Bar-B-Cruise

A lazy summer day, and the tantalizing aroma of barbecue drifts through the air. Maybe it’s the citrusy scent of fresh-caught salmon squeezed with lemon, or the spiced smoke wafting from baby back ribs. Such normally seasonal pleasures are now, thankfully, everyday cruise delights.

620 LOFT AND GARDEN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2016/07/27: Chef Guy Fieri presented designed for Carnival cruises Open-Air Barbeque Eatery at Beer-B-Que on roof garden 620 Loft and Garden. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Some ocean liners tout new restaurants devoted to barbecue, while others keep celebrating and elevating their tried-and-true smokehouses. Behold these finger-licking-good ways to relish such delicacies on board.

Pig Out

Toss diets aside when dining at a full-service Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse / Brewhouse aboard Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama, and Mardi Gras. The eatery, brought to sea by Food Network star and barbecue maven Guy Fieri, showcases down-home cuisine that’s cooked in custom-made smokers designed for maritime compliance. Grab a bundle of napkins for Trash Can Nachos — it’s messily delicious to devour pulled pork heaped on house-made tortilla chips, with Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce, pico de gallo, jalapeño, black beans, and what the Flavortown founder calls “SMC” (or super melty cheese). Or, try the pork-perfect Pig Pie, a fresh-baked, made-from-scratch flatbread smothered with pulled pork, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, cheddar, and jalapeños. I fantasize about succumbing to Memphis-style slow-smoked baby back ribs, marinated for nine long, wonderful hours. 

By Janice Wald Henderson

^{Photos: Lucas Mosna/Getty Images | Pacific Press/Getty Images}