A SEA OF MEMORIES - Part 8

[DaCruzNut]

8- APOLLO WASN’T JUST A GREEK GOD

The single most significant aspect of cruising; the one that attracted the passengers; solitary drawing card was, always, the food!

When the major “entertainment†consisted of doing the Dollar Wine, Hula Hoop Contests, and stuffing fresh fruit into your bathing suit, there was always the food.

And, the food was, almost, always worth the emphasis that we, as passengers, put on it.

Most of the cruise lines, in the 1970’s, with the exception of Carnival, used a Miami company to furnish the complete food service. The company supplied all of the personnel involved in food, from the preparers and chefs, in the kitchen, to the maitre d’.

They supplied, and prepared, all of the food served onboard.

That company was Apollo Ship Chandlers, of Miami.

The caterer that ran the food services on the Britanis and provided the same for a majority of the cruise lines, such as Chandris, Commodore, Dolphin, Majesty, Renaissance and a host of others. Each line prepared its own menus, and had a different budget, per passenger, so the food did vary from line-to-line and ship-to-ship. The one thing that did not vary, was the quality. It was always tops.

One thing that hasn’t changed, in the world of cruising, is the emphasis

on food. The theory is, that if you keep the passengers well-fed, with

good food, and keep it coming until they burst out of their clothing,

they will have a good time. Thus it was in the beginning, and thus it

is today. Amen.

The last holdout was Celebrity, which finally went in-house…. The only place you

can sample their special food is on Discovery Cruise Lines day cruise, from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama. Apollo owns the ship and uses it to train its staff…

Considering that the Britanis was a budget ship, the food was, surprisingly, excellent. Starting with the Elephant Ear cookies on the Welcome Aboard Buffet, through the breakfast croissants and to the basket of rolls at the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, the baked goods were the best I’ve ever had on any cruise, from budget to upscale. All of the baked goods were prepared aboard, and every item had a distinct texture and flavor. Strudels and croissants were flaky; rolls were soft, with crunchy crusts; and the various different cakes all were made from different batters.

Today, ships tend to use a “basic†cake and add strawberries and topping, and call it Strawberry Short Cake. Take the same basic cake, put some crème in the middle and encrust the top with chocolate and, voila, Boston Cream Pie. You know what I mean. They look terrific, but all have a common texture and flavor.….

Dinner, the traditional “Main†and “Late†seatings, was a special affair. The menus were much like todays, but the food was less neuveau and more “hearty.†When you ordered the entrée, it came without any side dishes. The bus boy, now called the Assistant Waiter, in todays’ politically-correct world, would come to the table with a tray of potatos and vegetables, and serve as much, or as little, as you wished. Not two asparagi draped over a baby yellow squash and two small chunks of non-descript potato, or a small puddle of rice, affectionately called risotto, but mounds of mashed potato, or a baked potato and a pile of veggies, or two. “More, sir?†“Sure!â€Â

The bus boys were able to do this because they only had one waiter to work with; a team; four or five tables; one waiter; one bus boy; great service. Nowadays, the Bus Boys have become Assistant Waiters, and are spread a bit more thinly; usually, one Assistant for each two Waiters…

Friday night was always my favorite, aboard he Britanis. Dinner, for me, was always the churrasco steak. Living in Miami, I am exposed to Latin food all the time, and believe I have discerning taste. Therefore, it is quite a compliment that I looked forward to the Friday dinner so much. However, it wasn’t the dinner steak that truly thrilled me, it was the Linguini, at the midnight buffet that was the winner!

About 11:45, the entire ship would begin to fill with the aroma of the olive oil, garlic and herbs.… By midnight, when the dining room doors opened, the passengers followed their noses, like lemmings to the sea…. Down the stairs, and straight to the waiters, with their giant pans, browning the garlic, adding the linguini and herbs, and, gently, mixing it all up…. A fresh, crunchy, roll and….

I have heard people, lately, complain that we expect too much of cruise ship food; after all, they’re cooking catering-style for so many people; let’s accept mediocre food; etc; etc; Well, it’s a myth! Apollo proved then, on all of the lines they catered that you don’t have to settle for less than excellent food and service. Even the smallest details were taken care of.

Celebrity had done a decent job of continuing the “Apollo way†of doing things, and has hired a number of former Apollo employees. They still put linen liners on all the buffet trays, so you don’t get a wet tray, and the silver and dishes don’t rattle or slide… Other lines, like Princess, that do their own catering, are a close second. They do an excellent job, even though it is “banquet style.†You cannot prepare true gourmet food on a scale that large.

