Menus and food onboard the American Pioneer (Part 3)

 After all that exploring it's time to resume our favorite cruise activity - dining!

Caesar Salad with anchovies - they may look like chicken in this picture but they don't taste like it!

Braised Beef Pot Roast with Bourbon Demi-Glace

Chocolate Iced Banana Cake

Another day's breakfast menu trading an Eggs Benedict Feature of the Day for a Surf and Turf option

Surf and Turf Breakfast

Leige Waffles - or technically one waffle

Apologies for the less than stellar shot of this day's dinner menu!

Steakhouse Iceberg Wedge Salad (reminder, this cruise was taken at the end of January before salads became potentially hazardous to our health)

And some very thin corn chowder

Pork Chop with Bourbon Glaze - Beeler's Farms pork chop in a bourbon glaze, served with whipped sweet potatoes and sauteed broccoli rabe.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream

Our second tour that wasn't worth it & some later fun

The second tour that we regretted booking was held in St. Petersburg on our last full day of the cruise. This two hour tour is called the St. Petersburg Historical Trolley Exploration and cost $55 per person. This was classified as a Premium Excursion and thus included for both of us. The activity level was listed as low and was deemed partially accessible. A couple people on our tour had walkers so their walkers got stowed in the back of the trolley.

Having had many trolley rides in our travels and no specific desire of what to see and do in St. Petersburg, we thought this excursion would be a light easy way to see the town. And for those people who got to sit in the actual forward facing trolley seats, it probably was a nice tour. However, they filled our trolley so full that about 10 of us were stuck sitting in the back of the trolley on sideways benches. Our only view was the faces of the people across from us. We could see nothing that was being pointed out by our guide. Our section was separated from the forward facing seats by a cloudy vinyl partition so only by the fact that our guide used a microphone did we at least get to listen to the explanation of what everyone else was seeing. 

For the entire ride, it was either stare like a voyeur at the people across the trolley or stare at the reflection of the people down my row in the vinyl. Only to realize about 3/4ths into the ride that it wasn't a reflection but the actual poor gentleman in the last row of seats before the partition who started staring back at me. We were so packed in shoulder to shoulder on these back benches that the gentleman next to me literally had his arm wrapped around my shoulders in order to sit comfortably. Each time he'd try to reposition his arm, I'd get smacked in the back. I also learned that I make a very good pillow because the gentleman on my opposite side fell asleep leaning against my arm. And yes, he snored but thankfully wasn't a drooler. Sorry no pictures from this tour as I couldn't move my arms. The one place we stopped was some outdoor park/plaza and were given just enough time to walk across to the bathrooms and back. I'd say that was the most expensive trip to the bathroom I've ever had!

On a more positive note, one of the fun experiences we've enjoyed on American Cruise Lines is the fact that they include a scheduled opportunity for anyone, in small group sessions during designated times, to come see the bridge or as it's known on a river cruise, the Pilothouse. We've had the privilege of being invited to tour the bridge on many ocean cruises so it's very cool to see how the two compare. I would also like to commend our Captain who was routinely visible around the ship and happy to stop for a chat.

And simply because I'm a nerd who loves finding typos - 

And because I'm also a nerd who likes to admire the other ships in port - I was amazed to spot a Celebrity Cruises ship so close to shore as it passed by the Pilothouse's front windows.

Two important storage drawers in the Pilothouse

Some ACL ships have the latter drawer marked as the candy drawer but the American Pioneer opted for the rhyming label of The Snack Pack.

Menus and food we had onboard American Pioneer (Part 2)

 Let's continue on our tour of all the food we tried onboard:

Free-Range Chicken Avocado & Applewood Smoked Bacon Panini - Served on Cuban bread, with provolone cheese, baby arugula, vine-ripened tomato, chipotle mayonnaise, and a Mediterranean pasta salad. I asked to leave off the chipotle mayonnaise. 

Rum Spiced Baked Bananas

Key Lime pie offered in the lounge during our port visit to Key West:

Floridian Tomato Salad with Bourbon Vinaigrette - Cherry tomatoes, pineapple, Cross Valley Farms mixed greens, Glenview Farms goat cheese and fresh mint.

Hearty Beef and Barley Soup - nice to see a decent bowl size without having to specially ask for it. Much improved over the espresso sized mugs of soup we used to get served. In those days it was like you got either a piece of chicken or a noodle in your chicken noodle soup. 

