Wine Maker's Dinner

We decided we wanted to do the Wine Maker's Dinner ($40 including wine) this voyage.  We really would of liked the Tuscan Dinner in Sabatinis but they are not offering it this trip. Since Victor is the one hosting the Wine Maker's Dinner we sign up.

First I should say that they are doing the Mardi Gras Celebration in the Atrium and they are decorating the Atrium and there was mask making earlier and dance class and their performance will happen tonight.

As I sit in the Atrium later afternoon the beautiful Quartet is playing Nora Jones' Come Away with me as a couple heads to the beautiful marble inlaid dance floor. Arm in arm they glide like pros. Another couple slow dances and he bows his head and kisses his wife's head. Beautiful.

This is why I cruise. It is times like this that we need as a couple. Time to reconnect with no distractions just the two of you!  Ah......

A few minutes later a couple sits behind me sipping their coffees. They start to bicker about their disembarkation plans..... Ah.... maybe no Nora Jones song or slow dance can solve all problems.

We meet at the designated time on deck 6 for the Wine Maker's Dinner. We are greeted by Victor who leads us into the dining room to the beautiful table surrounded by wine bottles.

We are given the regular Wine Maker's Dinner menu. There are only six of us. Originally it was to be ten but four dropped out.

The meal is outstanding and we know to pace ourselves.

We are a bit disappointed in that there was no real description of the wines like we are use to. Other times we have done the dinner they go into great detail about the wines, the history. Then we taste the wine, discuss the wine, then try the food, then the wine again and compare. Not this time, just a brief description (like our waiter would of given) and drink!

But for us it was no big deal but for the others who have not done this meal before it would of been nice.

The company was lovely too. We really had a great dinner and enjoyed getting to know the other two couples.

Service was superb. Probably the best we have ever had.

St. Thomas - February 4, 2016

Oh my goodness we slept in again!  This voyage we have been sleeping so well.  So that is what it takes -- 30 days on a cruise ship to get me to sleep.  I will take it.

Today we are in St. Thomas and when we wake we are already docked and people are streaming off.  Weather is perfect - Patter shows a high of 26 and light puffy clouds are above.

Captain docked us so smoothly at 8 am.  I see that again, as usual we dock with the aft towards the land.  The pier is on the port side.

Bernie heads up to get some breakfast.  While he is gone the ship is doing their mandatory Crew Emergency Drills.  

This exercise is done each cruise.  It is mandatory to ensure that the crew are kept abreast of all the emergencies training.  It always happens on a port day when many are off the ship.  But if you are not off the ship you will encounter noises and announcements with the start of each announcement saying “for exercise….” This means it is NOT an emergency and you don’t have to go to your muster station. 

Today the drill begins at 9:45 and we are use to this.  One couple complained about the drill to Bernie when he was at breakfast and said “why couldn’t they do this at a better time”.  Thankfully Bernie did speak up and tell them “when would be a good time, this is the best time we are in St. Thomas and it is 10 am”. 

When Bernie returns we are gathering our stuff to go ashore when the safe shuts down.  We figured it maybe was affected by the generators so we wait for a bit.  But nothing.  So dressed in our suits, slathered in sunscreen, we head down to the front desk.  Vicky at the front desk takes note of our issue and calls someone.  You see we can’t go ashore without our ID.  Well we could but watch this be the one time they ask for ID. 

Vicky informs maintenance that we are waiting because we can’t go ashore until they come.  We know that the drill is going on and many of the crew are there and we will have to wait for that to be done.  Bernie heads up to the cabin and I wait in the Atrium.  Vicky even follows up twice in the cabin to see if someone has come. 

After about 40 minutes Bernie is back down in the Atrium to fetch me.  I understand the delay in responding (because of the drill) and heck I had a good time watching them set up for the Princess World Orchestra, which is happening tonight.

Ended up the battery died.  Apparently there should be some warning that it is going to die, but we didn’t notice one; however that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a warning, we just didn’t notice one.

