Royal Caribbean has been offering Italian food for years on its cruise ships and in recent years, has been changing its Italian food offerings up in recent years.  

So today we're going to compare the various Italian restauants Royal Caribbean serves up and see which one comes out on top!

1. Portofino

Royal Caribbean's reigning Italian food champ, Portofino, has been available on many ships across Royal Caribbean's fleet for many years. 

The food at Portofino is based on Northern Italian cuisine and offers traditional Italian pasta, fish and meats. What Portofino does well is mixing traditional Italian favorites with modern style.  You can get a plate of pasta in a tomato sauce or go with the Saltimbocca alla Romana.  

Sadly, Royal Caribbean is in the process of phasing out Portofino in favor of some of the other Italian restaurants we will be discussing in this post but it remains the stalwart of Italian food on many Royal Caribbean ships.

We think of Portofino as the veteran champ that has been around for a while but still has what it takes to comepete.

2. Giovanni's Table

Giovanni's Table is the up-start "new kid on the block" that offers traditional Italian fare, family style.  Royal Caribbean describes Giovanni's Table as, "an Italian Trattoria influenced by the Tuscan countryside".

Whereas Portofino offers a mix of new and old, Giovanni's Table mostly sticks with tried and true Italian dishes.  Eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, meat balls and more are available.  

Having first debuted on Oasis of the Seas, Giovanni's Table has been spreading to other Royal Caribbean ships with each new ship revitalization and stands to be the new standard by which Royal Caribbean serves up Italian food.

Giovanni's Table is the up-start that is making a name for itself but hasn't "won it all" quite yet.

3. Jamie's Italian

The "new kid on the block" is the newly announced Jamie's Italian, which is coming to Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.  The restaurant is the product of celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver, a famous cook from England.

Royal Caribbean promises you’ll enjoy rustic dishes, handmade using seasonal ingredients, and authentic recipes that are tried and tested crowd-pleasers.

The menu is comprised of Jamie’s Italian Famous Plank piled high with cured meats, pickles and tempting cheeses. From there, try delicious pastas made in-house everyday—like indulgent pumpkin panzerotti and zingy prawn linguine to name a few.

We had a chance to sample a number of the dishes that will be available at Jamie's Italian at the recent Quantum of the Seas dining reveal event in New York and it's clear this Italian restaurant will focus on completely rewriting the book (or menu) on what you think of when it comes to Italian food.

For Italian food on Royal Caribbean ships, Jamie's Italian is like the "dark horse" that could tip the balance in what guests look for on at dinner.

4. Windjammer

Sometimes you just want to enjoy simple Italian food with as much red or white sauce as your plate can handle.  Or maybe you prefer very little sauce.  Whatever your preference, the Windjammer serves up an assortment of Italian food throughout the day at our leisure.

There's something to be said about a plate of pasta with sauce combined with unlimited refills.  And of course you can always grab a burger, salad and sushi to put on your plate too.

The Italian choices in the Windjammer vary daily but there's almost always a pasta dish or two and other traditional Italian dishes here and there.

The Windjammer is a crowd favorite for its simplicity and mass-appeal.

And the winner is?

Which Royal Caribbean Italian restaurant has your vote for the crown? It's a tough choice so share your vote in the comments for this post and choose wisely!

Royal Caribbean Ltd, the parent company to Royal Caribbean International, promoted Adam Goldstein from CEO of Royal Caribbean International to a newly created position president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., effective immediately. 

As a result, Royal Caribbean is now searching for a new CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

Goldstein's new position will have him working with Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain on the strategic direction for the cruise line.  Goldstein will also oversee human resources, information technology, supply chain, corporate communications, safety and environment, government relations, guest port operations and commercial development. 

“Royal Caribbean was a five-ship company when I arrived here, and today we are many times larger than that,” Goldstein said in a statement. “The opportunity we have is to take even greater advantage of our global scale and knowledge, while delivering the guest satisfaction that helped us grow to where we are today.”

Sit back and catch up on this week's Royal Caribbean news.  We've gone through and hand-picked some fun articles for you to take a look at in case you missed any of it.