Of course, when you examine the issue a little more closely, you can have a good laugh! If you get to know your tablemates, just a bit, you will realize that these mavens of exotic victuals, these connoisseurs of epicurean delights, spend their Saturday evenings having dinner at Bennigan’s, Friday’s, or a local Chinese restaurant or pizza parlor. Yet, they complain that the escargot could use a little more/less garlic and the brie is a bit runny……ha,ha,ha.

Sad to say, Apollo is gone from the cruise-dining scene. The last holdout, Celebrity, stopped availing themselves of Apollo’s services and went in-house. They were smart enough to hire many of Apollo’s employees for the kitchen, and other areas, and the level of quality has remained high. But, it’s not quite exactly the same…..something is missing.

The final ray of light, in this sunset of exceptional food, is a small day cruise that travels, daily, between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Freeport, Grand Bahama. The Discovery makes the 60 mile trip in a few hours, allowing some time in Freeport/Port Lucaya for sightseeing and shopping, and, then, returns. Passengers have the option of staying one, or more, nights on Grand Bahama for a small additional fee. The ship is owned by Apollo, which uses it for training purposes.

[DaCruzNut]

8- APOLLO WASN’T JUST A GREEK GOD

The single most significant aspect of cruising; the one that attracted the passengers; solitary drawing card was, always, the food!

When the major “entertainment†consisted of doing the Dollar Wine, Hula Hoop Contests, and stuffing fresh fruit into your bathing suit, there was always the food.

And, the food was, almost, always worth the emphasis that we, as passengers, put on it.

Most of the cruise lines, in the 1970’s, with the exception of Carnival, used a Miami company to furnish the complete food service. The company supplied all of the personnel involved in food, from the preparers and chefs, in the kitchen, to the maitre d’.

They supplied, and prepared, all of the food served onboard.

That company was Apollo Ship Chandlers, of Miami.

The caterer that ran the food services on the Britanis and provided the same for a majority of the cruise lines, such as Chandris, Commodore, Dolphin, Majesty, Renaissance and a host of others. Each line prepared its own menus, and had a different budget, per passenger, so the food did vary from line-to-line and ship-to-ship. The one thing that did not vary, was the quality. It was always tops.

One thing that hasn’t changed, in the world of cruising, is the emphasis

on food. The theory is, that if you keep the passengers well-fed, with

good food, and keep it coming until they burst out of their clothing,

they will have a good time. Thus it was in the beginning, and thus it

is today. Amen.

The last holdout was Celebrity, which finally went in-house…. The only place you

can sample their special food is on Discovery Cruise Lines day cruise, from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama. Apollo owns the ship and uses it to train its staff…

Considering that the Britanis was a budget ship, the food was, surprisingly, excellent. Starting with the Elephant Ear cookies on the Welcome Aboard Buffet, through the breakfast croissants and to the basket of rolls at the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, the baked goods were the best I’ve ever had on any cruise, from budget to upscale. All of the baked goods were prepared aboard, and every item had a distinct texture and flavor. Strudels and croissants were flaky; rolls were soft, with crunchy crusts; and the various different cakes all were made from different batters.

Today, ships tend to use a “basic†cake and add strawberries and topping, and call it Strawberry Short Cake. Take the same basic cake, put some crème in the middle and encrust the top with chocolate and, voila, Boston Cream Pie. You know what I mean. They look terrific, but all have a common texture and flavor.….

Dinner, the traditional “Main†and “Late†seatings, was a special affair. The menus were much like todays, but the food was less neuveau and more “hearty.†When you ordered the entrée, it came without any side dishes. The bus boy, now called the Assistant Waiter, in todays’ politically-correct world, would come to the table with a tray of potatos and vegetables, and serve as much, or as little, as you wished. Not two asparagi draped over a baby yellow squash and two small chunks of non-descript potato, or a small puddle of rice, affectionately called risotto, but mounds of mashed potato, or a baked potato and a pile of veggies, or two. “More, sir?†“Sure!â€Â

The bus boys were able to do this because they only had one waiter to work with; a team; four or five tables; one waiter; one bus boy; great service. Nowadays, the Bus Boys have become Assistant Waiters, and are spread a bit more thinly; usually, one Assistant for each two Waiters…

Friday night was always my favorite, aboard he Britanis. Dinner, for me, was always the churrasco steak. Living in Miami, I am exposed to Latin food all the time, and believe I have discerning taste. Therefore, it is quite a compliment that I looked forward to the Friday dinner so much. However, it wasn’t the dinner steak that truly thrilled me, it was the Linguini, at the midnight buffet that was the winner!

