One of the most pleasurable events on many cruise ships is the serving of afternoon tea. For tea-drinkers, this is good news. Tea is well recognized for its health benefits thanks to its high content of flavenoids (antioxidants).
Drinking a cup of tea is also an enjoyable indulgence, making teatime relaxing, social and - especially on cruise ships - downright impressive. Some ships don’t make a fuss about afternoon tea, but other cruise lines go all out to make it a memorable occasion.
Holland America Line and Crystal Cruises Offer Tea with a Theme
Once during a cruise, Holland America Line presents an Indonesian Tea with a variety of authentic Indonesian teas and coffees. During the event, the crew dresses in traditional Indonesian costumes.
Once during 7-10 day sailings, a Cupcake Tea takes place on a sea day in the Pinnacle Grill, along with the serving of flavored milks (chocolate or strawberry). A dozen varieties of cupcakes are offered.
Then there is Holland America's Royal Dutch Tea which takes place in the dining room once during a cruise. Buffet-style appetizers are set up at the entrance to the dining room. When guests are seated, the tea is served to accompany the appetizers.
The Pinnacle Grill and Neptune Lounge serve Harney and Sons tea, and in Tamarind, a restaurant exclusive to Holland America Line's ms Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam, guests enjoy a Flowering Tea featuring White Lion tea. At the regular Tea Time (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.), held daily on Holland America ships, guests can choose from eight different varieties of Bigelow tea.
Crystal Cruises’ ships serve a casual Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court, but it’s the themed tea, such as the Mozart Tea, that is most impressive. During this tea event, a stringed quartet plays Mozart compositions, the servers are dressed as though they are ladies and gentlemen of the 18th-century Austrian court, and a chocolate mold of Mozart's face sits on a table filled with delectably tantalizing finger sandwiches, pastries and other desserts.
On Cunard Line, Afternoon Tea is a Tradition
On Cunard Line’s ships, guests look forward to Daily Afternoon Tea, an ingrained tradition for the British, and Cunard Line is steeped in that tradition. All three of Cunard Line’s ships – flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the new Queen Elizabeth - serve Daily Afternoon Tea.
The tea is served by white-gloved servers every day except embarkation day, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Afternoon Tea locations on Queen Mary 2 are the Queens Room (ballroom) and the Grills Lounge, and in the Lido on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
Afternoon tea service is also available in the Winter Garden on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, and in the Garden Lounge on Queen Elizabeth. Tea service can be requested in the Britannia Restaurant and other dining venues.
Wedgwood Tea is served in the Grills Lounge on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. Cunard Tea Rituals by Twinings is served on Queen Elizabeth. At other locations on the ship, the tea served includes Jacksons of Picadilly. Darjeeling, Earl Grey and English Breakfast teas. Herbal teas are also available.
On Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth, tea and desserts are served on Wedgwood china. Steelite china is used on Queen Victoria.
Guests can avail themselves of freshly baked scones in all locations, but in the Queens Room, the scones are accompanied by small ramekins of fresh cream and strawberry preserves. In the Grills Lounge, guests can choose from individually potted preserves along with clotted cream.
Teatime on Cunard is enhanced with eight cake selections, including Swiss Roll, Battenberg and Madeira cakes, fruit cake, fresh fruit tarts, chocolate sponge cakes, banana bread and ginger cake. As expected, traditional English finger sandwiches - cucumber, tomato, egg, cheese and ham, smoked salmon and roast beef - are available.
At the Daily Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room, a live stringed quartet, harpist or pianist plays soft melodies. During the Transatlantic Crossing season, Queen Mary 2 holds a “Tea Dance” and on Queen Elizabeth, “Champagne Afternoon Tea,” includes Veuve Clicquot champagne served in the Garden Lounge.
According to information provided by Cunard, the cruise line’s chefs make about 3,000 tea sandwiches, 1,500 tea pastries and more than a thousand tea scones daily onboard each of the ships.
Celebrity Cruises’ Ships Offer Guests High Tea
Celebrity Cruises offers its guests an enhanced High Tea experience by serving champagne in addition to tea. Once on 7-night sailings and twice or more on longer sailings, Celebrity presents its Champagne High Tea. The cover charge is $25 per person.
In a February 25, 2011 press release, “Celebrity Cruises Expands Premium Culinary Offerings,” Celebrity’s Vice President of Culinary Operations, Jacques Van Staden, said, “Our Champagne High Tea is designed in the tradition of the most highly regarded afternoon tea experiences in the world.”
The location of the event - in one of the onboard specialty restaurants - heightens the experience, because the restaurants provide an elegant atmosphere. A string quartet performs, the crystal is Riedel, the china is Wedgewood, the champagne is bubbly and the selections include premium Forte teas, Lavazza coffees including espressos, lattes and cappuccino accompanied by sandwiches, pastries, scones, truffles and pate de fruit.
Enjoy Teatime on MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines
On MSC Cruises, a traditional English tea service is available from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the Yacht Club’s Top Sail Lounge, along with a selection of cakes, pastries and tea sandwiches served by butlers.
On Princess Cruises’ ships, Afternoon Tea is served in one of the dining rooms between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Traditional accompaniments include finger sandwiches and scones. After its refurbishment is completed in early May, Grand Princess will feature the Leaves Tea Lounge and Library.
At Leaves, passengers will be able to custom-blend a variety of teas with herbs, fruits and spices resulting in a personalized tea blend. With the help of a tea sommelier, passengers will choose from about 500 tea blends to create the ideal cup of tea, which they can casually sip right there in the library while cozying up to a a good book.
On Carnival Cruise Lines' ships, afternoon tea is offered on sea days, either in the main dining room or in the atrium. A variety of teas are accompanied by assorted desserts such as raspberry tarts and doughnuts with Ganache as well as grilled chicken sandwiches and smoked salmon on sun-dried Baguette. In the background? A pianist or CD music.
Although NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) does not serve daily afternoon tea, April 29, 2011 will be an exception for passengers sailing on Norwegian Pearl, Jewel, Jade, Gem and Epic. The ships will serve an afternoon Royal High Tea in honor of the marriage that day between Prince William and Kate Middleton. For a $10 per person charge, passengers with a sweet tooth will find satisfaction in the scones with jam and cream, lemon curd sponge cake and other cakes as well as an assortment of sandwiches to accompany the tea.
Whether its tea for two - or more - cruise lines' afternoon tea is a TEArrific way to sit back, relax and imbibe, sip by savory sip.
Sources:
- Celebrity Cruises Press Release, “Celebrity Cruises Expands Premium Culinary Offerings", Feb 25, 2011
Roberta Sandler - Roberta Sandler has written more than 1,000 articles that have appeared in scores of magazines and newspapers including Miami Herald, ...