Broadway fans will rejoice in Royal Caribbean's big announcement this week that one of the longest running Broadway shows of all time, Andrew Lloyd Weber's CATS, is coming to Oasis of the Seas.

As part of the ship's refurbishment later this year, Royal Caribbean will swap out Hairspray and replace it with CATS.

Oasis of the Seas will be going into drydock in while in Europe on October 2014.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean announced Michael Schwartz is the Quantum Experience Advisor for culinary.
• Royal Caribbean is going to send Explorer of the Seas to UK in 2015.
• Royal Caribbean will then send Explorer of the Seas to Australia later in 2015.
• Explorer of the Seas is getting virtual balconies and a 3-D movie theater.
• Here's everything we know about Royal Caribbean's dynamic dining.
• Royal Caribbean announced 2015-2016 southern Caribbean itineraries.
• Our top 10 Royal Caribbean dining tips.
• First look at the SeaPlex Dog House on Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The thirty-fifth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're reviewing our recent cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas.

In this episode, answers the question of how do you figure out the right Royal Caribbean cruise for you.  Matt offers ways to sift through all the cruises Royal Caribbean offers to figure out which cruise options to choose from and ultimately make a decision.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Join us for the first ever Royal Caribbean Blog Cruise!

We're so excited to announce the first ever group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Quantum of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on one of the first Quantum of the Seas sailings on an 8-night cruise to the Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying this brand new ship with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the brand new cruise ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Law News is reporting a gastrointestinal outbreak on Gradeur of the Seas.

Cruise Hive has a report of two port workers were killed during Independence of the Seas' unberthing process.

Cruise Miss shares her thoughts on Royal Caribbean's Dynamic Dining.

Jason Leppert has a new vidcast all about cruising.

Royal Caribbean announced today Andrew Lloyd Weber's Broadway musical CATS is coming to Oasis of the Seas following the ship's refurbishment in the fall of 2014.

CATS will replace Hairspray on the ship, the Broadway show that has played on Oasis of the Seas since the ship launched.

Based on T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,” CATS was one of the longest running productions on Broadway and is the winner of numerous awards including seven Tonys, two Oliviers and a Grammy.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Really Useful Group to bring one of the world’s most beloved musicals to Oasis of the Seas,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Executive Vice President, Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “Adding CATS to our already amazing line up of Broadway musicals such as Hairspray, Chicago: The Musical, Saturday Night Fever and Mamma Mia exemplify our commitment to bringing top quality entertainment to our guests at no extra cost.” 

Oasis of the Seas will be going into drydock in while in Europe on October 2014.

Happy Friday everyone! We have another great assortment of Royal Caribbean photos our readers have sent in to us to share with all of you.  This is always so much fun to do so thank you to everyone who makes this weekly post possible!

Our first photo is from Ken Sussler in Labdee while on his Independence of the Seas sailing in March.  I think Ken has inspired me for a photo opportunity on the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise!

Connor De La Pena sent in this photo and he didn't indicate what ship this is from but since all of his other photos he has sent in were from Oasis of the Seas, I'll guess it's also from Oasis of the Seas.

I am a sucker for sunset photos and lens flares photos so this Liberty of the Seas photo from Laura Metzler is my favorite photo ever. 

Eilika Trummar sent in this photo of the suite balconies on Allure of the Seas and I think it's a great example of composition and with the sunset in the background, you know it has my approval.

John McCormack sent in this photo of Legend of the Seas and two other ships vie for berthing space in St. Kitts. February, 2014.

Hunt sent in this photo of himself, his sister and her husband and Hunt's  dear friend Jeffrey, Arrrrrg!

We want to include your Royal Caribbean photos too! Send them in with this form and we will include it in an upcoming Friday Photos post!

Royal Caribbean announced Chef Michael Schwartz is the Quantum Experience Advisor for Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas and here is his first webisode describing his role in picking the food and dining experiences onboard.

Royal Caribbean will send Explorer of the Seas to Australia for the 2015-2016 cruise season to compliment sister ship Voyager of the Seas.

