Live Blog Splendor 2/25

[Hambagahle]

9 hours ago, Mudhen said:

Thank you! I'll have to look that one up....not familiar with it.

Same as capers - which are usually small.  There are larger varieties...

[kjbacon]

Capers are the buds of the plant and the caper berries are the fruit ... both are delicious and make any dish better.

 

Your pictures have been great, thank you!
 

Are there any changes on your sailing because of the current situation? For example, are the buffets still self serve and are the sanitation stations being more strictly enforced going into the restaurants?

 

 

[crusin7]

1 hour ago, kjbacon said:

 

 

Are there any changes on your sailing because of the current situation? For example, are the buffets still self serve and are the sanitation stations being more strictly enforced going into the restaurants?

 

The Buffets are still self serve.  Hand sanitizers are being used by almost everyone entering and leaving a venue.  It is required when we return to the ship.  

 

I had to add the picture of our fabulous Sea Bass

 

 

 

Chocolate Soufflé...no sauce Whipped Cream on the side

 

 

 

 

[kjbacon]

Now that’s a gorgeous plate of food ... two of them actually!

[JVNYC]

Beautiful sea bass....it truly looks exactly like the Miso Sea Bass at Red Ginger on Oceania's Riviera and Marina.  I'm beginning to think Regent and Oceania serve the same food.....from the recent photos I've seen especially at the buffet. 

 

[Hambagahle]

I have noticed the same thing.  And I think it goes back to the days when Frank del Rio took over both brands.  Sunday "gala" buffet in the CR looks like the twin of the same in the MDR.  Sea bass at Red Ginger - just like Pacific Rim.   Great thing about Regent though is the wines/drinks etc are all included...  and that Chili Margarita shown a bit earlier looks divine.

[JVNYC]

5 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

I have noticed the same thing.  And I think it goes back to the days when Frank del Rio took over both brands.  Sunday "gala" buffet in the CR looks like the twin of the same in the MDR.  Sea bass at Red Ginger - just like Pacific Rim.   Great thing about Regent though is the wines/drinks etc are all included...  and that Chili Margarita shown a bit earlier looks divine.

 

I'm glad it's not just me noticing this!  I was amazed at the desserts photos from La Veranda on Explorer and Splendor and how I remember eating the exact same things on Oceania Riviera.  I'm totally fine that they serve the same food (maybe dress it up a bit more on Regent). 

 

[ronrick1943]

I have to say the sea bass really looks nice, and happy that you pointed out about the hand washing.  Thanks so much for the post and taking the time to do it.

[Travelcat2]

5 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I have noticed the same thing.  And I think it goes back to the days when Frank del Rio took over both brands.  Sunday "gala" buffet in the CR looks like the twin of the same in the MDR.  Sea bass at Red Ginger - just like Pacific Rim.   Great thing about Regent though is the wines/drinks etc are all included...  and that Chili Margarita shown a bit earlier looks divine.

 

Pacific Rim in Pacific Rim is black cod rather than sea bass.  I love it.  BTW, I read on CC a while ago that Regent actually was the first to serve Miso glazed sea bass - not Oceania.   It remains a puzzle to me as to how some things can look the same on both cruise lines but taste so different.

[Hambagahle]

16 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Pacific Rim in Pacific Rim is black cod rather than sea bass.  I love it.  BTW, I read on CC a while ago that Regent actually was the first to serve Miso glazed sea bass - not Oceania.   It remains a puzzle to me as to how some things can look the same on both cruise lines but taste so different.

I am not a historian!  And not really a fish lover so couldn't tell the difference between black (or white) cod and sea bass.  But I do know that on our first Oceania cruise which was in 2013 we had Miso glazed sea bass in Red Ginger.   I do not think that Regent had an Asian fusion restaurant then and certainly the CR wasn't serving it...  Personally I don't like it much.   By our second Oceania cruise we stopped ordering it.  On the other hand I am really looking forward to having the lobster tempura in PR on 14 March!!!

