Live From Whisper.......12/2

[Gourmet Gal]

13 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi, my lamb was totally undercooked. Medium is not raw. And the menu says Rack of Lamb and this was 1 lamb chop and that is not a rack. By the time the waiter brought it back cooked nearly correct, my table mates had finished their entrees.

 

I am glad Spins had a lovely dinner. That is how all the meals should be as well. I can't pretend this was for me but I am still having an overall lovely cruise!

Just wondering, were you expecting 8 lamb rib chops…an entire rack?  

[Host Jazzbeau]

11 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Just wondering, were you expecting 8 lamb rib chops…an entire rack?  

I would expect at least 3, even in a non-luxury cruise line MDR, if they call it Rack of Lamb

[Lois R]

Hi, no I was not expecting 8 chops. Maybe 3 or 4 or though. This was not a tasting menu. It was a single lamb chop that was undercooked.

[RetiredandTravel]

7 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi, no I was not expecting 8 chops. Maybe 3 or 4 or though. This was not a tasting menu. It was a single lamb chop that was undercooked.

 

 

Completely unacceptable.  Sorry it ruined your evening.  How has the food been since?

[Lois R]

40 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Completely unacceptable.  Sorry it ruined your evening.  How has the food been since?

Good morning, overall pretty good😀

[RetiredandTravel]

Good to hear.  I think we may have touched on this in the past but on a longer cruise (30+ days) do you prefer the smaller Whisper or the larger Muse (Moon).  We really like the smaller ship concept but tend to think the diversification of food on the Muse class is a large advantage on a longer cruise.

 

Hope you are enjoying your trip.

 

 

[Gourmet Gal]

10 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi, no I was not expecting 8 chops. Maybe 3 or 4 or though. This was not a tasting menu. It was a single lamb chop that was undercooked.

Then definitely baaad.  I know people usually really enjoy La Dame but I’ve never had a memorable meal there but will still try it my Moon cruise next year.  It looks like at least the ambiance has improved. 

[Lois R]

37 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Then definitely baaad.  I know people usually really enjoy La Dame but I’ve never had a memorable meal there but will still try it my Moon cruise next year.  It looks like at least the ambiance has improved. 

The ambiance is lovely😀

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, RetiredandTravel said:

Good to hear.  I think we may have touched on this in the past but on a longer cruise (30+ days) do you prefer the smaller Whisper or the larger Muse (Moon).  We really like the smaller ship concept but tend to think the diversification of food on the Muse class is a large advantage on a longer cruise.

 

Hope you are enjoying your trip.

 

 

Hi, I have never sailed on a 30 day cruise before. This 15 nighter is my longest actually. My favorite ships are Moon and Spirit😀 but I have been enjoying this one very much too.

Sitting at the pool waiting for the signal that we can have our cabins back. Should add around noon.

 

[RetiredandTravel]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Then definitely baaad.  I know people usually really enjoy La Dame but I’ve never had a memorable meal there but will still try it my Moon cruise next year.  It looks like at least the ambiance has improved. 

 

 

Have you (or Lois)  tried Kaiseki?  We aren't sushi fans.  Would it still be a restaurant we would enjoy?

 

[Lois R]

Hi, just had another Covid test held in the port of Barbados. Took the shuttle over and walked back to the ship. This leg is 293 pax.

To the restaurant question, I love Keiseki, but I am a sushi lover😀

[Daveywavey70]

4 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Have you (or Lois)  tried Kaiseki?  We aren't sushi fans.  Would it still be a restaurant we would enjoy?

 

Kaiseki at lunchtime is only sushi. Of an evening it’s more Teppanyaki style. The Omakase menu was incredible.

[Lois R]

Hi again, Davey is correct. Dinner is not sushi and I ate there once and it was very good. It is 40.00 for dinner but no charge for lunch. I had some excellent fish there for dinner.

[Gourmet Gal]

6 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Kaiseki at lunchtime is only sushi. Of an evening it’s more Teppanyaki style. The Omakase menu was incredible.

Surprised they don’t serve an actual Kaiseki dinner considering the name.  

[DCPIV]

There do seem to be some lamb chop issues aboard. Mine at La Terrazza came out overdone, and the second try was even worse. Lois was quite aware, as she was dining with me and DW.

 

The real problem is that those chops weren't even a half-inch thick. I don't know how you can cook anything that thin to a proper medium rare with also a proper sear. Many places (including the place that makes my favorite lamb chops in the world) cuts them thicker (two bones, rather than only one). That's the way to get a proper sear yet still cook to temperature. 

 

All that said, I take the same attitude as Lois. One subpar dish does not rain on my parade. Every other bite of food before or since those chops has been utterly delicious, and this cruise has been magnificent. 

 

On 12/8/2021 at 10:46 PM, Gourmet Gal said:

Just wondering, were you expecting 8 lamb rib chops…an entire rack?  

 

Frankly, yes. I would expect 8 bones, although I would not be disappointed if there were as few as 6, since I know that's considered a "rack of lamb" in some parts of the world. Anything less than that should be disclosed on the menu. 

