FOOD AND DINING: PART 2
by Hen Zannini
I’m back! This time, I’m going to share my experiences about complimentary dining onboard Icon of the Seas—and there’s a lot to share! My first two stops once onboard the Icon are Sorrento’s and Park Café. Yes—I said two! I just have to have my Sorrento’s pizza and my Park Café roast beef sandwich.
If you’ve never been on a Royal Caribbean cruise before (what are you waiting for?), you know all about Sorrento’s—the best pizza on the high seas! They have several specialty pizzas, but my favorite is good ole’ cheese and pepperoni. You can have as many slices as you’d like. You can even order entire pizzas! And it’s all complimentary.
I have to go to Park Café once onboard so I can sink my teeth into their mouth-watering roast beef sandwich. It’s called the Royal Kümmelweck, and it is legendary. Kümmelweck is a special Kaiser-type roll, and it is to die for. The chefs slice the beef in front of you and slap it on the roll. They then add whatever you’d like on your sandwich—au jus, gravy, horseradish. And voila—the best roast beef sandwich you’ll ever eat! It may not look too fancy, but wait until you sink your teeth into it! The Park Café offers many other deli favorites. Do you like salads? You pick all your ingredients, and they make the salad for you. In a rush? Grab a fresh, pre-made salad to go. The Park Café is open for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. They offer a bountiful breakfast spread, as well as soups, sandwiches, and yummy sweets. It’s one of my favorite complimentary restaurants. The food is so fresh, and you can dine indoors or outside on their patio in Central Park.
The Pearl Café (not to be confused with Park Café) has lots of grab-and-go food items that are included in your cruise. If you have a drink package or have Diamond vouchers, you can use them at The Pearl Café. For an extra charge, you can order a specialty coffee beverage or other special food options. This is a great place to visit after a late show. They have plenty of café-style tables and chairs, or you can grab what you want and take it to your cabin.
An absolute favorite of mine is El Loco Fresh, a complimentary Mexican restaurant on Deck 15 near the Royal Bay Pool. They are typically open in the morning right through 6 pm, but always check the Royal application for their hours. I didn’t eat breakfast there, but they offer breakfast burritos, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. For the rest of the day, you can get burritos, carnitas, tacos, nachos, flan, and tres leches. The salsa station has everything you could imagine, and all of the food is authentically delicious. Dining at El Loco Fresh is al fresco, and it has the most colorful, fun atmosphere—I love it!
The Windjammer Marketplace is a sight to behold! Also included in the price of your cruise is the Royal’s signature buffet, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day. It is also located on Deck 15, and it’s huge. The new design of the Windjammer on the Icon of the Seas is unique. You can enter left or right (with the same food offerings on both sides) at the main entrance after washing your hands. Be sure to look for the Washy Washy singers and dancers—they’re so much fun! This design definitely helps with congestion. There are so many choices of appetizers, salads, sides, main courses, desserts, and even food cooked to order that I couldn’t begin to list them all. You can pretty much find whatever you want at the Windjammer!
Now, can we talk about the Aquadome Market? Holy Moly! Brand new to Royal Caribbean, The Aqua Dome houses a food hall, which is more like an elegant café that houses five different types of food. Did I try all five? You better believe it! The first one I tried is called Feta Mediterranean. They create a bowl for you, where you pick your base, protein, toppings, and sauce. With the freshest ingredients, they create your freshest bowl. The second is Toast and Garden. Omg, grilled sandwiches with melted cheese that drips out of your mouth, watermelon salad with feta cheese, potato salad made with red bliss potatoes, and fresh Caesar salads, too. Next is Mac’s. As the name implies, it’s all about macaroni and cheese—and five different kinds. I’d rather you be surprised and try them yourself, instead of telling you what kinds they are. I promise you won’t be disappointed! GNGR, as you might guess, makes Asian bowls for you. At this station, you can choose either noodles or rice. You then top it with your choice of veggies, such as chicken teriyaki, ginger beef, and shrimp, to name just a few. The food is better than any Asian restaurant at home! And I saved my favorite Aquadome Market station for last—Crème de La Crepe! Don’t ask how many times I stopped by this station. They make fresh crepes for you while you watch. You can mix and match any crepe fillings you desire—and mix and match, I did! Nutella was my number-one favorite! But there’s also vanilla bean custard, bananas, strawberries, and lots more.
For you ice cream lovers, I don’t want to forget Sprinkles! It’s located in Chill Island, and you get all the complimentary ice cream cones you want all day long. Yummy!
The last three complimentary food venues I tried were Base Camp, Surfside Eatery, and Surfside Bites, and I loved them all. Base Camp is another colorful restaurant offering both complimentary food and a few foods that cost extra. The “free” foods are hot dogs, tater tots, and warm pretzels with cheese sauce—and they are all quite delicious! It’s the perfect place for a quick pick-me-up between big meals. Surfside Eatery is a mini-style Windjammer that’s geared towards families. There are several food options that the kids will enjoy. Like the Windjammer, Surfside Eatery is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Because it’s a small venue, I chose to dine there before peak mealtimes because it fills up quickly. Lastly, located next is Surfside Eatery is the quick service window, Surfside Bites. At the window, you can order burgers and hot dogs, pizza toasties, and churros and cookies. Surfside Bites is open all day long.
Although not all Room Service is free, they do offer a complimentary continental breakfast, which I ordered several times. You can truly create your own full meal from the complimentary breakfast menu. There’s coffee, tea, milk, and various juices. And there’s also cereal, fruits, and yogurts—not to mention English muffins, donuts, and pastries. I ate my breakfast on my balcony those days, enjoying the peace and the ocean. I chose to tip the crew member who delivered my food. For any other time of the day or night, room service costs a flat fee of $7.95, and you can order anything on the large room service menu that your heart desires!
And that’s all of the complimentary dining I experienced on the Icon of the Seas. I enjoyed every bite of it, and I am now starving after writing about it.
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