[Travelcat2]

9 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

I am not a historian!  And not really a fish lover so couldn't tell the difference between black (or white) cod and sea bass.  But I do know that on our first Oceania cruise which was in 2013 we had Miso glazed sea bass in Red Ginger.   I do not think that Regent had an Asian fusion restaurant then and certainly the CR wasn't serving it...  Personally I don't like it much.   By our second Oceania cruise we stopped ordering it.  On the other hand I am really looking forward to having the lobster tempura in PR on 14 March!!!

 

Not sure when it changed, but for a long time Latitudes (an Asian fusion restaurant) was on Regent.  Someone on this thread likely will remember when it closed and became Prime 7.  I would guess that it was 10 years ago.  We still miss that dining venue which, in our opinion, was better than Prime 7 or Pacific Rim.  In my opinion, the cod in PR is better than the sea bass in CR but, as we all know, food is subjective).  

[ronrick1943]

I think food on any of the Regent ship is all about the chef, we've had some of the worse food in "SM" (Italian)--the chef was German, why?????????

[Kwaj girl]

23 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

I think food on any of the Regent ship is all about the chef, we've had some of the worse food in "SM" (Italian)--the chef was German, why?????????

 

That comment is a bit absurd.  Our current Executive Chef ( Michael Meyepa) onboard Splendor is from South Africa.  Classically trained chefs can prepare multiple cuisines, not just those of their home country.

[ronrick1943]

25 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

That comment is a bit absurd.  Our current Executive Chef ( Michael Meyepa) onboard Splendor is from South Africa.  Classically trained chefs can prepare multiple cuisines, not just those of their home country.

One would think that would be the case, but it wasn't on the Mariner and it wasn't just me that talked about how bad it was.  And not all classically trained chefs are good, just like all accountants aren't good and so on.  

[Brownie54]

Michael was our chef on the Navigator World Cruise in 2017 and he was fantastic!

 We can only hope he will be on board Splendor when we board on April 1 until Venice. At this point, we hope we will be able to cruise that far!

[Hambagahle]

The best Exec. Chef I have ever met on Regent was Quin McMahon - and he was an Ozzie!!

 

Jackie - I remember Latitudes so well.  In fact the last Cordon Bleu course I took on Regent was held in Latitudes kitchen.  I actually didn't like Latitudes all that much - but they did make some great satay and as you know I have a part-Indonesian family...  I looked in my photo albums to see when that course was and it was Rome/Ft Lauderdale in 2006.   Then in May 2009 we did a TA on Navigator and la Veranda had just been "gutted" to make room for a tiny Prime 7.  So P7 came in on the Mariner and Voyager sometime between 2007-2008.   Navigator followed on because the transition on the other two ships just meant re-naming Latitudes.  Navigator didn't have Latitudes.

 

RonRick - I have never had a good main course (one that I would think was Italian) in Sette Mari.  Great appetisers though.  I am going to give it another go on this coming cruise.  We are so used to northern Italian cuisine here in southern Switzerland and so make comparisons!

[kjbacon]

3 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

The best Exec. Chef I have ever met on Regent was Quin McMahon - and he was an Ozzie!!

 

Jackie - I remember Latitudes so well.  In fact the last Cordon Bleu course I took on Regent was held in Latitudes kitchen.  I actually didn't like Latitudes all that much - but they did make some great satay and as you know I have a part-Indonesian family...  I looked in my photo albums to see when that course was and it was Rome/Ft Lauderdale in 2006.   Then in May 2009 we did a TA on Navigator and la Veranda had just been "gutted" to make room for a tiny Prime 7.  So P7 came in on the Mariner and Voyager sometime between 2007-2008.   Navigator followed on because the transition on the other two ships just meant re-naming Latitudes.  Navigator didn't have Latitudes.

 

RonRick - I have never had a good main course (one that I would think was Italian) in Sette Mari.  Great appetisers though.  I am going to give it another go on this coming cruise.  We are so used to northern Italian cuisine here in southern Switzerland and so make comparisons!

