Cheese and biscuits

[silversurf]

We're from the UK and recently back from a Serenade of the Seas cruise, which we loved. The food was generally excellent. One small winge, in the Main dining room only desserts were available, no cheese board. Neither was there a cheese board in the Windjammer at lunch or dinner. When I asked for cheese I was directed to an area with a few square slices of plastic cheese which bore no resemblance to the real thing. I prefer cheese and biscuits after my meal rather than sweet desserts.

I know it's a silly question, but do Americans not eat cheese?

[Sheffie]

We're from the UK and recently back from a Serenade of the Seas cruise, which we loved. The food was generally excellent. One small winge, in the Main dining room only desserts were available, no cheese board. Neither was there a cheese board in the Windjammer at lunch or dinner. When I asked for cheese I was directed to an area with a few square slices of plastic cheese which bore no resemblance to the real thing. I prefer cheese and biscuits after my meal rather than sweet desserts.

I know it's a silly question, but do Americans not eat cheese?

 

Yes, we eat cheese, but not usually after dinner. It may be an appetizer or sometimes along with our meal. Different, right?

[madforcruising]

As I´m not a cheese person I never look for it in the Windjammer, so can´t answer that question, but I know for sure you can order a cheese plate in the main dining room either as an appetizer or as a desert, because I´ve had tablemates doing this frequently.

[csoud]

Americans usevcheese as in different ways. IF an appetizer, we usually serve it on crackers or bread. Many times wine will be served with the cheese and crackers. NOBODY in America has dinner and then says "hey, i want some cheese and bisquits". Nope, never gonna see it.

 

We have cheese on bisquits for breakfast, usually with a meat. Example..bacon, egg and cheese bisquit, or sausage egg and cheese bisquit. No Kidney pie, Liver or Yorkshire Pudding either. I am glad you out some American food. i am sure it was nice not eating fish and chips again.

[cb at sea]

RCI used to offer a cheese course...but I never saw it in the WJ--only in the dining room, and that was YEARS ago! I remember it being offered, but no one partook!

[truffles2]

Americans use cheese as an appetizer and we usually serve it on crackers or bread. NOBODY in America has a meal and then says "hey, i want some cheese and bisquits". Nope, never gonna see it.

 

No Kidney pie, Liver or Yorkshire Pudding either.

 

 

Actually, you will see it. I have seen it many times. Even if it is not on the menu, you can request it and your waiter will do his best.

[birdylady]

Sadly, I have to agree with everyone else. You won't find cheese as dessert offering in the USA. But to your question of do Americans eat cheese. I sure do! I am officially known as a cheese snob. None of this processed stuff. I won't waste my time or calories (or taste buds) on 'American cheese'. And forget about 'Velveeta'. Give me some Gruyere, Jarlsberg, Muenster or brie.

 

Erika

[NorbertsNiece]

I LOVE cheese. We ordered it via room service :D

[Jolimont]

French person who lived in the US for a very long time here. Americans eat LOADS of cheese, but they do it in the form of spreads, whips, as a major ingredient in lots of casseroles and baked items. In other words, they like their cheese to be incognito, but they eat cheese! You can probably ask for cheese at the end of a meal, my husband has done it lots of times on Carnival and they've always accomodated him.

[olemissreb]

We had a cheese course on our Celebrity Cruise. It was in the specialty restaurant (sorry can't remember the name). Maybe they offer something similar in Portofino's or Chops?

 

I grew up in Wisconsin and am a "cheese hound". I love just about everything I've tried (still can't handle a true blue, but gorgonzola is growing on me - and can't stomach limberger). Just about everything else though I'm at least going to try. Give me a good glass of wine and a good cheese plate with crackers (or biscuits as you say) and I can be a happy camper!:)

[Coralc]

You can request a cheese plate in the dining room. It comes with a sampling of different cheeses, crackers, grapes and walnuts. A similar plate is also available from room service. :D:):D

[imsulin]

Americans usevcheese as in different ways. IF an appetizer, we usually serve it on crackers or bread. Many times wine will be served with the cheese and crackers. NOBODY in America has dinner and then says "hey, i want some cheese and bisquits". Nope, never gonna see it.

 

We have cheese on bisquits for breakfast, usually with a meat. Example..bacon, egg and cheese bisquit, or sausage egg and cheese bisquit. No Kidney pie, Liver or Yorkshire Pudding either. I am glad you out some American food. i am sure it was nice not eating fish and chips again.

