nightly baked Alaska coming to Alaska

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Baked Alaska Dessert Becomes a Nightly Favorite on All Holland America
Line Alaska Cruises in 2006

And 'Going Wild for Salmon' Continues

SEATTLE, May 22
Holland America Line has elevated the timeless cruising dessert, Baked
Alaska, to a new art form -- for the eye as well as the palate. Gold
Rush Baked Alaska, complete with a dusting of real edible gold, is the
star of the dessert menu on every Alaska cruise this season. It is
offered each night with a revolving variety of tempting toppings,
including fresh berries and other delicious products from the Great
State.

The Gold Rush version of Baked Alaska starts with quality ingredients
of French vanilla ice cream crusted with a double chocolate fudge
brownie and a meringue. That concoction is topped with such delights
as fresh Alaskan berries, hot fudge, blueberry confit, crushed
macaroons, warm caramel toffee, brandied cranberries or bing cherries,
Yukon whiskey butterscotch, strawberries Romanoff, Alaskan
huckleberries, white chocolate fudge, or a host of other similar
treats. A different combination of toppings is on the menu on each
night of a seven-day cruise. Over the top of each individual dessert
is a dusting of edible 24-karat gold. All desserts are prepared daily
by Holland America Line's pastry chefs.

Baked Alaska has long been a classic dessert on cruises, dating back
to the days of legendary ocean liners, and Holland America Line has
turned the spotlight brightly on this classic with its new rendering
of the old favorite. "Offering the most innovative dining choices is
another way we are solidifying our leadership position," said Richard
D. Meadows, CTC, senior vice president, marketing and sales.

Going Wild for Salmon Continues

In 2005, the Holland America Line culinary team developed 50
distinctive recipes to showcase on dinner menus, which already offer
poached, sauteed or baked salmon as an alternative to featured menu
choices. The "Going Wild for Salmon" menu additions continue to be
available seven nights a week in the Main Dining Rooms, the casual
Lido Restaurants and exclusive Pinnacle Grills on all Alaska cruise
ships in 2006. The program also includes special on-board culinary
events, cooking demonstrations, and seminars.

Recipes are the creation of Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, who serves as
culinary consultant for Holland America Line's fleet of five-star
ships. Sodamin is the driving force behind the enhancement of Holland
America Line's already superb dining offerings and has developed a
fresh line of full-concept dining "experiences" for Holland America
Line guests. One of the hospitality industry's most accomplished
chefs, Sodamin brings excitement, innovation and unparalleled quality
standards to menus at sea. Together with the Holland America Line
Culinary Team, Sodamin continues to whip up more cruise line and food
industry firsts, such as Gold Rush Baked Alaska and Salmon 50 ways.

The Leader in Alaska Cruises and Tours

Celebrating its 59th year as the leader in Alaska travel, Holland
America Line will have eight ships offering 159 cruises in 2006 with
more cruise and CruiseTour departures featuring Glacier Bay National
Park than any other company. CruiseTours also highlight inland
National Parks including Denali, Kluane, Tombstone and Gates of the
Arctic. For more information about booking an Alaska cruise or
CruiseTour, contact a travel agent.

With the introduction of the 1,918-passenger ms Noordam in early 2006,
Holland America Line's fleet grows to 13 ships, offering nearly 500
cruises from more than 25 home ports. Itineraries range from two to
108 days and visit all seven continents, including new Australia/New
Zealand and Asia sailings, a world cruise and popular sailings to
several ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico and Europe. The ms
Noordam also will offer Caribbean sailings in the winter from new
homeport New York City, followed by a full summer season sailing the
Mediterranean round trip from Rome.

Holland America Line's $225 million, fleetwide Signature of Excellence
enhancements feature new programs and amenities including the Culinary
Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine -- a state-of-the-art
onboard show kitchen where more than 60 celebrated guest chefs and
culinary experts will provide cooking demonstrations and classes --
Explorations Cafi powered by the New York Times, teens-only activity
areas and all new cabin amenities highlighted by flat-panel TVs and
plush-top Mariner's Dream Beds.

Bill

[sail7seas]

I don't know about anyone else, but DH and I really think the quality and variety of food on HAL has truly been raised to a higher level since Rudi Sodamin joined the company. We think the food we have had on our last half dozen or so cruises really has been better than ever before since we've been cruising HAL.

