We celebrated 42 years of marriage at the Crown Grill on the Enchanted Princess, and our friends from Sea Leg Journeys set the whole thing up.
We were on a Western Caribbean cruise, and our first port was Cozumel, where me and Terri celebrated our anniversary with our friends Chet and Robin. We took a cooking class with a Tabasco chef, got a Henna tattoo, wandered around for a while, and it was a great day. But Robin had quietly gone ahead and arranged a specialty dinner reservation at Crown Grill for that evening, and yeah, that's a good friend right there.
Crown Grill is Princess Cruises' signature steakhouse, dark wood, warm lighting, quiet conversation, and the sound of a sizzling kitchen in the background. Walking in, you can just feel the difference from the rest of the ship. This is not buffet energy. This is put your phone down and enjoy the meal energy. Well, except for us. We had filming to do.
Before we sat down, I talked to the restaurant manager about what Crown Grill is all about. He summed it up pretty well. Basically, Crown Grill is where cows go to fulfill their destiny. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Starting Strong: Appetizers
Our server Eric, from Mexico, got us kicked off with freshly baked bread, a garlic cheese bread with mozzarella and a brioche with parmesan butter. Soft, warm, and the kind of bread that makes you realize you should have saved room.
Now, I went for the black and blue onion soup, and let me tell you, this might be one of the best soups on the high seas. Rich, savory, cheesy, deep flavor. Feels like it's been simmering since the ship left Fort Lauderdale, and that was a full day before. Me and Robin also ordered the black tiger prawns, big, fresh, sweet and savory, and I dipped mine in cocktail sauce I'd actually learned to make that very morning at the Tabasco cooking class. Hines ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, soy sauce, a little onion. Not bad for a first try.
Terri went with the shrimp and pancetta bisque, thick and creamy with a smoky depth to it. Chad, always keeping his figure, went with a salad. Good for him. And then the beef fillet tartar showed up, beautifully plated, a little caviar on top, seasoned just right, and tender enough to remind you that yes, you're in a real steakhouse, even if you're floating in the middle of the ocean.
The Main Event
Terri ordered the New Zealand double lamb chops. I asked her how they were. Her exact answer was "it's gone." That pretty much covers it.
Robin got the 7oz lobster tail, and the waiter deshelled the whole thing tableside like a pro. Tender, buttery, cooked just right. Lobster and cruising just go together, and I told Robin that. Lobster and Robin go together like Batman and Robin. So Robin, where's Batman?
And me, I got the 14oz ribeye. Beautifully marbled, perfect sear. Crown Grill brings out three gourmet salts with every steak, Hawaiian black salt, Himalayan pink salt, and smoked applewood salt from the Yakima Valley. I went with the applewood. And I put way too much on it. Very salty. But still very good. Lesson learned for next time.
We also ordered sides to share, mushrooms, potatoes, cream spinach, and garlic parmesan French fries, and honestly, those fries alone were worth the trip.
Dessert and a Moment Worth Keeping
Just when we thought it was over, out came our anniversary cake. A layer of chocolate cake with mousse on top and a ganache layer on that. According to the staff, zero calories. You heard it here first.
And then the dining room team came out and sang to us, celebrated our anniversary right alongside us, and suddenly this wasn't just dinner anymore. It was a memory. Princess staff just does this part right. They didn't serve a meal, they created a moment. Forty-two years in, this was a night worth celebrating, and Crown Grill made sure it felt like one.
Want to see the full dinner, appetizers, mains, dessert, and the anniversary celebration? Watch the full video here:
Watch the full video on YouTube
If you're sailing on the Enchanted Princess or any Princess ship and want to celebrate something special, Crown Grill is the place to do it.