 

I also would expect it to be cooked as an intact "rack" and sliced into chops only after its cooked. Otherwise, you're just making "lamb chops" rather than "rack of lamb."

 

But that's enough of flogging this dead ovine. It's a gorgeous day at the pool, and I need to attend to my Guinness before it gets too warm. 

[Gourmet Gal]

19 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

 

The real problem is that those chops weren't even a half-inch thick. I don't know how you can cook anything that thin to a proper medium rare with also a proper sear. Many places (including the place that makes my favorite lamb chops in the world) cuts them thicker (two bones, rather than only one). That's the way to get a proper sear yet still cook to temperature. 

 

Sous vide with a quick sear after is the solution here.

[Lois R]

Went on a tour in Bequia today. Excellent guide and nice folks in my group. It is my first time visiting here. Beautiful with lots of lush greenery.

Only issue was coming back on the tender ride. Took the driver 3 or 4 times to finally get the tender up to the ship. Quite an experience😲

[netpj]

Hi Lois.  We board Silver Whisper next Friday so are reading your comments with interest.  On Bequia, were the vehicles used for the tour the open back jeeps?  We used to spend winter on Bequia, fond memories.  Continue to enjoy!

[Daveywavey70]

20 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Surprised they don’t serve an actual Kaiseki dinner considering the name.  

It is sort of Kaiseki, Omakase and Teppanyaki all at the same time.
 

It is  Kaiseki as in its lots of small dishes, three different starters presented in a wonderful 3 tiered bowl, followed by 3 main courses, buttered lobster, miso black cod and then teriyaki wagyu fillet, followed by an amazing tempura ice cream.  So by definition it is lots of small dishes.

 

It is Omakase as it is more or less chefs choice.

 

It is also Teppanyaki as it is griddled in front of you.

 

The very best of 3 styles at once and if you are ever privileged enough to experience Joseph magically preparing your meal in front of your eyes then you are very lucky indeed. 
 

We adored Kaiseki and ate there 3 times on a 10 night cruise. We had previously loved Seishin on the Spirit but Kaiseki really was above and beyond.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Only issue was coming back on the tender ride. Took the driver 3 or 4 times to finally get the tender up to the ship. Quite an experience😲

 

I have had that experience before on a HAL cruise.  Whether the tender's helmsman was a newbie, I don't know.  But, the seas were "active" and it took several attempts--and bumps against the platform/hull"--for lines to be secured to the platform and the tender.  The Officer in charge on the tender platform was obviously distressed!  Just one more "travel adventure".  

[Daveywavey70]

On 12/10/2021 at 3:39 AM, Gourmet Gal said:

Surprised they don’t serve an actual Kaiseki dinner considering the name.  

Sorry I can’t paste directly to link on timeline but CC has gone funky on me again but forward to 3.25 for Kaseiki. 

 

[Lois R]

15 hours ago, netpj said:

Hi Lois.  We board Silver Whisper next Friday so are reading your comments with interest.  On Bequia, were the vehicles used for the tour the open back jeeps?  We used to spend winter on Bequia, fond memories.  Continue to enjoy!

Hi, yes, they were the open back jeeps.

[CruiserFromMaine]

We’re a little over halfway through our 15 day cruise on the Whisper. My wife and I have had a great time meeting @DCPIV and his wife and @Lois R. It’s nice to socialize on a cruise again!

 

The food onboard for us has been at least good, often very good and sometimes excellent. My wife (bravely) tried the lamb in La Terrazza last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, although they were thin lamb chops. It seems the issue is inconsistent preparation. Curiously, we embarked a new executive chef in Barbados, and the one disembarking there was only on from Fort Lauderdale. And he admitted in the cooking demonstration that he didn’t bring his own knives. I thought chefs packed their knives before they packed their pants! 
 

The standard wines are OK and their are options so we’ve been able t9 find one we like. The cocktails are quite good around the ship. 
 

The ship itself is in very good condition although one of the niches for art has been empty the entire cruise which seems an odd but admittedly minor oversight. 
 

Mask-wearing compliance is very high, practically universal. You can sit at the bars. Staff wear masks always. 
 

The pianists and trio are good, as is the DJ. The production shows are not good, and the Elvis show last night was dismal. We stayed till the end, hoping for improvement. The singers aren’t too bad but the production, light and sound needed lots of work. On the other hand, the deck party in San Juan was lots of fun with great music and dancing. 
 

The shore excursions have been quite good, with one exception being the lunch stop on Barbados. That was outside Silversea’s control and with out us even asking, we got a significant price refund. That indicates good communication about the issue amongst the staff. 
 

Overall, we’re having a great time! Any issues are pretty minor and perhaps stand out more because there are so few. 

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by CruiserFromMaine
Typo

[Lois R]

Hi to my new friends from Maine and Texas😀

[Lois R]

Good morning from St Lucia.😀

 

Had dinner at LaTarrazza last night and it was excellent😀 it was a veal dish with potatoes and sage. Really delicious.

And we had a deck party with music and dessert tables. Fun evening.😀