That Baked Alaska sounds delicious........all those toppings to choose from. I probably would do my best to resist ordering it but it sure does sound tempting.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We already enjoyed both of these treats, Tom had the Gold Rush Baked Alaska at least 3 times. This is actually a Brownie Sundae with you choice of 3 different toppings that changed every night.

The Going Wild for Salmon was also excellent. I would have liked to try more than the one time but there were always so many other great items I wanted to eat.

I can honestly say that all the food was wonderful with the exception of the Volcano Cake in the Pinnacle. The Main Dining Room food and service was excellent. The bad part was trying to decided because there was always more than one item I really wanted. If my weight gain for this cruise is any indication of how good the food is:D I have not gained this much since our very first HAL cruise on the Zuirderdam in 2003:o Right now I am blaming it onnot walking as much by not having our favorite aft cabin on the Oosterdam but in all honestly the food was just so "DAM" good:p

[gizmo]

Tom had the Gold Rush Baked Alaska at least 3 times. This is actually a Brownie Sundae with you choice of 3 different toppings that changed every night.


The naming convention sounds weird. Why use "Baked Alaska" if it is a brownie sundae ? Whatever it is called, the dessert sounds good.

I wish they would bring back the chocolate mousse cake dessert from the "running with the Moose". That was a fantastic dessert. :)

I can honestly say that all the food was wonderful with the exception of the Volcano Cake in the Pinnacle.
Was it a hockey puck or uncooked gooey mess ? :eek:

[RuthC]

Baked Alaska Dessert Becomes a Nightly Favorite on All Holland America
Line Alaska Cruises in 2006
Oh! be still my heart!:D Or, be careful of the heart.:eek: Either way this post has started my pulse racing, my mouth watering, my tummy doing flip-flops. ;)
Can I wait for July? :confused: :confused:

[peaches from georgia]

The Pinnacle does badly need some updating and a few new entrees, as someone else mentioned on another thread recently. There have been a very few changes over the last 3-4 years, but one entree eliminated was one of my favorites fortunately. :(

I also think they should consider removing the Volcano Cake from the menu. Rarely is it prepared correctly and it so often is a huge disappointment to so many pax. On the Veendam the nights we were in the Pinnacle it was inedible. But the Pinnacle Baked Alaska is the best- made with Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia it can hardly be anything but great!

[bepsf]

Dam.
I knew I was on the wrong ship a couple weeks ago...
:(

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Was it a hockey puck or uncooked gooey mess ? :eek:

A little more toward hockey puck but it was cold like it was taken right out of the refrigerator and was extremely dried out on the top. It was really rather tasteless. Besides being a really big dissappointment, but then the last two times I had the Trio of Creme Brulee' it was a dissappointment. The last time we were in the Ryndam's Pinnacle I had the best Volcano Cake so I was hoping for the best.:o

[Krazy Kruizers]

New desserts for Alaskan cruises?? Sounds great to me.

[Krazy Kruizers]

DH misses the Seafood Ciopini (?) that used to be served in the Pinnacle.

Never have we had a bad chocolate volcano cake at the Pinnacle. HAL - don't give it up!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

DH has had the trio creme brule' several times on different ships and has never been disappointed.

[maxiesmommie]

Oh this sounds so wonderful, as if I wasn't already itching for this all to begin. More wonderful food to anticipate!

11 days now till we leave:D

[peaches from georgia]

DH misses the Seafood Ciopini (?) that used to be served in the Pinnacle.


Cioppino. That's the entree that was my favorite. I can't imagine why they dropped it. It was a lot better than the Shrimp Scampi has turned out to be (which was great the first time and lousy the next 2 times I've had it).

[Tricia724]

The naming convention sounds weird. Why use "Baked Alaska" if it is a brownie sundae ?

HAL is probably taking a little poetic license in the "Baked Alaska" name simply because they are cruising Alaska. I don't care what they call it...if it's got chocolate brownies and chocolate fudge sauce, I want it!

[bepsf]

A little more toward hockey puck but it was cold like it was taken right out of the refrigerator and was extremely dried out on the top. It was really rather tasteless. Besides being a really big dissappointment, but then the last two times I had the Trio of Creme Brulee' it was a dissappointment. The last time we were in the Ryndam's Pinnacle I had the best Volcano Cake so I was hoping for the best.:o

Did you send it back to the kitchen, Lisa?
Frankly, I've never been a fan of their Creme Brulee either...

[Krazy Kruizers]

Peaches - I had a feeling that was the dish you liked as well as DH. We keep asking when they are going to offer it again - everyone just shrugs their head and say "no one but you have asked for it in years".

