Jim_Iain – Silhouette Live Post April 8, 21, 30 - B3B - TransAtlantic, Portugal Spain, France and the Norwegian Fjords

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I had the Dover Sole twice on Silhouette. The first time it was delicious and a nice size. The 2nd time it was a lot bigger and very fishy tasting.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

10 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

70 knot winds is very close to hurricane force. I am surprised the cruise line sailed in that kind of weather as it's very dangerous. With that amount of wind, it's not safe to move around the boat at all. Outside should have been locked down & everything strapped down. We would have never considered sailing in those conditions- it puts the ship & passengers at risk.

l’ve been in 8-9 meter seas where the soup wouldn’t stay in the bowl while just sitting on the table!  I don’t recall the winds but you know things aren’t good when the table in the room turns over and there are barf bags everywhere!   We were in the North Atlantic where some of this is more common, on an R class ship.  
 

I remember straight winds in a wilderness area where canoes were wrapped in trees.  They had no real warnings other than being able to read the skies!  No idea why some didn’t lash down their canoes other than they may have lashed down their shelter instead.

 

Last time we did Bermuda we left early trying to outrun the worst of a storm.  When we got to NJ the overhead signs all said that hazardous weather was expected and to plan accordingly!  
 

 

 

[Barwick Cruiser]

On 4/3/2022 at 6:45 PM, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

I’m late to the party but happy to be here!  Love reading your blogs.  Thank you for doing it!  I’ll look forward to reading tin for the next few weeks.

 

You seem fully loaded in reading material but I will keep a log again if anyone needs new reading suggestions. 
 

For those who are wondering, on a previous blog Jim was looking for new reading inspirations, and I kept track and posted suggestions periodically.  It was great...I started reading Harlan Coben as a result, and am reading one of his many books right now.

 

Joanie

Hi Joanie, don’t want to take Jim’s wonderful review off track but do you have a link to the list of books from the previous blog? Thought I’d copied it but now can’t find it and I’m in desperate need of some new material! Thank you!

Cathy

[BEAV]

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

 

 

My absolute all-time favorite dessert. 👍

[BEAV]

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Today's Lunch - not much appealed to us so ordered off MDR.  

 

I beg to differ...

 

I would’ve been all over that Hamachi Tartare and Wild Mushroom Parpadelle.

 

Sure beats my watercress sandwich, hold the bread and watercress. 
 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by BEAV

[jules27556]

15 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Bermuda -

 

It was a really windy day in Bermuda.    They had two tugs holding us safely to the port all day long.    We did our walking and then went ashore after a quick lunch. 

 

For lunch we went to the Spa Cafe -   I had a Caprese Salad and a small fruit salad and Iain had the a Salmon Scoop with his Caprese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went ashore for about an hour and picked up a couple T-Shirts and golf hats. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Broadway musical "The Most Happy Fella" comes immediately to mind!! Great photos!

[Jim_Iain]

14 hours ago, kasijab said:

If you are refusing the tote bags I will happily take a couple off your hands 🙂 

 

 

Let me know you room number and I will drop it of at your door while on my walk. 

[Jim_Iain]

Lost the Internet last evening around 5:30 and was still out when we retired last night.  Even before that the live TV on the ship was wonky.    This morning it is back up but really slow loading Cruise Critic.   

 

For you techies it was kinda a weird outage last night.    From the ping command I could ping Google and Intel with 20-50% packet loss but no email or web access.   I was expecting to not be able to ping.

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, giggleshanks said:

 

While I'm on the wrong thread........ are y'all wearing masks in public areas onboard? I packed several masks, just in case.

 

The crew all wear KN-95 masks and are really careful not to allow their masks to slip below their nose.    There have been so many break through cases they are very careful as they don't want to loose income by being placed in isolation.

 

Being on a B3B we are wearing masks anytime outside our cabin except when eating and drinking.   Noticed that maybe 3-5% of PAX are wearing masks but I notice more have them and put them on when in close contact. 

 

Not official but I believe a PAX tested positive but so far there has been no announcements  of cases.  I noticed a nurse in garb standing in a doorway doing a nasal swab of the passenger.   It is also possible they tested negative.  

[Jim_Iain]

Dinner 5

 

 

Really quiet last evening.    The staff said it was busy at 5:30 and then calmed down .

 

Amuse Bouche

 

Mini Caprese

 

 

For Starters I had the Pear and Anjou Pear (MDR) and Iain had the Smoked Potato Soup

 

 

For our Main Course Iain had Iain had the Chicken Roulade (MDR) and I had the Scallops.   I was in the mood for a light meal and only ate the Scallops (not a fan of Pork Belly).   Our waiter was concerned and brought another plate of 10 scallops -  we both ate a couple more.   

 

 

 

For desert we both had the Banana Foster  (MDR)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[kasijab]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

Let me know you room number and I will drop it of at your door while on my walk. 

thank you ... much appreciated, but I am not onboard yet. Will be in 9259 from 21st hopefully 🙂 Hope the seas have settled down a bit for you now, safe journey x

[chemmo]

Is it just me or does the MDR menu look much more varied and appetising than the Luminae…? 

 

Also the Luminae descriptions…’chicken liver custard’ …
 

We rarely dine in Luminae now as our room usually comes with unlimited speciality dining, I had forgotten a lot of the menus.