About 11:45, the entire ship would begin to fill with the aroma of the olive oil, garlic and herbs.… By midnight, when the dining room doors opened, the passengers followed their noses, like lemmings to the sea…. Down the stairs, and straight to the waiters, with their giant pans, browning the garlic, adding the linguini and herbs, and, gently, mixing it all up…. A fresh, crunchy, roll and….

I have heard people, lately, complain that we expect too much of cruise ship food; after all, they’re cooking catering-style for so many people; let’s accept mediocre food; etc; etc; Well, it’s a myth! Apollo proved then, on all of the lines they catered that you don’t have to settle for less than excellent food and service. Even the smallest details were taken care of.

Celebrity had done a decent job of continuing the “Apollo way†of doing things, and has hired a number of former Apollo employees. They still put linen liners on all the buffet trays, so you don’t get a wet tray, and the silver and dishes don’t rattle or slide… Other lines, like Princess, that do their own catering, are a close second. They do an excellent job, even though it is “banquet style.†You cannot prepare true gourmet food on a scale that large.

Of course, when you examine the issue a little more closely, you can have a good laugh! If you get to know your tablemates, just a bit, you will realize that these mavens of exotic victuals, these connoisseurs of epicurean delights, spend their Saturday evenings having dinner at Bennigan’s, Friday’s, or a local Chinese restaurant or pizza parlor. Yet, they complain that the escargot could use a little more/less garlic and the brie is a bit runny……ha,ha,ha.

Sad to say, Apollo is gone from the cruise-dining scene. The last holdout, Celebrity, stopped availing themselves of Apollo’s services and went in-house. They were smart enough to hire many of Apollo’s employees for the kitchen, and other areas, and the level of quality has remained high. But, it’s not quite exactly the same…..something is missing.

The final ray of light, in this sunset of exceptional food, is a small day cruise that travels, daily, between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Freeport, Grand Bahama. The Discovery makes the 60 mile trip in a few hours, allowing some time in Freeport/Port Lucaya for sightseeing and shopping, and, then, returns. Passengers have the option of staying one, or more, nights on Grand Bahama for a small additional fee. The ship is owned by Apollo, which uses it for training purposes.

[GottaCruz]

Jeff,

I know what you mean when you say that they have "common texture and flavor'- I know, at least for me, that the desserts always look better than they taste. Elephant ear cookies? What is that? Anyway, your post has made me hungry, Jeff. Gotta go see what I can dig up. :grin:

[GottaCruz]

Jeff,

I know what you mean when you say that they have "common texture and flavor'- I know, at least for me, that the desserts always look better than they taste. Elephant ear cookies? What is that? Anyway, your post has made me hungry, Jeff. Gotta go see what I can dig up. :grin:

[Shari2]

Jeff...you're making me hungry! :grin: Thanks for the memories of the, "old," days on board ship. Some things were definitely better back then, but, many things have improved, so it's great to have sailed some of the, "old classics," and great to be able to go on the beautiful new ships, also!

One thing that has really changed are the,"Midnight Buffets," as you stated in another posting. Some ships don't even have them anymore, and some only have them once in awhile. I couldn't believe the food that was put out at midnight and then again at 1:30.

The food on the regular midnight buffet was more, and much better, than some of the, "Grand Buffet's," today. I suppose that there was just too much waste to keep up that tradition, but at least some of the ships have a buffet once in awhile on pool deck and some, like Celebrity, bring around hors d' oeuvres in the lounges around 11:30 p.m. How much can we really eat, anyway? Especially if you have late sitting!

[Shari2]

Jeff...you're making me hungry! :grin: Thanks for the memories of the, "old," days on board ship. Some things were definitely better back then, but, many things have improved, so it's great to have sailed some of the, "old classics," and great to be able to go on the beautiful new ships, also!

One thing that has really changed are the,"Midnight Buffets," as you stated in another posting. Some ships don't even have them anymore, and some only have them once in awhile. I couldn't believe the food that was put out at midnight and then again at 1:30.

The food on the regular midnight buffet was more, and much better, than some of the, "Grand Buffet's," today. I suppose that there was just too much waste to keep up that tradition, but at least some of the ships have a buffet once in awhile on pool deck and some, like Celebrity, bring around hors d' oeuvres in the lounges around 11:30 p.m. How much can we really eat, anyway? Especially if you have late sitting!

[Lisa63]

Bringing this back to the top for some good weekend reading...

[Lisa63]

Bringing this back to the top for some good weekend reading...