For Italian food, Royal Caribbean offers its specialty restaurant Portofino aboard many of its cruise ships.  We decided to try this popular alternative restaurant and see if this restaurant is worth checking out.

Portofino is featured on Royal Caribbean's Voyager class ships, Freedom class ships, Brilliance of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas.

Atmosphere

We ate at Portofino aboard Freedom of the Seas and compared to Chops Grille, located across the way near the Windjammer, Portofino is much brighter and seems slightly more open.  Where Chops has dark woods with light accents, Portofino goes for lighter colors all around and seemed less "dark" than Chops. 

The word "portofino" is actually the name of a small fishing village in Norhern Italy that is famous for its picturesque harbor and historical association with celebrity visitors.

Like Chops, the restaurant has two "rooms" that make up the restaurant.  The first room is where you enter and has tables lined up against the window for views of the ocean (assuming it isn't too dark to see outside) and the second room is more of a cul de sac, with tables arranged around the room.

Eats

Portofino prides itself on Italian food, with a mix of classic dishes and some new things the chefs have come up with.  They aren't trying to change what we think of when it comes to Italian food, rather, they just want to provide quality Italian food that you can't find elsewhere on the cruise ship.

The menu at Portofino is simple, with an antipasti (appetizers) and pietanze (main courses) making up the menu.  All the food is referred to by their Italian names, although the descriptions for each item is sufficient to getting an idea of what the food is.

Like Chops, there's a bread appetizer that is served for everyone although there's a greater variety of breads and spreads to find.  I was very, very tempted to indulge myself here and try them all but I didn't want to fall for the faux pas of eating too much bread before my meal (thanks mom!). The spreads consisted of cloves of garlic, a pesto paste and Kalamata olive spread.  

For our appetizers, I chose the minestrone alla Genovese along with the Carpaccio di Tonno (I just can't say no to tuna).  My wife opted for Insalata alla Cesare (Caesar salad) and Prosciutto in Insalata.

When I saw the minestrone soup, I was a little surprised because every minestrone soup I've ever seen comes in a tomato broth.  This was a clear broth and definitely not traditional.  That being said, it tasted wonderful and I could tell this was not soup from a can or anything else of that low quality.  I could taste the freshness of the ingredients and really enjoyed it.

My tuna carpaccio was again, not what I was expecting.  Rather than deep red tuna, this tuna was might lighter in color and topped with oranges and a citrus-dill dressing.  It tasted good and I enjoyed it, although in this case, I think I prefer a more traditional tuna carpaccio but that's just my personal taste.

My wife started with the prosciutto and enjoyed the different take on her dish.  By now we realized the appetizers were not what you'd find at your local Olive Garden and that was a definite plus.  We may not have known what we were ordering, but every appetizer we tried was interesting and a welcome change. Her Caesar salad was probably the most "routine" appetizer we had.

For our main courses, we went with the tonno ai ferri (I really, really can't say no to tuna) and the taglierini al pesto.

The tuna filet was great not just because of the tuna itself, but the marjoram-garlic drizzle and vegetables it came with.  When I combined it all, I really enjoyed the dish and wished I had more of it to eat.  

The pasta in pesto sauce was just plain good.  It's a classic Italian dish and I love having "safety dishes" to fall back on to use as a baseline of good food.  The pasta tasted fresh (no boxed stuff here) and the pesto sauce was quite good as well.  I'd recommend this for something to share among your group.

For desserts, the menu is fairly basic and offers some traditional Italian desserts to try.  Nothing jumped out at me, so I opted for the sampler so I could try them all.

The dessert sampler offers four petit desserts to try and for me, it was just enough to get a sense of what they all were without committing to just one.  The chefs here aren't rewriting the book on Italian desserts, rather, it's simple yet indulgent choices.

My wife was intrigued by the tiramisu and went with that.  From just presentation alone, it looked exquisite and after tasting it, it was pretty darn good.  It was really hard to go wrong with any of these choices.

Overall

For the money, Portofino ($20 per person) is a great choice for a specialty restaurant.  The obvious comparison is between this and Chops Grille and given that Chops is $10 more expensive and the experiences between both, I really enjoyed my time at Portofino a little more.  It's not to take anything away from Chops, but if I could only eat at one specialty restaurant aboard Freedom of the Seas, I'd have to go with Portofino.

The other comparison that is easy to make is putting Portofino against Gionvanni's Table. Personally, I prefer individual portions to family style meals and the food at Giovanni's was definitely more traditional than Portofino.  Looking back at both meals, I'd have to lean towards Portofino for the edge it has in trying some new things, especially with my appetizers.

