The humble hamburger is celebrating something of a renaissance at the moment, with gourmet chefs inventing unusual, mouth-watering beef patty butties with an absolute glut of bizarre toppings and ingredients. Cruise lines have been quick to add some of these monster burgers to their ships’ menus – instructing head chefs and kitchen teams to reinvent these dishes, making them as far removed from a tired, sloppy quarter pounder as possible.
Here we have a look at some of our favourite cruise ship burgers.
Guy’s Straight Up
Served aboard a number of ships in the Carnival Cruises fleet, the Straight Up burger from Guy’s Burger Joint has so many ingredients that the menu has to revert to initials. Proudly offering L.T.O.P. (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle) and S.M.C. (super melty cheese) the burger also promises a ‘liberal slathering’ of donkey sauce – which thankfully contains no donkey.
Guy’s Burger Joint is a venture from restaurateur and TV host, Guy Fieri who specialises in big and bold recipes which are unashamedly delicious.
The Ernesto
The foodies amongst us were overjoyed when Princess Cruises announced a partnership with former head chef of Umami Burger, Ernesto Uchimura, as part of the new Salty Dog Gastropub aboard the Crown Princess. The chef has created the eponymous Ernesto Burger which is made up of a rib eye and short rib beef patty, grilled pork belly, kimchi, battered jalapeno, charred onion aioli and cave-aged gruyere cheese. But, don’t go in the swimming pool for a good 30 minutes after washing down this beastly burger.
#12
So-called because it apparently received a score of 12 on a scale of 1-10 when it was first introduced to guests; the #12 from Johnny Rockets aboard Anthem of the Seas’ is a charming little burger which harks back to the golden age of American diners. Despite not understanding a basic scoring system, the cheeseburger is topped with all the burger classics plus Johnny Rocket’s signature Red Red Sauce.
You also must accompany the burger with an order of Frings – half fries, half onions rings.
The Cannonball
Aptly named because of its restaurant’s position next to the lido pools aboard Holland America Line ships; the Cannonball from Dive-In at the Terrace Grill is a stunning cheesy feast complete with gouda, Applewood smoked bacon and sweet caramelised onions. A great reward if you have been diligently completing laps in the pool all morning. And if you’ve really released your inner Michael Phelps, why not go a step further and plunge for the stunning melted cheese fries?
Wagyu Beef Burger
Wagyu beef is amongst the most sought-after meat in the world, renowned for its beautiful marbling and incredible taste. Norwegian Cruise Line offer up a real treat with the Wagyu Beef Burger found in their steakhouse. Alongside the stunning beef patty, the burger can be complemented with a range of toppings including gorgonzola cream and caramelised red onion.
That’s if you can resist the temptation of the filet mignon from the steak menu.
Slider Party
Found in the restaurant Qsine on a number of Celebrity Cruises’ ships, the Slider Party is a selection of mini burgers made up of grilled angus beef, aged Wisconsin cheddar and Qsine’s special slider sauce.
Qsine has developed a reputation for doing things a little bit differently, and offers other items on the menu such as Disco Shrimp and Meatball Trilogy.
If these burgers have whetted your appetite for a flavourful trip atop the high seas, we might have the deal for you. Head over to our homepage, or give us a call on 0808 2746 777, for a great selection of exclusive deals.
Images sourced via Royal Caribbean Press Center, Guy Fieri Press, Norwegian Cruise Line Press Center and Celebrity Cruises Press Center. Credit: Royal Caribbean, Guy Fieri, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises.
