LIVE from Discovery: Feb 24 - Mar 2

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I didn't see the sun rise this a.m. but did see a beautiful sunset last night over Catalina Island. The white line was a huge contrail.

[mrmarklin]

It might be too early for this, but go to Joe Jacks in PV for lunch. Your group will easily handle the whole grilled fish. Highly recommended. 

[New2cruise2022]

@mrmarklin Thanks for the great suggestion! We are not excursion cruisers. Here for the ship and the experience in port. If there is something we do it is eat! 
 

Is it a specific fish or does it depend on the catch?

[drwbrt]

54 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

I didn't see the sun rise this a.m. but did see a beautiful sunset last night over Catalina Island. The white line was a huge contrail.

Excellent picture, thanks for sharing!

[New2cruise2022]

51 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

I didn't see the sun rise this a.m. but did see a beautiful sunset last night over Catalina Island. The white line was a huge contrail.

I missed it last night. This is great. Thanks for sharing! 🌅 

[drwbrt]

Menus are being added to the website. We’re building this cruise ship as she sails. Menus are PDF and searchable. 

[startedwithamouse]

8 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Bright and early. Then coffee. 

And juice bar! 

[mthomp5]

14 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Lunch in Skagway MDR: Day 1

 

I lived in Europe for a few years. The crisp and crunch was amazing. The inside was moist and cooked through. The flavor is very good. Also, 16 to 22 year old boys loved the wheat rolls too. Very interested to see if this product is consistent throughout the week. 

Yes, it is possible to screw up green salad. They did NOT. It was nice and the ranch was good. 
 

Yes, yes, yes. Temp was pretty good, still a bit above warm. Lightly battered and crisp, with an audible bite. Heinz ketchup vs a lesser generic.
 

Very nice flavor and the dill sauce was really good. There was a slight overcook on the salmon that impacted texture, not flavor. The dill sauce offered the slightly overcooked texture a little relief and made a nice meal. 

Really delicious. And moreover, Princess put the tender in tenderloin. Not unlike Elvis — I love me tender 🎵 

 

We get it, it’s a rough rating. And we wanted more for this dish. The sauce leans a little toward Chef Boyardee in taste. 🧑‍🍳 It was also cold, which didn’t help the flavor, like below room temp and straight from a can. The pasta was closer to al dente, which is a good thing, but the temp killed it too. Too cold to endorse. Maybe this one just was a one off in poor execution. Either way, did not finish … a single ravioli, let alone the dish. 
 

I came to lunch for this soufflé and the beef tenderloin. They were both so good. Temperature made the soufflé sing. It was hot — steaming hot. The sauce was nice. Maybe a little dense, but, what do I know about soufflés? I can’t count the number of soufflés I’ve had in my life on three fingers. But after this, bring me some more. 
 

If you don’t like bananas 🍌, this is NOT for you. If you don’t like banana flavor, this is NOT for you. BUT if you are the one that grabs for the yellow Laffy Taffy for more than the joke on the wrapper, or you are the one that drinks 99 Bananas (and aren’t at a high school house party) then this is definitely for you. The ice cream is a little more icy than creamy, but otherwise very nice. 
 

I haven’t had fruit cocktail since third grade. Still not my thing. I put this with the ravioli. It reads a little hospital cafeteria. Not mad I tried and not upset. It’s entirely possible some people love this. 

Thank you for the detailed food reviews!  This is fantastic. I usually get the salmon and of course the soufflé for embarkation lunch but now I want to try the beef tenderloin!

 

P.S. subscribed to your you tube.  Can’t wait to watch the videos. 

[drwbrt]

10 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

And juice bar! 

We haven’t stopped at the juice bar yet, but inclusive fresh squeezed in the MDR is pretty nice. 
 

Is there a favorite juice you recommend?

[New2cruise2022]

 

Embarkation Day Dinner:

 

Crown Gill (Specialty Dining — 2 included in Premier Package)

This is a preview. Full review on the way with details and labels. 

*Menu PDFs available along with detailed pictures.  https://www.supervaluebros.com/general-5-1

 

 

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, drwbrt said:

We haven’t stopped at the juice bar yet, but inclusive fresh squeezed in the MDR is pretty nice. 
 

Is there a favorite juice you recommend?

Antioxidant, since I love watermelon! I haven't tried the peanut butter one, but the rest are good.

[startedwithamouse]

9 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

 

Embarkation Day Dinner:

 

Crown Gill (Specialty Dining — 2 included in Premier Package)

This is a preview. Full review on the way with details and labels. 

*Menu PDFs available along with detailed pictures.  https://www.supervaluebros.com/general-5-1

 

 

 

You had me at cheese pull!

[jaycruising]

5 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Antioxidant, since I love watermelon! I haven't tried the peanut butter one, but the rest are good.

They had changed the juices on Crown a couple weeks ago, not really smoothies anymore, more like watered down juice out of machines from 3 different bars… was really disappointed 

Edited February 25 by jaycruising

[startedwithamouse]

15 minutes ago, jaycruising said:

They had changed the juices on Crown a couple weeks ago, not really smoothies anymore, more like watered down juice out of machines from 3 different bars… was really disappointed 

Juice bar never served smoothies, and is only available in the mornings. 