I felt like the quality of the food along with the "je ne sais quois" that the chef provides really made this more than just another Italian dinner.  With an interesting selection of traditional and new Italian dishes, you'll find Portofino is a specialty restaurant worth trying.

Portofino is open for dinner between 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. and we reviewed Portofino aboard Freedom of the Seas.

Earlier this year, Royal Caribbean made the announcement it would transition its Crown and Anchor Society Ultimate Value Booklets from actual paper booklets to a digital form that is loaded on your SeaPass card.  We now know more information about how the new digital offers will work.

The new offers will be loaded onto each passenger's SeaPass card, eliminating the paper books, starting in "summer 2013".

A full list of your benefits onboard the cruise can be found on the back of the welcome letter delivered to their stateroom on Day 1 of the cruise. In addition, you will be able to find a balance of offers by visiting an iCafe computer, using your personal computer and via iTV in their stateroom (on Oasis and Allure of the Seas only).

All offers will remain on the card until the passenger disembarks their cruise.  Offers will remain valid if their cruise is interporting.  

Offers expire when the cruise ends. Offers do not carry over to the next cruise.

For those passengers doing back-to-back cruises, a new set of offers will be loaded onto their Seapass card on Day 1 of the next voyage. Offers do not carry over to the next sailing even if they are a back to back cruiser.

Beginning in June, Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing into Hong Kong will dock at the new $1 billion Kai Tak Cruise Terminal that features eco-friendly features and an impressive harbor view from the terminal's interior and rooftop.

The new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal can handle ships of up to 220,000 gross registered tonnage. It can also process 3,000 passengers an hour.

The first ship scheduled to officially utilize the new Kai Tak terminal is Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas on June 12.  Voyager of the Seas will also dock here this year. Royal Caribbean ships will return to dock here in 2014 as well.

Right now, Asia is a hotbed for cruise industry growth. "Total Asian cruise passengers could reach seven million by 2020 based on projected China cruise market growth," said Bill Flora, director – USA, Hong Kong Tourism Board . "Asia could likely represent 20% of the global cruise market by 2020.”

ROyal Caribbean will send three ships to the United Kingdom in 2014 - Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas - with bookings opening on March 20, 2013.

Both Independence of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas will sail out of the Southampton for their second consecutive seasons from May 2014 until late October 2014. Brilliance of the Seas will return to her home port of Harwich after a debut season in summer 2013.

Royal Caribbean Associate Vice President and General Manager for the UK and Ireland, Jo Rzymowska, commented on the news, "We are delighted to announce our 2014 sailings from Southampton and Harwich on our newly revitalised ships. Our guests can continue to enjoy our innovative facilities and activities onboard including rock climbing, ice skating and surfing, plus our great entertainment. We want to continue to give our guests unforgettable experiences that can only be found on Royal Caribbean International.”

Independence of the Seas will feature a range of itineraries in 2014, including shorter sailings such as a three-night and four-night cruise to Le Havre for Paris, and Zeebrugge for Bruges. Independence of the Seas will also showcase a six night cruise to France and Spain, an eight-night cruise to Norway, various 14-night Mediterranean cruises, plus 11 and 12-night Canary Islands cruises.

From May 2014, Adventure of the Seas from Southampton will return to a series of seven to 16 night cruises around the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, plus shorter sailings, including a four-night trip to Belgium and France.

Brilliance of the Seas, sailing from Harwich, will visit Northern Europe on 12-night Norwegian Fjords and Iceland cruises and the Baltic Sea on 12-night Scandinavia & Russia cruises.

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas returned to Port Everglades, Florida today after 105 guests and 3 crew members contracted norovirus on the cruise ship.

"Vision of the Seas experienced an elevated number of persons with a gastrointestinal illness on its last sailing," Royal Caribbean International said in a statement. 

Royal Caribbean crew members gave out over-the-counter medication to those affected by the virus.

An official statement by Royal Caribbean discussed what steps the cruise line as taken to prevent the problem in the future, "At Royal Caribbean International we have high health standards for all our guests and crew.  During the sailing, we conduct enhanced cleaning onboard the ship, to help prevent the spread of the illness."

When the Vision of the Seas docked in Port Everglades, the company said it conducted an extensive sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal, to help prevent any illness from affecting the subsequent sailing.

"Guests received a letter at boarding that asks if they have experienced any gastrointestinal symptoms within the last three days," Royal Caribbean officials said.

