Short Cruise - Long Review - Ecstasy 4-14-2012

[ElvisAndretti]

I'm really at a loss about how to describe the Chef's table, I've had two attempts so far. in the meantime I managed to hose up the day three photos, I'll repost them later on.

Stay tuned, it gets really good.

[jamona2311]

Oh Im looking forward to your chefs table review since last night! I will be doing that one alone on Ecstacy in September. My DH will be doing behind the fun alone, hes not very adventurous with food. :D

Loving your review, BTW. Thanks so much for helping pass the next 145 days ;)

[cruisenanny]

[quote name='ElvisAndretti']I'm really at a loss about how to describe the Chef's table, I've had two attempts so far. in the meantime I managed to hose up the day three photos, I'll repost them later on.

Stay tuned, it gets really good.[/QUOTE]

Still tuned in & can't wait for your CT review! We would LOVE to do this dinner, but my dh has a fin fish allergy & i'm afraid to try it..

[ElvisAndretti]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]This is my third attempt at describing the Chef's table dinner, I really can't seem to do it justice. I don't want to say it was fantastic from beginning to end, it was close. But I am afraid there was some stuff in there I just didn't care for. I'm pretty sure it was me though. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I consider myself pretty open minded about food (Except head cheese, bleeechhhh) but there are some things I just can't seem to develop a taste for. I've tried sushi at least a dozen times over the years, I feel as though I've been missing something. But I have never enjoyed it. Same thing with coffee, I keep trying it, because everyone else likes it, but it just doesn't work for me. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]So... I like most of what we tried, but the items on the menu I did not care for are probably more a reflection of my own personal taste than any problem with the dish itself. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The evening began with everyone being introduced to the Chef, Michael Wisdom and a brief tour of the kitchen. We were served two appetizer plates with champagne. The first was an olive with parmesan cheese (I don't like olives, but I ate it anyway. I still don't like olives) and a date stuffed with chorizo which was delicious, great combination of sweetness and spice.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Next was a bit focaccia with prosciutto and that was especially good. The prosciutto was as good as I have ever had, I was surprised by how tasty it was without being cloying or fatty. The langostino and sundried tomato fritter was also tasty but I think I may have gotten more from it had I not just eaten the prosciutto. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We were then introduced to the pastry chef who showed us how to make chocolate melting cake. I have heard much about cutbacks, clearly this cake is a priority as they use really good chocolate, fresh eggs, sugar and flour. Same stuff Hope uses at home. (She does the baking, me, I cook with fire most of the time.)[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]During a discussion of the safety measures in the kitchen (no open flames you see. Me, I need gas to cook or stuff gets burnt,) In any event Hope asked if that's why crème brûlée was not offered and Chef Michael said, no, we can make a very tasty crème brûlée with this cooking machine over here. (I forget what he called it) He offered to have some for us at dinner the next night.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We were then seated in the library and things got really interesting. As a salad course we were presented with tomatoes poached in chardonnay, one of which was coated in cocoa butter. Delicious, really a surprise, sweet and light and frankly I'm getting hungry just thinking about them here. We have a small garden in our back yard and I can pretty much guarantee some of our cherry tomatoes will find their way into this dish. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Tuna.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Tuna Banh Mi came next, served on lemon bread with sesame crisp surrounding the marinated tuna. As I stated before, raw fish is not a big favorite of mine, but this was very good. It also looked to be an extremely labor intensive item. It was a little tricky trying to get everything together in one bite, but well worth the trouble. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%204/IMG_1727.jpg[/IMG]

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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Caramelized Cornish hen with squash was next, cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%204/IMG_1730.jpg[/IMG]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The soup course was bavarois made with turnip and apple juice, essentially a cold cream soup garnished with spinach and green peas. Another thing I typically wouldn't go for, but this was wonderful. The blend of flavors was great and it set up the next course perfectly. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%204/IMG_1732.jpg[/IMG]

