Live from Silhouette - Feb. 25, 2018

[hughdemand]

Anything special you are looking for? Entertainment, activities, hours, etc.

 

Been on this ship 3 or 4 times and never been disappointed.

 

Mainly entertainment (& location) as well as any special activities, like the Podium series etc.

 

Thanks

 

Hugh

[cltnccruisers]

Mainly entertainment (& location) as well as any special activities, like the Podium series etc.

 

Thanks

 

Hugh

 

I've read some really good things about the podium series. I hope we get some interesting topics - especially if the casino craps out.

[dandee2]

The dailies from the 11-18 Feb. on the Silhouette are available. Please note that Places, Events, Activities, Crew, Officers, Prices and general information are subject to change.

We had a great cruise and recommend Celebrity again.

 

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmbAQFfA

 

 

[keesar]

Mainly entertainment (& location) as well as any special activities, like the Podium series etc.

Thanks

Hugh

I've read some really good things about the podium series. I hope we get some interesting topics - especially if the casino craps out.

 

We have not had a Beyond the Podium on our last 5 cruises. We really miss the speakers. Another cut back.

 

As for entertainment, the House Band is Dancing Town. Really good and can play a great variety of songs. Best in years. Don't miss Chiko's performance on the final sea day. He does a solo and is a great singer. He is a former band member who is on the Activities Staff. There were 3 very good production shows in the big theater but the highlight was an afternoon Broadway Tribute. Just like former shows. REALLY good. Lots of other music on the ship with duos and jazz band.

[Host Anne]

Hi everyone ~ sorry for the delayed posting from the past few days. Port days had us off the ship without much time to write in the evening. Here's our San Juan Day. I'll post St. Thomas/St. John & St. Maarten later today.

 

DAY 3 – AT SEA & SAN JUAN

We woke up to rain this morning and it lasted for a few hours but by l0:30 or so the clearing began and it was a beautiful day after that.

 

We moved clocks ahead one hour last night so we slept in alittle late for us today. Enjoyed aquick breakfast in the Oceanview Café and then went to play trivia. All of the trivias thus far have been in theSky Lounge. They’ve been consistently at10:30 (general trivia); 3:00 (music trivia) and 3:30 (general trivia). Love the bar staff in Sky. Victoria and Philip do a great job!

 

MAST GRILL

Stopped at Mast Grill for a burger for lunch. It was on the late side (1:30ish) so there wasn’t a crowd. But it also meant the burgers came out of a warming tray and the one I received was extremely “crispy.” Not being a fan of crispy burgers, I went back to the pasta bar in Oceanview where they once again served up a great dish of pasta. Don’t know if I’ll try the Mast Grill again. It’s always been hit or miss here for me on the S-class ships.

 

SAN JUAN

We had no plans for San Juan other than to disembark and take a walk. We docked right around 3:30 and headed off the ship around 4:30 after trivia and the crowds were gone. We took a leisurely walk along waterfront that follows the old wall that heads up to El Morro. We didn’t go that far as we’ve been there many times (worth it if you’ve never been). We finally headed up a side street and wandered a little bit. We stopped in a very nice spice shop (www.spicycaribee.com)where we purchased a few items and talked to the owner about the hurricanes. She said Old San Juan (where we were) was in pretty good shape but that you don’t need to get far outside the city to be reminded how bad things still are. No water or electricity for many. Since we stayed close to port, we didn’t see any of this but let’s not forget there are a lot of people on Puerto Rico still hurting. The news tends to forget about these people quickly.

