique and special experiences to each ship that tells the history of great food [and] great cocktails, and ties together the amazing entertainment of live music paired in a very unique and special way," said Linken D'Souza, Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage for Royal Caribbean International.
Empire Supper Club was the first to debut aboard Icon of the Seas. Along with other record-breaking firsts, the upscale specialty restaurant quickly became a defining feature of the line’s newest class of vessels — despite its $200-per-person price tag.
However, developing a concept that intertwines a 10-course tasting menu, handcrafted cocktail pairings, and choreographed live music was no small feat.
"Creating the recipes, testing them, checking ingredients, bringing in the ingredients to check, it was a big team effort. So, it took really everyone, from equipment to product development to inventory [to pull it off]," explained Bruce Venter, Royal Caribbean's Senior Executive Chef.
If that does not sound difficult enough, the Royal Caribbean team took it upon themselves to shift to new themes and effectively reimagine the restaurant from the ground up for each Icon Class vessel.
Empire Supper Club on Icon of the Seas is based on New York City, while the Lincoln Park Supper Club on Star of the Seas transports guests to the windy city of Chicago, Illinois.
The Lincoln Park Supper Club has an entirely different menu, new music, and an overall themed experience compared to the original supper club on Icon of the Seas — all while adding their own memorable twists. For example, while Chicago is known for having more wind and brass instruments, they added a trumpet to give the music sets another layer of flair.
"[It delivers on] the notion of 'eatertainment,' but in a whole new way," exclaimed Royal Caribbean's Senior Director of Product Development, Jennifer Goswami.
The upcoming Legend of the Seas will also have an entirely new supper club inspired by the birth of the golden age of cinema.
"The supper club is a very unique, upscale celebration-type experience in really exquisite surroundings. The atmosphere is really phenomenal. It really gives you a great evening out," said Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
Each course is paired with a handcrafted cocktail
Pairing cocktails with food isn't as easy as it might sound, Alex Palmeri, Senior Manager of Beverage Operations for Royal Caribbean, explained:
"[It is] a very intense process because you have to make sure you have the right cocktail with the right food, and it's at the right pace. We want these cocktails to be great and crafty."
The Royal Caribbean team brought in master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim to ensure that each pairing met the same elevated standard as the fine dining cuisine.
Abou-Ganim loved pairing cocktails with the menus. However, the task wasn't without its challenges. "Sometimes, pairings can be difficult with cocktails," he explained.
"Sometimes, it's not the most obvious. A lot of times, we have to tweak things. You know, we don't always hit a home run, but that is the fun part, kind of the journey getting to that end."
Cocktails are only one aspect of the three-part winning formula
"We've blended what we call 'eatertainment,' where we've got both live music and food together. And that live music and food will be very choreographed, so it'll feel like an intimate yet very luxurious fine dining experience — something we've never done before," said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Chief Production Officer.
Regardless of whether you dine at Empire, Lincoln Park, or Hollywoodland Supper Club, you'll notice that music is integrated into the experience, with songs carefully synchronized with the dishes and cocktails served.
Vanessa Fourla, the Manager of Live Music and Entertainment for Royal Caribbean, said she begins by taking notes on things like the timing, theatrical aspects, instrumentation, volume, intensity, and thickness of the musical texture. After that, they'll spend hours fine-tuning everything until they get what they deem is "an absolutely seamless experience."
"[A]s we look at the big idea, we also have to look at the very minute details, anything from the menu design to the table and chairs that are in the venue to the venue itself, the lighting levels, the sound levels, the smells that you have. We'll spend hours debating that minutia of detail to make sure that every time our guests enjoy a new experience, they're blown away," added Jay Rosser, Senior Manager of Product Development for Royal Caribbean International.
Hollywoodland on Legend of the Seas is themed after Hollywood, California
For Hollywoodland, Royal Caribbean is centering on the glitz, glamour, and fame of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s in Hollywood.
While many details are still under wraps, we can expect an exciting new menu that visually showcases the transformation of cinema throughout the years. For example, the meal starts with dishes presented in sepia-like tones, transitions through a series of black-and-white courses, and culminates in a vibrant, colorful explosion.
Guests will also feel like celebrities for the evening, with every aspect (i.e., good food, beverages, and music) designed to make them feel like they're an A-list movie star.
