Cruise Ship Desserts: Sweet Treats from Our Norwegian Cruise
One of the most fun parts of taking a cruise is experimenting with the food. Every day there’s something new to try, and honestly, that’s part of the adventure.
I’ll have to say, the Norwegian cruise food we enjoyed on our recent trip was really good. Our only tiny complaint — and it really wasn’t much of a complaint — was that a couple of NY strip steaks could have been a little more tender. But overall, the meals were excellent and we had zero trouble finding things we liked.
Now when it comes to cruise dining desserts, that’s where things really get interesting.
Dessert menus change, the presentations are beautiful, and it’s the perfect excuse to try something you might not normally order at home.
I’m not usually one to go around snapping pictures of everyone’s plate, but I couldn’t resist sneaking my phone out for a few photos of the desserts on a cruise ship. Some of them were just too pretty not to share.
And of course, I had to start with one of my favorite cruise desserts.
Crème Brûlée on a Cruise Ship
If crème brûlée is on the dessert menu, chances are I’m ordering it. That crunchy caramelized sugar on top with the creamy custard underneath gets me every time.
These two versions of cruise ship desserts didn’t disappoint. Both had that perfectly crisp sugar topping that cracks when you tap it with your spoon — which is honestly half the fun of ordering it.
The classic version came in a little ramekin with a raspberry garnish and mint leaf. The second one was served in a glass bowl with a thin caramelized sugar layer on top. Same delicious flavor, just a slightly different presentation.
Either way, crème brûlée remains high on my list of favorite cruise desserts.
Poached Pear Desserts on the Cruise
Another dessert that showed up more than once on the menu was a poached pear, and apparently there’s more than one way to serve it on a cruise ship.
The first version came with a chocolate base topped with vanilla ice cream and a perfectly poached pear on the side. It looked beautiful when it arrived at the table — almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
The second version was similar but taken up a notch when warm chocolate sauce was poured over the ice cream at the table. Watching the chocolate melt down the sides of the ice cream might have been the best part of the whole presentation.
Both were delicious and definitely earned a spot among the cruise dining desserts that made the evening meals feel a little extra special.
Desserts like these are one of the reasons trying new desserts on a cruise ship is so much fun. You never quite know what you’ll get, but it’s usually something worth ordering.
Strawberry Fraisier from the French Restaurant
One evening we decided to try the French restaurant on the ship, and I ordered something I had never tried before — Strawberry Fraisier.
Now I’ll admit, I had no idea what a fraisier was when I ordered it, but anything with strawberries and cream sounds like a good idea to me.
This dessert was beautiful when it arrived at the table. It had layers of creamy filling with fresh strawberries around the outside, topped with a little chocolate garnish and pistachios. The presentation alone made it feel like something straight out of a bakery window.
The flavor was light and fresh, which was perfect after a big dinner. Not too heavy, not too sweet — just a nice ending to the meal.
Trying desserts like this is one of the fun surprises of desserts on a cruise ship. You end up ordering things you might never try at home, and sometimes those turn into your favorite cruise desserts.
The Mysterious Chocolate Cannoli (I Think!)
Now this next dessert didn’t belong to me. One of the guys at the table ordered it, and I’m pretty sure it was some sort of chocolate cannoli — although I can’t say that with complete confidence.
What I do know is that it looked pretty impressive when it arrived.
It was a long, glossy chocolate dessert with a raspberry on top and a little artistic swirl of sauce on the plate. There was even a delicate sugar decoration and a small scoop of cream on the side. Cruise ship chefs definitely know how to make cruise dining desserts look fancy.
I did manage to sneak a picture before anyone dug in, which is honestly the only reason I remember it at all.
Trying things like this is part of the fun of desserts on a cruise ship. Someone at the table orders something unusual, everyone takes a look, and sometimes a few bites get shared around.
Whether it was technically a cannoli or not, it definitely looked like one of the more elegant cruise ship desserts we saw during the trip.
Final Thoughts on Cruise Ship Desserts
You may be wondering if I gained any weight after enjoying all these delicious desserts.
Surprisingly, I didn’t!
My guess is that all the walking on the ship helped balance things out. You end up getting plenty of steps in just going from your cabin to the restaurants, to shows, activities, and everything else happening onboard. Add in the off-ship excursions and you can easily rack up more steps than you realize.
This particular trip was a Caribbean cruise to Cozumel, with planned stops in Honduras, Belize, and Costa Maya. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas and we weren’t able to make the Honduras and Costa Maya stops.
That was a little disappointing, but honestly, it just gives us a good reason to go again.
And something tells me that when there’s a next time, I’ll probably be sampling a few more cruise ship desserts along the way. 🍰🚢