 

LAWN CLUB GRILL

We went to the Lawn Club Grill this evening for dinner. This has been a favorite of ours since they added this to the S-class ships. We’ve always had fun and great food here. I’m happy to say we still had fun. The staff here is great! They make us laugh and genuinely seem to care. Some of the food, however, wasn’t quite as good as I remembered it. Our flatbread dough was slightly undercooked; my ribeye steak was very charred and a bit beyond the medium rare I ordered and my creamed corn was far more like corn soup (very thin …). That said, it was OK and I didn’t want to return anything. I had plenty to eat and the staff is so great. I knew they’d remake anything if needed. My husband’s filet was fine. Desserts were yummy. My husband had the blueberry cobbler and I had the warm chocolate chip cookie. Both came with vanilla ice cream and both were great! We jokingly said to the maître ‘d that they should make a dessert pizza. We told him to put the apple crumble filling on top of a flatbread dough and it would be great! Next think we know, he’s doing just that and brought us a heart-shaped flat bread made with the apple crumble on top. It was GREAT, too. So very thoughtful.

 

UPTOWN

We don’t go to every show in the theater but we did make it to the show this evening by UPTOWN – three singers who did everything from Motown to Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder. They were great and were backed up by the 7-piece Celebrity Orchestra. I was very happy to see 7 orchestra members again. Celebrity has been shrinking their orchestra for year. It was great to see an actual horn section once again backing up this great group of singers and dancers. I’d highly recommend going to see this show if they are on your cruise.

 

After this is was time for an early sleep as we wanted to disembark early to make the 9:00 AM ferry to St. John. More to come.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Host Anne

[Host Anne]

FROM Anne: "We booked this cruise primarily for a relaxing getaway and to visit the islands that were badly damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. We vacation annually on St. John and have many friends who lost everything or had significant damage. We also have good friends on St. Maarten. Getting back to visit them and help support the recovery was important to us (we are planning our annual May vacation to St. John as usual)."

Thank you Anne for your posting. I am on the March 11 sailing of the Silhouette. I have been on contact with

schuylarreggi@adventures.org krystlegarwood@adventures.org

Trying to find out what I can bring to most help the people of the islands.

Here are some of their suggestions from email:

Thank you so much for your heart to give! Puerto Rico has a lot of needs. Here's a list of items they can use:

• Batteries
  
• Water filters ( http://www.uzimafilters.org/FILTER/UZIMA.php these are great filters that can be brought down and buckets can be purchased there)
  
• Solar lamps
  
• Generator
  
• Work gloves
  
• Face masks
  

These are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. I have a Puerto Rico meeting later today, I will get a list of more items that would be helpful and figure out where and how you can drop them off.

 

God bless

Krystle

As you are there please let me know what you think. I would like to ask other fellow passengers to help.

I live in San Diego so I would shop when I arrive in Florida.

Blessings, Chris

 

The need in Puerto Rico is still great! I'd suggest bringing things that you can easily pack in an extra suitcase or carry on. Obviously bringing a generator isn't possible but some of the other items are. Ask Krystal how you can connect on island (I'll be doing this when we return to St. John in May) and do let others on your roll call know. Every little bit truly helps. Feel free to contact the store we stopped at too (Spicy Caribee). I'm sure they can give you info and I've posted their website above. THANKS for being so considerate and have a great cruise....I'll talk more about the hurricanes before the end of this thread.

[PRH]

Any updates on needs for Puerto Rico we can bring down? I’d like to post this to my Viking Ocean roll call. Size batteries? Flashlights? School supplies? Personal water filters? Latex-like gloves for handling wet, rotted materials? Please let us know where we can drop them off.. many thanks.

 

 

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[Host Anne]

Any updates on needs for Puerto Rico we can bring down? I’d like to post this to my Viking Ocean roll call. Size batteries? Flashlights? School supplies? Personal water filters? Latex-like gloves for handling wet, rotted materials? Please let us know where we can drop them off.. many thanks.

 

 

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I'm checking for you. I'll post if I get a response.

[cruiseitaly]

I'm checking for you. I'll post if I get a response.

Originally posted by cruiseitaly

CAN YOU

Help!

I have been in contact with adventures.org they are spearing heading help to Puerto Rico.

This is the email I received from Krystal as to needed items. I plan on shopping in Florida and bringing items on board for distribution when the ship docks on San Juan.