Ashore we quickly head to the taxi area to catch a bus to Emerald Beach.  Cost is $4 per person in a sharing van.  It is a short ride from Crown Bay.

We arrive at the beach and we meet up with Louise and Brian and we take two lounge chairs (at a cost of $7 each).

flounder trying to hide

three lobsters hiding in the rocks

We did go in and snorkel (Bernie went twice).  Great snorkeling and easy to access and not that deep.  You do need to be aware that at many areas it is very shallow and you basically have to float over rocks/coral with very little clearance. 

puffer fish

this fish was so cool - it blended in with the grass

here is a close up of it

can you see the fish?  It stopped when I got close but it is there

Emerald Beach is a nice alternative to many of the busy beaches here on the island.  But even those busy beaches today are quiet as there is only one other ship in port today.

Back on board around 3:30 (sail away is 4:30) I lounge on the balcony with my kiwi tea cooler from the International Café and watch the happenings on the pier.  We have had a few medical evacuations today and there is another just before we leave.  The medical staff on board the Royal are so good and I know they don’t make these decisions lightly.

Sail away from Crown Bay is so pretty too - I think prettier than Havensight as we get to sail past Water Island on our Port side.  Honeymoon Bay on Water Island is calm and I so wish I would of gone there this voyage but hopefully there will be other trips back to St. Thomas in our future.

Tonight is a special night.  We are doing the Wine Maker’s Dinner again.  This time we are a group of 13 but it is all friends we know.  Also we are in Concerto dining room.  Jorge is our host tonight.

The menu is a totally different one than we have ever had.  

Jorge introduces Silverado Vineyards and our first wine is a Sauvignon Blanc, Silverado Miller Ranch. 

We start with a Chef’s Prelude of Scallop over green pea puree.  Trying the wine before and after brings totally different flavours out in the wine. 

Next course is Tian of Crabmeat, Avocado and Essence of Chilled Tomato.

Then a Frisee Salad with Duck Confit with a Poached hen egg and filo mushroom Crisp.  Large salad!  I could not finish it, if I would that would have been the end of the meal for me.  But I really liked it.  I especially liked the Duck.  And the wine pairing really became sweeter after eating the egg.  Or at least that was what I was told - I had already had enough wine to not really notice.

By this time the whole table is giggling and sharing stories and getting relaxed.  This is something I love about this table, you really feel like you are at home with friends enjoying a special dinner.

The next wine is introduced:  Cabernet Sauvignon Silverado.  We taste it with a cleansed palate to get the full flavours of the wine.

Entrée comes out:  Port Tenderloin Medallions Topped with Spinach Ricotta Ravioli and vegetables.  Probably my favorite entrée dish of all the Wine Maker’s Dinners. 

Dessert is prepared table side -- Crepes Suzette with a sauce of orange peel, sugar and a combination of liqueurs.  Amazing! 

Coffee/tea and bon bons are the final touch.

In total the meal took almost three hours but it was a great time and I am so glad we got to experience it with so many great friends.

We leave dinner and head to Vines to end our evening.  

Sure we missed all the events happening on the ship but it was a special evening and I wouldn’t change a thing.

At Sea Evening - Bernie's Birthday Dinner - Wine Maker's Dinner

We were very excited to be joining some of our good friends for a special meal tonight.  We were very pleased that Princess accommodated us and allowed us to do a Wine Maker’s Dinner.  This is not a night they normally do it as it is a busy night and they do the Baked Alaska Parade.

Our meeting time was 6:45 in the International Café.  Tonight it is us, Alice, Sanja and Martin, Sue and Bill, George and Barbara, and Dave and Cindy.  In total we are 11 and we are directed to the wine cellar in Concerto Dining room.

Jandri the lovely headwaiter and her assistant Michelle introduce themselves to us.  They warn us that the Baked Alaska Parade is just about to start and they will be taken away to deal with that but will return shortly.  We are totally fine with that and understand.

