Emerald Princess Meals

On our recent cruise in the Baltic Sea to Scandinavia and Russia we were assigned to one table at the same time for each of our meals. We ate with three other couples, one from Texas and two that knew each other from Sacramento. I generally tried to eat the most unusual items on the menu and I was impressed with the variety. Some of it was ordinary, but much of it was quite good. Our first night on board I had crayfish in pastry with rice. It was too much pastry, but I gave them credit for being unusual. The next day I had smoked duck slices which were okay, and snails, without shells, in a very tasty sauce in a plate with little holes or depressions. The snails were extremely good, the best I've ever eaten and one of the better meals we had. Unfortunately, I was not taking pictures. The next night was Cornish game hen. It was okay, nothing spectacular. The next night was better: duck liver pate, leg of lamb, probably the best meal item so far, and weisswurst (a German veal sausage). Finally, I started taking pictures: snow crab pate, which was quite good and something I've never heard of before, along with salmon roe and what looks like whitefish roe; 

smoked duck breast; 

and roast goose with radishes and potatoes 

which was quite good. The next night was crawfish with lobster cream sauce in a pastry case, okay; 

and one of the most unusual dishes, slow-braised pork belly with shallots, smoked bacon and green beans. I've never had it like that. It was quite good, very thick and fatty and very different. 

The next night was duck with a sweet sauce, a little tough and just okay; 

calimari, again a little tough; 

rack of veal which was quite good, the first time I've ever had it like that; 

and a dessert cheese plate with smoked Gouda, pecorino and another cheese I don't recall. 

Next was a very good grilled ribeye steak with butter and roasted new potatoes; 

and a cheese plate with Blue Stilton; Jarlsburg, a little like Swiss, but not as strong and I liked it better; 

and Muenster, a mild cheese I've always loved. Our last night on board I had a dollop of shrimp, scallops and other seafood in a pile with salmon roe and some other type of roe, perhaps whitefish. 

I also had beef short ribs, mashed potatoes and vegetables. 

I was a little disappointed with the short ribs. They were not as tender and juicy as other short ribs I've had, probably my biggest disappointment as far as a meal goes on board. Altogether I would rate the variety and unusualness of the food as excellent and the quality, including the cooking, as quite good.