 

"Hi Christine,

I had a chat with a gentleman from Puerto Rico yesterday. He said the biggest thing Puerto Rico needs is finances to start rebuilding. The last thing they need 2,3,4 times hand-me-downs. He said he has been sent so many things that he has unfortunately just had to throw out. He said all this with the most respect!

Here are a few more items, other than the ones I already gave you:

-Solar lanterns!!!! (big help) here is a cool website

https://solight-design.com/products/solarpuff

they the lights fold down flat and can pop up. This makes it easy to pack a lot.

-Battery powered Radio so people can know what is going on around the world

-Battery powered Fans (40% of the island still doesn't have power)

-Hammers/Nails

-Screwdrivers/Screws

-Sawzall

-Power tools

-Drill/Drill bits

-Levels

-Basically if it can help build

• Batteries
  
  
• Water filters (
  http://www.uzimafilters.org/FILTER/UZIMA.php
  these are great filters that can be brought down and buckets can be purchased there)
  
  
• Solar lamps
  
  
• Generator
  
  
• Work gloves
  
  
• Face masks
  
  

We are working on finding someone who can pick up your donations. Once we find out who can help, do I have your permission to give them your email so the two of you can figure out the details of the plan.

Again, thank you so much for your kindness and desire to help! Its going to be such a blessing for Puerto Rico!

God bless,

Krystle

krystlegarwood

@adventures.org"

Please ket me know if you'd like to help in any way possible. What a great way to show how grateful we are for all our blessings.

Thank you for your support,

Christine

I just contacted the Solar light @https://solight-design.com/products/solarpuff and you can donate lights for $13.50 each and they will deliver to Puerto Rico.

[Algebralovr]

I'm glad Anne is doing this one! I've been too lazy!

 

For the person who asked about Orient Beach, it is best to wait another bit to go there.

 

When we got off the ship yesterday, we got to the taxi stand and asked about it. I had previously emailed the manager if Club Orient to ask if it was open. I was told it was, with chairs, umbrellas, port-a-potties, and drinks from coolers. We figured if they were open, others would likely be.

 

At the taxi stand, we were told that only the nude side was open. We decided that we were ok with that side, and off we went.

 

The beach is heavily covered with sea grass, which means that there are small bugs as well. There is broken glass and bits of other debris in many locations, and the water is not safe to enter without shoes on. There are still things washing ashore regularly.

 

We saw two "beach guys" setting out chairs. We asked if they had umbrellas as well, were told yes, and to pick a spot. We did. We proceeded to watch them as they slowly worked on the sea grass in a spot way down the beach. After about 90 minutes, they set up a few umbrellas, but didn't bring any our direction,in spite of us being some of the first to arrive for the day. Then, they disappeared. They had cleared very little of the sea grass, even though a few guests pitched in to help rake it.

 

The other direction just still looks devastated.

 

I'd stay off Orient Beach for a few more weeks. They are going to need to sift the sand before it is safe is my guess, and that will require equipment.

 

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[Host Anne]

DAY 4 - ST. THOMAS/ST. JOHN

Since Royal Caribbean/Celebrity began docking at Crown Bay(west of Charlotte Amalie), we’ve struggled to make the 9:00 AM ferry to St.John when we dock in St. Thomas. St.John is an annual land vacation destination for our family so we jump at any chance to visit the island and our friends there. Because of the devastation from hurricanes Irma and Maria, we were anxious to get back. Therefore, I arranged for the private taxi driver that normally picks us up at the airport to take us to the Red Hook ferry. I felt pretty confident if we were docked by 8:00 AM, we’d make it.