I couldn't decide between the Blue-Crab Crusted Farm Raised Beef Tenderloin and the Pan-Seared Atlantic Sea Scallops so I asked if it was possible to do a half portion of each. What was brought to the table was a beautifully paired sample of both entree proteins that created a wonderful surf and turf dish that tasted like it was always meant to be served together.

Dad went with the Veal Piccatta - served with blistered grape tomatoes atop a bed of angel hair pasta, paired with a white wine, lemon, and caper sauce.

Banana Cream Tartlets

Breakfast menu stayed pretty much the same. Reading that description of a Southern Eggs Benedict now though is making me hungry. Wish I had chosen to try that!

Sausage and cheese omelet:

A Key West tour that we regretted booking

Of our six American Cruise Lines run shore excursions that we signed up for pre-cruise, there are two of them that we regretted booking. One was because of poor planning on our part and the other was due to how the tour was partially poorly run. 

To kick off our first tour experience, here's the welcome committee of Mama Chicken and her little chicken nuggets that greeted us as we stepped off the ship in Key West.

The first one was the HydroThunder Electric Cars in Key West. This 5.5 hour excursion is listed at a low activity level but is really up to you how active you want to make it. You can also set your own times and turn the car back in at any moment before that 5.5 hours is up should you decide you're done with all you wanted to visit. ACL charges $75 per person for this experience and each car can hold four people. You are personally responsible for any parking fees and entrance fees related to any local establishments you choose to visit. This "tour" is basically the equivalent of getting a cooler than normal car to rent for the day and make your own itinerary. The company did provide a color paper map to help you figure out how to get anywhere. The gentleman checking everyone in also kindly helped answer questions highlighting on the map how to get to the specific places anyone mentioned wanting to visit.

The HydroThunder Electric car company comes to the cruise terminal to pick up everyone booked in shuttle vans. Once dropped off at the shop, we each visited the counter inside to sign up, show our driver's license as ID, and get assigned a numbered car. We then headed out with the instructions to walk around our car taking pictures and filming a video of the car while still in its parking spot. This was to ensure that there was proof of how the car looked before leaving the lot. It also gave us the chance to let the employees know of any issues before we left. As it turns out, our front tires needed more air and that was quickly remedied. 

Now being a lot more familiar with getting around town driving a golf cart, this type of vehicle reminded us of home. It is open on the sides so you'll either get a nice breeze if it's sunny and warm or a nice bath if it's raining. Two nicer features that aren't normally on your standard golf cart - this vehicle had proper crossbody seatbelts and windshield wipers. 

A view showing the entire length of the car and the two same sized seats in the back row. ACL's website lists this excursion as not ADA accessible but I think if you had someone in your party who could with assistance using a cane or collapsible walker slide into the passenger seat, then they could be a passenger. Then it would be up to your group whether you visit a place that might not be ADA accessible. 

The front of the car:

The trunk of the car lockable with the same key so you can store jackets, an umbrella, small backpacks, or store purchases as you make all your planned stops.

So why was this an excursion we regretted choosing? Because we had no plan in mind. We had no list of any landmarks or shops or restaurants we wanted to visit. Others on this tour had a great day because they used their car to transport them to places like the Butterfly Conservatory (one of the complimentary excursion options with free admission stickers for all to use) or the Hemingway House. If you have the loyalty status giving you included Premium excursions and picked up these admission stickers to the Butterfly Conservatory, you could enjoy a free and frugal outing. We drove around through busy streets and lots of construction all while having conversations like this:

Me: "Want to go here?" 

Dad: "Not really." 

Me: "Well how about here? 

Dad: "No, not really." 

Yet at the same time encouraging me to "tell him where to go" as he drove along. I may be good at trivia and puzzles but having an answer for giving him directions to no given location was a bit of logic I couldn't quite figure out. After about an hour and seeing lots of the same streets, we returned the car. 

We made the best of the rest of our morning by taking advantage of ACL giving everyone complimentary Old Town Trolley admission stickers. This was also on the list of excursions to sign up for as a complimentary excursion but you didn't have to have signed up pre-cruise in order to use the admission stickers. There was plenty available for the taking at the information table outside the lounge. Around the corner from the HydroThunder Electric shop was one of the Old Town Trolley office locations. We relaxed on a bench outside talking with a kind local gentleman until the next trolley arrived. 

