This MSC Meraviglia cruise ship dining photo essay article features all the dishes we experienced in Waves Restaurant – one of the main dining rooms on board the ship – during our seven-night Mexican Cruise with MSC Cruises.
Cruising is one of the favourite pastimes for many due to the ease with which you can travel; unpack once and wake up each morning in a different exotic port of call.
One thing we look forward to is the food. We love trying different cuisines and dishes that we’ve never eaten before or revisiting the favourites from the menu that we’ve devoured before.
We’ve had a bit of a rocky past when it comes to dining on MSC Cruises. During our first time sailing on MSC Divina in 2014, we had a great dining experience. However, on our second sailing, also on MSC Divina, in 2016, we were very disappointed.
We thought we’d give MSC Cruise Line a second chance, and I’m happy to say that we were delighted with everything on board and look forward to sailing with them again.
This shows that you should always give someone a second chance – cruise lines included!
Buon appetite!
Check out these articles and read why we love cruising.
- MSC Cruises Explora Journeys – A Culinary Journey Onboard Explora I
- What I Love about Cruises
- 19 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Cruise (but we hope you will)
- The Beauty of River Cruises
- Cruise Ship Dining on Holland America Line Nieuw Statendam
Here are our day-by-day selections from the MSC Meraviglia menu.
DAY 1
Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls
– soy-ginger dipping sauce, Asian slaw
Rollo de Cochinillo y Patatas Bravas
– oven-roasted suckling pig roll, roast potatoes, paprika sauce
Blackened Grouper with Lime and Creole Spices
– pineapple mint relish, coconut rice, braised okra
Za’atar-Crusted Lamb Leg
– freekeh tabbouleh and tahini sauce
Coconut Pistachio Dacquoise
– coconut biscuit, pistachio mousseline, raspberry coulis
Crema Catalana
DAY 2
Grilled Maryland Crab Cakes
– whole-grain mustard sauce
French Onion Soup (“classic favourites” – always available)
– splash of Jack Daniel’s, Gruyère cheese crouton
Herbed Roasted Lamb Leg
– oven-roasted potato wedges, tomatoes, sautéed bell peppers and zucchini
Ravioli with Shrimp Filling
– shellfish bisque sauce, brandy, Swiss chard
DAY 3
Moules Marinières
– mussels in a creamy white wine sauce
Caesar Salad (“classic favourites” – always available)
– crispy romaine lettuce, garlic croutons, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing
Rigatoni Meatballs
– all-beef meatballs, tomato basil sauce
Chicken coq au vin-style
– in red wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon morsels
Braised Beef Bourguignon
– mousseline potatoes, almond broccoli, turnips
Gâteau Opéra
– almond biscuit, chocolate, and coffee cream
Warm Apple Strudel
– vanilla sauce
DAY 4 dining on MSC Meraviglia
Shrimp Cocktail
– shrimp tails with American cocktail sauce
Lobster Bisque
– roasted Maine lobster stock with sherry and spices, finished with brandy
Homemade Lobster Ravioli (fresh pasta made on board)
– creamy saffron and crab sauce
Grilled New York Strip Steak with Truffle Butter
– steamed asparagus, roasted tomatoes, and Lyonnaise potatoes
DAY 5
Cheese Plate
Guadeloupe-Style Shrimp Tail
– mixed greens with mango sauce
Creole-Style Grilled Pork Skewer
– pineapple, bell peppers, and Caribbean spices
Fisherman’s Plate
– grilled Caribbean shrimp, fish fillet, seasonal vegetables, and mango beurre blanc
Oven-Roasted Jerk Chicken
– rice, beans, and spiced pineapple
DAY 6
Chicken Croquettes
– mustard sauce
Oven-Roasted Pork Loin with Aromatic Herbs
– mushroom sauce, crispy bacon bits and roast potatoes
Veal Scaloppini in Marsala Wine Sauce
– whipped potatoes, green beans, roasted garlic tomato
Coconut Cake
– coconut cream cake, raspberry sauce
Cherry Clafoutis Cream
– baked custard, dark cherries
DAY 7 on MSC Meraviglia
Cheese Plate
Fried Calamari
– marinara sauce, caramelized lemon
Tricolour Salad
– baby spinach, romaine lettuce, mozzarella cheese and tomato wedges, herb vinaigrette sauce
Chicken Breast Parmigiana
– coated with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan, garnished with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese over spaghetti and roasted broccoli
Fish and Shellfish Skewer
– diver scallops, swordfish, shrimp, rice, and mesclun salad
Mianese-Style Ossobuco with Gremolata
– veal shank slice, saffron risotto, buttered carrots, and peas
Limoncello Cake
– limoncello cream sponge cake, wild berry coulis
Tiramisù
– mascarpone cream and marsala wine cake, espresso-ladyfingers