 

Well, I brought along a 24 x 36 (nicely boxed) canvas sunrise that I took on St. John a few years ago to give to our friends who lost their home, car, and everything else to Irma. We even brought along an extra roll of tape in case security needed to open the box. Boarding with it back in Ft. Lauderdale was no problem. However,when we went to get off the ship at 7:58 on Wednesday morning, we were stopped by security and asked what was in the box. I explained it was a canvas photo I had taken and was bringing for friends. “But we never left the USA,” I say. We were told to just wait. She said she’d have to call an officer who dealt with customs and boarder patrol. After about 10 minutes, another crew member arrives (no idea what she really did) and was told if we wanted to bring anything off the ship, she’d have to call Celebrity’s port agent who would have to escort us to the Customs office on St.Thomas to be cleared. As you can imagine, by now, I’m not a happy camper. We never left the USA; I wasn’t taking anything off the ship that I personally didn’t own so there would be no customs duty to pay; and now we probably were going to miss the 9:00 AM ferry. I looked at my husband and told him to just take the box back to the room. I’ll have to ship the photo to them, I suppose. And write my congressman about this totally insane customs rule (had it been smaller and fit it in a beach bag, no one would have said a word. Just plain insane.

 

About 8:20, we were finally off the ship and headed to the parking lot where our driver was waiting for us. There’s no going fast on the islands and I just resigned myself that we’d be catching the 10:00 AM ferry. However, as we got to the ferry dock at 9:02,the ferry was still there, and they hadn’t pulled the gangway. We ran in and the ticket seller had gone to the restroom. Really?!? I looked at the gentleman taking the tickets and he said “we’ll wait for you!” Definitely a new St. John. In the past, they didn’t wait for anyone.

 

Once on St. John, we met with our friend for breakfast at High Tide (so good to be back) and then walked to Mongoose Junction where my favorite shop on the island is located. Mongoose is a stone shopping fortress that didn’t sustain too much damage because it is so well built. We went into my favorite shop (Caravan Gallery www.caravangallery.com)because I always find wonderful things here for gifts. Since the hurricane, I had been communicated with the owner to keep on top of how the island was doing. Today, she showed me her beautiful garden (it was in great shape consider the hurricane damage) and then took us on a ride along the North Shore (where all the wonderful beaches are located).

 

The Trunk Bay overlook is still beautiful and the beach looked lovely. When we got to Cinnamon(the next bay after Trunk), the devastation hits you like a lead balloon. We parked and walked to the beach. The renovations that had been completed here in the last two years were no in shambles. The campsites were destroyed and trees were uprooted and on top of buildings. The building on the beach that had housed the Cinnamon Bay Museum was gone with the exception of one wall and three windows with wooden shutters. It’s difficult not to get emotional when you see this type of destruction. The beach looked pretty good and as long as you looked north, the devastation wasn’t as visible.

 

This was as far as we journeyed on our drive. After seeing Cinnamon, I knew I didn’t want to go further to my favorite beach in the world, Maho. I’ve seen photos and it’s heartbreaking. Wasn’t ready to see it destroyed.

 

Back at Mongoose Junction, we enjoyed a quick lunch at North Shore Deli (www.northshoredelistjohn.com). The sandwiches here are delicious, making it a great, quick stop to pick up a lunch to take to the beach. From there we hopped on the 2:00 PM ferry (we could have probably taken the 3:00 PM ferry but we didn’t want to miss the ship). We grabbed a regular taxi back to Crown Bay and were on board just after 3:00 PM. I was saddened to learn (but happy for those on the island) that Kenny Chesney showed up that evening for an Open Mic concert (these happy frequently on the island) and sang with our favorite island singer, Lauren Jones Magnie! They sang together in the exact same area at Mongoose Junction where we were a few hours earlier. It’s great that someone like Kenny Chesney cares enough about our Virgin Islands to truly make a difference in their recovery! Here's their performance outside Sun Dog Cafe

 

CHEF’S TABLE

Back on board the ship, we did something very special for dinner. We decided to try the Chef’s Table. Because we chose to go with Celebrity’s GO BEST promotion, we weren’t incurring any on board charges so this special treat seemed like a good idea. No question– it’s expensive at $279 per couple! But it was one of those evenings that we’ll remember for a very long time.