 

Actually, I prefer a fruit and cheese plate with crackers for dessert rather than something sweet! On my cruises, I'm always able to get it. And, I'm an American. "Biscuits" as we know them are actually nothing like "biscuits" in the UK - which are actually what we know as "crackers". They have referred to what we term "crackers" as "biscuits" for a few hundred years. I live in the Deep South, and have never heard of a "bisquit", though. Also, "fish and chips" is standard fare at some fast-food American establishments like Popeye's and Captain D's. I've often ordered it. I have seen steak-and-kidney pie on HAL and Princess menus. Have you ever had it? Or Yorkshire pudding? (I don't get the "liver" thing, although I've seen it on dinner menus on a few cruise lines. It's not typically British.) Even at home, I enjoy different cheeses with Water Crackers (my personal preference). I'm sure you know that our standard American breakfast (eggs and meat and toast) was inherited from Britain, rather than the Continental breakfast (typically rolls, butter, and jam). Enjoy your cruising.

[abhb]

On our last two cruises we have requested a cheese plate on the first night of the cruise. Every night thereafter, we got a cheese plate with pickles and olives. It usually was waiting for us or servered the second we sat down. Each night had some different cheeses.

[Prphan2]

Americans usevcheese as in different ways. IF an appetizer, we usually serve it on crackers or bread. Many times wine will be served with the cheese and crackers. NOBODY in America has dinner and then says "hey, i want some cheese and bisquits". Nope, never gonna see it.

 

We have cheese on bisquits for breakfast, usually with a meat. Example..bacon, egg and cheese bisquit, or sausage egg and cheese bisquit. quote]

 

 

In the UK, where the OP is from the word bisquit means cracker, not biscuit as think of it here in the US. So OP was asking about cheese and crackers.:)

[Tucker in Texas]

We've ordered the cheese plate several times on Royal Caribbean. My only complaint is that in the dining room it only came with saltines. Saltines and brie just don't get it. We asked the waiter if he could get us some other type crackers for it and he told us he couldn't. So we bought some water crackers in port to go with it. However, on our past couple of cruises, they have had water crackers in the WJ either by the salad bar or the soup. I've heard that water crackers come with it via room service but have never ordered it from room service so I don't know for sure. It may not be on the menu anymore but I'll bet if you ask your waiter, you will get it.

 

I still buy a box to take with me, though.

 

Tucker in Texas

[imsulin]

We've ordered the cheese plate several times on Royal Caribbean. My only complaint is that in the dining room it only came with saltines. Saltines and brie just don't get it. We asked the waiter if he could get us some other type crackers for it and he told us he couldn't. So we bought some water crackers in port to go with it. However, on our past couple of cruises, they have had water crackers in the WJ either by the salad bar or the soup. I've heard that water crackers come with it via room service but have never ordered it from room service so I don't know for sure. It may not be on the menu anymore but I'll bet if you ask your waiter, you will get it.

 

I still buy a box to take with me, though.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

Saltines and brie....yuck! I've always been able to get water crackers on Princess, HAL, and RCI (in 2006, but I had to ask if that's what I'd get. I did). I also use water crackers in soup. (I think I have a salt aversion due to Mom packing Saltines/peanut butter, cheap chips, and processed cheese in my school lunches.) I use unsalted butter and sea salt for cooking, and buy unpackaged Deli cheeses. I'm officially not an "Old Salt!"

[anastasia1]

Although we use the term cheese and biscuits if asked to describe each biscuit most would be called crackers (savoury not sweet). A biscuit accompanying cheese would be a jacobs cream cracker, a water biscuit (carrs) or a digestive (a sweet plain biscuit). There are some fancier additions but as a rule every cheese plate would have those 3 types as the minimum. The minimum cheese offering would include a plain strong cheese- usually a cheddar, a soft strong cheese ( Brie etc) and a blue cheese. Again a good cheese platter would have a choice of many more cheeses including my favouriteS wensleydale and a good blue Stilton.

 

Cheese does not have additives etc and doesn't come in tubes ( except for young children). Difference is what makes the world so great! When in America we eat local cheese and love it all.

[BroncosFan2010]

The Serenade often has a cheese platter that can be ordered through room service, or as an appetizer or after dinner treat. It is quite good with crackers, many varieties of cheese, and some fruit.

