Dining insights - Antarctica cruise ship

Dining & entertainment

on the Antarctica cruise ship Minerva

Restaurants
and lounges

The Minerva has open seating (dine when, where, with whom you choose).

Vegetarian and special-diet dishes are available.

Wine (except premiums) and bar drinks are gratis throughout the ship.

Lounges have full bar service and comfortable seating.

Servers circulate in the lounges with between-meal and post-dinner snacks.

Main Dining Room

It has large, wraparound windows to capture the changing views.

During breakfast and lunch, it's buffet (though menu service is available).

In the evening, the Main Dining Room becomes a full-service restaurant with both a la carte and tasting menus. They offer a changing variety of international specialties. Examples:

Appetizers

Beef Carpaccio

Indian Chicken Masala

Indonesian Satay

Patagonian Duck Empanadas

Seared Foie Gras

Snow Crab Stuffed Prawns

Vodka Marinated Gravad Lax

Entrees

Chateaubriand w/ Bearnaise Sauce

Crusted Rack of Lamb

Duck Breast a l'Orange

Indonesian Nasi Goreng

Lamb Curry Madras

Lobster Tail Thermidor

Osso Buco with Saffron Risotto

Prosciutto Wrapped Pheasant

Roasted Magret Duck Breast

Seafood Paella

Venison Loin Jarlsberg

Verandah

It is smaller and more casual than the Main Dining Room - and offers a lighter fare.

The Verandah serves breakfast and lunch buffets (though menu service is available on request).

Shackleton Bar

This is the most popular lounge for pre- and post-dinner socializing over cocktails with cruisemates and lecturers. It features a nightly pianist-singer.

South Cape Bar

During the morning, it's quiet and perfect for snuggling up with a book. Later, it features afternoon tea. At night, it becomes a relaxing cocktail lounge.

Outdoor barbecue

On some days, the culinary staff holds a themed poolside barbecue. The seafood barbecue (featuring lobster tails) was the guest favorite.

Entertainment

Don't expect lavish shows - This is an Antarctica, not a Caribbean sailing. Its focus is nature, not entertainment. As cruise director Jamie told me tongue-in-cheek, "Our cruise has no girls with feathers. We give you real birds with feathers."

However, you won't be entertainment starved. The Minerva has a nightly pianist-singer and a five-piece combo for listening and dancing. And there is a crew stage show one night.

Click these buttons
for more tips & insights

Pages specific to the
Minerva cruise ship

Antarctica cruises
in general

Clickable Antarctica

wonder map

My "What it's Like"
cruise ship sections

to view

My general
cruise ship section

Click the button below for Regent's website for Minerva itineraries with maps, a list of cruise-specialist travel agents near you, plus other useful trip-planning information.

Pages specific to the
Minerva cruise ship

Antarctica cruise
ships in general