 

Limited to ten guests (there were only five with our group),we started in Cellar Masters where we were joined by the Maître ‘d from Murano along with the ship’s pastry chef (everyone loves the pastry chef!). After enjoying a glass of champagne while getting an overview of the evening, we were escorted through the main dining room and into the kitchen for the main dining room. Sure, we’ve been in the galley before, but this was different. It was the middle of first seating so we actually watched as chef’s prepared the evening meals and wait staff came and went with trays filled with food. It’s a totally different perspective to witness the galley in full operation. As we walked through, the pastry chef explained what was being prepared at each station. I was impressed to see that there was a completely separate prep area where they prepared special meals for people with food allergies (our daughter and son-in-law both battle them).

 

I was intrigued watching the chefs make the croissants from scratch and roll each of them by hand. We saw breads and desserts come out of ovens. Everything here is made from scratch (no wonder the break on Celebrity has always been great!).

 

From here we went up to the galley for Murano where our evening dinner would be prepared. A much smaller galley, of course, we saw the beautiful plates for our appetizers being created. We were then escorted into the wine room inside Murano where we were joined by two officers – the environmental officer for the ship and the health & safety officer. They made for interesting and delightful conversation throughout the evening, while Murano’s chef prepared masterful dishes (works of art, actually) for us, describing each course. A selection of fine wines was matched with each course and our sommelier, Zoran, did an outstanding job describing each wine. The meal consisted of a bacon wrapped scallop appetizer; a quail and goat cheese salad; a venison filet and lobster duo and a jalapeno chocolate mousse with a candied strawberry. I will post a link to photos once I have a chance to review and post them.

 

Needless to say, we were stuffed by the time we left. But what a lovely experience! Next up, St. Maarten!

Edited March 3, 2018 by Host Anne

[TommyD3]

It was the second elegant chic night tonight. The beef wellington was 1/2 the size they were on the Summit last week and on the Eclipse in late January / early February. Lobster was the same size but had lots of shell pieces remaing.

[Tiggertastic]

Really enjoying your review

 

 

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[Covepointcruiser]

There are two dessert shuffles on the dessert menu. I had both last week. Not at the same meal. They are the Grand Mariner Souffle and the Chocolate Souffle. Both are outstanding. Comes with white coffee ice cream on the side.

 

Murano is outstanding on the Silhouette.

What is “white” coffee, I have never heard of it?

[Algebralovr]

The string duo is good. They've been playing every afternoon in the Cafe Al Bacio. I believe I've also seen them in the Ensemble Lounge in the evening.

 

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[Algebralovr]

It was the second elegant chic night tonight. The beef wellington was 1/2 the size they were on the Summit last week and on the Eclipse in late January / early February. Lobster was the same size but had lots of shell pieces remaing.

We've had large portions of everything for the last two weeks. We skipped dinner this evening in the MDR in favor of the Lawn Club Grill, but in December found that the beef Wellington was a sizable serving.

 

You can always ask for a second serving if you didn't have enough!

 

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[CHEZMARYLOU]

Anyone else see the whales off the port side early this evening? Many spouts and 2 tails. First time for us in the Caribbean.

[TommyD3]

We've had large portions of everything for the last two weeks. We skipped dinner this evening in the MDR in favor of the Lawn Club Grill, but in December found that the beef Wellington was a sizable serving.

 

You can always ask for a second serving if you didn't have enough!

 

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I ended up with three. Each one was four bites!

[Algebralovr]

Anyone else see the whales off the port side early this evening? Many spouts and 2 tails. First time for us in the Caribbean.

I missed those, but got an awesome photo of the moon and clouds!

 

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[Cruise a holic]

I'll do my best to provide regular feedback this week during our Silhouette cruise to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

 

Got to the ship and left luggage with the porters about 10:30 AM. Check in was very quick and easy. Imagine my surprise when we were then told we could board the ship. By 10:52, we were on-board and being offered welcome drinks.

In all our Celebrity cruises, we have never been on a ship prior to 11:00 AM. Its very nice to get on early, finalize our specialty dining dinner reservations and relax with a glass of prosecco!

 

I'd say this cruise is off to a great start! THANKS, Celebrity!