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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The next course was salmon, and while the fish itself was tasty, it was nothing exceptional. However, there was also condensed beets, pureed and baked very thin and rolled into little tubes. Not a beet fancier but I really liked these, they were crunchy, very light and sweet. Good counterpoint to the Salmon. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The meat course was Wagyu, stewed short rib of beef that may be the best bit of cow I have ever had. Fork tender and really rich, it was the only dinner course where I couldn't resist eating every crumb, so to speak. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Dessert.jpg[/IMG]

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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The dessert was a plate called "Chef in a Candy Shop" and there were so many flavors on that one plate it was amazing. There were a few bits I didn't like (Coffee flavored anything is wasted on me) but there was more than anyone could have been expected to eat at this late stage anyway. There was also that chocolate melting cake we saw prepared earlier in the evening. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]A word about the wine: I thought I got photos of the labels of the red and white, but if I did I managed to lose them somewhere. Suffice to say that the wine was very good and given there were only a single red and white to go with all these different courses it was amazing how well suited each was. The champagne was so-so, but we're a bit spoiled in that area, Hope is a great lover of champagne so we tend to splurge when selecting sparkling wines. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I still feel I have not done this meal justice. I've been scarfing down fancy eatin' vittles for a long time and this was in my top ten meals of any kind, ever, anywhere. Maybe not quite the equal to Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia or Galatoire's in New Orleans, but we were on a ship at sea, you need to allow for the fact that they can't go to the market each day to pick the freshest and best. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]After eating we walked around the promenade a bit and then headed back to our cabin to rest up for Freeport. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[ElvisAndretti]

I forgot to post the menu. Here it is:
[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/iPhone%20Vacation%20Photos/ChefsTableMenu-1.jpg[/IMG]

And last but certainly not least, our chef:

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%204/IMG_1741.jpg[/IMG]

[pcrum]

Wow, they really changed the Chef's Table menu. It is clear that Carnival is serious about the cut-backs! I don't find the new menu appealing at all. I'm glad we did the Chef's Table with the older menu.

Thanks so much for the detailed review. We live in Orlando, so see the Ecstasy in our future, but I think we will skip the Chef's Table. I do think we might try the Blue Lagoon though...it looks very pretty!

Thanks again for the review. Can't wait for your take on the FL attractions, as they are in our backyard! We see the castles of Hogwarts from the student parking lot of DS's school.

[MommaOf3Princesses]

Im loving your review...just booked this ship for July (a little different itenerary than yours). Do you recommend the blue lagoon excursion? How long is the boat ride over?

[simplelife]

I am so glad you are posting this, We are sailing on Ecstasy June 18. So excited!:)

[ElvisAndretti]

[quote name='MommaOf3Princesses']Im loving your review...just booked this ship for July (a little different itenerary than yours). Do you recommend the blue lagoon excursion? How long is the boat ride over?[/QUOTE]

It took half an hour to get there. We loved it, but our agenda for this whole trip was to relax and take it easy. Blue Lagoon is good for that, but there is lots of other stuff to do.

[purplemusik]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]1.It's a satchel![/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]2.Monstrousity of the Seas [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Hysterical! [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]LOVE your review so far- keep it coming! [/SIZE][/FONT]

[KroozFoolz]

Still enjoying your review!
Thanks so much for the chef's table review - something we would probably never do, but I really enjoyed your thoughts and pictures!
Looking forward to reading the rest, including the post cruise Florida adventures.
So glad this cruise was more ecstasy than the agony and aggravation you experinced before the cruise. Seems to have turned out rather well.

[ElvisAndretti]

[quote name='KroozFoolz']Still enjoying your review!
Thanks so much for the chef's table review - something we would probably never do, but I really enjoyed your thoughts and pictures!
Looking forward to reading the rest, including the post cruise Florida adventures.
So glad this cruise was more ecstasy than the agony and aggravation you experinced before the cruise. Seems to have turned out rather well.[/QUOTE]

It really did. There were a hundred different things we missed out on as far as the various activities. But our main objective was to relax and take it as it comes, the Ecstasy was perfect for that. We may yet try a "destination" ship, but I am in no hurry. This "smaller" ship seemed just right to me.