Both of tried the shrinp scampi and were very disappointed in it and have never ordered it since.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Trust me - if either of us ever got anything REALLY bad from either the dining room or the Pinnacle, we would send it back - and we have done so on a couple of occassions.

[cruisinjudy]

That sounds like my kind of baked Alaska! I do not like the regular kind with the neopolitan ice cream. I don't even like strawberry. I give that part to my husband.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Did you send it back to the kitchen, Lisa?
Frankly, I've never been a fan of their Creme Brulee either...

Brian, Actually at that point I was a little on the full side so I had a few bites hoping it would get better:o then just gave up. The last two times I had the Trio Creme Brulee' it was the same just out of the refrigerator and the topping was not even crunchy because it had previously had the little torch to it then stuck in the frig.They know how to do Steaks and Appetizers but some how the desserts have just fallen short IMO.

[cruznon]

I also found the Volcano cake to be tasteless when I had it on the Zuiderdam. I really anticipated the joy of the yummy chocolate delight--just a warm chocolate clump in a bowl. I'd like to try it again on Statendam.

[gaunerdog]

Just back from the Westerdam 5/14 Alaska cruise. On this ship the Baked Alaska was a joke. The Brownie was 1/2 inch thick and hardly chewable nor cutable. There was no gold dust and the ice cream was not apparent. The meringue was not baked but piled on top. This was a most unappetizing dessert. Maybe it's not the same on the other ships.

[tnkrbell13]

My Creme Brulee' was great, very fresh I thought! DH had the Volcano cake and I had a bite, but didn't really notice it being bad. It did look a little sunken though.
Our table mates ordered the Baked Alaska several nights, so they must have enjoyed it.

[gizmo]

Just back from the Westerdam 5/14 Alaska cruise. On this ship the Baked Alaska was a joke. The Brownie was 1/2 inch thick and hardly chewable nor cutable. There was no gold dust and the ice cream was not apparent. The meringue was not baked but piled on top. This was a most unappetizing dessert. Maybe it's not the same on the other ships.

Sounds like the Volcano Cake. Sometimes it is good and other times a hockey puck. It varies ship to ship.

That Brownie sounds horrible.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A couple of years when we sailed Alaska, HAL was doing the "Running of the Moose". Is that still being done?

[gizmo]

KK,

I mentioned that earlier. I loved that chocolate mousse dessert. The antlers that the stewards had to wear were somewhat ridiculous but the dessert was one of the best I ever had on Hal.

I haven't seen it in a couple of years. I wish they would bring back that dessert.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The first time we had it in Alaska, all the dining staff wore antlers and paraded around the dining room with a big cake shaped like a moose, complete with antlers. It was chocolate cake with mousse filling and choclate icing on top. The second time (on the same ship) a couple of years later - no antlers for the wait staff. They didn't parade around the dining room. The dessert was nothing more than a cake with mousse on top of it - very disappointing the second time.

[Himself]

Baked Alaska every day??????????????? Uppps--there go the blood sugars!

[gizmo]

KK,

I had the first dessert you mentioned. It was a Caribbean cruise and they had the parade with the antlers.

[aaerobear]

I would not mind a choice of baked alaska every night, I just hope they don't make the poor waiters prance around and look for attention every time. They are a bit overworked as it is. if it is a choice, then let them serve it in a dignified manner.

One time per cruise with the "parade" is enough.

[tickleddpink]

Yup, baked alaska every night on the Oosterdam... The only night they paraded around with sparklers on big baked alaskas was Thursday night - formal night. By the end of the week I was tiring of all these desserts, some ehh, some good, some fabulous.

We ate at the Pinncale Grill 3 times - paid for 1, TA vouchers for the other 2. I had the Volcano cake the first night, creme brulee the other 2. My cousin had the baked alaska and wasn't impressed. (She's hard to please). The volcano cake was wonderful - warm, chocolate, mmmmmm. It just needed some ice cream.

By our 3rd dinner there on Friday night, our server said the chef was getting careless - we had to send our well done filets back for medium rare. And the PG was NOT crowded at all.

Peaches from Georgie - I agree with you, the menu needs updating. I still cannot imagine anyone ordering the 22 oz. porterhouse.

I've been sick since I got home last week (after 5 extra days in Seattle) and haven't had a chance to process all 1800 pictures that I took - I got some fun food pictures and a couple good ones of the Baked Alaska parade. Hopefully soon.

Jane