 

Does Crown have a new Juice Bar menu?

 

They don't come out of machines from bars. 

 

 

 

Edited February 25 by startedwithamouse

[jaycruising]

1 minute ago, startedwithamouse said:

Juice bar never served smoothies, and is only available in the mornings. 

 

They don't come out of machines from bars. 

 

 

 

Meant juice bar, this is what you get now, out of a machine, didn’t have the peanut butter one, or watermelon, this was good, but out of a machine and not what I expected to be included 

[mthomp5]

2 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

And juice bar! 

Where is the juice bar?

[CruzinNoony]

I read on your patter that Carlos Oscar was performing in the Vista last night.  He is a favorite of ours.  If he is on again, try to attend his show.  I doubt you would be disappointed.

[drwbrt]

15 minutes ago, CruzinNoony said:

I read on your patter that Carlos Oscar was performing in the Vista last night.  He is a favorite of ours.  If he is on again, try to attend his show.  I doubt you would be disappointed.

We stopped in for 30 seconds last night. We’ll give it more time tonight when he performs again. 

[Wishing on a star]

How is one to get anything like a smoothie or a good mixed juice, I Princess is doing this.

How incredibly disappointing.

[drwbrt]

No farm animals on this cruise. There are deck chairs to be had at 11:15am on a sunny sea day. #hogfree

 

Full deck chair count coming later. Not kidding. 

[New2cruise2022]

@drwbrt will provide a more detailed review of MedallionNet and the WiFi on the ship. 🛜
 

But as a quick update, FWIW, we have been able to do just about anything we want. 
 

Send text messages? ✅ 

Send pictures through text? ✅

Send video through text? ✅

FaceTime with family back home? ✅

FaceTime with family on ship? ✅

Read, browse, post pictures to CC? ✅

Read and send emails? ✅

Stream videos, tv shows, and movies, from multiple platforms? ✅

 

So far it’s been impressive and I haven’t felt an interruption from day-to-day habits and internet use. YMMV, but it’s safe to say I like it when I can stream the latest episode of a show on AppleTV while working out in the gym at 11:30 AM on a sea day. 
 

I was going to wait until I got home to watch tonight’s episode of Curb, but there is a chance that Larry will be joining us on our vacation. 

[New2cruise2022]

Shower Option — Fitness Center Chaning Room

 

For the sake of expediency (and perhaps a real phobia of cramped wet spaces with shower curtains that have the propensity to cling), I gave the men’s locker/changing room showers a whirl. 🚿 

 

I never figured out how to lock the lockers, if they lock at all. It looks like they might be equipped to lock, but the function doesn’t seem to be available. So, there is a little trust involved here. 
 

The showers have glass doors and they are nice with a huge rain shower from the ceiling and a detachable sprayer as well. The stateroom (Lotus Spa brand) shampoo/conditioner and shower gel are available — Eucalyptus and Sea Salt. 
 

Towels were plentiful and readily available, not to mention fluffy and soft. 
 

I never really figured out how the plumbing worked. With no indicators — like H or C, or red and blue — it was hard to know which knob to turn for the water to come on and which direction to turn the knob to control temperature. 
 

By trial and (user?) error, I managed a decent temperature — warm, not hot. I might have scrapped it altogether if I wasn’t already … well, prepped for the shower in a nothing-but-a-towel kind of way. 
 

As far as showers go, it was better than most and worse than others. 
 

Located across from the treadmills in the Fitness Center. Men to the left, women to the right. There is a joke in there about women always being right, but I’ll leave it alone. 
 

It isn’t very well marked. In fact, it isn’t labeled at all. It’s being that door that says EXIT. 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, I had about as much luck figuring out how to work this as I do putting together furniture from IKEA. 🤷🏿‍♂️ 

 

The disabled bathroom is so wide and luxurious. George would be so jealous. 
 

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, mthomp5 said:

Where is the juice bar?

Pastry shop in the buffet, directly across from the specialty coffee bar, 

 

[startedwithamouse]

26 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

@drwbrt will provide a more detailed review of MedallionNet and the WiFi on the ship. 🛜
 

But as a quick update, FWIW, we have been able to do just about anything we want. 
 

Send text messages? ✅ 

Send pictures through text? ✅

Send video through text? ✅

FaceTime with family back home? ✅

FaceTime with family on ship? ✅

Read, browse, post pictures to CC? ✅

Read and send emails? ✅

Stream videos, tv shows, and movies, from multiple platforms? ✅

 

So far it’s been impressive and I haven’t felt an interruption from day-to-day habits and internet use. YMMV, but it’s safe to say I like it when I can stream the latest episode of a show on AppleTV while working out in the gym at 11:30 AM on a sea day. 
 

I was going to wait until I got home to watch tonight’s episode of Curb, but there is a chance that Larry will be joining us on our vacation. 

But will Irasshaimase! be yelled at Ocean Terrace?

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, jaycruising said:

Meant juice bar, this is what you get now, out of a machine, didn’t have the peanut butter one, or watermelon, this was good, but out of a machine and not what I expected to be included 

The Crown doesn't have the Juice Bar?  

 

We're booked in a few months and I'll be disappointed if we can't get our morning juices.

Edited February 25 by startedwithamouse