[Silent Penguin]

I should be reading my students' essays today, but here I am reading pouring over your Key West photos again. It's just so cold and bleak outside, I need a little Key West in my day. Your pictures bring back happy memories of the time we cruised with my in-laws and the four us took the Old Town trolley tour in Key West with a stop at the Hemingway House. The trolley driver was named Miss Vee I think, or maybe it was Dolly. She has some womanly attributes but was built like an aging football player and had a deeper voice than Johny Cash. I asked dh to tip her extra because she was so strict about passengers not talking while she was teaching us about Key West. I just can't stand it when you can't hear the tour guide because of the people around you talking.

Along the lines of memorable tour guides, our tour guide at the Hemingway House also had a lot of "personality" and it added to the experience immeasurabley. In appearance, he looked about old enough to have known Hemingway personally. Listening to the guy speak, you would have thought so too. His face and voice were a little wistful when he talked about the Great Writer. But, when he spoke about the women in Hemingway's life, you would have thought he had his own reasons for hating every woman Hemingway had ever been involved with, especially his last wife.

As for the 6-toed cats, not only did we see several in or around the house, but we had the bonus (?) experience of coming upon one eating a recently killed bird. Would you hate me for thinking it was kind of funny to watch a woman flip out in German when she saw the cat chomping on the bird? I actually have a picture of the cat eating the bird on my external back up drive, but I never did transfer the pictures from that trip onto this laptop or I would show it to you. I would also show you a picture of my husband and me at the Hemingway House because I am, coincidentally dressed just like your wife during our visit. Same dress, different color. Also, same hair, different color.

[boaterette]

I am loving your reivew. The pictures you have taken of Key West were great. From all the other reviews I have only seen the southern most point and the keylime pie on a stick that everyone seems to post. I didn't know so much more existed. Some of the pictures aren't showing up though. Something about photobucket. Can hardly wait to read the rest. Thank you.

[jetsfan]

We did the Chefs Table on the Dream and loved it. I think we had the old menu as we had filet, and it was one of the best I have ever eaten. I had to laugh though. I do not like coffee either (in anyway, shape or form) and I thought I was the only person in this crazy Starbucks driven society:)

I love your review. So I have to ask, are you hooked on cruising?

[ElvisAndretti]

I managed to move some of the photos of Key West on photobucket, without even trying. But I can't seem to get them all back where they belong. So here's a repost, with some additional photos thrown in.


[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1211.jpg[/IMG]

Dolphins off the bow.

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1214.jpg[/IMG]

I didn't even know there was actually a beach anywhere on Key West.

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1216.jpg[/IMG]

Anyone know what one of these is for? It looks pretty specialized.

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1220.jpg[/IMG]

Preparing to dock.

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1221.jpg[/IMG]

The dock could not be in a better spot for a walking tour

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1248.jpg[/IMG]

There is a Kapok tree in front of the county courthouse.

[MommaOf3Princesses]

[quote name='ElvisAndretti']It took half an hour to get there. We loved it, but our agenda for this whole trip was to relax and take it easy. Blue Lagoon is good for that, but there is lots of other stuff to do.[/QUOTE]

Thanks!

[ElvisAndretti]

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1298.jpg[/IMG]

There were cat houses everywhere on the grounds.

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1295.jpg[/IMG]

This was my favorite.

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1313.jpg[/IMG]


The house itself.


[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1300.jpg[/IMG]

Strange Flora


[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1308.jpg[/IMG]

Distinctive Fauna as well.

[ElvisAndretti]

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1323.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1329.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Key%20West/IMG_1383.jpg[/IMG]

[Hogladyrider]

[quote name='jetsfan'] I had to laugh though. I do not like coffee either (in anyway, shape or form) and I thought I was the only person in this crazy Starbucks driven society:)

I love your review. So I have to ask, are you hooked on cruising?[/quote]

How refreshing to read that others feel the same way we do about the coffee served on Carnival.........it keeps the coffee speciality shop busy that's for sure!

We grind our own beans at home, mostly Dunkin Donuts, but I have discovered the Starbucks individual instant pkgs and I now bring them on cruises with us and for our room service in the morning I order two pots of hot water only and viola we have some delicious coffee for breakfast instead of the nasty tasting stuff served.