Royal Caribbean Associate Vice President of Safety and Environmental Stewardship, Richard Pruitt, talked to a group of reporters during a tour of Explorer of the Seas about the challenges the cruise line is facing in powering their ships in light of new maritime industry emissions regulations.

Explorer of the Seas is powered by  6 V12 diesel engines that are connected to 6 12.6 MW electrical generators. The ship was taking on 1,300 tons of fuel during the tour. The Explorer holds two types of marine fuel because US and international law dictate that low sulfur fuel oil must be burned within 200 nautical miles of member-country shorelines, a boundary known as the Emissions Control Area established by the International Maritime Organization.

New air pollution regulations took effect last August have had a direct impact on cruise ships, and Royal Caribbean "had problems getting compliant fuel in the Pacific Northwest," Pruitt said. Dealing with the emissions issue is currently his greatest challenge, he added.

Compounding the problem is that space aboard a cruise ship is at a premium and the need to carry multiple types of fuel means multiple tanks must compete for precious space.

Pruitt thinks the solution could lie in scrubbers, much like those used by utilities operating coal-fired power plants. He said two ships experimenting with them now "show great promise."

But the regulations are scheduled to tighten even more from less than 1% sulfur fuel now to below 0.1%, which could double fuel costs inside the ECA, according to Pruitt. Scrubbers will likely be required to some extent, he said, because the sulfur content of fuel can only be reduced so much. In order to comply with regulations, some contaminants may need to be scrubbed out after the fuel is burned.
 

On our cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas last week, Hotel Manager Michael Rasmussen discussed briefly the new Quantum of the Seas cruise ship that Royal Caribbean is developing and addressed some of the rumors floating out there.

What features do you think Quantum of the Seas will have and what amenities do you want on the new cruise ship?

The hurricanes of 2017 damaged the beach. We do not recommend going here until it is rebuilt.

The island of St. Martin is known for its beautiful beaches but one of its lesser known beaches is a great choice if you're looking for a very calm ocean experience that is perfect for young children. On our recent cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, we tried Le Galion beach on the French side of St. Martin.

Description

Le Galion beach is a small cove that has a reef/sandbar that breaks any waves well off shore so it's basically a beach that is more like a pond. In addition, the depth of the water barely exceeds a foot or so for a good few yards.  All of this makes for perfect conditions for young children who want to be in the water but cannot swim or are not strong swimmers.

The beach is horseshoe shaped and is free to access, although if you want to use the chairs and/or umbrellas that are set up, it will cost a small fee (2 chairs and an umbrella cost $15).  One half of the beach has soft white sand while the other half has rocks and coral for those that want to do a little snorkeling.  The water tends to be very clear and it's just the perfect environment for kids to play in.  It's also serene enough for adults to enjoy for the quiet ambiance that a beach like this provides.

There's a small restaurant and bar on one end of the beach that has your basic beach bar food as well as a full array of drinks.  There is no waiter service but the beach is small enough that walking to it is not a problem.  Le Galion tends not to be as crowded as other beaches so that usually means no vendors walking up and down the beach trying to sell stuff to you.

Comments

Le Galion beach is perfect for families who have kids that want to play in the water but most beaches have too rough a surf for it to be safe.  Our two year old who cannot swim had no problem playing in the first few feet of water, that barely went up to her thighs when standing up.  

For adults, le Galion is great if you just want a no-frills, calm beach experience.  We saw plenty of adults without kids enjoying the beach on their own.  Given the relative lack of surf, this is not a beach that you will find lots to do in the water but there are 2 floating docks that anyone can swim to.  The first dock is relatively close to shore and a good option for kids but the other dock is further out and best suited for adults.  Otherwise, there are no other water toys available. 

What I love about le Galion is how simple and serene everything is.  For my daughter, it was heaven because of the no waves.  For the adults, we enjoyed sitting on our chairs and enjoying a few adult beverages while taking everything in.  The restaurant/bar is somewhat expensive, depending on what you order.  Drinks are average in price, although it's still cheaper to drink here than your cruise ship.

I do need to mention le Galion is a clothing optional beach, and on our visit we did see about 4 women bathing topless.  During our time, the sunbathers kept to one side of the beach while the families seemed to be on the other.  It was not a big deal for us and unless you're looking for it, the nudity is easy to miss.  

Location: e Galion Beach Rd., Quartier D'Orleans, St-Martin / St Maarten

Cost: Beach access is free. Chairs and umbrellas available for rent.

