American Cruise Lines Menus: Lunch & Dinner Highlights
American Cruise Lines offers regionally inspired dining that changes throughout each voyage. Rather than relying on a fixed menu, guests can expect breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections that reflect seasonal ingredients and the destinations visited.
The menus in this guide come directly from onboard daily programs and showcase several meals served during one sailing. They provide a helpful look at the type of cuisine, desserts, and dining options guests may encounter while planning an American Cruise Lines vacation.
Breakfast Menus
Breakfast features both rotating daily specialties and familiar favorites, giving guests a mix of classic American breakfast dishes and more elaborate chef-created options.
One featured breakfast includes Lobster Hash & Eggs, served with poached eggs, tomato hollandaise, cheesy grits, and fresh fruit.
Guests also had several made-to-order choices, including:
- Custom omelets with a selection of meats, cheeses, and vegetables
- Eggs prepared any style
- Cinnamon & Vanilla French Toast
- Bacon & Vermont Cheddar Quiche
- Fresh fruit and mixed berries
- Individual yogurts
- Assorted cereals
- Oatmeal
- Grits
- Breakfast potatoes
- Bacon, sausage, and ham
Orange, apple, and cranberry juice were available with breakfast.
Lunch Menus
Lunch menus varied from day to day and offered a mix of sandwiches, salads, barbecue favorites, and seafood.
One lunch featured:
- Seaside Cobb Salad (Vegetarian)
- Cheddar, Tomato & Bacon Grilled Cheese served with coleslaw and Old Bay potato salad
- New York Style Cheesecake with Triple Berry Compote
- Assorted ice cream flavors
Another lunch celebrated Independence Day with a barbecue-inspired menu that included:
- BBQ Smoked Baby Back Ribs & BBQ Chicken
- Braised BBQ Sliced Brisket
- Jerk Spiced Salmon with blueberry peach salsa
Guests could pair these entrées with classic cookout sides such as baked beans, coleslaw, pasta salad, roasted potato salad, and corn on the cob before finishing with an Independence Day Viennese dessert table.
Dinner Menus
Dinner featured multiple courses with appetizers, several entrée choices, and desserts each evening.
One dinner included appetizers such as:
- Creamy Lobster Bisque
- Caprese Salad with Domestic Prosciutto
Entrée selections included:
- Farm-Raised Seared Beef Tenderloin
- Garlic Parmesan Crusted Atlantic Cod
- Mediterranean Pasta (Vegetarian)
- Surf & Turf featuring Beef Tenderloin with Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail
Dessert choices included Blueberry Compote Vol-Au-Vent, Pound Cake with Fresh Berries and Chantilly Cream, and assorted ice cream.
Another evening’s menu offered:
- Split Pea & Kale Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
- Arcadian Mixed Greens Salad with Creamy Peach Dressing
Guests could choose from:
- Hearts of Palm & Chickpea Cakes (Vegetarian)
- Braised Patuxent Farms Short Ribs of Beef
- Pan-Seared Wild-Caught Snapper
- Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Desserts included New York Style Cheesecake with Lemon Raspberry Compote, Carrot Cake, and assorted ice cream.
A different dinner showcased:
- Caesar Salad
- New England Clam Chowder
Entrées included:
- Roasted Cauliflower Steak (Vegetarian)
- Cape Cod Chip Crusted Chatham Striped Bass
- Apple Cider & Vermont Maple Glazed Chicken Breast
- Braised Beef Pot Roast with Bourbon Demi-Glace
Dessert options featured White Chocolate Pistachio Crème Brûlée, Lemon Meringue Pie, and assorted ice cream.
More Lunch & Dinner Menus
The remaining menus continue to highlight American Cruise Lines’ emphasis on regional ingredients, classic comfort food, fresh seafood, and seasonal desserts. Across these additional lunch and dinner services, guests can see a balance between lighter café-style lunches and elegant multi-course evening meals.
Lunch Menu Highlights
One lunch menu featured a choice of:
- Old Bay Poached Gulf Shrimp Salad Wrap served with broccoli and Cabot cheddar salad
- Country Style Angus Meatloaf with sautéed peas, corn, onions, and smashed roasted potatoes
- Oven Roasted Free-Range Turkey Club served on rustic sourdough with smoked bacon, roasted garlic mayonnaise, New England macaroni salad, and marinated grape tomatoes
Dessert selections included Strawberry Cheesecake and assorted ice cream.
