Foodieseeker Friday - Carnival Cruise Vista Update

This is the first of a new series of blog posts which are going to focus on our upcoming adventure with Carnival Cruise on their brand new ship, Carnival Vista.

The Carnival Vista has hit a major milestone. It is now floating in the wet dock. Now they are starting to preparing inside the ship. I was recently sent a few sneak peeks of both the building process, which I am going to share with you now, and some of the menus which I will be giving you a taste of in the coming months.

As you can see on the video below Carnival are going all out to make the whole eating experience on board you will never forget! As I mentioned before I have also been able to have a peek at some of the menus that we will be tasting while we are on our trip next year. I thought that it would be fun to pick a dish from each of the menus and cook the dish as I imagine it to be and then once we are aboard Vista I will order the meal and see if it was how I imagined it to be.

To say that I am excited about our trip is a huge understatement! Take a look at this video and you will see why I am so excited!

Carnival Vista will have so many options for family dining. I was going to list them for you but there are just so many different options we will be well and truly spoilt for choice.

If you have read previous posts you will know how we are eating healthier at home and I am trying to loose some weight. So while we are onboard I am wanting to continue and I want to show you how you can eat healthier while cruising. Cruise ships are well known for their food and the vast amounts that are available 24 hours a day!

In the main dining room on onboard there are healthier options on the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. These are highlighted by a heart symbols. All of the starters and entrees that feature the heart symbol are low in fat, low in sodium and low in cholesterol and the desserts are made without sugar or sugar substitutes.

In 2005 Carnival stopped using cooking fats that contain trans fats in all of their kitchens. This to ensure that all of their meals are prepared and cooked in the interest of their guests well being.

Naturally they also cater for gluten free guests. The following gluten free foods are readily available:

• Bread for deli sandwiches and hamburger buns
• Cake (upon request)
• Ice cream and yogurt
• Pizza (upon request at the pizzeria)
• Estrella Daura - Gluten free beer
• Tito's handmade vodka

Onboard Vista meals can also be prepared for guests who require kosher, Indian or other allergy meals. They guarantee that everybody will enjoy the food while cruising with Carnival.

I still cannot imagine how the Carnival Vista is going to be. I have never been on a cruise before, we, as a family, have never been abroad, together, the five of us. This really is going to be a once in a life time trip for all of us. It really will be a dream holiday come true and I cannot wait!

To get us in the mood and to give you a taste of how I imagine the meals to be onboard, I have been given a few menus to take a look at. I will not be sharing the whole menu with you are I do not want to spoil the surprise for the other family bloggers who are also going next year.

I have been given the following menus:

• Bonsai Sushi
• Guy's Burger Joint
• American Feast

Every month I am going to be giving you an update on how the development of Carnival Vista is going and I will be sharing with you a Carnival Vista inspired recipe. I will be examining the menus and selecting one of the dishes to recreate at home.

Next month I will be sharing with you a chocolate recipe. I have got a dessert menu to look at and as we will be visiting Cadbury World to celebrate Christmas this gives me the perfect opportunity to stock up on some delicious chocolate and I will be able to tell you all about our visit.