Another day starts and once again we manage to make our way down to breakfast. It’s difficult to imagine how an OMELET can be chewy! It is, almost by definition, several eggs beaten and quickly fried to fluffy goodness. Apparently that is not true everywhere. Bacon should be crisp, yet faintly moist, not wet with rendered fat. Yet expectations can be unrealized. Once again we live to tell the tale, but this really has turned out to be the least appetizing free breakfast yet to be encountered. Oh well…no prep, presentation or cleanup to be done by yours truly so accept and move on.
Another quick shopping trip but split…one to find Tylenol and the other to find a stylus to make digital writing much easier. Both successful but admittedly the stylus was an eye-opener. Another story for another time, but certainly a worthy accessory.
Now our ride as arrived and off we go to the Brooklyn Terminal. Given the weather (cold AND rainy!), taking a bus/subway, as some have done, is not a wise choice. Cheaper, perhaps, but having to walk several blocks after getting off the bus, dragging luggage in the rain and through puddles along the way, does not lend itself to an enjoyable start to a cruise. Fine for some perhaps, but to each his own.
The time of day has, seemingly, made our embarkation very easy. A short line to get through security, short line again to actually board the ship (because of our Platinum status…yeah…we cruise too much. So what?? 🙂 ) and we make our way up to our cabin. We arrive ahead of our luggage and see that some have had their luggage delivered as it is waiting outside their cabin door. We won’t have that inconvenience either. Into the cabin, drop off our carry-on bags and out to explore the ship.
Princess ships are laid out very similar to each other, so finding our way around is quite easy. We grab the ‘treasure hunt’ cards and wander about getting the requisite stamps, go to the Lotus Spa and enter their draw and fill out forms for a couple of others. Time spent up and down and all around and now dinner time approaches. Back to our cabin to become a little more presentable (and our luggage is now waiting for us INside our cabin – yes, a small touch but certainly appreciated) and back down for a meal we know will be very good.
Ceviche and a trifecta of melons with a ‘vintage port’ sauce is my appetizer of choice (hmmm….wonder why…). Both very good, to be sure, but I have to question the validity of ‘vintage port’. Not tawny, certainly, but IF vintage, I think the amount may have been measured with something smaller than is normally kept in a kitchen. Regardless, it disappeared and I really had no complaints. The main course (again, my own choice) was Basa with a light salsa and snow peas, while desert was a hazelnut/chocolate soufflé topped with a almond sabayon. Had to have a 20 year old tawny with that…too nice a pairing to pass up.
Now it’s off to the Piazza for a variety of drawings from the entries we had made…and we won our usual. Nothing. But again, it just doesn’t matter. Where are we?? On a cruise ship heading for the Caribbean! There is no time to fret over things that just don’t matter.
Back to our room, unpack (once, for the next 10 days) and relax with another glass of wine (Merlot this time). Tomorrow is a fun-filled day of…not really sure, but it won’t involve anything difficult.