Royal Caribbean announced its 2014 cruise schedule for Northeast America and European cruises across six ships serving ports in New England and Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and the Baltic, North, Norwegian and Mediterranean seas, respectively. In total, Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, and Legend of the Seas will embark on 87 sailings with a total of 85 unique ports of call on two continents.

Royal Caribbean put its 2014 Canada and New England cruises open for sale today while its Northern Europe sailings will go on sale on March 20, 2013.

Europe

Independence of the Seas also will sail an eight-night itinerary to the southern fjordlands of Norway on May 17, followed by a shorter six-night cruise to Paris (Le Havre), France, and Bilbao and Gijon, Spain, departing on May 25. Vacationers also can choose a three- and four-night sampler, sailing October 25 and 28 respectively, with calls at Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium, and Paris. Furthermore, Independence of the Seas’ 2014 Europe season is bookended with a 13-night eastbound trans-Atlantic voyage from winter-homeport Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a 15-night westbound return crossing departing May 4 and Nov. 1, 2014, respectively.

Also to homeport at Southampton, Adventure of the Seas will offer vacationers a panoply of roundtrip Baltic, Iceland and Norway, and Mediterranean sailings, ranging from 12- to 16-nights. On the Baltic Sea sailings, guests will call at St. Petersburg for two days, enough time to explore the ‘Window to the West’ and a take an excursion to inland Moscow. On the Iceland-bound sailings, guests also enjoy a two-day call at Reykjavik to join in the vibrant ‘nightlife capital of the North.’

For a week-long cruise option, vacationers can chose a seven-night Southern Norway cruise, departing May 23, or a seven-night North Sea cruise to France and Spain, departing Oct. 26. Two short cruises, a four-night Belgium and France itinerary, departing May 4, and a two-night Paris (Le Havre) sailing, departing Aug. 29, will offer vacationers a taste of the Voyager-class ships, the first to introduce the cruise line’s iconic rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard of restaurants, lounges and boutiques that stretches nearly the ship’s length. Vacationers also can span two continents on 14-night trans-Atlantic crossings, sailing eastbound from Miami on Apr. 20 and westbound to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 2.

In addition to Southampton, vacationers can choose 12- and 13-night Scandinavia and Russia cruises, sailing roundtrip from Harwich, England, aboard Brilliance of the Seas that also features two-day calls at St. Petersburg. A 12-night Fjords & Iceland itinerary, departing July 26, brings guests to southern Norway, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands, as well as calls for two days at Reykjavik. Fourteen-night, Trans-Atlantic crossings also bookend the ship’s Northern Europe season, with the eastbound voyage departing on Apr. 30 from Tampa, Fla., and a westbound voyage departing on Aug. 31 that follows a northerly route to Boston, Mass.

Legend of the Seas heads for the Baltic Sea on April 16 on a 16-night trans-Atlantic crossing from Port Everglades to Copenhagen. Nordic and Baltic enthusiasts then have a choice of Copenhagen or Stockholm, from where they can embark on a seven- or eight-night Norwegian Fjords or Baltic cruise. From Copenhagen, an 11-night Arctic Circle itinerary, departing June 7, calls as far north as Tromsø and Honningsvåg to bring guests into the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun.’ An 11-night Ultimate Scandinavia Russia itinerary, departing Copenhagen on June 18 features a three-day call at St. Petersburg and an overnight at Stockholm for an extensive Baltic adventure.

Canada, Bermuda, New England and Caribbean from Northeast USA

In autumn 2014, vacationers have a choice of four ships, aboard which to catch the infinite range of colors in the grand Northeast U.S. and Canada’s Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. From Quebec City, four cruises aboard Legend of the Seas will sail 10- and 11-night itineraries, calling throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A 12-night Canada and Bermuda cruise, departing Nov. 3, will include an overnight in Bermuda as the ship repositions to its winter homeport of Port Everglades. Brilliance of the Seas alternatively, will offer six autumn sailings to Canada and New England, sailing roundtrip from Boston to Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on seven-night itineraries.

Explorer of the Seas will offer two nine-night fall-foliage cruises, departing Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. on Aug. 28 and Sept. 11. The ship also will alternate a five-night Bermuda and a nine-night Bermuda & Caribbean itinerary for the convenience of vacationers from the New York metropolitan area.

From Baltimore, Md., Grandeur of the Seas will offer mid-Atlantic vacationers four convenient sailings to catch the fall foliage on an eight-night Canada & New England itinerary. These eight-night sailings will alternate with a six-night Bermuda itinerary that uniquely features a three-day call at the British overseas territory.