Look no further than the Wheelhouse Bar on Princess Cruises for a dram of whiskey or pint of beer, as well as traditional maritime decor. This spacious venue serves as a bar, lounge, performance space, and on some ships, it's also a restaurant. In addition to serving British-style pub lunch on select sea days (on some ships the pub lunch is served in another venue), Wheelhouse is also home to the Salty Dog Gastropub, a for-fee dining experience on Crown, Ruby and Emerald Princess that features upscale pub fare including the famous Ernesto burger (of mastermind chef Ernesto Uchimara).
Wheelhouse Bar is an homage to the glory days of masted sailing ships; decor is dominated by plenty of dark wood, painted scenes of 18th-century seas, model ships and, of course, ship steering wheels on the walls. The atmosphere is cozy and casual -- it's a great place for trivia in the afternoon, lobster mac 'n' cheese at night (on the ships with Salty Dog) or to grab a drink virtually any time of day.
When it's serving as Salty Dog, Wheelhouse is the only dining venue onboard Princess Cruises that also hosts live music, from singer/songwriters to a steel drum player on Caribbean itineraries.
You'll find a mix of drinks at Wheelhouse, with beer on tap as well as canned and bottled ciders and British beer specials, especially during the pub lunch. A variety of gin and vodka martinis, margaritas and whiskey cocktails can also be found on the Wheelhouse menu, as well as wine, liqueurs and spiked coffees. An international whiskey menu can be found on select ships.
As part of the Gastropub menu (on three ships only), there is a selection of specialty drinks associated with Salty Dog, and served in Wheelhouse. You can try a Seawitch Steam: Woodford Reserve, sweet vermouth, Seawitch IPA syrup and fresh lemon; or classics like a negroni, a whiskey sour or an old fashioned.
Wheelhouse Bar serves an a la carte drink menu. Beer is $6 to $7; mixed drinks run $9 to $10; Salty Dog specialty cocktails are $8.95 each.
The occasional British pub lunch offering is complimentary. Salty Dog Gastropub carries a $12 per person cover charge. All alcohol is additional.
Wheelhouse Bar can be found across the Princess Cruises fleet.
View pictures of Wheelhouse Bar on Crown Princess.