Given your proximity to northern Italy, I get it that Sette Mari may not be as good to you as it is to me! When we were in Italy last year (our first visit), we were blown away by the food. Awesome!

 

We love Sette Mari for many reasons including the romantic al fresco dining and a great Maitre D in Filippo. Here’s a suggestion for you to consider ... we found the homemade pasta to be one of their strongest dishes and looked forward to the daily pasta specials. You can order the pasta as your main course. Appetizers, salad, pasta, and wine made for our favorite dining experience on the ship. They have a bold delicious red wine that we particularly enjoyed; a super Tuscan I believe. I am still struggling to take those pounds off! 

[crusin7]

Yesterday we were in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.  We did a 5 hour excursion, Eco Mangrove boat ride.  There was promises of animal and bird sightings.  Did they deliver??  Yes!  We saw many Heron, great blue and  green. Red macaws made us crane our necks skyward.  We saw a lazy raccoon sleeping in a tree.  We saw a crocodile swimming ahead of our boat but he quickly ducked under water.  We were happy to spot a Cayman who posed for a few pictures.  Cynthia was our excellent guide. My only complaint would be the long drive times.  

We also stopped at a souvenir shop where we had fruit and local coffee and beer.  It all tasted good.  Realize that we had skipped our noon feeding!  In fact I last ate at 7:00 and  it is now 3:00!  The Horror. 

Pictures won’t download.  I’ll try later.  One food pic only.

 

 

Pasta Michelangelo...Creamy Bolognese with mushrooms   

 

[jimbri]

Photos are great!

[Hambagahle]

2 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Given your proximity to northern Italy, I get it that Sette Mari may not be as good to you as it is to me! When we were in Italy last year (our first visit), we were blown away by the food. Awesome!

 

We love Sette Mari for many reasons including the romantic al fresco dining and a great Maitre D in Filippo. Here’s a suggestion for you to consider ... we found the homemade pasta to be one of their strongest dishes and looked forward to the daily pasta specials. You can order the pasta as your main course. Appetizers, salad, pasta, and wine made for our favorite dining experience on the ship. They have a bold delicious red wine that we particularly enjoyed; a super Tuscan I believe. I am still struggling to take those pounds off! 

Wonderful advice and I thank you.   Yes, the al fresco dining appeals a lot.  And I remember loving the antipasti.  I shall be more than happy to "settle" for the pasta as a main course too.   When we eat there I shall raise a glass to you - grazie mille, molto gentile!!

Gerry

[crusin7]

Lazy Raccoon...we were hoping for a Sloth

 

 

Cayman

 

[crusin7]

Good Morning Nicaragua!  We are to arrive at 10:00 and it is supposed to be 98°! Yikes too hot for us.  We will stay onboard today.  Our tour was not meeting until 1:15 pm.  

I went back to the Meridian Lounge last night  and swallowed one of their Primo Spicy Margaritas.  They are excellent!  I wish they were available ship wide.

 

 

 

[orvil]

If you are a fan of pasta, try the Pasta Bolognese in CR.  It's some of the best I've had.  I thought it was far superior to the offerings in SM. I fear Hambagahle is going to be disappointed.  You live too close to the real thing.

[Hambagahle]

I do - live close to Italy.  45mns in the car and I am in the Val d'Aoste.  Right now, even though there is no Corona virus there (yet) Italy is not on my programme!  The SBB come tomorrow to collect our suitcases and we leave here on Friday morning for Zürich airport.  We fly to SFO on Saturday.  Finally on the way to meet the Splendor...

[pingpong1]

19 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

The SBB come tomorrow to collect our suitcases and we leave here on Friday morning for Zürich airport.  We fly to SFO on Saturday.  Finally on the way to meet the Splendor...

Hope you have a great trip, Gerry.  I'm very much looking forward to your always helpful, honest, and objective posts.  I'll especially be interested in reading your impressions of Splendor (along with comparisons to Explorer).  Best Regards and Safe Travels.