You can purchase the Starbucks individual pkgs just about anywhere, in many flavors as well, Wally World had the best prices here in Central FL for it. Give it a try when you travel, if you are a coffee nut like we are.

[ElvisAndretti]

[quote name='Hogladyrider']How refreshing to read that others feel the same way we do about the coffee served on Carnival.........it keeps the coffee speciality shop busy that's for sure!

We grind our own beans at home, mostly Dunkin Donuts, but I have discovered the Starbucks individual instant pkgs and I now bring them on cruises with us and for our room service in the morning I order two pots of hot water only and viola we have some delicious coffee for breakfast instead of the nasty tasting stuff served.

You can purchase the Starbucks individual pkgs just about anywhere, in many flavors as well, Wally World had the best prices here in Central FL for it. Give it a try when you travel, if you are a coffee nut like we are.[/QUOTE]

I think you missed something there. It's not carnival coffee Jetsfan and I don't like. It's coffee. Period.

[ElvisAndretti]

[quote name='jetsfan']

I love your review. So I have to ask, are you hooked on cruising?[/QUOTE]

I am already perusing the stuff I'm getting from all the other cruise lines. Ruled out Disney (we don't have kids and they don't have casinos) and I can't see myself on one of those mega monsters like the Epic. So I'm thinking Princess or Celebrity, maybe even HA. But first we have to see some Europe.

Then North to Alaska! (finally, I was supposed to go when I was 15)

[jetsfan]

We are going to Alaska in July. I can't tell you how excited I am!

[ElvisAndretti]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Both Hope and I consumed a lot of wine at the Chef's table, when the sun came up the next day Hope was feeling a little green. I took a quick walk to the sports deck to see us come in to Freeport and a whole bunch of stuff hit me at once: It was raining, it smelled like an oil refinery and I had seen photos of this place before. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]My father was a tanker captain and he had sailed to Freeport in the 50's and 60's. I recently found a lot of slides of the port when going through the family archives. I instantly recognized Freeport as one of the ports of call. As we came into the harbor we passed the Alexander Von Humboldt, our destination for the morning. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%205/IMG_1747.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT]


[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I went back to the room, rounded up Hope and we hit up the Lido for some breakfast. Then we set out to disembark, fastest exit from the ship so far, but when we reached the area where people assemble for their excursions there was no place to stand for those of us going sailing. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]It turns out the Alexander Von Humboldt was a brand new attraction in Freeport and they were not as organized as some of the other excursions. We eventually found our guide and two of our tablemates she led us by foot through the port to the sailing ship. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I'll get this out of the way right now: if you're going to Freeport and you like ships and sailing, you should not miss this trip. I had my doubts at first when we approached the ship and we could hear the motor running, I've been putted around on sail ships under power before, it's not what I was hoping for. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%205/IMG_1805.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]But as soon as we cleared the inlet the crew set to work unfurling sails, hauling up other sails and generally doing all that stuff you see in the movies. They cut the motor and we were under sail, heading out between a supertanker and the offshore tanker terminal they use now to offload the oil. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Watching the crew work, getting a chance to take the helm, just hanging out on the wonderful old ship, it was something I will never forget. Talking to one of the crew members I asked about the local music. She said, yah, most tourists think it's all about Bob Marley down here, but the locals like Soca (Soul Calypso - think Hot Hot Hot by Arrow, or David Johannson/Buster Poindexter if you must) and Rake 'n Scrape, that odd hybrid of Calypso, RnB and Ska we had heard the day before. She said there were CDs for sail in the shops near where had docked. [/FONT][/SIZE]

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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We strolled back to the ship, doing a little shopping in the market adjacent to the dock. Hope found some really wonderful perfume, and I was able to find a CD. The only problem is, now that I have one, I want more and there's no Rake 'n Scrape section on iTunes. [/SIZE][/FONT]