We ended up on a trolley driven by a charismatic funny gentleman named Chris and chose to ride once through the entire loop. A scenic drive turns out so much better when you have someone driving that knows where they are going. The provided stickers were good for use of the trolley both planned days in Key West so I slipped the sticker still attached to the paper in the back of my provided ACL lanyard. That way I could show it as needed but also not have to worry about it still sticking to my next day's shirt.

Menus and foods we had during our time onboard American Pioneer (Part 1)

There are basically three places to find food onboard an American Cruise Lines ship. The main dining room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner during set hours every day. Unlike the ocean ships, ACL doesn't close the dining room for lunch on port days. There is no set dining time or assigned tables (if you choose traditional dining) like on ocean ships, just hours of operation where you are free to walk in whenever you're ready to eat and choose a table. Many cruisers do end up finding a table they love whether it's for the location by the window or the fact that it's where their favorite waiter is working and make a point of choosing that table each time. You'll find many people choose to share a table so there usually is more group tables than tables for two. 

If you're an early riser and would rather just make up a small plate, the Sky Lounge will have a few assorted platters of breakfast items like fruit, pastries, and a couple hot items. From here you can take the plate out on the open deck or sit comfortably in the lounge reading or watching the water. The Sky Lounge will also have a supply of cool drinks, a water bottle refill station, a coffee machine, and individually wrapped snacks like chip bags, granola bars, crackers, and trail mix. These come in handy when you return from an excursion between serving hours or you get stuck in your room during rough seas.

Everytime I see a bag of Chex Mix in the store, I lament about how I'd much rather have just a bag of the Chex cereal pieces with the savory style seasonings that go in the mixes. I keep picturing myself grabbing a box of Wheat Chex cereal and some nacho cheese or ranch popcorn seasoning and making my own. Several of these packs from the snack caddy onboard may have made their way back home in my luggage.

Located outside adjacent to the Sun Deck is the Back Porch Cafe. Breakfast and lunch options from here are more of the handheld variety such as a breakfast sandwich or the standard grill fare of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Embarkation day lunch was hamburgers with a side of fresh watermelon from the Back Porch Cafe. Dad also enjoyed an individually wrapped ice cream bar for dessert. 

Another day's burger order:

Another day we sampled the hot dog and chips with salsa and guacamole options:

Embarkation night dinner - we used to have to fill out cards with our menu choices at breakfast each day so the chef would know how many of each dish to make. Now they have the menus available in the app once onboard and encourage you to submit a choice there. There's no rule that says what you chose that morning is what you have to stick with come dinnertime. There's also no rule that says you have to have everything as it is listed. The waiters and galley crew are very accommodating if you ask to make any changes whether it's for allergies, dietary restrictions, or personal preferences. One day I couldn't decide between entrees and asked if it was possible to get a small amount of both versus two full plates. The waiter brought out a plate that had a small piece of the meat and a little of the side from each entree choice. It turned out to be a perfect way to sample both choices! The only thing I missed with the change to the app is that there's no longer a write in choice. In the past we've been able to make off menu requests within reason like a grilled cheese, fruit plate, or pan pizza when nothing interested us on the menu. Doing this in the morning meant that the chef was prepared to serve our request by that night's dinner.

To answer a frequent question - there was always regular sugar, Equal, Splenda, and Sweet 'N Low packets available on the tables whether it was morning coffee or iced tea with lunch or dinner.

And for the drinkers - the wine list printed on the back of the dinner menu

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Citrus Marinated Pork Loin - Served over coconut rice, sauteed kale, tropical fruit salsa, and a citrus cilantro jus.

Florida-Style Crab Cakes - Served with edamame-quinoa saute, key-lime mustard sauce, and mango pico de gallo. I wasn't sure what Florida-Style Crab Cakes meant but this Maryland born and bred girl gives them two forks up! Proper Maryland made crab cakes (not Maryland-Style) is still #1 but this was a close second. 

New York Style Cheesecake - minus the papaya compote as requested

Bourbon Pecan Pie - two forks up from Dad!

First breakfast onboard - had to try the Eggs Benedict:

Dad's cheese omelette and bacon - everyone got a little fruit cup served with their meal choice:

A staple offering across the fleet is the offering of a salty or sweet treat to enjoy in the lounge during the evening entertainment. Brown paper lunch bags filled with a couple scoops of freshly popped buttered and salted popcorn cater to those in the mood for a savory snack. For those who need to satisfy their sweet tooth, an array of ice cream sundaes and the occasional Coke or Root Beer float are brought out as well.