Explorer of the Seas will replace Rhapsody of the Seas, which has been a fixture in Australia since 2007.

Explorer of the Seas, a Voyager class cruise ship, was previously announced to be going to Europe for April through September 2015 and will begin offering cruises in Australia starting in November 2015.

Royal Caribbean made the announcement in an email sent to members of its Crown & Anchor loyalty program.

Radiance of the Seas will also return to the region again for the 2015-16 season, the newsletter reveals.

For Rhapsody of the Seas, 2014/2015 will be its last season down under.

Royal Caribbean’s Australasian itineraries for 2015/16 will go on sale at the end of the month.

Royal Caribbean announced today award-winning Chef Michael Schwartz is the newest Quantum Experience Advisor for culinary.  

Schwartz will influence food and beverage experiences on the Quantum-class cruise ships Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.Michael’s new role comes in addition to the latest announcement of the introduction of Michael’s Genuine Pub on Quantum-class ships, the first American gastropubs at sea, announced last week at Royal Caribbean’s culinary reveal in New York City.

Schwartz joins two other celebrity Quantum Experience Advisors athlete and adventurer Dhani Jones, Quantum Experience Advisor for Sports and Fitness and HGTV-star Genevieve Gorder, Quantum Experience Advisor for Design.

Schwartz has created the brand new Michael’s Genuine Pub, and will develope new twists to the Chef’s Table, food and beverage pairings, and programming for guests onboard. Michael is further building on his work with Royal Caribbean, having designed seasonal tasting menus for the cruise line’s Oasis-class fine dining restaurant, 150 Central Park, as well as helped select and integrate fresh, high quality ingredients into 150 Central Park’s supply chain.

 “I’m very pleased to be named a Quantum Experience Advisor and become even more engaged with the Quantum Class,” said Michael. “With the new Michael’s Genuine Pub and other Dynamic Dining options onboard Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, there are plenty of opportunities to showcase how good food and good drink can help enhance a Royal Caribbean Quantum-class vacation.”

Ever since Royal Caribbean announced the advent of Dynamic Dining that will be coming to its newest class of cruise ships, the Quantum-class, fans everywhere have been talking about it.  Dynamic Dining promises to be the next evolution in how we have dinner on a cruise ship.

Understandably, there's a lot of intrigue regarding this new kind of dining experience and people want to know what it is exactly and what to expect. We don't know everything quite yet, but here's a listing of all the information on Dynamic Dining that we do know in one place.

What exactly is Dynamic Dining?

The core concept of Dynamic Dining is Royal Caribbean is removing the main dining room completely and instead offering a number of complimentary and specialty (cost extra) restaurants for guests to choose from.

Passengers can book specific times for any of these restaurants in advance, prior to their cruise or opt to book reservations onboard the ship.

Which ships will Dynamic Dining be offered on?

Dynamic Dining will be available on Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and the yet-to-be-named third Quantum-class cruise ship.

Will Dynamic Dining be added to other Royal Caribbean ships?

At this time, Royal Caribbean has no plans to expand Dynamic Dining beyond the Quantum class. 

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein said explicitly they have no plans to add Dynamic Dining to other ships but if Dynamic Dining does well perhaps in many years down the line they could look at expanding Dynamic Dining to other ships.

What restaurants are being added to replace the main dining room?

The new complimentary restaurants include

• American Icon Grill, a take on the classic American road trip, pulling together best-loved regional favorites into one comfort-style menu
• Chic, where the height of contemporary cuisine is realized and the freshest ingredients, such as proteins that pack a punch and sauces made from scratch, are evolved for a modern palate
• Silk, a vibrant and exotic destination where the spices of the Far East bring new flavor to adventurous palates through a Pan-Asian menu
• The Grande, a luxuriant nod to a bygone era of classic European ocean liners when dining was a time honored ritual, featuring timeless dishes, and where every night is formal night.
• Coastal Kitchen, a concept created exclusively for suite guests, fusing Mediterranean influences with the unmatched riches of California’s bountiful farmlands.

