Tuesday – Day at Sea

Ahhhhhh – yup that is the first thing I say when I wake.  Even though I love visiting amazing ports, there is nothing better than those forced relaxation days that sea days bring. 

As I lay in bed sipping my latte and reading a magazine I can feel the stress of work easing away.  There is nothing I have to be at, there is no reason to dress and head out, heck I am not even hungry.

We spend the entire morning doing really nothing noticeable.  We read, we enjoy a coffee, we watch tv.

 

I wanted to tell you about a great new show we ran into on the tv.  One of the channels shows Jan Swartz introducing a show called “Destinations In Depth” which is a show where they team up with experts from The University of California Los Angeles.  They discuss history, architecture, culture, food and a huge variety of places.  We watch a few and really enjoyed them.

We need to get dressed though.  Today is the Most Travelled Luncheon.  Today’s lunch is being held in Sabatinis.  We are sat at a table with two other couples (six passengers in total) with our table host Antonio Martins Pimpao the Executive Housekeeper.  We recognize him as we sailed with him on the Diamond.  He tells us he is from Portugal and he joined Princess 35 years ago.  He is hoping to retire in the coming years.

We were the youngest by far at this luncheon.  When we see Francesco at the door, we laugh and say maybe we should be sitting at the children’s table, and he laughs and points to a table outside. 

The meal was, well how can I describe it but by saying amazing!  Bernie chose more of a seafood theme where I went for the beef.  Bernie started with a Trio of Crustace, Marinated Tiger Prawns, Lobster, Scallops with an Exotic Salad and a Citrus and Basil Emulsion, entrée was Seared Sea Bass Grenobleoise with Mediterranean Vegetables and Baby Potatoes.  For me I started with the Mushroom Risotto, a delicate Risotto with assortment of mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese.  For my entrée a Combination of Beef and Veal Medallions served with Gratin Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables and Red Peppercorn Sauces.  Dessert is a light White Chocolate Parfait served with Strawberry and Blueberry Coulis.

We had the choice of red or white wine.  And I finished my meal with a lovely cappuccino. 

Oh I almost forgot to tell you how lovely it was to see Ricardo serving us.  He is the guy who served us in the Crown Grill.  What a great guy.

We leave the luncheon and head back to the cabin to change out of our Smart Casual clothes into shorts/t-shirts. 

We wander around for a bit.  We run into Laura and chat with Anthony too.  We sign up for the Stamasich table tomorrow which is a wine tasting at Vines.  We wander thru the stores but in the end we head back to the cabin for an afternoon nap.

Lots happened today and here is just a few of the things that happened:  Zumba, Veterans Get Together, trivia, onboard outlet sale, Movie The Princess Bride on Muts, Culinary Demonstration and Galley Tour, table tennis, line dancing, pub lunch, swing and jive lessons, bar wars, art auction, 60 second frenzy game, Afternoon movie in Princess Theater – Chef, horse racing, tap dancing class, On Deck for the Cure, Muts: Mamma Mia, Maitre D’ Wine Club, and Navigation at Sea.