[imsulin]

Although we use the term cheese and biscuits if asked to describe each biscuit most would be called crackers (savoury not sweet). A biscuit accompanying cheese would be a jacobs cream cracker, a water biscuit (carrs) or a digestive (a sweet plain biscuit). There are some fancier additions but as a rule every cheese plate would have those 3 types as the minimum. The minimum cheese offering would include a plain strong cheese- usually a cheddar, a soft strong cheese ( Brie etc) and a blue cheese. Again a good cheese platter would have a choice of many more cheeses including my favouriteS wensleydale and a good blue Stilton.

 

Cheese does not have additives etc and doesn't come in tubes ( except for young children). Difference is what makes the world so great! When in America we eat local cheese and love it all.

 

I've bought Carr's water crackers for years, and they are a household staple. You can get them here in just about any supermarket. Even our small neighborhood grocery has them. BTW - they are labelled as "Carr's Water Crackers" here. Good for a quick munch, too! I have travelled quite a bit, and love to sample local cheeses! Was in Oregon a month or so ago, so sampled some Tillamook. (I heard that Britain has cancelled the yearly cheese roll as of today).

[amapola]

I'm not American, but I'm from this side of the pond and I also love a cheese course instead of dessert. I've had it on RCI and Princess, though last Jan on Jewel I was in a fruit mode and had that for dessert every night. They did have some real cheeses in the WJ in the evening too. Didn't really notice what they were, probably nothing terribly fancy, but not Velveeta :D.

 

BTW, the first night the waiter said no, we don't have a fruit plate and brought me the fruit in syrup (eew) from the appetizers. Next night, different waiter, and he said Of Course you can get a fruit plate -- and I got one every night after that (MTD, diff't waiters). Point of the story, ask more than one person if the first answer is no :)

[mation101]

My Dad used to get the cheese board for dessert on RCCL in the 80's. I was too young to appreciate good cheese so I thought it was "yucky"

 

In 2001 we were in the UK and our Scottish friends had a cheese board for after dinner a few nights, and it was some of the best cheese I've ever had.

 

I live in So, Cal and there are a few restaurants that offer a cheese board for dessert, so saying you will NEVER find it in America is too much of a blanket statement, but it is more of a European thing, Dennys probably wont ever offer one.:)

 

Our cheese is different here, but we do eat brie, stilton, blue, and we have cheese shops that have many exotic cheeses.

[reeran]

I've bought Carr's water crackers for years, and they are a household staple. You can get them here in just about any supermarket. Even our small neighborhood grocery has them. BTW - they are labelled as "Carr's Water Crackers" here. Good for a quick munch, too! I have travelled quite a bit, and love to sample local cheeses! Was in Oregon a month or so ago, so sampled some Tillamook. (I heard that Britain has cancelled the yearly cheese roll as of today).

 

 

We did a driving tour of Oregon several years ago and loaded up the cooler with Tillamook...yum!!!:D

[imsulin]

We did a driving tour of Oregon several years ago and loaded up the cooler with Tillamook...yum!!!:D

 

Some of the best!!

[anastasia1]

I guess the uk just loves cheese! Just looked in my fridge and we have mozerella, marscapone, ricotta , Parmesan, grated cheddar, 2 kinds mature cheddar, emmental, potted blue Stilton, French Brie, sometset Brie, Wensleydale, Camembert, port salut and Philadelphia!

 

Cheese and biscuits are Usually served with grapes and celery. Sometimes redcurrants and a few hotels pop in a physalis or even a fig.

[NordicPrince]

We're from the UK and recently back from a Serenade of the Seas cruise, which we loved. The food was generally excellent. One small winge, in the Main dining room only desserts were available, no cheese board. Neither was there a cheese board in the Windjammer at lunch or dinner. When I asked for cheese I was directed to an area with a few square slices of plastic cheese which bore no resemblance to the real thing. I prefer cheese and biscuits after my meal rather than sweet desserts.

I know it's a silly question, but do Americans not eat cheese?

 

As an American DW and I spent 2 weeks with my wife's Uncle Sydney in Croyden in 1982. Every night after dinner it was cheese, biscuits and port. Uncle Sydney would break out his Churchills.

 

Still have found memories of that trip. Now that was civilized living!