I would ask anyone who reads this to use the comments link. You must have questions (that's not an order, more a supposition, especially about cruising on big white ships as only a small percentage of humans have experienced it.) I won't shoot you down in flames, although I am armed to the teeth with sarcasm and ridicule.
To my Australian readers...Gidday! Both Carol and I had/have many friends/relatives from Australia and I will see that great country from the deck of a ship someday. Now that you are here I certainly will throw another shrimp on the barbie (Barbecue for non-Australian speakers).
We are all in this boat (Earth) together and the sooner we get to know each other the better-so write a comment or just say Hello and tell me where you are from....(hope I don't sound like a stand-up comedian with that).
$100, charged to your cruise account gets you an unforgettable experience known in cruise shorthand as the UBD. Ultimate Balcony Dinner where two waiters from Room Service come to your door and begin the two hour process of feeding you great food and drinks without you have to leave your cabin or wash any dishes. The menu has already been chosen and the courses are brought one at a time when you are ready for them. The food is cooked to order (a la minute) in the ship's galley which is also feeding thousands of other passengers their nightly repast. Ships have gigantic spotless stainless steel kitchens with a couple of hundred staff.
The two energetic room service beavers busy themselves with laying starched tablecloths, napkins, silverware and glasses. A centerpiece of fresh flowers arrives with a champagne bucket with a half bottle of NotVeuve Cliquot. The ship's newest photographer-Jessica from South Africa- shows up and poses us 20 times while all this is going on. A calm Alaskan sea is the backdrop.
Finally we are invited to take our seats. A Mohito arrives and liberates my taste buds. Carol has a Club Soda with lime. Canapés prepare the palate for what may follow. While we are eating the team wait outside our cabin door until needed again. Alexandra from Ukraine will check to see if we need something pouring. Empty plates are removed once I have licked them. The courses are described on the video which follows. All the while there is 950 feet of ship at our backs, feeding and entertaining the rest of the 2600 passengers. Bands are playing, photographers are busy shooting thousands of Formal Night photos as people are dressed up and smelling good, waiting for the Captain's Welcome Aboard speech in the Piazza. He will be introducing the Officers of the various departments once the Champagne Waterfall has run it's course.
People play in the Casino, people play cards in a bar, people dance in that bar. Some folks are swimming in the many pools ( it was a 70 degree F day), some are shopping, some asleep. The ship is a hive of activity but we are supremely relaxed and enjoying a great meal. Good food, good service and Good Golly Miss Molly.
Money well spent- you can't get a meal like this on land with stellar personalized service. Even if they were just to bring us drinks and some peanuts we would be having the time of our lives in this relaxed setting. 70 degrees, no wind on our sheltered balcony. Clean clothes. Nowhere to rush off to.
The scenery....calm, narrow waters off the British Columbia coast. The 4 men up on the bridge keep us safe and free to indulge ourselves in the blissful moment. A humpback whale jumps out of the water 400 yards behind in our wake. Magic moment!
Steaks and lobsters come to our cabin and are met with a blaze of flashing stainless steel silverware.
Then there is dessert....... (video)
Hi Norris. My name is Julie and I am from England. I enjoy reading your posts on cruise critic and I am very much enjoying reading about your travels on this blog. Thanks very much for taking the time to write it and in such entertaining style! :-)
ReplyDeleteJulie-thanks for the response. What's your "handle" on CC? My next CC Epic won't happen until October after I come home from the Ocean Princess.
ReplyDeleteI'm juakkers on CC. I don't post much but I did enjoy reporting from the Royal pre-inaugural with Shogun. Will look forward to your report in October very much. Hope you have a great trip :-)
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