Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean began rolling out or takeout sushi options across its fleet for guests that want to enjoy Izumi-quality sushi on Royal Caribbean ships that do not offer an Izumi restaurant. Freedom of the Seas is one such ship that lacks Izumi, and we took it upon ourselves to try the Izumi Express sushi for "research" purposes.
Guests will find Izumi Express options at Sorrentos during select hours (check your Cruise Compass for exact times), but it is typically available every day from 11:30am - 1:30pm and again at 6:00pm - 8:00pm.
The selection of sushi may vary, but on our sailing we had eight rolls to choose from that were prepackaged and ready to be enjoyed.
On our cruise, the more popular rolls tended to go quickly, so be sure to order early.
Historically, Freedom of the Seas has always offered sushi in the Jade section of the Windjammer, but in my opinion, the sushi was substandard because it was poorly made and lacked variety or sizable pieces of fish. Of course, the sushi in the Windjammer was complimentary, but I tended to avoid it because of the poor quality.
Windjammer Sushi from a past Freedom of the Seas cruise
Of course, we are here for the sushi and the Izumi Express options on Freedom of the Seas has a variety of maki rolls that are pretty typical among sushi restaurants. Before even tasting any of it, the quality of these rolls looked superior to what was offered in the Windjammer.
You can pick which roll appeals to you, and each package comes with eight rolls.
You are probably wondering, "how good does it taste?" and I can safely say it is much better to what the Windjammer ever had. In fact, the Windjammer offered sushi on the last night of the cruise and that confirmed my thoughts.
Prepackaged sushi will never compare to freshly-made sushi, but, I really enjoyed the Izumi Express option because it offers a much better option than no sushi at all.
I found it to be a really good value and tasted great too. It was certainly as good as any prepackaged sushi I have had on land, and as a self-described sushi fiend, I loved having this option every evening.
Are you a Sushi lover? Let us know if Izumi Express will be on your must-eat list!
Guests aboard Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas can now enjoy Izumi-quality sushi, despite not having an Izumi location.
Photo by Kayla Gillman
We reported earlier this summer that Royal Caribbean would be offering Izumi-level sushi across its fleet on ships that did not have an Izumi location, and we have a look at the Izumi sushi on Majesty of the Seas.
There are a few different varieties of sushi available at the Windjammer during dinner and priced a la carte. These include
Photo by Kayla Gillman
Royal Caribbean wanted to offer guests something quick and easy to enjoy, without having to dedicate time for a sit-down meal.
Royal Caribbean's Izumi Head Chef Travis Kamiyama confirmed that all Royal Caribbean ships will offer a takeout version of Izumi by July 1, 2016.
Dubbed, "Izumi Express", this new offering is a takeaway service that offers packaged sushi, ready to go, at a "very discounted price."
There will be special express carts that will offer up to eight sushi rolls.
Izumi Express on Adventure of the Seas
Izumi Express on Freedom of the Seas. Photo by Travis Kamiyama.
Royal Caribbean wanted to offer guests something quick and easy to enjoy, without having to dedicate time for a sit-down meal.
Chef Kamiyama confirmed that the Izumi Express option has been rolled out to a few ships already, and it will be fleet-wide by July 1st.
We tried Izumi Express on Navigator of the Seas, and it worked out very well for being able to enjoy sushi quickly and without the sit down experience.
On Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, we ran across a new event that is as unique as it is new.
Beci Mahnken from MEI-Travel sent us this flyer for a special one-day event at Izumi on Explorer of the Seas.
It is an, "Asian Breakfast Buffet" from 7:00am to 9:30am. The cost is $25 per guest and includes unlimited
This event is being held on the ship's stop at Tracy Arm Fjord and is something we have never seen before.
Would you be interested in an Asian breakfast buffet? Tell us in the comments!