 

We will be on the Silhouette on March 18, 2018 One of our favorite ships. Following your thread. Thanks

[Cruise a holic]

Had dinner at the Lawn Club last night. Our experience was the opposite of some recent reviews. Fillet was cooked perficately with a good baked potato. I have a picture but can't post it here. Flat bread, salad and service were all fine. We didn't order it but agree the mac and cheese is not worth it. Going back tomorrow.

The Lawn Grill is definitely our favorite restaurant on the Silly and Reflection. We like Qsine and Murano- but not so much Tuscan. IMO food like the olive garden-

[Host Anne]

DAY 5 - ST. MAARTEN

We were anxious to visit St. Maarten (a frequent stop on our Caribbean cruises over the years) because we also have friends we’ve gotten to know over the years here. Our plan here was to visit with them and see how the island was doing. We hadn’t planned to leave the downtown Phillipsburg area.

 

Upon arrival, just like St. Thomas, we were greeting with a beautiful double rainbow off of our Sunset veranda. It was a great way to start the day. We walked into town (about a 15 minute walk)and immediately noticed the damage from Hurricane Irma. There were an abundance of boats, water taxis, etc. that had been destroyed sitting to the left of the walkway as you headed towards town. The hillside had trees torn from the ground. As we made it to town, you can see upper stories of building had been blown away. Fortunately, many of the store fronts along Boardwalk were open and operating.

 

We turned right and headed to Front Street and went straight to Gulmohars (www.gulmoharsxm.com) to see our friends who own this store. We’ve been purchasing liquor and other items from them for years. First, they have great prices; second, they have a wide variety of items we can’t get back home; third, they are very knowledgeable about the products they sell and fourth (and most importantly),they are genuinely great, caring people. It was so good to walk in and see all of them in the store. They are located in the middle of a block, so they had some protection on both sides by other buildings. They had no damage inside the store whatsoever. They said the biggest issue in town after the storm passed was looting. They had boarded the inside and outside of the store and didn’t have any issues,fortunately. But the island is definitely struggling with the devastation. The French side of the island was particularly hit hard we were told and there was much damage and loss in that area. Ships and visitors are returning so the merchants are slowly beginning to recover in Phillipsburg.

 

From Gulmohars we walked to the other end of Front Street to visit Joe’s Jewelry (www.joesjewelry.com). Both our daughter and son-in-law and my husband and I have made purchases here over the years. They have several locations along Front street. We visit the one on the end of Front Street (to the right if you are facing Front Street from the beach). We wanted to stop by and visit with Chirag as he has been so very kind to our family over the years when purchasing watches. He recognized us immediately and asked why our daughter and son-in-law weren’t with us. Their store, too, was in good shape. But he explained that his parents own a clothing store in Marigot on the French side of the island and it was badly damage. Additionally, not many people are visiting Marigot at this time because of the damage. Both make the recovery very slow and difficult. It was very nice to see that they were doing OK.

 

We wanted to have lunch in Phillipsburg to support local businesses,so we asked Vinita for a recommendation of a local restaurant. She sent us to the Lazy Lizard on the Boardwalk with a view of the beach and ships. She told us Nick and Karishma were owners, served local Caribbean food that was delicious. Vinita has never steered us wrong on previous recommendations and the Lazy Lizard was another hit (http://www.lazylizardsxm.com). It’s a small place with a nice bar. We grabbed two bar seats next to other cruise passengers who told us they’ve been coming here for years and the food is always good. My husband had the Jerk Chicken Philly and I had a burger (I was looking for a good burger). Both were outstanding. The fries and onion rings that accompanied our meals were great, too. One of the standouts,though, was Nick’s homemade banana rum! WOW, was it good. He said he was out of it and didn’t have any more to sell, but he thought Gulmohars did so after lunch, it was back to see Vinita and purchase a bottle of Nick’s rum. She had it but didn’t want us to pay for it. I said, “then tell me a local charity I can donate to.” She suggested one of the churches along Front Street, so we stopped on our way back to the ship and made a donation. Now we’ll think of St. Maarten and both Vinita and Nick whenever we drink the banana rum.