[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We returned to the ship and realized we had forgotten to eat lunch, so we stowed our stuff in the cabin and headed up to the Mongolian Wok. It was actually very good, the Szechuan sauce was actually VERY hot, the way I like it. The booze patrol cruised by with those nifty funnel shaped drink cups full of, well, I honestly have no idea. It was good and pretty strong and the cups now reside in a place of honor in the man cave. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%205/IMG_1920.jpg[/IMG]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]While we were eating they announced a trivia contest. I retrieved two slips of paper and two golf pencils and we waited for the game to begin. Hope and I are both really good at remembering crap that will never serve any useful purpose.[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]So anyway, they started asking questions, and they were dead easy! I mean really, really easy. Hope and I both got all 15 as did one other person on deck. Hope and the other lady went up for the elimination round. Hope won because she can do if x/3 =5 then x = 15. No, really, that was the question. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]She returned with a ship on a stick, which now resides on our mantle at home, where my fantasy football trophy used to live. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%205/IMG_1925.jpg[/IMG]


[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I had been itching to try the waterslides so we went up to the Verandah deck and I started with the smaller of the two 'grown up' slides. I came out in one piece so I set out to try the larger. Halfway up the stairs that daily drink special started to kick in. Hope said she could hear me laughing like a maniac the whole way down. That was WAY fun. Don't leave it for the kids, they get to have fun all the time. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]By this time we were hungry again, so Hope checked out the deli and I got a slice of pizza. The pizza was totally acceptable and we live in Philadelphia, home of best pizza anywhere outside of Italy. It wasn't anything like a proper slice from the late lamented Rizzo's of Glenside, PA but it was sure better than Domino's or Pizza Hut. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We returned to our room and cracked open our second bottle of champagne and Hope got a head start on the packing. When she was mostly done we took our glasses and went up to the promenade for a walk. The sushi bar was open , we had been here once before, but I can't remember when exactly. The sushi is just OK, way more rice than you would normally get, but the fish and such inside was pretty good according to my sushi taster. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/ElvisAndretti/Bahamas%20Cruise%20Day%205/IMG_1984.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Now, we need a little background for this next part. Hope and I got married in Las Vegas by an Elvis Impersonator August 8, 2010. The day after we were up late and I went down to the casino to get Hope a starbucks (Vente Soy Latte, one raw sugar and cinnamon on top.) and on the way I stopped at the roulette table and bet our anniversary on the roulette table. Straight up and a combo. Second spin I hit 35:1 and walked away with almost $200. So there was the roulette table, right across from where we were sitting. I bought $20 in chips and got my bet down, 8 and 6 and the combos in between. First spin I won on a combo, like $5. Second spin we hit the straight bet and won $120 bucks. I cashed my chips and off we went. My roulette record stands intact, played twice, won twice. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We returned to our cabin, got ready for dinner, Hope finished packing and while she showered I smoked my second cigar of the trip, and Aroma de Cuba robusto. Good cigar. Then I showered and brushed my teeth (a lot) and we set out for our last dinner in the MDR. I went a bit nuts the last night, appetizer, soup and a cheeseburger as big as my head. When the waiter brought Hope the Crème brûlée the chef had promised her the night before, I had to decline my portion so that one of our table mates could try it out, besides, I had to have chocolate melting cake one more time. [/SIZE][/FONT]



[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We ran into the ladies from our table later at the bar outside the casino and somehow the subject of shots of tequila came up. (I later found out it was my wife who got THAT ball rolling) . They give you REALLY big shots. Then a round of margaritas for our new friends. Then we went to the late night show, John Wesley Austin but with mostly all new material. (He had to do "Thank God I'm a Cabin Boy" again or there would have been a riot, guitar was in tune this time. ;-) ) Once again we laughed our asses off, somewhere along the line one of our new friends treated us to another round of Margaritas. I slept really well our last night on the ship until 5:00 AM the next day. I'll get to that on Day Six. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[ElvisAndretti]

[quote name='stacycakes1']If you want to see Paris you should do what we did! We had the time of our lives last year on our honeymoon in Paris and then on a cruise mostly through Italy. It was AMAZING!!!! Here is my review of our trip if you are interested:

[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1597451&highlight=magic[/URL]

Thanks again for the great review!!![/quote]

That was a GREAT review, I really enjoyed it. I also really like the idea and after looking at the various itinerary options I think we could see Paris and get a cruise in on the same trip. The discussion has now changed to doing a river cruise vs. cruising Spain, France and Italy.