Craving a double cheeseburger while cruising the Caribbean?
If you’re on Holland America Line, you can head do the Lido Deck and grab one at the Dive In which is available on select ships.
Cruising on Carnival? Food Network chef Guy Fieri whipped up a few different creations on select ship that have one of his Guy’s Burger Joints on-board. On a side note, I crowned this the “Best Burger at Sea” and haven’t found one to beat it yet.
If you’re spending your vacation onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Johnny Rockets is the place to grab a burger and one of their thick, creamy, signature milkshakes.
Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean is not a restaurant that is included in your cruise fare. To enjoy lunch or dinner in this 1950’s style hamburger stand, complete with counter service and cooks with paper hats, you’ll have to pay a $6.95 per person surcharge which covers most menu items. Some things, like those creamy milkshakes, are not included in the surcharge and are priced ala carte.
So in the world of cruise line burgers, how does Johnny Rockets live up?
On my recent Independence of the Seascruise, we stopped by Johnny Rockets for dinner one night. Like the land-based version, the at-sea version of Rockets is similar. Red booths, a diner-style counter, jukeboxes (although they are only there for looks) at each booth, 50’s music, the occasional staff dance routine, and menu centered around what made them famous – burgers.
We started out with a half-order of fries, and a half-order of onion rings. They arrived with a big bowl of ranch dressing for dipping and the signature smiley face on a plate drawn in ketchup. The fries could have spent a little more time in the fryer as they were not golden brown and crispy. Instead they were a little on the limp side and were not that warm.
The onion rings on the other hand were steaming hot, very crispy and I didn’t have a hard time finishing the entire portion.
I got a Rocket Double, which is two beef patties with cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, fresh tomato, white onion and special sauce. I did some modifications and swapped the cheddar cheese with American and added bacon and grilled onions.
The burger itself was huge. The beef was cooked so there was no pink, but eating it was a bit sloppy. All the toppings combined with the special sauce made for a burger a bit on the sloppy side, but it was overall a very good burger.
What about the milkshake? Well, lets just say that it was worth the visit!
So. With hamburgers being available at the Windjammer buffet on Royal Caribbean ships each day for lunch, is Johnny Rockets worth the extra cost?
That depends. For lunch, if you’re willing to stand in line at the buffet and luckily enough to score a table on a busy afternoon, you can probably create a burger similar to what you can order at Johnny Rockets with the toppings available on the buffet line. Keep in mind, your burger patty may not have been cooked that moment and may have been under the heat lamp for a bit, as opposed to being freshly cooked on the flat top grill at Johnny Rockets. Some toppings like Johnny’s secret sauce and grilled onions aren’t going to be found on the buffet line either.
While you will be able to get some fries, onion rings are probably not going to be an option, and if you want a milkshake, you’re not going to find that at the Windjammer either.
If you’re a stickler for a good burger and don’t mind paying the surcharge, I’d say go grab one at Johnny Rockets! Your server will instruct you on what is and isn’t included in the per-person fee and if you’re on a budget, can steer away from running up too much of a bill.