 

We walked back to the ship as well and noticed the very long line of stopped cars as much of the road is down to one lane for construction. I think it was faster to walk than to take a taxi today. If you don’t want to walk, the water taxi may be a better use of time.

 

Regardless of what you do when visiting these Caribbean ports, get out and support the locals. Without us, it will be difficult for them to make a full recovery. We’ve enjoyed the Caribbean ports so much over the years that we want to see them all recover and do well again.

 

CAPTAIN’S CLUB OFFICERSPARTY

One thing I’ve noticed over the past few years is how visible the officers on board are. You see them everywhere. Tonight, the Captain’s Club hosted the Officers Party in Sky Lounge. Captain Peppas greeted everyone at the door along wit several other officers. Inside, many of the officers mingled with guests while drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served. It was nice to catch up with other Cruise Critic members we met at the Connections party, too. I’ve found this crew and the officers to be extremely friendly and helpful.

 

TUSCAN

Tonight, it was Tuscan Grille for us. I don’t remember if I mentioned we pre-purchased the five night specialty dining package because we received a $150 per person on-board credit with the GO BEST package. We’ve always liked Tuscan and tonight was even more special because it was a full moon and our window table had a spectacular view of the moon illuminating the water. In addition to the beautiful evening outside, our meal was terrific!!!

 

I started with the meatball appetizer and my husband had the calamari. My meatballs were great; the calamari was fine. Entrees were very good…I chose the chicken Parmesan and my husband had a filet that he said was great. We skipped dessert because this was a filling meal. Overall, Tuscan is still one of my favorite specialty restaurants.

[Host Anne]

DAY 6 – AT SEA

It was a beautiful day at sea on Friday. Pretty smooth sailing (this cruise has been mostly smooth seas). We started with breakfast in the Oceanview. I made my own type of eggs benefit with a slice of honey ham from the carving station,pleased on top of one the soft rolls from the bread station, followed by a poached egg and hollandaise sauce from the “benedict station.” It was outstanding! My husband usually gets granola and a hard-boiled egg. It’s tough for those not to be good! It was never a problem getting a seat at the outdoor aft area of Oceanview. Tables were quickly cleaned and bar servers were walking around with coffee trays offering coffee, bottled water. The would also offer to go to the bar for fresh squeezed juice for you as well.

 

Overall, I think the Oceanview is as good as any buffet on any cruise line. There are always some improvements that can be made -- such as putting things in a logical order at the waffle station. Some toppings are at one end of the station (like butter) while others (like the syrup) are at the opposite end so you constantly have people needing to go back and forth and cut in to get what they need. If all these things were placed at the end of the line, this could be avoided.

 

We have been “pool sitters” for quite some time. But it does seem that chair hogs are out in full force on this cruise. We typically, sit on our balcony and read; grab a coffee in Al Bacio (a very well-run part of the ship); play trivia now and then; and partake in Captain’s Club activities when we can. But I’ll never understand the need to place a towel on a chair with a book and leave it there for hours when you have no intention of using the chair. We stood by the pool around 10:30 today and nearly every chair had towels and something on them (except people). There were only 2 people in the pool. So where was everyone else? If everyone actually vacated the chairs when they really weren’t planning on sitting in them (I’m not talking about running to the Mast Grill for lunch or taking a swim), this problem wouldn’t exist. It would be nice if people were a bit more considerate of their fellow passengers sometimes.

 

SUSHI ON FIVE

Guests we shared the Chef’s Table with were saying that Sushi on Five was really good so we gave it a try for lunch. I’m not a sushi fan but my husband enjoys it. There were plenty of other things on the menu that I did like so this seemed like a good lunch choice.

 

I ordered two appetizers (the chicken ginger dumplings (6 of them) and the shrimp and lobster wontons (3 of them) along with an order of tuna nigiri (a slice of raw tuna over rice – I do love raw tuna). Everything I had was delicious. My husband ordered two rolls – spicy tuna and a tuna and tempura shrimp. He enjoyed both of those as well. Note that the rolls come with eight pieces (a bit larger than your average roll). We tried the green tea tiramisu for dessert. While it looks more like wasabi, it tasted like mousse…and a darned good one at that.

