Ultimate Balcony Dinner – February 22, 2014

 

Our friends Barb and Craig and us have planned the UBD (Ultimate Balcony Dinner) for tonight at 6:30.  We decide to do it on their balcony because it is larger and totally covered and even though it is windy if we set up the table in the corner by the door we are shielded from the wind.

We arrive in their cabin just around 6 pm and enjoy a pre dinner cocktail.  6:30 comes and the photographer arrives but the table has not been set up yet so we tell him to come back.  He comes back at 6:45 and still no one from room service has arrived yet.  We give them a call and they had thought it was set for 7:00 pm and they will be right down.  Anud (the Room Service Head Waiter) arrives and apologizes but we are okay and tell him no problem.

Anud’s assistant Marina from the Ukraine is very shy, this is her first contract and she is just learning and I will admit we did try to get her out of her shell but she is nervous.  Anud and Marina set up the table outside and it is beautiful.  A vase with three roses is given to each of us, a nice touch. 

We are sat at the table and the photographer comes and takes some pictures.  They can be picked up at the photo desk later on and are included in the package.

Our cocktails are served and we get some canapés and we sit and enjoy the drinks and chat and the laugh our heads off.

The appetizer of crab quiche is served and Anud opens the champagne and then he exits and comes back a few minutes later to clear the plates.

The salad course is served, a bowl of mixed greens with goat cheese, candied walnuts and pear, served with a balsamic vinaigrette. 

The entrée is a fillet mignon and lobster tail served with asparagus, potatoes and carrots.  A mushroom sauce and Béarnaise sauce are also served with it.  The steak is so good and the lobster too.  My steak was cooked perfectly but Bernie’s was a little under cooked for his liking and didn’t realize it till Anud had left but he still managed to eat the outer sides of the cut and was so full that it didn’t matter.  Neither of us could finish all that was on the plate.

One person couldn’t finish all their  steak and Anud offered to wrap it up and left it with a plate and fork and steak knife so she could enjoy it tomorrow.  Now that attention to detail was appreciated.

Coffee/Tea were served as well as the chocolate mousse dessert.  I was pleased to see that because I am allergic to white chocolate Anud was able to accommodate by serving me all chocolate.  It was so good!  But again I couldn’t finish it.  Then a plate of bon bons came out and we agreed we would just take it back to the cabin to enjoy tomorrow.

Anud looks familiar and we find out that he sailed on the Diamond last year and was there when we sailed to Alaska for 14 days.  He is good friends with Irma (in fact she is his daughter’s god mother).  Irma is now on the Ruby as the shopping host.  He also knows Ciska and Peter.  And we comment that Princess is very dear to us and we consider the crew our Princess family and now both Anud and Mariana are part of that family.

I am trying to stay awake!  We thank our good friends Barb and Craig for an amazing dinner and we bid adieu and head back to the cabin with our flowers and bon bons and a few people comment on the way back and we promote the UBD.

The cost of the dinner is $50 per person which I feel is well worth it and am so glad we tried it.  I have been wanting to try it for so long.