The new specialty restaurants include

• Wonderland, an elaborate feast for the senses in a setting where Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes to invent a dreamscape of never-before-seen fare
• Jamie’s Italian, featuring rustic Italian favorites, handmade - using seasonal ingredients and Jamie’s tried-and-tested crowd pleasers
• Michael’s Genuine Pub, the first American gastropub at sea and the next evolution of Royal Caribbean’s relationship with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz, offering simply-prepared food and drinks made with quality ingredients from the best artisanal producers
• Devinly Decadence at Solarium Bistro, Royal Caribbean’s fittest dining destination, serving the foods you love all under five-hundred calories, designed by Devin Alexander, media personality, New York Times bestselling author and chef of highly-rated television show, “The Biggest Loser”.

​There will also be other specialty restaurants offered that aren't new to Royal Caribbean, such as Izumi, Johnny Rockets, Chops Grill and the Chef's Table.

The Windjammer is being re-designed (and kept open 24 hours per day).  Royal Caribbean is also adding a food truck, the SeaPlex Dog House.

SEE OUR DYNAMIC DINING RESTAURANT PHOTO GALLERY

​When can I start making reservations for Dynamic Dining?

Royal Caribbean will open up their brand new booking system for Dynamic Dining on May 15.  

There will be a new app to help guests make reservations and manage reservations both prior to their cruise and during it.

How will gratuities be handled with Dynamic Dining?

Gratuities will be the same as they are now.  Royal Caribbean charges an automatic gratuity to each passenger for each day of their cruise and gratuities are then given to the crew automatically.

Passengers can always stop at guest relations on their cruise and have automatic gratuities removed in favor of a different amount.

What if I want to dine with a large group?

Royal Caribbean says Dynamic Dining can accommodate groups up to 16 people.  Reservations will be able to be linked together and while your large group may not be able to sit at the same table, the staff will do their best to seat you at tables near each other.

Royal Caribbean today announced its 2015-16 Southern Caribbean itineraries, with ships departing Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Miami and San Juan.

Adventure of the Seas will offer seven-night Southern Caribbean cruises out of San Juan, Puerto Rico from May through October 2015.  This will be Adventure of the Seas' first summer program from San Juan since 2009, and shifts from Sunday to regular Saturday departures.

Adventure of the Seas will offer three itineraries, one calling at St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados, while the second replaces St. Kitts with St. Croix. A third itinerary calls at St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba and Curacao. A one-time, six-night itinerary sailing on May 3 will call at Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and St. Maarten. Adventure of the Seas will then alternate two Southern Caribbean itineraries from Nov. 2015 through Apr. 2016. One seven-night, roundtrip sailing will call at St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Dominica, and Barbados, while the second include calls at St. Thomas, St. Croix, Antigua, St. Lucia and Grenada. 

Jewel of the Seas will also offer Southern Caribbean cruises out of San Juan in winter 2015-2016 and alternate two Southern Caribbean itineraries. Each seven-night, roundtrip sailing every Sunday will call at St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba and Curacao, or at Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Croix. Jewel of the Seas features a dining and entertainment nightspot on deck 6, where guests can take in a delicious dinner in Royal Caribbean’s signature Chops Grille steakhouse or Portofino Italian Ristorante, followed by a round of billiards in the Safari Club’s self-leveling pool tables, live music and entertainment in the Serengeti Card Club or the Zanzibar Lounge, and a nightcap in the Congo Bar. 

Independence of the Seas will sail out of Port Everglades, Florida and offer four- and five-night short Western Caribbean itineraries. The four-night itinerary calls at Cozumel, Mexico, while two five-night itineraries are also available, one that calls at Cozumel and Belize City, Belize, or the other at Falmouth, Jamaica, and Labadee.

Enchantment of the Seas will continue offering year-round cruises out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas.Enchantment of the Seas will alternate a three- and four-night Bahamas itinerary. Guests will call at Nassau, The Bahamas, and spend a day at CocoCay.

Majesty of the Seas also will sail three- and four-night Bahamas cruises, year-round and roundtrip from Miami. The three-night itinerary will call at Nassau and CocoCay, while the four-night itinerary also includes a call at Key West, Fla.