Another lunch focused on New England-inspired flavors with choices including:
- P-Town Air Fried Chicken Sandwich
- Bosc Pear and Brie Grilled Cheese served with fennel, golden beet, and kale salad
- Wellfleet Oyster and Spinach Stuffed Cape Cod Flounder with broccoli, cauliflower au gratin, and lemon butter sauce
Dessert featured Triple Berry Crisp alongside assorted ice cream.
A separate lunch showcased hearty American favorites, including:
- Roast Chicken “PLT” Bowtie Pasta
- American Cruise Lines Signature Open-Faced Steak Sandwich
- Hand-Battered Line-Caught Cod Fish & Chips served with seasoned fries, coleslaw, malt vinegar, tartar sauce, and lemon wedges
Dessert choices included Cherry Pie and assorted ice cream.
Another lunch menu offered both seafood and lighter options, featuring:
- Atlantic Poached Seafood Salad with lobster, shrimp, blue crab, and scallops
- Farm-Raised Beef Tenderloin
- Chicken-Avocado Wrap with Citrus Herb Yogurt served with apple-carrot salad
Dessert included New England Blueberry Pie made with locally sourced blueberries, along with assorted ice cream.
Additional Dinner Menus
The remaining dinner menus continued the multi-course dining format with rotating appetizers, several entrée selections, vegetarian options, and house-made desserts.
One evening featured appetizers of Heirloom Tomato & Blue Cheese Napoleon and Hearty Beef & Barley Soup.
Entrée selections included:
- Atlantic Blue Crab Crusted Farm-Raised Beef Tenderloin
- Veal Piccata
- Whole-Poached New England Lobster Dinner
- Garden Harvest Sauté over Gouda Polenta (Vegetarian)
Desserts included Tiramisu, Red Velvet Cake, and assorted ice cream.
Another dinner menu offered:
- Mixed Greens and Spinach Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
- Sweet Summer Corn Chowder
Guests could choose from:
- Roasted Duck with Sweet Potato & Mascarpone Risotto
- Garlic & Herb Prime Rib with Parmesan Chive Mashed Potatoes
- Tofu Schnitzel & Gnocchi (Vegetarian)
- Seared George’s Bank Sea Scallops served over roasted red beet risotto
Desserts included Chocolate Iced Banana Cake, Whiskey Caramel Bread Pudding, and assorted ice cream.
Meal Selection Process Onboard
One of the included documents shows how guests submit their dining selections during the cruise.
The welcome form explains that passengers review upcoming lunch and dinner menus through the American Explorer onboard system and are asked to make their meal selections by 9:00 a.m. each morning. The selection sheet also allows guests to request a half entrée portion and note any special dietary requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these American Cruise Lines menus the same on every cruise?
No. These menus were photographed during one sailing. American Cruise Lines rotates its menus regularly based on the itinerary, season, and available regional ingredients.
Does American Cruise Lines offer vegetarian options?
Yes. Every dinner menu shown includes at least one vegetarian entrée, while several lunch menus also include vegetarian sandwiches, salads, or pasta dishes.
Is seafood served often?
Yes. The menus feature a wide variety of seafood, including lobster, shrimp, blue crab, scallops, cod, striped bass, flounder, snapper, oysters, and salmon.
Are desserts included with dinner?
Yes. Each dinner menu includes multiple dessert choices in addition to assorted ice cream flavors.
Can guests choose their meals in advance?
Based on the onboard dining selection form shown in these photos, guests are asked to review upcoming menus and submit their lunch and dinner selections each morning through the ship’s onboard system.
Conclusion
These American Cruise Lines menus provide an excellent look at the variety of food guests can expect during a voyage. Rather than repeating the same dishes throughout the cruise, the culinary team rotates menus that feature regional specialties, fresh seafood, classic American comfort food, vegetarian selections, and homemade desserts.
From New England lobster dinners and crab-crusted beef tenderloin to fish and chips, prime rib, seafood salads, blueberry pie, and bread pudding, the menus reflect the destinations the ship is visiting while maintaining the relaxed, small-ship dining experience American Cruise Lines is known for.
If you’re planning an upcoming cruise, browsing menus like these is a great way to get a feel for the onboard dining experience before you sail.
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