Now I could write about the dinner in it’s entirely but to tell you the truth I really wanted to focus on the company and Bernie and celebrating.  I did write about the experience twice last year so if you click here and here you can read about both experiences. 

I did take pictures of the menu and the food and will post them later when I get home.

Jandri explained the first wine as Michelle poured it.  I liked how she explained the history of the wine maker.  Then the name of the wine, then the details of the actual wine.  The starter comes out and she asks us to try the wine and notice the flavours.  Take a bite of food she tells us, now try the wine.  What is it like now? 

The soup comes out and oh my god – it is so darn good.  Like velvet!  A small langoustine is at the bottom and we bite into it and it is moist, flavorful and sweet.  Sip more wine, note the differences in flavour now. 

As we sit and enjoy more excellent wine we laugh and laugh.  The table is beautiful and everyone is loosening up.  Jandri is preparing the pasta course behind us – oh the smells!  We are getting gnocchi stuffed with Asiago Cheese.  Rich and creamy is not strong enough words to describe the tastes.

I love that she says try the white wine first with the Gnocchi.  And now we have the second wine the Spellbound a red and she says now try this wine.  Wow totally different flavours from the food.  She says see white wine is great with pasta courses. 

The main course comes out and the beef is cooked perfectly but we are getting full. 

All of a sudden the crew come out with a huge sheet cake singing Happy Birthday to Bernie.  Wow two cakes in one day.  He is so blown away and moved by all that the crew have done.

But there is the actual dessert too!  How can we eat this, well we can’t.  We have a few bites of each and then we are stuffed.  They even offer petite fours but really – I can’t!

The Wine Maker’s Dinner is $40 each and now they automatically charge it to our account.  There is no need to fill out the paperwork like we did last year.  That took a lot of time for Franco to fill out and it is much more streamlined.  The only issue is that last year we could easily add an extra tip to the bill.  Now we can’t so I seek out Anjara to give her a well-deserved tip.

Michelle her assistant was a huge asset too and having a good assistant is key.  She was on top of things and was able to anticipate our needs.  Water, wine, plate clearing were smooth and efficient.

I really would like to see them promote this more.  Many people we encountered on board had not ever heard of the Wine Maker’s Dinner.  I don’t recall reading about it in the Patter either.  But if you are going on the Royal or Regal, make sure to check into the Wine Maker’s Dinner for a special meal.

Saturday Night Wine Makers Dinner

We meet up with our fellow diners at the International Café at 6:45.  We are 12 guests tonight and we are surprised to see Bill and Cathy, along with Mike and Sue are in with us as well. 

Along with Karen, Alice, Roy and Sandra and another couple (sorry didn’t get their name) from Kamloops British Columbia.  Franco comes out and checks our names off the list and we are led as a group into the Symphony dining room to the beautiful table surrounded by bottles of wine.

You may recall that we did this dinner last sailing and loved it and Karen (who was at our table then too) asked if they would do the Steak Diane menu for this sailing.  So tonight the menu is different.  Franco goes around and hands out the menus to each of us.  Sadly my menu is poorly printed and it is impossible to read and I notice that the Captain is identified as Bob Oliver…. Hmmm I am not sure what happened to Captain Dino Sagani.

The Chef comes out and is introduced and says a few words to us.  Nicole, is Franco’s assistant tonight and she starts with pouring us bottled water. 

Franco then announces that the steaks is seared with a Grey Poupon mustard and to ensure that this is okay with everyone.  He goes around and asks us all how we like our steak. 

About a half hour has passed before we even get our first glass of wine.  Sadly this wine is not introduced or explained like he did last sailing where he explained the winery and the name. 

Franco tells us the name and opens the bottle and pours the first glass for Alice.  Right away Alice notices it is very dark in color and when she tastes it is very sweet.  When I get some I take a sip and I know this wine from previous cruises and yes it is not right, it tastes like a dessert wine and the color is almost a deep deep yellow.  