 

Items here are priced individually. I believe my appetizers would have been $7 or$8 and the nigiri was $4 (for two pieces). The rolls were around $11. We didn’t try any of the regular entrees which were priced slightly higher. But we decided to use one of our special dining credits here, so we didn’t actually incur a cost. It was a very nice experience and one we’d choose to do again on a future cruise.

 

TRIVIA

We typically play trivia several times while on a cruise. This cruise had them consistently at 10:15 AM (general trivia); 3:00 PM (music trivia) and 3:30 PM(general trivia). This afternoon was TV themes for music trivia. I was disappointed that I missed the last answer to ruin our perfect score. But it was a lot of fun.

 

CHIC NIGHT 2

I wouldn’t say there is anything special about “Chic” nights any longer. You’ll see a few people dressed up but most aren’t dressed any differently than any other evening. I saw one person in a tux and one person in a kilt. T-shirts and jeans were also common. We still dress up a bit (we don’t have to for work so we don’t mind to do so on a cruise) and it’s still a very nice evening but not all that different from other nights.

 

LIFE

Before dinner we went to the production show called “LIFE”in the main theater. It was fine. Some of the singers were very good although at times the sound was too loud for the voices. There were some very good dancers and acrobats that were part of the show. Again, I like that the orchestra has grown a bit from recent years and they sounded great.

 

MAIN DINING ROOM

Since we used a specialty dining credit for lunch, it enabled up to enjoy dinner in the main dining room. It was a traditional “formal” night menu. Duck a l’orange; lobster tail;beef wellington; and rack of lamb were all on the menu. I started with the every-night French Onion soup (it was outstanding this week) and then the beef wellington. It wasn’t the largest piece of beef wellington I’ve ever had but it was plenty for me. It was cooked perfectly, and it was delicious. I’m sure they would have provided another slice if I wanted more. My husband’s lamb was a bit overcooked but he said it was still good. There must have been a challenge for our waiters (who were very good, by the way) as service was extremely slow this evening. We arrived on time at 8:30 PM to the dining room yet all the tables around us were finishing dessert when we were being served entrees. At 10:05 PM,we hadn’t been offered dessert menus yet and we were tired, so we headed out. For the few nights we ate in the dining room, the food was very good. Our wine sommelier was excellent as well. Once we ordered wine and she knew we were on the package, we never had to ask for another glass of wine with dinner. She auto-refilled if the glass was low or empty.

 

ENSEMBLE NIGHT CAP

We stopped in Ensemble Lounge (our favorite on the ship) for one last drink and to listen to music for a bit. Dallas Bridge is an acoustic duo that play inhere frequently. It’s a female vocalist/percussionist(think a soft Nora Jones) and a guitar player (he doesn’t sing). They were very good even though, at times,you struggled to hear her soft voice. They definitely put their own twist on music you are familiar with and it’s the perfect music for this lounge late at night. Dev, the bartender in Ensemble, does a great job as well. Friendly and attentive, we enjoyed our time chatting with him and enjoying the music.

[Host Anne]

Thanks Anne for all of the great information! My sister and I are on the March 25 sailing. A little worried because I’ll be in a cast and on a kneeling walker. Have you seen anyone onboard with one? Just wondering how much it will be a problem

 

I haven't seen any this cruise but I've seen them in the past. I think you'll be just fine. There are some folks using wheelchairs and they are getting around well. I find most passengers are quick to hold doors, etc. to help folks in casts, etc. Hopefully it will be a relaxing cruise for you and help your healing process.

[maxobb]

Thanks again Anne. I’ve been following all of your posts and I’m especially glad to see you enjoyed Tuscan Grille. It’s always been great when we’ve eaten there, but a lot of posts lately seem to really slam it. We have a 4 night packag and are looking forward to it.