[Jim_Iain]

23 hours ago, kasijab said:

If you are refusing the tote bags I will happily take a couple off your hands 🙂 

Let me know your room number I leave it at your door on my walk.  

[Jim_Iain]

Yea I ran out of time.   Here’s main courses. Upload keep failing. 
 

 

 

 

We ate the Banana Foster before I took a pic

[Bo1953]

21 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Let me know your room number I leave it at your door on my walk.  

Will you take a walk to the Greater Philly area to drop off a few totes and PJ's??? LOL

 

🤣

 

bon voyage

[Jim_Iain]

Just now, chemmo said:

Is it just me or does the MDR menu look much more varied and appetising than the Luminae…? 

 

Also the Luminae descriptions…’chicken liver custard’ …
 

We rarely dine in Luminae now as our room usually comes with unlimited speciality dining, I had forgotten a lot of the menus.

Not you.   I've always surprised at how limited the Luminae Menu.   That's the main reason we often order off the MDR and Children's menu.   Of all the restaurants on board Blue has the most choices.  

 

On the E Class ship it can be challenging when you don't have the MDR available. 

 

While we have unlimited dining we have only been to Murano once so far.  For us Petite Chef is a one and done so don't bother.    We have had mixed experiences at Tuscan so a bit apprehensive but will probably give it a try.   

 

With the temperatures and winds Lawn Club is not much of an option. 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Captain Georges morning briefing

 

1200 miles to Azores.    Winds at   25-35 MPH  Seas 15-20 Feet.    Waves and Winds to remain the same for tomorrow but temperatures will be dropping for about 18C to 16C.

 

Here's the Wind and Swell map from Windy

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Breakfast Door Hanger

 

 

 

 

[Schmoe38]

3 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Not you.   I've always surprised at how limited the Luminae Menu.   That's the main reason we often order off the MDR and Children's menu.   Of all the restaurants on board Blue has the most choices.  

 

On the E Class ship it can be challenging when you don't have the MDR available. 

 

While we have unlimited dining we have only been to Murano once so far.  For us Petite Chef is a one and done so don't bother.    We have had mixed experiences at Tuscan so a bit apprehensive but will probably give it a try.   

 

With the temperatures and winds Lawn Club is not much of an option. 

 

 

Jim

 

We too, were a little apprehensive about Tuscan after some mediocre meals just before 2020, but no more.

 

We had memorable evenings in November 2021 on Constellation and more recently on Silhouette in March of this year. Traditionally, I had always ordered the Rib Eye and it became a hit or miss entree. I moved more to the pasta entrees and, for us, that was certainly a differentiator. Service was great on both ships.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Randy

[gordylad]

cant say we have had a bad meal at Tuscan, maybe because I either go for the steak and/or lobster pasta...

[Jim_Iain]

Internet has been down between 9:30 to 11

 

sun is out and nice with calm seas and light breeze.  So much for the briefing. 

[Jim_Iain]

[Jim_Iain]

The Patio

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

 

 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

12 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Hi Joanie, don’t want to take Jim’s wonderful review off track but do you have a link to the list of books from the previous blog? Thought I’d copied it but now can’t find it and I’m in desperate need of some new material! Thank you!

Cathy

Cathy, glad to!  I commiserate with you with nothing new to read.  I get all kinds of fussed.  I’m happiest with a series, especially one that has about 95 books in it!  Actually haven’t found that yet but it is my dream.  
Here’s the list.  For those wondering about this, on a previous cruise Jim asked for book suggestions and I volunteered to keep track of it and post them periodically.  

 

Georges Simenon Series 

Gideon Oliver -Aaron  Elkins  series 

Louise Penny’s Gamache series.

Dorothy L. Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey series

Any books by Josephine Tey

Barbara Hambly - Benjamin January series, if you like historical mysteries!

JD Robb books and Robert B Parker

The Scarapetta series by Patricia Cornwell 

MC Beaton books

Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley Series. 

Donna Leon’s Brunetti series. 

Any books by Tana French

Any books by P. D. James.  

Greg Isles, a writer from Natchez, MS.

Snowblind” by Ragnar Jonasson.  (Book 1 of 6 - DarkIceland)

Cork O’Connor series by William Kent Krueger.  Also non-series books.

Brad Thor

JK Rowling (author of Harry Potter series), writing under the name Robert Galbraith -- the Cormoran Strike series.

* Andrea Camilleri -- the Inspector Montalbano series.

* Helen Fields -- the Perfect series.

Karin Slaughter -- the Will Trent series

Daniel Silva - Gabriel Allon series

James Crumly —should be read in order

Winston Graham—Poldark series

Janet Evanovich—Stephanie Plum series.  Fox and Hare series.

Anything by Tim Dorsey or Carl Hiassen 

Old Archie comic books and Mad Magazine. 🙂

Ian Rankin’s Rebus series

Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks series

Nevada Barr’s National Parks series

Anything by Anne Cleeves

Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes - current times

Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry - Victorian era

Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters

Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City.  4 books.

The Longmire books by Craig Johnson.  Also suggest the fantastic series on Netflix.

David McCullough 'Path Between the Seas' (Panama Canal)

Caroline Graham Inspector Barnaby series

John Sandford , the Prey series and the Virgil Flowers series

Any books by Harlan Coben