When they open the next bottle and keep pouring the remaining glasses we see that the colors are very very different.  Franco then takes a glass and agrees this wine is wrong and apologizes.  And our glasses are removed and new ones brought out and new wine poured. 

We sip and enjoy the wine and wait for the first course. 

The starter course is a tuna tar tar with cucumber and avocado.  It is delicious and done perfectly and looks beautiful.  Yummy.

It takes a while but our plates are cleared and the first course out.  Franco explains that it is a panko crusted prawn served on a bed of mixed greens with a lovely duo of seaweed and wasabi sauce.  I am not sure if it was supposed to be cold or hot, but mine was cold.  Franco may of said it was supposed to be cold, but I didn’t hear it.  I liked this dish too.  For those that don’t like seafood a special pasta is served that they rave about it.

While having our two courses our glasses are empty and we have to ask for more wine often.  It is definitely a slower moving night and because of this we are chatting more (helps we know each other too) and our glasses empty waiting for the next course.

A consomme is served and Franco explains this course to us.  Sadly mine was just warm not hot, but what I did have was very flavourful, but I didn’t finish it.

All this time Franco is busy getting the steaks started and attempting to cook 12 large steaks in one pan to the desired temperature.  The smell is amazing.

But because he is so busy with that we are left to our own devices.  Nicole the assistant needs to be directed by Franco for her next move.  The table seems to be falling apart waiting for our entrée, more wine, direction and service.

Finally our steaks are cooked and served to us, but the red wine has not been served.  Franco runs around trying to pour our wine so we can enjoy it with our entrée. 

The steak is HUGE and takes up half the plate, and it is delicious but my steak is way over done for my medium request.  Bernie asked for Medium Well but his is more medium so we switch plates.  I know that many at the table are commenting about their steaks not being done correctly.  But there is no sense saying anything cause the meal has already dragged out for so long.

While sitting at the table the band made up of wait staff circles the dining room playing songs.  Now this is lovely but my feeling is that they should maybe have them doing their “actual” job serving the diners.  I know we could of used their assistance at our table tonight.  Someone at the table comments that their waiter from the other night is in the bad and they experienced great service until he left to play in the band and then service dropped considerable as his assistant worked to do the job of two people.  Now don’t get me wrong, they sing beautifully and it is nice to see and hear but the dining service requires them and I think that unless they have no one in their section they probably should not be playing.

The plates are cleared and very few are able to finish their meal because of the size.    

Dessert is brought out and it is a stunning chocolate dish with a warm inside.  I wish I could describe it more but again I never heard an introduction of it.  Mind you our table by this time had fallen apart with too much wine and too much time.  But in the end, because we were with friends it made it fun, I can’t imagine how it would have been with strangers.  I think I may of walked out.

Nicole comes around asking about coffee and tea but I am so tired of sitting that I say nothing for me.  Franco comes around offering small bon bons and they were lovely.

Then to add to it Franco has to come around with each bill and to fill out each slip too and get our signature.   I think having the bills done ahead of time or having another waiter to do this (maybe one of the band members) could of freed Franco to do what he was meant to do here.

After about at 3.5 hour meal we get up and we leave feeling no pain and something tells me I am going to have a hangover.

Overall I am glad this was not our first time doing this dinner, but very saddened about this experience.  We were going to do it again next sailing, but we are wondering now if we should. 

I can’t blame one thing but a few things.  The menu is just too much for the head waiter to do.  One assistant is not enough, you definitely need two assistants and assistants that are able to be proactive, fill glasses, answer questions, opening wines without having direction from the head waiter.  Having someone else do the cooking and have Franco do the actual dinner hosting.  Franco shines as a host, he is personable, friendly and truly cares.  His knowledge of wine tonight was lost because he was just way too busy with everything else.  

It is with a heavy heart that I write this review, but I took some time to write this and hope that these comments can be used to make the experience even better for the next guest who does it.  Thank you for listening.